Garden Delight

 What a splendiferous set Stampin' Up!'s Color and Contour is (goodness me, it's hard not adding the 'u' in color!). It just quietly minds its own business in the catalogue, but brings joy from the moment you open it, with its flowers and frames/borders. Here, I've used it to respond to CAS Colors and Sketch's #429: Bumblebee, Garden Green and Pear Pizazz, and Freshly Made Sketch's #495. 

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up! card: (Garden Green, Pear Pizazz, Bumblebee, Whisper White), ink (Garden Green, Pear Pizazz, Bumblebee, Memento Tuxedo Black), Poinsettia Place DSP, Color & Contour Bundle, Petals and More stamp (sentiment). 

Global Design Project 300: CASe the Designer

 A lovely card from Steffi Helmschrott in GDP's Challenge 300:

prompted me to reach for the All About Baby bundle from Stampin' Up! This is a very sweet set, and I can see lots of happy times with it ahead. 

I found the symmetry of Steffi's design very satisfying to recreate:

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up! All About Baby bundle, ink (Highland Heather, Old Olive, Memento Tuxedo), card (Whisper White, Blackberry Bliss), Watercolor Shapes stamps, Tasteful Labels dies, In-colour gems. Can't remember the DSP, but it has ice creams on other sheets

Other products - Kraft card

Mid-century Vibe

 I was drawn to the Layering Diorama dies from Stampin' Up! not so much because they could layer on top of each other, but because I like the organic, flowing shapes. I've used them here with the 'Nothing's Better Than' set to create a retro style card. Thanks  CAS Colors and Sketches (#427) for the colour inspiration. 

Note: Here are another couple of cards on a similar theme, since I've been playing around.

Ingredients: Stampin' Up card: (Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Basic White, Merry Merlot), ink (Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Early Espresso), Dies (Layering Diorama, Love You More Than), Nothing's Better Than stampset

CASOLOGY 'Hello' and Just Add Ink #550

 Two challenges combined were the inspiration for this card: CASOLOGY 'Hello' and Just Add Ink #550. I loved the colours in Just Add Ink's challenge, and you can never have too many cards with a simple greeting - especially in these times, where we're all looking for human connection. Here's the card I came up with:

Ingredients: Stampin' Up card (Thick Whisper White, Whisper White), ink (Poppy Parade, Memento Tuxedo Black, Shaded Spruce), Petal Pink marker pen, Sweet Strawberry  and Around The Corner stamps, Strawberry Builder Punch, Stitched Shapes framelits.

Paper Players #534

 This sketch certainly challenged me - I had fun trying to decide how to play. In the end, I turned the vertical rectangles into candles, and the rest followed. A great challenge from Paper Players (PP534), thanks!

Ingredients: Stampin' Up! card, (Just JAde, Whisper White, Basic Black, Bumblebee), ink, (Memento Tuxedo black, Poppy Parade), Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight and Bumblebee watercolour pens, Flowers in the Field DSP, stamps (Peaceful Moments, Birthday Backgrounds, Incredible Like You), Layering Circles and Swirly Scribbles dies, Dot to Dot embossing folder.

Paper Craft Crew PCC419

 I loved Paper Craft Crew's sketch PCC419 - it's one I'll definitely be using again. 

I'm still getting my head around all the lovely berries in Stampin' Up's Sweet Strawberry bundle - and the add-ons from Sale-a-Bration, but the colours just make me happy! So this was a card that gave me pleasure to make, on both counts. 

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up! card, (Whisper White, Pacific Point, Night of Navy), Ink, (Poppy Parade, Granny Apple Green, Memento Tuxedo Black, Petal Pink), Subtle embossing Folder, Sweet Strawberry DSP, Strawberry Builder punch, Layering Ovals framelits.

Sweet Birthday

 I loved the colours in the latest Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge, and thought they might be a good reason to try my 'Sweet Ice Cream' stamps and punch, which have been looking at me accusingly since I bought them. As have the many beautiful DSP's I've acquired recently. Anyway, whether you call my inspiration guilt or a creative challenge, here's the card!

