The Perfect Blend

Hello Stampers!

     I hope this finds you enjoying your weekend and having a little time for paper crafting.  Today's card was inspired by the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches.  My first though when I saw it was to pull out and ink up this wonderful coffee cup in the Perfect Blend stamp set.  And, of course, I needed a little bit of grunge to go along on the ride, so I invited Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and Epic Day DSP to the party as well.  Here is my under 10 minute, quick and easy card.  I hope you enjoy.  Supply list to follow tomorrow...

** side note:  decided my scratch paper might just make the perfect backdrop for this messy card.  ;)

My card:

The sketch:

Stamping Supplies:

Stamps:  Perfect Blend, Gorgeous Grunge

Ink:  Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Early Espresso

Paper:  Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, Epic Day dsp

Handy Tools:  SU Paper Snips, Stampin' Trimmer

Pretties:  Neutrals Candy Dots, Linen Thread

Truly Grateful

Hello Stampers,

     I really wanted to play along with this sketch from Retro Sketches this week so I thought and thought about what I wanted to create, and I think my longing for cooler weather very much influenced my choices.  ;)  This is a quick and easy card using the Big Shot Die Cutting tool once again.  (Not sure I can make a card without it now) Hope you enjoy and get some stamping time in this weekend.  By the way, have I mentioned lately that I am Truly Grateful for you, my readers?  Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave your kind comments.  

Happy Stamping!

barb

My card:

The sketch:

Stamping Supplies:

Stamps:  Truly Grateful

Ink:  Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Stazon Black

Paper:  Chocolae Chip, Sweater Weather DSP, Very Vanilla

Handy Tools:  Big Shot, Oval Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, color pencils

Pretties:  Burlap Ribbon

Rev Up The Fun!

Hello Stamping Friends,

    Today's card was inspired by Andrea Walford's card from my Blog Hop yesterday and the Paper Players latest sketch challenge.  This card came together fairly quickly with a little bit of stamping, die cutting with the Ovals Framelits and the newest "kid on the block" Thinlit Card Dies.  I love all of the expressions and little elements that come with the card dies.  SO much fun!  I thought this card turned out just perfect for a little boy and I have just the boy in mind for it.  :)  When his birthday comes around, he'll be Revin' Up The Fun!  

Enjoy and happy stampin'!

barb

My card:

The sketch:

Stamping Supplies:

Stamps:  Rev Up The Fun

Ink:  Bermuda Bay, Staz On Black, Versamark

Paper:  Bermuda Bay, Very Vanilla, Basic Black

Handy Tools:  Big Shot (what would I do without it??), Thinlit Card Dies, Label and Circle, 

Ovals Framelits

Pretties:  This and That Washi Tape

One Stop Blog Hop!

Hello Stampers!

     Today I'm bringing to you beautifully stamped, quick and easy cards from all over the web with my 

"One Stop Blog Hop!" 

A big "thanks" to all of these very talented stampers. 

Enjoy and be inspired! 

Andrea Walford

 Brian King

Deb Currier

RaeDeen Bitner

Lisa Young

Justin Krieger

Special Season in Garden Green

Hello Stampers!

Yes, it's Christmas again today.  Since I'm going through my incredibly large stack of unmade and unfinished cards, I'm finding every type you can imagine, so I going from fall to Christmas to springtime all in the matter of a half hour!  It's awesome and I'm getting so much accomplished in my craft show prep.  ;)  Hope you enjoy today's quick card.  

Stamping Supplies:

Stamps:  Special Season

Ink:  Garden Green, Crumb Cake

Paper:  Garden Green, Shimmery White

Handy Tools:  Petals-A-Plenty (oval traced on the middle of the folder and cut out)

Pretties:  Basic Pearls,  Candy Dots (brights), craft store ribbon

Statement Of The Heart

I love rubber stamping.  I love to teach people to rubber stamp, especially those folks who really believe they don't have a creative bone in their bodies. :) I've asked myself the question over and over what draws me to this particular paper craft.  Well, when I joined Stampin' Up, they answered my question for me.  Their "Statement of the Heart" became mine as well.  I share it with you today.  

