Inspired by a Dragonfly

I told you I'd show you that old card that I used as inspiration for one of this month's Stamp-a-Stack cards... here it is:

Again, I do not remember where I originally saw this (I made this over a year ago, I think), but it is very much CASEd! This gorgeous dragonfly came from the now retired Measure of a Life set. (I still have a brand new one available if anyone's interested! You can see the details here.) The background stamps were Linen and French Script (both also retired). The colors here are Basic Black, Brocade Blue, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, and Confetti Cream. I watercolored the dragonfly with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and an Aquapainter, and then sponged the whole cream piece with some Chocolate Chip ink. There's a few pieces from Hodgepodge Hardware, along with some ivory Organdy ribbon (also retired).

It may have mostly retired products, but this was one of those cards I just couldn't ever give away. It's one of my favorites.

NEW Option for You!

In my previous post, I told you all about my Mail-a-Stack option, where you can receive all the consumable supplies needed along with professional step-by-step instruction sheets with color photographs that show you exactly how to make the three Stamp-a-Stack cards shown...

...but maybe you're a Stampin' Up! demonstrator yourself and you don't need the supplies? Maybe you just need some quality card ideas that you can use in your own workshops? Perhaps it's easier for you to plan a class when you already have the card dimensions figured out for you? Or maybe you're a frequent Stampin' Up! customer and have as many supplies as us demonstrators? (in that case, it's really time for you to take the plunge and join my team! *giggle*)

Well, here's an offer for you: Starting this month, I will make my instruction sheets available to everyone without having to purchase the supplies! You can choose whichever card instructions you'd like and I will mail them to you for $3 each, or in sets of 3 for $8.00. Both prices include postage, and I will mail them in a flat envelope - never folded!

Here is a photo of a few of the instruction sheets so you can see for yourself the level of quality I provide. To view all of the available instruction sheets, visit my Instruction Sheet Archive! There, you can read the fine print along with full details on how to order.

EDITED TO ADD: I meant to mention that I DO offer these instruction sheets to non-US residents with a small additional postal fee. Contact me for your specific quote.

I hope this option helps you in your creative process!

May Stamp-a-Stack

It's May 1st... and you know what that means! Three brand new Stamp-a-stack cards! Well, in this case, it's more than three... but three basic layouts.

First, let me remind you of the details. This month, my Stamp-a-Stack workshop will be held on Tuesday, May 20th. Together, we will complete 12 cards (4 each of the 3 different designs below) using my supplies. The only thing I do not provide is basic adhesive. The cost is $10 with a $15 minimum catalog order, or $20 without an order. Clear envelopes are included, unless you'd like paper envelopes that can be stamped to match the cards. I sell those at the workshop for .20 cents each.

Can't make that date? Or you don't live in the Dallas area? No problem! You can receive the supplies by mail! I will send you all of the consumable supplies (cardstock, envelopes, ribbon, brads, etc.), along with detailed instructions with color photographs, and you can complete the cards at home with your own stamps, ink, and tools. If you need any of the stamp sets, ink, and/or tools, I can help you with that as well and have it shipped right to your home or office. The cost for the Mail-a-Stack option is $15 for local pick-up, or $19.60 if shipping is necessary (I use Priority mail). I take payment via PayPal and will send an invoice when you place your order.

Whether you would like to come to the class or have the kit mailed to you, I will need to know by May 18th! Please contact me at mgf@forceworld.com.

Okay... enough of that! This month, we are going to focus on Father's Day (which is June 15th), Graduation, Friendship, and Wedding (for all those June weddings you'll be invited to!)... although the wedding card could also double as an Anniversary card or a Baby card. I like versatility, don't you?!

