Fancy Friday Blog Hop - Step Up Sketch Challenge

Welcome back to the Fancy Friday Blog Hop!

My fancy friends and I are back!!! We loved working with each other so much that we decided to continue on with an all new blog hop to inspire you in fun new ways! These are a group of past and current Artisans that have become fast friends thru the Artisan journey. Glad to have you here! We have 14 of us this month and many new fresh faces...my dream team of Artisans!

 
Each month on the last Friday, we will bring to you new challenges of all kinds (color,sketch, stamp focus, etc)! This month we are going with a simple theme: Step Up Sketch Challenge!
Take our simple sketch created by our own Jen Timko shown below and create two cards showing how to take a simple card and stepped it up.

My first card is the simple or Beginner's card with technique, lots of stamping and low key but still elegant and eye catching. I stamped the Birthday Blooms Stamp image with Archival Basic Black on a piece of 3.5" x 3" Shimmery White Cardstock. I took another piece of Shimmery White and stamped the greeting from Window Shopping Stamp Set. Then I added some color on top with the Calypso Coral Watercolor Pencil and a Blender Pen. Finish off with a Calyspo Coral layer and the Pool Party 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon.

My second card is the step up version or Avid Stamper which takes a step up with a big WOW! This involves using the Watercolor Pencils to color in the stamped image this time. I would color with the pencil first and then use the blender pen to spread the color around. Working in layers to add darker areas. I used the Old Olive, Bermuda Bay and Calypso Coral pencils. My friend Jen Campbell and Janet Wakeland recently did a live video on Facebook that shared the technique and well I HAD to try it! OMGeez! LOVE to the max! I am hooked! I finished my card by adding the Calypso Coral Ribbon from the Cupcakes & Carosel Embellishment Kit, the Sunshine Sayings Stamp greeting, the Sunshine Wishes Thinlit Die in Basic Black, and the Brushstrokes Stamp in Crumb Cake on Crumb Cake card base.

Would love to have you join us in the Fancy Friday Challenge so make a card or two and let us know in the comments if you did or post on social media somewhere and add the #FANCYFRIDAYBLOGHOP

Thanks for stopping by my post for the Fancy Friday blog hop!

Inspire. Create. Share. That's what I love to do.

Cindy
Now move on to my fun and talented friend Sue
 by clicking on the next button below! 

Crafty Carrot Blog Hop with Crazy Cake

Welcome to The Crafty Carrot Collective Blog Hop! A selection of former Stampin' UP! Artisans from all over the world got together to form this interactive rewards program where you can learn and participate with us each month! Today we are bringing you some sneak peaks into what our April month will bring in advance so you can purchase the stamp set Crazy Cake knowing you are going to get plenty of ideas and have fun creating with all of us! THIS MONTH WILL BE THE BEST YET! SO many great birthday ideas!

 I had such a fun time creating this project with this stamp set called Crazy Cake! You can do SOOOOOO much with it as you can see by our blog hop this month. And this is just a taste of what we will bring in April! All 5 of us are so excited about this stamp set! We might even go CRAZY!!!!

Here are the products I used to create my card:

Crazy Cake Stamp Set

Cupcakes & Carousels Embellishment Kit

Cupcakes & Carousels Designer Series Paper Stack

Watercolor Paper

Sprinkles Embellishments

Pool Party, Calypso Coral and Peekaboo Peach Inks

Here is how our program works... during the month of March you purchase the Crazy Cake stamp set (or product of equal or greater value) from a participating Crafty Carrot Collective demonstrator using the host code shown below. Then, in April, you will receive the program completely FREE!

  This program brings video tutorials and written instructions by 5 very talented global Stampin' UP! demonstrators into your own home so you can stamp in your own time. What is not to love about that? 

PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAY!

Still not sure this program is for you?  Throughout this past January we offered a taste of this wonderful program for FREE for all to enjoy.  This teaser program features the Weather Together stamp set.  Like us on Facebook HERE to access it today.

Inspire. Create. Share. That's what I love to do.

Cindy

The uber talented Jennifer Frost over in Australia is next! Hop on over there and say hello!

Boxes, Baskets, and Bags Oh My! with the Creation Station Blog Hop

 Welcome back this month with the Creation Station Design Blog Hop! I was beyond thrilled to join this group of talented women that inspires me! We plan to inspire you each month with Stampin' UP! creative top of the line projects with a theme from all around the globe! We hope that you hop thru each blog and leave comments as we all love to hear praise about our creations!

This month our theme was Boxes, Baskets, and Bags! OH MY! I thought this would be a perfect chance to the rarely used Stampin' UP Simply Scored! I have a gift for my mom's birthday coming up soon and I needed a special size box for it. The talented Connie Stewart made this fantastic VIDEO showing how to make a custom size box as well as the handy dandy Simply Simple Box Making Shim! I even made one of my own with the help of her VIDEO here! 

My box was 6" x 8" and 1 1/2" in depth so I cut two pieces as 9" x 11". The bottom is Kraft cardstock while the top was from the Succulent Garden Designer Series Paper.

 I added some tissue into the bottom of the box and add my gift into the box. It fit perfectly! I used the Saleabration Metallic Gold Ribbon and the Whisper White 3/8" Ribbon from the Succulent Garden Combo Pack to hold the box closed.

Of course, I need a card and matching envelope to complete the gift packaging. My mom loves daffodils so I grabbed my Basket Bunch Stamp Set and the Basket Builder Framelits Dies. I stamped the Daffodil image with Crushed Curry on Daffodil Delight cardstock and die cut out. 

In case you are wondering what the gift frame does...you add a straight pin with a pearl end into the burlap fabric and hang your ring from it. Here is the one I made for myself and it sits on my nightstand. I thought my mom would like to have one too. A few years back my Dad got my Mom a new wedding band set so I thought she would like to display her first wedding band set. I found this large version at my local home decor store.

Thanks for stopping by my post for the Creations Station Blog Hop!

Inspire. Create. Share. That's what I love to do.

Cindy

You saw Mikaela's awesome project before me and now move on to 
Julie's incredible project by clicking on the next button below! 

 Mikaela Titherigdge

Julie Beltramo

Then you will need to purchase just one stamp set from me (for USA customers)

to get access to our exclusive April group! We are talking 5 detailed tutorials, numerous how to videos and fun challenges with prizes! Worth it!