It is Thursday and you know what that mean! It is time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  This week it is a sketch challenge and it was a tough one for me.  

I had just received my Stampin' Up! demonstrator pre-order and wanted to use something from that beautiful  box.  Being able to pre-order from the upcoming catalogs is such a great bonus given to Stampin' Up!  demonstrators.

Are you wondering what is that lovely color...  Fresh Freesia!  Such a lovely spring time color.  The card base is Fresh Freesia and the 2 patterned paper designs are from the Pansy Petals DSP.   I like gingham and there are 3 different gingham sheets in the Pansy Petals DSP.  Makes me very happy to have some gingham back.  

The flower is from the Art Gallery bundle.   The petals were stamped using Fresh Freesia, once at full strength and then stamped off.  The leaf and stem were stamped in Old Olive.

The floral DSP was cut out using one of the new Scalloped Contours dies.  This die set features 5 different scalloped rectangle dies, a scalloped border die and 2 dies that coordinate with the Color & Contour stamp set.  This new die set is  another great basic and will be used a lot.  The gingham scalloped rectangle was cut using the Stitched So Sweetly dies.  

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to check out what the rest of the design team created with this sketch.

Welcome to the Stampers Dozen Blog Hop!  This month we are hopping featuring products that are retiring.  The retirement/Last Chance list can be found here.  You will find lots of great deals on the Last Chance list but remember these items are only available while supplies last.

I kept on waffling about what stamp set I wanted to show for this blog hop.  When I was cleaning up my desk I found this Ornate Style bouquet all embossed and colored!  I cannot even remember when I colored it and why didn't I ever finish it?  

I layered the bouquet onto Flirty Flamingo CS and the on to a Basic Black card base.  I added some black twine (Black Twine will be in the upcoming catalog-yay) and a label from the Stitched So Sweetly Dies.  The hello is from the Beauty Abounds stamp set.  which is also retiring.  I also scattered a few rhinestones around the bouquet.

The image was  heat embossed using white embossing powder.  The image was colored using ink refills and a Water Painter.   Unfortunately i failed to write down the colors I used.  These are the ink refills I think I used to color in the image; Flirty Flamingo, Real Red, Daffodil Delight,  and  Old Olive.  

I will miss this big image from the Ornate Style stamp set.  It is fun to color and doesn't require too much else to be done to it.  

Thank you for stopping by and not it is time for you to check out the rest of the hop!

<!—STAMPERS DOZEN BLOG HOP LINKS-->

Stamper's Dozen April 2021 Blog Hop

1. Sharon Hashimoto Burkert – As the Ink Dries
2. Carol Payne – Carol Payne Stamps
3. Joanne Cantrell – Keep It Simple, Stampers
4. Rachel Yurkanin – Rachel’s Stamping Place
5. Debbie Naylor – Unfrogettable Stamping!
6. Bonnie O'Neill – Bonnie Stamped
7. Kelly Acheson – A Stamp Above
8. Donna Burk Schneidtmiller – Donna Stamps
9. Rose Grunewald – Country Cards by Rose
10. Jodi Petersen – Jodi’s Card Designs
11. Patty Chenail – Stamp-Patty’s - Stamping in My Flops
12. BJ Peters – Create & Feel Great
13. Judy Garza – Creativity Released

Thank you for joining us for the Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop!  We are an international group who have joined together for this fun hop.  The are a total of 25 stops on the hop!  The theme for this month's hop is Monochrome Rainbow Challenge.  Each participant was assigned a color based on their time zone.  How fun is that?  The leader of this blog hop, Angie McKenzie is so creative and is always thinking up fun and interesting blog hop themes for us!  Thanks Angie!

Where I live falls  in the orange part of the rainbow.  I decided to use Pumpkin Pie, Calypso Coral, and one of the new In Colors, Pale Papaya.  I chose the Band Together stamp set and the Detailed Bands dies .  Both of these products are retiring, so the time to shop for them is now.  

I used the Pumpkin Pie, Mango Melody, and the Pale Papaya Stampin' Blends to color the flowers.  The fancy label frame was cut out using Pale Papaya CS.  This color is so lovely and remembers me of well, papayas or maybe cantaloupes.  It is a color I didn't realize I needed but when now that I have it totally fits in and makes sense.  

I also used the soon to be retiring Dainty Diamonds 3D embossing folder. The sequins are from the Artistry Blooms Sequins.  Love that these sequins are adhesive backed, it makes adhering them a breeze.   The ribbon is another sneak peek from the upcoming catalog.  It is the Pale Papaya and White 1/2" ribbon.   I added 3 loops of the ribbon to act as leaves since I didn't want to introduce another color to the card.

The sequins do not look Mango Melody in this picture but it is just how the light is reflecting.   Now it is time for you to hop on over to see what the talented Teri West has created for you.

