Starburst for Fall-Themed and Sketch Challenges

With the beginning of fall just a few days away, I found that a lot of the challenges in which I've been participating are inspired by this change of seasons.  This card is based in part upon a theme and sketch challenge offered by the fine folks at The Friday Mashup.  With Friday Mashup, we get to choose to follow one of the challenge ideas or mash them both up and create a project using both.  In this case, we were offered this sketch:    

We could "mash" it up by adding a fall theme to our project.  Speaking of fall, the lovely challenge blog, 365 Cards, of which I so often write, challenged us to use five of something and to make it fall-themed in the Five for Fall challenge.  I chose five colors:  So Saffron, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Soft Suede and Early Espresso.

This card was thus inspired.  I *LOVE* the French script (it's very subtle in this picture), which I inked with So Saffron and stamped on So Saffron card stock.  

**STUDIO SUGGESTION**:  A dusting with my sponge and some Early Espresso makes the punched piece stand out a bit more.

I chose So Saffron Taffeta Ribbon to clean up my edges and I used my Paper Snips to carefully clip out the leaf that I'd inked in Cajun Craze.

**STUDIO SUGGESTION**:  Paper Snips have smaller blades that are super-sharp, so cutting with precision is a snip snap!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  French Foliage (W120845, C121166)

Papers:  So Saffron (105118), More Mustard (100946), Cajun Craze (119684), Soft Suede (115318) and Early Espresso (119686)

Inks:  So Saffron (126957), Cajun Craze (126965), and Early Espresso (126974) Classics

Accessories:  Decorative Label Punch (120907), So Saffron Taffeta Ribbon (122982), Stamping Sponges (101610), Paper Snips (103579), and Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Stampin' Up! Supplies Basket for Preschool Donation

Tonight's the Spring Sing at my child's preschool and for the silent auction that accompanies this performance, I prepared a basket of card-making supplies.  I've cut, punched, stamped and prepared items that one could use to create a dozen cards.  I've also used My Digital Studio to create some sketches of ideas for possible layouts.

Here's a variety of punched shapes to use as embellishments.  I've also stamped a few sentiments and punched them out...

Finally, here are three "spools" of ribbon, wrapped and ready for use as well as the card bases, envelopes and pieces of cut Designer Series Paper from the Subtles Patterns Stack.

Since I used the Subtles Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack, I wanted to use colors that one could find in those papers.  I've included Marina Mist, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, and Pretty in Pink.  For added interest, I've included Early Espresso (it's not visible -- I ran pieces of that through my Big Shot, using the Vintage Wallpaper and Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folders).

I hope someone has a lot of fun with this!

Stay tuned -- last weekend was my son's First Communion and I've got the invitation and Thank You notes to share with you... 

{KISS: Keep It Simple Saturday and Sale-A-Bration Countdown}: Kindness Matters in a Simple Sketch

I love the good folks at 365 Cards and their Super Sketchy Sunday sketch challenges.  Their awesome sketch led me to this clean and simple card...

Kindness Matters, a 2012 Sale-A-Bration freebie (with any $50 merchandise order), provides us with the three butterflies.  I inked them using my Stampin' Write Markers, as they're all part of one stamp.  The markers allow me to color each one separately.  I stamped them first and then punched each out with a circle punch that fits.

The Doily Triple Layer punch is a snap to use...  I punched the So Saffron piece using the solid setting and then chose the most detailed setting (you get to choose from three settings!) to punch the Wild Wasabi piece.  Finally, a 1/2-inch Circle punch is what I used for the Rose Red center.

The doily stamp is inked in Rose Red Classic Ink and stamped along the bottom of the Rose Red piece for some subtle detail.  A length of Whisper White Satin Ribbon gives a clean, fresh bow along the bottom.

