I live in Washington state which is the nation's top apple producing state.  So what does that mean?  It means I had to get the Apple Harvest set.  It may not be the best reason to purchase a stamp set but it was enough of a reason for me!  I saw the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #482 and knew it would be a perfect time to ink up the Apple Harvest set.

Here's what I made using the sketch.

The CAS Challenge is all about clean and simple cards.  "Clean and Simple" is defined as "uncluttered, with white or open space, and minimal layers and embellishments".  

The apples were stamped on Basic White CS in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and colored using Granny Apple Green Crumb Cake, Real Red, and Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends. The Basic White piece the apples are on was embossed using the Timber 3D Embossing folder.  This folder is part of the 2nd release for Sale-A-Bration.   Remember to stamp the sentiment before you emboss the CS!  I forgot and was pleasantly surprised that it turned out as well as it did.  Around the apples I added a few Classic Matte Dots in black.

Inside I added another apple image from the Apple Harvest stamp set.  This apple was also colored using the same Stampin' Blends.

Thanks CAS Colour & Sketch Challenge team for a great sketch and motivating me to use this stamp set.  

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to check out the all the cards created for the challenge,

It is Thursday and do you know what that means?   It is time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge! This week it is a color challenge.

When I looked at this challenge the first thing I thought of was to use the Tea Boutique Cards & Envelopes.   The choice of using the Starry Sky card from the pack helped to narrow down the decisions I have to make.  

I stamped the pumpkin from the Hello Harvest bundle using Calypso Coral ink on Pale Papaya cardstock.   I used the blender pen along the stamped lines to add some shading.  This is a quick and easy way to color.  I stamped the flowers in Starry Sky ink and colored in the image using Calypso Coral and Pale Papaya Stampin' Blends.  The banner is from the Fond of Autumn bundle.  On the ends of the banner and in the centers of the flowers are rhinestones colored using a Calypso Coral Stampin' Blend.

Check out the secret message!   I have been thinking about this and decided it was time to do it.  I cut a slit along the top of the pumpkin long enough so the message can fit behind the pumpkin.  I cut a Pale Papaya  Tailor Made Tag and stamped grateful from the Cottage Wreaths stamp set on it in Starry Sky ink.   The pumpkin is attached to the Basic White Stylish Shapes square with Stampin' Dimensionals.  I made sure to leave a channel so the tag can slip up and down easily.  The sentiment tag is attached to the flowers using Stampin' Dimensionals.  

This is an easy way to add some surprise and fun to your cards.  

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out what the rest of the Create with Connie & Mary design team created with this color combination,

Welcome to the Inspire Create Share Blog Hop!  On the 2nd Tuesday of the month we gather together to bring you this hop.  Each month there is a theme and this month the theme is...It's Sale-A-Bration.   Thank you for joining us and enjoy all the stops on the hop!

There has been a second release of Sale-A-Bration choices!  These choices are all from the 2022-23 Stampin' Up! Annual catalog or the July-December 2022 Mini Catalog.  

I realize the numbers are difficult to see.  It is important to note that you will need to use different numbers when choosing one of the above as your Sale-A-Bration gift.

I decided to use the Dots & Spots Dies and the Daffodil Dies for my project.  I am a big fan of the Dots & Spots die.  I think it is so versatile and  creates an easy and pretty backdrop.

I haven't used my Daffodil dies in a bit.  I got stuck thinking that daffodils are just a spring flower but there really isn't any reason that they cannot be used other times of the year.  I chose a slightly unconventional color combination for a daffodil of Petal Pink and Calypso Coral.   I wanted to use Petal Pink because I just received a roll of Petal Pink 3/8" Soft Polyester Ribbon.   The ribbon feels like suede and is easy to tie.  

The sentiment is from the Biggest Wish stamp set and inked in Calypso Coral ink.  The banner the sentiment is stamped on was cut using the Stylish Shapes dies.

Inside I added a strip of Petal Pink cardstock and another daffodil using the same color combination.  

Sale-A-Bration will end on August 31 but remember that products are only available while supplies last.  The supply of Pool Party & Soft Sea Foam Cards & Envelopes and the Tree Lot Dies have already been depleted.  Avoid disappointment and get your order placed.

Now it is time for you to check out what the talented  Deb Naylor has made for you!

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to check out all that Sale-A-Bration has to offer!

Contact me for more information about this upcoming stamp camp on October 28th and 29th.

Ready for something a little bright?   

