More Butterflies!

Hmm, I took this picture at a bit of an odd angle... I think I was trying to make sure you could see how the butterflies were made. It sounds like a good reason, doesn't it?

So, if you were at the Stamp-A-Stack, you already know how to make these cute butterflies... but if you weren't, can you guess?

They're made using the Heart to Heart Punch. You fold a small strip of card stock in half and then punch them out with one of the hearts, leaving the fold up a bit from the bottom point of the heart. This will give you a butterfly shaped punch out. The "body" is made with the Horizontal Slot Punch. The grass is from the Inspired by Nature stamp set and the greeting is from the Three Little Words set. Colours are Certainly Celery, Rose Red, and Pretty in Pink.

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!)

We stamped a stack!!

This is the card that I love sooooo much!! It's such an easy card, but so beautiful! I was so excited to share it with everyone at this weekend's Stamp-A-Stacks...

You can actually cut all 4 of the butterflies at the same time by stacking the Lovely Lilac and Rose Red card stock on the larger butterfly and the Taken with Teal and Cameo Coral card stock on the smaller butterfly. The Big Shot cuts easily through both layers of card stock. Then you need to use a ruler and bone folder to run a score line down the centre of the butterflies so you get a nice crisp fold. Then you just arrange the butterflies on the front of the card and stick only one wing down so that the other will stand up from the card. I scalloped the bottom of my card and then added a strip of Cameo Coral card stock to the inside. The greeting and flowers are from the Short & Sweet stamp set.

I really enjoyed the Stamp-A-Stacks... There were a lot of card stamped - 215 to be exact! Wow, there was lots of hard work going on! It was so much fun!

So, I have posted the dates for the next Stamp-A-Stack on my website... remember to register early, especially if you want to come on the Friday night, as it fills quickly!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!)

Soft Summer meets Mother's Day

I thought I would share one of the few cards that I actually designed myself for this weekend's Stamp-A-Stack. It's time to start thinking about Mother's Day cards so I wanted to be sure to include one this month. I love this new Soft Summer stamp set from the Mini Catalogue. It's a 2-Step Stampin' set and this one absolutely requires the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig in order to line the two stamps up properly. I inked the bottom stamp first using Stampin' Write Markers - Certainly Celery, Cameo Coral and Summer Sun. Then once it was stamped, I lined up the second stamp, inked it in Basic Gray and stamped it over top. If you are coming to the Stamp-A-Stack and decide to stamp this card but don't need a Mother's Day card, there are lots of other greetings that you can choose to put on this card.

Must run... need to get to watching Survivor!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!)

The same... only different!

I have to admit that although we have some fantastic cards for this weekend's Stamp-A-Stack, not many of them are my own creations this time... I was really pressed for time to get ready so I had to borrow inspiration from others. Which is why I love to blog surf - there are just so many great ideas out there!

My Mom often laughs at me because I tell her that I copied a card from somewhere and then I show her the card that I "copied" and it looks very different from the original. Okay, so maybe it's more that I'm inspired by another card. Here's a bit of an example. I saw this card on Dawn's blog and loved it. But I didn't have the stamp sets to make the exact card so I knew I was going to need to adapt it a bit... well, here's the final result - the same, only different! As I worked with incorporating my own ideas, the card was transformed a bit. And I love it! The stamp set is from the Mini Catalogue as is the Designer Series Paper (sorry, I'm not close to my craft room to look up the names and I don't remember them off the top of my head...). I love the look of the Eyelet Border Punch used on Vellum Card Stock - I'll probably be using this on other cards! Oh, by the way, if you are coming to the Stamp-A-Stack and want to make this card but don't need a wedding card, there are other greetings in the set that would work well!

Still a couple of seats available for Saturday morning's Stamp-A-Stack! And, I've already received the first entry for the masculine card contest... scroll down for more info about the contest!

Enjoy the sunshine and happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!)

Another card contest!

Well, it was so much fun to see the creations that came in over the last few weeks in my Spring Card Contest that I'm ready to go with another contest! The "theme" this time is masculine... I know we often struggle with creating cards for the men in our lives so this might be just the way to find some inspiration. It can be a birthday card, a thank you card, or maybe a Father's Day card... anything that's masculine is fair game for the contest.

So, let's go over the "rules" again:

1. You must use only Stampin' Up! supplies - current or retired is fine.

2. When you email me the photo or scan of your card, you are giving me permission to post it on my blog (with credit to you - I will use only your first name or will not include your name if you request).

3. Your card should be your own design - it's fine, of course, to be inspired by someone else but try to change the colours or layout or stamp set if you are going to spin off from someone else's creation.

