FabFri46: Grungy Butterfly

Hello and Happy Friday! I'm having a bit of a sad Friday because I am not in Salt Lake City for Stampin' Up convention. I have gone twice before, but because I am not working and my business is really just to support my hobby, I can't justify the expense of going each year. I aim for every other year, which means that next year I AM THERE!!!! It is fun to see all of the pictures that my stamping buddies are posting, so I live vicariously through them this year.

Even though I am not at convention it is still a Fab Friday and time for a fun, bright, and cheery color challenge. What do you think?

And here is my card...

Stampin' Up Supplies:
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Gorgeous Grunge, So Many Thanks
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Whisper White
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Butterfly punch, rhinestones

I decided to go for a CAS design for my card. My stamping time is very limited this summer because I am continuously interrupted by the kiddos. When I do get a chance to stamp, I need to finish quickly, so CAS is the way to go.

It's your turn to come and play along. We'd love to have you join us!

Pin It

FabFri42: Butterflies Just For You

Hey there, stampers! Sorry for being away for so long. I have been having major technical difficulties lately. My laptop crashed and is still not repaired. Fortunately, my hubby got a new laptop for work and I can now use his old one. :)

It's Friday (Woo Hoo!), and time for another challenge at Fab Friday! This time we have a color challenge.

Pretty, right?

I wasn't sure what direction to take with these colors and my friend, Rita, suggested that I try a watercolor wash. I had never done this technique and decided to give it a whirl. As it turned out, it was perfect for these colors and for making a quick and simple card (which I needed after the slightly crazy day I've had). This is what I cam up with...

 

 

Isn't the watercolor wash a pretty background for the butterflies? This was a very quick card to make, but I like it a lot. To do the watercolor wash, I filled my aquapainter with water and squeezed some ink from my Pool Party reinker into the lid of the ink pad and used the aquapainter to quickly paint the background onto watercolor paper. I did the same thing for the butterflies. I painted small areas with the aquapainter and the different ink colors and then stamped the butterflies over the colors once they dried. Then I added some accents with my stampin' write markers and punched them out. Easy peasy!

 

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:

Stamps: Work of Art, Papillon Potpourri

Paper: Pool Party, Basic Black, Watercolor

Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe, Summer Starfruit, Pool Party, Coastal Cabana, Memento Black

Accessories: Aquapainter, Butterfly punch, Small Butterfly punch, rhinestones

 

OK, now it's time to flutter on over to Fab Friday and play along with us! I can't wait to see what you make!

 

Pin It

FabFri38: Spring Has (Finally) Sprung!

Hey there, stampers! Spring is here! I am so happy to be through with this endless winter. If only it would warm up just a bit, maybe I would get out of this slump I have been in all winter long. The cold and snow seems to have just completely zapped my motivation and energy. I'm really excited to get back to some of the things that I enjoy (like stamping)!

It is time for a new Fab Friday challenge and we have a color challenge this time. Check it out!

At first glance, all I saw was a masculine card when I looked at these colors. I couldn't get anything to come together, so I just started playing with some things I had out on my table and this springy card happened...

I can't get enough of the new Hardwood background stamp. I just love it! The butterflies from Papillon Potpourri are also frequent flyers (pun totally intended) for my cards. ;-)

While it wasn't my intention to CASE this card, I must have had my awesome friend, Rita's, lovely card in the back of my head when I made this one. I think it was definitely my subconscious inspiration.

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Hardwood, Summer Silhouettes, Papillon Potpourri, Hello Lovely

Paper: Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Pudding, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Pudding, Sahara Sand

Accessories: Elegant Butterfly punch, Bitty Butterfly punch, sponge

Now it's your turn to come and play along with us! We would love to see what you make!

Pin It

Keepin' It Clean for Fab Friday

Hey there stampers! Is it just me or has this been the longest week? By Tuesday afternoon, I felt like it should have been Friday. Maybe it is because my kids finally had a full week of school (I think this is only the second time that has happened since they returned from Christmas break)! Anyway, whether your week went fast or slow, Friday has finally arrived and it is time for a new challenge from Fab Friday! We have a bright and fun color challenge for you this time.

These colors come straight from the Kaleidoscope DSP in the Occasions catalog, so if you have that paper, the challenge will be nice and easy. If you don't have it, I hope you will not let it keep you from playing along. I do not own this particular DSP. I like it, but it is just a little too bright and the patterns are a little too bold for my style. I had to get creative to make my card, and I will freely admit that it was a little bit of a struggle. So much of a struggle, in fact, that I made three cards before I finally settled on one that I liked! I am not normally a CAS (clean and simple) stamper even though I love that style. I have just never felt that I could pull it off. However, in a moment of sheer desperation to make a card that I was happy with, I decided to try a CAS sketch that I found on Pinterest. To my great surprise, I liked the finished product. Here it is...

