• Prepare a 5-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ card base from Chocolate Chip.
• Layer with a selection from the Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper collection which has been punched with the Eyelet Border Punch.
• Zip a piece of Very Vanilla card stock through the Big Shot, using the Finial Press embossing folder. Add a snippet of Chocolate Chip Masterpiece Ribbon Originals, and adhere to the card base.
• Ink the “Basket” image from A Peace Within with Basic Brown ink and stamp onto Very Vanilla card stock. Color the image using Blender Pens and the following inks: Creamy Caramel (basket); Always Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant, and Regal Rose (flowers and foliage); Not Quite Navy and Dusty Durango (bird). Sahara Sand was used to shade below the basket. (Tip: To keep the colors from being too vivid, mark on scratch paper first.) Mat onto Chocolate Chip and adhere to the card base.

The Finial Press embossing reminds me of the old time general stores, with their tin ceilings and penny candy. It coordinates perfectly with the Eyelet Border Punch, adding a Country Victorian charm to the card, which was perfect with the basket image. Now, what do I have in store for next time? There are still a couple of new sets that I haven’t inked up yet, as well as new rub-ons.

Stampin‘ Schach News: Congratulations to Donette Barry of Colorado, who has joined my group as a Stampin‘ Up! demonstrator. Donette has plans to enter the blog world very soon. Donette joins Susan Ferrell of Iowa, who also signed on this week. There is still plenty of time to take advantage of the Special Mini Starter Kit. For more information on how you can become a member of my group, Click Here. And as always, I appreciate your comments and emails. If you have questions about any of the techniques or products that are used in my designs, don’t hesitate to ask. I am a teacher…I am used to questions! And in response to the questions that were asked about the wood sheets on “Falling for Falling Leaves”, they are just like using cardstock. They are cuttable and punchable, inkable and distressible, and a whole lot of fun! Until next time…

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Stamp Set: Peace Within (114312)
Inks: Basic Brown (104315), Sahara Sand (105208), Not Quite Navy (103008), Dusty Durango (115654), Always Artichoke (105219), Elegant Eggplant (105210), Regal Rose (105211), Creamy Caramel (103220)
Designer Series Paper: Thoroughly Modern (115673)
Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650), Chocolate Chip (102128)
Tools: Eyelet Border Punch (113692), Big Shot (113439), Stampin’ Up! Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (115963)
Embellishments: Masterpiece Ribbon Originals (116230)

• Prepare a 4-3/4″ x 5-1/2″ card base from Always Artichoke, scored at the top. (Notice that this is not a standard card size.) Round the two bottom corners with the Corner Rounder.
• Layer with the “Multicolor Leaves” selection from Autumn Traditions. Once again, round the two lower corners.
• Ink assorted leaf stamps from the Falling Leaves stamp set with Perfect Plum, Always Artichoke, and Dusty Durango onto Very Vanilla card stock. Punch out with the 1-1/4″ Square Punch, and pop onto 1-3/8″ Squares punched from Always Artichoke, Perfect Plum, Crushed Curry, and Dusty Durango, using Stampin‘ Dimensionals. These are then layered onto 1-1/2″ squares cut from the same four colors. (I matted as follows: Always Artichoke on Perfect Plum, Crushed Curry onto Always Artichoke, Perfect Plum onto Dusty Durango. The image color matches the bottom mat.)
• Ink the “Happy Thanksgiving” circle with Soft Suede and stamp onto Very Vanilla. Punch using the 1-1/4″ Square Punch, and punch each corner with the Ticket Corner Punch. Mat onto Dusty Durango and Crushed Curry squares.
• Arrange the images as shown in the photograph, and adhere to the Wood Sheet. Mat with Always Artichoke, and distress the edges with Soft Suede ink.
• Add snippets of Dusty Durango and Crushed Curry Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon to the card base. (Tip: Because the paper is already “busy”, I adhered the ribbon polka-dot side down.)
• Position and adhere the image mat to the card base.
• Ink the {Grateful} sentiment with Soft Suede and stamp onto Very Vanilla. Punch with the Window Punch and adhere to a Wood Sheet Modern Label. For a zip of color, punch a second Modern Label from Dusty Durango and snip off the ends. Adhere these ends to the Wooden Modern Label.
• Two Vintage Brads and distressing with Soft Suede finish the sentiment, which is popped onto the card base with Stampin‘ Dimensionals.

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Today’s card began as my creation for this week’s Splitcoast Color Challenge (Lavender Lace, Barely Banana, Basic Gray, Basic Black, and White). But as it progressed, I added Pretty in Pink, Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry, More Mustard, Dusty Durango, and Melon Mambo. So much for the color challenge! However, what I ended up with was a beautiful array of flowers cascading out from the card. Two-step stamping is a technique in which I rarely indulge, but this new set, Greenhouse Garden, may change my mind! Here is a bouquet of flowers for you:

• Prepare a standard card base from Melon Mambo. Round the corners with a Corner Rounder.
• Ink various floral background stamps from Greenhouse Garden with the following base colors and stamp onto Whisper White: Lavender Lace, Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana, and More Mustard. Ink the detail stamps in Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, and Dusty Durango. Stamp on the complimentary floral image, placing perfectly with the Stamp-a-ma-jig! Mat onto Lovely Lilac, followed by Basic Black. (Tip: Do add depth and dimension, some flowers were stamped directly on the Whisper White background, while other were stamped and cut out using paper snips. Stampin‘ Dimensionals make selected flowers “pop” off the page, while overlapping images onto the outer mat gives the feeling that the flowers are cascading out of the image!)
• Position and adhere to the card base.
• Ink the “hello” sentiment from Chic Boutique with Basic Black and stamp onto Whisper White. Punch with the Large Oval Punch, and layer onto a Melon Mambo Oval Scallop. (Tip: I had a scrap flower image left over from my bouquet, so I just stamped “hello” on top of it. I love the coordinated look.) Pop onto the card with Stampin‘ Dimensionals.
• Add a snippet of Basic Black 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon which has been run through a Ribbon Slide from Hodgepodge Hardware.
• As a finishing touch, add Micro Beads to the center of selected flowers!

Once again, I started with a challenge for inspiration and made it my own! The flowers are absolutely fun to make. This was a stamp set that I almost did not purchase because I am really not a floral person. However, I thought that I really should have at least one nice floral set. I am so glad that I bought it. I can see me inking it up quite often during the upcoming year.

Remember, your comments and emails are important to me. Stop in and say “Hello” or let me know what you think of today’s card! Until next time…

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Stamp Set: Greenhouse Garden (113824), Chic Boutique (113744)
Paper: Melon Mambo (115320), Basic Black (102851), Whisper White (100730), Lovely Lilac (100427)
Inks: Lavender Lace (101305), Rich Razzleberry (115658), Pretty in Pink (101301), Melon Mambo (115656), Barely Banana (101170), Crushed Curry (115659), More Mustard (103162), Dusty Durango (115654), Basic Black (101179)
Tools: Large Oval Punch (107305), Scallop Oval Punch (114889), Corner Rounder (109047), Paper Snips (103579)
Embellishments: Basic Black 1/4” Grosgrain Ribbon (109027), Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware (111325), Micro Beads (104266)
Other: Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430), Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive (110755)