Flowerbug's Inkspot

White ribbon - NOT!

My friend Mary really wanted to get the new white Organza ribbon, but does not like white - Vanilla is her thing.  She wanted to know what I could do about it. So I took the challenge & did this:
I inked a sponge in Classic ink & rubbed it over the beautiful, soft ribbon & wallah!  Cocoa colored ribbon!  Here's what it looks like on a card:

I used the new stamp set 'Bird on a Branch'.  I think I'm gonna love this one!  Well, what's new; I love most of my stamps!

The background was done tone on tone - Cocoa ink on Cocoa CS using the fun little background stamp that comes in this set. 
See the Thinking of you 'flag'?  The end was done by using the 'My Way' punch - just insert the tip of the arrow into the end of your tag & you've made a perfect flag!  I then sponged it with Teal ink.

 

Stamps - Bird on a Branch
Card stock - Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Taken with Teal, Very Vanilla
Ink - Taken with Teal, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa
Accessories - White Organza ribbon, sponges, 1/2" circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, crafters tool kit, new 5/16" neutral brads, dimensionals, Eyelet border punch

Double Feature Punch Art

I've got two pretty easy ones for you this week.

Last week's baby carriage was such a big hit, I thought I'd add a second version.  I heard from many people that you needed to make baby cards, so here's a smaller & little bit easier version:
This one uses our SU Scallop Circle punch for the main carriage.  I just cut off a quarter wedge of it & added a bit of eyelet trim with the Eyelet border punch. 
The wheels are from the 1/2" circle punch with silver brads in the middle.
The handle is from the Swirls Scribbles sizzlet die run through my Big Shot.

Stamps - Holidays & Wishes
Ink - Bashful Blue
Card stock - So Saffron, Bashful Blue, white, retired Bashful blue dsp
Other Accessories - striped Blue grosgrain ribbon, word window punch, mini glue dots



 
Nothing too difficult about this one.  It's just the Round Tab punch cut in half & then the rounded top is cut off straight across.
The Pocket Silhouette's stamp set is perfect for this idea. 

Stamps - Pocket Silhouette's, Say it with Scallops
Ink - Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss
Card stock - Chocolate, Whisper white, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories - Round Tab punch, chocolate corduroy buttons, white Signo gel pen, mini glue dots, Chocolate stitched ribbon, Top Note die, Big Shot die cutting machine

I did use the direct to paper (DTP) technique on the main Chocolate Chip card.  Just use your ink pad to rub directly onto the card stock.  It leaves a unique background - especially great on masculine cards.

NEW Easter Sets..... and more!

The New Occasions Mini Catalog will be out on April 1st & you're gonna love it!  Lots & lots of new stuff coming, including an oval 'scalloped' punch & coordinating stamps.
It includes a few Easter & all occasion stamp sets.  ***See the sneak peak link below.
Since Easter is on April 12th this year, Stampin' Up! is letting us order the Easter stamp sets early starting on March 1st so we have time to make our Easter cards. 
I will be putting in an order that morning as soon as I can & will most likely expedite the order so it should arrive on Tuesday the 3rd.  I will pay all of the extra shipping costs for the speedy delivery!

If you are interested in getting any of these sets 'ASAP' let me know before Sunday, March 1st.  They will be available during the entire month of March, & then also  while the Occasions Mini catalog runs - from April - June 30th.

Download EasterMiniSets09

And remember that we can order the Manhattan Flower Textured Impressions Die (seen on page 202 of the current catalog) on March 1st also.  So some of you impatient souls like me can get that on this same speedy order. 

Here is some information that will help you answer customer questions about this product.

• This is a new type of die Ellison is introducing through Stampin' Up! Embossing folders will not be available through Ellison until later this year.
• This new embossing folder features Stampin' Up!-exclusive artwork and will be available to order on March 1.
• You can use this die with your Standard Cutting Pads.
• This die creates a deep embossed image, sized perfectly for a standard card front.
• This die embosses only; it does not cut out the image.
• The die is clear, which makes positioning your paper easy.

Polka Dot Punches

Here's the second in my SAB (Sale-a-Bration) series - Polka Dot Punches.  It is already a favorite with many who've used it. 
Stampin' Up! is so smart - I love it when they make stamps that fit our punches!  Who doesn't love things that match & make things coordinate so easily?

