Flashback Friday - Retiring Favorites

This is the last Friday before the new catalog comes out so I thought it would be fun to do a flashback post sharing some of my favorite creations made with some of my most loved retiring stamp sets. So I don't "play favorites with my favorites", here they are alphabetically...

Big News - Fun sentiment stamps in a large size to be the focal point on your card.

Chalkboard grad card also uses Hardwood background (not retiring!) and Blue Ribbon (previously retired)

Big News is a fun set! My favorite image is the little WOO HOO! banner used on the card above...but the stamp I used the most in this set is the thank you stamp. It is the perfect size in a clear font that I found myself grabbing over and over.  The Zig Zag Embossing Folder used on this birthday card is also retiring. See an alternate version of the birthday card here.

Corner Garden is so much fun to color!

This vibrant card was colored using the Blendabilities Markers...I miss those.

Festival of Trees along with the Tree Punch was a great pairing to make beautiful Christmas cards and much more.

 This Christmas card really sparkled.

This coordinated gift set was fun to make.

A Christmas flip card using the Circle Card Thinlits...which is also retiring.

I just loved making this Christmas Keepsake Pocket Album! There are a few new Christmas stamp sets in the new catalog...but I always look forward to the Holiday Catalog to see all the fun new Christmas and Halloween stamps.

Perfect Peacock  is a beautifully detailed single stamp. If you love to color you need this stamp!

See all the details for the Perfect Peacock easel card  here.

This Perfect Peacock card was water-colored using my Aqua Painter in colors from the Bohemian DSP... see more here. 

Serene Silhouettes Is a beautiful set for any occasion. 

I especially loved using it for the emboss resist technique. Shown on the anniversary card above and on the birthday card below.

An alternate version of this card can be seen here.

I rather like the color combo and the layout used on this card. More info here.

It's not a stamp set, but the Spiral Flower Die has been one I have used quite often for a variety of projects...and to think at first I thought I didn't need it! More info on the Sweet Sorbet Topiary here.

 Roses adoring a sweet little bird house.

 More roses adorning battery operated candles.

and finally, a shadowbox scrapbook page.

Swallowtail - Who doesn't love butterflies? This stamp is larger than life and so very detailed.

This is the first card I ever made with this gorgeous stamp. More details here.

This one looks like it's going to fly right off the card! See more here.

This card uses the spotlighting technique. See more info along with an alternate version here.

World of Dreams - I absolutely love this set and have used it a lot.

The "thank you" sentiment is from the Big News set. I used that stamp quite often.

I created a trio of cards using the same technique along with Typeset Specialty Paper. You can see the entire set here.

Some of the retiring stamp sets have already sold out...but many retiring products are still available until May 31st (or while supplies last) Shop Now to get your favorites before they are gone!

I hope you enjoyed this Flashback...and the long Memorial Day weekend as well!

Swallowtail in the Spotlight

Today I have a couple cards to share using basically the same supplies & the same technique, but the second one is has a little more detail. I used the Swallowtail stamp and the spotlighting technique.

I stamped both the white panel and the background at the same time using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. Then I colored the focal image using my Blendabilities. For my second card I followed the same steps as above, but changed up the color and added a few more details for a stepped up version, see...

I used Gorgeous Grunge for the background and also added some sparkle with a layer of Silver Glimmer Paper. I didn't add a sentiment to this one...but can do that when I'm needing a card. 

Have a beautiful day!
 

Rainbow Swallowtail

When I was waiting for my Blendabilities to arrive, I kept thinking how fun it would be to color the large Swallowtail butterfly stamp with them...and it was!

I couldn't decide which color to use...so I ended up using them all and made a rainbow butterfly! I blended the Rich Razzleberry into the Cherry Cobbler and the Cherry into the Pumpkin Pie and the Pumpkin into the Daffodil Delight...I'm sure I'll never see a butterfly like this in nature, but it sure was fun to color!

I had originally planned to make a standard sized card, but I couldn't bring myself to cut any of this beauties wings off...that would have just been cruel, so I went with a 5 1/5" square base using the new Lost Lagoon. I'll just need to create a special envelope...but that will be easy using the Punch Board.