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up ink, (Pear Pizzaz, So Saffron, Highland Heather), card, (Whisper White, Pear Pizazz, Gold foil), embossing folders, (Subtle, Basketweave), Hydrangea Hill DSP, Sweet Ice Cream and Itty Bitty Birthdays stamps, and Ice Cream Builder punch, Layering Circles and Sending Flowers dies, 

Babies on my mind

 A 'baby' theme from Less is More #434, and a 'baby' amount of space to play with - just one inch - from AAACards #185 - what a challenge! It was certainly an exercise in self control.

The card:

The ingredients: Stampin' Up! card (Whisper White, thick Whisper White), stamps (Oval Occasions, Itt Bitty Greetings) and Melon Mambo Watercolour pencil. Memento Tuxedo ink

Strawberry Fields

 What a delightful new bundle the Sweet Strawberry is! I had a great time using it, including the Sale-a-Bration DSP, for this card, in response to Freshly Made Sketches' challenge #473 and #TGIFC304. 

The card:

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up! card (Night of Navy, Whisper White, Soft Seafoam, Granny Apple Green), ink (Poppy Parade, Granny Apple Green, Night of Navy, Soft Seafoam) Sweet Strawberry stampset, Strawberry punch.

Hooray!

 Hi!

Today I'm inspired by three challenges: Less is More #435, CAS(E) this Sketch #405 and CAS Colours and Sketches #405. 

I figured that, with the world in the state it's in, I'd invite you to find some little moment of celebration!

Here's the card: 

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up card (Pacific Point, Whisper White, Brass), ink (Just Jade, Poppy Parade, Pacific Point), stamps (Nothing's Better Than, Sip Sip Hooray), Dies (Love you more than). 

Hubby's Valentine

 It's that time of year again - time to make a Valentine's card that I like, but that is masculine enough to give my husband. I've chucked some flowers in here - but he's a gardener, so I reckon I can get away with it. Thanks to Sunday Stamps Challenge 249 and As You See It Challenge 242 for getting me started! 

There's quite a bit going on in this card that I'm not sure will photograph well - I hope it doesn't just looked like I slapped some Very Vanilla together! 😀 I embossed the heart and the card front with different folders, and also cut one sentiment frame into another. 

Here's the card: 

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up! ink (Cherry Cobbler, Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Cider), card (Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Cherry Cobbler), stamps (Awesomely Artistic, Petal Palette), dies (Tasteful Labels), embossing folders (Hammered Metal, Subtle) Hearts punches, Cherry Cobbler watercolour pencil. 

Other products: francheville rhinestones. 

Paper Players and CAS Colours and Sketches

 With this card, I used two challenges as starting points: Paper Players 523 and CAS Colours and Sketches 402. These are not colours I'd naturally turn to, so it was fun to move out of my comfort zone. Similarly, I'm taking a while to get my head around the hydrangea suite - but having fun doing so. 

The card:

Ingredients: Stampin' Up! card (Whisper White, Misty Moonlight, Blackberry Bliss), ink (Misty Moonlight, Blackberry Bliss, Bumblebee, Memento Tuxedo Black, Stazon Black), Stamps (Hydrangea Haven, Needle and Thread for sentiment), Hydrangea dies, Textile Texture embossing folder, In Colour enamel dots, Bumblebee pen. 

Minimalist flowers

 A very simple card for Retro Rubber's Challenge 146. In fact, embarrassingly simple! Ah well. Varied Vases is from a 2017 Stampin' Up catalogue. 

Ingredients: Stampin' Up!: card (Whisper White, Thick Whisper White, Black Foil), Varied Vases stamps, Varied Vases punch. 

Memento Tuxedo Black ink. 

Silver Christmas

 I  love the lacy, gossamer effect of Stampin' Up's Metallic Mesh Ribbon, and so enjoyed using it in CAS(E) this Sketch's challenge #395. I've ensured this is a 'CAS' card by keeping to silver and white - a challenge for someone who loves colour!

Ingredients: Stampin' Up card (Whisper White, Thick Whisper White, Silver), Beauty and Joy stamp (sentiment), dies, (Pointsettia, Painted Labels, Stitched Shapes) Quilt Top embossing folder, Metallic Mesh ribbon.

