Shabby Notecard with All Abloom DSP

Today's project is an entry in The Shabby Tea Room's "Sketch This" Challenge #225.  I love participating in this great weekly challenge.  Most weeks, we are inspired by a photograph and asked to use specific elements in our projects.  Such fun!  As the site says, "Only our name is shabby ... your project need not be!" -- I love the challenge of making something that falls within that aesthetic!

Studio Suggestions:

• I used the new All Abloom DSP from Stampin' Up!  This Designer Series Paper comes in a "stack" of 4.5 x 6.5-inch sheets.  There are 12 great designs and they are such fun to use in cardmaking!

• The DSP drives the color palette:  Mossy Meadow (a *new* 2014-16 In Color), Island Indigo, Pistachio Pudding and Daffodil Delight.

• Pearl Basic Jewels add a quick and simple classic touch.

• Linen Thread is looped between the 1-1/4" Scallop Circle Punch and the 1-3/8" Circle Punch in Island Indigo.

• The Project Life Corner Punch makes for a quick detail to "round out" the project (pun totally intended). 

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Kind & Cozy (W129123, C129126)

Papers:  All Abloom DSP Stack (133703), Mossy Meadow (133676), Daffodil Delight (119683), Island Indigo (122923), Pistachio Pudding (131924) and Whisper White (100730) Card Stocks

Inks:  Island Indigo (126986) and Pistachio Pudding (131177) Classic Inks

Accessories:  Pearl Basic Jewels (119247), Linen Thread (104199), 1-1/4" Scallop Circle Punch (127811), 1-3/8" Circle Punch  (119860), Project Life Corner Punch (135346), Retired Itty Bitty Shapes Punch (I'm sorry -- I wasn't thinking when I reached for this), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

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I hope you're having a great day!

Father's Day {Paper Pumpkin} Delivery Stepped up for a Birthday Card!

Today’s project comes to us courtesy of the May delivery of my Paper Pumpkin subscription.  This fun kit came with supplies to make four full-sized cards and two smaller notecards (envelopes included for all!).  The stamps include a “Happy birthday” sentiment as well as “Happy Father’s Day.”  There are also smaller stamps with “Bro,” “Dad,” and “Son.”

Here’s a {stepped up} version of the cards, made with the materials from the kit as well as “happy” from the newest photopolymer set, Endless Birthday Wishes.  I also used my 1 3/4-inch Circle Punch upon which to base the sentiment stamping (sponged with Wild Wasabi ink to make it stand out).  The Soft Suede Baker’s Twine came in the kit, but I added a scrap of Linen Thread (it actually came from my April Mother’s Day Paper Pumpkin delivery).

Paper Pumpkin kits provide a quick and successful creative escape and then once the projects are complete, you’ve got yourself a fun little set of versatile stamps!  I have really enjoyed both creating the projects as directed as well as altering and {stepping up} the project to my own design.

Need another reason to try Paper Pumpkin?  You can prepay for Paper Pumpkin subscriptions and if your entire pre-shipping/tax order totals $150+, you can also earn Hostess Benefits (these prepaid subscriptions can be combined with merchandise orders)!

Artist's Flair:

• I sponged Wild Wasabi Classic Ink on the 1 3/4-inch Circle piece to make it stand out against the larger Very Vanilla flagged piece.

• My Paper Snips came in handy when it came to making the flagged ends on the Wild Wasabi "Happy" piece.