The word "Imagine" is from the Loving Thoughts set...it is on the retiring list and still available in wood mount. (clear mount has already sold out)

Have a great weekend!

Step It Up Swallowtail

This first card is a quick & easy card that I featured at a workshop a while back.

The Swallowtail image is so pretty and detailed that even a quick card like this looks like it was more complicated than it is. While this first card is perfect just like it is, if you wanted to spend a little more time you can easily create something like this step it up version.

All I did here was mask the image and sponge on some color. I also changed the color of ribbon and added a bow. Now this butterfly really makes an impact, don't you think? You cannot really tell from the photo but both of the butterfly panels are spritzed with homemade shimmer spray. Here's a closer look.

Here's a side by side comparison.

Thanks for visiting today!

Farewell Colored Swallowtail

As you have probably already heard, Stampin' Up! is doing another color refresh. While it's always fun to have new colors to play with, the down side is saying goodbye to some colors we already love. In my case, I will miss Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose & More Mustard the most. I decided to create a card in honor of my favorite departing colors...minus the Mustard because it just wouldn't have looked too good with the other four colors.

You cannot see so much from the photo but the main panel just shimmers when the light hits it. After stamping the butterfly & background I spritzed it with my homemade shimmer mist. To make this all you have to do is combine 70% alcohol & several drops of Frost White Shimmer Paint in a Stampin' Spritzer.

Stamps: Swallowtail, En Francais, Creative Elements & Teeny Tiny Wishes
Inks: Certainly Celery & Not Quite Navy
Card stock: Certainly Celery, Not Quite Navy, Regal Rose & Baja Breeze
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Stampin' Spritzer, Needle Point Border Embossing Folder, Modern label Punch & Word Window Punch

Today is the last day to take advantage of the FREE shipping promo, so I'd recommend stocking up on your favorite colors before they are no longer available. I know that several different colors of the re-inkers have already sold out...so place your order soon!

What colors will you miss the most?

Swallowtail Duo

I love this large, beautiful butterfly image and I couldn't wait to try it with a purple color combo. I love purple! So today I have two cards to show you...they are pretty much the same, yet with a few slight changes, you'll see that they look quite different.

The first card is monochromatic using light & dark shades of purple...Elegant Eggplant & Wisteria Wonder ink & card stock were used. I love the rich, deep texture created by applying ink directly to the Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder before running it through the Big Shot.  Here is the same card with a few small changes.

I had the Pool Party Ribbon & buttons sitting on my desk (part of the Sycamore Street Button & Ribbon Pack - FREE during SAB) and thought it would add a nice pop of color to the design. I also spritzed the image with some shimmer spray as well. (Sorry that it photographed more speckley than shimmery, but I didn't feel like going back down to try and get a better photo.) So you'll have to trust me when I say that in real life it has a pretty, subtle shimmer to it. Here are the two cards for a side by side comparison.

Which one do you like?

Dazzling Swallowtail

Isn't this huge butterfly image gorgeous?! I love butterflies, so this Swallowtail image from the Spring Catalog caught my eye right away...and I just couldn't wait to get it! I originally planned to use it at an angle on my card, cutting off parts of the wings to have it fit my panel. But...it is so much fun to color and looked so pretty when I was done that I didn't have the heart to cut any off! So for my first card using this image, I made an over-sized square card that frames the entire image.

I used my Aquapainter along with Classic Inks to color the butterfly and then I went back and applied Dazzling Details over the entire image...again using my Aquapainter. Applying it in this manner helps to thin it out and gives more control. Here's a closer look to kinda see the sparkle on the wings. Unfortunately, it's so hard to capture how much it shimmers with just a photo.

I used the Very Vintage wheel to create the Rich Razzleberry background paper and the SAB set Vintage Verses for the sentiment. (Vintage Verses will be available for FREE with a $50 order after January 22nd.)

Other colors used: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit & Tangerine Tango

I have lots of other plans for this pretty image and look forward to sharing them with you. Enjoy your weekend!