Used lots of different stamp sets and dies for this card.  The background is the Rays of Light stamp in So Saffron ink.  The mason jar is from the Jar of Flowers set and punched out using the Jar punch.  I have to share with you a little funny.  Do you see the crumb cake lines on the Mason jar?  For some reason I thought the stems stamp was actually a stamp to mimic raffia or twine.  It was only when I started to write this post that I realized they were meant to be stems!  Oh well, it does kind of make cute twine.  The Polished Pink bow was cut using the Country Wreath dies.  It is such a cute bow with great detail.  The flowers are from the Hello Harvest bundle and colored using Stampin' Blends.

The Sending Sunshine is from the Sending Smiles bundle.  Inside of the card I added another bouquet from the Hello Harvest bundle with a strip of Polished Pink cardstock.

I think this will be a card that will help to brighten someone's day and look forward to sending it.  

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the new Sale-A-Bration choices, 

It is time for another Festive Friday Challenge!  Did you know that there is an International Dog Day?  There is and it is the festivity we are featuring on the Festive Friday Challenge. What is the Festive Friday Challenge?  The Festive Friday Challenge is a bi-weekly challenge that has an Inspo List.  What is an Inspo List?  Every challenge has an Inspo list  aka as an inspiration list, that has 10 items on it and those 10 items were inspired by a particular holiday, celebration or festivity.  You need to use 3 items from the Inspo list on your project.  You do not have to incorporate the festivity into your challenge but if you want to, you can.  Here is a link to more information about how to participate in the challenge.

I used from the Inspo List dog, twine, and spots.  

I used the Trees For Sale stamp set with the Tree Lot Dies (Sale-A-Bration).   Unfortunately the Tree Lots Dies were so popular and are no longer available in the US.  The little dog in the window was stamped using the Trees For Sale stamp and cut out with the Tree Lot Dies. I made this card before the dies sold out and unfortunately did not have the time to make another card. The adorable camper was also cut using the Tree Lot dies-so cute! The spots were made using the Dots & Spots die.  This is available as a Sale-A-Bration choice with a qualifying order.  I seriously use this die a lot.  The twine is from the  2022-24 In Color Baker's Twine Pack.   I also used the Tulips die to create the row of flowers.  I cut the flowers out in Basic White and colored them in using Polished Pink,  Tahitian Tide, and Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends.  The Granny Apple Green lawn was embossed using another favorite die Stitched Greenery.

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

Ann Schach

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Stephanie Lanzalotto

Melva Peters

Jaydee

Diane Evans 

Joanne James

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see your creations in the Festive Friday Gallery,

It is time for a new Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  This week it is a sketch challenge.

Here's what I came up with for the challenge.  

Used a lot of Orchid Oasis!  The card base is Thick Basic White.  The DSP is the 2022-24 In Color DSP. The Orchid Oasis CS was cut using the Dots and Spots Die.  Did you see that you can get this die as one of your Sale-A-Bration choices with a qualifying order?  You need to be aware that the ordering number is different than the number in the catalog.   Go here for more information about the new additions to Sale-A-Bration.  The daisy  and tag was punched out of the 2022-24 In Color Glimmer Paper.  The sentiment from the Charming Sentiments bundle was stamped in Orchid Oasis ink and cut out using the coordinating Sentiment Silhouettes dies.

Inside another glimmery daisy and strip of DSP to finish up the card.

Here is the same card using the same product but in the In Color, Parakeet Party.  

This years In Colors are wonderful and I enjoy all the coordinating products!

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to check out what the design team created,

Did you hear?  There are even more Sale-A-Bration choices!  You can see all the new choices here.  So many possibilities.  Please remember that Sale-A-Bration products are limited so if there is something you want be sure to order soon.  The Tree Lot Dies are no longer available along with the Pool Party & Soft Sea Foam Cards & Envelopes.

I haven't shown any projects using the Silver & Gold 6" x 6" DSP (page  10 of the Sale-A-Bration brochure).  The paper can be colored in many ways including  Blending Brushes and Stampin' Blends.  They look great no matter if they are colored or not.

Here I used the DSP with the Fond of Autumn bundle.  I cut apart the large image from the Fond of Autumn using one of the coordinating dies.  You can see more detail about this HERE.  I did some simple coloring of the image using Real Red, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Smoky Slate & Starry Sky Stampin' Blends.   The label is from the All That dies.  The sentiment is from the Fond of Autumn set and embossed in Black embossing powder.  Scattered around the image are Classic Matte Dots. 

Inside I added another berry image and a strip of the DSP.  

