Christmas Ornaments

 Well with all the snow we've been having here in Michigan Christmas could have lasted for quite a while!  That's not why I'm making a Christmas card, but it sure would be a good reason.  It's time for 'Tis the Season's challenge and it's a sketch this week.  When I looked at the sketch I thought I might be the only Stampin' Up! demo out there that hasn't bought the hexagon punch! lol I had to use my embossing folder to get some hexagons on the card and used the ornament keepsake stamps to fill in.  I embossed them and used the framelits to cut them out. Then raised them using dimensionals.  I sure had a bugger of a time getting a decent pic of this card.  If I wanted it to be bright and really show the pool party sponging I needed to use the flash, but that would totally make the ornaments look funny because you could see the flash in the embossed silver so they didn't turn out.  I'm satisfied with this one, but I have to say it's so much prettier in person. :)

Head on over to the blog HERE to check the challenge out and see what all the designers made.  It's always a good thing to get a head start on Christmas cards...you only have 10 months before they need to be sent out! lol

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Stamp Sets:  Ornament Keepsakes & Sweet Essentials

Card Stock:  Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Pool Party

VersaMark

Stampin' Emboss Powder:  Silver

Embossing Folder:  Honeycomb

Smooch Spritz:  Vanilla Shimmer

Sponges

Lovely You

It's Tuesday so that means it's time for another sketch challenge from Try Stampin' on Tuesday.  This week's twist is to use hearts and/or flowers.  I went with flowers since I've been wanting to use the set You're Lovely from the Sale-a-bration catalog and haven't had a chance until now. 

I have a  few more pics for you to look at since I actually had more than one of them turn out.  lol  I would have just used one of the pics below, but they didn't show the smooch spritz like the top pic, so I had to use that one.  I seem to have a hard time getting the shimmer to show in my pics lately.  Don't forget to check out what the other designers made at Try Stampin' on Tuesday HERE.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Stamp Sets:  You're Lovely & Teeny Tiny Wishes

Pink Pirouette ink refill & Blender Pen

StazOn:  Black

Framelits:  Deco Labels

Smooch Spritz:  Vanilla Shimmer

Pretty Peaceful Petals

It's Friday and that means it's time for another mashup.  This week Tara is giving us a great challenge and it's listed below...

Create a project with "Cherry Cobbler, Primrose Petals, Soft Sky & Marina Mist."
Create a project using "3-D Paper Piecing". 
Or Mash it Up and create a "3-D Paper Piecing Project with the above Colors."

I used all of the colors even thought it doesn't' look like it.  The stem, center of the flower and sponging is Cherry Cobbler and the flower petals is Primrose Petals.  The only Marina Mist that I used is when I sponged around the Soft Sky card stock.  The 3-D paper piecing was something new to me.  It was pretty cool though.  The only thing I don't like no matter how many pictures I take I just can't show the dimensions of the flower without it looking like there are big gaps between the petals.  Oh well, that's the way it goes sometimes.  To see how you can create a card with some 3-D paper piecing and to see what all the other designers made visit us HERE at the Friday Mashup!

This pic show a little bit of the dimension. :)

Here's how I cut my paper to get my layered banner pieces to match up (almost) perfectly...

I cut my top piece slightly smaller than my bottom piece and line up the edges where I want to do my cutting (right side of the pic).  I make sure I tape the pieces together at the end I'm cutting using removable/repositionable tape so the paper doesn't move when I cut it.  The other ends don't don't need to line up since I cut them bigger than what I want the piece to be.  I just might need to re-cut the end because I made a mistake or it's just not looking the way I want it to look so extra paper is good. 

Once I have the end I want to cut taped (don't put it too close to the edges you're cutting or you'll have to get the tape off so it doesn't show once you've cut it), I cut a line up the center.

Then cut another line from one corner to the middle. Repeat and do the same thing on the other side.

Now your banner should look like this.

