Watercolor Wings Stampin'Up!

Hey there stampers! Happy humid Monday!
How are you doing with all of this heat and humidity?

Yesterday was a little too muggy for comfort, I thought.  But since the temperature wasn't all that bad, we gave the a/c a rest.  I'm hoping to become more accustomed to the higher temps.  It isn't easy to go from the 70's to the 90's/100's in just a few days!

As promised, this week I'm going to show you the cards we made at my Watercolor Wings class on Saturday.  Here's the first one...

The stamp set we used is called Watercolor Wings and you can see it on page 75 of the new catalog.  It's a three step set and here's how we "built" the butterfly.  For the first layer we stamped in Daffodil Delight.  The second layer is Pumpkin Pie, stamped off once.  The third layer is Soft Suede.  The body of the butterfly is stamped in Early Espresso, as is the sentiment.  We used the Bold Butterfly framelits (at the top of page 172) to cut out the butterfly.  It was super-easy to create that watercolor washed background.  We used the new background stamp called Watercolor Wash (page 129) and stamped it with Daffodil Delight.  After stamping the sentiment (from the hostess set called Best Thoughts on page 180), ribbon was wrapped around the panel and the shorter pieces were tied on. Adding the butterfly with a glue dot was the final touch.  This pretty card was fairly quick and easy to make.  It takes a few tries to get the feel of the three-step butterfly, but since the stamps are the perfectly clear photopolymer kind, it's really pretty easy to line up the images.  

What's on your agenda for this last Monday in June?  Whatever it is, try to keep cool!  Oh, and please come back on Wednesday for more watercolor inspiration.
Think cool thoughts!
Susan

Sprinkles of Life Stampin'Up!

Yay!  Friday is here!  

Got exciting plans for the weekend?  I'm hosting a stamping class... Watercolor Wings... and I'm excited to show my customers this fabulous three-step set that makes the most beautiful multi-colored butterflies.  I'm planning on sharing those cards next week, so don't miss them.  For now, I want to share the final card from my first Techniques on Tuesday class.  This card was probably the most fun of all to create, as it involves making marbled paper using shaving cream.  Check it out...

I'm sorry this is a bit out of focus.  You all know by now that I'm not a photographer!  And there's not much to be said for my little digital camera either.  Still, I think you can see enough detail to grasp the look of this card.  

To create the marbled ice cream scoops, we used shaving cream and ink refills. First, squirt some shaving cream onto a plate.  Smooth it out a bit, then drop some ink onto the surface.  Use a knife or craft stick to swirl the color around, then smush a piece of cardstock into the shaving cream.  Remove the paper, and scrape off the shaving cream using a spatula.  Voila!  Marbled paper!

To create the random pattern on the Pink Pirouette panel, we used marbles, a stamp box, and a Pink Pirouette refill.  Place a few drops of ink in the bottom of the box.  Pour in some marbles.  Roll the marbles around and around in the ink.  Open the box and tape the Pink Pirouette panel inside the top of the box.  Close the box, flip it over and roll, roll, roll those marbles around!  Open the box and remove the paper.  

We used the ice cream cone image from the new Sprinkles of Life set (inside back cover of the new catalog).  It was stamped in Hello Honey on So Saffron card stock.  There's no punch that coordinates with the ice cream cone, so we cut it out by hand.  Then the scoops of ice cream were punched out using the Tree Builder Punch that coordinates with Sprinkles of Life. The sparkling cherry on top was punched from glimmer paper using the Cupcake Builder punch, which includes that cute tiny cherry.  The sentiment says "Hope your day stacks up to be one good thing on top of another."  

This card just looks good enough to eat!  

Well, stampin' peeps, that brings another week to a close.  Thanks for being my readers.  If you can share my blog with other stampers, I sure would appreciate it!  May the weekend ahead be filled with happy times!

Hugs,

Susan

Sprinkles of Life Stampin'Up!

Hi stamping friends!

We sure had fun at last night's Techniques on Tuesdays class!  The techniques were a hit and everyone went home having learned a new trick or two.  I'm sorry if you missed last night's class, but there are 4 more to come. The next class (on Tuesday, July 7th) is all about Fun Folds.  You are going to learn some great new folds that will make your friends sit up and take notice of your card-making skills!  

I wanted to show you another one of the cards we made last night using wacky supplies.  Check out this pretty card, made with bleach and wrinkled-up tissue paper.

I used Whisper White card stock for the focal panel, along with Crumb Cake for the base of the card and Mossy Meadow for the background. We stamped the fern image with bleach on the Mossy Meadow panel.  Each color of card stock bleaches out to a different color.  Mossy Meadow bleaches out to a color similar to Crumb Cake, so that worked out well!