• Tiny knots at the ends of the Linen Thread and Soft Suede Baker's Twine tidy up the ends of the bows.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Hey, Man (May, 2014 Paper Pumpkin), Endless Birthday Wishes (137553)

Papers:  Contents from Hey, Man kit, Very Vanilla (101650) and Wild Wasabi Card Stock (108641)

Inks:  Wild Wasabi (126959) and Marina Mist Classic Ink (a Stampin' Spot is included in the May kit) (full-sized pad = 126962)

Accessories & Tools:  1 3/4-inch Punch (119850), Linen Thread (104199), Paper Snips (103579) and Stampin' Sponges (101650)

{Paper Pumpkin} and the Extra Bits for Mother's Day

**Need a last-minute Mother's Day gift?** You can pre-pay for a Paper Pumpkin subscription and give it as a gift!

My 13-year-old daughter and I are happy Paper Pumpkin subscribers.  I joined when the program first went live and Miss J joined me soon after.  We are so enjoying each month's delivery and were thrilled when Stampin' Up! offered refill supplies to subscribers. 

When the April kit arrived (see the video below), Miss J decided she wanted to make the project for each of her grandmothers, so an easy call was placed to Stampin' Up! and less than a week later, she was off and creating.

New to Paper Pumpkin?  Here's a video with the latest kit:

Interested in subscribing?  Please click {HERE}.  Please select me, Sara Smeby, as your demonstrator.

On to the cards...  I had some extra bits (a lot, actually) left over from this month's kit.  I thought I'd pair them with a few basic tools and supplies to make this card.

For this {Basic} Paper Pumpkin card, I used a half-sheet of Coastal Cabana card stock and the circle from my Itty Bitty Punch Pack (*retiring*, but still available as of right now).

This card is the {Stepped Up} version.  I used a variety of supplies in this card.  First, I used my Arrows TIEF and Big Shot to add texture to the Coastal Cabana card body.  I also used a piece of Pear Pizzazz card stock and my Chevron Border Punch.  Everything else comes in the kit!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Framed Love (from April Paper Pumpkin delivery)

Papers:  Tag, Heart and Newsprint Pennant from Framed Love; Coastal Cabana (131297) and Pear Pizzazz (111351) card stock

Inks:  Coastal Cabana and Pear Pizzazz Spots provided in Framed Love kit; Coastal Cabana Classic (131175) and Pear Pizzazz Classic (131180)

Artist's Flair:  Faceted Button, Linen Thread, Glue Dots and Stampin' Dimensionals provided in Framed Love kit; Chevron Border (132154) and *Retiring* Itty Bitty Punch Pack (118309), Arrows TIEF (132187) and Big Shot (113439).

See the ever-changing Retiring Stamp List {HERE} and Retiring Accessories List {HERE}! Remember, all items are only available as supplies last.

Want the new 2014-15 Catalog?  I'm sending them out next week.  Drop me a line and I'll add you to the list (click on the "email Sara" link to the left)!

Miss J and I wish all of the mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day!

{12 Weeks of Christmas} Week 8 -- Woven Ribbon Wreath Tutorial Video

Hooray!  I've finally mastered my first Apple video!  My iPhone captured the video (nice and crisp, if I do say so) and I've uploaded and edited it on my Mac.  Whew!  For a PC girl, this was quite a learning curve.  Still at it, but I'm thrilled with my first video (in *way* too long).

Pour yourself a cuppa, get comfy and enjoy the video (and please let me know what you think!)!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Beautiful Season (W122680, C122682)

Papers:  Basic Gray (121044), More Mustard (100946), Cherry Cobbler (119685), and Very Vanilla (124301) card stocks

Inks:  Basic Gray Classic Ink (126981)

Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Perfect Polka Dots TIEF (117335), Perfect Pennants Bigz L Die (123126), 1-1/4" Circle Punch (119861), Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon (122988), Linen Thread (104199), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Paper Snips (103579)

{12 Weeks of Christmas} Week 4 -- Easy Gift Idea

I'm always in need of an easy gift to make that I can give at Christmas time.  This little gem is perfect!

With a little muscle, I punched a folded piece of card stock with my Designer Label Punch (just make your fold come in a little bit so that you don't end up with two separate punches).  

Notice that I punched the Cherry Cobbler one with the fold along the long edge of the punch; with the Crumb Cake one, I placed the fold along one of the shorter sides.