The last thing you do is pull the pieces apart and when you line them up again it should look like this.  Now all you need to do is cut the other end to the size you need for your card and tape the pieces together. :)  

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Stamp Sets:  Peaceful Petals & Perfectly Penned

Card Stock:  Soft Sky & Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Soft Sky, Marina Mist

Primrose Petals & Cherry Cobbler

Embossing Folder:  Perfect Polka Dots

Framelits:  Deco Labels

Smooch Sprtiz:  Vanilla Shimmer

Sponges

The Open Sea Map

Today's card was for my January stamp a stacks that were rescheduled from last week since we had a ton of snow here in Michigan!  I'll have to share a few pics that I took in our back yard at the end of today's post.  Anyway, today's card makes me think of warm weather, not the cold.  I guess you could sail in cold weather and many have, but I'd have to say I would be a fair weather sailor...if I was sailor (sorry, Dad!) lol  I've combined the World Map stamp with the sailboat and globe stamps from the Open Sea, and did a bit of sponging over the map.  I really like how it turned out and it was pretty simple to make.

Ok, here are a couple of pics from my yard.  We always get a bit of a drift through our backyard because of where we live and how the wind blows around the buildings.  The drift really doesn't look that big in this pic at all...

but this is me actually standing behind the drift taking a pic. 

I moved to the right a little bit and this is what the edge of the drift looks like.  I think it's kind of funny how the wind whipped around our garage and left the ground bare, but move over a few feet and the snow was as high as my waist.

One last pic of me behind the drift.  I must have stepped a little closer to it this time.  Boy is that going to leave one wet mess when it starts to thaw!

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Stamp Sets:  The Open Sea, World Map & Express Yourself

Card Stock:  Night of Navy & Very Vanilla

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Night of Navy, Island Indigo & Garden Green

Sponges

Happy Watercolor

Just a quick post for you today since I should have been to bed hours ago!  Yup, I schedule my posts ahead, but this one sure won't be much ahead! lol  Today's card is for this week's Try Stampin' on Tuesday sketch challenge.  I didn't do the twist this week which is Red, White and Pink.  I didn't need anymore Valentine's Day cards, so I just used some bright colors from the newest In Colors.  I also flipped my pieces around since it looked better that way with the stamp I used.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Stamp Sets:  Happy Watercolor & Simply Sketched

Card Stock:  Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe,

Strawberry Slush & Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe

& Strawberry Slush 

Embossing Folder:  Framed Tulips

Punches:  Decorative Label & Angled Tag Topper

Smooch Spritz:  Vanilla Shimmer

Aqua Painter & Sponges

Dancing in the Moonlight

 Hi Everyone...today I'm excited since I'm hosting my first challenge at the Friday Mashup!  I've created a sketch for you to use and a mashup to add to it.  This week they are...

Create a project with "Sketch."

Create a project using some "Sponging". 

Or Mash it Up and create a project with "Sponging using the Sketch."

I'd love to have you play along with us HERE!  The designers have some great cards to inspire you too.  Give it a try if you have a bit of time.  I'd love to see what you create. :)  

Since sponging is one of my favorite techniques I really went all out with the sponging on this card.  I cut the tulips out after I stamped them with Black StazOn ink.  I cut the tulips from their stems too so I could sponge all around them, and put them on using dimensionals so they'd pop a little.  At first I was going to sponge daylight colors for the background, but didn't like how that looked, so I went with a twilight look.  I hope you enjoy what I've created.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Stamp Set:  Blessed Easter

Card Stock:  Strawberry Slush

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Strawberry Slush, So Saffron, 

Crisp Cantaloupe, Gumball Green, Night of Navy, 

Pacific Point, Island Indigo, Bermuda Bay,

Coastal Cabana &  Pool Party

Embossing Folder:  Framed Tulips

Punch:  1 3/8" Circle

Sponges & Patience!

Fancy Festive Flurry

Anybody ready to see more Christmas cards?  I am, and the designers at 'Tis the Season did a great job with their cards using Marina Mist, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White.  The optional trimming is brads, but I put rhinestones in place of the jewels for this challenge.  Check out our challenge HERE, and play along so you can get a head start on your Christmas cards for 2014...especially if you're a procrastinator like me! lol  I also used this week's Less is More sketch challenge #11 for my design.  I have to say I managed to whip up this card pretty quickly. :)  Not sure if you can tell or not, but I used Heat & Stick Powder to put Dazzling Diamonds on my snowflake.  I have to say shimmery stuff is hard to capture just right with the camera!

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sara

Stamp Sets:  Festive Flurry & Teeny Tiny Wishes

Card Stock:  Chocolate Chip & Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Marina Mist

VersaMark

Embossing Folders:  Northern Flurry & Delicate Designs

Framelits:  Festive Flurry

Heat & Stick Powder

Stampin' Glitter:  Dazzling Diamonds

Jewels:  Basic Rhinestones