Birthday for an Aspiring Actress

I almost didn't post this card, mostly because virtually everything on it dates way, WAY back. But as I've said over and over, I love this hobby because it allows us to create cards that are perfect for the recipient. In this case, it's for my teenage niece who adores being on the stage. I'm thrilled that I had products, no matter how old, that allowed me to put this together for her. (Notice that I'm giving myself and all of you an excuse for huge stashes and keeping old products!)

The old die set by Taylored Expressions - Center Stage - includes the curtains and stage as a frame along with the tiebacks and the lights. I filled the stage with another old TE die - Potty People Border. The "happy birthday" is Arched Happy Birthday by My Favorite Things (which of course is closed now). I gave it all some texture with embossed stars in the background and a corrugated panel for the stage. 

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Sentiment Staples: Birthday
Dies: Taylored Expressions Center Stage Cutting Plate, Taylored Expressions Potty People Border, My Favorite Things Arched Happy Birthday
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight and Pool Party, Taylored Expressions Granny Smith (I did the banner a while back and don't know what other colors I used)
Ink: Taylored Expressions Peapod
Embossing Folders: Stampin' Up Mini Corrugated 3D, Spellbinders Stargazer

Freshly Made Sketches: Happy Happy Birthday

We're back after the holidays with a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Amy and here’s what I did with it!

I decided that that fun angle of the sketch would allow me to go very simple with the rest of the card. I added a scrap of bright stripes along the bottom then embossed the main panel with sprinkles. I picked a sentiment die that was bold enough to fit across the front and unique enough to be eye-catching. Then I added a "happy happy" and a few glitter dots. 

And this is a perfect example why I love sketch challenges. Basically I used one patterned paper, an embossing folder and a die cut. The card could have been boring. But I think the angle on the sketch gave it a fun and celebratory look. 

I hope to see you playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Neat & Tangled So Many Sentiments
Dies: Trinity Stamps Simply Sentiment Birthday, Stampin' Up Tasteful Labels
Paper: Stampin' Up Sunshine & Rainbows dsp, Flirty Flamingo, Mango Melody and So Saffron cardstock
Other: Taylored Expressions Sprinkles embossing folder, Doodlebug glitter enamel dots

Atlantic Hearts Sketch: Thank You

 My friend and Stampin' Up demonstrator gave me a wonderful Christmas gift - the Enduring Beauty stamp set along with stencils and dies! So the first thing that I had to do was make her a thank you card. A big thank you to the team at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge for giving me the creative idea of splitting the bouquet of flowers into each corner.

I don't do a lot of stenciling probably because I find it very stressful. Adding the first color is OK but my anxiety level grows with each new stencil. What if it slips and all my previous work is ruined?! Then I can't tell you how carefully I line up the die and obsessively tape it down before I cut it out. This one really peaked my anxiety because then I had to cut it in half to fit each corner. My friend and SU lady loves stenciling so she'll never understand the stress that this card caused me.

Funny story. She's been my "dealer" for 25 years. For many of those years, we would meet up in my church parking lot when she had an order to give me. One time, her husband was along and as we were exchanging the order and the payment, he burst out laughing and said he was SO glad he knew what was going on. Think about it. An empty parking lot. One car window opens and hands an envelope to the other car. Then the second car hands over a large bag. Wouldn't it have been hysterical had the police shown up thinking they were taking down an illicit deal?! 

I went all Stampin' Up for this card although some of the supplies are long retired.

A big thank you to the team at the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge for the inspiration.

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Stampin' Up Enduring Beauty (including stencils and dies), Thank You Kindly
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green

Ink: Stampin' Up Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Lemon Lime Twist, Granny Apple Green
Other: Stampin' Up Layered Leaves Embossing Folder, Brushed Brass Butterflies

Freshly Made Christmas: Trimmed Trees

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!  Today we have a sketch by Narelle and here’s what I did with it!

This is my last Christmas card!!  I've had a tough time getting them finished up because it just hasn't been winter yet in my part of Colorado. After I finished this card, I walked to my favorite brewery and sat on their patio - in short sleeves - drinking a cold beer - and it was still too warm. I live in a state that is supposed to have winter and the weather puts me in the Christmas mood but it might as well be spring right now (and for the rest of the 10-day forecast). Some of you may think that sounds fantastic, but I'm a winter person. In fairness, Denver doesn't typically have white Christmas (one in 2022 and prior to that it was 2015). Our big snow comes in February and March, but that doesn't mean there isn't typically snowy days by now and I use those days to play Christmas music and make Christmas cards. We've had one good snowy day this year and that's not enough for my cards.

