Gretchen Barron

The BIG Shot is a BIG Deal!

As promised, I'm back this afternoon with some WOW projects made with the new Stampin' Up! Big Shot Die Cut Machine and exclusive Dies! This great little machine will be available for you to purchase beginning Tuesday, September 2nd. Click here to see a seven-minute video about the Big Shot and all it can do! All of today's projects use the Top Note Bigz Die, one of the exclusive Stampin' Up! Dies that come with your Big Shot when you purchase either the Special Edition Starter Kit or the Special Edition Starter Kit with Bag. Did you know that the Big Shot can cut through more than 50 different materials like they are butter? Click here for more information and enjoy this  preview -- there is so much more to come!

Isn't this darling? The picture frame and the child! This is my daughter on her first birthday. She's going on nine now so this has been a few years ago but it's still one of my favorite photos of her. Oh for those sweet baby days! I made this photo frame using the Small On Board Books Basic Chipboard, the fabulous Bella Rose Designer Series Papers, A Rose is a Rose  stamp set, some of our fabulous ribbons and the Big Shot and Top Note Bigz Die. I attached the designer papers to the chipboard, using a Anywhere Glue Stick. I centered the Chipboard piece (dimensions are 5 x 7 1/2") upside down on the Die and ran it through the Big Shot Machine (it's really effortless, even when using this thick chipboard). I sponged the inside and outside edges with Pretty in Pink Ink. Stamped and cut out the Rose images using Regal Rose, Riding Hood Red, Certainly Celery and Kiwi Kiss inks and applied them with SNAIL and Dimensionals. I added ribbons and ... Voila! I attached a thin piece of cardboard to the back with Sticky Strip around the edges (the top is left open to insert your photo). And then made a little stand out of a scrap of chipboard. You can see this in the picture here. And that's it! I definitely think it's a keeper ... the frame and the child!

Well, after I made the frame I had this wonderful chipboard cut-out of the Top Note Shape and knew that I needed to do something with it, so I made this card. The card base is Riding Hood Red with a layer of Whisper White on the inside and outside.  I cut out a bunch of flower and leaf shapes using scraps of Bella Rose DSP and cardstock and several of the Sizzlets dies that you can purchase to go with your Big Shot. I inked the edges of everything and just started layering shapes on the card. When I had it the way I wanted it, I added some buttons and half-back pearls from the Pretties Kit using Mini Glue Dots and stamped the sentiment from Elegant Cheer, in Black Stazon ink. Oh, I did add some of the fabulous new Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon as well! What do you think?

I have one last card for you today. A very fast and easy one again using the Top Note Bigz Die. This has a base of Mellow Moss with a layer of Almost Amethyst. I wheeled Almost Amethyst ink over the top using the So Swirly Jumbo Wheel. I folded a piece of White Cardstock in half and positioned the cardstock on the Big Note die so that I wouldn't cut out the top edge. This makes a lovely shaped folded card. I sponged the inside and outside edges with Mellow Moss Ink and attached to the card base, adding a length of 1/4" Mellow Moss Grosgrain ribbon and tying a bow. Next, using the exclusive to Stampin' Up! Join in the  Cheer Decorative Strip Die (it comes in the Bundle), I cut it out once with Almost Amethyst and again with Mellow Moss cardstocks. I cut apart the words and applied them to the card with SNAIL adhesive. Now that's a fast and easy card and isn't it cute and unusual.

I hope you've enjoyed this look at a tiny bit of what you can do with the Big Shot Die Cut Machine and the fabulous, exclusive Stampin' Up! dies. Check back often for more inspiration!

Blessings, Gretchen

Today's Featured Designer Series Paper -- Manchester

I wasn't quite sure about this DSP collection at first ... and then I used it! WOW -- I love these soft colors together. As you can see from the samples I made, this collection is great for a variety of different card styles -- masculine, feminine, floral, formal. The coordinating colors for Manchester DSP are Baja Breeze, Always Artichoke, Kraft and Very Vanilla. I also think that Close to Cocoa and Mellow Moss work very well with this collection. Try it out, and let me know what you think! Click on the thumbnail to view larger images of each of the 12 patterns in this DSP collection.

