Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Blendabilities BRAND NEW! - Artisan Wow

 Welcome back to Artisan Wednesday WOW! We are on our final project of our May box of Stampin' UP products! We hope you continue with our Artisan Design Team Blog Hop to inspire you! You just came from Cathy Caines and next is Connie Collins, but before you do come check out a My Digital Studio/Blendabilities hybrid card to announce the NEW Stampin' Up® Catalog going live on June 2nd! WHOOP WHOOP! You will love it!
I wanted to show how you could use Blendabilities with other graphic images than just flowers! I love the pop of colors that the Blendabilities give on a project!
To make this card, I brought up My Digital Studio program. I added the Baby We've Grown Brush Stamp image called "brand new" to a card project. I increased the image to pixel size 392 x 391 or inches 3.59 x 3.58. Then I just printed the card fronts four times in the program to my printer to make more than one of these cards. You could just add to a 8.5" x 11" project as well. I did the card to make sure it was the size I wanted.
To continue with my hybrid part of the card with traditional products, I used wide washi tape to mask my Crumb Cake card base. I sponged Basic Black ink on it. Then the fun began! I used the Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie and Coastal Cabana Blendabilities to color in my printed image. Because it is printed, the black ink will not run with the markers. Then I simply hand cut it out and popped it up with dimensionals adding some NEW Basic Black Baker's Twine and Bermuda Bay Star Itty Bitty Punch to it!
 
Be sure to check back in June on Wednesdays!
 We will be showcasing all new products from the NEW Stampin' Up® catalog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope this inspires you!
Cindy
Move on to Connie by clicking on the next button!

Thursday, May 22, 2014

New Downloads Page - MDS Blog Hop

WELCOME TO THE MDS BLOG HOP!
A bunch of us have joined together to share our passion for digital designing with Stampin' UP's My Digital Studio.  These ladies are SERIOUSLY talented in MDS and I am thrilled to be on this Blog Hop with them! You will find us blog hopping on the 2nd and 4th THURSDAYS of each month! We will have a "theme" selected on the first hop and then a "What we are doing in MDS" on the second hop. This week we are showing you what we have been working on lately in MDS. Should be interesting to see what fabulous digital designs they have come up with lately!
I got two new downloads that just have come out recently and I jumped at the chance to play with them in MDS the other night. They were the popular Gorgeous Grunge Stamp Brush Set #137939 and the NEW Convention 2014 Photobook Template #138011. I was so excited to see the 2014-2016 In Colors in the Photobook Template! They are growing on me with the Hello Honey and Lost Lagoon on this page. Not going to Stampin Up Convention? Does not matter, you must get this FAB download!!!!!  I added some glam to this normally masculine design page with silver sequins, silver baker's twine, glimmer paper and heart shaped clip. I also just love the Moments Ago Stamp Brush Set for titles. It is a must have!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope this inspires you to get these two AWESOME MDS downloads!
 Cindy 
Click on the button to move on to see what Cori made!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Artisan Wow - Graduation Gift Card Set

  Welcome back to Artisan Wednesday WOW! We are close to finishing up our May box of Stampin' UP products! Just one more week left! We hope you stay with our Artisan Design Team Blog Hop to inspire you! You just came from Cathy Caines and next is Connie Collins, but before you do come check out my Project Life® by Stampin' Up® gift card and gift box that was seen on Stampin Up's Facebook page with the rest of our Artisan's May Showcase.
So I had Project Life® by Stampin' Up® Everyday Adventure Collection sitting on my desk...planner open next to it...date circled on the 3rd for a graduation party to attend...needed a quick and simple gift card...what is a girl to do?
Use the Project Life cards of course! The colors were perfect for a graduation theme!
So I even took one of the matching 4x6 cards as a cover for my gift box. Throw some Crushed Curry Chevron ribbon with Black ribbon bow, some fun Project Life washi tape, a tag made from the Point and Click Stamp Set and Accessory Kit, and done! I used my fringe scissors to make some filler for the inside of the box too.
I used an E-xacto knife to cut the slits for the cash to slide thru the openings. The card actually has the white box printed on the card so I just cut on the line there. Clever huh? The washi tape helps to hold it in place. I used a piece of the Kalidoscope DSP to create the punch board envelope. It matches perfectly with this first Project Life® by Stampin' Up® collection out now! 
Thanks for stopping by! I hope this inspires you that Project Life® can be for so much more than just scrapbooking pages!
Cindy

Move on to Connie by clicking on the next button!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Artisan Wow - Project Life Cards

 Welcome back to Artisan Wednesday WOW! We are continuing on with our May box of Stampin' UP products!  I have some more Project Life® by Stampin Up® stuff to show you today! You just came from Cathy Caines and next is Connie Collins, but before you do come check out my trio of simply made Project Life® by Stampin Up® cards!

