Did you know that there is an Alice in Wonderland 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 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.

This was a really hard one for me.  I scoured my stamps to see what might work and in the end I will admit I kind of cheated.  The 3 I picked from the Inspo list: hearts, holes, and book. 

Are you thinking, I see the hearts and the holes but where is the book?  So here is where I cheated a little, it is a book fold!  Are you rolling your eyes?  Seriously this was a tough one for me!  The book fold-4-1/4" x 11" Basic Black CS scored at 4-1/2" & 5-1/2".  Between the 4-1/2" and 5-1/2" score lines I glued that 1 "strip down.  This creates the "binding". 

Let's talk about everything else I used on this card.  The little hearts were cut from the 2022-24 In Color Glimmer Paper using a die from the Teacup dies.  The holes were cut from  Basic White cardstock using the Dots & Spots die.  The pretty pink bow is from the Mini Pocket Envelope die and cut from the Glimmer Paper.  The sentiment is from the Sending Smiles set and cut using the Sending dies (buy them as a bundle and save).   The sentiment was stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed using White Embossing Powder.

Now let's talk about that Hippo!  This dancing hippo is from a Sale-A-Bration stamp set called Hippest Hippos and was cut out using another Sale-A-Bration choice, Hippo dies!  The stamp set is a free gift during Sale-A-Bration with a $50 order.  There are 7 stamps in the set, 3 hippos and 4 sentiments.  The coordinating Hippo dies (19 dies!) are also a free gift with another $50 order.  I think they are simply adorable.  Sale-A-Bration starts on July 1 and August 31.  If you want a Sale-A-Bration catalog and /or a July-December Mini Catalog send me an email (USA only please).  

The hippo was stamped on Smoky Slate cardstock using a Tuxedo Black Memento pad.  I did a little coloring using a Light Smoky Slate Stampin' Blend and Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends.  She really is sweet.

Here you can see the book fold a little better.  I also added another strip of "holes" and hearts to the inside of the card.  Now it is time to check out what the rest of the Festive Friday Design team created.  

FF #0112  Alice in Wonderland Day

Ann Schach

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert- you are here!

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Stephanie Lanzalotto

Melva Peters

Jaydee

Diane Evans 

Joanne James

Thanks for stopping by!

It is Thursday and time for another Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.

This week it is a sketch challenge.  I love this sketch and it is one that I use a lot.

I found that using the Stylish Shapes dies makes it super easy to create a perfect little foursome of squares.

The only stamping on this card is the sentiments which is from the Through it Together set.  The sentiment is on a banner cut from the Stylish Shapes dies in Starry Sky ink.  The little Parakeet Party dot is from the 2022-24 In Color Matte Decorative Dots.

The card base is Starry Sky CS and the DSP layers are from the Butterfly Kisses DSP.  The 4 butterflies were also fussy cut from the DSP (Designer Series Paper).  Each butterfly is on a Basic White square cut using the smallest square Stylish Shapes dies). All of the butterfly squares fit on a Starry Sky square cut using the #4 (#1 being the smallest square die) Stylish Shapes die. 

Inside of the card is a Basic White CS layer.  I also added a strip of the DSP and another butterfly cut from the Butterfly Kisses DSP.  

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

Here's the link to the 2022-23 Annual catalog.

Here's a link to the Last Chance list for retiring products from the 2022 January-June Mini Catalog.

Here's a link to the Kits Collection - Remember all kits are Buy One Get One 1/2 Off!

Please ket me know if you have any questions,

It is Thursday and time for a new Create with Connie & Mary Challenge!

This week it is a color challenge.

I went round and round on what to use for this challenge.  I finally landed on the Party Puffin set.   I mean you have heard of Night of Navy colored puffins, right?

The puffin is stamped in Night of Navy ink and his beak and feet are colored using Pale Papaya and Sweet Sorbet Stampin' Blends.   The little cake again have those colors on it and some Night of Navy frosting.   I haven't used the three little things template in a while and it is one of my favorite layouts.  I am happy to have little square dies again!  These little squares are part of the Stylish Shapes dies and are the smallest squares.   I did fussy cut the images and I will tell you that they are not the easiest to cut out, especially around the candle flames.  Here's the trick I use to help cover up my fussy cutting mishaps.  In the areas that are difficult to cut closely along the line I use a marker to cover up the white. 