This first card uses one of my very favorite stamp sets of all time -- Baroque Motifs. I began with a card base of Baja Breeze, layered with Basic Black and the mini-stripe from the DSP collection. I stamped the large flourish stamp in Baja Breeze ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and layered that on Basic Black. 3 Black brads embellish the upper left corner. The sentiment from Best Yet (quickly becoming a favorite as well) is stamped in Black Stazon ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and punched with the 1 1/4" Square Punch. I rounded the corners with the Corner Rounder Punch. This is mounted on Baja Breeze cardstock, punched with the Square Scallop Punch and mounted on another layer of Basic Black, again with corners rounded. Both of the stamped mats are attached with Dimensionals. The inside mat is Very Vanilla and stamped with Baja Breeze ink.

For this second card, I combined the Baja Breeze color with a card base of Close to Cocoa. I just love this subtle, pastel diagonal plaid pattern. I tied a length of the yummy new 1" Double Stitched Baja Breeze Grosgrain Ribbon and tied a bow. The 2-step flower from Flower Fancy is stamped first with Baja Breeze and Mellow Moss on Very Vanilla and the outline stamp with Always Artichoke. The sentiment from Best Yet is stamped in Always Artichoke. I punched the corners with the Ticket Corner Punch and mounted it to a layer of Close to Cocoa before attaching to the card using Dimensionals. The inside mat is Very Vanilla and I stamped just the outline flower stamp in Mellow Moss ink.

My final card today uses the very popular Lovely As A Tree stamp set and the equally popular Sincere Salutations set. Both these sets are staples in any serious stamper's collection and I would highly recommend that you purchase both of them if you don't already have them. I began with a card base of Mellow Moss and layered on Always Artichoke and another of the soft plaid patterns from Manchester DSP. There is a length of Always Artichoke 1/4" grosgrain ribbon applied to hide the seam. The "field of Trees" image is stamped with Mellow Moss ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and layered on Always Artichoke and Mellow Moss. This is applied to the card base with SNAIL adhesive. The larger tree image is stamped on Very Vanilla with Always Artichoke ink, cut out and the edges sponged with Always Artichoke. I applied this using Dimensionals. The sentiment is stamped with Always Artichoke Ink. A Very Vanilla mat finishes the inside with the same tree stamped in Always Artichoke. This makes a lovely masculine card but also would be great for sympathy or get well or any time you want to let someone know that you care.

I'll be posting some very special Big Shot samples and information later today so come back this afternoon! Remember, the Big Shot is available for purchase beginning Tuesday, September 2nd.

If you would like to order the Designer Series Paper and Ribbon  Sampler Kits, I've extended the deadline so it's not too late to order. This is a great way to get a little bit of everything without having to buy complete packages of paper or spools of ribbon. Deadline for ordering the Sampler Kits is Thursday, September 4th at 11:59 p.m. (central time). Click on the links above for more information.

Stop back this afternoon -- you won't be sorry! Blessings, Gretchen

Today's Featured DSP -- Ghostly Greetings!

How much fun is this Designer Series Paper -- Ghostly Greetings! It's great for cards and scrapbook pages and REALLY fabulous for Halloween Paper Crafts. The coordinating colors are Basic Black, Basic Gray, Pumpkin Pie and Kiwi Kiss. For a larger look at all 12 prints in this collection, click on the thumbnail image.

This card begins with a base of Basic Black and a layer of Pumpkin Pie. On top of that are 2 of the Designer Series Paper Prints. A length of 1/4" Black Grosgrain ribbon is tied around the strip of Spooky Sayings. The little spider from Batty for You is stamped on Whisper White with Black Stazon ink and punched out with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch. It is mounted on a 1 3/8" circle of Pumpkin Pie and a Black Scallop Circle Punch. The white dots are applied using a Signo White Gel Pen. it is mounted using Dimensionals on layers of Kiwi Kiss and Basic Black. You can see another of the DSP prints inside the card -- a dotted spider web! But, that's not all that inside the card ...

