A Week of Pun Fun - Day 1

Okay, I don't normally do this. I feel it rude and pushy. But you're going to have to trust me on this one...

You simply MUST have the PUN FUN stamp set!

There. I've said it. Now it's up to me to back up that statement and I intend to do just that over the next several days. Every day, I will be showing you a new card I've made with this fabulous set! I'm going to tempt you beyond your wildest expectations! I can guarantee that by the end of the week, you will be convinced that my statement above is nothing but the utter truth! And what's better than that? Through April 30th, when you purchase this set, you will receive the coordinating Sweet Stars Jumbo Wheel for FREE! (See this post for full details).

But WAIT! There's more! On the final day of my Pun Fun week (Saturday April 19th), I will share with you an added bonus for anyone who purchases this set through me! ...but if I convince you earlier than that (which is a definite possiblity!), you can place your order at any time and on Saturday you'll just learn what the extra bonus is. Remember that I can ship anywhere in the US, and it is a high priority with me to provide the utmost in customer service. I accept payment via PayPal, immediately place the order, and I always e-mail the shipping information when I receive it so you know when to expect your goodies.

Ready to get started? Okay, here is PUN FUN - DAY 1:

Oh, I just love it, love it, love it! This set is too much fun! This cute card was made with a Brilliant Blue base that was wheeled with the Sweet Stars Jumbo Wheel (remember - it came FREE!) using Brilliant Blue ink. It also has a strip of sponged and pierced Bashful Blue, a layer of Pumpkin Pie, and a strip of Jersey Shore DSP. I stamped the birdie using black StazOn ink onto Whisper White cardstock and colored him with my Blender Pen and ink pad lids. The Clear Button is threaded all the way through the card (holes made with my 1/8" handheld Circle punch) with Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon. This eliminated the need for a glue dot and the risk of it falling off.

He is only the appetizer... keep coming back each day for MORE Pun Fun!! Whoopee!!!

A Challenge Became a Friend

Well, it all began with a challenge. I decided I would try my hand at one of the challenges over at Splitcoast. I always see the card sketches and thought it might be fun... so I tried this sketch. And this was the card I ended up with...

...only, I don't like it. I think it's lopsided and too heavy on the right. I like the way the Priceless stamps look all random on the Whisper White strip, and I like how the sentiment from Short & Sweet fits on the Large Oval punch (I had to use my Stampin' Write marker and position that by hand), but I just don't think this card is up to par. Disappointing.

But alas, not all is lost, I did like the color scheme I used! It's Lavender Lace, Certainly Celery, and Barely Banana. So I just played around some more and created the two cards below instead!


Totally different, but I like these much better... and even though they don't exactly "fit" the challenge, at least they were inspired by the one that does... does that count? :)

The strip across the bottom comes from the Hostess Level I set called A Little Bit of Happiness, and I colored them with my Blender Pens and classic ink pad lids. I mounted the strip onto some textured cardstock that has been pierced and sponged. The beautiful dear friend sentiment comes from All Holidays and is stamped with Lavender Lace ink on both cards. And some Whisper White Taffeta ribbon adds some balance. (speaking of Taffeta ribbon, I do still have some openings in my Ribbon Share... I'll be placing that order on April 20th, so be sure to get in on it before then!)

Finally, here is one more card that I made like this, only in a slightly different color scheme... this one is Apricot Appeal with Ruby Red and Certainly Celery.

I took the photo next to the envelope I mailed it in (it's on its way to my dear friend in Scotland - hope she gets it before she sees this post!) because I wanted to show you how I use the same stamp on the flap of the envelope. This works nicely given the shape of that stamp.

So there you have it... what started as a challenge turned into a dear friend!

Sympathy

A good friend of ours lost his father recently, and I wanted to make a masculine sympathy card. This is what I came up with.

The base is Always Artichoke, with a layer of Chocolate Chip and then Kraft. The Kraft is stamped with the Sanded background and I embossed one of the trees from Lovely As a Tree with Always Artichoke craft ink and clear powder. I chose the "memories" sentiment from Define Your Life as opposed to the more typical "sympathy" saying... I felt it more fitting in this situation as he has a lot of memories with his dad. I added some Chocolate Chip wide Grosgrain ribbon along with a couple pieces from my Hodgepodge Hardware set - something about adding hardware always makes a card more masculine.