The DSP background is from the In Color 2022-24 6" x 6" Assortment and behind it is a Night of Navy CS layer.  The card base is Basic White cut at 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" scored at 4-1/4".  The pretty white ribbon is the  White 3/8" Glittered Organdy Ribbon.  The tiny Sweet Sorbet dots are from the 2022-24 In Color Matte Dots.

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

Welcome to the Creativity Abounds Blog Hop!  We are a group of international Stampin' Up!® demonstrators.  We hop together on the third Wednesday of every month.  Our hops focus around a particular bundle, holiday, occasion or product suite.  We also do a quarterly stamp camp and have one coming up July 22nd  & 23rd (Hues of Happiness Suite).  Every month we also create a tutorial bundle.  This month the tutorial bundle features masculine cards.  The projects featured in this blog hop are different than the projects in the tutorial bundle.  We want to share lots of ideas with you.

I chose  the Whiskey Business stamp set.  My son likes Old Fashioneds so it was a perfect stamp set for me to make cards for him.  I paired the stamps with the He's the Man DSP.  If you make masculine cards then this pack of paper makes it easy to create handsome and fun cards.  

I started by stamping and coloring the decanter and glasses.  I used Smoky Slate, Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight and Pool Party Stampin' Blends.  I fussy cut the images out.  I used a Blending Brush and added a little Pool Party to the Basic White square (Stylish Shapes-largest square).   The decanter was adhered using Multipurpose Liquid Glue and the glasses were adhered using Stampin' Dimensionals.  The sentiment was perfectly cut out using the Sending dies.

The Early Espresso card base measures 4-1/4" x 11" (10.5 cm x 29.7 cm) and scored at 2-1/4", 5-1/2" (6 cm, 14.8 cm).  The front flap folds back to create a pocket for a gift card or cash.  This is a quick and easy gift card holder and might come in handy if you are still looking for something for Father's Day.

Be sure to check out the rest of the blog hop for even more masculine card ideas.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the hop!

Product List

Whiskey Business Cling Stamp Set (English) [152550]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114]	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [147107]
Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154897]	Cajun Craze Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154879]	Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154883]	Pool Party Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154894]
Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154904]	Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119686]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	He's The Man 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper [159068]
Sending Dies (English) [159271]	Blending Brushes [153611]

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.

Welcome to the Stampers Dozen Blog Hop!  This month our theme is Summertime Blues.  Stampin' Up! has so many beautiful blues that we decided a blog hop would be a great way to show them off!   

Let me say I kind of surprised myself by using Balmy Blue and Night of Navy!  Balmy Blue is not a color I reach for very often but I now I am not sure why.  I used the Layering Hollyhocks die and cut the outline out in Night of Navy and the bolder die in Balmy Blue.  If you are wondering why the centers of the hollyhocks look a little darker, I colored the with a Balmy Blue Stampin' Blend marker and also brushed on some Wink of Stella.  I stamped the 3 flowers in Night of Navy ink.   I made a couple of pencil marks using the dies as a guide of where I needed to stamp.   The stamps really make a difference.  Using a Blending Brush I blended a little bit of Night of Navy ink around the area the flowers would go.  If you look closely you will also see some white splatters.  I watered down some White Craft Ink refill and did some splattering using a Water Painter.

The sentiment and the label is from the Sending Smiles bundle.  I colored a couple of rhinestones using the Dark Night of Navy Stampin' Blends.  Inside I added another flower from the Heavenly Hollyhocks set.    This card  is another example of the Heavenly Hollyhocks flower.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the other stops on the hop!

Product List

Heavenly Hollyhocks Bundle (English) [158880]	Sending Smiles Bundle (English) [158707]	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [147110]	Balmy Blue Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154830]
Night Of Navy Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154891]	Whisper White Craft Stampin' Ink Refill [101780]	Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100867]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]
Balmy Blue 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146982]	Blending Brushes [153611]	Water Painters [151298]	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897]
Rhinestone Basic Jewels [144220]

Did you know that World Music Day is celebrated on June 21?  Pretty cool huh?  World Music Day is the featured festivity for the Festive Friday Challenge and is the inspiration for the Inspo List.  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 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.

From the list I chose music notes, black,  and white.

The card base is black  with a Basic White cardstock layer that was cut using the Split Card Textures dies.  The "split" is on the diagonal.  I stamped the single flowers from the Heavenly Hollyhocks set in Polished Pink.  Love the pop of pink.  The chubby Sweet Songbird was also stamped in Polished Pink and punched out with the Songbird Builder punch.  I did punch the beak out 3 times and stacked it to give the beak more dimension.  The musical notes are also from the Sweet Songbirds set.