4. You must be in Canada to qualify for the draw.

Photos or scans of your card must be emailed to me by May 15th in order to be entered in the draw. I will announce the winner here on or shortly after May 16th (leaving myself a little flexibility this time because that's the long weekend and we will be in Calgary babysitting our nieces!).

And, what's in it for you? Well, besides the fame that comes with having your creation posted on my blog (LOL), once the entry deadline is reached, I will hold a draw with one entry per card submission - the winner will receive a $20 credit towards stamping supplies of your choice (from the current Idea Book & Catalogue) plus a free hostess stamp set (I'll have a few for you to choose from if you win).

Now, let me share a little inspiration with you. This will be one of the cards at this upcoming weekend's Stamp-A-Stack. To be honest though, I would not be able to enter this card because it's really not my original creation - I loved a card posted on Patty Bennett's blog and although I did make a few minor changes, this is almost an exact copy. The card is made with the Friends 24-7 stamp set which I recently ordered because I was seeing so many cards made with it that I loved! The Designer Series Paper is from the Sweet Slumber Specialty which you are going to love - it's card stock weight and has a bit of a texture. I stamped the bird on Whisper White using Basic Brown ink then coloured in the branch with Sahara Sand, the leaves with Mellow Moss, and the bird's feet and beak with Barely Banana. I've added some Chocolate Chip card stock and a greeting from the On Your Birthday stamp set and that's it. Oh, and the main card is Sahara Sand. Simple, quick, masculine card! I didn't even have the urge to add ribbon if you can believe it! : )

Speaking of the Stamp-A-Stack, I do have a few seats still open for Saturday morning... if you'd like to join in on the stampin' fun, email me to reserve a seat! By the way, I'm amazed because all 12 of the cards for the Stamp-A-Stack are ready to go... and the creating only started yesterday! It was a very good stamping day!! And, one of the cards is definitely in my top 10 favourite cards of all time! Can't wait to share it with everyone on Friday!! I'll post it here after the Stamp-A-Stack.

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!)

Guest Artist - Lorraine

Here is another card from my downline swap. This one was created by Lorraine. Lorraine used the stamp set called Classic Sketches along with Define Your Life. Notice how Lorraine also stamped part of the En Francais background stamp on the Bella Birds Designer Series Paper. It's hard to see in the photograph, but Lorraine also coloured the Taffeta Ribbon by rubbing ink into it. This is a great way to get ribbon in any colour that you need - just be sure to give it time to dry completely before you use it on your card! This is a very artistic and beautiful card which I am very happy to add to my sample basket. Thanks, Lorraine!

I'll be announcing the details for the next card contest over the weekend so be sure to check back!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!)

The winner of the Spring Cards Contest is...

List Randomizer

There were 7 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Deb

I used www.random.org to determine the winner by entering the names of all 7 people who submitted cards and then using the list randomizer to give me the name of the winner. Congratulations to Deb and thanks to everyone who joined in! All of the cards were great!

Deb, you have a $20 credit to spend with me whenever you are ready... And, you can also select a free hostess stamp set from the following: Punches Three, Best Yet, Organic Grace or Live Like You Mean It - all from the last Idea Book & Catalogue. Let me know what you would like!

Okay, I'm going to post another challenge very soon!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

More contest entries!

I've received three more entries for the Spring Card contest... Tomorrow is the last day for entries in this contest so get your cards in! : )

This card was created by Heather and she told me that it was inspired by the tree in her front yard! I can imagine how beautiful the tree must be... Heather used a retired set called Sheltering Tree. It looks like she used Rose Red, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue on the card. Notice how she cut the blades of grass into her Certainly Celery card stock. I also like how she used the Scallop Edge punch and then drew dots on with a White Gel Pen to add a nice touch.

Next is a card from Kristal... Doesn't this card look interesting?! Kristal says that she had seen this type of card on a blog and had to give it a try. Wow, I bet it looks amazing in real life! She has punched pieces of Designer Series Paper using a circle punch - I imagine that you could likely use any size and it would just change the size of your card. I'm not sure if you would need to score the circles before folding to get this to work - I would probably make one and then use it as a guide for the others... There are a few other details to note on this card - embossed flowers at the top, some stamping at the bottom and of course, the bling of a Rhinestone brad in the centre. Kristal sent another angle of this card so that we can really see how it is made... As I'm looking at this card, I wonder what it would be like to punch one layer out of a bigger circle punch, then use a different colour of paper and a smaller punch to do a second layer - I might try this using a 1 3/8" circle punch and then a 1" circle punch. Fun card!

