Copper Birthday

Today’s card is being featured on Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration. The challenge was to create a birthday card. I always need great birthday cards for my personal card stash. For this card, I played off of a fun color combo of Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, and Copper. I built my cake and added a heat embossed banner. I repeated the copper with a small copper foil banner sticking out from behind the cake. Simple card, but I love it!

• Stamps: Build a Birthday
• Inks: Calypso Coral; Island Indigo
• Cardstock: A Little Foxy DSP; Copper Foil; Island Indigo; Whisper White
• Accessories: 
• Tools: Copper Embossing Powder

Melon Birds

Today's card features two underused retiring products: Birdcage Builder Stamp Set and Pop of Pink DSP. I love the mix of patterns for the background paper. For some reason, I've been hoarding this paper... Nice to let it shine on a card. And those little Melon Mambo birds are too cute in their cages. 

• Stamps: Birdcage Builder
• Inks: Melon Mambo; Crumb Cake
• Cardstock: Pop of Pink DSP; Gold Foil; Melon Mambo; Whisper White
• Accessories: 
• Tools: Layering Circles Framelits

SSINKCS45: Love You!

Today’s card is a submission for Stylin' Stampin' Inkspiration's Card Sketch Challenge! I love card sketches to give me a "roadmap" for a card design. This month's card sketch:

My card was created using the last bits of the Festive Birthday DSP pack. I had a larger piece of the Melon Mambo paper and so based my card off of that that. I added some great other patterns and colors as banners. The sentiment echoes the colors of the DSP. As a final touch, I had to add some shiny in the form of gold sequins

• Stamps: Friendly Wishes
• Inks: Melon Mambo; Emerald Envy
• Cardstock: Festive Birthday DSP; Emerald Envy; Whisper White
• Accessories: Emerald Envy Ruched Ribbon; Gold Sequin Trim
• Tools: Stitched Shapes Framelits

Top Ten Retiring Products

There are still so many great items are the retiring list. But these could sell out at any time. Make sure to snap them up before they're gone!  Here are my Top 10:

1. Build a Birthday Stamp Set $16.00  (138646)

2. Elegant Butterfly Punch $16.00 (127526)

3. Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper $3.00 (140550)

4. Birdcage Builder Stamp Set $13.60  (142891)

5. Stars Framelits $21.60 (133723)

6. Pop of Pink DSP $7.80 (141648) and Washi Tape $8.00 (141649)

7. Endless Birthday Wishes Stamp Set $16.00 (140273)

8. 2016-2018 In Color Enamel Shapes $4.50 (141410)

9. Hello Lovely Project Life Card Collection $16.00 (141668)

10. Lucky Stars Embossing Folder $7.50 (135817)

Patterned Butterfly

Today’s card features one of my favorite retiring stamp sets: Kinda Eclectic.  This stamp set was my first purchase from the 2015-2016 catalog. I loved the abstract nature of some of the stamp pieces (dots, sunburst) mixed with the butterflies and leaves. For this card, I focused on saying farewell to the wonderful butterflies. So sad to give them up! But I may just keep them to pull out now and again...

• Stamps: Kinda Eclectic
• Inks: Mint Macaron; Island Indigo; Sweet Sugarplum; Rich Razzleberry
• Cardstock: Mint Macaron; Island Indigo; Whisper White
• Accessories: Pearls
• Tools: Elegant Butterfly Punch; Bitty Butterfly Punch

Square Birthday

Today’s card is being featured on Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration. The challenge was to create a card using retiring DSP. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Party Animal DSP at first, but it really did grow on me. After classes, paper shares, and previous cards, I was left this week with a few strips and squares. How to utilize these scraps to make a great card? Rely on geometry of course! I simply left the squares as is and started layering them on a piece of white cardstock. I trimmed off the excess and was left with an awesome base for a simple stamped birthday cake and sentiment. To add the finishing element, I placed some star enamel shapes in place of the starbursts on the cake. Perfect birthday card for a little boy turning 4 this weekend!

