What kind of cards do you use the most?  Lately, it seems I have been sending a lot of just checking in, thinking about you cards.  The Many Layered Blossoms die part of the Blossoms in Bloom bundle is a great one to use to make quick pretty cards.  The die is large so all you really need is a sentiment and your card is done.

I kept the color palette simple using just Whisper White CS and Real Red CS.  Real Red card stock was used to cut out the bolder die and Whisper White for the outline die.  If you back the Whisper White CS with a piece of Adhesive Sheet it will make assembly very easy.  The assembled flower was layered on Whisper White CS cut using a Stitched Rectangle die.  The sentiment is from the Butterfly Gala stamp set.  The sentiment was stamped using Versamark ink and heat embossed in  White embossing powder.  Rhinestones were placed in the centers of all the flowers to add a little sparkle to the card.

On this second version the sentiment was stamped and embossed on Basic Black cardstock.  Which version do you like best?  

Thank you for stopping by and if I can help you with your paper crafting needs please let me know!  

Product List

Butterfly Gala Photopolymer Stamp Set [148580]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [102482]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100730]
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121045]	Many Layered Blossoms Dies [153582]	Stitched Rectangle Dies [148551]	White Stampin' Emboss Powder [109132]
Rhinestone Basic Jewels [144220]

It is hard to believe it is already September!  We are just a few weeks away from the official First Day of Fall on September 22.  The Festive Friday Challenge is using the first day of Fall for the inspiration for the items on the Inspo List.  

To play in the Festive Friday Challenge you need to use at least 3 items from the Inspo List on your project.   You can make a card, 3D item, layout almost any project as long as it includes at least 3 items from the list.

Can you see all the items I used on my card?  I used leaves, acorns, squirrel, plaid, gold, green, and brown.  Here are the colors I used.

A very Fall color palette.  The plaid background was created using the Best Plaid Builder dies.   The Gold Foil in the plaid and leaves adds some extra shine and brightens up the card.  The Gold Foil leaves were cut using the Nature's Roots dies.  Love that the dies include one to cut and another to emboss the leaves.  

The sweet critters are from the Special Someone stamp set and cut out using the coordinating Special Day dies.  The acorn was stamped and punched out using the Beautiful Autumn bundle.  The Beautiful Autumn bundle includes 3 punches that coordinate with the stamp set.  The sentiment is from the Many Mates stamp set.  

We have a guest stamper for this challenge!  Mary Fish is joining us and I hope you will too!  Head on over to the Festive Friday blog and join in the fun!

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

Mary Fish -Guest Designer

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!  

It is Thursday which means it is time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.

This week it is a color challenge,  Pretty Peacock, Night of Navy, and Just Jade.  Another great color combination and another  opportunity to use the Best Plaid Builder dies.   The card base is a 4-1/4" x 11" piece of  Thick Whisper White cardstock.

I paired the fun plaid background with the Forever Fern bundle.  The leaves in this stamp set are gorgeous and have beautiful shading because they are Distinktive stamps.  Not sure I have ever seen Night of Navy leaves but well, you never know!  The sentiment was stamped with Pretty Peacock ink and is also from the Forever Fern stamp set.

The ribbon is the 3/8" Denim ribbon.  This ribbon is soft, not bulky and very easy to work with.  The gems are  the Blue Adhesive Backed Gems found in the 2020 August-December Mini Catalog.  The gems come in Night of Navy and Balmy Blue.  There are a 120 gems in a pack: 30 each of 2 colors in 2 sizes.  Love it!

Below you will find a list of all the products I used.  Thank you for stopping by!

Product List

Forever Fern Bundle (English) [154094]	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [147110]	Pretty Peacock Classic Stampin’ Pad [150083]	Just Jade Classic Stampin' Pad [153115]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272]	Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100867]	Pretty Peacock 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [150880]	Just Jade 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [153079]
Layering Circles Dies [141705]	Blue Adhesive-Backed Gems [153547]	3/8" (1 Cm) Denim Ribbon [149590]

Sweet and simple card using the Posted for You bundle.  

Aren't these images so sweet? I used Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, and Balmy Blue Stampin' Blends to quickly color the images.  The images were punched out using the Rectangular Postage Stamp punch, part of the bundle.  Each rectangle was embellished using a Gilded Gem.   To compliment the gold gems the Gold Metallic-Edge ribbon was used.  

To add a little more interest and texture to the card the So Saffron layer was embossed using the Tasteful Textile 3D folder.  This folder has quickly become one of my favorites.  Why?  The folder adds a lot of texture but it doesn't compete with the stamping.  

Thank you for stopping by!

