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 October 28 & 29th, Boughs of Holly Suite Collection.  Every month we create a tutorial bundle.  This month the tutorial bundle features Christmas.  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.

My project features the Merriest Moments stamp set, Merriest Frames Hybrid Embossing Folder, and the Snowflake Specialty Vellum.  The Merriest Moments stamp set and the Merriest Frames Hybrid Embossing Folder are returning favorites from the 2021 Holiday Mini Catalog.   These two products are easy to create with and make classic, beautiful cards.  

The card base is Thick Basic White CS.  The first layer is a piece of the Snowflake Specialty Vellum.  This piece has flocked white dots that resemble snow falling.  The beautiful Basic White frame was first die cut and then placed in the embossing folder to add all the other details.  It is quick and easy to do and the results look like you worked all day on them.  The poinsettias were stamped with Real Red and Crushed Curry ink and the die cut out.  The leaves were stamped in Shaded Spruce and die cut.  A few Red Rhinestones were added around the lovely sentiment to add a bit of sparkle.

I decided to make this an easel card.  I thought this would help show the vellum and also the beautiful frame.  This was easy to accomplish, all I did was add a score line to the front of the card at 2-1/4".  The trickiest part is to remember not to add adhesive to all of the vellum layer.  On the inside of the card I added a strip of the vellum and some leaves and berries.  The leaves and berries act as a stopper and creates the easel.

Now it is time for you to check out the rest of the hop!

Product List

Merriest Moments Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [156353] $22.00	Merriest Frames Hybrid Embossing Folder [156385] $39.00	Shaded Spruce Classic Stampin' Pad [147088] $8.00	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [147084] $8.00
Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad [147087] $8.00	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229] $8.75	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276] $10.25	Snowflake 12 X 12 (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Vellum [159832] $10.00
Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels [146924] $7.00

For all the information about the upcoming (October 28-9) Boughs of Holly stamp camp go HERE or contact me at [email protected].

My 12 Weeks of the Holidays email series starts soon! Sign up for my mailing list and receive 12 weeks of Holiday projects and tutorials.  

It is time for another Festive Friday Challenge!  World Space Day  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.

For my project I am using from the Inspo List, Night Sky, Ink Blending, and Stars.  

The Soft Suede card base was cut using the amazing Aspen Tree dies.  This chubby bird from the Perched In a Tree set is so cute.  I colored her using Balmy Blue, Soft Suede, and Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends.  I am not sure if it is visible but she is covered in Wink of Stella.  For the coloring behind the trees I used the Blending Brushes and Balmy Blue, Starry Sky and Night of Navy ink.  The stars are from the Give it a Whirl dies cut from Very Vanilla Glimmer paper.  The banner and sentiment are from the Fond of Autumn bundle.  On either side of the sentiment are Night of Navy Solid Faceted Gems.

Inside I added a Soft Suede strip and a couple leaves cut using the Aspen Trees dies.

On the night sky I also flicked some Wink of Stella to add a little more shine to the ink blended background.  This picture shows a little more of the shimmer from the Wink of Stella.

FF #0118 World Space Week

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

Melva Peters

Jaydee

Diane Evans 

Joanne James

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see your card in the Festive Friday Gallery!

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

What a great sketch!  I knew I wanted to use the Rustic Harvest DSP ,again.  Yes, I also used it for my card last night.   What I really like about this DSP is that on one side the designs and colors are very Autumn and the other side it is black & white designs.  This makes the DSP very versatile and not just for the fall.

I started with a Basic Black CS base and added the DSP strips on top of the card base.  I left a little space between each panel.  I thought it made each pattern stand out a little more.  The beautiful banner is from the Hello Harvest bundle.  I used Versamark ink to stamp the sentiment, covered it with black embossing powder, and then heat embossed it.  The Mossy Meadow gems on the banner is from the Solid Faceted Gems pack.  I am sorry that they look black in the picture, they  really are Mossy Meadow.  I thought it needed something else so I added a Textural Element .  I colored the Textural Element using Cajun Craze and Mossy Meadow Stampin' Blends.  Love that I could customize them to coordinate with the rest of the card.