The collage-stamped focal panel is done in a technique called Faux Silk.  First the Whisper White panel is stamped all over.  After giving it a few extra minutes to dry, cover the entire surface of the panel with glue stick.  Then take a small piece of tissue paper and wrinkle it up into a tiny ball.  Then carefully unfurl the paper and pat it onto the surface of the stamped panel.  Be careful not to smooth the tissue paper out as you apply it.  I wrapped the green panel with some Linen Thread, which has a nice earthy quality, then created a little embellishment that is popped up on dimensionals.  I love the outdoorsy look of this card!  If you have a friend who loves camping, hiking, or just being outdoors, this would be the perfect card for them.  You can add the sentiment of your choice to turn this into a birthday card, a retirement card, a thank-you, or even a sympathy card. 

Thanks for taking time to read my blog today!  I'm off to cut paper for my Watercolor Wings class this Saturday at 10:30 am.  I've got a couple of spots left, so please email me if you'd like to take one of them.
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Susan

By the Tide Stampin'Up!

Helloooo Stampers!

It's the very first Monday of Summer 2015!  I'm excited because I'm trying out some new stamping events this summer.  In an effort to expand my stamping business beyond Saturdays and Sundays, I'm offering events during the week.  Tomorrow will be my first
"Techniques on Tuesdays" class and it's going to be a bit crazy! We're going to be using all sorts of strange items to create our cards... things like rubber bands, marbles, shaving cream, and drywall tape, just to mention a few.  You might be thinking "those cards are sure going to be ugly!" but I think you'll be surprised at how the cards turn out.  Scroll down a bit to see one of the cards we'll be making.

This beachy card uses the By the Tide stamp set that carried over into this year's annual catalog.  The card stock colors are So Saffron, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, and Soft Suede.  The ink colors are Basic Gray, Soft Suede, Calypso Coral, and Pool Party.  That great netting in the background is drywall tape.  It is so easy to use, as it is already sticky on one side.  Just apply it to your card and it sticks like magic!  You can pick up a roll at Home Depot for about $7.  You might want to split a roll with a friend, as there is a LOT on each roll.  

The watery background is easy to create.  I just popped the roller out of my brayer, wrapped it with rubber bands, rolled it on my Pool Party stamp pad, then lightly rolled over the paper, which creates the wavy lines.  It couldn't be easier, but what an artistic effect!  Be sure to remove the rubber bands right away, or you'll have a permanently indented roller for your brayer.  That wouldn't be a happy thing!  

Well, my friends, I'm going to bring this to a close, as there are just a few things on my "to-do" list today.  Hope you are enjoying the sunshine and summery weather.  Please come back on Wednesday for more stamping inspiration!

Hugs and Happiness,

Susan

Bloom for You Stampin'Up!

Hey there, stampers!  It's Friday once again!  
Can you believe that June is already more than halfway over?  At this rate, summer will be gone before we know it!  Don't you wish there was some way to slow time down, so we could have longer to enjoy each day of this beautiful sunny season?  And more ice cream cones, barbecues, corn-on-the-cob, outdoor concerts, farmers' markets, picnics, and trips to the beach?   If you can figure out a way, please let me be the first to know your secret!

I've got a super sunny card for you today.  I really love how this card turned out!  It uses a couple of new things, and then a stamp that "carried over" into the new catalog.  Check out this happy card...

One of the stamps I'm most excited about is the new background stamp called Brushstrokes (page 128 of the new catalog).  I've always loved gingham, and with this stamp I can create gingham backgrounds in all the colors I want.  Of course I can create stripes as well.  Or I can create a plaid effect by inking the stripes in different colors by using markers.   The possibilities are mind-boggling!  For this simple background I used So Saffron ink.  The flower, Bloom for You (page 78) is stamped in Calypso Coral ink on Whisper White card stock, then punched out with the coordinating Fun Flower Punch.  I stamped the flower again in So Saffron and punched out the center with the 7/8 inch Scallop Circle Punch.  The sentiment is one of my favorites in the new catalog.  It comes from the stamp set You've Got This (page 113), and is stamped in Early Espresso.  The twine is the new Thick Baker's Twine in Calypso Coral ( page 158). 
Do you know someone who is going through a tough time right now?   Maybe someone who's lost a job, received a scary diagnosis, or is having a challenging time with a family member?  Life can throw some very unexpected things our way.  Send your friend/co-worker/relative a ray of hope with this great sentiment.  It is good to be reminded in the midst of trouble that good things are going to happen.  Believing that good things are coming is a way to "hold down the fort" until things turn around in a positive way. You can offer that hope and share a ray of light for someone who's in a dark place.  
Happy Friday everyone!
Susan

Sprinkles of Life Stampin'Up!