Look what crawled inside! There's a bunch of Itty Bitty spiders and they are spinning their web! This is just too much fun, isn't it? I saw this technique demonstrated this summer when I attended the Stampin' Up! Convention and knew that I would need to try it. And it's super easy to do! You punch 2 circles with the new 1 3/4" Circle Punch and then you cut them into a spiral (don't' make them too narrow or they will be hard to glue down). You carefully glue down the tips of the spirals on the bottom inside of the card (I used Mini Glue Dots for this). Then you apply 1 Mini Glue Dot to the very inside of the spiral (on the top), carefully close the card and press down. The spirals automatically align themselves so that when you open the card, the spirals "spiral" out. At that point, you can put anything you want onto the spirals -- spiders, butterflies, flower, bees, balloons, party hats, beer mugs (that was one I saw at Convention) ... the possibilities are endless! Try this fun technique -- you'll be surprised how fun and easy it is!

Well, I've been playing with my Big Shot again. Remember you will be able to purchase this from me beginning Tuesday, September 2nd. We have a great bundle promotion for you which I will be sharing with you very soon. The Ghostly Greetings DSP seemed to be the perfect choice for this darling little Halloween Treat Basket. This is one of the exclusive Stampin' Up! Bigz Dies that you can purchase for the Big Shot. All the pieces are on one die -- just one pass through the machine and you've cut out all your pieces to make this darling little basket. Imagine it decorated with spring colors and flowers for Easter or May Day! Or what about for Christmas or the 4th of July or for Birthday Party treats! The possibilities are truly endless!

This little gem was made with one of the Ghostly Greetings DSP prints -- Skulls and Crossbones on one side and a Kiwi Kiss stripe on the other. I put the basket together using Sticky Strip adhesive, tied on a bow of 5/8" Kiwi Kiss Double Striped Ribbon and added a tag made with the Scallop Circle, 1 1/4 and 1 3/8" Circle Punches at the coordinating stamp from Batty for You. You would not believe how quick and easy this project was to make!

Stay tuned -- there are more Big Shot surprises to share!

If you would like to order the Designer Series Paper and Ribbon  Sampler Kits, I've extended the deadline so it's not too late to order. This is a great way to get a little bit of everything without having to buy complete packages of paper or spools of ribbon. Deadline for ordering the Sampler Kits is Thursday, September 4th at 11:59 p.m. (central time). Click on the links above for more information.

Well, gotta go play some more with the Big Shot (and mow the lawn and do some laundry and run some errands ...). I hope to see you back soon! Blessings, Gretchen

Catalog CASE Winner ... Robin Merriman!

A week ago I announced a CASE contest where folks could pick any card or project from the Fall/Winter Idea Book and Catalog and make it their own by changing out the colors, stamp sets, and embellishments. I'm please to share the winning entry with you today ... this beautiful card by Robin Merriman of Bristow, Virginia. Robin used this card on page 47 as her inspiration.

Here is her supply list:

Stamps: Bella Toile Background, Cute and Curly

Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze, Shimmer White, Certainly Celery

Inks: Whisper White Craft, Baja Breeze

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Pink Pirouette Striped Grosgrain, Certainly Celery Grosgrain. Pretties Kit, Curly Label Punch, Small and Large Oval Punch, Snail, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals

 

Thanks for entering, Robin, and congratulations on a job well done! Your sampler of DSP and Ribbon is in the mail!

I Just Love to Get Mail!

