Oh What Fun!

I love making pretty gift packaging.  Fancy tags really make a gift stand out.  Stampin' Up! products coordinate so well together that making gorgeous and fun tags is a snap.

Here are some tags I made for my Christmas "treats"

• Chalk Talk Framelits are a tag makers dream!  Tags of all shapes and sizes that coordinate and layer beautifully together.
• Christmas Messages Stamp Set.  All kinds of cute sayings and fonts that fit perfectly on tags or cards or scrapbook pages.  It's really perfect!
• Silver Glimmer paper.  All the gorgeousness and sparkle - none of the mess.

Joyful Tidings

Each Christmas it seems a particular theme stand out to me. This year it was the miraculous appearance of the angel to the shepherds and the heavenly host singing praises to the King.  I thought the beautiful 18th century hymn by Charles Wesley, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, would be the perfect starting point for my card inspiration.

I created my own Designer Series Paper in My Digital Studio.  I took the lyrics for Hark the Herald Angels Sing and used the font called "Jefferson" (for 18th century appeal) which I downloaded from Google fonts.  I printed it on Very Vanilla card stock and used it as the back ground for my angel.

• The angel is cut using my Silhouette Cameo E-cutter (maybe you'll get one for Christmas!)
• The angel layer is embossed with the Wood Grain Embossing Folder and daubed with Champagne Shimmer Paint (sadly, discontinued.)
• The sentiment (Christmas Messages stamp set) is embossed with Gold Embossing Powder and cut with the Deco Framelits

About to Blossom Part 2

Here's another hybrid card I created using the gorgeous and versatile About to Blossom Digital Kit.



See my previous post here for information on printing the digital designer series paper.

Think feathers are for masculine or fall themed cards only?  How about some fancy, shimmery, pink feathers to change your mind? This card is a fusion of inspiration somewhere between Jane Austen and Marie Antoinette.  Undeniably feminine.

Elements I used to create this card:

• Apothecary Accents Framelits Dies
• Oval Framelits Dies
• Fine Feathers stamp set
• Simply pressed clay and Buttons & Blossoms molds
• A Dozen Thoughts stamp set
• Smooch Spritz
• Dazzling Details
• Modern Medley Designer Series Paper

About to Blossom

Every Tuesday Stampin' Up! releases new downloads for My Digital Studio.  It's exciting to have such fresh and fun content always within in reach and always on trend!
Last week I fell head over heels for the latest Digital Kit:  About to Blossom

 

I'm nuts about Digital Kits in general, too.  They have SO much content for a great price.  They are a fantastic way to build your MDS creative arsenal quickly and inexpensively.

Now, I have loads of ideas for digital projects with this kit, but I also am so crazy about the beautiful Designer Series Paper that I had to print it out and use in a "hands-on" kind of way.

Here's my quick advice on printing MDS designer series paper:

• Select an 8.5 x 11 project
• Use a square punch and resize it to cover half of your page
• Do this again for the lower half of your page
• Fill the top and bottom punches with the DSP of your desire and then zoom in or out to get the size of the design right for your project
• My best results printing have come from Matte Finished Photo Paper.  Paper that is not "photo paper" does not, in my experience, produce good results
• Now you have two 5.5 x 8.5 sheets of DSP to play with
• Print more as needed!

Other supplies used for this card:

• Blossom Punch
• Chalk Talk stamp set & Framelits
• Simply Pressed Clay and Molds for button
• Floral Frames Framelits Dies stamped with Betsy's Blossoms
• Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack with Crystal Effects (flower center)
• Little Leaves Sizzlit Die
• Modern Medley DSP
• Basic Gray and Tangerine Tango Ink

This card is also my entry for this week's Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge







 

Catalog Inspiration

Feeling short on inspiration?  Spend some time cozied up with the Stampin' Up! Catalog.  There is no shortage of beautiful, adorable, practical, simple, and fun ideas for projects.

This card was inspired by the gorgeous gift bag on page 88.  I've had the Mixed Bunch stamp set in my collection since it came out and, admittedly, I haven't used it in awhile.

This sample helped me see its potential in a new way and I'm excited to create with it again!

• I embossed the Pool Party Coredinations card stock with the Honeycomb Embossing Folder
• I sanded it for a distressed look with the Stampin' Sanding Block
• I stamped the blossom and the sentiment (from the Four You stamp set) with Versamark and heat embossed them with White Stampin' Emboss Powder
• The blossom was punched out with the Blossom Punch 
• The center of the blossom is a scrap of Daffodil Delight card stock stamped with Crushed Curry ink and finished with Whisper White 1/4" stitched ribbon.

New Month! New Stuff!

The Holiday Catalog is here!  It is jam-packed with fabulous ideas for quick and easy holiday cards and projects!  Click below to see it now.

 

What's even more exciting?!  This catalog is interactive!  Simply scan your smart phone over designated images in the catalog and see how-to videos.  Watch the video below for a quick tutorial.

Butterfly Lace

I love Stampin' Up's new Butterfly Collection Stampin' Wheel:



Now, I did not actually use it to make this card (I promise many upcoming projects with it soon!), but it inspired me to try a "lace" technique with My Digital Studio and my Silhouette Cameo E-Cutter. 

• I imported two different butterfly punch shapes to my e-cutter software
• I resized them to make the small
• I copied them several times over and arranged them in a pattern I liked
• I cut them out with my e-cutter
• Voila! Butterfly Lace inspired by this beautiful stamp.

 

This card is also using the layout for this week's Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge:  

Tools and Techniques:

• My Digital Studio - for the butterfly lace
• Chalk Talk Stamp Set with Versamark Ink and White Embossing Powder
• 1 3/8" Circle Punch
• Floral Framelits Dies
• Blossom Punch
• Crisp Cantelope, Basic Black, Pink Pirouette, and Whisper White Cardstock
• Basic Black Chevron Ribbon