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 sharon@astheinkdries.com.  It is going to be a fun and creative time!

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 (sharon@astheinkdries.com) if you would like to purchase the tutorial.

Welcome to the Creativity Abounds Blog Hop!  We are an international group of Stampin' Up demonstrators that come together monthly to do this blog hop and prepare a tutorial bundle.  We also host a quarterly virtual  stamp camp.   This month our theme is the Symbols of Fortune Suite.  The projects we are sharing are bonus projects that will be demonstrated during the stamp camp's Facebook Lives next weekend.  We won't be posting any instructions on how to make these projects since we will be demonstrating them during the stamp camp.  

The Symbols of Fortune DSP is so elegant.  Each sheet has a side that features gold foil accents.  The Calypso Coral flowers were cut out from the DSP using the Good Fortune Dies.    The other elements were also cut using the Good Fortune Dies.  The Polished Dots were colored using a Dark Calypso Coral Stampin' Blend.

Inside a few Calypso Coral stamped dragonflies.  The next stamp camp will be in July.  I hope you will join us!

Here's a list of all the stops on the hop!

Thanks for stopping by!

I wanted to share one last play with the Prized Peony stamp set, Peony dies, and the Simply Elegant DSP.  These products are all still available (last time I checked) but are on the retiring list and available only while supplies last.

This card is similar to one I shared here.   On today's sample I used a new die set (coming May 1) called Stylish Shapes to create the gold frame and to cut out the square.  The card base is a piece of Simply Elegant DSP cut at  5-1/4" x 12" and scored at 4", 8".  The card base is on a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" piece of  Basic Black CS.  The peony was colored using Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Real Red, and Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends. The sentiment is from the Color and Contour stamp set.

Inside I added a piece of Basic White CS to make it easier to write a message.  You can also see the other side of the DSP behind the Basic White CS.

Product List

Prized Peony Cling Stamp Set (English) [152504]	Color & Contour Photopolymer Stamp Set [154994]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154883]
Old Olive Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154892]	Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154880]	Real Red Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154899]	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121045]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Gold Foil Sheets [132622]	Simply Elegant 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper [155761]

Thanks for stopping by,

Welcome to the Stampers Dozen Blog Hop!  We are a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators and hop on the 14th of every month.  This month our theme is Anything Goes.  I chose to use the beautiful Waves of Inspiration stamp set (available now and also in the 2022-23 Annual catalog, the Timeless Tropical stamp set with the In the Tropics dies(retiring soon), and the Waves of the Ocean DSP (available while supplies last and/or May 2).  

The Waves of the Ocean DSP is a beautiful pack of paper and so unique.  This pack is only available until May 2 or while supplies last. I also used  Granny Apple Green and Pacific Point CS to coordinate with the DSP.  I used the Timeless Tropical stamp set to stamp the palm trees and unfortunately this stamp set has sold out and is no longer available.   There is another set, Paradise Palms which also has palm trees available in the 2022 Jan-June Mini Catalog.   The Paradise Palms is also currently available as a bundle with the Palm dies.   The sentiment is from the Waves of Inspiration set and stamped on a Stitched Rectangle.  The rhinestones I used were part of the Rhinestone Waves Basic Jewels and unfortunately has since sold out.  

This card is a fun fold, a matchbook style card.  I have made matchbook cards before but this one is a little different.  I saw this card style
on Flowerbug's Inkspot.  The measurements:

Granny Apple Green CS: 4-1/4" x 6-1/2" scored at 5-1/2"

Pacific Point CS: 4" x 5" and 3/4" x 4"

Basic White CS (inside of the card): 3-3/4" x 4-1/2"

Waves of the Ocean DSP: 3-3/4" x 5-3/4" scored at 4-5/8" and  1/2" x 3-3/4"

The DSP is the piece that tucks in and also lifts up to reveal the inside of the card.  I like that the sentiment is seen both when the card is closed and also open.  Super fun and easy card to make.  

Be sure to check out all the stops on the hop!