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Perfect Pennants
Paper: Strawberry Slush, Basic Black, Whisper White, Crushed Curry
Ink: Strawberry Slush, Bermuda Bay, Staz On
Accessories: Butterfly punch, rhinestones (colored with a black Sharpie)

OK, now it is your turn to play along. Come over to Fab Friday and join us! This challenge closes on March 13th. Can't wait to see your creations!



Pin It

Sending Good Thoughts

Hello and Happy New Year! It sure has been a looooooong time since I last posted. I hope that anyone reading this had a wonderful Christmas and that the new year is treating you well so far! Life for us was super busy around the holidays and then when the kids finally returned to school after the long Christmas break, we had bad weather and they missed two and a half days of school last week! On top of that, we had frozen pipes during an extremely cold couple of days and were completely without water. It has been interesting to say the least! This week has finally been more normal and I have been able to spend some time in my stamp room preparing for my upcoming class.

Here is the first card I made. It was inspired by this card I saw on Pinterest (always great for when the mojo is in short supply).

I really like the versatility of this greeting. It could be a thinking of you, get well, good luck, or even a birthday card. My customers requested get well/thinking of you as one of the card types for my class, so this one definitely works for that. I am not really a pastel person, but I do think the colors in the Sweet Sorbet DSP (free with a $50 order during Sale-a-Bration) are pretty and perfect for spring (which I hope will come early this year).

Stampin' Up Supplies:
Stamps: Perfect Pennants, Papillion Potpourri, Betsy's Blossoms
Ink: Basic Gray, Pool Party, Summer Startfruit
Paper: Pool Party, Sahara Sand, Crisp Cantaloupe, Basic Black, Whisper White, Sweet Sorbet DSP
Accessories: Scalloped Tag punch, Pistachio Pudding ruffled stretch ribbon, small butterfly punch, baker's twine

Thanks for stopping by! Come back tomorrow because I will have my next card then. Pin It

Blooming With Kindness for Fab Friday

TGIF! Wow! It has been a long week and I'm glad that Friday is finally here. As the end of the school year approaches, life has gotten busy, busy, busy. There are so many activities and field trips and programs! Add to that my son's soccer schedule, and it seems that I run all week long. Speaking of running, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to become an actual runner (not just a crazy mom running all over the place) and I am proud to say that I have actually met my goal. On April 27th, I ran in my first ever 5k and it was wonderful! I had never been a runner before and when I started, it was definitely a struggle. I used the Couch to 5k app on my iPhone and it really helped me reach my goal. Here is a picture of me just after I crossed the finish line. My official time was 33:59 (a personal best by over a minute).

And here is a picture of "Team Josh". We had special shirts made and ran in memory of my dear friend, Josh, who sadly passed away this past December. He was a great inspiration to me in my journey to get fit and we miss him terribly. The airplane in the background is a C5 military jet. The race was held at the Air National Guard base that is practically in my backyard.

 OK, enough personal stuff. You visited to see my card for Fab Friday and here it is...

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Blooming with Kindness, Papillon Potpourri
Paper: Raspberry Ripple, Soft Suede, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit, Very Vanilla, 2013-2014 In Color DSP stack (retiring)
Ink: Soft Suede, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit
Accessories: Big Shot, Apothecary Accents framelits, Fancy Fan embossing folder, small butterfly punch, Raspberry Ripple stitched satin ribbon, pearls

To make my flower have a little extra dimension, I stamped it once and then moved the stamp slightly and stamped again without re-inking. I really like this flower done this way. I did this card as a class card because it could easily be used for lots of different occasions simply by switching the sentiment.

The challenge this week is a color challenge. Check it out...

Isn't it a pretty combination of colors? I hope you will come on over to Fab Friday and play along with us!

 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Pin It

Fab Hello

It's Friday and time for a new Fab Friday challenge! Woo hoo! We have a pretty color challenge this time. The colors are all from the Subtles collection and are perfect for a springy card!

My card is inspired by a card that I saw on Pinterest a while back.  (There is a link to the card below in my supply list). I wanted to make a card using some new products from the Spring and Sale-a-Bration catalogs and I thought this fun layout would be perfect.

 

 

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Distressed Dots, Pretty Petites (SAB), Papillon Potpourri

Paper: Perfect Plum, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White

Ink: Crumb Cake, Perfect Plum, Baja Breeze

Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots EF, Curly Label punch, Petite Curly Label punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, Stampin' Pierce Mat, Paper Piercing Tool, Perfect Plum taffeta ribbon, Bitty Buttons, basic pearls, white baker's twine

Inspired by: this card made by Michelle Le Breton

 

For this being one of my favorite color combos ever (any purple, green, and blue really), I struggled with this card. I just couldn't get all of the elements to come together the way I wanted them to. Does that happen to everyone or just me? It sure can be frustrating, but I am happy with this final product, so I guess it was worth the trouble. :) I'm not 100% sure, but this card might make the cut as one of the designs for my classes coming up later this month.

