Sponge Brayer

If you have not used Stampin' Up's new sponge brayer (found on page 180 of main catalog) you are missing out on a great technique that is so easy.  I played with it a few times last weekend.  My favorite card I made with the sponge brayer is this one:

I used the DSP called Irresistibly Floral Specialty.  You can find it on page 172 of the main catalog.  It has beautiful designs that are embossed for you.  This is so you can make it any color you want.  Where it is embossed the color does not stick to it.  I used Peek A Boo Peach (of course).  You cannot see lines from the sponge brayer.  It was so easy.  I made the bottom right corner darker by going over it more times.  I used less strokes on the top part of the paper to show you how you too can make it fade.  There are so many ways you can use this paper and sponge brayer, you just have got to order it and try it.  Or come to my class in August and you will get to see just how easy it is. 

I also used one of my favorite thinlits Flourish.  I love the detail and the many items it has in it.  You can find it on page 194 of the main catalog.  I used Night of Navy for the main card, the piece going across and the flowering vine.  Flourish thinlit comes out very easy without tearing or lots of poking.  I love it.  So have my customers.  I hope you have bought it from me.  Remember just go over and push the Stampin' Up logo button on my blog and you too can place an order and have it delivered to your door step.

I chose not to put any words on this card.  I felt it could be used for many different reasons.  So my customers will be able to add a saying on the inside if they choose.  On the inside I used a smaller version of the vine from the Flourish thinlit.  Go on order it.  You will not regret it.  Janice

Jar of Lightning Bugs

Ok I knew that yesterday was going to be a busy day for me in my day job, so I nicely did a posting on Wednesday.  Yesterday I was too excited to post so I was very glad that I had made the decision to post a day early.  Now today I am here posting because I feel lost without posting every other day.  I hope you enjoy my blog. 

This was a card I had my hostess club make at their July club time.  They all loved it.  They were so happy with it many of them ordered the bundle.  The jar is so fun to play with.  The lightning bugs are also fun.  Who does not love lightning bugs?  I remember as a kid trying to catch them.  Then bringing them in the house in a jar and they would light up in the house.  Now when they get in my house my cats cannot figure out what they are.  This is the largest jar in the Everyday Jars Framelits set.  You cannot see it well in this picture but there is chunks of glitter in the jar.  So yes it is a shaker card.  Now don't we all love shaker cards?  It was fun to watch everyone that has looked at the card shakes it.  And no glitter falls out.  The new SU foam strips work great to keep the glitter inside the jar.  One strip of the foam fit perfectly around the edge of the jar (remember I said I used the largest jar). 

How to make the shaker jar you ask.

1. Cut the jar out of the Night of Navy card stock.
2. Put your adhesive around the back side of the Night of navy along the edge of the jar.
3. Place a window sheet on top of your adhesive you put down.
4. Put the foam strip on the window sheet around the edge of the jar.  I started at the top and worked my way around, but it really does not matter.  You just do not want any gaps in the foam strip.
5. Next pour your glitter, confetti, etc. onto the window sheet.
6. Then peel off the layer from the foam strip and lay what ever picture, card stock, etc. that you want to show through your jar.  Mine was on white card stock I stamped the lightning bugs (remembering to also color them so that they were lit up).  Make sure it is laying flat and sealed. 
7. Then I added the Daffodil Delight card stock to layer it on my card front.  I put SU dimensionals in each corner of the Night of Navy so that it would be the same thickness as the foam strip.

Shaker cards are great for any age person.  I hope you will make a shaker card.  Watch for more ideas using the Jar of Love stamp set.  I will post more soon.  Janice

Bella & Friends

This stamp set can be found on page 101 in the main catalog.  It is such an adorable set.  I made this card by using a layout I found on pinetrest.  It was fun to take a layout and decide what stamp set I wanted to use and how.  So here is what I came up with.

I love the turtle and dog nose to nose.  I can just imagine a dog going right up to a turtle and them both smelling each other.  I added the parrot with the heart up in the corner.  On the inside is a dog holding a bone.  On the front it says You've got a friend in me.  I think this card can be used for a friend that thinks they are alone and struggling.  Remembering that we all need to let friends, coworkers, and family know that we are willing to be there and share what we have with them.  The ribbon is the striped ribbon I made into a banner look on the left bottom corner.  The colors I chose were Tip Top Taupe and Watermelon Wash.  The green I used was Cucumber Crush. 

If you are interested in owning this stamp set or others please push the Stampin' Up logo on the right hand side of my blog.  This will take you directly to the Stampin' Up website where you can order.  I appreciate your business.  Enjoy your day and week.  Do a little stamping so you can smile.  Then share that card and put a smile on someone else's face.  Janice

Artistically Asian

This stamp set is one I knew I would get.  I love the look of it.  I can see using this stamp set in many ways.  Today I used it by using my markers to color on the rubber.