It really could not be simpler to make cards from the Project Life® Card Collections! They have alot of fun sayings and images! I rounded the corners with the Project Life® with the Project Life Round Corner Punch. Added a layer of cardstock behind the piece and rounded the corners too. Added some ribbon or washi tape taggies. Then stamped with the Project Life Day to Day Stamp Set and the Project Life Point & Click Stamp Set. I used the wooden arrow from the Everyday Adventure Project Life Accessory Pack as well as some Essentials Wooden Elements pieces. I also love that you can stamp or color right on them!
For the gal or guy that is turning 40 soon!  I will probably say something on the inside like "40 is picture perfect on you! Happy Birthday!"
For the person who just needs a reminder that it is MAY and that you needed to say HI! I would probably write inside something like "Time is flying by this year!" and fill in with some details of the first 5 months of 2014.
For the person who I will be seeing on the weekend! I might say something on the inside like "I can wait to see you on Friday!"

Thanks for stopping by! I hope this inspires you to make and send a card today!
Cindy
Move on to Connie by clicking on the next button!

Monday, May 12, 2014

MDS Monday Sketch Challenge #66 & BONUS!!

Heidi brought us a really great challenge this week! I bet some of us on the MDS Monday Design Team were scared silly to try this one! I know I was!  I went super simple in creating the card template to cut by using a punch. I added the Round Tab Whole Punch and then cropped with a square punch to make the top straight. Then made larger to fit half the page. Do a copy and paste to the bottom half of page. See below.
Then I cut the template onto Crumb Cake and stamped with Soft Suede with the retiring Woodgrain Stamp Set. Then I wrapped one yard of each of the retiring ribbons around the "spool". Using some more retired products, I added a tag with some embellishments.
Would this not be great for some NEW ribbons from the NEW Stampin Up Catalog coming out June 2nd!!!

You can give the challenge a try and submit your own page if you click on the MDS Monday button on the right side! Follow the directions on the site to upload your page and link it from your blog or MDS.net. Winners and honorable mentions are announced every two weeks.

So as a BONUS, the first person to email me their name and address gets this card mailed to them for FREE!  nutmeg1197@aol.com
Come on you know you want that some of that ribbon!


 Thanks for stopping by! I hope this inspires you today to get into 
MDS Mondays and our challenges!
Cindy 

Friday, May 9, 2014

Mother's Day Blendabilities Sneak Peak

I was able to get the Stampin' Up Blendabilities Markers in our May Artisan box and I would share on a regular Wednesday post but I wanted to share BEFORE Mother's Day in case it inspired you to whip up a card fast. First let me say that I love them, but only after I did LOTS of playing with them. Of course you have to have the perfect stamp for them and this Blended Bloom Stamp is PERFECT!

For my flower above I used Daffodil Delight and Coastal Cabana sets that you can see the various shades in the picture. I embossed the stamp image in White Embossing Powder first on the Crumb Cake cardstock. You need to be careful when coloring so you do not  color the white embossed lines. I started with the Dark first with small tip, then Medium with small tip and colored over all of it with the Light with large tip. Did you get the April Paper Pumpkin? That stamp "Happy Mother's Day" was in there! Just love it!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope this inspires you!
Cindy

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Made for Mom - MDS Blog Hop

WELCOME TO THE MDS BLOG HOP!
A bunch of us have joined together to share our passion for digital designing with Stampin' UP's My Digital Studio.  These ladies are SERIOUSLY talented in MDS and I am thrilled to be on this Blog Hop with them! You will find us blog hopping on the 2nd and 4th THURSDAYS of each month! We will have a "theme" selected on the first hop and then a "What we are doing in MDS" on the second hop. This week we are celebrating Moms or "Mom" is the word. Create a project about moms, or something giftable for a mom or something moms would and could use.
Here is a rather simple scrapbook page I created just to say how much I love being a mom. My girls are getting older and our relationship is changing....still their mom but also more of a best friend as they face new challenges and issues in the teen years. Open communication and being honest with them has always been my stand but more now than ever. I am so proud of them and the beautiful young ladies they are inside and out! (TIP - I used the freeform brush layer with white coloring to remove the gold hearts around my title)
Here is my gift package for my mom. I needed a quick solution for a gift bag. Sponge dauber with White Craft ink pad, some yummy Stampin' Up ribbons and e-cutter/MDS to the rescue! Loving Crushed Curry with Coastal Cabana together! Want to see the card I made to match? Come back tomorrow and get a peak at Stampin' Up Blendable Markers!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope this inspires you for some last minute Mom ideas!
 Cindy 
Click on the button to move on to see what Cori made!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Project Life® by Stampin' Up® - Artisan Wow