• Stamps: Endless Birthday Wishes
• Inks: Pacific Point; Crushed Curry; Tempting Turquoise; Emerald Envy
• Cardstock: Party Animal DSP; Pacific Point; Whisper White
• Accessories: 2016-2018 In Color Enamel Shapes
• Tools: Stitched Shapes Framelits

Spring Stampin' Up! Bingo

Last Saturday, I hosted my first every Stampin' Up! Bingo Party! And it was awesome! I had seven ladies join me for a fun afternoon of games, crafting, snacks, and socializing. I created prize packs for eight rounds of bingo. Each round's prize was valued at between $10 and $20 dollars. For example, Round one's prize was a pack of 2016-2018 In Color Cardstock and the coordinating Markers. Another round included the Summer Sorbet Stamp Set and Rich Razzlberry Ombre Ink Pad. Almost all of the ladies won a round. And those that didn't got to pick from my extra prize stash (mostly retired items, but still great products). Along with Bingo, I created two different make n take cards. Everyone followed my basic design for the dragonfly card, but they went all different directions with the Scenic Sayings card. I love the variety of cards that were made. The event was so much fun, I think I'll schedule another Bingo party for August or so. Just in time for the Holiday Catalog!

Serious Bingo-ing

So much concentration!

Make n take #1: Dragonfly Dreams

• Stamps: Dragonfly Dreams
• Inks: Sweet Sugarplum
• Cardstock: 2016-2018 In Color DSP; Copper Foil; Sweet Sugarplum; Whisper White
• Accessories: 2016-2018 In Color Enamel Shapes
• Tools: Detailed Dragonfly Framelits

Make n Take #2: Scenic Sayings

• Stamps: Scenic Sayings
• Inks: Island Indigo
• Cardstock: Serene Scenery DSP; Bermuda Bay; Island Indigo; Gold Foil; Whisper White
• Accessories: Mini Paperclips; Organza Ribbon
• Tools: 

Sara and Cindy's variations

Jan, Melissa, and Molly's variations

Yoli and Dorothy's variations

Floral Affection Mother's Day

Today’s card is being featured on Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration. The challenge was to create a card for Mother's Day. Just like last month's card, I always go to flowers for Mother's Day cards. I pulled out some scraps from the Affectionately Yours DSP pack and started playing with layering. I saw a card that featured a diagonal piece of patterned paper and thought it might look nice on this card. From there, I embossed a piece of Mint Macaron to act at my focal point. A simple sentiment finished off my card. 

• Stamps: Love and Affection
• Inks: Night of Navy
• Cardstock: Affectionately Yours DSP; Mint Macaron; Very Vanilla; Watermelon Wonder
• Accessories: 
• Tools: Floral Affection Embossing Folders

May Crafting Goals

• April's Memory Planner pages -- I have most of the pictures printed. Just need to start my weeks.
• Finish May SSINK cards and leftover retiring cards -- I am behind! Usually by the first of the month, I have my cards mostly done. This blog transfer has put me behind.
• Clean out retiring card kits -- I have a few last chance classes scheduled. I also need to just personally clean the kits out.
• May Newsletter -- I really want to get this done.
• Finally catch up on the family Project Life album -- I started and got side tracked. I need to get this finished.

A recap of last month’s goals:

• Prep and host my first Bingo event  -- Success! I had a ton of fun and I think all the ladies did also.
• Finish March Memory Planner pages -- 90% success. I have the the first two days of April to finish. 
• Start a Stampin' Up! social media/blog post section in planner -- Success! I bought a Recollections insert for my social media posts.
• April Newsletter -- Fail. Just didn't get this off the ground this past month.
• Finish April and May class cards -- Success! I'm ready to move on to the new stuff!
• Finish April SSINK cards -- Success!

SSINKCC45: Two-Toned Birthday

This week I'm participating in the SSINK Color Challenge!  

I'm so incredibly sad that the Endless Birthday Wishes Stamp Set is retiring at the end of May. It's just so versatile! For this card, I decided to play with textures and patterns. Very rarely do I layer pieces on top of embossed pieces, but this was perfect! Delightful Dijon wasn't my favorite of the 2015-2017 In Colors, but it does look very nice with Pacific Point. Love this great birthday card.

• Stamps: Endless Birthday Wishes
• Inks: Pacific Point; Delightful Dijon
• Cardstock: 2015-2017 In Color DSP; Pacific Point; Delightful Dijon; Whisper White
• Accessories:
• Tools: Lucky Stars Embossing Folder; Layering Circles Framelits