I just love to get mail -- who doesn't? And when you get a cute card like this in the mail ... we'll let's just say this made my day. I received this yesterday from Melanie Evans of Berthoud, Colorado, as a thank-you for sending her some files to help her with a project. Melanie told me the original idea came from Sharon Howard.  Isn't this little lamb just too cute? And she made it all with Stampin' Up! Punches. The legs are the Word Window Punch; the ears are a 3/4" circle, cut in half; the face is a Large Oval, cut in half; the body is a Scallop Circle Punch; and the little tuft of hair are 3 of the small flower from the BoHo Blossoms Punch! She also used the new Square Scallop Punch for the Sentiment from Best Yet and the Top Note Bigz Die, one of the exclusive Stampin' Up! dies for our new Sizzix Big Shot machine (available for purchase beginning September 2nd). Thanks so much, Melanie! What a wonderful surprise to receive this darling card in the mail! Blessings, Gretchen

Maine Blueberry is Today's Featured Designer Series Paper

With lovely shades of blue and green, Maine Blueberry is the perfect choice for cards all occasions. Blue is one of my favorite colors (can you tell my other favorite color from my blog? Leave a comment on today's post with your guess and one lucky poster will win a 6x6 Sampler pack of Maine Blueberry DSP). Maine Blueberry DSP coordinates with Not Quite Navy, Old Olive and Bashful Blue Stampin' Up! inks, cardstocks, ribbons and other embellishments.

My first card this morning is my pick of the day -- I love this card! I love the Bloomin' Beautiful Stamp set! I love to watercolor! I love the colors! I love the symmetry! Did I mention that I really love this card? I began with a card base of Bashful Blue and added a layer of Old Olive and a partial layer of the stripe pattern from the Maine Blueberry DSP. I attached a length of Brocade Blue 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon and tied a bow. I stamped the floral image with Black Stazon ink on Whisper White cardstock and colored it in using blender pens and Bashful Blue, Bordering Blue, Old Olive, Summer Sun and Perfect Plumb inks. I rounded the corners with the Corner Rounder Punch and attached to another layer of Bashful Blue cardstock before attaching to the card using Dimensionals. I stamped the sentiment, from Best Yet, with Black Stazon ink. I love this card!

For this next card, I began with a base of Not Quite Navy, layered with Bashful Blue and the floral print from the DSP collection. I tied on a length of Kiwi Kiss 5/8" Striped Ribbon and tied a bow. The sentiment, from Best Yet, is stamped on Whisper White Cardstock and punched out with the Large Oval Punch. The flourishes, from Stitched Exotics, are stamped in Kiwi Kiss ink on Whisper White cardstock and layered on Old Olive and Not Quite Navy. I attached that to the card. The Flower was inked in Bashful Blue ink and then I used Sponge Daubers to ink up the edges with Not Quite Navy before stamping it on a scrap of Whisper White cardstock. I cut it out, attached the button with Natural Hemp Twine and adhered it to the card using Dimensionals. Finally, I added a piece of Bashful Blue cardstock inside the card and stamped the dotted flourish for a little extra something! What do you think?

For my last project this morning, I'm giving you another sneak peak of a project I made using my new Big Shot (remember, you can purchase this beginning September 2nd). Do you recognize the Scalloped Triangle cut-out? It's the small pennant from the exclusive Stampin' Up! Pennant die. Oh, I am so excited about this new product and know you will be as well. Check back soon for more information about the Big Shot and the great deal you will get on it when you order from me. I made this little gift box so quickly and easily. It's a variation on what is called a 2-4-6-8 box. It's a little bigger so instead of scoring the cardstock at 2-4-6-8", I scored at 2 3/4" intervals. It folds together quickly and easily. I added the triangle die cut, some jumbo eyelets (set with the Crop-a-dile), a bit of Kiwi Kiss Double Striped ribbon and a cute tag stamped from Best Yet and punched with our small and large tag punches. There's plenty of room inside for all kinds of little gifts and goodies.

I'll be posting more about the Big Shot soon so check back often!

The deadline for the Designer Series Paper and Ribbon sets Sampler Kits has been extended so it's not too late to order. This is a great way to get a little bit of everything without having to buy complete packages of paper or spools of ribbon. Deadline for ordering the Sampler Kits is Thursday, September 4th at 11:59 p.m. (central time). Click on the links above for more information.

Stop back soon -- I'll see you then! Blessings, Gretchen

Today's Featured Designer Series Paper -- Junior Varsity!

