NAC98 Beauty of the Season

Hi Again Stampers! 

This is the third card that I had a chance to create this weekend and I decided to use the NAC98 ColorChallenge along with the CCC14 Splitcoaststampers Christmas Card Challenge :-)

Again, I know most of you may have already stopped by the challenge sites, but if not, I encourage you to do so- inspiration abounds!!

To create this quick card:

Ink the cardinal stamp from the new stamp set, Beauty of the Season using Memento™ Tuxedo Black Ink onto Whisper White cardstock.

Color the body of the bird and berries using the Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities™ Collection, the bird’s legs and beak using the Stampin’ Write Blushing Bride marker and the branches using the Blendabilities™ Light Crumb Cake marker.  

 Lightly sponge the image using a Sponge Dauber using Crumb Cake Classic Ink and use the Color Spritzer Tool with the Stampin’ Write Crumb Cake marker. 

Cut the image out using the Big Shot™ along with the Ovals Collection Framelits™ (also cutting the same size oval from a piece of Blushing Bride and Cherry Cobbler cardstock).   Cut the Blushing Bride and Cherry Cobbler ovals in half and layer behind the bird image.

Use the Big Shot™ to emboss a piece of Crumb Cake cardstock using the Stylish Stripes Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folder, trim, and mount onto a piece of Blushing Bride cardstock, trim again and mount onto a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock.

Add the 1” Cherry Cobbler Grosgrain Ribbon strip to the card front and adhere the cardinal oval image panel.  Add the 1” Cherry Cobbler Grosgrain Ribbon double bow to the corner.

Mount the entire panel onto a Whisper White card base and add the layered sentiment to finish off the card. 

Stamp Sets: Beauty of the Season, Christmas Greetings (retired)

Ink: Memento™ Tuxedo Black, Crumb Cake, Stampin’ Blendabilities™- Cherry Cobbler and Crumb Cake Collections, Stampin’ Write Marker- Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake

Paper/Cardstock:  Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Big Shot™, Ovals Collection Framelits™, Stylish Stripes Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folder, Hexagon Punch, 1” Cherry Cobbler Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)

Thanks again for stopping by- I hope all of you have a wonderful, relaxing Sunday!!

DD80 Triple Threat Christmas

Hi Stampers!  

This week’s Dynamic Duos DD80 “Triple Threat” Challenge uses Blushing Bride, Raspberry Ripple and Pear Pizzazz.   Again, I hope you will find the time to visit the rest of the fabulous Design Team projects- they rocked the challenge this week!!   

The Dynamic Duos Challenge Blog

Anne Marie Hile

Annette Elliott

Angel Johns

Caroline Bredeson

Cindy Brumbaugh

Holly Endress

JoAnn Burnham

Julie Gearinger

Michelle Bala

Sarah Fleming 

Tenia Nelson

Since Christmas is almost here, I decided to create another Christmas card design :-)

To create this card:

I decided to dig into my retired stamp collection and use the poinsettia image from one of the Christmas sets from years ago – My Favorite Frame (Holiday Frame).

Stamp the image using Early Espresso Classic Ink onto Whisper White cardstock and color using Stampin’ Write markers- Blushing Bride and Raspberry Ripple for the petals and berries, Pear Pizzazz for the leaves.  Add a few highlights with the Chalk Marker (this marker will be carried over in the upcoming Occasions Mini- yea!)

Use the Big Shot™ with the Ovals Collection Framelits™ to cut out the image and mount onto a piece of Blushing Bride and Raspberry Ripple cardstock (also cut from the same oval framelit™). 

With the Big Shot™ and the Window Frames Collection Framelits™, cut a window frame from Raspberry Ripple cardstock and emboss with the retired Lacy Brocade Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folder- cut in half by hand in the middle horizontally.

Stamp the label image from Everything Eleanor onto a piece of Whisper White cardstock.  Emboss using the Big Shot™ with the retired Lacy Brocade Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folder and cut around the outline by hand and cut in half vertically in the middle.

Ink the background stamp, Ex Libris with Raspberry Ripple Classic Ink and stamp onto a piece of Blushing Bride cardstock.  Trim to 4 1/8” x 5 3/8”.  Mount onto a piece of Raspberry Ripple cardstock.

Stamp the sentiment from Greetings of the Season using Raspberry Ripple Classic Ink onto Whisper White cardstock and cut the banner points using the Hexagon Punch.  Layer onto a piece of Raspberry Ripple cardstock and mirror cut the points with the Hexagon Punch as well :-)

Layer onto the card base the Everything Eleanor label (with the center spread apart to reach the edges of the card) and add the Window Frame (again spread apart) to cover the split areas of the Pear Pizzazz label at the top and bottom.  Add the Poinsettia focal image and sentiment using Stampin’ Dimensionals®.