Here is the list of all the stops on the hop!

Jan Clothier - NZ

Tatiana Tobin - AU

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Melissa Gifford - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

Satomi Wellard

Pia Gephardt - DE

Ximena Morales - DE

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Annette Ball - CA

Angie McKenzie - US

Mary Brown - US - Special Guest

Connie Babbert - US - Special Guest

Wendy Lee - US

Shel Anderson - CA

Chris Smith - US

Lisa Martz - US - Special Guest

Tricia Butts - US

Wendy Weixler - US - Special Guest

Elaine de Montmorency - CA

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert - US you are here!

Teri West - US

Cheryl Hamilton - US

Thank you for stopping by and enjoy the hop!

Welcome to the Inspire, Create, Share Blog Hop.  This month we are hopping around the theme, It's a Girl Thing.  Right now is the  peak time for cherry blossoms.  There are few things more magnificent then the delicate pink flowers especially against a bright blue sky.  When the petals begin to fall it looks like pink snow.  It is really spectacular.  The cherry blossoms remind me of my mother.  She loved seeing the delicate blooms and loved coming to visit  during the spring.  

I wanted a soft blue background so I used the Blending Brushes and Seaside Spray ink on Basic White CS.  Over the Seaside Spray layer I cut out the lovely lattice using the Many Medallions die.  The branches were cut using the Cherry Blossoms die in Soft Suede CS.  To create the cherry blossoms I again used the Blending Brushes,  Blushing Bride ink over Pearlescent Paper, and punched lots of flowers out using the Confetti Flowers Border Punch.  This punch is on sale for $9.20 while supplies last.  It is retiring so if you want it you need to get it!  I use this punch a lot.  

Here is a close up of the flowers.  I also added some tiny butterflies cut using the Butterfly Beauty dies.  These dies are also retiring and on sale.  The butterflies are also the Pearlescent paper colored using the Blending Brushes in So Saffron ink.

The sentiment is from the Festive Post set which is also retiring.   

Now it is time for you to hop on over to see what Cheryl Hamilton has created for you.

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to check out the Clearance Rack!  

I am getting better about knowing what day of the week it is especially  Thursday.  Thursday is the one day I know there is something I need to have a project and blog post ready to go.  Why?  It is the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge day.   This week it is a color challenge.

I have been playing with stamp sets and dies that will soon be retiring.  My version of a farewell tour.  I have a lot that will be retiring so I probably won't get to all of them but I am trying.  

I used 4 things that will soon be retiring.  Can you name them?   For the flowers I used the Floral Essence stamp set  (it is on sale at 40% off!!) and the Perennial Flower punch ( on sale 60% off).    I inked the flowers in Blackberry Bliss and Bermuda Bay ink on Basic White CS, punched them out and then used a Blender pen to color the petals.  I didn't use any additional ink just the ink that I stamped.  The third item I used that is retiring is the sentiment stamped in Blackberry Bliss ink  from Grace's Garden.   The final retiring item is the Many Medallion dies (on sale at 40% off).  I really do like this die and how it covers an A2 card front so well.

I assembled another flower but didn't use it on the front, so I popped it on the inside of the card.  If you are wondering the ribbon is the Blackberry Bliss Striped ribbon from the 2020 Jan-June Mini catalog.  Love this ribbon.  It is one of my favorites and I only wish it came in more colors.  

Hope you will check the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge out and see what the other members of the design team created with this color combination.  Thank you for stopping by!

I spent 4 hours cleaning up my craft table and all the other surfaces in my craft room.  My room is small and so every surface gets used.  It finally got to the point where there was no room left to stamp so I had to get things cleaned up and organized.  While I was cleaning up I found a bunch of half done projects.  Today's card is one of those I found.

I found this  stamped, heat embossed and fussy cut arrangement of flowers from the Ornate Style stamp set.   The Ornate Style stamp set is being retired so I am glad I found this, so I could finish it while it was still available.   This is a very simple card especially when you find the focal piece already to be popped on a card.  I embossed the Basic White CS using the Scripty 3D folder (also retiring and 10% off).   I wrapped the Night of Navy Twine from the Well Suited Combo Pack around the card front and tied a bow.  The flowers were attached using dimensionals.

On the inside of the card is a cute little daisy stamped in Night of Navy ink also from the Ornate Style stamp set.   On the front I also added a few of the Elegant Faceted Gems to add a little more interest.  

Thank you for stopping by!

Product List

Ornate Style Cling Stamp Set [152572]	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [147110]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100867]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Scripty 3D Embossing Folder [149634]	White Stampin' Emboss Powder [109132]	Elegant Faceted Gems [152464]
Well Suited Twine Combo Pack [154566]

Today starts a new challenge at Festive Friday.  The Festive Friday Challenge is all about the Inspo List and the festivity that inspired the list.  The Inspo List has 10 items on it and to play in the challenge you need to use 3 of the items on your project.   For Festive Friday Challenge #FF0081 the festivity is Earth Day.  There are some rules to follow when playing along with the Festive Friday Challenge and they can be found HERE.   

