Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Sympathy Cards

Sympathy cards are never fun to make, but they feel good to give. I really like having them on hand because you never know when you will need one. Today at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration, some of our Design Team members are sharing what they have created. Please take a moment to stop by and check them out!

For this card, I chose to use {Ex Libris} as the background. I think that has to be one of my absolute favorites. It is so elegant. Because the background is fairly busy, I didn't want to over power the card with too many embellishments or layers. Sometimes less is more?

Supplies

Cardstock ~ Smoky Slate, Whisper White

Ink ~ Rose Red, Basic Gray

Stamp Sets ~ Ex Libris, Perfect Pennants

Tools ~ paper trimmer, paper snips, dimensionals, sponges, adhesives, stamp-a-ma-jig

Embellishments ~ Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack (Pool Party Twine), Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons, Pearls Basic Jewels

Oh Baby!

I have been wanting to make one of these for quite some time. I love doing the chalkboard technique and this is a super cute way to incorporate it. I think it would also be adorable for a teacher's card. But, since I don't have any baby cards in my stash I thought I should do this instead. 

The cardstock by itself is too thin to let the easel stand on its own, so I backed it with Vanilla Coaster Board.

Supplies:

Cardstock ~ Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Basic Black

DSP ~ Sweet Sorbet

Stamp Sets ~ You Are My Sunshine (retired), Itty Bitty Banners, Hardwood, Banner Blast

Ink ~ White StazOn, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pool Party

Tools ~ Itty Bitty Banner Framelits, Boho Blossom punch, Banner punch, Vanilla Coaster Board, Dimensionals, paper trimmer, adhesives

Embellishments ~ Sweet Sorbet Accessories Pack, Mini Brads, Pearls Basic Jewels

Itty Bitty Banners Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$11.95

Boho Blossoms Punch

$16.95

Vanilla Coaster Board

$5.95

Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack

$0.00

Banner Blast Wood-Mount Stamp Set

$0.00

Banner Punch

$0.00

Silver Mini Brads

$5.50

Basic Pearls Jewel Accents

$4.95

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

Easter Poppies

Easter is just around the corner. Can you believe it? It's crazy to think how quickly this year is going by. I remember when I was younger and impatient to be 16, my dad told me that time goes by faster and faster the older you get. Of course I thought he was exaggerating, but it turns out that he was right. I think time is flying by at mach speed!

With Easter on the horizon, I wanted to create a card that portrayed SPRING. To me, nothing says spring, more than bright beautiful flowers. I am absolutely IN LOVE with this {Pleasant Poppies} stamp. It has so many possibilities. I love possibilities! 

 I wanted to make these little beauties POP and stand out from the {Hardwood} background. They needed to be BRIGHT and cheery! To achieve that, I stamped them onto Whisper White cardstock, water colored them with a Blender Pen, then cut them out with my Paper Snips. Time consuming, yes. Worth it, definitely! 

Supplies

Cardstock ~ Pool Party, Baked Brown Sugar, Whisper White, Crisp Cantaloupe

Ink ~ Baked Brown Sugar, Lucky Limeade, Crisp Cantaloupe, Strawberry Slush, Daffodil Delight, Pink Pirouette, Black StazOn

Stamp Sets ~ Hardwood, Pleasant Poppies, Delightful Dozen, Happy Watercolor

Tools ~ Paper Trimmer, Paper Snips, Blender Pen, Deco Labels Framelits, Oval Framelits, Dimensionals, Adhesives

Embellishments ~ Crisp Cantaloupe yarn from the Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack (SAB catalog)

Happy Watercolor

$21.95

Hardwood

$13.95

Pleasant Poppies Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$13.95

Deco Labels Collection Framelits Dies

$24.95

Ovals Collection Framelits Dies

$26.95

Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack

$0.00

Big Shot Die-Cut Machine

$99.95

Blender Pens

$9.95

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I hope you all are feeling loved today. I am very excited for tonight. We are having a quiet dinner at home with the kids. I've made a special treat just for them. Strawberry Cheesecake! Not only is it their favorite, but it's wrapped up in this ADORABLE little jar with a sweet little Valentine note for each of them. I hope they like them!

Supplies

Cardstock ~ Pool Party, Whisper White

DSP ~ Fresh Prints

Ink ~ Real Red

Stamp Set ~ Hearts a Flutter

Tools ~ Paper Trimmer, 3/16" corner round punch, Itty Bitty Banner framelits, Hearts a Flutter framelits, Dimensionals, hole punch

Embellishments ~ Red yarn

Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe:

4 - 5 mini Mason jars

8oz. Cream Cheese

8oz. Cool Whip

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whip until smooth and fluffy. I used my whisk attachment on medium – high speed for a minute or two.