This one started out being made for my friend and Stampin' Up demonstrator. It was supposed to be all Stampin' Up but took a left turn fairly quickly. I picked the paper but then none of my Stampin' Up Christmas tree dies fit in the space and stamped trees didn't work because it turns out my old Mint Macaron ink pad that matched the paper had dried up. I just gave up at that point and used products from three other companies!

I hope to see you playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches. We'll be taking a break after this one and won't be back until January 7th.  Since I may not be posting between now and then - I hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Waffle Flower Holiday Cheer
Dies: Echo Park Three Trimmed Trees
Paper: Stampin' Up Whimsy & Wonder dsp, Mint Macaron CS
Other: Concord & 9th Berries & Boughs embossing folder

Freshly Made Sketches: Peace, Joy & Love

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Michele and here’s what I did with it!

This is a very fun set of dies by Spellbinders. Not only does it include the beautiful poinsettia, a wide variety of greenery and that sweet bird with his hat, but there's also a big candy cane! I'll definitely have to keep the set near the top of my stash until I've used the candy cane.

I had so many different color options cut out that I realized it wouldn't take much to make a second card!  But I still didn't use the candy cane!

I hope to see you playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Spellbinders Christmas Bird Poinsettia, My Favorite Things Stitched Jumbo Fishtails
Stamps: Waffle Flower Classic Holiday Sentiments
Ink: Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow
Red Poinsettia:
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Old Olive, Lucky Limeade, Mossy Meadow, Crushed Curry, Snowflake Specialty Vellum
Other: Stampin' Up Brick & Mortar Embossing Folder, Stampin' Up Gold Glitter Enamel Dots
Pink Poinsettia:
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green and Daffodil Delight, Taylored Expressions Peapod, Granny Smith, Sprinkles and Salt Water Taffy
Other: Taylored Expressions Diagonal Stripe Embossing Folder, Stampin' Up Polka Dots Embossing Folder

Hand Stamped Sentiments: Cardinal Joy

I'm playing along with the inspiration at Hand Stamped Sentiments using products from the Nordic series at Poppystamps.

Obviously there was a cardinal in the inspiration photos and that is what caught my eye given I have this Nordic Resting Cardinal in my not-yet-used stash. (There's also a Perched Cardinal facing the other way but I didn't have space for him.) Since I was going Nordic, I also pulled out the Nordic Holly Sprig and the Nordic Layered Joy.

The color choices also came from the inspiration. Red and green were clear choices but when I decided to do the "Joy" in metallic colors, I originally had golds out. Then I looked at the photos and realized something I really liked about them were the cool white and gray backgrounds which really made the colors pop - so I switched to silver. 

Thanks to Hand Stamped Sentiments for giving me the inspiration to pull out these fabulous dies.

SUPPLY LIST
Dies: Poppystamps Nordic Resting Cardinal, Nordic Holly Sprig and Nordic Layered Joy, Taylored Expressions Diagonal Stitch Rectangle Stacklets
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Pecan Pie and Granny Apple Green, Taylored Expressions Cilantro and Peapod, My Favorite Things Pineapple, both silvers are unknown scraps

Freshly Made Sketches: Joy

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Be sure to pop over to the blog because we haev a couple of fabulous new members on the design team!  Today we have a sketch by Karren and here’s what I did with it!

I love this fun "joy" and decided it was basically circular and would work for the sketch. I was thrilled when I stumbled on the paper that surrounded the "joy" with Christmas lights. From there, I just wanted to add joyful Christmas elements so used some candy cane stripes and candies and a background of embossed Christmas ornaments.

I hope to see you playing along with us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST
Dies: Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps (now Creative Worship) Peace and Joy word dies, Taylored Expressions Banner Stacklets 2
Paper: LDRS Creative Peace & Joy, Photoplay Brights, Stampin' Up Poppy Parade
Other: Simon Says Stamp Heirloom Ornaments Embossing Folder, Dress My Craft Carnival Candies, Imagine Sheer Simmer Stix