Hi again!  Thanks for coming back today... I appreciate each and every one of my readers!  Although it is technically not summer and won't be until June 21st, it sure feels like summer, doesn't it?  One of my rituals for welcoming summer is purchasing the first watermelon of the season, which I did today.  There's nothing that says "summer" quite as deliciously as a cold, crisp, juicy watermelon.  Oh, and speaking of watermelon... I used the new color Watermelon Wonder on this card.  Scroll down and take a peek...

I'm sorry that my camera does not accurately capture the bright, juicy color that is Watermelon Wonder.  You'll have to see it in person to appreciate its saturated beauty.  That bright green in the background is the new Cucumber Crush, another one of the new In-colors that will be with us for the next two years.  I think we're all going to end up loving this great green.  

The fun designer paper with the snow cones, doughnuts, and balloons is called Cherry On Top and can be found on page 144.  It is a 6 by 6 paper stack and sells for the very reasonable price of $8 for 48 sheets.    Wouldn't this be a great card to send to a young child in your life?  Actually, I think it would work for just about anyone, male or female, young or old.  In case you're wondering, the small cherry on top of the cupcake comes from the Cupcake Builder punch.  The icing, sprinkles, and cupcake base are all part of the Sprinkles of Life stamp set on the inside back cover of the catalog.  Looking at that cupcake is making me wish I had one right this very minute.  Who knew that stamping was a cause of weight gain?  I think a slice of watermelon would be a better choice, don't you?  And I won't have to turn the oven on either!

Hope your Wednesday is a sweet one... with watermelon or a cupcake or other little treat!  I'll look forward to seeing you on Friday for another stamping idea!
Hugs to all,
Susanj
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Floral Wings Stampin'Up!

Howdy, Stampers and a happy Monday to all!

I hope your weekend was wonderful in every way!  And if it wasn't wonderful... well, at least now it's over and you can move forward.
I thought the slightly cooler weather was delightful, didn't you?  
I love summer and sunshine, but we needed a little more time to adjust from cool to hot.  

How are you liking the new Stampin'Up! catalog?I have too many things on my "must have" list, but that's nothing unusual!  I received an order on Thursday and have more new goodies to play with.  One of the hostess sets that really caught my eye is called Floral Wings.  You can see it at the back of the catalog at the top of page 180.  It's a three step stamp set.  First you stamp the butterfly image, then you add the flowers and then for the third step you add the leaves.  
Here's how the butterfly turns out when you're all finished...

Isn't that cool?  Once I had the butterfly stamped, I used the Bold Butterfly Framelits to cut it out. The card stock colors I used are:  Basic Black, Whisper White, and Calypso Coral.  The designer paper is called Pretty Petals and you can see it on page 144.  This mini-paper stack measures 6 x 6 and has some of the prettiest patterns I've ever seen.  The ink I used is Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, Calypso Coral, and Old Olive.  I used the new Elegant Dots embossing folder and the Ovals Collection Framelits for the ovals behind the butterfly.  I thought the butterfly looked a bit naked, so I added the row of tiny pearls to the center,  If you'd like to mail a card like this, it would probably be a good idea to leave the pearls off. Or, you could mail it in one of those bubble envelopes. That works too!
I'm busily getting ready for Coffee and Cards on Wednesday.  If you'd like to attend, I've got 3 spots left.  Please come back on Wednesday when I'll have another stampin' idea for you,
Monday hugs,
Susan

Summer Silhouettes Stampin'Up!

Yippee skippee!   Friday's here again!  
I think today's the last day of school for many teachers and kiddos!  I've only been retired since 2008, so I still feel a bit giddy when this day rolls around each year.  And of course I still feel a bit let down when school starts again in the fall and I'm not part of the excitement.  
In honor of the advent of summer vacation, I thought I'd share this summery card with you, made with the stamp set Summer Silhouettes.  This is one of my very favorite stamp sets and when it retires, which thankfully it hasn't, it will find a spot on my shelf of "keepers."  
This bright and pretty card was designed by Mary Peterson, one of the great stampers in my downline.  Each of us made one of these at our demonstrator meeting on May 27th.  I just love how these two new In-colors look together... Watermelon Wonder and Cucumber Crush.  Check it out and you'll see what I mean.