Thank you for stopping by!

The Create with Connie & Mary Challenge this week is a beautiful color combination and it made me think about the beautiful florals in the Blessings of Home stamp set.   I knew this would be great choice to show off the colors in the challenge.  What are the colors?

Let me say I never thought to pair Rich Razzleberry with Fresh Freesia.   Don't they look lovely together?  This is one of the reasons I think challenges are so important, it helps to shake things up and introduce you to new color combinations and layouts.

The flowers were stamped in Rich Razzleberry ink and colored using Rich Razzleberry, Fresh Freesia and Soft Succulent Stampin' Blends.  Did you know that you can use Stampin' Up! Classic Stampin' pads with Stampin' Blends?   Yup, you can.  I loved using the Rich Razzleberry ink instead of black on this card, it added softness to the image.  

I used 2 different packs of Designer Series Paper (aka DSP) for this card.  The lovely floral paper is from the Heart & Home DSP and the bouquet is on  a pattern from the 2021-23 In Color DSP.    In addition to the Flowers of Home dies I used the Stitched so Sweetly (scalloped Rich Razzleberry frame) and Stitched Rectangles dies (sentiment label).  The sentiment is from the In the Moment stamp set.  

Were you expecting this?  This is just little different kind of card.  The card base is a quarter sheet of cardstock and the place where you write your message is hidden behind the front Stitched So Sweetly label. 

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

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 April 29th & 30th (Symbols of Fortune Suite).   Every month we also create a tutorial bundle.  This month the tutorial bundle features the Flowering Fields Suite or anything that celebrates Spring.  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 used both dies from the Flowering Fields Suite (Tulip and Windmill Field) and the Flowering Fields DSP.  The sentiment is from the Sweet as a Peach set.  

This is a quick visual showing what dies was used from which set.

This is an easel card that I call a One Armed Easel.  This fold was in last month's Creativity Abounds tutorial (Fun Folds) using another bundle of products.  The tutorial is still available for purchase from any of the Creativity Abounds team members.  I will also post the  information below.  

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to check out all the stops on the hop!  You will be inspired by all the creativity!

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.

This is the Creativity Abounds February tutorial all about fun folds!  It is still available for purchase ($15).  Please contact sharon@astheinkdries.com to purchase.

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 April 29th & 30th (Symbols of Fortune Suite).   Every month we also create a tutorial bundle.  This month the tutorial bundle features fun folds and there are 13 tutorials in the bundle.  Keep on reading to the end I will share with you a peek at the card I created for the bundle.

This is one of my favorite fun folds.  It is quick and easy to make.  Here are  the basic measurements.

• Evening Evergreen Card Base- 4-1/4" x  7-1/4" scored at 5-1/2" ,  3" x 4-1/4"
• Basic White CS- 4" x 5-1/4" Inside of the card
• Evening Evergreen CS connector 3" x 4-1/4" used the largest Stitched So Sweetly label
• Flowering Fields DSP: (Pattern 1) 1-1/2" x 4", (Pattern 2) 2-3/4" x 4"

You will also need Soft Succulent CS for the leaves and stems and Basic White CS for the flowers.

The Evening Evergreen Stitched So Sweetly label connects the main part of the card base (4-1/4" x  7-1/4" ) to the  bottom portion.   I decorated the label using the Flowering Tulips bundle.   The tulips were stamped in Mango Melody and So Saffron ink.  The leaves were inked in Soft Succulent ink and stamped on Sot Succulent CS.

The sentiment is from the Sale-A-Bration stamp set, Special Moments.   I am a little surprised to be saying this but this set is probably my most used and one of my favorite SAB stamp sets.  I love the sentiments.  There are sentiments for both the outside and inside of the card. 

Here's a list of all the stops on the hop!  So many fabulous fun fold cards to see!

Thank you for stopping by and check out a sneak peek below of what I created for the tutorial bundle.

