It is Thursday and time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  This week it is a sketch challenge.  I  wanted to use a set that hasn't been used recently and chose the Band Together stamp set.  Love this big floral image.  It is fun to color and makes a great focal point.

I did some quick coloring using Flirty Flamingo, So Saffron, and Old Olive Stampin' Blends.  It seems whenever I want to color an image I reach for Stampin' Blends first.  I wanted to add texture to the card base.  The So Saffron card base front was embossed using the Delicate Diamonds 3D embossing folder.  The strip of Flirty Flamingo CS was embossed using the Scripty 3D folder.   The texture really adds some interest to the card since the floral image is fairly plain.

The little label was cut using the Stitched Nested Label die.  The sentiment is from the Beauty Abounds set which was a perfect fit for the little label.  The sketch calls for a strip along the bottom.  Instead I chose to add some Old Olive ribbon from the Ornate Garden Ribbon pack.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Listed below are all the supplies I used and where you can purchase the and be sure to check out what the rest of the design team created for this challenge.

Product List

Band Together Cling Stamp Set [149231]	Beauty Abounds Cling Stamp Set [148726]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154884]
Old Olive Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154892]	So Saffron Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154905]	So Saffron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [105118]	Flirty Flamingo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [141416]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100730]	Stitched Nested Labels Dies [149638]	Scripty 3D Embossing Folder [149634]	Dainty Diamonds 3D Embossing Folder [152702]
Ornate Garden Ribbon Combo Pack [152479]	Rhinestone Basic Jewels [144220]

It is Thursday and time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge #CCMC 632.  This week we have a color challenge.  

Isn't this a great fall color combination?  

This card turned out just exactly like I envisioned it, this rarely happens so I was pretty happy.  I wanted see through panels and the Many Medallions Dies part of the Many Mates bundle was perfect.   It was a little fiddly measuring and lining up the Stitched Rectangle dies and the windows  are not  perfect but they are close.   I used the Forever Flourishing dies to cut out some leaves in Early Espresso and Cajun Craze.  I wanted a little shine so I added a sprig or 2 from the Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Paper.    The sentiment is from the Many Mates stamp set part of the Many Mates bundle.

After I finished the card I realized that the effect would be ruined once i wrote in the card.  If I wrote just on the bottom it would be a very short note.  So, reluctantly I added a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock to the inside front of the card.

The effect is still nice but I like it better without the Very Vanilla.  What do you think?

Next time I make this style of card I will make it using smaller panels so I can leave it see through.  

You need to check out what the other members of the design team created for the challenge.   Thank you for stopping by and please see below for all the supplies I used to make the card.

Click Here for a list of all the DSP on sale.

Product List

Many Mates Bundle (English) [154083]	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114]	Mint Macaron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [138337]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [101650]
Cajun Craze 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119684]	Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119686]	Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Paper [152493]	Forever Flourishing Dies [152714]
Stitched Rectangles Dies [151820]	Early Espresso 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Faux Suede Trim [152472]	Metallic Pearls [146282]

This season I have used the Harvest Hellos and Apple Builder punch a lot, maybe even more than when they first came out.  I think it is so clever that you can use the punch and with the stamp set create both pumpkins and apples, two perfect images for the fall. I  found something while out doing some shopping that was just perfect to showcase both an apple and a pumpkin.

Here the item is in a box made using the Little Treat Box dies in one of the many plaid patterns found in the Plaid Tidings 6" x 6" DSP.   So fun to be able to use both images on the front of the box.   What do you think is inside? 

A pumpkin apple hand sanitizer!  This is so perfect to showcase the Harvest Hellos stamp set and Apple Builder punch and it is practical and non caloric too.  Don't you love it when you find something so perfect?   The colors coordinate and everything!  I would have purchased more but it was the only one I could find.  

Want to see other projects made using the Harvest Hello stamp set and the Apple Builder punch?  Go Here,  Here,  Here,  Here,  Here, and Here.

Hope you liked today's Simple Sunday Share!  All the products I used are listed below and do link directly to my store.  Thanks for stopping by!