One savvy stamper ready the tip on the SAB catalog that if you order the 4 punches that coordinate with this stamp set, you get it FREE because your order is over $50!  The Scallop Circle, 1 1/4" circle, 5 Petal punch & the new Full Heart punch are the punches that work perfectly with these stamps. 

This is a card my down-line Mary designed.  I thought the Joy-fold was a done perfectly here.
On a Joy-fold card, one end flips up & the next part folds down to reveal the inside with a message.
Here are the measurments to make your own:
So Saffron piece - 5 1/2 X 4 1/4" - score at 2 1/2"
Celery bottom piece - 5 1/2X 7" - score at 2 3/4"
Striped piece - 5 1/8" X 2 1/2"

She used the Eyelet border punch on the wider part of the So Saffron layer. 

The Scalloped & 5 Petal stamps were inked in Versamark ink & embossed in White Embossing powder & then punched out. 
The Horizontal slot punch was used on the So Saffon piece to add the SAB FREE Celery poly-twill ribbon in a knot. The striped paper is one of the FREE SAB choices good through March.  

I thought this would make a perfect wedding or baby card. 
I inked the Heart stamp in Versamark & embossed in Vanilla EP on Pretty in Pink & Vanilla CS & then punched them out with the Full Heart punch.  Vanilla Taffeta ribbon formed the bows & 'strings' to the popped up hearts. 
The eyelet border punch was used twice & also the new SU Backgrounds Texturz plate added the perfect polka dot background.
A little piercing & sponging on the pink eyelet border & it's done. 

Kiwi Kiss & Pretty in Pink!  Don't you love it??
This one was quickly done.  I saw a similar layout in the Stampin' Success magazine that us SU Demonstrators get monthly.
Card stock - Kiwi Kiss, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Ink - Versamark, Pretty in Pink, Kiwi Kiss
Stamps - Polka Dot Punches, Thank You Kindly
Accessories - 5/16" neutral brads, White EP, Crafters Tool kit, Boho Blossom punch, 1/2", 1 1/4" circle, Scallop Circle, 5 Petal punches, dimensionals, heat gun, Kiwi striped ribbon, 2-way glue & Dazzling Diamonds glitter

 

Pretty combo of Bravo Burgundy, Regal Rose & Sahara Sand.

The Sahara Sand is one of the prints in the Free SAB Designer series paper. 

Stamps - Polka Dot Punches, A Little Something' Level 1 Hostess set

Card Stock - Regal Rose, Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White, SAB Delicate Dots DSP

Ink - Bravo Burgundy

Accessories - 5-Petal flower punch, large & wide oval punches, Designer label punch, white Taffeta ribbon, Signo white gel pen, 5/16" neutral brads, Eyelet border punch

This beautiful card was cased from Melissa seen here on Splitcoaststampers. 

It uses the pretty color combo seen here in the Delicate Dots DSP you can get free with a $50 order during SAB.

The heart was embossed with White EP & punched out.  The Eyelet border punch was used on the striped DSP.  Can you tell I LOVE this punch??

The ribbon is the FREE ribbon you can get in the SAB catalog. 

The 'from the heart' stamp is from the set called Holiday's & Wishes.  And the Bashful CS was textured with the Big Shot & the SU background texturz plates.

Parisian Breeze

One of the fabulous new Designer papers we have in this catalog is the textured, cover-weight card stock.  Parisian Breeze Specialty card stock is soooo beautiful! 
I put together a bundle of products for my clubs this month that included a sheet of each of these 12" Specialty papers, 6 sheets each of Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip & Kraft card stock plus some Chocolate Taffeta ribbon.  They loved it! 
Here's a sample of what I did with my Parisian Breeze card stock.

The main image is from the FREE SAB set called Botanical Blooms.  I love the images that are included in this stamp set. 
The 'Friend' image is from the Level 2 Hostess set A Little Somethin'.
I added a bit of soft sponging of Baja Breeze ink to the main white piece & the Friend oval.

Punches - Ticket corner, large Oval, 1" circle, Designer Label
Accessories - Dimensionals, Chocolate Taffeta ribbon, mini glue dots, 2-way glue & Dazzling Diamonds glitter


 

Punch Art Baby Carriage

Baby carriages are just the sweetest thing!  Here's one that Terri did last week on a scrap book page.  Isn't she clever??
Terri's original Baby Carriage

And here's my version for this week's Punch Art blog series:

Isn't it just too cute?