 



Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to swing by Fab Friday and play along. The challenge closes on February 28th. I hope you will play along! Pin It

Still Kickin'...

Just in case you were beginning to wonder, I am still kickin'. I just haven't stamped in almost THREE WEEKS!!!! Yikes! We were away on a wonderful beach vacation for a week and then last week I was very busy catching up from vacation and getting ready for my son's sleepover party for his seventh birthday (sniff, sniff) and this week we are preparing for a family birthday party for both of my kids (their birthdays are a week apart and my daughter will be turning four this Saturday- sniff, sniff again) coming up this weekend. We are also getting ready for my son to head back to school next Monday. August is an extremely busy month at our house, so it isn't really surprising that I haven't been stamping, but I sure do miss it. Hopefully, I will get a chance to stamp again in the next day or two.

In the meantime, here is a card I made over a month ago, but never posted. My mom is also a Stampin' Up demonstrator and is in my downline. She has a club that meets once a month and if it happens that I am going to be at her house for her club meeting, I will act as the guest designer and teach a new technique to her club. She requested the inset embossing (also called inlaid or embedded embossing technique) using the Papillon Potpourri stamp set and coordinating Elegant Butterfly punch. This is what I came up with. All of her club ladies really liked it. I hope you do too!

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Friendly Phrases
Paper: Melon Mambo, So Saffron, Gumball Green, Whisper White
Ink: Melon Mambo, Gumball Green
Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, Little Leaves Sizzlit, Elegant Butterfly punch, Scallop Oval punch, Large Oval punch, Gumball Green ribbon, basic pearls
Techniques: Inset Embossing

I really like this bright, summery color combination and it came straight from Color Coach. If you don't have a Color Coach yet, you really need to order one... NOW! :)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

~Marla Pin It

Papillon Potpourri x 2

Hello, stamping friends! I have the fourth card from my recent class to share today. It uses some of my most favorite new products- the Papillon Potpourri stamp set and the coordinating Elegant Butterfly punch! As a bonus, I have a "stepped up" version of my class card just to show you an easy way to take your project to a new level by adding a couple of elements. Here is the class version...

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Sweet Essentials
Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Baja Breeze, Summer Starfruit, Whisper White
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Baja Breeze, Summer Starfruit
Accessories: Big Shot, Fancy Fan EF, Scallop Trim border punch, Elegant Butterfly punch, basic pearls


I think this was my favorite card that we made at the class. I absolutely LOVE this color combination, which came straight from the Color Coach. I liked these colors together immediately and have been looking for the perfect card to showcase them. I think they work wonderfully on this card. If you don't have a Color Coach, I highly recommend it. If I am stuck on a card, I pull it out and look for combinations that would work for the card I have in mind. There have been several times that I have tried a combination that I was pretty unsure of, but I loved the completed card. The Color Coach won't steer you wrong! :)

And here is the "stepped up" version of the card...

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Sweet Essentials
Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Baja Breeze, Summer Starfruit, Whisper White
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Baja Breeze, Summer Starfruit
Accessories: Big Shot, Adorning Accents edgelits, Paper Piercing Kit, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, basic rhinestones

I added a banner for the sentiment and used rhinestones rather than pearls to give it more sparkle and shine. I also skipped the embossing and used paper piercing instead. I love the look of paper piercing, but I have found that it is a little bit time consuming for a class setting.

I hope you liked the cards! I have one more set of cards to show you and they will post tomorrow, so be sure to check back then! Thanks for stopping by!

PS- I apologize for my pictures lately. This card was particularly difficult to photograph because I kept getting terrible shadows from the popped up butterflies. Add to that the fact that I am trying to learn Photoshop, and the pictures really didn't turn out great. I will keep working on getting better pictures and doing a better job editing them. Thanks for being patient with me! :)
~Marla Pin It

Laila's Butterflies

Hello all! I have a special card to share today. My BSF (best stampy friend) Rita is having her baby girl, Laila, TOMORROW! I made this card for her and had to wait until she received it before posting it.

The colors for this card came from an old challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments. It was to use Basic Gray, Basic Black, Sahara Sand, and Daffodil Delight. These just happen to be the colors that Rita used to decorate Laila's nursery, so they were perfect for a welcome baby card for her. I used an old sketch from Pals Paper Arts for this card as well.

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Sweet Essentials
Paper: Basic Gray, Basic Black, Sahara Sand, and Daffodil Delight
Ink: Basic Gray
Accessories: Big Shot, Beautiful Wings embosslit, Elegant Butterfly punch, scallop trim border punch, 1 3/4" scalloped circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, basic pearls

Rita, I can't wait to finally see pictures of your sweet precious girl! I wish you all the happiness in the world!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Marla Pin It