{Stamp Set Spotlight} Snow Swirled: Day 2

Welcome, Studio Guests, to Day 2 of the Snow Swirled {Stamp Set Spotlight}! If you missed Day 1, please click here.
For this simple card, I inked my tree image in Marina Mist and stamped it on a square piece of Whisper White card stock. Next, I cut the piece into even fourths and adhered it to Cajun Craze. This technique gives the image the illusion of being seen through window panes, but you can also cut an image or scene into vertical thirds or into uneven horizontal pieces. It's one of those quick and simple (and inexpensive) ways to add pizzazz to your project!

Finally, I added a Glimmer Brad to give it an extra sparkle. Using my Paper-Piercing Tool (a very handy tool for only $3.50) and Mat Pack, I created the pierced edges on the corners. Again, a bit of pop for not a lot of money!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Snow Swirled

Papers: Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Cajun Craze and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Marina Mist and Cajun Craze

Accessories: Glimmer Brads (Subtles), Modern Label Punch, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Paper trimmer, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thanks for dropping by! I look forward to your next visit!

A New Look for December...

I've been having fun with my Tree Trimmings stamps that I purchased to download for My Digital Studio. I also took advantage of a couple of snow days before Thanksgiving to make some gift packaging (for chocolates) for Christmas gifts. The box pictured in my new banner will be featured in a post soon... It provided the inspiration for the colors of the new look here at the virtual Studio Sara. I've used Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler along with the classic lines in Basic Black. On my project, I also used Very Vanilla, but that didn't translate well in my banner, so I stuck with Whisper White.

This week, I've got a lot of different Christmas projects to share, including another Stamp Set Spotlight... Hope to see you back here in the Studio! Thanks for your visit!

{Stamp Set Spotlight} Season of Joy: Day 4

"JOY!" is right! I have been meaning to write and publish this post for a few days now, but as luck would have it, I've been busy out with the kids, playing in the *snow*! It's a rare treat for us in the Pacific Northwest to get enough snow to sled and play in... With two snow days from school, this feels like a mini Christmas Vacation!

This card was made for another sketch challenge... I used my Color Coach for the color guidance; not a traditional combination of colors, but I really like it! We've got Elegant Eggplant, Baja Breeze and Rose Red at work here...An easy way to add oomph to a card is with a bit of texture. I used the Perfect Details Texturz Plate with my Big Shot on the Baja Breeze here...To achieve the two-tone stamping here, you can use the masked inking technique that I demonstrated in this post: http://www.studio-sara.com/2010/04/technique-video-masked-inking.html .

The sparkly brad comes from the Holiday Mini Catalog. It and four other colors can be found in the Glimmer Subtles pack.
Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Season of Joy

Papers: Elegant Eggplant, Rose Red, Baja Breeze, and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Elegant Eggplant, Rose Red and Baja Breeze Classics

Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Details Texturz Plate, Scallop Circle and Scallop Edge punches, Rose Red stitched ribbon (retired), Stampin' Dimensionals

Thank you for visiting!

{Catalog Countdown: Day Two}

July 1 is fast upon us and we've got two more Catalog Countdowns to go, starting with this one! This sweet card was made using the You and Moi set, which will be unavailable after June 30. While displayed among the holiday stamps for Valentine's Day, I've used this card for anniversaries, birthdays and a simple notecard, like this one!

Studio Step-by-Step:

• Yoyo Yellow and Brilliant Blue are among the retiring colors as Stampin' Up! unveils its Color Renovation
• The word "love" is stamped with Whisper White Craft Ink. The word is part of the stem of a flower in the You and Moi set. Super easy!
• Once the word "love" was stamped on the card stock, I punched it with the retiring Trio Flower punch
• A strip of Whisper White Organza ribbon makes for a classy touch behind the squares...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: You and Moi

Paper: Real Red, Yoyo Yellow, Brilliant Blue and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Yoyo Yellow and Brilliant Blue Classics and Whisper White Craft

Accessories: Whisper White Organza ribbon, Trio Flower punch

Retirees:

You and Moi stamp set, Brilliant Blue and Yoyo Yellow card stocks and inks, Trio Flower punch

Hope you enjoyed your visit! Stick around for a final day of Catalog Countdown tomorrow and then it's new stuff from the new catty! Hope your day's a great one!

{Catalog Countdown: Day Six}

Welcome to the Studio! It's been a nuthouse around here, lately, as I prep for the launch of the new catalog... I wanted to spend the next few days sharing some projects created with retiring stamp sets and colors.

Here are the details:

• Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper is retiring this year and I used one-inch squares ("inches") to jazz up this card. What a great way to eat up scraps!


