NC Stampin' Up Demos June Blog Hop

Welcome to the June NC SU Demos Blog Hop! You probably just came from the blog of Tracy Lewis.  Wasn't her card great? And what a coincidence that she used the same set that I did.

Since June is a month for weddings, our theme is something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. I made a center step card with the Forever Fern stamp set and Forever Flourishing Dies which are available individually or as a bundle. The colors, the Basic Pearls, my Stampin' Blends marker, and the sentiment from Good Morning Magnolia are old. The Forever Fern bundle is new. I borrowed the bundle my friend Corothy. Thanks Corothy! And I used Pretty Peacock for my blue.

I used sponge daubers on the stamps to get the multi-colored look. All of the other pieces are die cut out of solid colored cardstock. The Basic Pearls were colored with a Stampin' Blends marker. This is a great way to get pearls in different colors.

Colors: Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Merry Merlot, Old Olive, Pretty Peacock, and Whisper White

Here's another shot from before the Basic Pearls were added. It gives you a better idea how the folds go.

Here is the inspiration for my card. I have several packs of these Gift Of Fall Add On Bundles and I don't have the stamps from the original Paper Pumpkin. I did have the kit but one of my customers didn't order it and really wanted it so I let her have mine with the agreement I could borrow the stamps to complete my Add On pack. I did at the time, but then the packs went on the Clearance List and I bought more. When I saw Forever Fern, I knew it would go great with these cards. This card inspired me to make today's center fold card. By the way, these are still available on the Clearance List.

Thanks for stopping by this month's blog hop. You can continue on through the hop by visiting Tracie Evans Langley's blog next. I know she'll have a fantastic project for you.

This month's blog participants:

Tina Lesson
Toni Campana
Jo Anne Hewins
Ariel Matera
Laurie Meier
Amy Kinler
Tracy Lewis
Sue Root
Tracie Evans Langley

Libby Foreman
MartinetteHorner

Daisy Lane Fun Fold Card

Today I have a fun fold card - with tutorial - to share with you. I don't know the name of it, but it is super simple. With only some score lines and no fancy cutting, you can get a card that will really pop.

Cut an 8.5 x 11 piece of cardstock in half so that you have a 4.25 x 11 piece. Score at 2 1/4, 3 5/8, 7 3/8, and 8 3/4. Make the first fold on the left a valley fold, then mountain, mountain, and valley. And if that doesn't make sense to you, try this. See the center panel? Fold each score line down. Then fold each of the little panels up. If you stand it on the table and look down at it, it should look like this. Use your bone folder to get crisp edges.

The Whisper White layers are as follows:

Center (2): 3.5 W x 4 H (one for the front and one for the back center panel)

Sides (2): 2 W x 4 H

This is really handy - if you cut a 4 x 11 strip from a piece of cardstock, it comes out perfectly to get the pieces needed for the card. Cut at 3.5, 3.5, 2, and 2 (equals 11).

If the cardstock is laid flat, it looks like this after it is decorated and the layers are attached. I made my side panels a little simpler because I wanted them to be pretty and compliment the front panel, not distract from it.

Since the card doesn't open traditionally, I put the area to sign on the back. The label with the sentiment is 1/2" and the Daffodil Delight layer under is 3/4".

That's all there is to it. I told you it was super simple.

I love this Daisy Lane stamp set and the fact that it has 2 daisy punches that coordinate with it. I only used the Medium sized one - the smaller daisy in the upper right of the front panel - but there is a larger punch that fits the larger daisy. I used Stampin' Dimensionals to pop up the punched daisy.

Colors are Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, and Whisper White.

I hope you give this fun fold a try. If you do, please share your card in the comments or on my facebook page. I'd love to see what you come up with.

Come Sail Away Designer Series Paper - Retires June 2nd

Today I'm going to share some assorted projects I made with the Come Sail Away Designer Series Paper (DSP). You can still get it through tomorrow, June 2nd. After that it, and all of the other retiring items, will no longer be available. Current hostess code for my customers is WQNA3SZM.

These are a set of Artist Trading Cards that I made for last year's State Fair. In addition to the Come Sail Away DSP, I used the Sailing Home stamp set, Smooth Sailing dies, and High Tide stamp set. They received a 3rd place ribbon, which I didn't think was too bad for my first attempt at ATCs.