Hello everyone! I have another DSP (Designer Series Paper) to share with you today -- Junior Varsity! Projects made with this double-sided paper can be fun and playful or smart and sophisticated -- it's all in how you use and embellish them! Coordinating colors are Old Olive, Rose Red, Bashful Blue and So Saffron. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image of each of the 12 designs in this collection.

This first card is definitely on the fun and playful side of the spectrum. I began with a base of Old Olive and layered it with Basic Black and the fun polka dot print from the DSP collection. I cut the large scallop circle using the Sizzix Big Shot (remember, it's coming September 2nd!) and cut the black and white mats using the Coluzzle shape system. I stamped the cupcakes using the new Cupcakes Wheel and colored them in with various markers. I added Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the frosting with a 2-way glue pen. That strip is mounted on Bashful Blue and applied to the card. I dotted each scallop with the Signo White Gel Pen and stamped sentiments from Crazy for Cupcakes and Short & Sweet with Black Stazon ink. I put a mat of Whisper White cardstock on the inside of the card, stamped with the balloon from Crazy for Cupcakes and colored it with  a Rose Red Stampin' Write marker.

This next card falls more toward the sophisticated side of the spectrum. I began with a card base of Bashful Blue, layered with Old Olive and the So Saffron Polka Dot DSP. I attached a length of Bashful Blue Taffeta Ribbon (this ribbon is so nice to work with). The flower image from True Friend is stamped on Whisper White Cardstock. I inked it in Bashful Blue and then applied Old Olive Ink around the stem, leaves and edges using a Sponge Dauber. The corners are punched with the Ticket Corner Punch and it's mounted on Bashful Blue and Old Olive layers before attaching it to the card using Dimensionals. I tied on the ribbon bow. The sentiment, from Short & Sweet, is stamped with Old Olive ink and punched out with the Small Oval Punch and mounted on an Old Olive Large Oval Punchie.

This last card begins with a So Saffron card base, layered with the stripe DSP and Rose Red, cut diagonally. A length of 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon hides the "seam". The image from Enjoy Every Moment was stamped with Rose Red ink on Whisper White Cardstock. Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig positioner, I stamped the word "life" in Old Olive ink. The flower was stamped in Bashful Blue and punched out with the 3/4" circle punch. A rhinestone brad embellishes the center. I attached this piece to the card base with dimensionals and tied on an Old Olive Bow. Very simple and yet, very striking!

I've also been playing some with the Big Shot and look forward to showing you more projects, beginning tomorrow, for this wonderful new Die Cut machine. Stampin' Up! is offering some EXCLUSIVE dies to go along with your Big Shot and I can't wait to show you what it can do. This is just a teaser! Isn't it great! The mug is one of those inexpensive ones for kids crafts. I simply made a mat using Rose Red cardstock and a 10" strip of the mini Polka Dot print from Junior Varsity DSP. I cut out the Peace, Love, Joy and Cheer from the exclusive Sizzlets strip that you will get when you purchase the Big Shot bundle. I cut some flowers using other Big Shot dies and the BoHo Blossoms punch and embellished with a few Rhinestone Brads. Insert it in the cup, add the plastic liner and there you go -- an instant gift to brighten up anyone's day! Come back tomorrow for more Big Shot previews -- it's a BIG DEAL!

Remember, I am offering Sampler Kits of Designer Series Paper and Ribbon sets. It's a great way to get a little bit of everything without having to buy complete packages of paper or spools of ribbon. Deadline for ordering the Sampler Kits is Thursday, August 28th at 11:59 p.m. (central time).

And don't forget the CASE contest! Today is the last day to enter! Pick any card or project from the current Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog and remake it using your own colors, stamp sets and embellishments. Read the details by clicking on the link!

I'll see you tomorrow! Blessings, Gretchen

Georgia Peach is Today's Featured Designer Series Paper!

Today's featured Designer Series Paper (DSP) is Georgia Peach. What a sweet and whimsical collection to grace your cards, scrapbook pages and other paper crafting projects. The colors of Old Olive, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink and So Saffron work beautifully with other great Stampin' Up! products -- cardstock, ribbons, glitter, brads and more! Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image of each of the 12 patterns in this wonderful collection of Designer Series Paper.