 Welcome back to Artisan Wednesday WOW! We are moving on to our May box of Stampin' Up products! This box was full of NEW products that just came out! So get ready to see some exciting stuff this month! We hope you stay with our Artisan Design Team Blog Hop to inspire you! You just came from Cathy Caines and next is Connie Collins, but before you do come check out my Project Life ® by Stampin' Up® pages.  I really wanted to give this Project Life style scrapbooking a try! No worries, I have some more "out of the box" projects with Project Life coming up in the next few weeks. You will just have to come back and see them!
 I have been a Project Life fan from a distance but have never really tried it. OMG! SOLD! Love how easy scrapbooking can be and still have design and personal style! The kits make it so easy to do! I also followed Stampin' Up concept artist Arika B's advice HERE before I got started.  I took some great pictures on our Easter Sunday with my family and knew that they would be great to work with. Here is where I started:
My process to getting started with Project Life® by Stampin' Up®:
1. I figured out what pictures I wanted to use = Easter.
2. I selected the page layout (s) that I wanted to use = Number 01 reversed and 06.
3. Gathered the pocket cards with the color theme I wanted to use = I pulled ALL the Melon Mambo and Pear Pizazz at first and then added Bermuda Bay to the mix.
4. Layout the pocket cards that you like the most on the layout spreading them around the pages.
5. Now print the vertical and horizontal photos of your choice with the empty pockets (this really helps what to print with size and position of each photo)
6. Take just 30 minutes to embellish them with the accessories and stamps. I added some washi tape, some adhesive embellishments, stamped SUNDAY in Bermuda Bay and wrote key memories with the pen. Simple!
7. Just keep saying to yourself "it does not have to be perfect" over and over again!
 


 I love the clean simple design and how lovely the pocket cards enhance my photos.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope this inspires you to get into Project Life® by Stampin' Up®!
To get the Project Life® by Stampin' Up® products, go HERE to see them!
Cindy
Move on to Connie by clicking on the next button!

Monday, May 5, 2014

MDS Monday Sketch Challenge #65

Holly brought us this great layout for a scrapbook page! I am still working away on our last vacation to the beach and Disney. I find using these sketch challenges the perfect solution to getting some scrapbook pages done. Thanks MDS Monday!

What I really like about this page is the background. It is a photo of the beach with an opacity of 60% so it is a little lighter than the normal photo. Then I just had fun using my Global Search to find beach related images. I played with colors in the photos as inspiration like Alli's shirt which was the shade of Calypso Coral. I love the Burlap Ribbon and the Downtown Grunge Frames on this as well. Just a fun and easy page!
You can give the challenge a try and submit your own page if you click on the MDS Monday button on the right side! Follow the directions on the site to upload your page and link it from your blog or MDS.net. Winners and honorable mentions are announced every two weeks.


 Thanks for stopping by! I hope this inspires you today to get into 
MDS Mondays and our challenges!
Cindy 

Friday, May 2, 2014

MDS Monday Sketch Challenge #64

Over on the MDS Monday blog, Tami did this sketch challenge using the Starburst punches and gold sequins. I immediately saw a sun! If you look at the other MDS Monday Design Team members, they did too! I took the gold sequins grouping and recolored to Coastal Cabana with a 50% opacity on all of them. The wording comes from the Easter Blessings Kit called rejoice. I love the script font on all of the wording images.
You can give the challenge a try and submit your own page if you click on the MDS Monday button on the right side! Follow the directions on the site to upload your page and link it from your blog or MDS.net. Winners and honorable mentions are announced every two weeks.

 Thanks for stopping by! I hope this inspires you today to get into MDS Mondays and our challenges! Hurray just one week left on this one!
Cindy