In addition to the regular starter kit (for $99 US, new recruits choose $125 US-worth of products) new team members will also receive enough cardstock pieces to make 16 cards, a pack of Rhinestone Basic Jewels, the So Much Love stamp set, and the Queen Anne’s Lace stamp set—all for your first event.

Contact me!  I would love to talk with you about joining my stamp ladies team!

It is Thursday and time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  This week it is a color challenge.  The colors are Cinnamon Cider, Misty Moonlight and Mossy Meadow.  

I used Grace's Garden stamp set and the Garden Gateway dies.  I have not used these 2 items nearly enough and am on a mission to make sure all the stamps and dies on my shelf are well used. 

All the flowers were stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento pad and colored using Misty Moonlight and Mossy Meadow Stampin' Blends.  All the flowers were then die cut using the Garden Gateway dies.  The cute little bird was also stamped and the colored using Misty Moonlight Stampin' Blends.  

The trellis was cut in Cinnamon Cider cardstock.  The gate/fence were cut off and replaced with a stamped gate/fence.  The gate/fence were colored using the Cinnamon Cider Stampin' Blends.  The little kitty was also colored using Cinnamon Cider Stampin' Blends.

The sentiment is from the Many Mates stamp set.  After I stamped it I wondered, just what was the cat thinking?  Are they friends or has the kitty been thinking and plotting on how he would finally catch that little bird.  I am choosing to believe they are friends and they are having a nice little visit. 

I sponged the clouds using an old Stampin' Up! stencil but you could also make a template like I did on this post.  

Be sure to check out the Create with Connie & Mary blog for more information about the challenge.  I have listed all the products I used and they are linked to my online store.  Thank you for stopping by!

Product List

Grace's Garden Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [151513]	Many Mates Cling Stamp Set (English) [152633]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Misty Moonlight Classic Stampin' Pad [153118]	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad [147111]
Misty Moonlight Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [153108]	Mossy Meadow Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154890]	Cinnamon Cider Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [153105]	Misty Moonlight 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [153081]	Cinnamon Cider 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [153078]
Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133676]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100730]	Garden Gateway Dies [151512]	Subtle 3D Embossing Folder [151775]	Misty Moonlight 1/4" (6.4 Mm) 2020–2022 In Color Ribbon [153624]

Hi!  Happy you stopped by.  It is Thursday which means it is time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  We are back to our rotation between sketch and color challenges.  This week it is a sketch challenge.

I had to pull out my Prized Peony bundle.  Can you believe I haven't used it in 2 weeks!  I know, it is kind of shocking.   Before I forget here is the sketch.

The card base is Basic Black and I used 2 patterns from the Peony Garden DSP.   Love that paper for both the beautiful peony images and the more subtle  designs.  I think I have done this before but I love the peony against the Basic Black circle.  I usually use Whisper White but the Basic Black is very dramatic and I think it really highlights the peony.  

To color the peony I used Petal Pink and Calypso Coral Stampin' Blends for the flower and Old Olive for the leaves.  Did you notice the 2 gems?  They are the Petal Pink gems from the Elegant Faceted Gems.  

The sentiment is from the Ornate Thanks stamp set.  Love the font in this set and it  has a lot of great sentiments.  Below the sentiment  I added a small strip of Black Glitter paper (Aug-Dec mini catalog).  Love the little bit of sparkle.

Thank you stopping by and hope to see you again tomorrow,

Product List

Prized Peony Bundle (English) [154056]	Ornate Thanks Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [149471]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Petal Pink Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154893]
Calypso Coral Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154881]	Old Olive Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154892]	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121045]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100730]
Peony Garden Designer Series Paper [152483]	Layering Circles Dies [141705]	Elegant Faceted Gems [152464]	Petal Pink 5/8" (1.6 Cm) Organdy Striped Ribbon [149441]

Put on your shades cause today's card is bright!  Magenta Madness, Granny Apple Green, Mango Melody, and Coastal Cabana to be exact.  Yes, I love bright colors especially for a celebration card.  I needed to make some cards to celebrate some  team member's Stampin' Up!® anniversaries.

What do you think?  Doesn't this look like a party?  The sentiment is from the Best Year stamp set.   It is a great one that can be used for so many  occasions.  I wanted some festive elements to decorate the card.  I looked through my dies and found the Warm Hugs bundle!  You know those 2 stitched scallop long dies, that are meant to line the edge of the wrap?  That is what I used to make these fun streamers.  Here's how.

One of the dies is longer than the other.  Use the longer one and run it through your die cut machine.  Take the shorter one and position as shown.

After you run it through your die cut machine all you will have left is a little piece.

Use your scissors and trim it off.  Easy.  

I added some stars from the Warm Hugs bundle and some Artistry Blooms sequins. Don't forget to decorate the inside of your cards.