And, this card is from Deb. She used a retired hostess stamp set that was called A Little Bit of Happiness. It's a bit hard to see as some of the colour has been lost but she did colour all of the images in using a Blender Pen and an AquaPainter. Colours on this card are Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery and Blush Blossom. The flowers are definitely spring!

Thanks to Deb, Kristal and Heather for these submissions! Winners will be announced on Thursday!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!)

Spring Card Contest Entries... so far!

Here are the first 4 entries that I've received for this month's card contest... All of these wonderful card artists will be entered in the draw for $20 of free stamping stuff plus a free hostess stamp set! There's still time to submit your spring-inspired card...

The first entry came from Faye. She used the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set along with a greeting from a previous Sale-A-Bration stamp set that was called Delight in Life. She used Basic Gray, Certainly Celery and Barely Banana on this card. Notice how she layered the two ribbons - I bet this is really eye-catching when you see the card in person. The cut out flower is adhered with Dimensionals to help make it stand out on the card.

Next is a card from Elinor. I loved both of the stamp sets that she used. The little bunny was a set in one of our Mini Catalogues a couple of years ago called Bunny Hugs. And I think that the daffodil came from a set called A Beautiful Life... my memory is really being tested here! : ) I had a chance to see this card in person and it's really cute - Elinor has the bunny and the daffodil up on Dimensionals so they "pop" off the card front.

This nice bright card was submitted by Jamie. She also used a previous Sale-A-Bration stamp set that I really enjoyed called Merci. I love the colours on this card - it looks like Gable Green, Only Orange and Pixie Pink... hope I guessed correctly! I can't recall the name of the stamp set that the greeting comes from - it was a set that had all four seasons included so this was perfect for this contest! Jamie did a lovely job on this card with lots of little details including the paper piercing around the mat on the main image and the piercing in the scallops.

And, last night, Carol Lynn sent in this fun Easter card. The main image is from a stamp set called A Good Egg. The flowers are from a wheel - can't remember the name of it. Carol Lynn coloured all of those little flowers in by hand! It's a bit hard to see in the photo, but she also coloured the edge of the Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon - she added a touch of Bashful Blue ink on each side of the ribbon.

These are some really great cards! Thanks to Carol Lynn, Jamie, Elinor and Faye for sharing their creations with us!

Check here for details about the contest and get your submission in by April 15th in order to be entered in the draw!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!)

Wagon Full of Fun for Easter

Here are two more cards that I designed for last weekend's stamping class... I wanted to give everyone two different options but using the same stamp set and the same pieces of card stock. The card with the Easter eggs was a little bit more work, but it was certainly the choice of most! And, one of the stampers made the little duck card into a baby card with was really cute. It was fun to design two cards with the same pieces... and I think everyone liked having the choice! Colours used on these cards are Barely Banana, Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, and Pretty in Pink.

I have now received 3 cards for the Spring card challenge. I'm going to post the entries received so far in the next couple of days... there's still time to email me your card! Remember, the contest will close on April 15th.

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!)

Cute & Cuddly

Here's another card that I designed for yesterday's stamping class... Isn't this little teddy bear cute & cuddly? I guess that's how they came up with the name for the stamp set!

I wanted the card to be suitable for either a baby girl or baby boy so I chose Sage Shadow, So Saffron and Close to Cocoa. The little bear is stamped on Watercolour card stock using Jet Black StazOn ink. Then we used a Blender Pen with Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip ink to colour the bear. I added some dots with the Itty Bitty Backgrounds stamp set and the greeting comes from the Short & Sweet stamp set.

Did you manage to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather today? I didn't spend much time outside - just long enough to walk to my car, but it sure was nice! : )

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!)

Simple watercolouring

This is a card that I designed for a stamping class that I had this afternoon and I thought that I would share this simple watercolouring technique with you... Notice how the cupcake is shaded. This is something I always admire in card samples but I've felt challenged to do it myself. Well, here's the trick!

First, I stamped the cupcake (from the new Wagon Full of Fun set in the mini catalogue) onto watercolour card stock using StazOn ink. Then I used Stampin' Write Markers to colour. I coloured the flame with Barely Banana and the candle with Sage Shadow. Next, I outlined the icing with my Pixie Pink Stampin' Write Marker and then I used my Aqua Painter to blend the colour. I just kept running the Aqua Painter over the Pixie Pink ink so that I could use it to colour in the icing. I let the water dry and then I applied more Pixie Pink ink to add a bit more colour. I blended again with the Aqua Painter. I did the same with the bottom of the cupcake, using a Close to Cocoa Stampin' Write Marker. It's a simple way to watercolour and give great results.

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!)