Product List

Harvest Hellos Cling Stamp Set (En) [150581]	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad [147086]	Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad [147089]	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [147084]
Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114]	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [102482]	Pumpkin Pie 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [105117]	Garden Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [102584]
Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [120953]	Plaid Tidings 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [153527]	Little Treat Box Dies [153571]	World Map Dies [152712]
Apple Builder Punch [150663]	Flowers For Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack [153620]	Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels [146924]

Two days ago the air quality around here improved so much that i was able to resume my daily walks outside.  We do not have a huge house so getting my steps done inside took a long time and it is a pretty boring process.  It was such a treat to be outside and I was surprised to see some of the leaves are beginning to change colors.  This led me to start thinking about fall which led to pumpkins!

Weren't you surprised the first time you saw a white pumpkin?  I know I was.  Now you see them all over especially when it comes to home decor.  I wanted a little imperfection on my pumpkins so I used the Birch background stamp inked with Crumb Cake ink on Very Vanilla cardstock to create it.  I did stamp the Birch on a piece of scrap paper before stamping it on the Very Vanilla and Pumpkin Pie CS.  I wanted the design to be light but visible.  The Harvest Hello pumpkin outline was stamped in Early Espresso ink and then punched using the Apple Builder punch.  All the stems were stamped using Early Espresso ink on Soft Suede CS and punched out. The leaves were inked with Early Espresso on Old Olive CS and fussy cut.  The "vines" are from the World Map dies.

The sentiment from the Celebrate Sunflowers set was also stamped in Early Espresso ink.  You can also see the Birch texture on the sentiment banner.  The wood paper is from the In Good Taste DSP pack.   So many great textures in this pack of paper.  

I think it is so clever that you can use  the Apple Builder punch to punch out both apples and pumpkins from the Harvest Hellos stamp set.  You can see what the apples look like here.  

Thanks for stopping by!  I will post all the products I used below.

Product List

Harvest Hellos Cling Stamp Set (En) [150581]	Birch Cling Stamp [149256]	Celebrate Sunflowers Cling Stamp Set (English) [152517]	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114]
Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad [147116]	Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119686]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [101650]	Pumpkin Pie 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [105117]
Old Olive 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100702]	Soft Suede 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [115318]	In Good Taste Designer Series Paper [152494]	Apple Builder Punch [150663]
World Map Dies [152712]	Metallic Pearls [146282]

Running a little late this morning with my post.  Made some quick, easy and I think elegant cards to share with you today.

Here's what I used to make this card.

• Early Espresso CS 4-1/4" x 11" scored at 5-1/2"
• Very Vanilla CS 4" x 5-1/4" (inside of the card), 3" x 3" (for the sentiment)
• Ornate Garden Specialty DSP 1-1/2" x 5-1/2", 1/2" x  4" (to decorate inside of the card)
• Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Paper 
• Gold Foil 1/4" x 5-1/2" or cut this from the Forever Gold Specialty DSP
• Early Espresso ink pad
• Ridiculously Awesome stamp set
• Gold Glitter Enamel Dots

The hardest part was deciding what stamp set to use for the sentiment.  I chose this sentiment from the Ridiculously Awesome set.  This is another special stamp set, it is Ronda Wade's Million Dollar stamp set.  

In this view you can see the inside of the card decorated with a strip of DSP and a gold foil leaf from the Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Paper.   

Since I already had the Ornate Garden DSP and the Early Espresso card base cut and scored I decided to make another card using the same ingredients except for the sentiment.  This sentiment is from a Paper Pumpkin kit.  I love this sentiment and during this time I think this is something we need to hear and take to heart.

Thanks for stopping by!  I will list below the links to all the products I used.  

Product List

Ridiculously Awesome Cling Stamp Set [152512]	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114]	Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119686]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [101650]
Ornate Garden Specialty Designer Series Paper [152488]	Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Paper [152493]	Gold Foil Sheets [132622]	Gold Glitter Enamel Dots [152155]
Stitched Shapes Dies [152323]

The Festive Friday Challenge #FF0068 was a toughie for me!  I guess that's why they call it a challenge.  I had to dig deep and pull out some retired Stampin' Up!® products to make my card.  Over the past few months I have done some purging and organizing but these 2 items have remained in my craft cubbie.  Can you guess what they are?

If you guessed the star stencil and the peace die you would be correct!  The star stencil is just such a great basic and doesn't take up much space so it of course had to stay.  The peace die is a favorite. I love the font and everything about it is just clean and simple. 

From the Inspo List I used the elements stars, stencil, purple and blue.   If you want to play along with the Festive Friday Challenge, you just need to use 3 items on the list.  