I punched the Festival of Prints Designer Series paper with my Curvy Label Punch and then snipped it to make the layered look (save the snips for the next one!).

The cute coordinated stamp and punch are from the Merry Minis set, offered in the 2012 Holiday Catalog.  Access it here or email me (use the link on the left) to contact me for a hard copy.

With the Merry Minis set and coordinating punch, your project is a snap!  It's so easy to stamp and punch these sweet little images!

I took slips of the Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack to easily cover my little chocolates.  A sweet gift for people at school, church and in our neighborhood.  Can't wait to bring a smile with these easy gifts!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Merry Minis (2012 Holiday Catalog, W127916, C127919)

Papers:  Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack (126904), Crumb Cake (120953), Cherry Cobbler (119685) and Lucky Limeade (122926) card stocks

Inks:  Cherry Cobbler (126966) and Lucky Limeade (126984) Classics

Accessories:  Decorative Label (120907) and Curvy Label (119851) Punches, Merry Minis Punch Pack (2012 Holiday Catalog, 126882), Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine (123125), Linen Thread (104199), 4" x 6" Cellophane Bags (102757)

Have you missed my previous {12 Weeks of Christmas} posts?  You can find them here:  {1}, {2}, and {3}.

Take Care and a Little MOJO

This card was created for the Mojo Monday 248 and 365 CardsColor Scheme challenges.  I used my 2012-2013 Annual Catalog for my inspiration (page 90). 

I used my Paper Trimmer to make skinny strands of card stock.  I crumpled them up and used Glue Dots to adhere them down (plus the piece with the eggs helps to hold it down).

I ran the pieces of Whisper White and Pink Pirouette through the Big Shot using my Labels Collection Framelits. 

My Stamp-A-Ma-Jig helps me to accurately place my nest upon the branch.  I also used a sticky note (cut roughly in the shape of the nest) to keep the branch from running through my image of the nest (AKA “masking”). 

A snippet of Linen Thread helps to finish off the branch.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Take Care set (W126310, C126312)

Papers: Pink Pirouette (111351), Soft Suede (115318), Crumb Cake (120953), Sahara Sand (121043) and Whisper White (100730) card stocks

Inks: Pink Pirouette (127956), Soft Suede (126978), Crumb Cake (126975), Sahara Sand (126976) 

Accessories: Whisper White 3/8-inch Taffeta Ribbon (109070), Linen Thread (104199), Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Scallop Edge Border punch (119882), paper snips (103579), Labels Collection Framelits (125598), Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049)

I'm so glad you came by!  Hope your summer is treating you well!  "Take care"!  :)

Not Quite {50} Shades of Blue -- Build a Blossom

Please forgive the title...  When I saw the 365 Cards Challenge, "A Little Shady," I was immediately reminded of that title.  No Grey here -- just shades of Pacific Point.  Since I stuck with just Crumb Cake and Pacific Point (Whisper White doesn't "count," in this case), I entered this card in last week's Dynamic Duos challenge, too.

This card is one of my favorites that I made last weekend.  I used the Build a Blossom set and the Blossom Petals Builder punch.  To make the different shades of the leaves, I simply "stamped off" (AKA stamped on scratch paper first) and then stamped on the Whisper White card stock.  Double (and even triple) your supplies!  The Pacific Point card stock (punched with the Blossom Petals Builder) gives another dimension of color).

The Pacific Point piece behind the blossom was run through my Big Shot using the Elegant Lines Textured Impressions embossing folder.

One of my *favorite* sets is the Petite Pairs sentiment set, which includes sentiments broken into two messages (many can be used separately, tho), so that one can add a second thought to the inside of the card.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Build a Blossom (W121923, C121994), Petite Pairs (W122495, C122497)

Papers:  Crumb Cake (120953), Pacific Point (111350) and Whisper White card stocks

Inks:  Pacific Point Classic (126951)

Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Elegant Lines folder (119277), Modern Label punch (119849), Word Window (119857), Blossom Petals Builder punch (121808), Large Pearl Basic Jewels (125577), Linen Thread (104199), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Misc. button

Feeling an Ode Coming On...

