Have you ever made a card using vellum as the card base?   Stampin' Up! has Vellum Cardstock which is a good weight to use as a card base.  It is fun to use and  creates a card that is just a little bit different.

Front of the card:

• Vellum Cardstock 4-1/4" x 11" scored at 5-1/2" scrap piece 1-3/4" x 3-1/4"
• Petal Pink CS 3-7/8" x 5-1/8"
• Fine Art Floral DSP  3-5/8" x 4-7/8"
• Golden Garden Specialty Acetate 3-5/8" x 4-7/8"
• Petal Pink Organdy Striped Ribbon

Stamp happy from the Pretty Perennials stamp set in Versamark ink on Vellum CS and heat emboss using Gold Embossing powder.

Fussy cut the sentiment.  Attach it to the DSP.  I applied small dots of glue behind the embossing which hides the glue.

Attach the acetate over the DSP and use small dots of glue to secure the acetate to the DSP.  I applied dots behind the gold foiling on the acetate. 

Attach the DSP/acetate to the Petal Pink CS.  

Wrap and tie a bow using the Petal Pink Organdy Striped Ribbon.  Apply a few Metallic Pearls to the front.

• Fine Art Floral DSP 3-5/8" x 4-7/8", 1/2" x 3-5/8"
• Basic White CS 3-7/8" x 5-1/8"

Adhere another piece of Fine Art Floral DSP to the inside of the front of the card.  This will cover up the adhesive used to secure the Petal Pink CS to the front of the card.

Adhere the Basic White CS to the inside of the card.  Line it up so that it matches the Petal Pink CS and is not visible from the front of the card.  Stamp the sentiment in Versamark and heat emboss with Gold embossing powder.

Attach the strip of DSP.

• Petal Pink CS  3-7/8" x 5-1/8"
• Fine Art Floral DSP 3-5/8" x 4-7/8"

Adhere the DSP to the Petal Pink CS.  Adhere to the back of the card to cover up the adhesive.  Line it up with the Basic White piece on the inside of the card.

Using vellum as a card base requires a bit more paper since you need to cover up the adhesive that shows through due to the translucent nature of vellum.  I have yet to find the perfect adhesive for vellum.

The Fine Art Floral DSP and the Golden Garden Specialty Acetate will be retiring in a few days so be sure to check out the retiring list HERE.  The last time I checked both of these products were still available and the Golden Garden Specialty Acetate is 50% off!

Thank you for stopping by!

Today we are mixing up a little from the 2021 January-June Mini Catalog and from the 2021-22 Annual Catalog.  

I am a fan of  the new 2021-23 Stampin' Up! In Colors.  I love the colors and they seem to fill a niche that we didn't even know needed filling.  I used Polished Pink for the card base.  Generally, I use a 4-1/4" x 11" (scored at 5-1/2") card base.  Partly because I find that orientation easier to photograph but mainly because I like that it is a little different than the usual card.  I cut out 6 Basic White flowers using the Pierced Blooms dies (part of the In Bloom bundle).   I used the new In Colors for the centers of the flowers and decorated the centers and around the flowers with the Matte Black Dots.

Here you can see that inside of the card I added a strip of Evening Evergreen CS and more flowers from the Pierced Blooms dies in the new In Colors.  I used the "happy" from the Pretty Perennials stamp set.   I inked the stamp in Versamark ink, sprinkled white embossing powder over the word and heat embossed it.  I really like this font!  I want a lot more words in this font and coordinating dies too.  I am hoping some time soon someone will hear my plea.  Since it doesn't yet exist, I did fussy cut this happy out and popped it up using some Black Stampin' Dimensionals.  

Thank you for stopping by!  I have linked most of the products I used so if you want to purchase anything just click  and you will be taken to my online store. 

How do you register for the event? 

Simply head to my store  and purchase the Hand-Penned Suite (Item 155503 $66.25)--or an equivalent amount of product if you already have the Hand-Penned Suite.  You must use the Host Code 3M9KUB3Y when you purchase the Suite or equivalent.  You will need the Hand-Penned Suite to complete the projects.  If you have any questions please email me: [email protected].  Registration ends June 7th.

