Boxer-licious

Just when I think I have all of the punches that I could ever need, along comes Mary Fish and another one of her fantastic cards! On her blog, Stampin’ Pretty, Mary designed a card for her pug, Isabella. When my Boxer, Missy, heard about this, she insisted that I make a card for her. So this morning I pulled out all of my punches and began the task of creating this card, only to find that I did not have any small circle punches. Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say, so I improvised with a lip stick case and eye shadow stick. (Thank you, Estee Lauder!) Feeling a little bit like MacGyver, I was able to accomplish the task. However, I did add two circle punches to my wish list. Never will I be caught without the perfect punch again!

On the brighter side, I spent so much time designing the ears that the UPS man delivered my new Stampin‘ Up! “sneak peeks” before I was finished with the card! I wasted no time opening the box and pulling out the new In-Colors. Missy’s head is mounted on Crushed Curry, and rimmed with Bermuda Bay. The card base is made from Dusty Durango and the pattern paper is from the Razzleberry Lemonade collection. The ribbons are Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, and Dusty Durango. Notice how they are reversible…solid on one side, dotted on the other! The “Friends” sentiment is stamped in Bermuda Bay and features the new Modern Label Punch.

If you are a Boxer lover like me, and would like to create your own Boxer-licious card, here is the recipe:

  • Using a Glass Mat and the Circle Scissors Plus, cut a 2-1/2″ circle from Close to Cocoa to serve as the head.
  • Use the Wide Oval Punch to create the characteristic Boxer mask from Basic Black.
  • The Full Heart Punch was used to create the jowls from Basic Black. (Tip: Since black jowls does not stand out on a black mask, a second heart was punched from Kraft and layered under the black heart.)

  • Rose Red and the Small Oval Punch were used to create the tongue.

  • In a perfect world, the eyes would have been created using 1/2″ and 3/4″ Circle Punches from Close to Cocoa and Basic Black. I used a lip stick case and eye shadow stick. Whatever works!

  • The ears were punched with the Full Heart Punch, folded down the middle and cropped. The edges of the ears were then inked in Basic Black for a slight amount of contrast.

  • The collar was fashioned from Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper using the Small Oval Punch.

  • The head was then mounted on Crushed Curry, and a Ticket Corner Punch was used to add interest. This was then layered onto Bermuda Bay.

  • Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper was matted onto Bermuda Bay and layered onto a 5-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ Dusty Durango card base.

  • Snippets of Dusty Durango, Bermuda Bay, and Crushed Curry ribbon were adhered to the card base. The image mat was then positioned and adhered in place.

  • The “Friends” sentiment from the Garden Greetings stamp set was inked with Bermuda Breeze and stamped onto Whisper White. The new Modern Label Punch was used to punch to it out.

  • To add a touch of bling, Pumpkin Circle Fire Brads were added to the ends of the sentiment.

This cheerful card did help Missy feel a little better after her accident Wednesday morning. My poor baby received a very bad sprain jumping out of bed. Luckily she did not break her leg or dislocate her hip, but she certainly scared her mom and brother…who carried her to the car for the emergency trip to the vet’s. She is on the equivalent of “doggie bed rest” for the next few weeks, and is basking in all of the extra attention!

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin’ Up! Supplies Now!

Stamp Set: Garden Greetings (113716)
Ink: Bermuda Bay (115655—Available July 1st)
Designer Series Paper: Razzleberry Lemonade (115675—Available July 1st )
Card Stock: Dusty Durango (115321—Available July 1st), Bermuda Breeze (115317—Available July 1st), Crushed Curry (115319—Available July 1st), Close to Cocoa (101341), Basic Black (102851), Chocolate Chip (102128), Rose Red (102544), Kraft (102125)
Tools: Full Heart (113693), Wide Oval (112082), Small Oval (107304), Modern Label (116630—Available July 1st), ¾” Circle Punch (107217), ½” Circle Punch (104390), Glass Mat (112531), Circle Scissors Plus (112530)
Embellishments: Dusty Durango ½” Grosgrain Ribbon (115609—Available July 1st), Crushed Curry ½” Grosgrain Ribbon (115614—Available July 1st), Bermuda Bay ½” Grosgrain Ribbon (115610—Available July 1st), Pumpkin Circle Fire Brads (109110)

Please feel free to leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you! Until next time…

Two Old Friends

This time of year has me feeling quite nostalgic. With a new Stampin‘ Up catalog right around the corner, I find myself saying good-by to the accessories and stamp sets that are listed on the The Last Chance List. Don’t get me wrong…I am looking forward to my “sneak peek” items that are due to arrive Thursday. But the Designer Series Paper and the stamp set used on this card are two of my old friends. Parisian Breeze is a textured cover weight card stock that I loved for both scrap booking and card making. Feminine florals and masculine stripes in shades of Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip made this a very versatile collection indeed. The same versatility is evident in “Thoughts of Father”, which I have used to stamp a wide variety of cards. The good news is that of this morning, they are both still available for ordering. Mojo Monday Sketch #90 served as the inspiration for this layout. I hope that you enjoy today’s card.
  • Construct a card base from Chocolate Chip Parisian Breeze Designer Specialty Paper and score at the top.

  • Ink the vintage car stamp from Thoughts of Father with Basic Brown and stamp onto Very Vanilla card stock. Mat onto Chocolate Chip Parisian Breeze.

  • Using the Photo Corner Punch, punch out two sets of corners from Chocolate Chip Parisian Breeze. The flip side of this paper is the Baja Breeze “Dotted Swiss” paper. Adhere the corners to the image mat as illustrated.
  • With the Big Shot and Sizzlits Stampin‘ Up! Little Leaves die, prepare a “stem” from Chocolate Chip Parisian Breeze. Trim to fit, and position in the lower left hand corner to add interest, and to mimic the leaves in the image.