When I started this card I did not have a clear vision.  Honestly, I rarely do, this could be why I am such a slow stamper. I knew for sure I wanted to use blue and purple so that is where I started.  On a piece of Whisper White CS I started by sponging on Night of Navy ink, then Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather and ended with a little Balmy Blue.  After that was done I  thought about adding  stars, which led me to the star stencil.  I used the Shimmery White Embossing Paste with the star stencil. I love the glittery stars.

The stars needed a little time to dry, which gave me time to think about what else was going to go on my card.  I thought about the world which led me to the World Map dies.  I wanted the world to be a little glittery and the only glittery paper that I thought would work was the Rainbow Glimmer Paper.  The outline die was cut using the Brushed Metallic CS and the solid circle in Rainbow Glimmer Paper.

The colors of the Rainbow Glimmer Paper did not quit go with the rest of the card so I experimented and  sponged some Gorgeous Grape and Night of Navy ink on it and it worked! It turned out great and now I know I can slightly alter the colors by sponging on darker colors.  I die cut the peace in Night of Navy CS and the Brushed Metallic CS.  I liked the little hint of the Brushed Metallic paper outlining the Night of Navy.

I hope you will join in and play along with the Festive Friday Challenge.  You can get all the details about the challenge on the Festive Friday blog.  Be sure you check out what the rest of the design team created, their cards are out of this world!

Festive Friday Challenge Design Team.

Ann Schach   

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Melva Peters

Judy Rozema

Ready for another Create with Connie & Mary Challenge?  This week it is a super fun Color Challenge!  After looking at my card, can you guess what it is?

Have you figured it out?  Yup, the challenge is to use all the 2020-2022 In Colors.  

The main In Color I used was Magenta Madness.  I know it is not everyone's favorite since it is such a bright and vibrant color.  It's funny because I love it for those very reasons.  The patterned paper used for the background is one of  the designs from the In Color 2020-22 DSP pack.  The butterfly from the Butterfly Gala stamp set is stamped on another of the patterns in the In Color DSP pack.  The butterfly was punched out using the Butterfly Duet punch.  

The sentiment is from the A Little Lace set.  The Stamparatus was used to stamp the sentiment in each of the In Colors.  This method is called Hinge stamping, which means you move the plate down one step or hinge each time so you have perfectly spaced images.  The space between each hinge is about 1" .   I stamped the Magenta Madness sentiment and cleaned off the ink (Simply Shammy works great to do this).  Moved the plate to the next hinge and inked and stamped the sentiment in Just Jade ink, cleaned the stamp, moved to the next hinge,  inked the stamp in Cinnamon Cider, and stamped.  To stamp the Bumblebee sentiment I repositioned the stamp on the Stamparatus plate so it would stamp between the Magenta Madness and Just Jade sentiments,  inked the stamp in Bumblebee and stamped.  The process was repeated by moving the plate to the next hinge and inking the stamp in Misty Moonlight and stamping.  Each sentiment was highlighted by placing the corresponding In Color enamel dot next to it.  Inside I added a strip of Basic Black cardstock and 2 more butterflies stamped using  Butterfly Gala stamp set and punched using the Butterfly Duet punch.

Thanks for stopping by and below I have listed all of the products used to make this card.  Just click on the picture and it will take you to my online store.

Product List

Butterfly Gala Photopolymer Stamp Set [148580]	A Little Lace Cling Stamp Set [149364]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Bumblebee Classic Stampin' Pad [153116]
Cinnamon Cider Classic Stampin' Pad [153114]	Just Jade Classic Stampin' Pad [153115]	Magenta Madness Classic Stampin' Pad [153117]	Misty Moonlight Classic Stampin' Pad [153118]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272]	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121045]	Butterfly Duet Punch [155877]	Stitched So Sweetly Dies [151690]
2020–2022 In Color 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [153070]	2020–2022 In Color Enamel Dots [152480]

Have you seen the Forever Gold Laser Cut Specialty paper?  It is on page 152 of the 2020-21 Annual Catalog.  Where it is located in the catalog  it can be easily overlooked.  In this paper pack there are designs that work as a card front layer and others that are accents.  One side is gold foil which will instantly add an elegant touch to your projects, the other side is white that you can color using a sponge brayer or leave white.  Lots of possibilities.