The Happy Birthday comes from Itty Bitty Greetings. The sailboat is from the Sailing Home stamp set. Cardstock is Crumb Cake.

The next two cards were inspired by the One Sheet Wonder I did with my stamp club last month. We've been meeting via Zoom since we can't meet in person.

This is a set made with the same One Sheet Wonder template. The DSP is really old, but I used the Sailing Home stamps on some of them. You could do the same with the striped DSP in the Come Sail Away DSP.

NC SU Demos May Blog Hop - Farewell Retiring Products

Welcome to the May NC Demos Blog Hop. This month we are celebrating our favorite retiring items. I started out featuring the Wish For It All bundle and ended up using several other retiring items including the Gallery Grunge stamp set, Swirls and Curls embossing folder, Come Sail Away Designer Series Paper (DSP), and some of the 2018-20 In Colors. If you want these or any other retiring items, remember to get them ASAP since retiring items are only available until June 2nd or while supplies last, whichever comes first. Current hostess code for my customers is WQNA3SZM.

The first card uses the retiring In Colors Lovely Lipstick, Blueberry Bushel, and Pineapple Punch. The embossing folder is Swirls and Curls. The label and sentiment are from the Wish For It All stamp set and the candles are from the Doily Wishes dies. Those last 2 products make up the Wish For It All bundle. Except for the Whisper White cardstock, everything on this card is retiring.

For this next card I actually used the negative from cutting out candles. I positioned the candle dies where I wanted them on the Lovely Lipstick layer before I ran it through my die cut machine. There are 2 candle dies in the die set, so I used both the first time and then ran it through the die cut machine another time with just 1 candle die to get the 3rd candle cut out. Two of the die cut candles were removed and used on the 1st card; the other is waiting to be used on another project. Then I put Daffodil Delight cardstock and retiring Come Sail Away DSP behind the candle cut outs and mounted the Lovely Lipstick layer on the card base.

This card also used the negative from cutting a candle for the first card. I used a stamp from Gallery Grunge on a piece of Pineapple Punch cardstock which was layered behind the cut out to make the candle striped. The sentiment is stamped on an oval from the Stitched Shapes dies and layered on a Pineapple Punch oval. I added some rhinestones for bling.

 I die cut the candle on this card from Whisper White cardstock and then sponged it with Daffodil Delight ink for the flame and Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather, and Lovely Lipstick for the candle. The candle is layered on a Coastal Cabana die cut from the Stitched Nested Labels dies. I stamped the background with a stamp from Gallery Grunge. I stamped several times with each color used on the card.

Here's one last card I made with the Wish For It All bundle. I used the dies to create an ice cream cone. The cone is die cut from Soft Suede, then I layered it on top of a piece of Crumb Cake that had been sponged with Soft Suede. The ice cream is cut from Very Vanilla cardstock. I lightly sponged Soft Suede around the edge of the Pool Party background layer and then used a stamp from Gallery Grunge several times to add to the background. It's the same stamp I used to put stripes on the candle on the Blueberry Bushel card.

This is the first time I've inked up my Wish For It All bundle and already can tell I will miss it. I will still use it for personal projects and the Birthday Card Ministry at my church, but am sad I won't be able to use this with my stamp club. There are so many other ideas that I haven't even gotten to yet. I was having so much fun with the candles I never even got to the cake, cupcakes, doily backgrounds, and several other ideas.

Follow along the blog hop to see the next great project by Martinette Horner.

May Blog Hoppers
Amy Kinler 
Toni Campana 
Tina Lesson
Ariel Matera - 
Tracy Marie Lewis 
JoAnne Hewins - 
Jenn Hutt - 
Laurie Meier - 
Libby Foreman 
Tracie Evans Langley 
Sue Stapp
Sue Root - you are here
Martinette Horner
Nedine Dupree
Erin TCook 

NC SU Demos April Blog Hop - It's a Spring Thing

Welcome to the April NC SU Demos Blog Hop. Our theme this month is "It's a Spring Thing." I chose to share with you the One Sheet Wonder (OSW) cards that I created using two sheets of Designer Series Paper (DSP) from the Magnolia Lane DSP pack. Although I've done plenty of OSWs with templates I found online, this is the first time I've designed my own OSW template. My stamp clubs and I are creating these cards virtually this month. Anyone who placed, or places, a $35 or more order in April using the current hostess code (YDWNMQBA) will be sent the template and basic instructions via email.