Here's the Inspo List for the challenge and remember you just need to use three of the items on the list and your card does not need to be about the Earth Day theme.

I look forward to seeing what you create for this challenge in the Festive Friday gallery.

I chose earth/globe, clean and simple, and  blue/green from the Inspo list.  I used the Rainbow Glimmer paper for both the earth and the layer it sits on.  The earth was cut using the World Map dies, which is on the Last Chance list.  I just looked and the dies are 75% off!  What a fabulous price!  There is a coordinating stamp set called Beautiful World which is also retiring.  The outline on the globe was cut using Brass Foil.  The Brass Foil Sheets are also on the Last Chance list and are 20% off.  

FF #0081

For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the  Festive Friday Challenge Design team.

Ann Schach

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert. you are here!

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Stephanie Lanzalotto

Melva Peters

Judy Rozema 

Thank you for stopping by!

No fooling it is Thursday and April 1.  It kind of feels like a joke that it is already April.   This time of year is both exciting, confusing, and a little bit sad.  First the exciting part is that Stampin' Up! will be releasing the new annual catalog in a few weeks and it is a beauty.  There's 5 new In Colors, new stamp sets, paper and accessories, so much to look forward to.  It is always confusing trying to keep straight what products are  retiring, what is staying, and what is still available.  My room is a little crazy looking right now.  I have separated out the products that are retiring from what will  be in the new catalog, lots of different piles right now.  It is sad to see lots of favorites being retired, like To A Wild Rose and the Wild Rose dies.  Both of these are on sale.  The stamp set is 10% off and the Wild Rose dies are 75% off!  

I used the To A Wild Rose stamp set and the Wild Rose dies for this week's Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  I used Real Red for the rose and Old Olive for the leaves.  The stamp does all the hard work of coloring the rose.  I used 3 stamps to create the rose.  The sentiment is from another retiring stamp set, Itty Bitty Birthdays,  another great sentiment set.  

This is the sketch for the week.  You can see what the other members of the design team created using the sketch HERE.

I used the True Love DSP from the 2020 Jan-June Mini Catalog.  I love the black and white designs.  The Real Red border was cut using the Wild Rose dies.  You can also see a peek of the inside of the card.  There is a strip of DSP and another pretty design cut using the Wild Rose dies.  

Thank you for stopping. by,

Product List

To A Wild Rose Photopolymer Stamp Set [149452]	Itty Bitty Birthdays Cling Stamp Set [148618]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [147084]
Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [147090]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121045]	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [102482]
True Love Designer Series Paper [154281]	Wild Rose Dies [149547]	Stitched Rectangles Dies [151820]	Layering Circles Dies [151770]
Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels [146924]

The Last Chance Product list aka the Retirement List is out and you can see it HERE.  One of the things that can be confusing is that the list shows bundles retiring which  doesn't necessarily mean that the stamp set, dies or punch associated with the bundle is retiring.  An example is the Best Year bundle is on the list.  The stamp set Best Year is bundled with the Best Plaid Builder dies.  The stamp set alone is not listed on the Last Chance list so it is not retiring and will be available in the next catalog.  When you look further on the list you will see that the Best Plaid Builder dies are listed as retiring and is 20% off.   I wanted to point this out since it can be confusing and I am a fan of the Best Plaid Builder dies.

I used  Bermuda Bay & Coastal Cabana for the plaid.  Love these colors for a springy, happy vibe.  The  Pretty Perennial flowers were stamped in So Saffron on Basic White CS.  The flower outlines were cut out using the Perennial Petals dies in So Saffron CS.  The flower centers are the Playing with Patterns Resin Dots.  The sentiment was stamped in Versamark ink and sprinkled with White Embossing powder and heat embossed.  The label was cut using the Stitched Rectangle dies.   

Tuesday Tip:  The "happy" was also heat embossed.  Here's how I did it.  I inked up the stamp first in Versamark and again using a Bermuda Bay ink pad.  The double inked stamp was then stamped on the Basic White CS.  I sprinkled Clear Embossing Powder over it and heat embossed it. This is how you can have embossed colored images using Clear Embossing Powder. 

Here are some other samples of  the Best Plaid Maker dies in action HERE, HERE, HERE,  HERE, and HERE.  

As a demonstrator I have had a look at the upcoming 2020-21 Stampin' Up!®  catalog (it is beautiful and the In Colors are so yummy!) and I do not see the Pretty Perennials stamp set, Perennial Petals dies or the bundle in the upcoming catalog.  Just a heads up!

Thank you for stopping by and if you have any questions leave me a comment or send me an email.