NC SU Demos March Blog Hop - In Color Monochromatic Masterpieces

Welcome to the March NC Stampin' Up! Demos Blog Hop. I'm glad to be back in the blog hop this month after a bit of an absence. It's always so fun to see what everyone has made.  This month we are featuring retiring In Colors, with the added challenge of making our project monochromatic. We were allowed some neutral cardstock and black ink, but otherwise just one of the In Colors. If you are following through the hop, you just came from Laurie Meier's  blog. I hope you enjoyed her post as much as I did.

If you follow my blog or you've been to my classes, you know I enjoy taking an idea and trying several variations. Since there are 5 in colors, I chose to make 5 variations of the same card. All of the cards use an In Color, Whisper White cardstock, Memento Black ink, Stitched Nested Labels dies, the Crackle background stamp, and a sentiment from Rooted in Nature.

First up is Pineapple Punch. In addition to the items previously listed, I used Basic Black cardstock and White Baker's Twine. I guess this is the time for me to apologize for my photography. The strip really is straight, even though as I look at the picture on the computer, it doesn't appear that way.

 For the Lovely Lipstick card, I added another layer of die cut and some basic rhinestones.

The die cut is in a different position on the Blueberry Bushel card. I also chose not to add rhinestones. I really like the simplicity with this color.

I again used Memento black ink for the sentiment with a Basic Black background die cut for the Call Me Clover Card. I wrapped the White Baker's Twine around the card twice and tied it off. When I use Baker's Twine this way, I usually stick a little adhesive under the tie to keep my twine positioned how I want it. In this case, I used one of the little glue dots from an old Paper Pumpkin. I find those are perfect for this kind of task.

 When something doesn't go quite as I planned when I stamp, I try not to get upset. Rather, I look for ways I can fix it. I can't always and so sometimes have disappointments, but often I can find a solution. Usually I like the solution just as much as my original plan and sometimes I like it even more. I tell you this because these last two cards have solutions I'm going to share with you. Somehow I managed to get ink on the back of my Call Me Clover card. To fix it, I just stamped the Crackle background stamp on the backside. Now when I send my card, it will look pretty on the back, too, and no one will ever know that there used to be unsightly black smudges there. Well, no one except all of you reading my blog 😉

And last but not least is Grapefruit Grove. It's similar to the previous card except I changed the orientation and because that left a smaller area for the die cut, I sponged the edges rather than layering it. The fix on this card is the rhinestone placement. This is not where I would have put the rhinestones. However, apparently when I was sponging I got a few ink spots on my die cut. Rhinestones to the rescue!

Thank for joining us on this month's blog hop. Remember to stock up on your retiring In Colors before they are gone. Do it by March 31st and get a free Sale-a-Bration item with every $50 purchase (before shipping and tax). Current Hostess code for my customers is 6676WVZ4.

 Next up is Tamra Davis. I'm sure you'll love what she has to share.

This month's participants:

Amy Austin-Kinler
Jo Anne Hewins
Tina  Lesson
Ariel Matera
Tracy Marie Lewis
Libby Foreman
Toni Campana
Frances Wagner
Tracie Evans Langley
Laurie Meier
Sue Root: you are here
Tamra Davis
Sharon Maranich
Sue Stapp
Nedine Depree

Melon Mambo Magnolia

Hello Stampers. Today I am sharing a simple card I made using the Good Morning Magnolia stamp set. This stamp set is so gorgeous that it doesn't need a lot of dressing up to make a pretty card.

Supplies:

Stamp Set: Good Morning Magnolia

Cardstock: Mossy Meadow, Whisper White

Assorted Blends

The magnolia is colored with Melon Mambo which is no longer available in Blends. However, we have several pretty pinks that you could use for a similar look. Lovely Lipstick would probably be the closest. You could also experiment with other colors. I have to confess, I have colored this flower in lots of different colors with several different mediums. I'm pretty sure magnolias don't actually come in most of the colors I've used, but it's just so fun and every color looks so pretty, I just can't stop.

Here are all the great stamps in this set:

There is a whole suite built around this set. It is full of products that you'll just love. Click here to see the entire Magnolia Suite. And if that isn't enough, there's actually another smaller magnolia set called Magnolia Blooms.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Hi Stampers! It's been a while since I've had time to post. I'm sorry about that. Luckily I have found time to do lots of stamping. I just don't seem to have time to take and edit pictures, upload them, and write a blog post. But, instead of dwelling on that, let's celebrate that I'm posting now and get to my annual St. Patrick's Day card.

Since I don't own any specific St. Patrick's Day sets, I used the heart from A Little Lace to make a shamrock. I drew the stem with a Stampin' Write marker. The background seemed a little plain so I added some interest with the Crackle background stamp.

Supplies:

Stamps: A Little Lace, Crackle Background, Itty Bitty Greetings

Ink: Garden Green

Cardstock: Garden Green, Whisper White

Dies: Stitched Shapes, Stitched Rectangles

The base really is Whisper White and is the normal bright white you expect from Stampin' Up! You just can't tell so much from my photo.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Let me leave you with an Irish blessing in honor of St. Patrick's Day:

May good luck be your friend
In whatever you do.
And may trouble be always
A stranger to you.