Here are all 12 of the cards made with one sheet of DSP. I also made all of these cards with another DSP from the Magnolia Lane pack. While I don't have a group picture, they are all shown below.

I tried to keep the cards pretty basic with minimal supplies so that my stamp club members would have most of the supplies already. Since demonstrators are unable to provide stamped images to customers, I used a variety of sentiments from a variety of sets to give some ideas. Any sentiment that fits will work.

Many of these cards feature circles and ovals from the Stitched Shapes framelits. This card also has a strip of 3/4" Petal Pink cardstock.

 As you can see, I used the back side of one of the papers for a different look.

 I added some pearls to this card for some extra interest since there are fewer layers. It's a little hard to see on the background I used behind the cards, but the card base is Mellow Moss.

This card also has a Mellow Moss base.

 The template gives 2 triangle shaped pieces, so stampers can make 2 of the same card or rotate the triangle for a different look.

This card also has a Mellow Moss base that's kind of hard to see.

 Just cut a V shape out of the end of a rectangle to make the pennants. I usually use my ruler to mark the center of the cardstock piece so both sides end up even. This is particularly helpful when layering pennants.

 I added an extra layer to the card on the left, otherwise these cards are the same.

Magnolia Lane DSP is on the Last Chance List, and it's discounted, so be sure to get your pack before it's gone. There's also a 20 pack of Magnolia Lane DSP that just has the 2 sheets used on my cards on the Last Chance List.

Sentiments on these cards came from Beautiful Bouquet, Butterfly Gala, Dandelion Wishes, Good Morning Magnolia, Itty Bitty Greetings, Rooted In Nature, and Varied Vases. Don't feel limited in your sentiment selection. You don't always have to use a sentiment with the stamps it came with.

Some of these cards fit the criteria for #simplestamping - just ink, stamps, and paper (in this case cardstock and Designer Series Paper).

Thanks for visiting my blog and joining our blog hop. Next up is 

Amy Kinler with another Spring themed project.

April Blog Hoppers
Amy Kinler
Nedine DuPree
Tracie Evans Langley
JoAnne Hewins
Tina Lesson
Toni Campana
Sue Stapp
Ariel Matera
Laurie Meier
Sue Root - You are here

Tulip Cards

Happy Easter!

Here are a couple variations of the Easter tulip card that I shared in yesterday's post. These don't have a sentiment, so you could use them for most any occasion.

The colors are the same - Daffodil Delight, Grapefruit Grove, Highland Heather, Pear Pizzazz, and Whisper White. So is the stamp set - Timeless Tulips.

This first card has some bigger tulips at the front which were punched out with the Tulip Builder Punch and popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals.

And here's another card with lots of tulips. I used masking to make some of the flowers look like they are behind the others.

Tulip Easter Card and Treat

Hello Stampers! I hope you have a very Happy Easter tomorrow!

Here is the Easter card and treat we made in my stamp club back when we were still able to get together in person and the Wood Crate dies were on the clearance rack.

The tulip stamps are so pretty and I really love this color combination.

I added a tulip on the inside for that special touch.

Supplies:

Stamps: Timeless Tulips

Cardstock: Highland Heather, Whisper White

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Grapefruit Grove, Highland Heather, Pear Pizzazz

At the time we made this little Easter basket, the Wood Crate dies were available. Unfortunately they have sold out. However, you could use a template for a rectangular box and get a similar effect. To get the handle I took a 1/2" x 8" strip of card stock and ran it along the edge of the table to break the fibers. That made it curl nicely into the perfect shape. I added Easter grass and chocolate eggs to complete it.

Here's how it looks empty, so you can get a better look at how the handle is attached and maybe it will help you if you want to try to make one if you are lucky enough to own the Wood Crate dies or if you want to try it with a rectangle box.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'll share a couple of tulip card variations tomorrow. Edit: Here's that post.

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.