Have a stamping kind of week!

barb

Venetian Butterflies

Hello Stampers!

Today's card was inspired by Mary Fish over at Stampin' Pretty.  My card is a direct CASE of hers except that my color choices are from the Venetian Romance designer series paper pack.  I liked her idea and thought her card

was so pretty.  Hope you enjoy it too and spend some time stamping today!

blessings,

barb

Stamping Supplies:

Stamps:  Express Yourself (hostess)

Ink:  Island Indigo

Paper:  Island Indigo, very vanilla, Venetian  Romance DSP

Handy Tools:  Elegant Butterfly Punch

Pretties:  Large Pearls

Clean and Simple in Venetian Romance

Hello Stampers!

     Have you ever begun something, a project, a card, a new way of eating and it felt like nothing but one big long struggle?  Well, today's card was a struggle for me. Struggle means:  to proceed with difficulty or with great effort.  The key word in this definition for me is "proceed."   To struggle means to push on, move forward, and keep going until you reach your goal.  Well, I was working and working on this card and I said to my husband:  "Gosh, this is so hard and not even fun anymore."  Huh?  That can't be.  Stamping is always fun, right?  ;)  Well, I had an epiphany while creating today and I felt I needed to share this with you.  Whatever the struggle, there can be joy in the midst of all of it all.  I think I will be keeping this particular card on my refrigerator (wink, wink) as a pretty reminder to keep moving forward. 

Have a blessed weekend,

barb

My card:

The Clean and Simple Sketch

Stamping Supplies:

Stamps:  Layered Lables

Ink:  Tangerine Tango

Paper:  Crisp Cantaloup, Tangerine Tango, Venetian Romance DSP

Handy Tools:  Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Apothecary Accents Dies

Pretties:  Linen Thread, Candy Dots

Painter's Tape Technique

Hello Stampers,

     As I was surfing Pinterest today, I came upon a card that grabbed my attention. It was a new to me stamping technique using blue painter's tape.  I found the video tutorial at Stamp With Bee. (Thank you, Dianne!) It was so fun and easy that I just had to make a card tonight for two different challenges:  

A color challenge with ColourQ and a sketch challenge with Create with Connie and Mary.   The great thing about a sketch is that you can turn it and flip it and still make it your own.  Have fun with it and try to get some creative time this weekend to stamp!

barb

My card:

stamping supplies:

Stamps:  Blue Ribbon, Family Reunion(retired)

Ink:  listed below
Paper:  Whisper White, Old Olive, Early Espresso

Handy Tools:  stripes embossing folder,  1 3/8 circle punch, 2 3/8 scallop circle punch

Colour Q challenge:

 Create With Connie and Mary Sketch

Grateful For Sweater Weather

Hello Stampers!

I was inspired today by the sketch challenge over Sunday Sketch and Stamp.  I have been so focused on making Christmas cards lately so I shifted my focus to fall and some of the new fall products in the the Stampin' Up!  

 Holiday Mini Catalog

Here is my card:

Here is the sketch:

Stampin' Supplies:

Stamps:  Magnificent Maple* (131868), Harvest of Thanks*(131739)

Ink:  Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry

Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry, Sweater Weather dsp* (132184)

Cool Tools: Woodgrain Embossing folder, Circle Die,  Bitty Banners Dies

Pretties:  Burlap ribbon* (132140), Designer Natural buttons (127554), Linen Thread

*Holiday Mini Catalog Item

Exciting New Stamping Tools!

Hello Stamping Friends!

Just a short post today to show you the newest cool tools from Stampin' Up! 