Product List

Warm Hugs Bundle (English) [155145]	Best Year Cling Stamp Set (English) [152568]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Magenta Madness Classic Stampin' Pad [153117]
Mango Melody Classic Stampin' Pad [147093]	Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad [147097]	Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad [147095]	Stitched So Sweetly Dies [151690]
Stitched Rectangles Dies [151820]	Artistry Blooms Sequins [152477]	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897]

You can click on any of the links above to shop with me in my online store.  Thank you for stopping by!

Time for the Festive Friday Challenge. I have exciting news!  The Challenge team has grown and we now have 9 members on the team. Please be sure to go and check out the Festive Friday blog and meet all the new team members!  

Yes, I used the Wreath Builder dies again!  This time in two different kinds of vellum.  One is the Plush Poinsettia Specialty DSP and the other is Vellum cardstock.  The pattern on the vellum is flocked so not only is it pretty to look at, it is soft too.

The Festive Friday Challenge is super fun and easy to play along with. We have an Inspo List which features items that are inspired by the festivity.  All you need to do is pick 3 elements from the Inspo List to feature on your card and post it to the Festive Friday gallery.  Here is a little more information about the challenge and the Inspo List.

Can you see what elements I used for my card?  I sure hope you can.  I picked red, black, loyalty/love sentiment and embossing.  

Product List

Posted For You Cling Stamp Set [152621]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121045]	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [102482]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100730]
Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [101856]	Plush Poinsettia Specialty Paper [153486]	Real Red 3/8" (1 Cm) Sheer Ribbon [153535]	Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels [146924]	Black Stampin' Emboss Powder [109133]

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you will enter  Festive Friday Challenge #FF0065!

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

Just a couple more days until the 2020 August-December Mini Catalog goes live on August 4.  It is a fabulous catalog and I have been enjoying playing with the products!  I used a bunch of different stamp sets for today's card.  I focused on purchasing sets that can be used for more than 1 holiday or occasion.

The cute little pumpkins are from the Fireside Trimmings bundle.  This bundle has so many cute elements that I look forward to sharing with you in future projects.  The little bats are from the Festive Post set.  I have to tell on myself.  I ordered or at least I thought I ordered the Posted for You bundle but what I really did was only order the stamp set.  I hate when I do that!  Not only do I miss out on the 10% bundle savings but I don't have the Rectangle Postage Stamp punch!  It is currently on backorder but will be back in stock soon.  The spider web stamp is from the Celebration Tidings stamp set.  The spider die cut, and sentiment are from the Little Treats bundle.   The little scallop circle is also part of the Little Treat Box dies.

The front of the Pumpkin Pie card base was embossed using the Tasteful Textile 3-D folder.  This is another one of my go to embossing folders.  I think the subtle pattern adds a lot of interest without being too busy or distracting. 

Remember this cute little treat box?  I posted it HERE.  Aren't they a cute, I mean spooky little duo?  

Remember August 3 is the last day to earn Bonus Days coupons, that you can start to spend on August 4th when the mini catalog goes live! Yay!

It is Friday and I have a fun fold to share with you.  This is a quick and easy one, so let's get started!

Are you beginning to wonder...fun fold?  It is coming, sometimes it is the surprise that makes it fun! This big sunflower is just fabulous.  The main flower was stamped, embossed with white embossing powder, colored using Cinnamon Cider and Bumblebee ink, and cut using the Sunflowers dies.  The detailed/outline was cut using Bumblebee CS.  The center of the flower is Cinnamon Cider CS with a brushing of Wink of Stella over it.  The leaves were cut out in Old Olive CS using the Sunflowers dies.  

The background is the sunflower stamped in Bumblebee ink and the splatters from the Forever Fern stamp set in Cinnamon Cider ink.  The sentiment was embossed using white embossing powder and then fussy cut.  

Surprise!  Yes, the front panel is a flap that lifts up.  The sunflower was inked and stamped once on a piece of scrap paper before stamping on the cardstock.  I didn't want the stamping to interfere with the message, just enhance it.

Here are the measurements:

• Cinnamon Cider CS base- 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" 
• Bumblebee CS flap- 3-1/4" x  8-1/2" scored at 4-1/4"
• Whisper White CS front -  3" x  4-1/4"
• Whisper White inside- 3" x  4"

Just a few more sleeps until Bonus Days will be just a dream.  Don't miss out!  

Product List

Celebrate Sunflowers Bundle (English) [154065]	Forever Fern Cling Stamp Set (English) [152559]	Cinnamon Cider Classic Stampin' Pad [153114]	Bumblebee Classic Stampin' Pad [153116]
Versamark Pad [102283]	Cinnamon Cider 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [153078]	Bumblebee 8-1/2X11 Cardstock [153077]	Old Olive 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100702]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100730]	White Stampin' Emboss Powder [109132]	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897]