• Holiday Blitz is one of my g0-to sets and I'm sad to see it go (though there's a cute new set with lots of pint-sized images which will fit the bill). The flip-flops stamp is going to have its rubber worn bare, I use it so much!


• Gable Green, Yoyo Yellow, Only Orange and Pixie Pink are also retiring as Stampin' Up! introduced its Color Renovation...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Holiday Blitz

Paper: Tempting Turquoise card stock and Kaleidoscope DSP

Inks: Whisper White Craft

Accessories: Tempting Turquoise 1/4-inch grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, paper trimmer, white embroidery floss,

Retirees: Holiday Blitz Stamp Set, Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper, Yoyo Yellow, Pixie Pink, Gable Green and Only Orange card stocks

Stay tuned all week for more Catalog Countdown posts. I'll be highlighting stamp sets, accessories and colors which are retiring as of June 30 (less than a week away!)...

Contact me now to preorder your copy of the 2010-11 Idea Book and Catalog! Cost is $9.95 (with free shipping -- Priority -- saving you $4.90). Get it for free by placing a merchandise order for $150 or for hosting a workshop (or catalog party)!

{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!

OMG! It's a video!

As threatened, I've created my first video! It was a lot easier than I thought it would be to set up the camera and edit the final product. Part of why I've waited this long is a fear that I needed to get everything perfect. You'll see that this video is definitely my first. For example, my nine-year-old just pointed out that the part I finished this morning was done in my PJs and robe. Guilty... I promise that you won't see me in my jammies again (I'd forgotten that you'd see that). ;)

I also called the Designer Series Paper both "Welcome Home" and "Welcome Neighbor." Technically, it's "Welcome Neighbor."

I was nervous and made some bad jokes, but all in all, I'm happy with the end result. Please forgive the rough end to the first clip and recap of the beginning of the second. My camera battery died unexpectedly and I didn't want to start the whole video over again. I *LOVE* the teaching part of being a demonstrator (I am a teacher on Mom Detail sabbatical, after all), so this is very fulfilling for me.

I won't recap the details for making this card except to correct myself in the video... Grab some popcorn and take a look!



Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Short and Sweet

Papers: Welcome NEIGHBOR Designer Series Paper (Sale-a-Bration freebie!!), and Bermuda BAY (not "Bermuda Blue") and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Bermuda Bay Classic

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch (another Sale-a-Bration freebie!!), Scallop Square Punch, Bermuda Bay and Whisper White grosgrain ribbons, paper snips, Stampin' Dimensionals, white embroidery floss

Thanks for your visit!

What's black and white and red all over?

This month's challenge at Stamps R Us, of course! For this month's challenge, we were charged with creating a card with only three colors: black, white and red. The rest was up to us... Here's one of my favorite cards:

One of the questions I receive a lot is "Where do you get your ideas for your designs?" Well, this card was "'lifted" from the pages of last year's (I think) Idea Book and Catalog. I simply inked the flourish image from Baroque Motifs (a fav of mine) in Basic Black Classic and stamped it Whisper White (pretty self-explanatory). To make the flowers, I inked those images (also from this set) in Real Red and then cut them out and used Stampin' Dimensionals to make them pop up.

**Studio Suggestion: To make the cutting go faster, I used the 3/4-inch Circle Punch first and then cut the petals.**

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Inks: Basic Black and Real Red Classics

Papers: Basic Black, Real Red and Whisper White card stocks

Accessories: Real Red wide grosgrain, Stampin' Dimensionals, 3/4-inch Circle Punch, paper snips

Thank you so much for your visit! I've been busy organizing the Studio this week and having fun working in a tidier space. Now I've gotta get busy and post it all! :) Stay tuned for lots of new posts (and a video or two)! Thanks again!

Tied up in Knots over Christmas

*LOVE* the 365 Cards Challenges! They are always just what I need for inspiration. For this challenge, we were to use knots... Once again, I fed card stock through my Big Shot to add texture. I did this with both the Brushed Silver and Night of Navy pieces.

On Whisper White, I stamped the tree from the Snow Swirled set (inked in Night of Navy). Using Mini Glue Dots, I adhered knots of Night of Navy and Whisper White grosgrain with Silver Elastic Cord threaded through and knotted. The body of the card is Bordering Blue. The sentiment comes from the Sincere Salutations set was inked in Encore Silver and stamped on Whisper White.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Snow Swirled, Sincere Salutations

Papers: Brushed Silver, Night of Navy, Bordering Blue, and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Night of Navy Classic and Encore Silver

Accessories: Night of Navy and Whisper White grosgrain, Silver Elastic Cord, Mini Glue Dots, Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plate

Thanks so much for visiting!