Add the double satin ribbon bow and Pearls to finish off the card.  

Stamp Sets:  Greetings of the Season, Ex Libris, Everything Eleanor, retired Favorite Frame (Holiday)

Ink: Early Espresso, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Raspberry Ripple, Stampin’ Write 

Markers- Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Raspberry Ripple, Chalk Marker

Paper: Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Raspberry Ripple

Accessories:  Big Shot™, retired Lacy Brocade Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folder, Window Frames and Ovals Collection Framelits™, Hexagon Punch, Pearls, satin ribbon from my stash

Thanks again for stopping by!  I hope all of you will have a chance to visit us at The Dynamic Duos andplay along in our DD80 “Triple Threat” this week!!  

Music is in their Soul- Tic-Tac-Toe for Two Lovely Nieces :-)

Hi Again Stampers!!

Today we celebrated my stepmother’s belated birthday and the birthday of my twin nieces who are now eighteen years old!!  Time surely flies by and they have grown into two lovely young ladies who love the Lord and have been blessed with so much talent in music and art!

Their mother is an accomplished pianist and they have had piano lessons since they were very young and both of them are extremely gifted in music- they have just started playing the violin and cello and these two instruments have been extremely easy so far for them since they have such an extensive background in music. 

I have seen many cards in the galleries that were punch art of a piano and thought I would use that idea for one of the cards and a violin from an old retired set, Musical Medley  for the other…..

I checked out this week's The Paper Players PP165 Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge from Ann and both cards qualify... in fact, combined, they are a "three way" Tic-Tac-Toe- Ribbon, Designer Paper and  Birthday; Ribbon, Embossing and Banners and Birthday, Pearls and Banners...love the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenges!!   I hope you can take the time to check out their site- so much inspiration!!

To create the first card:

Layer the Modern Medley cardstock onto the Basic Black card base and distress a bit by hand and using a Sponge Dauber with Crumb Cake Classic Ink.

Create the angle of the “piano” by drawing it by freehand onto Basic Black cardstock and cut out with Paper Snips.  

De-static this angled piece using the Embossing Buddy® and ink the retired Musical Score background stamp using Versamark™ ink (could not located my current Music wheel- where did that go??).  Apply Stampin’ Emboss® Clear Embossing Powder and heat with the Heat Tool to melt the powder. 

Create the piano keys using the Word Window punch and punching out pieces of Very Vanilla and Basic Black cardstock- adhere to the bottom of the card in a keyboard layout with Two-Way Glue.

Add the sentiment banner created from My Digital Studio(MDS) using the retired stamp set, Feeling Sentimental from the 2013-2014 Sale-A-Bration (printed onto Very Vanilla cardstock and distressed with the Distressing Tool) and the banner points are created by hand or you can use the 1" Square Punch. 

Add the triple 5/8” Basic BlackSatin Ribbon bow and adhere the "piano top" to the card, adding the Pearls to finish off the card.

To create the second card:

De-static a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock using the Embossing Buddy® and ink the retired Musical Medley violin stamp using Versamark™ ink.  Apply Stampin’ Emboss® Black Embossing Powder and heat with the Heat Tool to melt the powder.

Color the image using Stampin’ Write Markers in Sahara Sand and Crumb Cake.  Create a shadow and hand draw the “table” or “floor” area with the Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker (mask the rest of the image and add a bit of distressing with the Color Spritzer Tool and the Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker on the shadowed area).   Ink the background stamp, En Francais with Crumb Cake Classic Ink and stamp over the image. 

Use the Big Shot™ with the Ovals Collection Framelits™ to cut out the oval shape and mount onto the Basic Black frame (created with the Big Shot™ and the Window Frame Collection Framelits™).

Distress the edges of a piece of Modern

Medley Designer Series Paper and adhere to the Basic Black Card Base.   Add the focal image along with the banner sentiment (same one as in the first card above) and the triple 5/8” Basic Black Satin Ribbon bow with a few Pearls to finish off the card.  

Stamp Sets:  Feeling Sentimental (MDS, retired SAB), Musical Score, Musical Medley (both retired), En Francais

Paper:  Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Modern Medley DSP

Ink: Versamark™, Crumb Cake, Printer Ink- Black, Stampin’ Write Markers- Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake, Basic Black

Accessories:  Embossing Buddy®, Stampin’ Emboss® Black Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Big Shot™, Ovals and Window Frame Collections Framelits™, Sponge Daubers, Punches- Word Window, 1” Square (for banner points), 5/8” Black Satin Ribbon (retired). Pearls

Thanks again for stopping by- both of my nieces seemed to be thrilled with the cards and of course, the gift cards inside helped as well! 

Have a great Monday and have fun stamping!