The first is called the Envelope Punch Board. (133774 Available Sept. 1, 2013)  I've made an envelope to coordinate with my very first cards from SU's Paper Pumpkin kit.**   I've also lined my envelopes with the Envelope Liner Framelits.  I've posted a video below of this product.  It finishes a card and envelope with such style, and a great way to use dsp.  Hope you enjoy today's inspiration and think about ordering some of these awesome new tools that will take your stamping craft to the next level!  

**If you sign up for Paper Pumpkin, be sure to choose me as your demonstrator, if you don't yet have one.  Thank you so much!

barb

Ornament Keepsakes In Indigo

Hello Stampers,

     Been busy making cards for the craft show in Sept that I am going to and I'm finding all kinds of retired Stampin' Up! goodies to use, and mixing those items with current stamps and pretties.  This card is for the Paper Pal Arts sketch challenge. I used a card base from a retired card kit, the Ornament Keepsakes stamps (128051)in Island Indigo and Holiday Ornament Framelits,(127816) and a shiny mix of our newest silver ribbon and basic rhinestones.   Enjoy!

barb

My Card:

Details:

The sketch:

Craft Show Prepping Is A Festive Flurry!

Hello Stampers!

    Don't you just love a card that is quick and easy but looks a little lux too?  I do.  Today's card, keeping it clean and simple,  is one made from a retired card kit that was offered through Stampin' Up! a couple of years ago.  So, because I'm preparing for a craft show in a few weeks, I'm using up lots of retired products.   Now, to bring a little lux to the simple, plain card base, I heat embossed the brand new Festive Flurry stamp and framelit bundle from the current Holiday Mini Catalog using a mixture of silver (109131) and iridescent ice (101930) embossing powders.  Frosted Finishes Embellishments add just the right bling. The sparkly outcome made me smile...really big.  Ribbon is from a local craft store.  Hope you enjoy!

My card:

Details:

Inspiration:

One Stop Blog Hop!

Hello Stamping Friends!

     It's time again for my card picks for the One Stop Blog Hop.  I found these card designs while surfing the web and fell in love!  There are so many creative stampers out on the web and so I'm sharing my favorite creations with you.  Hope you enoy!

barb

Dawn Griffith

Linda Callahan 

Margaret Raburn

Pam Strobel

Nancy Littrell

Sandy MacIver

Inspiration....It's Everywhere!

Just as the title says, inspiration really is all around us!  Today's card lives up to the name of this blog, too.  It was quick and easy because it was a one layer card, one large background stamp, two ink pad and one marker.   I was very happy because when I showed my photo inspiration and my card to my husband, he immediately got it!  :)  To achieve this effect, I simply inked my background stamp with the crumb cake pad and the accented areas with the basic gray marker.  (Be sure to re-moistened your image before stamping when using this technique.)

Hope you find your inspiration this week and create something beautiful.

barb

Thanks to Mary Fish for reminding me to look in unexpected places for fresh ideas.

My card:

My Crate and Barrel Inspiration:

Stamping Supplies:

Stamps:  Hello Doily background stamp, Hand Penned Holidays (retired)

Cardstock:  Naturals White

Ink: Crumb Cake, Basic Gray  Basic Gray marker

Pretties:  Basic Pearls

Gingham Garden Birthday

Good Monday, Stampers!

Today's card is brought to you by a sketch from the folks over at  Clean and Simple Blog.   As soon as I saw the sketch I knew I had to play with the Stampin' Up! Gingham Garden designer paper and the washi tape butterfly that I had made a couple of weeks ago.  Now, I can't say this is a quick card, but it was pretty easy and FUN to make!   Who doesn't just love playing with washi tape?  It's just a fun and really versatile product.

So, onto my card and the sketch challenge.  Enjoy and happy stamping!

barb

My card:

Washi Tape Butterfly detail:

The sketch:

Stamping Supplies:

stamps:  Banner Greetings (hostess)

ink:  Island Indigo

Cardstock:  White, Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo, 

Accessories:   Trusty Big Shot, Butterfly Die, corner rounder punch

Pretties:  Gingham Garden Washi Tape, Basic Pearls