To give the circles more visual interest, I rolled each circle across my So Saffron Classic Ink Pad to give it some color along the edge.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Kindness Matters (Sale-A-Bration freebie with a $50 merchandise order!) (W127723, C127724)

Papers:  So Saffron (105118), Rose Red (102544), Wild Wasabi (108641), and Whisper White (100730) card stocks

Inks:  So Saffron (105114), Rose Red (100063), and Wild Wasabi (120975) Stampin' Write Markers, So Saffron Classic Ink (105213)

Accessories:  3/4-inch (119873), 1-inch (119868), and 1-1/4-inch (119861) Circle Punches, Doily Triple Layer Punch (122465), Whisper White Satin Ribbon (114616)

Looking for more Sale-A-Bration inspiration?  Check these posts:

{Sale-A-Bration Countdown}: Call Me!

{Sale-A-Bration Countdown}: Fresh Vintage

Happy March!

Sale-A-Bration! Why am I sale-a-brating?!

Oh, {Pennant}, how do I love thee!

{Sale-A-Bration Countdown}: Call Me!

Oh, delicious Designer Series Paper!  I'm heartsick that our time together is limited (Sale-A-Bration ends on March 31!)...  The Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper, a Sale-A-Bration freebie with any $50 merchandise purchase, has a bevy of lovely patterns and colors.  I'm a sucker for vintage and I'm in love with this paper.

This card was created for a challenge in which I was to include the image of a phone or the phrase, "Call me."  I love this old-fashioned phone from the set, Taking Care of Business, which is great for demonstrators (and other business-minded folks!).  I inked just a bit of it so as to just get the telephone (it has a sentiment about placing an order). 

What excites me most about this card is the punch treatments.  I layered a circle upon the retired Designer Label Punch (this one keeps sneaking its way back into my "current" stash).  One could easily do something similar with the Decorative Label Punch.  The So Saffron 3/8-inch Taffeta Ribbon makes as tidy bow across the two.

The second punch treatment is at the bottom of the card.  I just snipped a bit of the Decorative Label Punch to fit the column of Whisper White card stock.  I finished it off with a  swipe across my Poppy Parade Classic ink pad.  Finally, I used the Scallop Trim Border Punch on the column of Whisper White card stock to finish the look.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Taking Care of Business, Pendant Park (W115456, C120012)

Papers:  Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper, *a Sale-A-Bration freebie!* (126154), Baja Breeze (111352), Poppy Parade (119793), So Saffron (105118) and Whisper White (100730) card stocks

Inks:  Early Espresso (119670), Baja Breeze (111833), and Poppy Parade (119782) Classic inks

Accessories: So Saffron 3/8-inch Taffeta (122982), Decorative Label Punch (120907), Scallop Trim Border Punch (118402), Retired Designer Label Punch, 3/4-inch Circle Punch (119873)

Looking for more Sale-A-Bration inspiration?  Check these posts:

Will go *LIVE* on Saturday: {KISS: Keep It Simple Saturday and Sale-A-Bration Countdown}: Kindness Matters in a Simple Sketch

{Sale-A-Bration Countdown}: Fresh Vintage

Happy March!

Sale-A-Bration! Why am I sale-a-brating?!

Oh, {Pennant}, how do I love thee!

Happy March!

Things have been nuts (good "nuts") around here, as evidenced by the fact that I didn't post *once* in the entire month of February.  Whew!


I've been busy in the studio and I have lots to share.  Let's start with a couple of cards I made for a challenge in which I was to "scraplift" one of the designers (Hannah at 365 Cards).  I took her card (you can view it here) and just recreated it, using the delicious and *FREE* Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper ("FREE" as a Sale-a-Bration goodie).  When I finished, I worried that it was too much like Hannah's to be entered in a contest, so I changed up the color scheme.


Here's my first effort, which you'll agree is super-similar to Hannah's:

To be honest, I’m heartbroken that this DSP is only available as a freebie for Sale-a-Bration.  I love the colors and motifs.  I wasn’t sold on the piece that I used in the background of the Poppy Parade card, but once it’s cut down, the pattern isn’t too much.  It lends itself well to Hannah’s design.  I love pairing it with the Decorative Label Punch (I’ve punched two; one in Very Vanilla and one in Poppy Parade).  

The Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon and the Basic Rhinestones class it up just enough (without being gaudy).  This design makes a quick card to make for a gift set.  

One of the beauties of the Designer Series Papers is the color schemes.  I can use the colors in the palette of the DSP to guide my project.  I did *just that* when I realized that my design was too close to Hannah’s to be considered for a contest entry.  Using the DSP to guide me, I changed the color scheme of Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade and Pacific Point to Lucky Limeade, Poppy Parade and Pool Party.  I also added So Saffron taffeta (because that’s just what I had) and it worked well.

We're in the final month of this year's Sale-a-Bration, so if you'd like some of this yummy Designer Series Paper, now's the time!  An order of $50 in merchandise and it's yours as a "Thank you!"

Stampin' Up! Supplies:


Stamps:  Sincere Salutations (W 115068)


Papers:  Everyday Enchantment DSP (Sale-a-Bration:  126154), Lucky Limeade (122926), Poppy Parade (119793), Very Vanilla (101650), Pacific Point (111350)


Inks:  Lucky Limeade (122935) and Poppy Parade (119782) Classics


Accessories:  Decorative Label Punch (120907), Basic Rhinestones (119246), Very Vanilla (retired) and So Saffron (122982) taffeta, Paper Snips (103579)


Stay tuned; I cranked out all kinds of projects recently and I can't wait to share!

{12 Weeks of Christmas}: Week 9 -- Belly Band Gift Idea

O, the Belly Band!  How I love thee!  There are so many fun ways to use a Belly Band. In today's {12 Weeks of Christmas} post, I wanted to share a gift idea with you...

This funky origami project is actually a gift card holder!  It's so very simple, uses supplies which are readily on-hand and quick to make with a great WOW factor.

Start with a 4-1/4 by 10-3/4" piece of Always Artichoke card stock.  I scored it (using my FABULOUS Simply Scored tool) at 2-1/4, 3, 3-3/4, and 7-1/4 inches.  I made a careful slit in the 3-inch cut, being sure not to cut all the way across the piece (you're making a slit for the gift card here--note in the picture below that a scant 1/2-inch is left on either side, uncut).  You can easily use your paper trimmer to make this slit.  Add adhesive to the "inside" of the gift card holder part at those uncut places so that it stands up when opened.

Once folded closed, I added a 3-1/4 by 4-inch piece of So Saffron card stock, which I'd run through my Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  I made the sentiment tag using a scrap of Whisper White card stock and the Modern Label punch (do you see how much I love to lop off a side of that punch?  I use it all of the time). 

Finally, the Belly Band...  I created it starting with a piece of Always Artichoke card stock (measuring 9-1/2 by 1-1/2 inches), run through the Big Shot with my new Snow Burst (Holiday Mini) Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Oh, how I love those snowflakes!  I scored it at 2-3/4 inches and 7-1/2 inches and adhered the flaps to make the band.  

It is adorned with an image from Sweet Season, which I colored with my Always Artichoke and Cajun Craze Stampin' Write Markers.  It's punched with the 1-3/4-inch Scallop Circle and popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals on a piece of Cajun Craze, which I punched with the larger, 2-3/4-inch Scallop Circle.  This piece is adhered to the Belly Band in an off-set manner to give visual interest.  A strand of white Baker's Twine completes the look.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:


Stamps:  Sweet Season (#116471) and Short and Sweet (#115060)

Paper:  Always Artichoke (105119), Cajun Craze (119684), So Saffron (#105118) and Whisper White (#100730) card stocks

Ink:  Always Artichoke Classic (#105219) and Stampin' Write Marker (#105113), and Cajun Craze Classic (#119671) and Stampin' Write Marker (#119678)

Accessories:  Big Shot (#113439), Snow Burst (#124096) and Perfect Polka Dots (#117335) Textured Impressions Embossing Folders, Simply Scored Scoring Tool (#122334), 1-3/4" (#119854) and 2-3/8" (#118874) Scallop Circle and Modern Label (#119849) Punches, Baker's Twine (#124262), Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430) and Stamping Sponges (#101610)

We're closing in on Christmas -- I hope you're able to find time to slow down and enjoy the festive spirit.  Stay tuned for a corresponding video and more {12 Weeks of Christmas} posts!