Did you know that there is a secret stamp in the Snailed It set?  Yup, there is.  This stamp set is already so darn cute and versatile that this little stamp is just the cherry on top of an already full and cute set.  Check out this card and see if you can spot the secret stamp.

Did you figure it out?  Yup it is the polka dot.  Are you wondering where it was hiding?  

Do you see it?  It is the center of the thought bubble.  When I was putting my set away I realized there was this almost perfect circle that could be used instead of thrown away.   

I am always on the lookout for these kinds of bonus secret stamps. Now I hope you will be too.  Be sure to tell me when you find one.

Here I used it again.  I like a polka dotted background.  This one I stamped and then added textured with the Tasteful Textile 3D folder.  This time I colored the images using the Black Magic technique or at least a variation of it.  

What is the technique?  First, I stamped and heat embossed the image.  I colored in the image using the Chalk Marker.   If you don't have a chalk marker you can use some White Craft ink.  I like the marker because it is fast and easy to use.  Next I used Watercolor Pencils to color  the image.   The chalk marker allows you to color on dark cardstock.  

  .  

This is a fun and easy technique and who knew you could color on black cardstock?!

Thank you for stopping by and be on the lookout for more secret stamps!

How do you register for the event? 

Simply head to my store  and purchase the Hand-Penned Suite (Item 155503 $66.25)--or an equivalent amount of product if you already have the Hand-Penned Suite.  You must use the Host Code 3M9KUB3Y when you purchase the Suite or equivalent.  You will need the Hand-Penned Suite to complete the projects.  If you have any questions please email me: [email protected].  Registration ends June 7th.

Click on the picture and it will take you to my Stampin' Up! website and more information about becoming a demonstrator.

Submit a qualifying order ($250 before shipping and tax) or party from 4 May–14 June 2021, and you’ll get our generous Stampin’ Rewards PLUS additional $25 you can redeem! Hosts can earn Stampin’ Rewards based on order totals for an entire party. Outside of the party setting, Stampin’ Rewards are available to those who place individual orders that meet qualifying thresholds.  Shop with me or/and contact me about hosting an event.

From the first time I saw the Kangaroo & Company Bundle I knew I would have to get it.  I haven't pulled it out in a bit and I thought it would be fun to use for the Festive Friday Challenge, #FF83.

Before I show you what I created for the Challenge, let's talk a little about it.  The Festive Friday Challenge is a bi-weekly challenge.  The challenge is inspired by a festivity and based on the festivity an Inspo List is created.  To play along with the challenge you need to pick 3 items from the Inspo List to use on your project.  Your project doesn't have to be inspired by the festivity but it does need to have 3 items from the Inspo List.  There are a few other rules that you can see here.  When you have completed your project you will post it on the Festive Friday  blog.  We love seeing how you were inspired.

Here is the Inspo List.

I chose get well, red, blue, cross, and emboss from the Inspo List.

I wanted to create a nurse's cap for the kangaroo.  I had to google it to see what they looked like.  I hope you can kind of see what I was referencing.  I think the red cross on it definitely helps.   I colored the flowers using Stampin' Blends and meant to have a secret message  pull out from the kangaroo's pocket.  Unfortunately I got a little too aggressive with the Stampin' Dimensionals and ended up securing the flowers down.  Oops!

I used the Tasteful Textile 3D folder to emboss the Basic White layer.  It is definitely one of my go-to folders when I want just a little something.  The Real Red tag was cut using a die that will be available soon (when the new catalog goes live on May 4).  The Tailor Made Tags dies are stand alone meaning they do not coordinate with a particular stamp set, they coordinate with everything.  The cute red ribbon with stitching is from the Playful Pets Trim Combo Pack.

Please check out what the rest of the Festive Friday Design team created for #FF0083.

Ann Schach

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert   that's me!

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Stephanie Lanzalotto

Melva Peters

Judy Rozema 

Thank you for stopping by!

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.

It is Thursday and time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  This week it is a color challenge.

Old Olive is one of my go to colors especially for leaves so I was immediately sent down the flower and leaves path.  I love the look of the Pierced Blooms dies.  I like that there are so many different sizes and shapes of flowers and leaves in this die set.  