Labels

I wanted to mention that I have been going back through all of my former posts and labeling them... don't know why I didn't do that from the beginning... it's made for a long, tedious task trying to backtrack! In any case, now you can scroll down the left sidebar to find all of my categories... things like Altoid Tins, Watercoloring, Holidays, Masculine, Gift Ideas, etc. Just click on one and it will show you all of my posts in those particular areas. I still haven't finished labeling them all, but I'm about 75% done. I hope this helps you find more specific things you're looking for while browsing through my blog!

Wild About You Boxed Set

Here's a fun project I did a few nights ago... it's a little box with gift cards inside using the frisky Wild About You stamp set.

I found a pattern for a box like this on the Stampin' Up! demonstrator website, but it was the wrong size. So I made some modifications for it to fit the 3"x3" cards I wanted to put inside.

Edited to add: The measurements I used are as follows:

Box bottom: 9" x 3-1/2" with short edge scores at 1/2", 1-1/2", 4-3/4", and 5-3/4". The long edge is scored at 1".

Box lid: 9-1/4" x 2-3/4" with short edge scores at 1/2", 1-9/16", 4-7/8", and 5-15/16". The long edge is scored at 1-1/16".

Box band (the scalloped black part around the lid): 9-1/2" x 1", scored at 1/2", 1-5/8", 5", and 6-1/8".

I scalloped the edge of the black strip for the lid using a Corner Rounder punch (guard removed).

I have 4 little notecards and their matching envelopes in this box. This would be a cute gift for a teacher who gives notes to her students, or to a child (or parent of that child) who goes to a lot of birthday parties!

The colors I used are So Saffron, Real Red, Wild Wasabi, Bashful Blue (along with Designer Prints in those colors), Whisper White, and Basic Black. The sentiments on the little cards came from Short & Sweet. The animals are stamped onto a 1 1/4" circle, layered onto a 1 3/8" circle, and then onto a Scallop Circle. In hindsight, I think I would've liked the scallops on the cards to have the smaller 1/16" circle holes like the one on the box. I used the Horizontal Slot punch to make a space for the Black Gingham ribbon.

I hope you like it - it sure was fun to create!

I've Been Chosen

I have been chosen not once, not twice, but THREE times to receive the Arte y Pico award shown here! Thank you to the incredibly talented Silke, to my very kind new reader Suzanne, and to another sweet new friend Pam for all choosing little ole' me. I am truly honored to have been listed among their favorite sites to visit.

In following the rules, I will link to the originator of the award, but since this award has been making the circuit for quite awhile, it's going to be hard to find talented folks who have not been chosen already. Because of that, I will simply direct you to my favorite blogs - I've updated them and they are listed at the bottom of the left column of my blog. These people truly are my favorites, and when I do take the time to blog-surf (which isn't often), those are the ones I visit. I know there are a ton more out there that I would love to have on this list... but if I spent time searching and surfing fabulous blogs, then I wouldn't have time to stamp!! It's all about priorities, you know!!

Sparkly Friend

Here's a couple of new products I tried not long ago... the Sticky Cuts Letters with some Chunky Essentials in Red! Wow!! What a statement that makes!

The Sticky Cuts Letters are basically the same thing as the Sticky Strip - it's incredibly sticky. It holds that glitter and it 'aint lettin' go... know what I mean?! Well, I decided Bold and Bright was the only way to go on this card. The base is Real Red with a layer of Textured Only Orange on top. Then there's some Whisper White with some Old Olive Summer Picnic DSP. I scalloped the bottom of the Real Red strip with the Corner Rounder punch (guard removed) and then punched the small holes with the 1/16" Handheld Circle punch. The sentiment comes from the Level I Hostess set, For a Friend, and is done in Basic Black ink. I punched out three Old Olive flowers with the Three For You punch, and stuck a Real Red brad in the center of each one.

Now, when I showed this card to my husband, he said that he thinks it would look better if the Old Olive/Whisper White strip didn't go all the way to the edge. He thinks it should only go to the edge of the Only Orange... he may be right, but instead of dis-assembling the whole thing to find out, I thought I'd ask all of you what you think... ?? Should I hire him?? :o)

RAK From Jayne

Here's another beautiful card I received in the mail a few days ago. It's from my friend in Australia, Jayne Mercer of {Me}.

