Top Ten 2020 Crafts

2020 was the year that my crafting fell off a cliff. I just didn’t do much crafting at all… Let’s see what I actually did accomplish:

1. Big Sentiment Christmas - Hands-down my favorite Christmas card that I made this year!

2. Silver Falling Snowflakes - I also really loved this Christmas card that I made!

3. You’re All Heart - Just look at these gorgeous fun heart cards!

4. Week in the Life 2020 Project - I completed this year in the year and apparently early in the pandemic. Interesting project.

5. December Daily 2019 - Another project that I really love doing every year. Hoping to continue into 2021.

6. Abstract Slip - This was such a beautiful simple card using some of my favorite colors!

7. Week in the Life 2019 Project - I reached back into 2019 and got this one done. Still really love this project and will continue into 2021.

8. Merry and Bright DSP - One last Christmas card that I loved making!

9. March Memory Planner Pages - I got stuck about halfway through the year, but I did get a few months complete.

10. An Elegant Cake - One last pretty card for 2020.

An Elegant Cake

Finally pulled out the Happy Birthday to You Stamp set again and made a pretty and shiny card.

• Stamps: Happy Birthday to You

• Ink: Pretty Peacock; Smoky Slate; Calypso Coral; Highland Heather; Old Olive

• Cardstock: Perennial Essence DSP (retired); Champagne Foil Sheet; Pretty Peacock; Whisper White

• Accessories: Champagne Rhinestones

• Tools: Stitched Rectangular Shapes

Top Ten 2019 Crafts

This year was a strange one where I lost a bit of crafting mojo. Nevertheless, I did make some great crafts this past year. In no particular order, here are my 10 favorite craft projects of 2019!

1. Rococo Petals — Featuring one of the new 2019-2021 In Colors.

2. Watercolor Butterfly — Love the layering on this one!

3. Frosty Christmas - Love silver and navy together!

4. December Daily 2018 - Always love this project!

5. Floral CASE - Simple, but oh so pretty!

6. A Trio of Pumpkins - I don’t make very many Halloween cards, but I loved making this one!

7. Typewriter Wishes - Simple collage style card

8. Lots of Baubles - These cards took forever, but are so amazing!

9. Balmy Butterflies — Simple card, but oh so cute!

10. Happy to Have You - Something about a large sentiment that really gets me!

Peacock Butterfly

Today’s card features my favorite new In Color: Pretty Peacock. I though I really love Tranquil Tide that just retired, but this color is even better. It has more blue than green and is such a great deep color! I applied ink to a piece of white cardstock using a brayer to create my background for my embossed butterfly. I love how the gold powder sorta stuck to the inside of the butterfly to create an interesting texture. From there, I cut out a corner of DSP to create a base and then added a sentiment and some gems.

Close up of the embossed shimmer!

• Stamps: Beautiful Day

• Ink: Pretty Peacock, Versamark

• Cardstock: Mosaic Mood DSP, Pretty Peacock, Whisper White

• Accessories: 2019-2021 In Color Faceted Gems

• Tools: Gold Embossing Powder

Loads of Cake for You

Today’s card features a multitude of fussy cut birthday cakes. I wasn’t a huge fan of the piece of DSP that featured these cakes (too busy for me), but it was perfect to cut up. This card has so many layers that in person, it looks even better.

• Stamps: Picture Perfect Birthday

• Ink: Lovely Lipstick

• Cardstock: Broadway Bound DSP; Lemon Lime Twist; Lovely Lipstick; Whisper White

• Accessories: Whisper White Ribbon; Lovely Lipstick Ribbon

• Tools: Scattered Stars Embossing Folder; Rectangle Stitched Shapes; Everyday Label Punch

Let's Eat Cake

Today’s card is a riot of color! I love the color combo of Lemon Lime Twist and Lovely Lipstick. Sad that Lemon Lime Twist is retiring at the end of the month so I had to make a card highlighting it! This card is fairly simple. I layered some pieces of DSP and a fun die cut sentiment. Also super sad that the Amazing Life stamp set is retiring. I just bought it last month, but think it will be sticking around in my inventory for awhile. I really want to dig into these sentiments and images.

• Stamps: Amazing Life

• Inks: Lovely Lipstick; Lemon Lime Twist; Daffodil Delight

• Cardstock: Broadway Bound DSP; Lovely Lipstick; Whisper White

• Accessories: Metallic Sequins

• Tools: Rectangle Stitched Shapes

Simple Birthday

Last weekend was OnStage (Stampin’ Up!’s convention) and as part of the convention, we find out what products are retiring. One of the first things I did after getting home was pull all my retiring products out and evaluate. Some I’ll keep. Some I’ll sell after the new catalog comes out. And all I’m going to try and highlight before the new catalog launches. Today is the start of my month and a half long series highlighting all those wonderful products!

Today’s card highlights two big retiring products: Birthday Wishes for You Stamp Set and Best Route DSP. This particular DSP is very fun, but somehow I didn’t use much of it over the past year. Thankfully it pairs very well with the Birthday Wishes for You Stamp Set. I stamped in Momento ink (best for alcohol based markers) and colored it in using my Smoky Slate, Night of Navy, Pumpkin Pie, and Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends. I turned a simple outline sentiment and made it pop with fun colors and blending. After getting my sentiment set, I added some layers of pattern paper and lots of fun embellishments.

• Stamps: Birthday Wishes for You

• Inks: Momento Black; Smoky Slate, Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy, and Pumpkin Pie Blends

• Cardstock: Best Route DSP; Mango Melody; Whisper White

• Accessories: White Accent Dots (retired); Silver Sequins (retired); Clothespin (retired)

• Tools: Triple Banner Punch

Last Birthday Card of March

Today’s card is a CASE from Amy Koenders @ Stamp with Amy K. One last birthday card for this March! I can’t believe I actually made 30 different birthday cards throughout this month. Whew! I am a bit tired of card making at the moment, but don’t worry, I’ll get back into card making very soon. For this card, I loved the example card so much that I just made my own. It’s so bright and shiny in real life. Love it!

• Stamps: Pop of Petals; Love What You Do

• Inks: Petal Pink; Calypso Coral

• Cardstock: Wood Textures DSP; random scrap DSP; gold foil; Calypso Coral; Petal Pink

• Accessories: Gold Faceted Gems

• Tools: Stitched Shapes Framelits; Four Petal Flower Punch

Typewriter Wishes

Today’s card is a CASE from Allison Okamitsu @ Nice People Stamp. I loved the collage style of the example card and set out to make my own version. I changed up some colors and accessories, but kept the design the same. Really love this card!

• Stamps: P.S. You’re the Best

• Inks: Crushed Curry; Soft Suede; Tranquil Tide; Old Olive

• Cardstock: Delightful Daisy DSP (retired); DSP scrap; Tranquil Tide; So Saffron; Whisper White

• Accessories: Tranquil Tide Velvet Ribbon; candy dots (retired)

• Tools:

Trio of Birdhouses

Today’s card took me awhile, but I do love coloring in my stamps! This particular one is retired, but it oh so much fun!

• Stamps: Suite Sayings (retired)

• Inks: Poppy Parade; various Stampin’ Blends and markers

• Cardstock: Poppy Parade; Delightful Dijon (retired); scrap DSP; Whisper White

• Accessories: punch out butterflies (retired)

• Tools: