Easter Blossoms springtime card with Marina Mist...

Marina Mist is easily my favorite color in the new Stampin' Up! collections. And you can pair any color nicely with Crumb Cake. It's my favorite neutral! So when you put the two together with the gorgeous Springtime Vintage dsp and the Easter Blossoms stamp set, I think you get a winner every time.

I first saw a card similar to this on Shelli Gardner's blog. I believe she made it for a regional, though I could be mistaken. I used a square punch to make the angle on the strip. The photo makes it look like the punched dsp strip hangs down past the card bottom, but it doesn't. It's an optical illusion! lol I sponged the Scallop Trim Border-punched edges of Crumb Cake with the same color ink, as well as the oval scallop greeting. The vanilla rosette is adhered with a Mini Glue Dot. The ribbon and color of ink for the sentiment is Marina Mist.

We're quickly coming to the end of April, when items like the Easter Blossoms stamp set, Springtime Vintage dsp, and vanilla rosettes will no longer be available to order! If you'd like anything from the Occasions Mini Catalog that isn't being carried over (see my April 20 post below), please contact me and I'll place your order, or you may order online yourself. Have a terrific Saturday!

Prepping for a 10-card class for What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday...

It's been several weeks since I've participated in Julia's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW) event at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/, and alot has happened in the meantime. I've had loads of events - including weekly 10-card classes that keep me hoppin', spring break for my kids, and starting a new challenge blog with a friend called A La Card Monkey. You'll definitely want to visit and participate because I'm giving away a BIG BUNDLE OF STAMPIN' UP! GOODIES - not only to the Nature Theme challenge winner, but to a lucky FOLLOWER, as well. Isn't the badge I made cute?

Now for the cards I'm working on prepping:

Stampin' Up!'s Easter Blossoms stamp set with Greenhouse Gala dsp, Early Espresso ink, and Real Red, Daffodil Delight and Pear Pizzazz card stocks. The circle is a 3" die for the Big Shot.

New Paisley Petals dsp with Four Frames and Fabulous Phrases stamp sets, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Cherry Cobbler and Baja Breeze card stocks with an Itty Bitty Punch flower, Cherry Cobbler seam binding, and rhinestones.

I CASE'd this card from Penny at http://penguinstamper.blogspot.com/. It's all Very Vanilla (including the 5/8" satin ribbon), with Basic Brown eggs from Nature Walk and a sentiment from Teeny, Tiny Wishes. I used an aqua painter and Baja Breeze pad to add the color to the eggs. The layer under the eggs was run through the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder in the Big Shot.

Plant Hope is the beautiful stamp set used on this card. I CASE'd - and simplified - an idea from Andrea Walford. The Woodgrain background stamp was inked in Crumb Cake and stamped on the Crumb Cake card front. The Early Espresso card stock layer was punched using the spiral punch, and the dsp is Woodland Walk. The sentiment is from Teeny, Tiny Wishes.

The final card for class is this Very Vanilla card with a strip of Springtime Vintage dsp, Rose Red and Old Olive inks, with the sentiment, teacup and saucer from Timeless Treasures. I CASE'd and changed it a bit from http://ilinacrouse.blogspot.com/.

Now your reward for reading through this long post? A chance to win a BIG BUNDLE OF STAMPIN' UP! GOODIES from A La Card Monkey's inaugural challenge. So enter a card and put the monkey link on your own blog. Good luck!!!

Here is the List of Stuff:

• Garden Whimsy 8pc stamp set
• Goody-Goody Gumdrops 19pc set
• Picnic Parade 15 pc set
• Stampin' Fun for Everyone 7pc set
• Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon 5/8"
• Fresh Favorites 1 Buttons
• Baja Breeze Corduroy button brads
• Chocolate Chip Library Clips 1/2"
• Sweet Pea stitched felt flowers
• Welcome Neighbor DSP pad
• Baja Breeze 8-1/2 X 11 Card Stock
• On board Blossoms chipboard

The bunny and basket are not included. Post this goody basket on your blog with a link to A La Card Monkey and tell all of your friends what great stuff I'm giving away! You'll get a chance at a second goody basket when you add yourself as a Follower (a photo of that basket will be posted Wednesday).

Easter Blossoms Technostamper Challenge...

I love the way this card turned out for the Technostamper Sketch Challenge shown below. I left the sentiment off this card and the one below so I can use it for whatever I need (birthday, Easter, etc.). This card also uses Greenhouse Gala dsp, along with the Easter Blossoms stamp set, Vintage Label embossing folder, and Basic Pearls on the scallop-punched Pear Pizzazz strip. The 3-1/2" Baja Breeze circle was diecut from the Big Shot. If you're up for another challenge, try this sketch with the A La Card Monkey theme challenge of Nature. There are BIG BUNDLES OF STAMPIN' UP! GOODIES to be won!

American Ink swaps from Easter Blossoms to A Slice of Life...

Kimberly's swap using Easter Blossoms and Lap of Luxury dsp

Frankie's swap with So Cute and Something to Celebrate

 

Karen's swap used Easter Blossoms and Thanks for Caring.

 

Mary Ann used Teeny, Tiny Wishes

Our newest team member (and already a senior associate!), Purple, created her swap using Clearly For You and Faux Tearing Technique.

Michelle offers a sneak peek of a new stamp set (Four Frames) and Paisley Petals dsp available through a special offer in April.

 

And when I posted the make & takes a few days ago, I forgot Mary Ann's! Sorry about that. It used the Finial Press embossing folder and A Slice of Life hostess set.

So Cute bunny for polka-dotted Easter card...

This morning, I'll be taking this card to swap at my American Ink team meeting. I started out using Mary Jo's sketch at http://technostamper.blogspot.com/, but lightened it by a couple of layers. I've included the sketch below so you can compare. I ran the Marina Mist layer through the Polka Dots embossing folder, cut a Top Note of Play Date dsp (the one with the big flowers on the bottom) and then cut that in half. The So Cute bunny is stamped in Basic Gray and colored in with a blender pen and Sahara Sand and Real Red inks, then I added an Itty Bitty punched Real Red flower with the largest rhinestone in the center. The Easter greeting comes from the Easter Blossoms stamp set. Have a wonderful Saturday!



Easter Blossoms embossed pearl card...

This Pretty in Pink card features the Easter Blossoms stamp set, along with words from the Bring on the Cake set. Both sets are available in the Occasions Mini Catalog. I borrowed this idea from Lisa Young. I stamped the image in Jet Black StazOn and used the Uni-bal white gel pen to color in the blossoms. The card front is embossed with the Framed Tulips embossing folder (also in the mini catalog).