This quick and easy card is elevated just by using the beautiful card front design from the Forever Gold Specialty paper.  The "Love" from the Posted for You stamp set was stamped in Early Espresso ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and cut out using the Stitched Shapes dies.  The image was quickly colored using Old Olive, Soft Suede, and Real Red Stampin' Blends.  The pretty Real Red sheer ribbon is from the August-December mini catalog.

• Very Vanilla Thick cardstock card base- 4-1/4" x 11" scored at 5-1/2"
• Old Olive cardstock 4" x 5-1/4"
• Early Espresso cardstock 3-7/8" x 5-1/8"

Thank you for stopping by. Below you will find all the products I used to make this quick and easy card that was kicked up a bit using the Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty paper.  

Product List

Posted For You Cling Stamp Set [152621]	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114]	Old Olive Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154892]	Soft Suede Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154906]
Real Red Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154899]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [144237]	Old Olive 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100702]	Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119686]
Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Paper [152493]	Stitched Shapes Dies [152323]	Real Red 3/8" (1 Cm) Sheer Ribbon [153535]

Welcome to the Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop!  We are Stampin' Up! demonstrators from all over the world sharing projects around a common theme.  This month the theme is Tag Team.  No we are not talking about wrestling (that was instantly what I thought of when I heard the theme!)  We are focusing on creating 2 projects that coordinate with each other.  Isn't that sooo much better than 4 sweaty wrestlers in tights?  

I haven't used the Harvest Hellos stamp set and coordinating Apple Builder punch in a while.  Living in Washington State apples are a big deal.  Did you know Washington is the nation's top apple producing state?  It only makes sense that it also is the  state fruit.  Just a little trivia for you.  I paired the apple with the Heartwarming Hugs DSP.  The color palette just seemed to work and the designs fit the whole apple theme.  I will let you in on a secret, this pack of paper was not on my radar at all.  I just looked right past it so many times.  It took  a while for me to  see the  versatility of the the Heartwarming Hugs DSP and now I reach for it often.  This pack of paper has some of my favorite designs like polka dots, gingham, and stripes. 

Both of the sentiments are from the Cute Fruit stamp set.  The Cute Fruit stamp set can be found in the Beginner Brochure.  Aren't the sentiments just a great fit with the Harvest Hellos set?  Here are the measurements of the paper I used.

• Real Red 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (card base),  3-1/4" x 4-1/2" (cut using the Stitched So Sweetly die), 1-1/4" x 5" scored at 4" , 3' x 3" (Layering Circle die), 2" x  2-1/2" (apple)
• Whisper White 3-1/4" x 4-1/2" (Stitched So Sweetly die),  2-3/4" x 2-3/4" (Stitched Shapes die), 3/4" x 2-3/4" (Stitched Rectangle die)
• Heart Warming Hugs DSP 4" x 5-1/4",  2-5/8" x  3-3/4", 1" x 4"
• Pear Pizzazz scrap pieces for 6 leaves
• Soft Suede scrap piece for apple stem

Ready for the tag team project?

The cute Little Treat Box which is big enough to hold my treat.  Hmm, what could it be?  Let's first talk about what I used to make the treat holder.  Since I am creating a coordinating treat I used another print from the Heartwarming Hugs DSP, the same ribbon used on the card, Flowers for Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack, the Harvest Hello stamp, and the Apple Builder punch.  The apple was stamped in Mossy Meadow ink on Pear Pizzazz cardstock in fact Mossy Meadow ink is the only ink pad I used for both projects.  The leaves are Mossy Meadow CS and the stem Soft Suede CS.  The sentiment is from the Beauty Abounds stamp set.  The size of the sentiment was just right.

The last time I went to the store I bought some "prop" candy and this is one of the things I bought.  It was a lucky purchase since it was perfect fit for the Little Treat Box Dies.  Here are the measurements of the paper I used.

• Heartwarming Hugs DSP 5-3/4" x 7"  (this can be cut using a 6" x 6" piece of DSP)
• Pear Pizzazz  CS 2" x 2-1/2"
• Mossy Meadow CS scrap for 2 leaves
• Soft Suede CS Scrap for the stem

Now it is time for you to hop on over to see what the talented Teri West has created!

Here's a list of all the stops on today's Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop!