{12 Weeks of Christmas}: Week 7 -- Technique Tuesday: Z-fold

Hi, there, and welcome to another installment of {12 Weeks of Christmas}!  This week, I've got a fun technique that adds *WOW* to your project without adding any cost (we love those, don't we?!).  It's called a Z-Fold and there are all sorts of variations.  I thought we'd start simple; I'll show you a more complex one in the future...

Start with a half-sheet of Riding Hood Red card stock, cut vertically.  Next, score (using Stampin' Up!'s fabulous new Simply Scored tool) at 5-1/2 inches and 8-1/4 inches.

I fed the (end) 2 3/4-inch piece through my Big Shot, using my Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

The accents on that little flap include a piece of Baja Breeze (suggested by my Color Coach) that I edged using the Scallop Edge Border punch, a piece of 1/4-inch Whisper White grosgrain ribbon (which I tucked around the edges of the Baja Breeze so that the "Behind the Scenes" isn't visible on the card), and a Scallop Oval piece of So Saffron with the sentiment stamped in Baja Breeze and punched using the Large Oval punch.  Finally, I stamped the little bloom from Season of Joy on whisper White (using the Riding Hood Red Classic Ink) and cut it out, using my super-fine Stampin' Up! Paper Snips.  A "Faux Bow" of the same Whisper White grosgrain ribbon finishes off the front.

For the "inside" of the card, I inked the big blossom from Season of Joy in So Saffron and stamped it first (it's barely visible in the photo, hiding behind the sentiment), then followed it up with the square image/sentiment stamp that I colored using my Stampin' Write Markers (that's how I got parts to be Baja Breeze and the three blooms in the upper left to be Riding Hood Red).  The same big blossom is inked in Riding Hood Red on the envelope to tie the two together (remember, no naked envelopes!).

Stampin' Up! Supplies:


Stamps:  Season of Joy (#110384, $26.95)

Paper:  Riding Hood Red (#111348), So Saffron (#105118), Baja Breeze (# 111352) and Whisper White (#100730) card stocks

Inks:  Riding Hood Red (#111836 pad, #120971 marker), So Saffron (#105213), and Baja Breeze (#111833 pad, #120965 marker) Classic Inks

Accessories:  Simply Scored Scoring Tool (in the Holiday and Occasions Mini Catalogs, #122334), Big Shot (#113439), Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#116824), Scallop Edge Border (#119882), Scallop Oval (#119856), and Large Oval (#119855) Punches, Paper Snips (#103579), and Whisper White 1/4-inch grosgrain ribbon (#109025)

Happy November!

STUDIO SARA has a new look for fall!  I used My Digital Studio to create the banner and buttons.  I chose Always Artichoke, Cajun Craze and More Mustard (partly because they're fall colors, but also because they're found in the card I've spotlighted).

Here's the card that I included in my banner, up-close and personal...

It's simple to make (an easy one if you're in the market for a good number of "Thank You" notes, for example).  The card body is a half-sheet of Night of Navy, cut lengthwise and folded in half.  The Naturals Ivory card stock makes up the piece with the stamped leaves.  I used my corner-rounded to soften it.

The stamp set I used is French Foliage, which gives us this fun "button" in the lower left corner.  I inked it in Night of Navy Classic Ink and stamped it on Cajun Craze card stock.  Then I used my 3/4-inch Circle Punch...  Remember to stamp first then punch to make sure you've lined it up right!

So Saffron Taffeta Ribbon finishes the bottom edge...

Finally, here's the sentiment... I inked only the "thank you" part of this stamp from the With All My Heart set, stamped it on So Saffron and punched it with the Modern Label.  It's mounted on an oval punched from More Mustard and "popped up" with a Stampin' Dimensional.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  French Foliage, With All My Heart

Papers:  Night of Navy, Naturals Ivory, So Saffron, More Mustard and Cajun Craze card stocks

Inks:  Cajun Craze, More Mustard and Night of Navy Classics

Accessories:  3/4-inch Circle, Modern Label, Large Oval, and 3/16-inch Corner Punches, So Saffron Taffeta Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips (makes cutting the ribbon so easy!)