The base of the card is Tip Top Taupe, and we used it to sponge around the focal circle and the sentiment, which is from Banner Banter on page 101.  The flowers and leaves are stamped in Watermelon Wonder and Cucumber Crush.  The black dots on the flowers are just a couple of tiny circles, punched from Basic Black card stock.  The strip of Watermelon Wonder card stock was embossed with the very versatile Decorative Dots embossing folder, which is my "go to" dot folder, now that Perfect Polka Dots has been retired.   Thanks so much, Mary, for letting me share your card with my readers.
What is on your agenda for the weekend?  Camping?  Going to the beach?  Or maybe you're like me and plan to stick around close to home.  Whatever you've got going on, may it be relaxing and rejuvenating!  
I hope you'll come back on Monday for more stampin' ideas.
Happy weekending everyone!
Susan

Sprinkles of Life Stampin'Up!

Hello and thanks for coming back this fine Wednesday!  

I've got a yummy card for you today!  It reminds me a bit of Mint Chip ice cream.  You know, a dreamy pale green with deep dark chocolate.  Hmmm... wish I had some right now!  
Here, let me show you what I mean...

This fun card was designed by Shannon Carrier and we all made one at a recent demonstrator meeting.  That pretty light green is one of the new In-colors, Mint Macaron.  I think it looks "dee-lish" paired with Early Espresso.  I was happy to be able to use some of the new Dotted Lace Trim (page 159 of the new catalog).  It is soft and lightweight and really easy to work with!  I think you'll love it as much as I do!  The color we used here is Tip Top Taupe, a lovely neutral that goes with so many other colors.  The printed paper is one of the patterns you get in the new Designer Series Paper Packs (page 144).   The words on this paper don't tell a story.  They're just random words such as create, share, so much, love, dare to dream, so sweet, love this life, love your face, awesome,  life's little moments, and other words and phrases.  
The cupcake was stamped with the Sprinkles of Life stamp set that's on the inside back cover of the catalog.  This is probably the
most versatile stamp set that we've seen in a very long time.  Check out this stamp set and then run to your computer to order it (or send me a quick email and I'll order it for you!)  There's even a fun punch to go with it, called the Tree Builder Punch (page 167).  Thanks, Shannon, for allowing me to share your card on my blog!

Well, stampers, that's it for today!  Wish I could stick around and chat a few minutes longer, but I've got a long list of things to accomplish today and I'm pretty sure you have one of those lists as well.  So off we go!  
I'll see you right here on Friday for more stamping inspiration!
Hugs,
Susan

Friendly Wishes Stampin'Up!

Hey there, Hi there, Ho there!  It's Monday!

So, what did y'all think of our hot weekend?  I have to admit that we "wimped out" on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons and turned on the a/c.  On Saturday, it was truly necessary, as I had a house full of stampers at my New Catalog Kick-Off.  I feel an obligation to my customers to keep them cool and comfortable.  On Sunday I was laboring upstairs in my stamp room and it was just too, too hot up there without the a/c running.  It is hard to think, let alone be creative, when it's over 80 degrees.  It looks like summer might have actually arrived!  I'm ready... how about you?

As promised, I've got more new stuff to show you, so here's today's card, courtesy of Kathy Milano. 

Kathy designed this card and we all made it at our last demo Stamp2gether.  The stamp set is Friendly Wishes (page 122 of the new catalog) and the designer paper is called Bohemian.  The colors in this collection of paper are:  Bermuda Bay, Blackberry Bliss, Island Indigo, Delightful Dijon, Rich Razzleberry, and Very Vanilla.  Kathy used Delightful Dijon for the base of the card.  The scallops along the left-hand side of the designer paper strip were created using the 3/4 inch circle punch and just lining them up under the edge of the strip.  Clever!
We colored directly on the stamp with markers to get the different colors of letters in the word "best."  Some sponging with Bermuda Bay ink around the circle that was cut with one of the Circle Framelit dies makes it stand out nicely.  This is one of those "gender neutral" cards that we all need to have in our stash.  That way, we're not paddling through a sea of girly cards, desperately searching for something that would be OK to send to a guy.  Been there?  I've been in that situation more than once, but I still gravitate to the flowery stamp sets.  

Thanks for visiting with me today and I hope you'll be able to stop in on Wednesday for more stamping inspiration.
Monday hugs,
Susan

An Open Heart Stampin'Up!

Hi again!  Thanks for coming back to visit with me today!  Are you ready for the weekend?  I'm excited to be hosting my New Catalog Kick-Off tomorrow (Saturday), with a morning session from 10-noon and an afternoon session from 1 to 3 pm.  I hope I'll see you!