Crust:

9 Honey Graham Crackers (crushed)

1/3 cup Butter (melted)

Crush the graham crackers into crumbs and drizzle melted butter into the bowl. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of your jar. 

Layer crust, cheesecake to assemble your pie. Then, I topped it with a can of strawberry pie filling.

Enjoy!!!

Celebrate Sweet Sorbet!

I was in the mood for a CASE tonight. I saw this card on Pinterest this morning and decided I just HAD to make one. Of course I changed the colors and the sentiment, but the idea is all the same. 

Once again, Sweet Sorbet has come to the rescue. I am absolutely LOVING this DSP pack from the Sale-a-Bration catalog. SO MUCH FUN! I have to admit, I did use a few items from my craft-stash that are not SU products. But, all in all... I think it all works out.

Supplies

Cardstock ~ pool party, whisper white, basic black

DSP ~ sweet sorbet

Ink ~ basic black, soft sky

Stamp Sets ~ perfect pennants, misc. background letter stamp, stippled blossoms

Tools ~ paper trimmer, paper snips, misc framelits (from JoAnns), vellum, dimensionals, glue dots, anywhere glue, sponges

Embellishments ~ ribbon (from my stash)

*Wondering about the banner? It is hand drawn ;)

Hello Sweet Sorbet!

Good Morning! The sun is actually shining! I couldn't believe it when I went out to feed my horses. It totally made my day... and that was before 9am! It's gonna be a good one, I can feel it. 

I created this card late last night. I don't know about you, but that's when I work best. After everyone has gone to bed. Of course it helps that I'm an insomniac. I'd much rather play in my craft room than stare at the ceiling. 

I used the sketch from Mojo Monday. It's a fun one with lots of layers (my favorite!). I may have derailed a little along the way, but this was my take on it. I am totally obsessed with this Sweet Sorbet DSP from the Sale-a-Bration catalog. It's FABULOUS! Since I'm a horsey kinda gal, I wanted this card to have a southwestern kind of feel to it. When I saw this DSP in the catalog, I knew that was how I was going to use it. I'm also totally obsessed with the arrows too. So, I wanted to cram as many as I could into this card. It was a perfect way to end a crazy busy day!

Supplies

Cardstock > Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Summer Starfruit, Pool Party, Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe

DSP > Sweet Sorbet

Ink > Basic Black, Summer Starfruit, Basic Gray, Coastal Cabana

Stamp Sets > Oh Hello, Gorgeous Grunge, Geometrical, Peachy Keen, Hello Lovely

Tools > Stamp-a-ma-jig, paper snips, paper trimmer, Paper Doily Sizzlit, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch pack

Embellishments > Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons

Hello There... Love

Oh I love this card. Believe it or not, it was actually a pretty quick one to put together...and so FUN! I have had this Flower Trim for a long time and have never used it. Sad, I know. Especially since it is retired. Retired or not, it's still GORGEOUS and I couldn't let it go to waste. I entered this card in Try Stampin' on Tuesday's challenge #155. A Hearts and Flowers theme.

Supplies

Cardstock ~ Pool Party, Whisper White, Pool Party (Core'dinations), Crisp Cantaloupe (Core'dinations)

DSP ~ Sweet Sorbet

Ink ~ Summer Starfruit, Basic Black, Pink Pirouette

Stamp Sets ~ Oh Hello, Perfect Pennants

Tools ~ Decorative Dots embossing folder, Oval framelits, paper snips, Small Heart punch

Embellishments ~ Flower Trim, Hardware Clips Essentials, 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim in Crisp Cantaloupe

Misc ~ Ribbon

Measurement

4" x 5 1/2"

Fishin' Around #152: A fishy little Baby card

As soon as I saw this stamp, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it. Unfortunately, it's the SAME thing that everyone is doing with it. Oh well, I still wanted to make my own. I've tried this technique before with clear hair gel but it didn't hold up well over time. It became too thick, so I decided to try something else. This time I used hand sanitizer.

I'm absolutely LOVING this {Sweet Sorbet} Designer Paper Series pack from the new Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Bration catalog. It's so versatile! I love something that has many purposes. Especially in my cramped up craft room.

