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).

Sew Suite Fun Flowers card with buttons...

I love this card! It has so many great details - like the fabric brad, the Sweet Stitches dsp, the Sew Suite stamps, buttons and faux stitching. I'd love to take credit for it, but I CASE'd it from Jackie Topa. I used Early Espresso ink on everything except the thread, which is Old Olive. The Something to Celebrate banner is from the Petal Cone die, but was shortened to fit on the card. My favorite part is stamping Pattern Pieces onto Fun Flowers die-cut pieces of packing paper (that comes in every Stampin' Up! box). Talk about recycling!

Quick cards from Party This Way & Sweet Summer, to On The Green & Clearly For You...

I had a 10-card class yesterday with these quick and easy cards. Everyone made two of each design. The top card uses the Level 1 hostess set, A Slice of Life, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Something to Celebrate, and a Scallop Border Punch. The colors are Early Espresso and Marina Mist, with the onesie pieced from Elegant Soiree dsp.

This man card uses the single On The Green stamp, along with Woodland Walk dsp, Word Window Punch, and jumbo eyelet (added with the Crop-a-dile tool). The colors are Garden Green and Crumb Cake, and everyone could select sentiments from Teeny, Tiny Wishes.

This birthday card uses the Party This Way stamp set, as well as the In Color pad of paper and a Basic Black marker.

This Crumb Cake card uses the Clearly for You stamp set with Early Espresso ink and a piece of 1-1/4" Early Espresso grosgrain ribbon. Punches used include the Decorative Label and 2-1/2" Circle.

I love the bright colors of this Sweet Summer card. We stamped whichever words from So Happy for You, along with the stem and flowers from Sweet Summer in Basic Gray. Then we used an aqua painter with Old Olive and Tempting Turquoise to color the images, adding a bit of Daffodil Delight with a marker. The designer paper is from the Pawsitively Prints II pack.

From Easter Blossoms to Punch Bunch, more stamp-a-stack cards...

In addition to A Slice of Life card yesterday, these are the four other cards we made at my Spring Stamp-a-Stack last night. Above, Punch Bunch "For You" card with Greenhouse Gala dsp, CASE'd from Angie Juda. Below, Build-a-Cupcake Punch with Scallop Square Duo die for the Big Shot. The sentiment is from On Your Birthday.

Above, this Pear Pizzazz card uses First Edition dsp, the main image from Clearly You, and the sentiment from the Level 2 hostess set, Something to Celebrate. This was CASE'd from Angie Juda, though I changed the colors. Below, Easter Blossoms with Springtime Vintage dsp and pearls for the eggs in the basket. I borrowed this idea from Dawn Griffith.

Here's a quick shot of everyone doing their thing last night. I sit on this end on the right, and on the left, Kathy swung around so I didn't take a photo of her backside.

Sweet Stitches dsp for sketch challenge with FYI...

I'd love to have someone send me a card that says "you are awesome," wouldn't you? That sentiment is from the FYI stamp set. I made this card for a sketch challenge.

Stamps: FYI;

Ink: Early Espresso;

Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Sweet Stitches dsp;

Accessories: 5/8" Very Vanilla satin ribbon, Tasteful Trim die (for scallop), Sweet Stitches Fabric Designer Brad.

A Slice of Life birthday card...

This is one of the cards we'll be making tonight at a 10-card class at my studio. It uses A Slice of Life hostess set (in the Occasions Mini), as well as a sentiment from So Happy For You (a stamp set you may get for FREE with a $50 purchase) with Real Red and Bashful Blue papers and markers. The cake and candles were stamped in Basic Gray.

Ice Cream Parlor Fun Flowers for brag book swap...

Our American Ink team meeting is this Saturday, so I thought I'd get a head start on my brag book swaps. I enjoy seeing the variety everyone creates, and the little pages really are terrific places for those miscellaneous photos that don't need a 12" x 12" page. I used Pacific Point textured card stock with a strip of Ice Cream Parlor dsp, a freebie during Stampin' Up!'s Sale-a-Bration Event (which ends March 31).

I ran the flower pattern through the Fun Flowers die in my Big Shot and curled and kinda crumpled each layering, adhering each flower and the center with dimensionals. What's nice is that I could run two pieces of patterned paper through the die at the same time and get every layer of the flower - including the center - diecut too.

The sentiment is from the So Happy For You stamp set (another SAB item), layered on more dsp that's been punched using the oval scallop.

Take a Spin for Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge...

There are many March birthdays in my American Ink group. I don't have a complete list of everybody's, but those I do have I like to send cards. This is one of the cards I've created to celebrate a special person's birthday, following the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge shown below. My card uses the Take a Spin stamp set from the Occasions Mini, along with a game spinner (very easy to use), and Springtime Vintage dsp. Not Quite Navy was the only ink I used.

Queen for a Day with lots of bling...

I had fun making this Queen for a Day card. That sentiment, by the way, comes from the You're a Gem stamp set in the Occasions Mini. I created the card for a color challenge of So Saffron, Early Espresso and Cherry Cobbler. I'm sure you can figure out most of the items on this card, such as the owl punch and Black Flourish Designer Jewels I used for the eyes. I did add rhinestones to the crown trinket, and used my craft & rubber scissors to snip off the loop at the top of the crown. The owl's "eyelashes" are parts of a decorative strip in the Spooky Night Rub-Ons. The designer paper is from the Playdate pack, and I used Tombow Liquid Adhesive and Champagne Glass Glitter around the sentiment.

Daffodil and peach Bold Blossom card...