Place a $50 order through my online store and receive this bundle (13 tutorials!!)  as a thank you.  You may also purchase the tutorial bundle for $15.00.  Please contact me (sharon@astheinkdries.com) if you would like to purchase the tutorial.

This is one of  the fun fold cards you will find in the tutorial bundle.

I call this a one armed easel card.  It is a super fun one to make.  Purchase the bundle or place a $50 order to receive this tutorial and 12 more.

Welcome to the Inspire Create Share blog hop!  We are a group of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators who gather together on the 2nd Tuesday of the month for this blog hop.  Every month we have a theme and this month it is, Time to Sale-A-Brate.  In case you are not familiar with Sale-A-Bration it is a fun  promotion that occurs twice a year.  This period of Sale-A-Bration runs from January 4 to February 28th.  During Sale-A-Bration you can choose a FREE Sale-A-Bration  product with a qualifying purchase.  You can see the Sale-A-Bration products HERE.

For my project I am using 2 Sale-A-Bration choices, Driving By stamp set and the Sunshine & Rainbows DSP.

 This card has a little secret it opens in a different way than  a regular card.

Kind of fun right?  The right edge folds back which allows the card to open.  Here are the details.

• Midnight Muse card base- 5-1/2" x  7-1/2" scored at 3-1/4" and 6-1/2"
• Sunshine & Rainbows DSP Granny Apple Green pattern 3" x 5-1/4"
• Sunshine & Rainbows DSP Midnight Muse pattern 3/4" x 5-1/4"
• Basic White CS 3" x 5-1/4" inside of the card
• Basic White CS 3" x 3" cut using the Layering Circle die 2"-3/8"
• Midnight Muse CS 3" x 3" cut using the Layering Circle die (scallop) 2-1/2"
• scrap pieces of Basic White for the balloons.

You can see that I omitted part of the sentiment.  I used a self adhesive page marker to cover up the "hi" and then inked up the stamp.  Be sure to remove the page marker before you stamp the sentiment.

I also added a few dots using a Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker.  This marker is a handy one to have.  I could have also used the Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker to color in the sentiment instead of an ink pad.  If I had used the marker I wouldn't have had to use the page marker to cover up the word.  

The inside sentiment is from the Blossoms in Bloom stamp set.  I also masked the car to stamp only the balloons.

This time I used a post it note to cover up the car before i inked up the balloons.  

Now it is time for you to hop on over to see what Dana has created for you!

Thank you for stopping by, enjoy all the fabulous stops on the hop , and remember Sale-A-Bration ends February 28th!

Place a $50 order through my online store and receive this bundle (12 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.

It is Friday and time for a new Festive Friday Challenge!

Not familiar with the Festive Friday Challenge?  The Festive Friday Challenge is a bi-weekly challenge.  Every challenge has an Inspo list which is inspired by a festivity.  To play along with the challenge you need to use 3 items from the Inspo List and post your creation in the Festive Friday gallery.  The list of all the rules can be found here.  

I used cat, orange, heart, and texture from the Inspo List on my card.  The cat was punched out of Basic Black CS and textured using the Tasteful Textile 3D embossing folder.   The orange can be found in the Cute Halloween DSP, the cat's rhinestone eyes, and the orange glitter heart on the cat's collar.  The eyes are rhinestones colored using a Dark Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Blend.  The orange glitter paper is a coveted scrap of retired Glitter Paper.  I miss the days when we had more colors of Glitter paper.  The "boo" is from the Banner Year stamp set stamped on a label from the Stitched So Sweetly dies.  The bat and sparkly, swirly wreath are from the Seasonal Swirls Dies.

The Black Glittered ribbon unties to show 3 panels.  It opens and sort of twists and swings out to reveal the rest of the card,

This is the middle panel and also the section you would use to write out your message.  The sentiment and the bats are from the Sparkle of the Season stamp set.

Here you can see how the card twists and fold out.  

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

Jaydee

Diane Evans

Joanne James

Thank you for stopping by and I hope to see your project in the Festive Friday gallery!