I used the new incolors Emerald Envy and Sweet Sugar Plum.  I also used Soft Suede for the dirt.  If you look at the right corner I added a Sweet Sugar Plum enamel dot.  I am finding I love the enamel shapes.  Having so many colors to choose from makes it so easy to add that little extra touch.  The saying on the card is something I need to remember.  "Faith is trusting God, even when you don't understand His plan."  I plan to send this card to a friend that I know is struggling trying to understand what God has in store for her future. 

I love the clean look this card has.  I hope you do too.  Janice

Thoughtful Branches

Stampin' Up has a new bundle coming out in August.  It is very exciting.  As a demonstrator I was able to order mine ahead of time.  So I have mine and have just had an opportunity this weekend to play with it.  I will share more of it over the next few weeks.  So stay tuned.

Here is a simple clean card I made using the Fruit Stand DSP.  I just love this paper.  It is so soft and yummy.  I have not bought the fruit stamp set that goes with it.  But I have found many times how it works with other stamp sets.

 

So the main card is Peek A Boo Peach.  I loooovvvvve that color.  It is so soft.  The ribbon matches beautifully.  I added a layer of Pear Pizzazz under the middle piece.  Those two colors go well together.   I used my tags and labels framelits for the words I chose.  I love that framelit.  The words say I hope you feel appreciated.  They come from the Thoughtful Branches set I was talking about that you can order in a few weeks.

What do you think of the peach print on the DSP?  I love a good juicy peach.  The striped DSP is on the other side of the peach print DSP.  So as you can see I like both sides of this DSP.  Janice

Easy quick card

I love the card I am showing you today.  We are making this in my doubles card class this coming Saturday, July 23rd.  I think you could easily change the colors up and have a totally different look.  I took the sample in the catalog and made it even more simple.  Look on page 135.  You could add the strip of washi tape or DSP and bakers twine.  My card was made to be super simple and not needing much in colors or supplies. 

Of course I finished the inside.  I left it blank so that you can write what you want.  This would make a great card for many reasons.  I love this watercolor words stamp set.  I enjoy the watercolor look.  I hope you do too.  Janice

Thinlits

Thinlits are so fun and easy to work with.  So this card I wanted to make easy but full of fun stuff.  Well I think I accomplished that.  The heart is made with Night of Navy and the Sunshine Wishes Thinlits.  The flowers are made with DSP paper pack (Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie) and Old Olive.  We used Flourish Thinlits to cut the flowers out.  We added a rhinestone in the middle of each flower.  Gotta have that sparkle.  The washi tape added on the bottom is Floral Boutique. 

The inside we made very simple by using the stamp set called Falling Flowers on page 127 of the main catalog.  I fell in love with this stamp set immediately.  It was one of my first stamp sets I bought from the new catalog.  I love every stamp in the set.  Go look at the entire 2 pages of ideas in the catalog.  There is so much to do with it.  Janice

Hedgehogs

Love You Lots again.  I know.  But I love this stamp set.  It is so versatile.  The little Hedgehogs are so adorable.  I made this into a thank you card.  I have been using a lot of thank you cards lately.  I used Peekabo Peach.  This is a new incolor.  I love this color.  I used the fine point of the chocolate chip marker to add a little color to the hedgehogs.  I also took my Peekaboo Peach marker and did the same.  Not too much.  Just enough to help give it a little color.  I will let you know how my customers do when they make this one at my doubles card class on July 23rd.  Or you can attend that class if you RSVP in time. 

And of course I always have the inside done too.  So the card says Thank you, friend.  You're the best.  So fun and easy.  Janice

Sweet Cupcake

Ok so I have to admit that this cupcake stamp set I thought I could live without.  haha  I really thought oh I have the cupcake punch from another stamp set.  I don't really need another one.  Boy was I wrong.  And I discovered it pretty quickly after the catalog arrived.  Of course I ordered the bundle and got the thinlet too..  That was a no brainer. 

 

So this is the thank you card I made.  It turned out so adorable don't you think?  This was one of the cards my customers made at my card class last Saturday.  They agreed that it was easy to stamp and give that great frosting look.  The 3 step process is very easy.  You stamp the lightest color of ink in the most solid stamp.  Then you take the next color and do the second stamp.  Then your darkest color you use last with the smallest stamp.  It is very easy to work with.  I think part of the reason is that it is a photopolymer stamp.  So you can easily see what you are stamping.  The cup cake liner is the same thing.  On the front of the card we used the thinlets to cut them out.  Then we used dimesionals to pop the frosting.  The DSP I used is Fruit Stand.  I love that paper.  And it is not just for fruit.  Did you notice the swirly on the front?  That is in the thinlets too.  It adds a dimension.  Fun.........