Product List

Fond Of Autumn Bundle (English) [159838]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Real Red Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154899]
Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154883]	Old Olive Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154892]	Starry Sky Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [159222]	Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154904]
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121045]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Daffodil Delight 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119683]	Silver & Gold 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [159941]
All That Dies [159078]	Basics Embossing Powders [155554]	Classic Matte Dots [158146]

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to check out all the new Sale-A-Bration choices!

It is Thursday and time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  This is the last of the Case the Catalog Challenges.  The card we are "case"ing is on page 81 of the 2022-23 Stampin' Up!® Annual Catalog.

This card was not one that caught my eye so I am glad it was chosen for us to case.  The layout is interesting and what I chose to be inspired by.

I used the lovely Cottage Rose bundle and the Abigail Rose DSP.  I stamped the flower in Early Espresso ink and colored it using Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, and Old Olive Stampin'  Blends.  I stamped another leaf and added it to the flower.  The sentiment was also stamped in Early Espresso ink.  Around the flower I added a few Elegant Faceted Gems.

The card base is Early Espresso cardstock.  I used 2 designs from the Abigail Rose DSP, a strip of Petal Pink cardstock,  and 2 strips of Gold paper from the Gold & Rose Gold Metallic Specialty Paper.  On the inside I also added a strip of the Abigail Rose DSP and another smaller flower from the bundle.

I applied Wink of Stella on the entire flower to add a little more shine.  I hope you can see a little of that shine in this picture and also the texture on the Gold Metallic Specialty Paper.

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to check out what the rest of the design team created for this challenge,

Welcome to the Paper Pumpkin Possibilities Blog Hop! We are all fans of this monthly crafting kit and want to share with you our enthusiasm for this box of fun and creativity. The beauty of the Paper Pumpkin kit is that you can follow the directions provided in the kit to make the projects as they were designed, or use the supplies as a starting point and let your creativity run wild. On this hop we will be sharing lots of ideas with you on how to use the July 2022 Sending Good Thoughts kit.  This kit contains the supplies to create 9 cards and envelopes.

I don't often do this, I made a set of cards exactly as the kit instructs.  I think these are great cards and am very happy with the way they turned out.  The  only thing extra I added was an embellishment, Opal Rounds to a couple of the cards. Totally not necessary.

Here is what I made for the hop.  Whenever I think of a message in a bottle I think of a love letter.  I added a heart to the scroll inside of the bottle.  The heart was cut using the Hippo dies.  There is a die that cuts out 3 sizes of hearts and on this card I used 2 of the hearts.  I also stamped and fussy cut 2 little seahorses using the Sending Good Thoughts stamp set.   Along the bottom of the card I used an image from the Friends Are Like Seashells stamp set stamped in Crumb Cake ink.  The 2 starfish (one in Calypso Coral and the other Bermuda Bay) and the sand dollar are also from the Friends Are Like Seashells set and cut out using the Seaside Seashells dies.   The Friends Are Like Seashells set and the Seaside Seashells dies coordinate with this Paper Pumpkin kit so beautifully.

Inside of the card I stamped the sand and seaweed and added a fussy cut little seahorse.  

Now it is time to hop and see what Darla Roberts has created for you!

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy all the fun ideas using the July 2022 Sending Good Thoughts Paper Pumpkin kit,

Place a $50 order through my online store and receive this bundle (13 tutorials!!)  as a thank you.  You can also purchase the tutorial bundle for $15.00.  Please contact me (sharon@astheinkdries.com) if you would like to purchase the tutorial.

I debated on whether or not I should post this card.  Why?  Sadly the card base I used is no longer available in the US.  It was part of the Sale-A-Bration offerings-Pool Party & Soft Sea Foam Cards & Envelopes.  Sale-A-Bration items are only available while supplies last so it is best to order sooner than later.  Anyway, I decided that you could use this idea using Pool Party CS for the card base so I would share it.

I used the Split Card Textures dies and added a layer of Highland Heather CS behind it.  I love the color contrast of the Highland Heather and the Pool Party.  The flowers are from the Fond of Autumn stamp set.  I think the name of this stamp set/bundle is misleading.  This is not just an Autumn set.  Did you know that one of the dies in the Fond of Autumn bundle cuts out all the elements separately?  

Isn't that great?  I made a quick video for my team when I first received this bundle. The video shows what all the dies correspond with.

The sentiment is from the Very Best Occasions set in the Mini Catalog.  The set has a nice mix of fonts and sentiments from thank you, birthdays, thinking of you on through the holidays.  The little bit of sparkle on the card front is from Iridescent Rhinestones and a little bit of Wink of Stella on the berries and flower centers. Thank you for stopping by!