I love flower arranging, paper flowers that is.  I am no good with live flowers but give me some paper blooms and I will happily fiddle with them.  

Tip:  When I have a color challenge I go through my embellishments including ribbon and pull out the items in the challenge colors.  I also do the same with DSP (Designer Series Paper).  This helps me see my options and reminds me of what I have in my stash.  

I only had the  In Color Enamel Dots in Bumblebee.  I focused on what embellishments I had in Bumblebee because there isn't a Stampin' Blend for that color.  I colored the Misty Moonlight enamel dot with the Dark Night of Navy Stampin' Blend and it looks great.  If I didn't have an embellishment that worked I would have used a rhinestone or pearl.

The DSP I pulled was the In Color 6" x 6" DSP.   I used it for the layer.  The tiny print adds interest without adding bulk or being too distracting.

The frame was cut using a die from Stitched So Sweetly  set and a Stitched Rectangle die.  The sentiment is from the In Bloom stamp set which is the stamp component in the In Bloom bundle with the Pierced Blooms die.  I had an extra Bumblebee bloom so I decorated the inside of my card along with a strip of the DSP I used.  

I have listed below all the products used on this card.  Thank you for stopping by!  

Product List

In Bloom Bundle [156208]	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [147110]	Night Of Navy Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154891]	Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100867]
Bumblebee 8-1/2X11 Cardstock [153077]	Old Olive 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100702]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	2020–2022 In Color 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [153070]
Stitched So Sweetly Dies [151690]	Stitched Rectangles Dies [151820]	2020–2022 In Color Enamel Dots [152480]

Need some quick cards? Today's cards are easy to make and I think they are pretty too!

Here's what you will need:

• Basic Black Cardstock
• Rainbow Glimmer Paper
• Dandy Laser-Cut Paper
• Multipurpose Liquid Glue
• optional but nice Basic White CS

These 2 cards are basically the same except they use different frames from the Dandy Laser-Cut Paper. The sparkle colors are different  since they are cut from different sections of the Rainbow Glimmer paper.

• Basic Black CS 4-1/4" x 11" scored at 5-1/2" 
• Rainbow Glimmer Paper 3-1/3" x 5"
• Dandy Laser-Cut Paper
• Basic White CS 4" x 5-1/4". I like to line the inside of my card whenever the card base is a dark color.
• Multipurpose Liquid Glue

Apply a thin line of glue along the edge of the frame and also in different places on the design.  Layer it on the Glimmer paper.  I put something heavy on the frame for a few minutes just to help the glue adhere.  Attach the Glimmer paper to the card base using the liquid glue or your adhesive of choice.  Attach the Basic White CS ti the inside of the card.

This card uses one of the frames and some of the other pieces in the Dandy Laser-Cut Paper.  The only paper difference is the Rainbow Glimmer Paper is cut at 2-5/8" x 4-1/8".

You can certainly dress these cards up a bit more with some ribbon or twine and also by adding a sentiment label.  I decided to keep them clean, simple and sparkly.

Thank you for stopping by!

Product List

Dandy Laser Cut Paper [154300]

Rainbow Glimmer Paper [153056]

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121045]

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]

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

I was a little stumped on how to combine these colors until I realized they are some of the colors in the Hydrangea Hill DSP.  This gave me just the spark I needed.  This color combination  uses two 2019-21 In Colors (Rococo Rose and Seaside Spray) that will be retiring soon.  If you like these colors be sure to order ink refills, Stampin' Blends and cardstock before they are gone.  

I used the Hydrangea Hill DSP to create the flower and also as a backdrop for the hydrangea.   The ribbon is the Gorgeous Grape 3/8" Sheer Ribbon and I would like this ribbon in lots of colors.   It is so pretty, easy to work with and the width is perfect.  Generally, I like ribbon that is at least 3/8" wide unless it  is twine.  

When you pull the ribbon a couple of messages get revealed.  All the sentiments and images are from the Hydrangea Haven stamp set.  It really is a complete set, with beautiful images and fantastic sentiments.  