Thanks for your visit!  I'm working on more {12 Week of Christmas} posts, so stay tuned!

Messing around with My Digital Studio

Hello, Dear {Neglected} Readers! I have been busy getting unpacked and back in order from our Great American Wild West Road Trip this month. I've also been getting the Crazy3 ready for school, which begins for us on September 7 (my *birthday*!). On the road trip, I enjoyed some fiddle time with My Digital Studio (MDS)...

One of the things I've been working on is making a "favicon." I was thrilled to discover that my sweet little blog, too, can have its own little icon on the Internet Explorer tab or in the address window when my blog is open. Stampin' Up! has a capital 'S', Blogger's got its orange and white 'B', Martha's got her pretty face, etc. I wanted one of my own!

I used MDS to make a simple icon -- I used a punched image with the letters "SS" inside. It's got to be S-I-M-P-L-E, as it's going to be so small. In Blogger's Design window, there's an easy button to upload a picture (they have to be 100 x 100 pixels big and that's it). I also used the following to aid me in my creating: here and here.

Here's what I came up with:

I hope that when you see this image, you think "Studio Sara!"

{Stamp Set Spotlight} Season of Joy: Day 3

Love the swirls in this set and this card shows them off. With a little VersaMark, they add a lot of visual interest and they were a snap to make!

This card was created for a sketch challenge at 365 Cards:

I wanted it to look like we were seeing the Christmas tree through a window... The sentiment is also part of this set. I love the dots beneath the words; there's a lot you can do with rhinestones or paper piercing to add a little more oomph to the sentiment!

The tag is made using the Ticket Corner Punch (on River Rock). I've just tied two knots in the narrow grosgrain and glued them down with Mini Glue Dots.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Season of Joy

Papers: Cajun Craze, So Saffron, River Rock and Whisper White

Inks: Always Artichoke Classic and VersaMark

Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, Whisper White Narrow Grosgrain, Mini Glue Dots

Thanks for the visit! Day Four of the Stamp Set Spotlight is coming soon!

Wake Up and SMELL the Coffee!

Good mornin'! This card was created for a challenge that was to be inspired by something we enjoyed smelling. As I type this, coffee's brewing...

I've used this stamp so much that the rubber is just about worn off! This cute cup comes from the Pun Fun set, which is a versatile set of images and sentiments. The sentiments are on the bottom of each image, but using the masked inking technique that I demonstrated in this video, you can choose whether to include them or not.

I thought I'd "turn up the volume a little" (to borrow a phrase from one of my faves, the Barefoot Contessa) and use some funky colors suggested by my new Color Coach. I'm having more fun with that tool! The Wild Wasabi paper (from the Woodland Walk Designer Series Paper) is beautifully offset by the Perfect Plum and So Saffron card stocks. I added polka dots using my Big Shot to coordinate with the dots on the DSP. Finally, I wanted to coordinate the ribbon with the project, but there's no Perfect Plum grosgrain. In a flash, I used my Classic Ink Pad to dye the Very Vanilla ribbon to match. Be on the look-out for a quickie video demonstrating this simple solution...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Pun Fun

Papers: Woodland Walk Designer Series Paper (DSP), Very Vanilla, Perfect Plum and So Saffron card stocks

Inks: Perfect Plum and Wild Wasabi Classics

Accessories: Very Vanilla narrow grosgrain ribbon, Blender pen, Scallop Edge Punch, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thanks for your visit! Hope your day gets off to a great start!

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!

{Technique Video: Masked Inking}

Here's another video for your viewing pleasure! I hope you find it useful!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: With All My Heart

Papers: Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and So Saffron card stocks

Inks: Chocolate Chip Classic

Accessories: Large Oval, Scalloped Oval and Scallop Edge punches, Rose Red Double-Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips

Thanks for your visit!