 

Here is the inside of the card.  Here we did not use the thinlets.  So customers got to see how easy it was even when you were not going to cut it out.  I think it could use a little wink of stella on it.  I love that sparkle you get from wink of stella.  Janice

Frogs stamp set

Good morning everyone.  Today I have a fun and quick card you can make.  I love decorating with frogs (not real) in my house.  My back entrance and laundry room have frogs and lizards on the walls and the floor.  I don't even live in Florida.  I would not want real ones in my house.  But I love the fun metal lizards and frogs that are bright fun colors.  So today I am sharing a card I made for my doubles card class on Saturday, July 23rd. 

 

The frog stamp is from the hostess set that is so popular called Love You Lots.  I thought these frogs looked like they were peeking in.  So I thought they could send love to someone that has been sick.  So I made it into a get well card.  

 

This is going to be a quick and easy card for my customers to make at my popular doubles card class on Saturday, July 23rd.  This is a great class for all levels of stampers.  This class does fill up so RSVP to make sure you have a chair to sit and make all 5 cards twice.  Janice

Rubber Rummage Sale

 

 

This weekend was my card class and I included my Rubber Rummage Sale too.  Lots of things were bought.  The picture shows what is left.  The good news is it is not all of my things.  Some of it is from a few of my customers that decided to let go of some of their stamp sets that they have been holding on to for many years.  I have decided to do 2 more Rubber Rummage Sales (since I have the items all in part of my living room). 

 

The next one is on Wednesday, July 20th from noon until 3pm. 

Then the final one will be on Saturday, July 23rd from 9-noon. 

Many of the items range from $1 - $10. 

So the items are definitely priced to sell.  

 

This is one of my cats, Squee.  He does not like it when we move furniture.  He paces back and forth and jumps on furniture we are moving.  The night before the Rubber Rummage Sale he sat in the middle of the table with stamp sets under him.  Now I get being close to stamp sets........  But they are not even ones he has used.  lol  This picture is him on the back of the couch when we had finally put it back in it's place.  Now he is happy until we move the furniture again for the next Rubber Rummage Sale.

 

Janice



Thank You

I saw this on someone's blog (sorry I don't know the person's name)  I need to get better about writing the person's name to give them credit.  I loved this idea.  I decided to make it for a thank you card.  I layered the black to be 5"x3 3/4" and the next layer of white to be 4 3/4" x 3 1/2".  I added the wavy lines from the thinlit swirly birds and trimmed the edges.  Then placed it down.  I stamped in black ink, the flowers from the stamp set called Gratefu Bunch (found on page 94).  Then punched them out using the Blossom Bunch Punch.  I colored the flowers in with Daffodil Delight marker.  I stamped a few on the inside of the card and colored them in too.  I used my go to stamp set for thank you ideas Thankful Thoughts found on page 39.

 

If the print is too small for you to read it says I'm overwhelmed by your generosity, your giving spirit and your unending kindness.  Wouldn't that saying just make you feel special?  Send it to someone that makes you feel special.  It will make their heart warm and thankful you are in their life.  Janice

Floral Phrases

If you have not been wowed by the stamp set Floral Phrases on page 77 open up your eyes!!!!  Stampin' Up did an awesome job of showing this stamp set, bakers twine, washi tape, thinlets and DSP.  I fell in love with this set the minute I saw it.  I knew I had to have it all.  So yes I do have it all.  This group of items would be great for a wedding invitation, etc.  I started out thinking I would do this card in Night of Navy.  Well I decided I wanted to share it in another color so I chose Calypso Coral (that was my wedding color so it fit for me).  So here it is but it is not a wedding card.

It is a thank you card.  I love the words that come in this set.  A special note of thanks to you...... on the inside I stamped one of the other stamps of words.  For all the thoughtful thing you do.  I love how this stamp set allows for the different amounts of color (shading) without having to be good at shading it by yourself. 

I am sorry I did see this on someone's blog in Night of Navy but I cannot remember her name.  If I run across it I will give the credit to her by sharing her name. 

Janice

Layering Love Stamp Set

I told you I would share another card made with the stamp set Layering Love.  Well here it is another easy card but joined with Swirly Birds Stamp Set.  Bring the two great stamp sets together and you have a wonderful card.

I love the thought enjoy the little things in life.  How we forget to take time to enjoy life.  Today would be a good day to take a few moments to enjoy something small and simple.  Then take time to make this card and share it with someone you know that needs to take a deep breath and enjoy the little things life has to offer.  Janice