Other: Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Sunshine Colours

Hi! A very quick post so I make the deadline for Sunday Stamps Challenge SSC235: Bright and Beautiful. That new Rainbow Glimmer Paper by Stampin' Up! is glorious stuff!

Ingredients: Stampin' Up! card, (Whisper White, Poppy Parade, Pumpkin Pie, Rainbow Glimmer Paper), dies, (Happy Birthday thinlits, Layering Circles), adn Basket Weave embossing folder.

Hello

This card, a response to CAS(E) this Sketch's beautiful sketch #380, is for my son - who is in another country, in a city that's gone back into lockdown. There's no telling when we'll see each other again, so my daughter and I are sending him a small package full of reminders from home.
Here's the card:

Ingredients:
Stampin' Up! card (Whisper White, Garden Green), embossing powders (Shimmery Black, Silver), enamel dot, Stamps (Needle and Thread, Endless Birthday Wishes), Stitched Rectangle Dies, Forever Greenery DSP
Other: My Favourite Things Die-namics Basic Stiched Edges dies

Cheerful Colours

Today's card is a response to two challenges: a colour challenge for Paper Players' PP490 (Melon Mambo, Pool Party and Granny Apple Green) and a sketch challenge from Fab Friday's #189. 

I do like the 'Dot to Dot' embossing folder - very funky!

Ingredients:

Stampin' Up! card, (Whisper White, Pool Party, Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo), ink (Memento Tuxedo Black), Dot to Dot embossing folder, Itty Bitty Birthdays stamp for the sentiment, Everything is Rosy and Sending Flowers dies, Small Daisy punch, enamel dot. 

Spring Flowers

We're thinking about autumn colours down here in New Zealand, but it's still lovely to imagine spring. Retro Rubber helped me do that with their challenge #134: Spring Flowers.

I used an old favourite - Beautiful Bouquet,, from the 2017 Annual Catalogue - and a little of a new one - Ornate Frames. My mother-in-law liked the card, so that's the main thing!

Ingredients: Stampin' Up! card (Balmy Blue, Whisper White, Pear Pizzaz), ink, (Calypso Coral, Balmy Blue, Highland Heather), dies (Bouquet Bunch framelits, Ornate Frames dies, stamps (Beautiful Bouquet, Dressed to Impress  - sentiment), Calypso Coral ribbon.

Other - pearls/dots I don't know the origin of, sorry!

Sending Hugs

This card is a response to two challenges: CAS(E) this Sketch's #371 and CAS Colours and Sketch's #369. I'm enjoying using the Stampin' Up! downloadable images, which also raise money for charity. This sentiment is from them. The 'Hexagons' 3D embossing folder definitely adds impact to the card!

Ingredients: Stampin' Up! card (Whisper White, Pretty Peacock, Terracotta Tile), paper (In Colours DSP in Purple Posy), Purple Posy and Pretty Peacock markers, Hearts punches, In Colour embossed gems, dowloadable images, Hexagons 3D embossing folder

Other - Stazon black ink

Happy Wedding Day

By a happy coincidence, I saw Global Design Project's challenge #239 - Weddings - right when my Stampin' Up! order FINALLY arrived after lockdown Level 4 here in NZ. Those gorgeous borders just beg to be made into wedding cards! Just Add Ink's colour challenge #504 - Rococo Rose, Smoky Slate and Basic Grey - seemed like a match made in heaven. 

I only glued the centre of both the ornate border and the roses - I liked the way the edges rose off the page. In fact, I gently sponged Smoky Slate under the lacy border to heighten the shadowed effect. 

Now all we need is to be allowed to gather for weddings, and I'll be able to use it.

Keep safe, everyone. 

Ingredients: Stampin' Up! card (Whisper White, Thick Whisper White), ink (Rococo Rose, Basic Grey, Smoky Slate, Stazon Black), Stamps (Petal Palette, Beautiful Bouquet - sentiment), dies, (Petals and More, Ornate Frames)

Other - francheville rhinestones.