Supplies

Cardstock ~ Sahara Sand, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White, Summer Starfruit, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pool Party

DSP ~ Sweet Sorbet

Ink ~ Pool Party, Pumpkin Pie, Pacific Point, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight

Stamp Sets ~ Fishin' Around, Ciao Baby

Tools ~ Scallop Edge Border, 7/8" Scallop Circle, Itty Bitty Banners Framelits

Embellishments ~ Crisp Cantaloupe Ruffle Stretch Trim, Treat Cups

Other ~ Hand Sanitizer

How To Fish Bowl:

1. Use a couple pumps of Hand Sanitizer and a few drops of Stampin' Up! ink in a Treat Cup.

2. Mix together with a toothpick

3. Stamp with Black StazOn onto Whisper White cardstock.

4. Color with Markers.

5. Peel the back off of the adhesive and apply a circle cut from Window Sheet. 

6. Use Sticky Strip to apply to the card.

Bitter Sweet

It is BITTER cold outside. That's the bad news. The SWEET part is that Christmas is coming! It was 15 degrees out this morning when I went out to feed my horses. Poor little things! I wish I could bring them in the house, but for some reason my husband draws the line at the door. He just doesn't understand. Oh well..

So, I was in the Christmas spirit for this card. I had so much fun. I can't wait to get some more time to play around with all the ideas I have jam-packed in my head. I am a Christmas junkie. I turn on the tunes the day after Thanksgiving and (yes, while everyone is pushing and shoving on Black Friday) I decorate for Christmas. I'm not a traditional kind of girl though (If you haven't figured that out already...get with it!). I don't really like red and green. It's BORING! Why not add some pink and blue in there? And better yet, lets make it have a vintage feel to it. Yep, that's my kinda style.

Here is what I came up with. It's a little more green than I'd planned, but it has enough pink and blue in it to compensate for that.

Supplies:

Cardstock ~ Real Red, Very Vanilla

DSP ~ Everyday Enchantment (retired), Glimmer Paper

Ink ~ Baked Brown Sugar, Crumb Cake, Rose Red

Stamp Sets ~ Come to Bethlehem, Gorgeous Grunge

Embellishments ~ Pool Party button, brads dipped in Pool Party Embossing Powder

Misc ~ Cream ribbon, natural thread

Truly Grateful 3D

Anything but a card they said. Challenge it will be. This was created for The Paper Players latest challenge. A challenge indeed it was. I have been stuck in my little happy place creating cards for who knows how long. I've really never done any 3D objects. It was a really fun little project. Something new and different. I've been collecting jars for quite some time. I think this one was a jalapeno jar (don't worry, I washed it first). I can't stand throwing things away that I think may someday turn into a craft project.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, First Edition DSP

Ink ~ Early Espresso, More Mustard, Crumb Cake

Stamp Sets ~ Gorgeous Grunge, Positively Chevron, Truly Grateful

Other Supplies ~ Linen fabric, burlap fabric, burlap ribbon, pool party ribbon

Gift Sets!!!

I've been working on putting some greeting card sets together. Today's color theme was Pool Party, Crisp Cantaloupe, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso. Oh how I do love that Crisp Cantaloupe! These are so handy to give as gifts too! This set includes...

"Happy Birthday"

"Thank You"

 "Grateful"

"Friendship"

Please let me know what you think!

Truly Retro

Freedom! The kids went to play at a friends house today. Woo Hoo! That means my house will stay clean for more than 5 minutes and I get some STAMPING TIME! I'm taking every second I can get these days. We're still right in the middle of Harvest. I swear this is the longest year ever, or at least it feels like it. Probably because it's keeping me from my woman cave.

I felt a bit like Cinderella today. Mentally thinking, "Now if I manage to get all of my house cleaning done, I might have enough time to squeeze a card in." Rambling to myself is nothing new. My kids think I'm crazy. I like to have a conversation with the vacuum cleaner. It knows all my deepest and darkest of secrets.

As it turns out, I had JUST enough time to crank this one out. I created it for Retro Sketches challenge #74. I had fall colors in mind for this one. We're getting closer and closer to those pumpkin spiced drinks that I love! I also decided to change the way I photograph my cards. I'll work on the lighting...

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Core'dinations in Early Espresso, More Mustard cardstock, Very Vanilla cardstock, Specialty DSP

Ink ~ Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Pool Party, Baked Brown Sugar, More Mustard

Stamp Sets ~ Truly Grateful, Chalk Talk 

Embossings ~ Brads (coated with Pool Party embossing powder), White linen fabric (colored with the Brayer tool and More Mustard ink, Vintage Brads

*The embossing folder used for the background on this card is not from Stampin' Up!