Here's my card that I made for our June swaps. I really wanted to use my Daydream Medallions stamps and Floral Frames framelits, but wanted something nice and clean. Enter the monochromatic look! I love how clean this card looks and yet it has a ton of layers and fun patterns.
Only one tiny purchase this week... I received my washi tape order from Peachy Cheap on Wednesday. 12 rolls of washi for $10! I'll take that. Can't wait to play with them a bit more. I also received my backordered Moonlight DSP from Stampin' Up. Finally I get to make some pretties with the new paper!
Along with Stamp Club, I attended two card classes this June. All three events were focused on using new products from the catalog. I wanted to get some new ideas for my own cards and I did! I love the sunburst design and this one used some great new DSP and colors.
We made a cute card holder at club. These would be great little gifts for Christmas or for craft sales.
Love this simplistic design. I'll admit that the Work of Art stamp set confounded me at first. I'm not that great with abstract. But I've seen a few great designs lately. This one was so much fun!
After seeing some great cards using Sea Street, I had to add it to my June order. Now I just need the Maritime DSP.
Another adorable Sea Street card. Perfect for a kid's birthday card.
Disappointed that my Moonlight DSP Stack is one backorder, so I can't recreate this card. Once I receive it, I will definitely make a similar card. I even have the stamp set (Hello There).
Pretty serene card using new DSP (Lullaby) and a nice color combination.
I haven't bought the Thinlit Die, but do love playing with it. I changed up the sentiment on this one to make a cute new baby card. And it's already been sent out to a friend who just had her second son. Very adorable!
This card was made by inking up clear blocks. I been meaning to try to the technique myself. Thankfully we got to try it out at class.
I absolutely adore this card. It's simple, but still has a ton of visual interest. I may have to CASE this one soon...
First time trying out the decorative masks. I own both sets, but haven't used them yet. We got to try out one of them at class. I am not a huge fan of the word bubbles, but I loved using the mask and the in colors.
I finally bought Sea Street but failed to order the Maritime DSP. I need to CASE this card... love it so much!
Week 23 Family Album: Our first week with the twins here and we made sure to get out and about. We did so much this week that I had to add another two page spread to fit it all in. We went to the pool, parks, Great America, and SJ Museum of Art. Even with four pages, I had to narrow down the pictures.
I chose to change it up and go with the WRMK Memo this week. I am loving the orange and blue combos especially. They are really great pops of color throughout the pages.
Supplies:
Week 24
Family Album: Another four page spread for the week. This time I got away with using a smaller insert instead of another 12x12 page. Loving the pictures from this week. I let them mostly speak for themselves.
Supplies:
Let’s dive in today with a huge essential product: my Stampin' Scrub Pad.
Back when I first started stamping in 2009, I didn't know how to clean to stamps. I simply washed them off in the sink. Not so great... Then I read about the baby wipes method. Okay that worked, but this was in the between my kids time. I just didn't want to keep buying baby wipes. Then I bought some liquid stamp cleaner and used that with paper towels. It was okay if I was just stamping one image, but if I wanted to do a lot, my method was extremely inefficient. Finally, I was clued into the scrub pad from a SU demo. Hallelujah! This thing is a life saver!
Product Description: Basically the pad is a plastic case that contains two scrub pad pieces (think a doormat). One side is labeled with raindrops, the other with an umbrella. You spray some cleaning solution onto the raindrop (wet) side and scrub your stamp. You then scrub your stamp on the umbrella (dry) side. Abracadabra! You have a clean stamp. This is great when stamping a lot or using multiple stamps. When the pad gets dry, simply spray more solution.
After a fair amount of usage, you'll notice that the stamps aren't cleaning very easily. When this happens, it's time to clean your pad. Simply run your pad under water until the water runs clear. Prop up the pad to dry. Simple solution. I usually clean my pad once a week or two weeks depending on the amount of stamping I've done.
My Choice Brand(s): Stampin' Up sells a great scrub pad and cleaning solution (even refills). This is my one and only choice for scrub pad. It works great and is cost effective.
Another retired DSP pack down... I'm really loving this set of cards.
Card #1
Card Inspiration from Stampin' Connection
My version
I love the simple blue and cream combo. Very pretty together!
Card #2
Card Inspiration from North Shore Stamper
My version
I made two variations because I didn't have enough Midnight Muse Dahlias for both cards. I actually pulled these little heart wood veneers from my Take Ten PL kit. Perfect finishing touch.
Card #3
Card Inspiration from DO Stamping with Dawn
My version
Simple yet lovely. I realize that my favorite cards are usually pretty simplistic. At the last minute, I added the wood veneers for that extra little something.
Card #4
Card Inspiration from Card Creations by Beth
My version
This card looks much better in person. The embossed Midnight Muse piece really pops and the dahlia adds a little extra touch.
Card #5
Card Inspiration from Stampin' Pretty
My version
This card is so bright and cheery! I don't have the ovals framelits (must put on wish list), so I substituted my new Starburst Framelits. And I don't have the same ornament stamp and punch, but I do have the old retired ones. Still works!
Card #6
Card Inspiration from Northwest Stamper
My version
This card really isn't my personal style, but it's pretty. I got the new hostess set I LIke You because watercolor images are so popular right now. This is the first time that I used it and I actually like it!
Card #7
Card Inspiration from My Creative Corner
My version
Simple layering of coordinating DSP makes for a striking card.
Card #8
Card Inspiration from Dawn's Stamping Thoughts
My version
Another card that just isn't my style, but it turned out okay. I like the contrasting paper and butterflies.