I like the bright colors of this card (Daffodil Delight and Peach Parfait), even though they're not ones I go to often. The most challenging part of this card was coloring the white crocheted flower. I used an aqua painter and Peach Parfait reinker. The only other color on this Bold Blossom card is Old Olive. I CASE'd the idea from Chat.

Inlaid embossing technique with Nature Walk...

I love the rounded corners and Square Lattice embossing folder used on this Nature Walk card. I started with a Crumb Cake base and added Old Olive and Very Vanilla layers with Crumb Cake seam binding. To do the Inlaid Embossing Technique: stamp the bees on Very Vanilla card stock in Old Olive and punch using the 1" circle punch. Adhere the bees well to the larger Very Vanilla piece and run through the Big Shot in the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. It's that easy! The sentiment is from Sincere Salutations. I CASE'd this idea from Wendy. Have a great day!

More Sale-a-Bration stamp-a-stack cards...

These are cards we made at my Sale-a-Bration Stamp-a-Stack yesterday. At these events, my customers stamp two cards each of five different designs. The cards are all simple, with one to two embellishments. Sale-a-Bration means I used items you may receive FREE with every $50 you order thru March 31. Above, I used Sweet Summer and You're a Gem stamps, rhinestones and Pear Pizzazz. I borrowed the idea from the SAB Mini Catalog.

I used Punch Bunch and So Happy For You stamps, Ice Cream Parlor dsp with self-adhesive diecuts, Melon Mambo ink and the Two-Step Owl Punch for this card.



Afterthoughts on Blossoms Petal Punch...

My daughter really wanted the Blossom Petals Punch from the Occasions Mini, so I bought it for her. I have a box of scraps for her and the punch to get crazy! As I was prepping the cards for this month's clubs, I figured I'd give the punch a try. I used Pawsitively Prints II dsp and Always Artichoke card stock for the flower and leaves. The River Rock designer button is also out of the Occasions Mini. The words are from the Level 1 hostess set Afterthoughts, stamped in Not Quite Navy on more dsp that's layered on Not Quite Navy card stock that's been punched on both sides with the Scallop Border Punch. For the petals, I adhered a dimensional under each one, then used my fingers to curl up the sides. Best of all? My daughter loves the card!

Be My Valentine & Love Letters dsp...

I had the basic idea for this card in my head before I made it, so it came together quickly. My card uses Riding Hood Red and Chocolate Chip card stocks and inks with the Be My Valentine stamp. There's a layer of Love Letters dsp in there (I love this pattern). The front of the card was cut about 1-1/4" from the right so the inside is exposed. I used the Cutter Kit to distress the edges of everything and added pearls and an antique brad for a more vintage look. The 5/8" Very Vanilla satin ribbon is held on with sticky strip.

Bliss stamp-a-stack card in Marina Mist...

I'm hosting a stamp-a-stack tonight (where everyone makes 2 cards each of 5 different designs) featuring items you may earn for free during Stampin' Up!'s Sale-a-Bration Event. This Very Vanilla card features the Bliss stamp set and the colors Marina Mist and Early Espresso.

Below, I used some of the Ice Cream Parlor dsp you can get for free with a $50 purchase, along with the "true friend" circle stamp from the Punch Bunch set, another free choice with a $50 purchase. The Pretty in Pink card also features the Finial Press embossing folder, Eyelet Border Punch, 2-1/2" circle punch, Decorative Label Punch and the drink stamp from A Slice of Life hostess set. I used markers and Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the drink cups.

Sew Suite revisited with different dsp and buttons...

Do you remember a Sew Suite card similar to this last week? I thought the women at a stamp-a-stack tomorrow would enjoy the sewing machine print from the Sweet Stitches dsp pack. The Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch adds a bit of decoration in Tempting Turquoise at the top, along with a greeting from the Something to Celebrate hostess set. The dress form has dimensionals adhering it to the front of the card, and the button is on with a dimensional as well.

Polka-dotted Eat Chocolate stamp-a-stack card...

I started this Soft Suede card by running the bottom half of the front through the Big Shot in the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. This was the final stamp-a-stack card made at my most recent event. It uses a 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" strip of Elegant Soiree dsp, a 2-1/2" Pretty in Pink circle, and the Eat Chocolate image punched using the Decorative Label Punch. We added Dazzling Diamond glitter with a 2-way glue pen on the top of the chocolates, and two brads from the Soft Subtles pack.

Plane & Simple birthday card with sponged clouds...

I made a card similar to this Plane & Simple one awhile back, but thought this would make a good stamp-a-stack card since we could all use cards for the men/boys in our lives. It uses Blueberry Crisp dsp, torn and layered on a piece of torn Pacific Point card stock. The plane was stamped in Pacific Point ink, and clouds were sponged on the card front and plane layer using a sponge dauber, Bashful Blue ink and a punch scallop circle. The top layer was distressed with a Cutter Kit. I had the Teeny, Tiny Wishes stamp set so everybody could select the sentiment of their choice. Most all fit in the Word Window punch, then we adhered them with dimensionals.

Thanks for Caring in Concord Crush...

Along with the Sew Suite card in the post below (for Mary Ann's birthday), we made this card at my stamp-a-stack a few days ago. It uses the Thanks for Caring stamp set, Concord Crush ink and dsp (In Color pad), and a sentiment from So Happy For You (a Sale-a-Bration set you may earn for FREE with a $50 order). We punched a 1" x 3" strip of Concord Crush with the Eyelet Border Punch, and added a knot of 5/8" Whisper White Satin Ribbon.