Celebrate You!

Today’s card is being featured on Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration. The challenge was to create a card full of sparkle and shine.

Who has completely fan-girled over the new Occasions Catalog? I totally have! The Picture Perfect Suite immediately caught my eye! Today's card is just full of fun and color! In addition to the stamp set and paper from the Picture Perfect Suite, I added some Lemon Lime Twist Glimmer Paper and the Celebrate You Thinlits (SAB catalog). I can't wait to make more cards using this great paper stack.

• Stamps: Picture Perfect Birthday Stamp
• Inks: Berry Burst; Daffodil Delight; Peekaboo Peach; Lemon Lime Twist; Bermuda Bay; Pool Party
• Cardstock: Picture Perfect Party DSP; Myths and Magic Glimmer Paper; Bermuda Bay; Lemon Lime Twist; Berry Burst
• Accessories: 
• Tools: Celebrate You Thinlits; Stitched Shapes Framelits

Top Ten 2017 Crafts

In no particular order, here are my 10 favorite craft projects of 2017!

1. I always have to include a butterfly card in my Top 10. This year's card is so shiny!

2. Love the Mint and Navy color combo on this floral card.

3. I love coffee so of course I had to get this stamp set and paper. Love these cute cups!

4. As soon as I saw the new catalog, I knew I needed the Pieces and Pattern Stamp Set and Pick a Pattern DSP. The dinosaurs are too adorable!

5. I made each of the boys a decorated letter for their birthday party. 

6. I took my quilted card idea from last year and made baby cards this year. 

7. Birthday Blooms continues to be one of my favorite stamp sets. For this card, I went super simple but it works!

8. My favorite technique from this past year: salted background. 

9. My favorite Christmas card from this season. The gold snowflake really makes this card!

10. This card is so incredibly simple, but I love it. The falling hearts are so much fun!

Stacked Birthday

Today's post is a departure from my Fall and Halloween cards. Who doesn't need a stash of birthday cards on hand? I always mindful of keeping a variety in my inventory. The Birthday Memories DSP is perfect for creating cute cards. For this one, I fussy cut all these cakes to create a stacked imaged. I added a piece of coordinated basic DSP and a great sentiment. For the finishing touch, I added some retired, but still great, candy dots!

• Stamps: Happy Happenings (retired)
• Inks: Real Red
• Cardstock: Birthday Memories DSP; Real Red; Blushing Bride; Whisper White
• Accessories: Subtles Candy Dots (retired)
• Tools: 

Blue Birthday

Today's post is another cute birthday card inspired by the Birthday Memories DSP pack. I spied this great little card from Stamping with Lynn and decided to CASE the design. I fussy cut another birthday card to create my focal point. To help with the visual appeal, I added a strip of cute presents and party hats DSP. I finished the card with a nice sentiment and some fun (yet retired) candy dots.

• Stamps: Cool Treats
• Inks: Pacific Point
• Cardstock: Birthday Memories DSP; Pacific Point; Whisper White
• Accessories: Brights Candy Dots (retired)
• Tools: Stitched Shapes Framelits; Squares Framelits

Cupcake Birthday Girl

Today's post is another cute birthday card inspired by the Birthday Memories DSP pack. I fussy cut this cute little cupcake girl to use as my main image. From there, I added some great DSP as a background, and little frame for my cupcake girl, and a sweet birthday sentiment. My card was still missing something so I added some great gold glitter washi tape. Who doesn't love a bit of sparkle on their card? Finally, I cut out a present and a cute party hat. Such a cute little card.

• Stamps: Cool Treats
• Inks: Real Red
• Cardstock: Birthday Memories DSP; Blushing Bride; Whisper White
• Accessories: Gold Glitter Washi Tape (retired)
• Tools: Stitched Shapes Framelits

Berry Burst Floral Butterfly

A simply in color butterfly card for August's die cuts class. I love the inset butterflies allowing for the DSP to shine through. After assembling the basic card, I went back in and added a bit of Wink of Stella to the Berry Burst butterfly. (Can't see in the picture, but it's nice and shiny in person.) I also added a matching Bitty Bow as a last touch. 