The first card I've created for you today uses the Level 3 Hostess Stamp set,  Happiness Always. Ask me how you can earn this set and more for FREE! The card base is Old Olive with a layer of So Saffron and one of the floral patterns from the Georgia Peach Collection. The flower and butterfly images are stamped in So Saffron and Old Olive inks on Whisper White cardstock and layered on Old Olive. All corners are rounded using the Corner Rounder Punch. A length of 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon is attached across the card and the stamped mat is attached using SNAIL adhesive. The sentiment is stamped using Black Stazon ink and a bow is attached to the ribbon. A layer of So Saffron is stamped and attached to the inside of the card. This was a very quick and easy card and so beautiful when made with great Stampin' Up! products that coordinate so easily!

For this second card, I began with a base of Pretty in Pink cardstock, layered with strips of Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Old Olive and one of the DSP prints. I tied a small piece of ribbon around the DSP strip and added a bow. The sentiment, from Heard from the Heart, is stamped with Black Stazon ink. The large flower from Flower Fancy is stamped in Pink Pirouette on Whisper White cardstock. This is a 2-step stamp so the outline image is then stamped in Old Olive Ink over the top. The corners are punched with the Ticket Corner Punch and mounted to a layer of Regal Rose. This is then attached to the card using Dimensionals.

One last card for today, this one using the fabulous Big Shot Die Cut machine which will be available from Stampin' Up! beginning next week, September 2nd!!! Look for more projects in the next few days and an announcement of special incentives when you purchase the Big Shot Bundle from me! This card begins with a base of Old Olive and a layer of So Saffron cardstock. This is not a folded card so you just use 1/4 sheet of cardstock for the base. A length of 5/8" Regal Rose Grosgrain ribbon is attached across the card and a bow is tied. This darling little envelope is one of the exclusive Stampin' Up! dies that comes with the Big Shot Bundle. It will also be available for individual purchase beginning next week. Not only does this Die scallop and cut the paper, but it also makes score lines so this little envelope goes together in no time. I attached the envelope to the cardbase with Sticky Strip Adhesive to make sure it is secure. I embellished the card with dimensional butterflies from the Flight of the Butterfly set, Flower Fusion Felt flowers and a Rhinestone Circle Brad. I added dots to the scallop edge with a Signo White Gel Pen. The sentiments are from Absolutely Fabulous and are stamped in Black Stazon ink. The little card which pulls out of the envelope was made with Whisper White and Regal Rose cardstock. Lovely and quick and quite a different look, don't you think?

Well, I better go for now. Thanks for stopping by for a closer look at the fabulous Georgia Peach Designer Series Paper and some of the great Stampin' Up! stamps and products that are currently available. Remember to check back each day for more inspiration and ideas and a closer look at the Big Shot and all you can do with this great machine.

Remember, I am offering Sampler Kits of Designer Series Paper and Ribbon sets. It's a great way to get a little bit of everything without having to buy complete packages of paper or spools of ribbon. Deadline for ordering the Sampler Kits is Thursday, August 28th at 11:59 p.m. (central time).

And don't forget the CASE contest! Pick any card or project from the current Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog and remake it using your own colors, stamp sets and embellishments. Read the details by clicking on the link!

I'll be back tomorrow and I hope you'll be back as well! Until then, blessings! Gretchen

Banbury Designer Series Paper -- So Much Fun!

Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross, To see a fine lady upon a white horse.
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she goes!

These are the words that came to mind when I first saw today's featured Designer Series Paper -- Banbury! It brings back memories of sitting on the floor at KinderMusik classes with my daughter when she was a baby, singing this song and bouncing her on my knee. And so it's not surprising that for at least two of my cards today, I focused on children's cards. This paper is so beautiful with the soft pastel colors of Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, Bashful Blue and Close to Cocoa. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image of each of the 12 patterns in the Banbury DSP pack.

Now isn't this little guy just the cutest? This is Stampin' Up's! new Sock Monkey Set. He comes with all sorts of goodies to hold -- the cupcake, a flower, a banana (of course), a heart, a balloon and a flag. And if that's not enough, you can also purchase Sock Monkey Accessories with even more goodies to dress up this little guy (including bunny ears and a Santa hat). This card measures 5" square -- just the right size to use with the Stampin' Up! 5 1/2" square envelopes. The card base is Brocade Blue with a layer of Chocolate Chip and the argyle print from the DSP pack. I added a length of 5/8" Brocade Blue Grosgrain ribbon and 1/4" Chocolate Chip ribbon on top of that. The Sock Monkey was stamped on Close To Cocoa and then again on Natural White cardstock. I sponged white craft ink lightly over the Close to Cocoa to give him a "heathery" look (like the real socks) and cut him out. I cut out the tips of all extremities (including the tail), his mouth and the patch on his rear end. I colored in the lips and the patch with a Real Red Stampin' Write Marker. I then attached all the white and red pieces using SNAIL adhesive and attached the monkey to a layer of Bashful Blue cardstock with Dimensionals. I stamped the cupcake on Natural White cardstock, colored it in with markers and put it in his hand using a Dimensional. I mounted this layer on a layer of Chocolate Chip cardstock and attached it to the card. The Happy Birthday sentiment was stamped using Think Happy Thoughts in Chocolate chip ink. The little Bashful Blue flower (from the same set) was stamped in the middle. I punched this out with the 1 1/4" circle punch and punched a larger 1 3/8" circle out of Certainly Celery. The Scallop Circle Punch was used on Chocolate Chip cardstock and white dots applied using a Signo White Gel Pen. I put all the circles together, punched a small hole with the Crop-A-Dile and slid in a green brad from the Circle Ice Rhinestone Brads and applied it to the card with Dimensionals. Finally, I tied on a little bow with 1/4" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon. He's just dandy, don't you think?

And now to give equal time to the girls, here's a card that's all so pretty in pink -- Pirouette Pink, that is. A layer of Certainly Celery and then the DSP is mounted on the card base. I scalloped the bottom edge of the Certainly Celery cardstock using the new Scallop Edge Punch and added dots with a White Signo Gel Pen. I tied a length of 5/8" Pink Pirouette Striped Grosgrain ribbon and added a bow. The cupcake image is from Crazy for Cupcakes. I stamped it once on a small argyle print from the DSP pack (for the cup) and again on Regal Rose cardstock (for the frosting). I cut these out and SNAIL'ed them together and added sprinkles of Chunky White Glitter with a 2-way glue pen. The candle is cut from a scrap of the DSP and instead of a flame, I added a yellow Circle Fire Rhinestone Brad. Best Wishes is stamped using the new Cute & Curly set which is bundled with the Curly Label Punch. I punched two additional Curly Labels out of Certainly Celery cardstock and turned them 90 degrees to use as a little larger mat underneath the stamped label. (there's your tip for today!)

One last card today, for the more mature among us (OK, I guess I have to count myself!),using the fabulous Banbury Designer Series Paper. This begins with a cardbase of Close to Cocoa with a layer of Certainly Celery cardstock and DSP at the bottom of the card. I attached a length of 5/8" Certainly Celery Grosgrain ribbon. The sentiment is from God's Blessings, stamped in Chocolate Chip ink on Whisper White cardstock.This is mounted on layers of Close To Cocoa and Certainly Celery. The Certainly Celery layer has both sides scalloped with the Scallop Edge Punch and dots applied using a White Signo Gel Pen. Finally, the bow is cinched up near the sentiment and a piece of Certainly Celery cardstock is attached to the inside of the card. Just beautiful! Have I mentioned how much I love the Banbury Designer Series Paper? Well, now I have (again)!

Well, I need to go. I am actually finishing up some projects today that I need to get in the mail for the latest Stampin' Up! contest. Who knows, maybe they will be in print soon. I can't share them with you yet, but I will as soon as I'm able. Wish me luck!