No, I'm not feeling snuffly; I really do feel an ode coming on!  This time, I'm pining away about the Stampin' Up! sets, Have a Seat and Sincere Salutations.  These beauties retire at the end of this month.

This project was created for a Color Scheme Challenge by the good folks at 365 Cards.  This was my color palette:

I chose to use Crumb Cake, Basic Gray, Chocolate Chip and More Mustard to approximate the palette.

Here, you can see that I used the soon-to-retire Paper Crimper (remember that accessories/tools are only available while supplies last).

I think my favorite thing to do with Have a Seat has been to create pillows from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.  I used Basic Gray card stock and added a knotted snippet of Linen Thread...

Interested in the new 2012-2013 Annual Catalog?  Click here to learn how to earn yours for *FREE*!




Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Have a Seat (W116696, C120447) and Sincere Salutations (W115068) **Both are retiring!**

Papers:  Crumb Cake (120953), Basic Gray (121044), More Mustard (100946) and Chocolate Chip (102128) card stocks

Inks:  Basic Gray (109120) and Chocolate Chip (100908) Classics

Accessories:  Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (118309), Crimper (101618 **Retiring**), Linen Thread (104199) and Natural Hemp Twine (100982)

{Stamp Set Spotlight} A Cardinal Christmas: Day 2

This card includes another image which was embossed in clear embossing powder for a subtle, yet clear image. The berries were likewise embossed in clear embossing powder (on Cherry Cobbler card stock), snipped out and adhered to the cardinal image.

The cardinal image was fed through the Big Shot, using the Top Note die, which gives it that shape. Quick and easy!

Our sentiment also comes from A Cardinal Christmas and was inked in Cherry Cobbler and then the Crumb Cake piece was punched using the Modern Label punch. Cherry Cobbler was used to sponge some ink along the Very Vanilla tag. Some time soon, I'll post a video showing how I achieved that extra-long tag (using my normal tag punch!). Simple and easy and a great way to sssttttrrrreeeettttttcccchhhh your supplies... I love the homey look of the Victoria Crochet Trim, which I used here with my stand-by, Linen Thread (I must order miles of that every year!). Finally, used my Color Coach to guide me in my color choice. Rose Red is a companion color for Cherry Cobbler. Phew!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: A Cardinal Christmas

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Rose Red and Very Vanilla card stocks

Inks: Cherry Cobbler Classic, VersaMark

Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note Bigz die, Clear embossing powder, heat tool, Victoria Crochet Trim, Linen Thread, Stampin' Sponge, Modern Label, 1/16-inch circle and Tag punches.

Hope you're able to enjoy some of the magic of this season!

Button, button, I've Got a Button!

Recently, while clearing out my stampin' stash, I discovered a slew (and I mean a SLEW) of samey buttons. Thought I'd combine some with a few fun buttons (Real Red, Chocolate Chip and Tempting Turquoise). They're all retired buttons, but there's a whole collection of new colors available on page 186 of the Idea Book and Catalog.

--To add some pop to the card, I thought I'd use my scoring blade on my paper trimmer and score borderlines for each button. Simple to do, and adds a fun and inexpensive detail to the card (you've already got a trimmer, right?!).

--To add further "punch," I used the Word Window Punch on a piece of Real Red (stamped first with Teeny Tiny Wishes, because that's so much easier than lining up the stamp on the punched image, remember!).

--I also used my Big Shot and the Perfect Details Texturz Plate to mimic the scoring of the Pumpkin Pie piece. I lined up my Early Espresso piece just so on the plate so that only the front half of the card body caught the texture, leaving me a smooth surface on which to write.