Today's card features some of the new In-colors with a set that is returning to the annual catalog.  I'm so thankful that An Open Heart was not retired, as I love that little bird and the beautiful branch, not to mention the accompanying words.  Check this beautiful set out in its new home on page 25 of the new catalog.

This lovely card is the work of Janet Jones,  a talented member of my downline and another one of our Stamp2gether participants.  For our swap this month we all used Sketch #37 from Freshly Made Sketches.  If you're stuck for a card layout, go to freshlymadesketches.blogspot.com and you'll have a wealth of sketches from which to choose.   Janet used Tip Top Taupe for her card base, with a vertical strip of Delightful Dijon and some Watermelon Wonder for accents.  That's some of the new Dotted Lace Trim peeking out from the Delightful Dijon strip on the left-hand side.  The bird and branch are stamped in Tip Top Taupe, as is the sentiment, which is from the Tap,Tap, Tap stamp set on page 104.  I love how this little bird is holding some Linen Thread in her beak!  She's obviously in nest-building mode!  Thanks, Janet, for the great card!

Well, my friends, that wraps up another week at The Classic Card!
Now that I've received my shipment of new treasures, I'll be showing you more, more, more new cards... just as quickly as I can make them!  
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Hugs,
Susan

Best Thoughts Stampin'Up!

Hi stampers!

There are sooo many new things I want to show you, but I can't do it all at once.  The new catalog is here and I hardly know where to begin in showing you all of the great new goodies that are available to play with this year!

First of all, let me start by saying that the new In-colors are amazing.  Those people at Stampin'Up! really know their stuff when it comes to colors.  When I first saw the colors, I have to admit that it wasn't love at first sight.  But that's just me.  It takes me a while to warm up to new colors.  Now that I've been using them, I love them!  One of the best things is how well they work with existing Stampin'Up! colors.  

Here's a pretty card I received as a swap at a recent demonstrator meeting.

This card is the work of Kathy Milano, one of our Stamp2gether participants.  Kathy's cards are always well-composed.  For this beautiful card, Kathy used the new host set called Best Thoughts and the gorgeous new Watermelon Wonder (one of the new In-colors).  I believe that large bloom resembles a rhododendron, but I'm open to your suggestions as to what it might be.  She used the large flower and stamped it in Watermelon Wonder on Watermelon Wonder card stock to create the flowery background.  The mats of Basic Black behind the background and the focal panel make the colors "pop." She stamped the sentiment in black Memento ink.  Don't you just love that font?   Kathy also used some of the new Dotted Lace Trim to add a feminine touch to her card.  Thanks, Kathy, for letting me share your card with my readers!

I've got many more new stamps and goodies to show you, so please come back to The Classic Card on Friday, when I'll have another card to inspire you.  
Hugs,
Susan

Just One More Day!

Hello Monday and Hello June!

Where have the days gone?  How can it be June already?  I think we must have entered some kind of time warp, where the time sped up while we weren't paying attention.  Whatever happened, the calendar does say June first.  Are you ready for tomorrow?   Or maybe you don't know what tomorrow is.  June 2nd is the day that the new Stampin'Up! catalog goes "live" and we can start ordering from it!  As you might imagine, I've got a pretty big order that I'm submitting tomorrow, so that I'll have plenty of new stamps, ink, and paper to keep you, my great customers, entertained, inspired, and enthusiastic.  

We'll be using some of the new goodies this Saturday, June 6th at my New Catalog Kick-Off.  I've got a few spots left... one for the morning session (10-12) and 6 for the afternoon session (1-3).  Please let me know via email if you'd like to attend.

Here's a fun card for you...

This was my swap card for a recent demonstrator meeting.  I used the new Tip Top Taupe for the background of my card, embossed with the Decorative Dots embossing folder.  The striped taupe DSP is from the new paper stack called Cherry on Top.  The stamp set is called Sprinkles of Life and can be seen on the inside back cover of the new catalog.  This is the Ronald McDonald Charities set for the year. I stamped the cupcake in Tip Top Taupe, then stamped the icing in Pink Pirouette on Pink Pirouette card stock.  The sprinkles and sentiment are stamped in Early Espresso.  I tied some Pink Pirouette seam binding into a soft bow and added it with a glue dot for a little more color.  If you changed the color of the icing and omitted the bow, this could be a card for a guy, because everyone loves cupcakes, don't they?

I hope your Monday and your week are off to a great start!  Be sure to come back on Wednesday when I'll have some more new stampin' stuff to show you!

Hugs,

Susan