Remember, I am again offering Sampler Kits of Designer Series Paper and Ribbon sets. It's a great way to get a little bit of everything without having to buy complete packages of paper or spools of ribbon.

And don't forget the CASE contest! Pick any card or project from the current Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog and remake it using your own colors, stamp sets and embellishments. Read the details by clicking on the link!

Have a great day everyone and I'll be back with more tomorrow! Blessings, Gretchen

PS -- that's a strange little nursery rhyme, isn't it? Click here to find out more about it's history and what it means!

Urban Garden Designer Series Paper -- How Elegant!

Wow, is all I can say about Urban Garden Designer Series Papers! This set caught my eye the minute I saw it and now that I've had a chance to work with it, I love it even more. The beautiful, rich jewel tones of Kiwi Kiss, Not Quite Navy and Baja Breeze play perfectly with the fourth color, Basic Gray. I''ve not used a lot of gray in my cards but am finding that it is a great neutral color and goes so well with many different colors. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger photo of all 12 designs in this set.

This first card begins with a base of Kiwi Kiss, layered with Not Quite Navy and one of the DSP patterns. The corners are punched with the Ticket Corner Punch. The large flower from Fabulous Flowers  was so much fun to stamp. I inked the entire image with Baja Breeze ink and then took a Sponge Dauber and added touches of Kiwi Kiss and Not Quite Navy. One of the things I love about this technique is that you never quite know the final result. Each one is different but isn't it beautiful? I cut the stamped flower out and mounted it on layers of Whisper White and Not Quite Navy. I tied a length of the delicious new Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla Double Sided Satin Ribbon (it is so soft and easy to work with) on the card, added the flower image and then tied a bow. The sentiment, from Best Yet, is stamped with Black Stazon ink. Such fun!

This next card uses the large flower pattern paper from the DSP pack. I love this pattern and the ways the colors and images work together, but the flower is so large that sometimes it is overwhelming. My philosophy when using large patterns like this is to use it in small bits. This pattern would be way too much if you used it on the entire background of the card or scrapbook page. But in small pieces, it's very pretty and effective. The card base is Not Quite Navy. I attachedthe DSP print onto a layer of Kiwi Kiss and again used some of that delicious satin ribbon. The floral image from Upsy Daisy, is stamped on Whisper White. I inked the stamp in Baja Breeze ink and then using that same Sponge Dauber with Not Quite Navy ink, I just barely touched the ends of the flowers on the rubber. When you stamp it, you get this lovely two-tone flower -- a great technique for these large silhouette stamps. I stamped the sentiment from Absolutely Fabulous in Not Quite Navy ink and attached this mat to a layer of Baja Breeze cardstock. I applied it to the card base using SNAIL adhesive and tied a bow with the Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla Double Sided Satin Ribbon. A nice finishing touch for any card, but especially helpful when using a dark colored card base, is to put a lighter color cardstock piece on the inside of the card. And if you're going to put it there, you might as well stamp it!

 One last card for today! Here is that beautiful Basic Gray color and look how beautifully it works with the Baja Breeze? Those are the only two colors to worry about on this card. The flower image is one of the DSP prints so it makes for a fast and beautiful card. I punched the corners on all the mats with the Corner Rounder Punch. I attached the 1" Baja Breeze Double-Stitched ribbon across the card and then stamped the label with the Cute and Curly stamp (Baja Breeze on Basic Gray cardstock) and punched it out with the new Curly Label Punch. This punch and stamp set come together as a bundle and are not available separately at this time. I stamped the sentiment on Baja Breeze cardstock and punched it out with the small oval punch. The entire thing is attached with Dimensionals. And you can see the inside image peeking out, stamped with Upsy Daisy. How is that for a fast and beautiful card?

Well, that will do it for today. I am again offering Sampler Kits of Designer Series Paper and Ribbon sets. It's a great way to get a little bit of everything without having to buy complete packages of paper or spools of ribbon.

And don't forget the CASE contest! Pick any card or project from the current Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog and remake it using your own colors, stamp sets and embellishments. Read the details by clicking on the link!

Have a great evening and Happy Stamping! Blessings, Gretchen