  • Cut a square of Baja “Dotted Swiss” Parisian Breeze, and mat onto Chocolate Chip Parisian Breeze.

  • Using the Scallop Circle Punch, punch a Chocolate Chip Parisian Breeze circle. Using a Nestabilities scallop circle die and the Big Shot, cut a small scalloped circle. Layer the Baja onto the Chocolate Chip.
  • Using the photo as your guide, position and adhere all of the elements onto “Striped” Parisian Breeze.

  • Attach 1/4″ Very Vanilla Grosgrain Ribbon and a Chocolate Chip Corduroy Brad as shown.

  • The Striped Parisian Breeze mat is now ready to be adhered to the card base!

I am so excited to break out the new stamp sets and In-Colors. I can hardly wait to share my sneak peeks with you! So get set for a parade of products. The fun begins on Friday!

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin‘ Up! Supplies Now!

Stamp Set: Thoughts of Father (115094)
Ink: Basic Brown (104315)
Designer Series Paper: Parisian Breeze (113993)
Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650)
Tools: Big Shot (113439), Sizzlits Stampin’ Up Little Leaves (114511), Scallop Circle Punch (109043), Photo Corners Punch (109042) , Nestabilities Circle Dies
Embellishments: ¼” Very Vanilla Grosgrain Ribbon (109026), Chocolate Chip Corduroy Brad (114339)

Please feel free to leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you! Until next time…

A Touch of Monet

Do you recognize this Designer Series Paper? Of course you don’t! This is a trick question! I made it myself with an overhead transparency (leave it to me, the teacher, to have a spare two or three of these around the house), three different ink pads, a spray bottle of water, and a blow dryer. The end result is truly amazing, and reminiscent of the colors of Monet. How did I do it, you ask? Just follow these step-by-step directions:
  • Select three coordinating ink pads. (Tip: Although more than three might sound fun, there is a tendency for the colors to “muddy”.) In this example, I used Sage Shadow, Almost Amethyst and Pale Plum.
  • Take the first ink pad and run it over the surface of the transparency. (Tip: My transparency had a rough surface, which was perfect for adding texture.) Spritz with water, and press Whisper White card stock onto the surface of the transparency. Wipe off the transparency, and repeat this procedure with the remaining colors. (Tip: I like the textured effect I achieved by using the Stampin‘ Pads. I experimented with the Ink Refills, and the result was slightly different. Try both, and decide which you like the best! In addition, I did not have to worry about maintaining the integrity of my ink pads because I completely wiped off the transparency before applying the next ink.)
  • The paper will be slightly wet. Use the blow dryer to speed up the drying process. If the edges of the paper curl, use an iron set on low to press the paper flat.

There…wasn’t that easy! Here is a close-up of the finished paper!

A video will be posted on my YouTube site next week demonstrating this quick and easy technique. I will be certain to let you know the date! Now on to the rest of the card…

  • Prepare a standard card base from Sage Shadow and score at the top.
  • Mat the “watercolor” paper onto Pale Plum and adhere to the card base.
  • Ink the base stamp from Soft Summer with Pale Plum and stamp onto Whisper White card stock. Ink the overlay stamp with Lavender Lace and stamp over the base stamp. (Tip: Use the Stamp-a-ma-jig for perfect Two-Step Stampin‘!) Mat onto Pale Plum, followed by Sage Shadow.
  • Using the Eyelet Border Punch, punch a Pale Plum eyelet strip and a Whisper White eyelet strip. Layer as illustrated and adhere to the card base.
  • Add a narrow strip of Pale Plum at the top of the Whisper White eyelet border. (Tip: I used the strip of paper that was left after using the Eyelet Border Punch. It works perfectly!
  • Thread a narrow strip of Whisper White card stock through three buttons. Use Mini Glue Dots to adhere to the right hand side of the eyelet border. (I actually placed the Mini Glue Dots under each button.)
  • Ink the sentiment from the Dear Friend stamp set with Sage Shadow and stamp onto Whisper White. Punch out using the Word Window Punch. (The Dear Friend set is a Level 1 Hostess set which is available only through June 30th.)
  • Cut a strip of Pale Plum and punch one side with the Eyelet Border Punch and round the opposite corners with the Corner Rounder. Adhere the “Dear Friend” sentiment, and layer over Sage Shadow. Position and attach to the top of the image block.
  • Position and adhere the entire image block with sentiment to the card base as shown.
  • For a more polished look, finish the bottom of the image with a snippet of Pale Plum Eyelet Border.

The finished result is soft and feminine! Think of the myriad of color combinations available to you with this technique….and the nice thing is that you never have to worry if everything will coordinate!

There is still time to earn the Dear Friend Hostess Level 1 Set before it retires. Email me today if you need more information!

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin‘ Up! Supplies Now!

Stamp Set: Dear Friend (113413 Hostess Level 1), Soft Summer (Occasions Mini 113802)
Inks: Sage Shadow (102532), Pale Plum (102732), Almost Amethyst (101723), Lavender Lace (101305)
Card Stock: Sage Shadow (101563), Pale Plum (101889), Whisper White (100730)
Tools: Eyelet Border Punch (113692), Word Window Punch (105090), Stamp-a-ma-jig (101049)
Embellishments: Button Bouquet (112092 Retired),
Adhesives: SNAIL Adhesive (104332), Mini Glue Dots (103683)
Other: Transparency, Spray Bottle (for spritzing), Blow Dryer

Please feel free to leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you! Until next time…