--Speaking of Early Espresso, I used little slivers as "thread" and gently tied knots in my buttons. With a gentle touch, this is an easy, fun and inexpensive way to add to your project. Linen Thread is what I used to tie off the other buttons. All of them are easily adhered with Mini Glue Dots.

--Finally, this color scheme is brought to you by the fabulous Color Coach! Pumpkin Pie, Early Espresso, Real Red (and I added Tempting Turquoise)... Thank heavens for a little help!

Thank you for your visit today!

Need Notecards...

On my To Do list of stampin' projects is to make some plain notecards. I like to take a simple design, make a ton and then have the flexibility to stamp a sentiment as the need arises. For example, I might use this card for a masculine birthday, as a Thank You note, for any autumn birthdays (man or woman), as a "Get well!" card or naked, as it is now, as a simple notecard.

The inking is the trickiest part and it's not too bad. I used my Stampin' Sponges, cut into fourths for more ease of use (and to stretch that dollar!). I first inked the sponge in So Saffron and applied it to the outside of the tree. Next, I inked a different sponge with Always Artichoke and sponged the innermost part of the tree. Finally, I inked a third sponge with Cajun Craze and sponged the space between the So Saffron and Always Artichoke.

Sponging is a pretty safe bet when you're blending colors like this, because it's not likely that you'll ruin your ink pads by pouncing on one color with something else. That said, I always use separate sponges for each color (and keep that sponge dedicated to that color, be it "Always Artichoke" or "Dark Green" -- either works). I also always start with my lightest color and then gradually work to the darkest. This is a principle I use when I watercolor, too. Finally, to make multiple cards, I simply swipe the stamp's surface with a baby wipe. I'll save my Stampin' Scrub for a final cleaning, but I don't want the stamp to get too wet between spongings. It's somewhat time-consuming, but considering it's the only stamping I'm doing right now for this project, I feel it is manageable. Plus, there's nothing like an assembly line to streamline the process when I'm making a larger quantity of the same card.

Finally, I added a strip of Twill Tape and tied a bow of Linen Thread around it. I also punched the small corner using the Photo Corner punch and a scrap of Always Artichoke.

Simple and versatile! Now I don't need to sweat it when the need arises for a handmade card!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Pendant Park

Inks: So Saffron, Cajun Craze and Always Artichoke Classics

Papers: Sahara Sand, Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke and Whisper White card stocks

Accessories: Photo Corner punch, Twill Tape, Linen Thread, Stampin' Sponges

Thank you for your visit! I hope you found this useful!

Because of You and a new punch idea...

The theme from "Welcome Back, Cotter" is playing in my head right now... Thank you for being so patient as we travelled about this summer, went camping, and then got back into the swing of school. While I was able to carve out a wee bit of time for stamping projects, posting about them has fallen by the wayside... Happy to say, as Jack would (but in a much less scary context), "I'm baaaack!" (Interesting side note: Stephen King wrote The Shining about a hotel in my hometown. While the Jack Nicholson/Shelley Duvall movie wasn't filmed there, a TV version was, as was "Dumb and Dumber".)

Anyhoo, on with the show...

This card was created for a 365 Cards challenge for which we were to use our favorite tool for adding color and our favorite technique for adding dimension. One of my favorite tools (as I have a couple) is my Blender Pen. I love to use them for watercoloring, as I did here. They're super easy to use, a tremendous value (not only do you get three for $9.95, but they last for a VERY long time) and they're quite versatile... Perhaps I'll write a future post as "An Ode to the Blender Pen"...

I simply squeezed my ink pad (Classic) with the lid closed to get some ink on the inside of the lid and then picked up that ink with my Blender Pen. To be sure my stamped image didn't run, I inked it in Jet Black StazOn first. I usually don't have trouble, but I wanted to be safe.

The technique I love that adds dimension and texture to every project is one I've used a lot here... It's what I call "Sueded Card Stock." I crumple a dry piece of card stock until the fibers are good and broken down and then I peel apart the two layers. I can then use the soft, "sueded" side of the card stock, or the outside of the card stock, which just shows the wrinkles. I chose the outside this time. I love the effect! Not only is it a "free" way to use what you've already got, but you get twice the mileage out of a piece of card stock. Your pieces can also be punched post-crumple, too! I have a card for which I did that and I'll post that soon...

Finally, I wanted to describe the embellishment in the upper left corner. I simply used the Modern Label Extra-Large Punch on a scrap of Perfect Plum, gently folded it around the corner of my bigger piece (be careful -- that Always Artichoke was pretty malleable), fed a piece of Linen Thread through two small holes (1/16-inch punch) and tied a bow. Voila! So easy and so cute! Love those versatile punches! I'll definitely be using that technique as I scrap -- talk about fun photo corners!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Because I Care (A Hostess Freebie with any $150 merchandise order)

Papers: Sahara Sand, Perfect Plum, Always Artichoke and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Pretty in Pink, Perfect Plum and Always Artichoke Classic Inks, Jet Black StazOn

Accessories: Modern Label Extra-Large punch, Blender Pen, 1/16-inch handheld punch, Linen Thread

It's so good to be back! Hope you've enjoyed today's project!

{Catalog Countdown: Day Five} All Sara

Welcome to another day of our Catalog Countdown! This card was created for a recent challenge in which we were to make a card that truly represented who we were as stampers. So here's what would be "All Sara":

• I *LOVE*, *LOVE*, *LOVE* blue,


• I am a big fan of sweet little song birds,


• I'm not a fussy person,


• Sometimes I'm pretty rumpled, and


• My style is pretty casual. If I could decorate in any manner (other than Fischer-Price), it would be English country (with a little French flair thrown in).

This is another card for which I wanted to use my retiring items: Spring Song stamp set and Bordering Blue (sniff!) card stock and Classic ink. The Kraft card stock that makes up the base of this card will be doing a bit of "The Artist Formerly Known As...", as its new name will be Crumb Cake. The exciting tidbit associated with the name change is that Crumb Cake now comes with coordinating ink and accessories! Happy dance! The Twill Tape will also be repackaged and will only be offered in a 3/8-inch width.

The songbird pops up from the card, as it's been heat-embossed, giving it a simple, sharp emphasis...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Spring Song, Tiny Tags

Paper: Kraft, Night of Navy, Bordering Blue and Very Vanilla card stocks

Inks: Night of Navy and Bordering Blue Classics and VersaMark

Accessories: Clear Detail Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Twill Tape, Linen Thread, Jewelry Tag Medium and 1/16-inch Circle Punches
Retirees: Spring Song, Bordering Blue card stock and inks

Thanks for your visit to the Studio today! Stay with me all week for more Retirees! June 30 is the last day on which to order (and it's a busy day for my family). Get your last order to me as soon as possible so that we can assure inventory of your items!

Contact me to preorder your new catty, too! I'm lovin' my advance copy!

{Challenge! Ad Inspiration}: Easter Basket

Happy spring!

Over at 365 Cards, we were asked to create a card inspired by this ad:Here's my card: I sueded a piece of Bliss Blue card stock (did you catch my video this week about Distressing techniques?) and then tore strips of Creamy Caramel to make the basket. I scored along another strip of Creamy Caramel for the handle.

For the eggs, I stamped Eastern Blooms flowers in and then used my Large Oval punch to make the eggs.

The Modern Label punch and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set give me my sentiment...
Another video is on its way... bow-tying!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Eastern blooms, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Papers: Whisper White, Bliss Blue, Old Olive and Creamy Caramel card stocks

Inks: Brilliant Blue, Bliss Blue and Old Olive Classics

Accessories: Large Oval and Modern Label punches, Paper Cutter with Scoring Blade, Whisper White Narrow Grosgrain ribbon, 1/16-inch Punch, Linen Thread

Have a great weekend! Thanks for your visit!