I added a strip of DSP and fussy cut one of the pumpkins to finish up the inside of the card.  

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 Stampers Dozen Blog Hop!  We are a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators who come together on the 14th of the month and share projects focused around a theme.  This month we are sharing projects focused around a Color palette.  

Cajun Craze

Crushed Curry

Garden Green

Soft Suede

Isn't this a beautiful Fall palette?  It certainly gives me all the Autumn feels.

 I am not really ready for it to be fall but i do like how this card turned out. This was a simple and fairly quick card.  I cut a 3-7/8" x 5-1/8"  piece of  Rustic Harvest DSP.   I used Blending Brushes and blended in the colors from the above palette.  The leaves were stamped and cut using the Hello Harvest bundle.  The leaves were first stamped in Crushed Curry ink and then I tapped the different colors on to the stamp using the Blending Brushes.  Just like in nature no two leaves will look exactly alike.  The sentiment is from the Fond of Autumn set.  I added both some Linen thread and a Rustic Metallic Dot before layering in on to a piece of Cajun Craze DSP from the He's the Man DSP and then a Crushed Curry card base.  In retrospect I should have just used a piece of Cajun Craze CS instead of the DSP.  

Inside I added more DSP and leaves.  I had a wider strip of the DSP (1") leftover and just added it to the bottom of the card liner.  I usually add a smaller strip to decorate the inside of the card but I do like how this looks too.

I will add another sentiment inside when I am send the card.  Now it is time for you to hop along and check out the rest of the hop.

Thanks for stopping by!

I am using two Sale-A-Bration choices on my card today.  One is the Rings of Love DSP and the other the Aspen Tree Dies.  I just realized that the bird in the Rings of Love DSP is very similar to the chubby bird in the Perched In A Tree set.  

I colored the chubby bird using Night of Navy, Balmy Blue, and So Saffron Stampin' Blends.  I was trying to get the same effect as the bird on the DSP.  My attempt  is definitely not perfect but close one eye and squint and it looks pretty good-HA!

The chubby bird and the branch she is perched on were  cut using the Aspen Tree dies.  The circles are a combination of the Layering Circles and Stylish Shapes dies.

The card can be removed from the pocket and written on.  I have made this style of card many times before and you can find a tutorial HERE.  I love that I can show both sides of the Rings of Love DSP on this pocket.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to Sale-A- Bration ends in just a couple of days so be sure to shop soon!

Boughs of Holly camp 

It is time for another Creativity Abounds stamp camp!  The Creativity Abounds Design Team is an international group of 13 Stampin' Up! demonstrators.  We do a monthly blog hop and tutorial bundle and every quarter we hold a stamp camp. 

The Boughs of Holly Stamp Camp will be the held October 28th and 29th.  To register all you need to do is purchase the Boughs of Holly Suite and use the Host Code DDK66A4W.  If you already own the suite, simply order $79.50 of products from my online store and use the Host Code DDK66A4W.  It is important to use the Host Code which will let me know you want to participate in the stamp camp.  

You will receive 13 kits which will include all the cardstock pieces necessary to make the projects.  You will  use your own DSP, stamps, dies and embellishments.   Both a written and video tutorial will be provided for you for each project. 

In addition to the 13 projects you will be invited to join a private Facebook group for the camp.  On October 28th and 29th each design team member will present another project using the Boughs of Holly Suite.  These lives will be spread out over the 2 days but they will be recorded so you can watch them when it is convenient for you.  

Please use this link to order.  I have attached the Host Code to the link.  Remember if you order before August 31 you will also be eligible to earn a Level 1 Sale-A-Bration item!  

If you have any questions please contact me at [email protected].  It is going to be a fun and creative time!

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

Isn't this a pretty combination?  