This layout came from an old card I made, which I CASEd from who knows where. It was one of the very first cards I ever made... I won't show it to you here because I don't want you to get confused as to which cards are in the Stamp-a-Stack this month. But I'll show it to you tomorrow, just for kicks. In any case, as you can see, I modified it to fit both Father's Day AND Graduation... you know how the saying goes about the two birds and the one stone. Poor birds. Anyway, my idea was to make 2 of each, but if you happen to have 3 dads and only 1 nephew graduating, then you can do it that way... or if you have 3 graduates and 1 dad... oh, you get the idea. Here's a closer look at them:

The colors on these cards are Night of Navy, Bordering Blue, Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, and Whisper White. The stamp sets are All Holidays and Great Grads. Obviously, I used my Stampin' Write Markers on the stamps in order to get the two colors. The backgrounds stamps I used are Sanded and En Francais. There are also two Night of Navy Eyelets and a scrap of Grosgrain Ribbon.

This next card uses a new favorite set of mine (not a new set, but new to me): Blossoms Abound. I just love how easy it is to stamp this cascading flower... and it looks difficult! (but it's not!) The colors here are Regal Rose, Rose Red, Old Olive, and Naturals Ivory. The ribbon is Vanilla Taffeta.

This card could easily be adapted into a different color scheme - Perfect Plum and Pale Plum would be beautiful as well, but I chose rose because I did plum in this next set...

This layout was directly inspired from a card in the August issue of Cards. It was on page 130 and designed by Melissa Phillips (I like to give credit where credit is due!). My version is different in that I stamped the upper portion instead of using patterned paper. Her card used Organdy type ribbon, whereas I'm using the gorgeous Taffeta. And, obviously, the stamp set is different. I used Carte Postale and Warm Words. The colors here are Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, and Whisper White. In my mind, these cards could be suitable for a wedding, anniversary, or even a new baby!

I hope you like this month's cards! Remember to either sign up for the Stamp-a-Stack or order the Mail-a-Stack before May 18th!

Wonderful Stitched Exotics

I'm feeling guilty about how long it's been since I've shown you a card! ...but I've not been slacking, honest! I had that coaster workshop on Thursday night, then I had a whopping 13 girls over here for Girls Club on Saturday (can't show you what we made until after Mother's Day!), and I'm having another ten or so ladies over again tonight for more coasters... whew!

In any case, I whipped this up just now hoping it would hold you over until I could focus on card making once again:

Whenever I need a quick card, I like to use a solid image stamp set and get wild with some colors. Then, to tone it down, I place a piece of Vellum Cardstock over the top. That's exactly what I did here... the colors are Ballet Blue, Lovely Lilac, Certainly Celery, and Summer Sun... these were taken directly from the Color Coach, except I used the celery instead of Sage Shadow so I could use some matching Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon. The stamp set is, of course, Stitched Exotics, along with Wonderful Favorites. I also added some of the new beautiful Silver Hodgepodge Hardware for accents. If you like this look, take a look at this post and this post for more examples.

Some good news to share... Stampin' Up! has announced that they are extending the dates for the current Occasions Mini Catalog! You can now purchase products in this brochure through June 30th! ...and since they are all die-cut, this is a wonderful place to shop!

Oh, and one last reminder... the Free Wheelin' promotion ends in just a couple of days! Remember that the wonderful Pun Fun stamp set is a part of this promotion... and if you didn't join me through my Week of Pun Fun (shame on you!)... check out my posts from April 13th through the 19th, and then the 23rd. Be sure to get your order to me no later than April 30th.

And Even MORE Coasters!

These coasters are so hot right now! No, really... these just came out of the oven a few minutes ago. They were almost too hot to handle when I took these photos! I had my Coaster Workshop this evening and had so much fun creating and socializing with everyone who came... and since this class was so popular, I had to open an additional date, so I've got a whole 'nuther group coming on Monday night! But in any case, the ladies who came tonight were so talented... I wanted to share a design that several ladies made tonight - and it all started with my friend Keri. After everyone left, I literally ran to the kitchen to re-create it! So keep in mind that this is not my design... but I'm tickled that I get to share it with y'all! You'll have to pardon all the "F"s... these are staying right here in my own home, so no other letter would do... well, except for "M" of course.