The sentiment on the front of the card is from the Heavenly Hollyhocks set.  Inside I added more musical notes and a sentiment from the Charming Sentiments set.  

I hope you will join in the challenge and I look forward to seeing your creations in the Festive Friday Gallery.

FF #0111  World Music Day

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

Thank you for stopping by and if you need a catalog be sure to let me know,

It is Thursday and time for another Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.

This week it is a sketch challenge

.

Today I am using the Happy Hedgehog bundle.  This adorable punch bundle is currently available as a bundle which means you save 10% when you purchase them as a bundle (together).  In the 2022-23 Annual Catalog the Happy Hedgehog stamp set and the Hedgehog Builder punch are still available to purchase but not as a bundle.  So, if the stamp set and the punch are on your shopping list you might want to purchase them before the end of June and save 10%.  

All the images on this card are from the Happy Hedgehogs stamp set except for the sentiment which is part of a new bundle, Charming Sentiments.  The Charming Sentiments bundle is so fun and useful.  The bundle include 17 sentiments with coordinating dies to cut them out.  In addition there are  13 other dies in fun shapes.  I used Stampin' Blends in Pool Party, Real Red,  Granny Apple Green, and Crumb Cake to color in the images.  

Are you wondering what pack of DSP the stripes are from?  The colorful stripes are from the Sweet Talk DSP.  The layer around the image is also from the Sweet Talk DSP.  This pack of paper will be retiring at the end of June and is currently 50% off!  Inside of the card is another images from the Happy Hedgehog stamp set and a strip of Sweet Talk DSP.  To finish off the card I added a couple of Brushed Brass Butterflies.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out what the rest of the design team created using the sketch,

I needed to make some birthday cards and wanted to play with the Cottage Rose bundle.  This is a fabulous bundle and you know I love a stamp set that has images and sentiments.  The large rose is a beautiful flower and it is a fun one to color.  

I heat embossed the flower using Versamark ink and Black embossing powder on Shimmery White cardstock.  Why Shimmery White?  Shimmery White CS has a beautiful, delicate shimmer and it can be used for techniques using water.  I brushed on some water on the petals and then picked up some Sweet Sorbet ink with a Water Painter and touched it to the water.  The ink flows and spreads  coloring the petals.   I sometimes help the colors along with the Water Painter.  I like how it creates the light and dark on the petals.  It is a fun coloring technique. Once the flower was colored I cut it out using the coordinating die.  

The flower is mounted on a square cut using the largest Stylish Shapes square die.  The sentiment was stamped on a banner die also from the Stylish Shapes dies.  The Very Vanilla layer was embossed using the Timeworn Type Embossing Folder and then mounted on a Basic Black card base.  The Timeworn Type Embossing Folder is now my go to folder when I need a little texture.

Inside of the card I stamped and colored the leaf image from the stamp set.  I also added another sentiment.  

Product List

Cottage Rose Bundle (English) [159048]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Sweet Sorbet Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [159217]
Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [131160]	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [119672]	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121045]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [101650]
Shimmery White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [101910]	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183]	Timeworn Type 3 D Embossing Folder [156505]	Water Painters [151298]
Classic Matte Dots [158146]	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897]

Thank you for stopping by and don't forget about the 2022 January-June Last Chance list and the Kit special,

Have you checked out the Rays of Light background stamp?  I think it is a gem and maybe a hidden one.  You can find it on page 116 of the 2022-23 Annual catalog.  I have used it just a couple of times and it is so fun!  

Here I paired the Rays of Light stamp with the Sweetest Cherries bundle.   The Rays of Light stamp really makes the cherries the focal point.   I covered up the circle on the Rays of Light image so the cherries would be the source of the light.  

The Sweetest Cherries bundle is a stamp set and punch bundle.  I love cherries especially Rainier cherries so I had to have this fun bundle.  

Do you recognize the cherries inside of the card?  They are from the December 2021 Paper Pumpkin kit, Lots of Puns.  The Sweetest Cherries bundle and the Lots of Puns stamp set are perfect together.  The Lots of Puns set also has some fun sentiments that will coordinate well with this bundle.

This is a quick and easy card to make.  I suggest that you use your Stamparatus with the Rays of Light stamp and ink up and stamp a bunch of backgrounds in lots of different colors.  I know you will find lots of ways to use the image.  You can see another way I use the set HERE.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to check out the Last Chance List and the Buy One & Get One 1/2 off Kit special,