• Stamps: Birthday Blooms
• Inks: Berry Burst
• Cardstock: Fresh Florals DSP, Berry Burst, Whisper White
• Accessories: 2017-2019 In Color Bitty Bows
• Tools: Bold Butterfly Framelits, Wink of Stella

Quick and Easy Squares

Today's trio of cards were another attempt to use up some scrap DSP laying around. I had a ton of smaller peices of DSP (too small for a card layer), but didn't want to throw them out. I found a great repeated shape design on Pinterest and modified it for my cards. I simply die cut three squares and adhered them to a piece of slightly larger cardstock. That attached to the card base and stamped with a simple sentiment created a trio of quick and easy cards. 

Mint Macaron Variant:

Watermelon Wonder Variant: Notice my boo-boo? This one will probably go into the trash, but I wanted you to see how changing the colors and patterned paper really change up the card.

• Stamps: Better Together; Happy Happenings
• Inks: Basic Black; Watermelon Wonder
• Cardstock: Pretty Petals DSP; Pacific Point; Carried Away DSP; Mint Macaron; Tasty Treats DSP; Watermelon Wonder; Whisper White
• Accessories:
• Tools: Stitched Shapes Framelits

Hexagon Throwback

Another card featuring some great retired products. I know it retired a few years ago, but I can't seem to sell my Hexagon Punch. It's just so versatile. I can punch full hexagons, partial hexagons, or banner ends. I love using it so much! For this card, I punched a ton of hexagons from various pieces of retired DSP scraps. It's hard to see, but the floral piece at the bottom features copper foil, so it's awesomely shiny in person. Such a simple design, but this card is a great way to use up your paper scraps.

• Stamps: Cool Treats
• Inks: Watermelon Wonder
• Cardstock: Affectionately Yours DSP (retired); Brights Collection DSP (retired); 2015-2017 In Color DSP (retired); Whisper White; Random scraps
• Accessories: 
• Tools: Hexagon Punch (retired)

Simple Washi Tape Card

A duo of fun and simple washi tape cards. I have an entire bin of washi tape just sitting in my cabinets. I decided I really need to use them more. So I pulled out some fun retired Stampin' Up! washi tape to create these two different cards. First I hand drew a fun little border on my white cardstock. Then I adhered some washi tape strips. From there, I added a nice sentiment (seriously love the Better Together Stamp Set for great bigger sentiments). To finish, I added some sequins. Simple, yet great cards!

• Stamps: Better Together; Four You (retired)
• Inks: Basic Black; Melon Mambo
• Cardstock: Melon Mambo; Smoky Slate; Whisper White
• Accessories: Gold Sequins Trim; Silver Sequin Trim; Variety of Stampin' Up! washi tape (retired)
• Tools: Black Marker

Sweet Little Cupcake Girl

Today's challenge was to use something that isn't my first choice. Everyone who knows me, knows I'm not big on the more cutesy papers and stamp sets. I tend to lean towards the geometric or floral patterns. So the Birthday Memories DSP pack is not one of my go-tos. I had some leftover from my paper share, and I challenged myself to use it in some way. I came up with this sweet little cupcake girl card! The little girl framed by cupcakes just begged to be die cut using the Oval Framelits. After creating the focal point of the card, I turned to the fun new embossing paste. In fact, this was the first card I made using the new embossing paste. I added a bit of Blushing Bride ink to the paste to create a fun diamond textured background. After a bit of practice, I've really gotten the hang of the embossing paste. Such a fun new tool! 

• Stamps: Four You (retired)
• Inks: Real Red; Blushing Bride
• Cardstock: Real Red; Blushing Bride; Whisper White
• Accessories:
• Tools: Oval Framelits; Pattern Party Decorative Masks; Embossing Paste