Feeling a Little Blue...

Actually, I'm not, but I *LOVE* blue! The Ad Inspired Challenge this week at 365 Cards was right up my alley. I'm sure I've got this very ad tucked away in my inspiration journal.

As I type that, it sounds really presumptuous, so I'd better explain. Years ago, it was recommended to me that I keep a journal (in my case, a composition book covered in pretty paper) of favorite color combinations, pictures of things that inspire me, quotes that I like, etc. It was excellent advice and I love to add to it! I'm a major fan of tearing things out of magazines and catalogs, so this gives me some license and reason to do it. I have all sorts of things in my journal, from the aforementioned pages to quotes from the Mary Engelbreit calendars that my mom gives me every Christmas. I also use a 1-inch Circle punch to punch circles of card stock in colors I'd like to tinker with (or that I've seen elsewhere). Some day, I'll take a photo of the journal and some of its bits and post them here. Until then, I'll return to the Ad Inspired Challenge.

Here's the ad:

And here's what I came up with:

I love the clean lines of blue with white and so I tried to replicate that using one of my faves, Night of Navy, with Brilliant Blue. I used Whisper White Craft ink on Night of Navy for the circles from the Circle Circus set (and heat-set them so that they'd dry quickly). I punched them out with a 3/4-inch punch and then using a Stampin' Dimensional, adhered them to a 1-inch punch of Whisper White card stock. The circles on the Brilliant Blue piece are also from Circle Circus (I used VersaMark for those). For a high-value, sure-to-be-a-favorite, VersaMark is a must-have for beginner and advanced stampers alike.

"Thanks" from the Thank You Kindly set is simply inked in Brilliant Blue Classic ink and stamped upon Whisper White card stock (and adhered to a bit of Night of Navy). The Brilliant Blue piece is also adhered to the rest of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Circle Circus and Thank You Kindly

Papers: Night of Navy, Brilliant Blue and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Whisper White Craft, Brilliant Blue Classic and VersaMark

Accessories: 3/4-inch and 1-inch Circle Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thanks so much for looking!

A Patch upon the Knee...

I've thoroughly enjoyed a relatively quiet weekend, which has afforded me some time to catch up on some 365 Cards challenges. This challenge was to create a card that included a patch. I need some gift tags for baby gifts, so I opted for some baby overalls with a flower patch on the knee:




Stampin' Up! Supplies:


Stamps: Short and Sweet

Papers: Apricot Appeal, Pretty in Pink, Almost Amethyst and Whisper White card stocks


Inks: Classic Black and white Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen


Accessories: Trio Flower and Scallop Edge Punches

Studio Suggestion: You can't see it from my photo, but I used the Scallop Edge Punch on the left side of the little piece of Almost Amethyst that greets the recipient on the inside of the tag. It ties together with the scalloped edge of the Apricot Appeal as well as with the scallops of the flower punch patch.

So glad you popped by!

Through the Window...

Here's a card I made for the 365 Cards challenge involving, among other things, window sheets...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Medallion Background and Circle Circus (new!) and Elegant Thank You

Papers: Bermuda Bay, Mambo Melon, Old Olive and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Elegant Eggplant and Mambo Melon Classics

Accessories: Window sheet, Scallop Circle, Scallop Edge, and 1/2-inch Circle Punches, Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig

Thanks so much for visiting!

Look Who's Turning...

This is a new set in the 2009-10 Idea Book and Catalog and I thought it would be perfect for the ad-inspired challenge this week at 365 Cards.

Here's the ad we were inspired by:

and the card I created:This card will be perfect for my nephew's birthday next month... I might change it a wee bit to make the "3" stand out more, though. Red ink? Layer a smaller circle beneath the "3" on top of the Yoyo Yellow? Hmmm...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Look Who's Turning

Papers: Whisper White, Brocade Blue, Bordering Blue and Yoyo Yellow card stocks

Inks: Whisper White Craft and Brocade Blue and Basic Black Classics

Accessories: Real Red Wide and Narrow Grosgrain Ribbons, Whisper White Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, 1-inch Circle Punch, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig (to make the numbers straight; I wasn't trusting myself)

Thank you so much for looking!

Sketch Challenge Entry

Whew! Is it ever good to be back stamping! The yard is much better; I'll upload pics soon... I was so anxious to start stamping again that I've left the laundry that I'd mentioned in my previous post in baskets in my bedroom. I promise I'll get it put away today! :)

Here's the sketch I followed and the card I made for the Sunday Sketch on 365 Cards:

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp Set: Warm Words

Papers: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Rose Red and Almost Amethyst (from a retired Pattern Pack Hostess item)

Ink: Certainly Celery Classic

Accessories: Certainly Celery twill (retired from '09 Sell-A-Bration), Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/4-inch and 1/2-inch Circle Punches, Linen Thread, Stampin' Dimensional

It's such a pleasure to be back in the Studio! Thanks so much for looking!

Wedded Bliss!

I'm really enjoying the all-white color scheme! Here's a wedding or anniversary card...

Note the embossed piece behind the flower and the embossed dove. I used my Big Shot and Texturz Plates (Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I) to add the subtle details.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp Set: Always

Inks: Basic Black Classic

Paper: Whisper White card stock

Accessories: Sizzix Big Shot, Texturz Plates Backgrounds I (Stampin' Up! exclusive), Pretties Kit, Photo Corner Punch, Whisper White Satin Ribbon

Soft Summer and Scallops Birthday Card for Dear Sister

This final design for our card making class allowed us to get all of our pent-up scallops out (I CASE'd this; thank you for the inspiration, LeeAnn Graff!). I actually made this for my sister first, then thought the class members would enjoy it, too.

This pretty Soft Summer flower stamp is available until June 30 (it's from the Occasions Mini Catalog).

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp Sets: Soft Summer and Oval All

Papers: Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst, So Saffron, Whisper White

Inks: Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, and Basic Black

Accessories: Scallop Edge and Scallop Oval Punches, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig

**The floral image is Two-Step Stamping; using the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig takes the guesswork (and stress!) out of lining up the insides of the flower with the outline. It's also easiest to color the flower with two Stampin' Write Markers, as opposed to using ink pads.**

Finally, when using the Scallop Edge Punch to do an entire side as I have here, punch first in the middle and then work your way out. Whenever I start at the tippy-top or bottom, I end up with a scalloped diagonal because I get off-course. Keeping one "bump" that you've already punched out in your "sites" as you punch helps keep you straight.

Happy Birthday, Mobes! I love you!

Thanks so much for looking!

Another challenge: Baroque Motifs in Purple!

This next challenge meant I had to work with scraps because I discovered that I'm out of my favorite purple card stock! The challenge also called for five circles. I hope you like this entry. I love this stamp set (Baroque Motifs) and I loved this challenge. In case they are difficult to see, the circles (requirements of the challenge) are the flowers, which are raised up on Dimensionals.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp Sets: Baroque Motifs

Inks: Lovely Lilac and Going Grey Classics

Papers: Whisper White, Lovely Lilac and Going Grey Card Stock

Accessories: Stampin' Dimensionals and Whisper White Satin Ribbon

Thank you so much for looking!

My first challenge

So I've decided to take the plunge and enter in my first challenge. This challenge called for a card that followed a certain sketch:
Here's what I came up with...Stampin' Up! Supplies:


Stamp Sets: Best Wishes and More


Inks: Pumpkin Pie Classic


Papers: Whisper White, Bliss Blue, Pumpkin Pie and So Saffron Card Stock and Washington Apple Designer Series Paper


Accessories: Scallop Edge, Scallop Circle, Corner Rounder and 1/2-inch Circle punches, Button Latte, and So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon

I'm really excited about these challenges! They're so inspiring!

Thanks for looking!

Formal (First Communion) Projects

One of the reasons April was such an insanely busy month for us was that Jordan received her First Communion. What follows is the invitation, favor, and "Thank You" note.

Invitation:

Jordan was anxious to choose her color scheme; I got to design the rest...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp Sets: Special Blessing, Simple Salutations

Inks: Whisper White Craft; VersaMark

Papers: Brocade Blue, Rose Red and Whisper White Card Stock

Accessories: Pretties Kit; Sizzix Big Shot; Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plate; Round Tab punch

Favor Box:

Supplies:

Papers: Bashful Blue, Barely Banana and Whisper White Card Stock

Accessories: Sizzix Big Shot; Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plate

*I word-processed the text and adhered the Whisper White to a tag cut out with my Cricut (Christmas Cheer cartridge). Then I ran the tags through with the Texturz Plate mentioned above.

"Thank You" note

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp Set: Sincere Salutations and Elegant Thank You

Ink: VersaMark

Paper: Whisper White Card Stock

Accessories: Pretties Kit; 5/8-inch Whisper White satin ribbon; Sizzix Big Shot; Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plate; Sizzlits 4-pack die: Stampin' Up! Birds and Blooms; Stampin' Dimensionals; Clear Detail Embossing Powder; Heat Tool; Designer Label punch

**This card was inspired by a white-only challenge posted on Splitcoast. I'll find the thread and give credit to the challenge creator (JuliaS?).

Thank you for looking!