I used the Dots & Spots die for a white on white dotted look.  The Dots & Spots die is one of the level 2 Sale-A-Bration offerings.  Are you wondering where the flowers and leaves are from?  Starting September 1 there will be a new offering called Perfect Partners.  There will be a release of 6 new die sets that coordinate with stamp sets that are in the Annual Catalog or the July-December Mini Catalog.  The stamp sets are: Apple Harvest (Mini Catalog), Fresh Cut Flowers (Annual Catalog),  This Birthday Piggy (Annual Catalog),  Waterfall Canyon (Annual Catalog), Trimming the Tree (Annual Catalog), and Yeti To Party (Mini Catalog).  These dies will be available  for a limited time (Sept 1-Sept 30) and  while supplies last.  You can buy the dies as a bundle with the stamp set or individually.

The flowers I used are from the Apple Blossoms Dies.  This die set not only cuts out the images in the stamp set but also these pretty flowers in two sizes, leaves in two sizes and the scalloped edge.  There's a lot of detail in these flowers and leaves and they look great in the colors for the challenge.

The Parakeet Party paper is from the 2022-24 In Color DSP.   The sentiment is from the Apple Harvest stamp set inked in Tahitian Tide on a banner cut from the Stylish Shapes dies.

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

It is time for another Festive Friday Challenge!  Grandparents Day  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 chose to use from the list Fancy Fold, Plaid, and Hearts. 

I used the 2022-24 In Color DSP  in Sweet Sorbet to fulfill the Plaid.  The hearts were cut using the 2022-24 In Color Glimmer Paper and the Hippo dies.  I did also use a pearl on  top of the umbrella.  You will see the Fancy Fold in the next couple of pictures.

The hippo is stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink  on Smoky Slate CS.  I did  a little coloring using Smoky Slate and Sweet Sorbet Stampin' Blends.  The umbrella was die cut using the Hippo dies. The opening was cut using a Stitched Rectangles die.  I tied a bow using the White Glittered Organdy Ribbon.   The sentiment is from the Very Best Occasions stamp set.

Now you are starting to see the Fancy Fold.  I guess it really isn't that fancy but it is a fun one.  The DSP is another pattern in the 2022-24 In. Color DSP.

This is a full sheet of CS scored into quarters.  The upper left quarter has been cut out.  It is a simple card to make.  I like how it unfolds.  The DSP on this panel is again from the 2022-24 In Color DSP and the sentiment is from the Very Best Occasions.  

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

Melva Peters

Jaydee

Diane Evans 

Joanne James- off this week

Thanks for stopping by and check out all that Sale-A-Bration has to offer here and here,

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 ([email protected]) if you would like to purchase the tutorial.

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 October 28 & 29th, Boughs of Holly Suite Collection.  Every month we also create a tutorial bundle.  This month the tutorial bundle features Anything But Christmas.  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 have a conflicting feelings about squirrels.  I think they are cute and they are so fun to watch as they scurry about.  However I have battled with them eating all the food in the bird feeder, nibbling on plants and even my patio furniture.  They are definitely smart and tenacious.

The Nuts About Squirrels stamp set is too cute and I couldn't resist it.  The set definitely captures their mischievous look and personality.   When I was looking for an idea for this post I remembered this squirrel holding the acorn and thought it would be perfect to pair it with the acorns image in the Fond of Autumn bundle (for more information about the Fond of Autumn bundle check out this post).  I colored the leaves and acorn using Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, and Soft Suede Stampin' Blends.  I topped the pumpkin from the Hello Harvest bundle with the acorn and the squirrel.  Doesn't the squirrel look super pleased with himself for stealing one of the acorns?

The sentiment from the Hello Harvest set was stamped on a Stylish Shapes banner using Early Espresso ink.  I added a couple of Brushed Metallic Dots on to the banner.   The small leaf  near the banner is also from the Fond of Autumn bundle and I colored it with the same Stampin' Blends.  The bundle also has an acorn stamp and coordinating die. I added a couple of leaves and an acorn to the inside of the card.  One of my favorite embossing folders is the Leaf Fall 3D.  I think it is a little hard to see in the mini catalog.  You can find it on page 53.  The impression is deep and you can see every leaf. 

Be sure to check out all the fabulous projects!

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 ([email protected]) if you would like to purchase the tutorial.

Thank you for stopping by and enjoy the hop!

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,