The colors here are Chocolate Chip and Brocade Blue, using the En Francais background stamp and the Baroque Motifs swirl. The monogram is using the retired Letterpress alphabet set. Here are close-ups:


And as if that weren't enough for you, here's one that IS my design... I just ordered this set - I've been wanting to for a long time and finally broke down and did it. It arrived this afternoon - too late for me to make a sample before tonight's workshop, but after I did the one above, I played around and made these two:

These use the gorgeous Blossoms Abound set (why didn't I order this one a long time ago??!) along with the Print Pattern background. The colors for the one on the right are Rose Red, Regal Rose, Old Olive, and Certainly Celery. The one on the left uses Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Always Artichoke, and Mellow Moss. Close-ups:


Oh, what fun, what fun! And what FABULOUS gifts these make! I only charge $7.50 per set of 4, so not only is it a FABULOUS gift, it's an incredibly AFFORDABLE one at that!

Monday night's workshop is full (over-full, actually!), but if you are here in the local DFW area and are interested in attending one of these workshops, please contact me so I can add another date to the calendar. And forward this link on to a friend so they can come with you!

Thanks, ladies, for a fun evening! (don't I just have the BEST job ever?!)

EDITED TO ADD: I always receive questions about how these are made, and this time my "oven" comment apparently threw some of you... so here's the basic idea: Use CRAFT inks, coat them with clear embossing powder, and then bake at 350 for around 5-7 minutes or until all the powder is set. Hope that helps!

The Forgotten Pun Fun...

Well, he wasn't forgotten... it's just that there's only 7 days in a week and there's 8 stamps in the Pun Fun set! So here is the one you missed during my Week of Pun Fun last week!

I envisioned this little kitty as orange and brown, so that's where I started. He's stamped with black StazOn ink onto Watercolor paper and colored with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and an Aquapainter. The base cardstock is More Mustard, with a layer of Basic Black and some So Saffron prints. The scallop was made with the Corner Rounder punch (guard removed) and the ribbon is the smallest size in the pack of Twill Tape. A couple of black buttons fastened on with Linen Thread balances it out - I had to pull out my Crafter's Toolkit for the needle to get the thread through the watercolor paper circles behind the buttons. I added those because I felt it needed a touch of white in that corner. They were punched with the 1/2" Circle punch.

Looking again at this cute kitty, I think he might be fun in gray! Hmmmmm.....

Quick Birthday

Here's a quick birthday card you can whip up pretty fast... probably in the amount of time it took me to publish this post! (in a hurry today)

Ingredients:
Stamp Sets - Think Happy Thoughts, Sweet Stars jumbo wheel
Cardstock - Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Rose Red, Cutie Pie DSP
Ink - Bashful Blue, Basic Black
Accessories - Circle punches (1-3/8", 1-1/4", 3/4", 1/16"), Scallop punch, Rose Red brad, Bashful Blue grosgrain ribbon

I hope you are all having a terrific week!

Girls Club Sneak Peek!

I can't show you the projects we're going to make this Saturday afternoon at Girls Club because they are Mother's Day gifts... but I'm going to give you a sneak peek at a couple of the projects...



Okay, so all you can get from that is a couple of colors... Hmmmm... and is that some sort of fabric? :o)

Anyway, if you haven't signed your daughter up to come, please do so quickly! The workshop is this Saturday, April 26th from 2-4pm. The cost is $10 per child. Please have the girls bring a sharp pair of snips and an adhesive runner (like our SNAIL).

A Week of Pun Fun - Day 7

Well, this is it! My Week of Pun Fun is coming to a close. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have! Here's one last card I have to show you:

I got a little wild and crazy with this one and I'm pleased with how it turned out! Sometimes you just never know, do ya? Anyway, I remember as a kid really liking pink and grey together, so I thought I'd give it a try with this cute little sheep. The base cardstock is Pretty in Pink with a layer of Basic Gray and then some Vellum that has been wheeled with the Sweet Stars wheel using Whisper White CRAFT ink. I stamped the sheep with black StazOn ink on Whisper White cardstock and colored him with my Stampin' Pastels again, and then went back with a Blender Pen and the Basic Gray ink pad lid to give him some darker areas. His nose is actually Pretty in Pink, but you can't tell in the photo. I tied some Whisper White Taffeta ribbon below for the soft look it provides. Then I punched some Pretty in Pink and Regal Rose 3/4" and 1" circles, arranged them, and stitched them on with my sewing machine. I saw this basic idea in a recent issue of Stampin' Success (for you non-SU! demonstrators, that's the fabulous publication we demonstrators get each month - chock full of inspiration and ideas!!). Anyway, I've never tried it, but I thought it was a nice compliment to the curly wool on the sheep.

Okay... so there you have it! My Week of Pun Fun! Did you enjoy it as much as I did? Oh, I really had fun - and I know this stamp set will get a lot more use. It's super easy to use, and makes for some super cute cards. And remember that if you purchase it before April 30th, you get the coordinating Sweet Stars Jumbo wheel for FREE! I used it on several of the cards this week, so you can see that it goes well with any of these stamps.

...but that's not all! I promised you an extra bonus if you purchased the set from me. If I have convinced you that you simply must have this set (those were my words from Day 1 - remember?), and you give me the honor of taking care of your order, I will make one of these cards specifically for you - YOUR CHOICE! That's right - choose your favorite card from Day 1 through Day 7 and I will mail it directly to you! That's my way of thanking you for putting your trust in me. But don't forget - you have to place your order prior to April 30th to get the Sweet Stars wheel for free! (US addresses only)

Thanks so much for visiting me every day and for leaving such sweet comments here and in my e-mail. I hope you'll continue to come back often!

A Week of Pun Fun - Day 6

We're on the home stretch now - almost done with my Week of Pun Fun! This little hippo card would make a great baby congratulations card, don't ya think? I'd use this one for a girl, but you could easily change out the pink for turquoise and you'd have a boy card.

The base color here is Lavender Lace, which I sponged and then wheeled with the Sweet Stars Jumbo wheel using Lavender Lace ink. Then there's a layer of Textured Certainly Celery, a swatch from Flowers for You DSP, and then some Regal Rose which I've faux stitched with a White Gel Pen. The hippo was stamped on some Whisper White cardstock using black StazOn ink and then I used that same new technique from yesterday, where I colored him a consistent shade of Lavender Lace using my Stampin' Pastels, and then gave him some dimension with a Blender Pen and the Lavender Lace ink pad lid. The cute bling-y (is that a word?) star is a piece of chipboard from On Board Accents which I coated with Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive and then sprinkled on some Orchid Stampin' Glitter from the Fine Cosmo set. It's fastened onto the Certainly Celery Wide grosgrain ribbon with some Linen Thread, but I didn't attach it to the card - it just dangles there! Doesn't it just sparkle?!

Okay, so I only have one more card to show you!! Catch ya tomorrow!

A Week of Pun Fun - Day 5

Need a Get Well... ahem... Get Whale Soon card? Pun Fun has got you covered! What I like best about this card is the color combination... It's Night of Navy, Tempting Turquoise, and a touch of textured Certainly Celery. Striking, isn't it?

I stamped the whale onto Whisper White cardstock using black StazOn ink. To color him in, I tried something new that worked rather well for me. Some of you may know that it is difficult to color in a large image like this with the blender pen and ink pad lids. Smaller areas are definitely much easier because you don't have a lot of time to "move" the color around with this method. So what I did here was I used my Stampin' Pastels to first color the whale a consistent shade of Brocade Blue. Then I pulled out my Blender Pen and the Brocade ink pad and gave him some depth along the edges! Voila! Problem solved! It worked beautifully! I colored the water with the Blender Pen and Tempting Turquoise (he must be in the Caribbean... *sigh*).

I sponged and wheeled the Tempting Turquoise layer with the Sweet Stars wheel and the same color ink. The Certainly Celery piece is pierced for interest, and the element in the lower corner is the Word Window punch with 3 Night of Navy eyelets. The card needed some more white, so I just tied on a scrap of Whisper White Taffeta ribbon, which mocks the whale's blow hole!