This is a fun card and I love that it is ready to display.  The pop up mechanism sits on a Gorgeous Grape card base so there is plenty of room to write a note.  

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Create with Connie & Mary design team created for this challenge.  

Thank you for stopping by!

Product List

Hydrangea Haven Bundle [156251]	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad [147111]	Gorgeous Grape Classic Stampin' Pad [147099]	Gorgeous Grape 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146987]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Seaside Spray 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [150883]	Hydrangea Hill Designer Series Paper [154570]	Metallic Pearls [146282]
3/8" (1 Cm) Gorgeous Grape Sheer Ribbon [154572]

Welcome to the Around the World on Wednesday blog hop!  Today on this international blog hop there are 22 stops.  You will hop from New Zealand to Hawaii with lots of stops and time zones in between.  The theme for this month is 3D projects.  

I love a fun bag and so I used the All Dressed Up die and the True Love DSP to create this one.  I will warn you, I generally try and use just one or 2 stamp sets or dies on a project but on today's project I went a little wild and just pulled dies from lots of different sets.  I wanted to up the cute a little so I made some bag charms to dress up my tote.

The fun tassel was created by cutting a 1" strip of DSP and then cutting 3/4" or so slits the length of the DSP.  I then rolled it up and glued as I rolled to form the tassel.  The little Magenta Madness butterfly was cut using the  Butterfly Beauty dies and attached it to a little black circle.  The heart was cut using the Snail dies and mounted on the tag from the Hydrangea dies.   I added some Shimmer Crystal Effects to the heart and oh I love the shine, dimension, and the little bit of glitter it adds.

This is  a teabag.  It holds the 3-1/8" x 3-1/8" Acetate Card box filled with color coordinating tea.  Yes, I bought this tea because of the color.  Do you ever do that?  The acetate box holds 4 teabags and fits perfectly in the tote.  

I wrapped a 2-1/4" strip of the DSP around the acetate box.  The white ribbon is from the Flowers for Every Season Ribbon Combo pack.  I do like this ribbon a lot, it ties nice crisp bows.  I added a few flowers that were cut using the Pierced Blooms dies.  I added the Shimmer Crystal Effects to the center of each flower.  

I hope you liked my TeaBag!  Now it is time to hop on over to see what the talented Teri West has created for you!

Here is a list of all the stops on the hop.

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Melissa Gifford - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

Satomi Wellard

Ximena Morales - DE

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - UK

Annette Ball - CA

Angie McKenzie - US

Wendy Lee - 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- you are here

Teri West - US

Cheryl Hamilton - US

Thank you for stopping by and enjoy the hop!

I had these projects ready to go for a Simple Sunday post.  It was a busy day and by the time I sat down to write the post I was so tired I knew I should just delay it and make it a post for Monday instead.  

Yes, it is another Snailed It card.   The snail is stamped and colored using Stampin' Blends and cut out using the Snail dies.  The ribbon is the 3/8" Double Stitched Satin ribbon. This is a simple card that is fun to make.  You know I have a paper problem and this card is a great one to show off pretty papers.

• Card base: 4-1/4" x 11" scored at 5-1/2"
• Layer (can be DSP or cardstock) 4" x 5-1/4"
• Layer for DSP 3-1/4" x 4"
• DSP 3" x 3-7/8" cut into 1" x 3-7/8" panels 

The hardest part can be lining up the DSP panels in the correct order, so just keep track when you cut the panels.  

This one uses the Flowers for Every Season 6" x 6" DSP in the Annual catalog.  The image is from the Ornate Style set  colored with Stampin' Blends with the addition of  Ladybug Trinket.   The sweet ribbon is the Bumblebee gingham.  

I haven't used the Peony dies lately.  This die is in the Annual catalog and it creates this beautiful dimensional peony.  I shaded around the edges of the different layers of the peony using the Blending Brushes and Petal Pink ink.  The DSP is the Peony Garden DSP and the ribbon is one of my very favorites, 5/8" Organdy Striped ribbon in Petal Pink.  

You can create all kinds of different looks from whimsical to elegant using this simple template.  It is a great way to use your Designer Series Paper and ribbon too.  

Thanks for stopping by!