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this card! I think my favorite part of it is the three layers of pink cardstock that have been roughed up at the edges. It makes it look worn and loved... just beautiful!

Jayne, thank you so much for making my mailbox and me smile! I know this card took a lot of time to create - I am so flattered that it gets to sit on MY desk!

Taffeta Ribbon Share

It's time for another Ribbon Share! This time, I'm doing the elegant Taffeta ribbon. It comes in 8 colors: Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Basic Gray, Mellow Moss, Bashful Blue, and Pretty in Pink. Participants in the share will receive approximately 2 yards of each color, all individually bagged, for only $14.50. PayPal is my preferred payment method for non-local customers, but other arrangements can certainly be made.

I use the Taffeta ribbon a lot, as you've seen if you're a regular visitor to my blog. But just in case you need some inspiration, you can check out these posts:

Two of the cards in my April Stamp-a-Stack set use this ribbon, as well as the cards in these posts: an Anniversary card for my dear friends, a Doodle This card, a beautiful Morning Glory card, this Thank You card, and this elegant Valentine's Day card. My fun Valentine boxes used it too!

I will be placing this ribbon order on April 20th, so contact me before then if you'd like to participate!

Baroque Anniversary

Today is a very special anniversary for some very special friends of mine! Here is the card I sent to my dear friends in Scotland... yes, I pulled out the ever popular Baroque Motifs again!

Although I would've easily spent hours on a beautiful card for them, I must confess that this one took me all of about 15 minutes!! I blame it on the beauty of the Baroque Motif swirl - it simply makes the card for me! This one is stamped onto Soft Sky with Soft Sky ink, and then mounted on a piece of Blue Bayou before mounting onto the Naturals White card base. The sentiment is from Hugs & Wishes and is stamped in Blue Bayou ink. I used some Whisper White Taffeta ribbon for it's soft elegance (which, by the way, is part of my current Ribbon Share - more on that later), and then finished it off with some pearls from the Pretties Kit.

So, Audrey and Iain, just in case the card did not arrive in time, here it is, along with a whole lot of love from your American friend! Love you!

New Banner!

Like my new banner? I don't know about you, but I was getting pretty tired of the old brown leaves... it's not Fall anymore anyway. It's Spring! So I decided to freshen it up a bit. Plus, those leaves came from the Autumn Fest stamp set, which is now retired. This new banner features the flowers from Morning Soft, and this particular image came from the card in this post.

Let me know what you think!

One of a Kind Birthday

Michael (my husband) has an aunt that I just adore... always have. She truly is one of a kind. Her birthday was last week, and I wanted to create something special for her. Here is the card I sent to her:

I used the One of a Kind stamp set with the color combination of Real Red, Basic Black, and Blush Blossom. The background stamp is Tres Chic, done in Versamark ink. All the rest of the stamping is done in Basic Black ink, except for the Real Red sponging around the edges.

To make the main image, I started by stamping the flower onto the center of the Blush Blossom piece. Then I stamped it again onto a scrap of Real Red, cut it out, and lined it up onto the Blush Blossom - this allowed the dots to be seen behind the red flower. Then, I stamped it again onto a scrap of Blush Blossom and cut the center portion out and lined it up on top of the Real Red. Finally, I punched a 1/2" small circle out of Real Red, used a black marker to get a consistent outline, and attached it to the very center. I punched through all of these layers with the 1/8" handheld Circle punch and inserted a Rhinestone brad from the Pretties Kit. I also stamped the smaller flowers from the same stamp set onto Real Red and punched them out with the Boho Blossoms punch. Two of those got Rhinestones, too.

It's rare that I create a card without ribbon... but when you add such sparkly bling, who needs it?!

PS: Do you like my new signature? Thank you, Allison, for sharing how to do it!

An "Inspirational" Honor!

My Summer by the Sea cards
were featured on Inspirational today!
Go take a look!



Thank you, Beth, for the honor.

April Stamp-a-Stack

Well, my schedule is just too crazy these days and therefore I'm not going to have any Stamp-a-Stack or Mail-a-Stack workshops this month.