Only 2 more days left in my Week of Pun Fun! Have I convinced you to purchase it yet? Remember that on Saturday I will be telling you about an added bonus if you choose to purchase the set through me! Be sure to stay tuned!

A Week of Pun Fun - Day 4

Okay, so here's my favorite - so far... I still have a few more days to go, but as of now, I'm just loving this little rocket ship with this designer paper!

The base is More Mustard, which has been sponged and then wheeled with More Mustard ink using the Sweet Stars jumbo wheel - yours FREE with the purchase of this Pun Fun set! Then there's a layer of Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, and finally some East Coast Prep DSP. Again, I'm not usually a fan of bright colors, but since I keep liking them, perhaps I should stop saying that?! The rocket was stamped with black StazOn ink onto Whisper White cardstock and then colored using a Blender Pen and the ink pad lids. You can't see it in the photo, but the little window has Crystal Effects on it which is just darling!

...okay, I REALLY want you to see how cute it is, so I just went and took another photograph of it.

I think you can see a little glare now... but also imagine how it is raised up, a little "bump" of a window! Too cute!

I finished the card off with some Tempting Turquoise eyelets and a Clear Button with some Tempting Turquoise grosgrain ribbon. Again, the ribbon is threaded all the way through the card base (I used the 1/8" circle punch to make the holes) so there's no risk of it falling off.

I just love this card. Good thing I don't have anyone in mind to send it to because I think I'd have a hard time parting with it!! (we're entitled to keep some, aren't we?!)

Thanks for hanging with me... see you tomorrow for Day 5!!

A Week of Pun Fun - Day 3

Oh, isn't this fun? It's PUN Fun! :) Here is my 3rd card made using this wonderful set...

This one is for your best girlfriends... the ones you like to hang out at Starbucks with. I'm not even a coffee drinker and I still had fun making this. I love the combination of blues and browns, and I knew immediately that's the combo I would use for this one.

The base is Bordering Blue, sponged and stamped with the Sanded background using Bordering Blue ink. Then there's a layer of Chocolate Chip and some Berry Bliss DSP. The little teacup (or coffee cup in this case) was stamped with black StazOn ink onto Watercolor paper and colored using Watercolor Wonder Crayons and an Aquapainter. Then I started playing around with a Ruby Red piece from my Word Window punch and look what it turned out to be! A kiss and a hug, which is quite fitting for this sentiment! I made them stand out more with a White Gel Pen and then finished the card off with a little Button and some Linen Thread.

Hope you like it! And for all my loyal readers out there... I love you a latte!

PS: Have I convinced you yet?! Well you're gonna flip over tomorrow's card! It's my personal favorite so far. Remember that on Saturday I will announce an extra bonus for anyone who purchases this set from me! And also don't forget that when you purchase this set you will receive the coordinating Sweet Stars Jumbo Wheel for FREE!

A Week of Pun Fun - Day 2

Did you enjoy Day 1? Well, here is the second card I made with my Pun Fun set - and I think this little guy has my favorite sentiment... "I stink you're sweet" - Gotta love that!!

For this adorable card, I used a Pretty in Pink base with a layer of Basic Black, a layer of Regal Rose that has been distressed with my Cutter Kit, and a layer of pink polka-dot paper from Berry Bliss DSP. The little skunk was stamped with black StazOn ink onto Whisper White cardstock. I colored him with a Q-tip and my Stampin' Pastels - did you know that the Pastels come with a handy eraser for when you get chalk outside the lines? The flower was colored with Stampin' Write markers. I also used some Crystal Effects on his stripes and the little flower he's holding to make them shiny, but I don't think that shows up in the photo. I added a Photo Corner punch with some Pretty in Pink brads for balance, and then tied on some gorgeous Regal Rose wide Grosgrain ribbon.

I think this makes a darling card for a little girl - or it can even be a belated birthday card (hence the "I stink" part!).

Are you convinced yet??? Stay tuned for Day 3... Yippee!!