Punches - Eyelet border punch, 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" circle punches, Heart to Heart punch, ticket corner punch, 1/4" circle behind the brads, scallop edge punch
Sizzix dies - Scallop circle #2, Swirls Scribbles sizzlet

Stamps - Congratulations SAB set

Accessories - SS brads, Crafters tool kit, White taffeta ribbon, mini glue dots

Card stock - Pretty in Pink, Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Chocolate chip, Baja prints





Here's the cut & punched pieces.  Now you can see how I got the axle & handle for the carriage from the Swirls Scribbles die.  

The large scallop has 1/4 of it cut off before adding the strips of White eyelet borders. 

February Club Cards

I just love my Club cards this month.  So far they've been a hit with my gals too.

I always try to do a fun fold or technique each month & this time I absolutely LOVE it!  We learned this spiral pop-up technique at Convention last year. 

The left image is the front of the card & the right side is the inside.  Neat huh? 
I punched a 1 3/4" circle punch from Vellum card stock & then you just start cutting a spiral out of the vellum.  You do not have to use Vellum, but I love the effect it gives - firmness, but almost a non-color so it doesn't distract you from the jumping stars.
Then you lay the cut spiral circle down on your card & add a mini glue dot to the center of it.  Close the card & it will adhere to the top.  Flip it open, add a mini glue dot to the outer end of the spiral & close the card.  That part will now adhere to the bottom.  Make sense?  Super easy!!

Stamps - Animal Crackers, Voila for the Happy Birthday stamp
Ink - Basic Brown or Brown Stazon
Card Stock - Olive Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip
Accessories - Blender pen, Pumpkin ribbon, Scallop circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, star punch, Chocolate Chip marker, Water Color crayons, mini glue dots, Scallop circle die #2, Big Shot

****By the way, check out page 49 in the current Spring Summer Idea book to see where I got the basic idea for this card & what I did to change it up a bit.

Here's the second one:
I'm loving the new Scallop Oval Frame for the Big Shot.
You can cut out two pieces at the same time, maybe even three with the Bigz dies.  We textured the Lavender frame on this card with the SU backgrounds damask Texturz plate & the Big Shot.
The flowers & leaves from the FREE Sale-a-Bration stamp set Botanical Blooms forms the center piece.  We stamped them randomly first in Black ink.  Then in the soft spring-like colors of Regal Rose, Lavender Lace, Certainly Celery & Apricot Appeal.
We added a little stamped tag along with the Embosslet 'Sweet Stems' done in Celery with a ribbon tied on the stem. 

Remember - those of you who want a FREE Sale-a-Bration stamp set, you can choose one for each $50 you spend in the current catalog during February & March.  You can do this with an On-line order too!  And you also get a free Spring Summer Idea Book & Catalog for any online order you place!  Go to my yellow Online Ordering icon on the top left of my Blog to check it out. 

Trendy Trees

Here is a card we did at a workshop recently.  These little Trendy Trees are sooo cute! 

I do have to tell you - these little trees do require the Stamp-a-ma-jig in order to get them stamped correctly.  I am a firm believer that most 2-step stamps do not have to be 'perfectly' stamped in order to look pleasing.  But with this set, you do need it.

As for the SAMJ (Stamp-a-ma-jig), it is very easy to work with once you learn the principle of it.  One suggestion for this set is to use a piece of clear acetate or vellum card stock to stamp the trees onto & then keep it in the box with the stamps.  Then all you need is the handle part of the SAMJ to finish your project. 

We stamped the tree trunks first & then added the tree tops with the SAMJ.  Then we used torn paper to add the 'hills' by sponging Olive ink on the bottom of the CS.

Can you see the textured strips of CS on the right?  We used the SU Texturz backgrounds diamond plate for this.  A great way to add some dimension & interest to your card. 

Online Order tips

Just a reminder that all online orders receive a Free Spring/Summer Idea book & catalog starting in February.  Plus for every $50 you order, you get a Free Sale-a-Bration choice seen here, but here is a hint to make sure you 'get' that choice!

When Placing your order online with me you will see a RED PROMOTIONAL Box at the bottom of your order form before you check out. Inside this Red box you will see the amount of FREE Sale-a-bration items you can choose from for your order of every $50.00 increment.

You will need to click on the 'CLICK HERE' in this promotional box. This will  allow you to add the Sale-a-bration items to your order.

Stampin' up! has NO other prompts set up to notify you.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.