Butterfly Week - Monday

Welcome to Butterfly Week!
This week I'll be showing you all kinds of cards and projects that feature butterflies as the focusing accent. So grab your butterfly punches, dies and embosslits and let's get started.

This card is a CASE (copy and share everything) from a card I saw on Pinterest. I don't remember who the original designer is, so if you know, please leave me a message and I'll make sure to give proper credit.

To make this card like mine, you need the following supplies. Remember, if you need any of these supplies, just click on the name of the item and it will take you directly to my shop.

Today's card is a bit bigger than usual. The card base is 4 1/2 x 5 3/4, so you'll need a bigger envelope.

Supplies:

Basic Black card stock

Whisper White card stock

Pacific Point card stock

Calypso Coral card stock

Lucky Limeade card stock

So Saffron card stock

Beautiful Wings embosslit

Big Shot

Basic Jewels Rhinestones

Curly Cute Stamp set

Basic Black ink

Glue Dots

Snail Adhesive

Sizes to cut squares:

Whisper White: 1 1/4 inch

Basic Black: 1 1/2 inch

Pacific Point: 1 3/4 inch

Rectangle strip:

Whisper White:  2 x 4 1/2

Basic Black:  2 3/16 x 4 5/8

Pacific Point: 2 5/16 x 4 3/16

To make your card like mine, assemble the pieces according to the photo. 

Take some time today to get out your supplies and get creative.

Water color background

Happy Thursday!

Today's card is pretty fast, even if it doesn't look like it is. Get ready to break out the stamp pads and aqua painters.

Supplies:

Wisteria Wonder card stock

Basic Black card stock
Whisper White card stock
Calypso Coral stamp pad
Lucky Limeade stamp pad
Wisteria Wonder stamp pad
Island Indigo stamp pad
Upsy Daisy stamp set - retiring 5 /31/12
Scallop oval punch
Large oval punch 
Island Indigo marker
Aqua Painter
Dimensionals

• Adhere Basic Black card stock to the Wisteria Wonder base.
• Fill Aqua Painter with water.
• Smoosh (yes that's a technical term) the tops of the stamp pads to the stamp pad while it's closed. This will put ink on the "lid" and allow you to paint with it.
• On your Whisper White card stock, paint streaks of color. Be sure to clean the brush of the Aqua Painter between colors.*
• While waiting for the water colored piece to dry, punch one scalloped oval out of Basic Black.
• Using the Island Indigo marker color in the "Thank You" portion of the Thank you message stamp in the Upsy Daisy stamp set.
• Punch Thank You out with the large oval punch.
• Adhere Thank You to the Basic Black scalloped oval.
• Once water color background is dry stamp the Upsy Daisy image using Island Indigo over the color streaks.
• Adhere to card.
• Adhere scalloped oval to card using dimensionals. 

* To clean Aqua Painter brush between colors just squeeze out water drops until the drops become clear.

Remember, if you need any of these supplies, just click on the name of the item and it will take you directly to my shop.

Reminder

Today is the last day to order from the 2011-2012 catalog. To order from the retired items list click the icon at the top of the list on the right.

Playing Catch Up

Hi Everyone! Hope your Memorial Day was great. We've been in and out of town so much this last month and had so many changes with things in the house ... well I just needed some time to clean and organize a bit. Still not done but moving in a positive direction.

So ... I've not posted for a few days. Ya I know ... you missed me. Don't worry, I gotcha covered! Here in one place are the posts for Tuesday and Wednesday. No more chit chat now. On with the important stuff.

Tip Tuesday -
Long ago in a far away land I learned to stamp and then learned to emboss. I learned to emboss over a toaster!  (Told ya it was long ago - didn't have heat guns back then!) Once heat guns were available for stamping instead of stripping paint & wall paper (did you know that's how they started out?) and I got my hands on one I learned a few tricks. Here's one today:

• Grab a piece of cardboard, any cardboard: old cereal box, the cardboard from a pack of Designer Series Paper or the back of an old notebook. Doesn't matter. 
• Make sure the piece of cardboard is at least 5" x7" in size.
• Cover the cardboard with aluminium foil. Make sure the shiniest side is facing out. One side covered completely is all you need.
• Get a clothes pin.
• Now you have your own embossing "platform". The foil reflects the heat back on the paper and helps to heat the embossing powder faster. Also helps prevent that nasty buckle that can happen when embossing without a platform. The clothes pin holds the piece waiting to be embossed in place and helps to keep from getting your Inky Pinky too toasty. 

This is mine. Use it all the time.

Wednesday's post -

Now I know that I usually share scrapbooking pages on Saturday but I wanted to get this one sooner. See the background paper was made with a stamp that is being retired and I want you to be able to get it before it's gone. 

Supplies:

Extreme Elements Stamp set

Whisper White 12 x 12 cardstock

Calypso Coral ink

Calypso Coral card stock

Lucky Limeade card stock

Top Note Die

Big Shot

Decorative Label Punch 

Adhesive

• Stamp in random pattern on Whisper White card stock using Calypso Coral ink and the large splotch from the Extreme Elements stamp set. 
• Trim a piece of Calypso Coral card stock to fit your photo and randomly stamp the splotch  from the Extreme Elements stamp set  using Calypso Coral ink. 
• Adhere photo.
• Using the Big Shot and Lucky Limeade card stock, cut a Top Note Die and trim off a small portion of the top. Adhere the cut edge under the photo.
• With a scrap of Lucky Limeade card stock, punch a Decorative Label and cut in half.
• Adhere to the top right corner of Calypso Coral card stock.
• I stamped the year on top but you could do anything that works with your photo.
• The Top Note Die is used for your journaling.

Remember, if you need any of these supplies, just click on the name of the item and it will take you directly to my shop. If you have any questions just leave me a comment or send me an email.

BTW, that's my adorable granddaughter. She was showing off her amazing bubble blowing skills. I love 8 year olds!

Enjoy!

He Comes In Peace

Happy Hump Day! I'm looking forward to the weekend. Going to get to spend some time with my son! I sure do miss having him around. So thankful that schedules working out to get together.

This card reminds me of my son. He was  c r a z y  about aliens when he was little. So, in honor of my son ~

This is a standard A2 size card (5 /12 x 4 1/4).
This is a detailed card. Be sure to read through all the instructions before you start.
If you need supplies, just put your cursor over any of the supply items listed and click through to my shop!

Supplies:
Owl Punch
Pennant Builder Punch
1 3/4'" Circle Punch
White Craft Ink
Soft Suede Ink
Basic Black Ink
Old Olive card stock
Whisper White card stock
Calypso Coral card stock
Basic Black card stock
Tempting Turquoise card stock
Pacific Point card stock scrap
White gel pen
Sponge
Extreme Elements stamp set *retiring 5/31/12
Tombo glue
Dimensionals
Sponge Dauber
Snail Adhesive
wiggle eyes - craft store
tooth pick - craft store

Take a piece of Old Olive card stock and punch out 2 owls. From the first owl trim off the feet. Using the second owl, cut a triangle starting on either side of the feet and continue into the body. Flip over the "footless" owl, rotate the owl so that the rounded portion is now on top. Attach the feet to what is now the bottom. Using the owl that you cut the triangle from, trim the ear area down into the body of the owl. These will be used for the antenna. Use the 2 circle that punched with the body and attach to the top of the antenna and then attach to the body. Grab some wiggle eyes as many or as few as you choose, and attach. Tombo glue is great for attaching these small parts.

Draw a half circle on the Whisper White paper. I did mine free hand but feel free to grab a small plate or use a circle cutter. Sponge the half circle with Soft Suede. Crinkle the sponged piece making sure to have a few deeper creases. Sponge those deeper creases. Adhere to the bottom of the card.

Attach your alien to the card with dimensonals.

Using the "comet" stamp from the Extreme Elements stamp set and white craft ink stamp 3 times randomly on the basic black background. Don't be afraid to stamp off the edge. This creates interest in your background.

While the craft ink is drying on the background, punch a circle from Calypso Coral card stock using the 1 3/4" punch. Lightly sponge Whisper White craft ink on the circle. Now, grab a pencil with a flat eraser on top. Tap the pencil eraser into the craft ink and stamp on the Calypso Coral circle to create craters. I also used the open end of the Sponge Daubers to create the large crater.

Once all the Whisper White craft ink is dry, attach the Calypso Coral circle with dimensionals to the Basic Black background. Take the white gel pen and make random dots and * . I also enhanced bits of the stamped "comet" to add dimension and interest.

While all the gel pen work is drying punch a flag with a scrap of Pacific Point card stock and the Pennant Builder Punch. Use the dotted background stamp from Extreme Elements and Whisper White craft ink to make the background. Use the stars from the same set and Basic Black and stamp on top.  Once all inks are dry glue the flag to a trimmed down tooth pick. Use a dimensional on the flag portion and Tombo glue on the pole portion and adhere to card.



Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! This was one of the most fun cards I've made in a long time.
Grab your supplies and give it a try!

Medallion Card

Happy Monday!

Hope you all enjoyed Mother's Day with people that make you happy. I was blessed enough to spend time with my daughter & her family. My Son-in-Law scored big points by taking both myself and my daughter out for mani/pedis. OMG that was wonderful! My wonderful hubby made his BBQ chicken for us (one word - OUTSTANDING!) and we all got to visit with my military son via Skype. If that wasn't enough, all the family here at home went out to see "The Avengers" - awesome. It was a special day that had  sweet tender moments I won't soon forget. I hope you had the same kind of day.

We're still focusing on stamps that are retiring. One stamp that makes a statement when used is the Medallion Stamp. I'll be showing a couple of different ways to use this one, so stay tuned.

Today's card:

Supplies:
Medallion Stamp
Create a Cupcake - clear mount stamp set
Top Note Die
Big Shot
Modern Label punch
Word Window punch
Calypso Coral ink
Calypso Coral card stock
Whisper White card stock
Basic Black card stock
Basic Pearls Jewels

• Cut Calypso Coral card stock along the 11" edge @ 5 1/2".
• Score @ 4 1/4.
• Stamp Medallion in Calypso Coral ink in random patter, being sure to stamp off the edge of the card base to add interest.
• Using Top Note die and Whisper White card stock, run through Big Shot to create white top layer. Do Not toss out leftover scrap.
• Take white Top Note sheet and stamp Medallion in Calypso Coral again, going off the edge of the paper.
• Use Basic Black card stock to create another Top Note piece.
• Cut the Basic Black Top Note down the center horizontally.
• Using adhesive, adhere the Basic Black Top Note piece to the back of the Whisper White Top Note piece, being sure to adjust edges according to the photo. *Note: you may need to do some extra trimming of the Basic Black Top Note at the horizontal points.*
• Adhere to card.
• Using scrap of Whisper White stamp Happy Birthday from the Create a Cupcake stamp set in Calypso Coral ink.
• Punch out sentiment with Word Window punch.
• Using the Modern Label punch, punch out 1 from  Basic Black card stock and  1 from Calypso Coral card stock.
• Split the Basic Black Modern Label horizontally, just as done above with the Basic Black Top Note piece.
• Adhere to the Calypso Coral piece.
• Adhere the sentiment on top.
• Adhere to card and place a pearl on the edge, according to the photo.

This style of card works for many occasions just be sure that the sentiment you choose will fit inside the Word Window punch or the Modern Label punch.

If this is a card that you think you would be able to use, leave me a comment below.

Take some time for yourself today -  grab your supplies and make something.

Simple & Quick

Fast Fun Friday

I looked at the calendar and freaked! April is almost over and that means that our Occasions Mini is almost over too. I don't know about you but I don't know where April has gone. So for the next few days I'm going to post some projects made with items that you can STILL get in our Occasions Mini via my Stampin' Up! store. Hurry - the month is almost over and the sale ends April 30th.

Now for the Fast & Fun part.

Stamps: 

• Bordering On Romance - clear mount for the flower border (Occasions Mini)
• Upsy Daisy - wood mount for "you're on my mind" (retiring)

Tools: 

• Adorning Accents Embossing Folders using the scallop border (Occasions Mini)
• Decorative Label Punch, punched in Calypso Coral

Paper: 

• Whisper White cut @ 4 X 5 1/4
• Calypso Coral cut at 5 1/2 X 8 1/2, folded @ 4 1/4 to make a traditional sized card with the fold at the top. 

Accessories:

• Calypso Coral & Lucky Limeade markers used to color in the flower border
• Basic Pearls Jewel Accents on the Calypso Coral label
• Stazon Black Ink to stamp both the flower border & sentiment
• Dazzling Details added to the center of the flowers and on "you're"
• Dimensionals used to pop up Calypso Coral label
• Snail Adhesive to adhere the Whisper White to the card base
• Big Shot used to create the Adorning Accents scallop on edge of card.

It took me longer to type this post than to make this card. LOL Obviously you can use whatever sentiment that works for you but wouldn't this be a nice card to receive when you're ill or going through a rough patch with a warm note inside. That's why I love stamping, I can create just what I need for any occasion with the recipient in mind. Personal and unique always makes the recipient feel special.

 

Stop by my shop and pick up supplies to make your own unique cards.

Have a great weekend and be sure to save some time to get out your supplies and create something.