APRIL FOOL!! :o) I just couldn't resist...


Below you will find the cards for this month. Remember that my April Stamp-a-Stack workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 15th at 7pm. The cost is $10 with a $15 minimum order, or $20 without an order. All supplies are included, but please bring your own adhesive! Contact me by April 13th to save your spot!

For those of you who are non-local or those who can't make that date, you can opt for the Mail-a-Stack where I will send you a packet of supplies (listed below each photo), along with detailed instructions and photographs. You use your own stamps, ink, and tools... but if you need me to order anything, I'd be happy to do so and have the things you need delivered straight to your front door. The cost of the Mail-a-Stack is $19.60, which includes Priority shipping (US addresses only), or just $15 for local pick-up. Contact me before April 13th if you are interested in this option!

This first one uses the new Time For You ($18.95) set that is in the current Mini Catalog. The Mail-a-Stack option contains enough of the following supplies to make 4 of this card: all cardstock (pre-scored & cut), punched flowers, brads, ribbon, and envelopes. To complete this card as shown, in addition to the Mail-a-Stack kit, you will need the stamp set listed above, along with the Horizontal Slot punch ($5.95), Stampin' Write Markers (4 at $3.25 each), Basic Black classic ink ($5.25), 1/16" Circle punch ($8.95), and adhesive of your choice.

This pair is made with the new Tart & Tangy ($12.95) set that is in the current Mini Catalog, as well as the Many Happy Returns ($18.95) set. The Mail-a-Stack option contains enough of the following supplies to make 2 of each of these cards: all cardstock (pre-scored & cut), punched scallops and large circles (you'll have to punch the small circles after you stamp them), ribbon, and envelopes. To complete these cards as shown, in addition to the Mail-a-Stack kit, you will need the stamps listed above along with the Scallop Punch ($15.95), 1-1/4" Circle Punch ($15.95), 1/16" Circle punch ($8.95), Polka-dot Background Stamp ($17.95), Versamark ink ($7.50), Pumpkin Pie classic ink ($5.25), Old Olive & Real Red Stampin' Write Markers ($3.25 each), 2-Way Glue Pen ($3.50), Dazzling Diamonds glitter ($4.50) and adhesive of your choice.

Here are a couple of closer photos:



You can't really see the polka-dots on the red card in this photo, but they're there. In hindsight, the orange slice looks better WITH the glitter, but I actually think I prefer the strawberry withOUT the glitter... see the first photo of them together, as there is no glitter on that strawberry. You're free to choose whichever way you like. As another option, you can stamp the top of the strawberry again on scrap paper, cut it out, and attach it to this one with a sliver of a dimensional - it looks fabulous like that!


This set of cards was made with the Summer by the Sea ($28.95) set (not in the current catalog, but still available), along with some sentiments from Warm Words ($20.95) - you can certainly use any sentiment you wish on these cards. The Mail-a-Stack option includes enough of the following supplies to make one of each of these cards: all cardstock (pre-scored and cut), ribbon, brads, linen thread, and envelopes. To complete these cards as shown, in addition to the Mail-a-Stack kit, you will need the stamp sets listed above, along with the Word Window punch ($15.95), Large Tag punch ($15.95), 1/16" and 1/8" handheld Circle punches ($8.95 each), Chocolate Chip classic ink ($5.25), Chocolate Chip craft ink ($7.50), Clear Embossing Powder ($4.75), a Heat Tool ($26.95), Stampin' Sponges ($3.50), Classic ink to match cards (4 at $5.25 each), and the adhesive of your choice.



The images are all embossed with Chocolate Chip craft ink and clear powder, so they can be done on any colors and still look uniform. They would also be great as a set in a box... you can view my Warm Wishes tutorial for a sample of a box that these would work well in! If you wanted to step these cards up a notch, they would also look nice with a hint of a background... like Print Pattern. It shouldn't be too dark though, as you don't want to overpower the image. You could use the Classic ink of the same color as the cardstock, stamp it off a couple times, and then stamp it onto the cardstock.



Well, there you have it. I hope you enjoy my cards for April! Be sure to contact me before April 13th to either sign up for the Stamp-a-Stack at my home, or to order the Mail-a-Stack kit!