Card #9
Card Inspiration from Pretty Impact
My version
I think this card is my favorite of the entire bunch. I love the simplistic shapes and lots of texture. For me, the switch to the yellow cardstock for the sentiment banner really makes the card pop!
Card #10
Card Inspiration from WeeBeeStampin4Fun
My version
Turns out I don't have Cajun Craze ink in either a marker or an ink pad. I dug through my stash and found a Really Rust marker from a few years back. It' snot the same color, but I think it coordinates nicely with the Cajun Craze card stock.
Woohoo! My big new catalog SU order has arrived. I ordered on Tuesday and received on Friday. I love living so close to Salt Lake City. Let's open the box and take a peek inside...
Unfortunately my Moonlight DSP Paper Stack is on back order until hopefully this week. Overall, I'd say a pretty good haul for the week! Now to find the time to actually dive in and craft a bit.
Today's craft was inspired by the multiple summer bucket lists I saw on Pinterest. I wanted to make some type of visual list for the twins, but didn't want to dedicate a wall to the idea. Plus, I wanted something fairly economical and potentially a keepsake. Enter my unused Epic Day This and That journal. Stampin' Up started selling this great little blank journals last year, but I hadn't figured out what to use mine for... Each one of the journals contains 60 pages of DSP plus a pocket and a few small envelopes. Mine features the Epic Day DSP that retired this year.
Cover: The cover was embossed with hexagons, but otherwise blank. I decided to play off the hexagon pattern with some DSP and my hexagon punch. I love how it turned out! Very bright and cheery. I added the title with my handy journaling pen. Then I went about attempting to fill it...
Before adding anything to the inside, I made a general list of things we wanted to do. Then I scoured my Pinterest boards and some local websites for more ideas. Once I had my basic list, I was ready to start writing in the journal.
I elected to add our basic weekly schedule to the inside cover. So far this weekly schedule has helped us stay organized and helped lessen the amount of times I hear "What are we doing tomorrow?" I also re-entered the title and our names. You will also notice that I used a sticker to the inside cover. I bought the journal, DSP, washi tape, and stickers (now you can buy journal, washi, and stickers in a bundle), so I could have everything coordinated.
For the inside pages, I dedicated a page to each activity/place. I cut some of my Epic Day DSP into strips for the title of each page. I adhered them with snail, but also added the washi tape for visual interest. I then added any relevant info (hours, admission, etc) for each activity/place. Randomly I added some stickers. Finally I added a little box in each corner so we can check off the activity once completed.
I left enough room to add more information or to include ephemera (i.g. tickets) after our activity.Overall, I'm really surprised at how well this turned out. I love the look and especially the organization. We haven't filled the notebook with activities so I'll probably carry this one over to next summer. Once completed, this will be a nice little keepsake of our summer. I've included links to the three current journal bundles you can buy from SU.
Week 21
Family Album: This was a quiet one, except for our Friday excursion. I dedicated the entire right hand side to our trip to the Oakland Zoo with friends L and L. The left hand sides highlights some of our usual baby playdates throughout the week. My favorite picture of the week is the one in the swing. That was Arthur's first time swinging and he loved it!
Again I primarily used SU's Everyday Adventure card set and accessory pack. I added a few quote bubbles and tags to highlight some of the activities. Other than the few additions, I kept most of the pictures unadorned.
Supplies:
Week 22
Family Album: Last week before the twins arrive and we spent it lounging around the house. I was sick and Arthur had fun becoming more and more mobile. Note the picture of him standing at the bouncer. Oh man, we are in trouble!
I switched up my card kits and used a bit of WRMK Memo. I stuck to the greens and blues for a nice serene color palette. I added a few stickers and tags here and there. I don't usually leave things so plain, but I really enjoy the blue polka dot card. I just added a few enamel dots and the one stamp in the corner. I like how it's off center.
Supplies:
Another attempt to get rid of my retired DSP. This post's pack comes from a few years back. I don't remember how old Paisley Petals is, but I do know that it's been sitting in my DSP box for at least a year. After making the cards featured, I had a few scraps and some full sheets leftover. I ended up putting the full sheets up for grabs to other crafting friends. They kindly took them away from me. One more pack down.
Card #1
Card Inspiration from Stampin Sunshine
My version
Loved the inspiration card. My version turned out okay, but not the best. I really need different layered framelits. I'm getting a bit sick of using my labels.
Card #2
Card Inspiration from Moxie Fab World
My version
Very cute inspiration card. Mine is a bit plain, but much nicer in person.
Card #3
Card Inspiration from Creative Crafts by Lynn
My version
I rarely make no sentiment cards, but this one has so much going on that it seemed appropriate. I love the layering...
Card #4
Card Inspiration from Handmade from Michelle
My version
Simple yet striking. I love the pattern play here.
Card #5
Card Inspiration from Handmade by Michelle
My version
I made this card, but something just seemed off... Then I added the ribbon and everything worked so much better.
Card #6
Card Inspiration from Stamp-n-Paradise
My version
Love how simple this card is. I just find myself drawn to the negative space.
Card #7
Card Inspiration from Scrappin' and Stampin' in GJ
My version
Not my favorite card, but interesting visual draw.
Card #8
Card Inspiration from ...Confessions of a Stamping Addict
My version
I didn't think I would like this card in the end, but something pulls me in. I'm loving the added butterfly on the side.
Card #9
Card Inspiration from Paper Suite
My version
I played with the hexagon punch to ultimately create 5 different cards. My favorite is the all over hexagon card. Very striking!