*Final day for the Stampin' Up! 2011-12 Idea Book and Catalog!*

Today is the final day to order from the retiring 2011-12 Idea Book and Catalog.  Some things from the Accessories List are already unavailable, but there are still great finds and bargains to be discovered!  Any stamp on the Retiring Stamps List is available until the end of today.

The following projects were made with one of my favorite sets, Herb Expressions:

The Decorative Label punch is an easy tool to use to add visual interest to both the image and the sentiment.  I punched the image and sentiment after I stamped them on the card stock.

My Blender Pen makes coloring the rosemary leaves and blossoms a breeze; I used the Lucky Limeade and Wisteria Wonder Classic ink.

Taffeta ribbon gives the card a soft finish...

I wanted a touch of texture without overwhelming the design of the card, so the Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder was just the thing.

This card's color palette includes Pear Pizzazz, which retires with the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog.  It's made on a Cajun Craze base and includes Riding Hood Red.  The color combo is courtesy of my Color Coach! 

The cute edging along my Pear Pizzazz piece is from the soon-to-be-seen (again) Adorning Accents Edgelits (you might remember them from the last Occasions Mini Catalog).  The other piece of Pear Pizzazz is "sueded."  Click *here* for a video tutorial on distressing...

See the faint texture in the Riding Hood Red piece?  That's created using the Backgrounds I Texturz Plates with my Big Shot (the Backgrounds 1 plates retire with the 2011-12 Idea Book and Catalog!).

Once again, I turned to my Blender Pen to color in the image of the basil.  Whisper White Organza Ribbon finishes off the project.

Stampin' Supplies:


Stamps:  Herb Expressions (W113224) *retiring!*

Paper:  Project 1:  Elegant Eggplant (105126), Wisteria Wonder (122922), Pink Pirouette (111351), Lucky Limeade (122926); Project #2:  Cajun Craze (119684), Riding Hood Red (111348) and Pear Pizzazz (119795 -- *retiring!*)

Ink:  Project 1:  Basic Black (101179), Elegant Eggplant (105210), Wisteria Wonder (122936), and Lucky Limeade (122935) Classics; Project #2:  Basic Black (101179) and Pear Pizzazz (119784 -- *retiring!*) Classics

Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Blender Pen (102845)  Project 1:  Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (121809), 3/8-inch Taffeta, Decorative Label Punch (120907), Project #2: Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plates (114512 -- *retiring!*), Adorning Accents Edgelits (TBA in 2012-2013 Annual Catalog), Whisper White Organza Ribbon (114319)

Today is also your last day to receive your Stampin' Up! 2012-2013 Annual Catalog for free with a $50 order!  You can also purchase it for a mere $5 (which includes shipping)!

A Little Peace, Love, and Happiness (and a 365 Cards Challenge Winner)!

Things have been busy around here with Easter and our dear daughter's birthday on Tuesday.  She is a big fan of peace signs and while I don't have one of those, she helped to inspire this card, which was made for a 365 Cards Challenge a couple of weeks back (we were to show "peace, love and happiness" on our cards).

I used the word "peace" from the Christmas set, "Snow Swirled."  It's inked in Pacific Point and then punched from the Whisper White with a 1-inch Circle.  The circle was drug across my Rich Razzleberry pad to give it a little oomph before it was popped up with a Stampin' Dimensional.  I tied a little bow through the Daffodil Delight Lace Ribbon Border punch using the Whisper White 5/8-inch Organza ribbon.

The heart and sun images come from the "Every Little Bit" set.  I punched the solid image from the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch in Rich Razzleberry to make that Daffodil Delight Lace Ribbon Border piece stand out more.

I wanted to make the "peace, love and happiness" a wish or sentiment, not just a theme for my card, so I inked "wishing you" in Rich Razzleberry, punched it with the Word Window and mounted it on a snipped piece of Daffodil Daffodil that was punched using the Modern Label punch.  The flower comes from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (I used a circle punched using my Crop-A-Dile for the inside of the flower).  As you'll notice, I fed the card body through my Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Super easy and I love what it adds to the project!

I wanted to add a little surprise to the inside of the card, so I punched the same "flower" from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack from the Whisper White insert so that the Pacific Point showed behind.  I also used a scrap of cardboard punched with the Lace Ribbon Border punch as a stencil with the Pacific Point ink on the envelope.  I love adding a little extra to the envelope and inside of a card; I'll be posting about that idea soon...

So the happy news about *THIS* card is that I won Spotlight Designer at 365 Cards with it!  :)  Thanks, guys!  So many great cards get entered in their challenges, it's an honor to be selected!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:


Stamps:  Snow Swirled (111690), Every Little Bit (W117096, C120558)

Papers:  Pacific Point (111350), Daffodil Delight (119683), Rich Razzleberry (115316) and Whisper White (100730) card stocks

Inks:  Pacific Point (111837), Daffodil Delight (119667) and Rich Razzleberry (115658) Classic Inks

Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folders (117335), Word Window (119857), Modern Label (119849), Lace Ribbon Border (122362), Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer (122464), Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (118309) punches, Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)