Angela Meiritz-Reid - NZ

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cazz Boylan - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Satomi Wellard - JP

Melissa Gifford - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

Ximena Morales - DE

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - UK

Angie McKenzie - US

Mary Deatherage - US

Shel Anderson - CA

Chris Smith - US

Anne Marie Hile - US

Brenda Nelson - CA

Tricia Butts - US

Elaine de Montmorency - CA

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert - US

Teri West - US

Cheryl Hamilton - US

Thank you for stopping by! 

Product List

Harvest Hellos Cling Stamp Set (En) [150581]	Cute Fruit Photopolymer Stamp Set [153301]	Beauty Abounds Cling Stamp Set [148726]	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad [147111]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100730]	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [102482]	Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133676]	Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131201]
Soft Suede 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [115318]	Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper [153492]	Little Treat Box Dies [153571]	Stitched So Sweetly Dies [151690]
Stitched Rectangles Dies [151820]	Stitched Shapes Dies [152323]	Layering Circles Dies [151770]	Apple Builder Punch [150663]
Flowers For Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack [153620]	Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels [146924]

It is time for the Inspire, Create, Share Blog Hop!  This month we are all playing with Fun Folds.  The bundle I am playing with is Fireside Trimmings.  This bundle has so many fun seasonal and everyday images to create  little fireplace scenes.  I would love to say I am a person who decorates beautifully for every season but sadly that would not be accurate.  I try but let's just say don't expect me to be sharing my real fireplace anytime soon.  This bundle lets me play at decorating and I find it so satisfying.

Right about now I am sure you are wondering where is the fun fold?  Soon it will all become clear. It was so fun decorating the fireplace.  Can I say this bundle had me at the little die cut garlands. Love the holly garland and the star one is pretty special too!  However my absolute favorite is the bat garland that you can see here.   All the elements were colored using Stampin' Blends except for the flames which were sponged on using Real Red ink.  Early Espresso was the only other ink color used.  The little star from the All the Trimmings Embellishments fit perfectly,  it is almost like it was planned that way.

Pull  up on the Real Red Sheer ribbon to reveal the messages.  Both of these sentiments are from the Fireside Trimmings stamp set.  The little holly leaves are from the Gift Wrapped stamp set.   

Here you can see how this pull up works.  Let me tell you about a mistake I made.  I was concerned that using just the Heartwarming Hugs DSP for the pull up frame would not be strong enough so I thought I would line it with a piece of Whisper White CS. I used a piece of  Adhesive Sheet to back the DSP and proceeded to cut the frame.  The frame is cut 3/4" in from the 2 sides and 3/4"up from the bottom. Attach a 2-1/4" x 4-3/8" piece of Whisper White to the bottom of section of the DSP flap.  This is the mechanism that slides.  Attach a 3-1/4" x 4-1/2"piece of Whisper White CS to the Real Red layer.  This is what will be revealed when you pull up the middle section. Using Stampin' Seal+  I secured down the 2 sides and the bottom of the DSP and yes I never attached the Whisper White CS to the back.  I think the Adhesive Sheet adds a little more stability and strength to the pull up and am not sure how it would have worked without it.  I will have to try it and let you know or if you try it let me know.

Originally I was going to add the cute little wreath to the front of the card.  My decorating went in another direction so I had to use it on the inside of the card, along with a strip of the Heartwarming Hugs DSP.

Here are the sizes of papers I used

• Mossy Meadow CS card base 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" scored at 4-1/4"
• Whisper White CS inside of the card 4" x 5-1/4", 2-1/4" x 4-3/8" pull up tag,  3-1/4" x  4-1/2" , scraps for all the elements
• Real Red CS 4-1/8" x 5-3/8"
• Heartwarming Hugs DSP 3-7/8" x 5-1/8"

Thank you for stopping by!  Hope you enjoyed my project as much as I enjoyed making it!

Time to check out what the talented Joni Metras has made for you.

Product List

Fireside Trimmings Bundle (English) [155205]	Gift Wrapped Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [153432]	Dove Of Hope Cling Stamp Set (English) [153406]	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114]
Old Olive Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154892]	So Saffron Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154905]	Real Red Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154899]	Soft Suede Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154906]
Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133676]	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [102482]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100730]	Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131199]
Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper [153492]	Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels [146924]	All The Trimmings Embellishments [153540]	Real Red 3/8" (1 Cm) Sheer Ribbon [153535]