Gretchen Barron

Wishing You a Beautiful Holiday Season!

Hello everyone and welcome to a new Saturday Sketch Challenge from the Stamping 411 Operators! Since today is Christmas Eve, I thought it only appropriate to share a Christmas Card with you today!

This beautiful cardinal is from the Stamp set called "Beautiful Season". The sentiment is from Petite Pairs.

I used Whisper White and Always Artichoke Cardstock along with the fabulous Red Glitter Cardstock. The glitzy holly berries are from a new product, Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details (available January 4th in the Occasions Mini Catalog). I stamped the image with Black Stazon Ink on Whisper White cardstock cut at 3 x 3.5" and colored in with Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke Stampin' Write Markers.

 

I punched the scallop frame with the Scallop Trim Border and Corner Punches. I started with a piece of Whisper White Cardstock that measured 3 13/16 x 4 1/4" inches. Click HERE to see my tutorial on how to create these lacy frames. The Always Artichoke layer attached to the scallop frame measures 3.25 x 3.75".

The ribbon is 3/8" Riding Hood Red Taffeta and I created the tag using the Small and Large Oval Punches along with the Scallop Oval Punch.

That's going to do it for me for today! I do hope you'll have time to stop over at Stamping 411 and see the fabulous projects that the other Operators have created this week! And finally, I wish you all the best this Holiday season and hope that among all the family, feasting and festivities, you might find a few quiet moments in your stamping space!

Thanks for stopping, everyone, and Merry Christmas!

 

Think Spring with Everyday Enchantment!

Hello everyone and welcome to the Control Freaks Freaky December Blog Tour! This month we have some fabulous sneak peeks for you from the Occasions Mini Catalog and Sale-a-Bration -- both beginning in January! Just wait until you see what's in store for you. If you're already on the trip, then you must have arrived here from Yvette Ashe's amazing blog! Wowza! Weren't you blown away by what she had to share!

 

I am totally in love with a new Designer Series Paper Collection that will be offered as part of next year's Sale-A-Bration freebies! Yes, that's right ... I said FREEBIES! The paper is called Everyday Enchantment and it is so beautiful, delicate and fresh for spring. I've created two different projects for you on this tour, but keep coming back because I have so much more in mind for this gorgeous paper!

 

 

First is this darling little gift box, made so quickly and easily with the Fancy Favor Die and the Big Shot. I embossed the front with the Elegant Bouquet Textured Embossing Folder, attached a row of the new 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon in Riding Hood Red and then attached this fabulous Elegant Bird Die Cut, created with a new Bigz Die that will be in the Occasions Mini Catalog. The bird is embellished with a Basic Pearl eye and a tiny Designer Button tied on with some Pool Party Baker's Twine. Tiny bows, created from the 1/8" Organdy Calypso Coral Ribbon (another Sale-a-Bration Freebie) and more Basic Pearls complete the darling little box!

 

 

My last project to share is this enchanting card, again created with the Everyday Enchantment DSP. See that elegant border? It was created with the new Adorning Accents Edgelit Die and the coordinating Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder ... what a duo! Can't you just imagine the endless possibilities we will have with these new tools at our fingertips! Again, I embellished with tiny organdy bows and Basic Pearls. Simple perfection! The sentiment stamped on the banner is from a new stamp set called Loving Thoughts.

 

Have I convinced you that there are so many beautiful new things to look forward to in 2012? I hope so. I think you will be enchanted with all the new choices and projects that you will see on this blog tour. I hope you've enjoyed your stay here and please come back soon for more ideas and inspiration!

 

And now it's time to move on for more inspiration! Just click on the button below to go to the next stop on our tour, our group Mom, Lisa Martz!  I just peeked at her projects and you are going to be blown away by what you see! Thanks again for stopping and Happy Stamping!

I am totally in love with a new Designer Series Paper Collection that will be offered as part of next year's Sale-A-Bration freebies! Yes, that's right ... I said FREEBIES! The paper is called Everyday Enchantment and it is so beautiful, delicate and fresh for spring. I've created two different projects for you on this tour, but keep coming back because I have so much more in mind for this gorgeous paper!

 

 

First is this darling little gift box, made so quickly and easily with the Fancy Favor Die and the Big Shot. I embossed the front with the Elegant Bouquet Textured Embossing Folder, attached a row of the new 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon in Riding Hood Red and then attached this fabulous Elegant Bird Die Cut, created with a new Bigz Die that will be in the Occasions Mini Catalog. The bird is embellished with a Basic Pearl eye and a tiny Designer Button tied on with some Pool Party Baker's Twine. Tiny bows, created from the 1/8" Organdy Calypso Coral Ribbon (another Sale-a-Bration Freebie) and more Basic Pearls complete the darling little box!

 

 

My last project to share is this enchanting card, again created with the Everyday Enchantment DSP. See that elegant border? It was created with the new Adorning Accents Edgelit Die and the coordinating Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder ... what a duo! Can't you just imagine the endless possibilities we will have with these new tools at our fingertips! Again, I embellished with tiny organdy bows and Basic Pearls. Simple perfection! The sentiment stamped on the banner is from a new stamp set called Loving Thoughts.

 

Have I convinced you that there are so many beautiful new things to look forward to in 2012? I hope so. I think you will be enchanted with all the new choices and projects that you will see on this blog tour. I hope you've enjoyed your stay here and please come back soon for more ideas and inspiration!

 

And now it's time to move on for more inspiration! Just click on the button below to go to the next stop on our tour, our group Mom, Lisa Martz!  I just peeked at her projects and you are going to be blown away by what you see! Thanks again for stopping and Happy Stamping!

I am totally in love with a new Designer Series Paper Collection that will be offered as part of next year's Sale-A-Bration freebies! Yes, that's right ... I said FREEBIES! The paper is called Everyday Enchantment and it is so beautiful, delicate and fresh for spring. I've created two different projects for you on this tour, but keep coming back because I have so much more in mind for this gorgeous paper!

 

 

First is this darling little gift box, made so quickly and easily with the Fancy Favor Die and the Big Shot. I embossed the front with the Elegant Bouquet Textured Embossing Folder, attached a row of the new 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon in Riding Hood Red and then attached this fabulous Elegant Bird Die Cut, created with a new Bigz Die that will be in the Occasions Mini Catalog. The bird is embellished with a Basic Pearl eye and a tiny Designer Button tied on with some Pool Party Baker's Twine. Tiny bows, created from the 1/8" Organdy Calypso Coral Ribbon (another Sale-a-Bration Freebie) and more Basic Pearls complete the darling little box!

 

 

My last project to share is this enchanting card, again created with the Everyday Enchantment DSP. See that elegant border? It was created with the new Adorning Accents Edgelit Die and the coordinating Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder ... what a duo! Can't you just imagine the endless possibilities we will have with these new tools at our fingertips! Again, I embellished with tiny organdy bows and Basic Pearls. Simple perfection! The sentiment stamped on the banner is from a new stamp set called Loving Thoughts.

 

Have I convinced you that there are so many beautiful new things to look forward to in 2012? I hope so. I think you will be enchanted with all the new choices and projects that you will see on this blog tour. I hope you've enjoyed your stay here and please come back soon for more ideas and inspiration!

 

And now it's time to move on for more inspiration! Just click on the button below to go to the next stop on our tour, our group Mom, Lisa Martz!  I just peeked at her projects and you are going to be blown away by what you see! Thanks again for stopping and Happy Stamping!

Gifts of Christmas in Dazzling Silver

Hello everyone and welcome to a new Saturday Sketch Challenge from the Stamping 411 Operators! I created this card a few weeks ago and have been so excited to show it to you. I'm just thrilled with the way it turned out!

 

 

 

Cherry Cobbler accents combined with that dazzling Silver Glitter Paper make for a beautiful card! The stamp sets are Gifts of Christmas and Four the Holidays. I embossed the dove image using Versamark Ink, Silver Embossing Powder and the Heat Tool. The Big Shot and the Petals A Plenty Textured Embossing Folder created the beautiful background texture. The ribbon is 1/2" Cherry Cobbler Seam Tape. The scallop border was punched with the Scallop Trim Border Punch. Stampin' Dimensionals were used to attach the Focal Image to the embossed and glittered background. Let me tell you, this card really sparkles in real life. It reminds me of the glistening new fallen snow!

 

If you want to recreate this card for yourself, here are my measurements:

1. Layer One -- Cherry Cobbler Cardstock cut at 5.5 x 8.5", scored and folded to make the card base.
2. Layer Two -- Whisper White cardstock cut at 4 x 5.25" and embossed with the Big Shot and Impressions Folder.
3. Layer Three -- Cherry Cobbler Cardstock cut at 2.25 x 5.25" -- punch the bottom edge with a border punch.
4. Layer Four -- Silver Glitter Cardstock cut at 2 x 5.25". Use ribbon across the card to hide the "seam".
5. Layer Five -- Cherry Cobbler Cardstock cut at 2 5/8 x 3 5/8".
6. Layer Six -- Whisper White Cardstock cut at 2.5 x 3.5" -- stamp and emboss. The sentiment flag is 1/2" wide and I trimmed the points with Paper Snips. The bow is attached with Stampin' Dimensionals.
7. Inside of Card -- Whisper White cardstock cut at 4 x 5.25". Trimmed with Cherry Cobbler Border Punch strip, glitter cardstock and Seam Tape Ribbon.

I'm so glad that you stopped by today and hope that I inspired you with a bit of glitter and sparkle! Don't forget to check out the other Operator cards over at Stamping 411! I hope you have a great weekend and don't forget to find some time to stamp! Thanks again ...

 

Another Lovely Card with Pines & Poinsettias!

Hello everyone! I've got another card for you today, created with the lovely set from the Holiday Mini Catalog called Pines & Poinsettias! This stamp set coordinates beautifully with the Holly Berry Bouquet Speciality Designer Series Paper. For a little twist on the traditional, I pulled the pink color out of the DSP and love the way this card turned out!

This is a quick and easy card and would be the perfect choice if you are still trying to crank out several hand-made cards for Christmas. The lovely pleated 5/8" Satin Ribbon adds a perfect elegant touch.

Supplies used include: Pines & Poinsettias Stamp Set, Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty Designer Series Paper, 5/8" Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon, Decorative Label Punch, Stampin' Write Markers (Chocolate Chip, Garden Green and Pretty in Pink), and Stampin' Dimensionals. The cardstock colors are Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette and Whisper White.

Stamping the pretty little pine cone image on the inside of the card adds a lovely surprise when you open it up!

That's it for now but you'll want to stop by tonight. I've got a very special card to share with you for this week's Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge! Hope to see you back soon!

Christmas Isn't Christmas Without Pines & Poinsettias

Hello everyone and welcome to a new Saturday Sketch Challenge from the Stamping 411 Operators.

 

For this week's card, I used the Pines & Poinsettias Stamp Set, along with the Big Shot and two Textured Impressions Folders -- Petals A Plenty and Northern Flurry.

 

 

The cardstock colors are Real Red and Whisper White and I used Stampin' Write Markers in Chocolate Chip, Real Red and Garden Green to color directly on the stamp for the beautiful little pinecone accent. The Ribbon is 1/8" Taffeta in Real Red.

 

 

Here are  my measurements to get you started on using this great sketch:

 

1. Layer One -- Real Red Cardstock cut at 5.5 x 8.5", scored and folded to make the Card Base
2. Layer Two -- Whisper White cut at  5.25 x 4", embossed with the Big Shot and Impressions Folder
3. Layer Three -- Real Red cut at 3 1/8" x 3 7/8"
4. Layer Four -- Whisper White cut at 3 x 3 3/4", Embossed with the Northern Flurry Impressions Folder and Stamped with the pinecone stamp. Attach the tiny bow using Crystal Effects. Cut out the banner and attach with Stampin' Dimensionals.
5. Inside of Card -- Whisper White cut at 4 x 5.25". Stamped (if desired) with another pinecone image.

 

I hope I've inspired you to try out this sketch for yourself! If you need even more inspiration, be sure and check out the other Stamping 411 Operator projects. Thanks so much for stopping by today and I do hope you'll visit again soon for more Ideas and Inspiration!

Merry Christmas with the Triple Treat Flower Stamp

Hello Everyone and Happy December to you! I find it difficult to believe that we are well into December already and another year has almost slipped away from us! Time certainly does fly, doesn't it? One way that we mark time around here is by the Saturday Sketch Challenge on Stamping 411! And yes, it's that time again! Just look at this week's sketch -- it looks like a bright, Christmas package just waiting to be opened!

Somehow, it escaped me until just this past week that the Triple Treat Flower could be used with more than one flower punch. In this case, I used the 5 Petal Flower Punch and the Fancy Flower Punch. How fun and festive for Christmas in Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler. I finished it off with a red flower button and a large Basic Pearl. The card base is Garden Green and the embossed layer is Cherry Cobbler, embossed with the Big Shot and the Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I sponged the edges with Cherry Cobbler ink to give it a little more depth and definition. The ribbon is Cherry Cobbler Quilted Ribbon from the Holiday Mini Catalog and the Designer Series Paper is the polka Dot pattern in Certainly Celery from the Subtles Collection Paper Stack. There is an additional layer of Garden Green underneath the DSP layer. The sentiment is from Four the Holidays.

Here's my measurements, in case you want to CASE this card:

1. Layer One -- Garden Green Cardbase cut at 5.5 x 8.5", scored and folded in the middle
2. Layer Two -- Cherry Cobbler cut at 4 x 5.25" -- embossed and sponged
3. Layer Three -- Garden Green cut at 3 1/8 x 4 3/8"
4. Layer Four -- DSP cut at 3 x 4.25" -- add ribbon, sentiment stamp and embellishments.
5. Inside of Card -- Whisper White cut at 4 x 5.25" - stamp or embellish as desired.

This is a great card to use if you need to make fast multiples and if you don't want your finished card to be too busy! And really, you've got to give that Triple Treat Flower Stamp a try -- too fun!

Speaking of fun, I do hope you'll take a few moments to visit the Stamping 411 Website and see what the other Operators have been up to this week. There's always lots of inspiration waiting for you there!

Thanks for stopping by, everyone! I do hope you'll come back soon!