Simply Water Color Elements of Style Butterfly

Happy Tuesday Everyone,

Today I was inspired by the butterflies that love to flutter around our backyard. I find it soothing to watch them as they make their carefree journey, flitting from place to place.

This clean and simple card design is created using Very Vanilla cardstock that I embossed using the Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions Embossing Folder from Stampin' Up to provide a subtle background.

I die cut the butterfly using my Big Shot and Stampin' Up's Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die. I chose the larger full size butterfly as I felt it fit the card design without overpowering it.

Next I stamped the roses design from the Elements of Style stamp set, which can be found in the Summer Mini Catalog, with Basic Brown Classic ink (this ink is on the Last Chance Accessories List).  I love using the Basic Brown because it is waterproof and it provides a softer image than the Basic Black Classic ink.

I wanted my card to have a soft, romantic feel to it, so I chose soft colors to water color the stamped image. Using my Blender Pen to add color, I used Certainly Celery Classic ink for the leaves and Old Olive Classic Ink to add shadow and depth. The roses I colored with Pretty in Pink Classic ink and Melon Mambo Classic ink.

Before attaching the butterfly to my card, I gently folded it in half to give the appearance that my butterfly was about to take flight. Using a glue dot I attached the butterfly onto my Very Vanilla card base so that it slightly overlapped the embossed design.

To finish it off, I added a half pearl (from the Pretties Kit which is also on the Last Chance Accessories List) to the center of my butterfly with a glue dot.

This past weekend I demonstrated this card at the PWFW - Painting With Friends Weekend and we had so much fun making this card. Unfortunately, I was so busy I didn't get the chance to take photos of all the wonderful cards to share how creative these ladies are.

I hope you have enjoyed today's card creation and I hope it inspires you in creating your summer projects.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

P.S. Don't forget! Tomorrow is your last day to take advantage of the Last Chance Retirement Lists. Please contact me to place your order or visit my Online Store here and click Shop Now.

Card Share - Wings of Friendship

Hello Everyone,
I can't believe it is Thursday already. Time seems to be flying by and I still have so many things to do this week. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done.
Today I wanted to share with you a card I created a couple of weeks ago using the Chalkboard Technique. I cased a card created by Stampin' Up demonstrator, Dawn Griffith, and you can find her card and a video of how she created it here .
The first time I tried this technique was last September and I have been meaning to try it again. You can see my first card using this technique here .
I love the way the chalks pop against the black cardstock and it really is a very simple technique to duplicate. There is such a wonderful variety of colors in the Stampin' Pastels, that provides you with endless combinations for your images.

Here are my supplies that I put together to get started. As you can see, my favorite Bermuda Bay cardstock is there along with Crushed Curry, Basic Black and Pink Passion cardstock. So many wonderful colors that will retire in less than a week, so I am making the most of them while they are still here.

The Wings Of Friendship stamp set is a Level 2 Hostess set that also retires June 30th, so I thought this was the perfect time to use it before I have to say goodbye. I love the images in this stamp set and for this card I used the swirl image to create a tone on tone background with Bermuda Bay Classic ink on the Bermuda Bay cardstock card base.

The bird image was stamped with Whisper White Craft Ink onto the black cardstock. I then used cotton balls (you could also use sponge daubers) to apply the various colors from my Stampin' Pastels to add color to the image. I used the white eraser from the Stampin' Pastels set to erase any excess chalk from around the image.

I matted the Basic Black cardstock with a piece of Crushed Curry cardstock and used the Scalloped Edge Punch to create a decorative edge. Next I adhered it to the Bermuda Bay cardstock card base.

Now, I felt that something was missing from my card, so I went in search of embellishments to see what I could come up with. After auditioning several possibilities I came up with a solution that fit perfectly.

I used my Boho Blossoms Punch and punched out the largest flower shape from a piece of Pink Passion cardstock and then inked the edges with Pink Passion Classic ink. Next I used my Paper Piercer to make a hole in the center of the flower and then I used the smaller flower and a silver brad from the Filigree Designer Brads set to embellish the flower.

Finally I attached the flower to the corner of matted image with a dimensional to complete the card.

I hope you enjoyed today's card share and that it will inspire you to get out your Stampin' Pastels and try this technique yourself. One thing I recommend, is that when choosing a stamp set for this technique, you choose an image that is solid so that you have more area for the chalks to cling to and therefore provide a greater impact to your card design.

Remember that all retiring products will be discontinued after June 3oth, so I recommend that you not delay in placing your order. Please contact me if you have any questions about this card or the Last Chance Retiring Products and I will be happy to help you.

You can place your order by contacting me or by visiting my Online Store here and clicking Shop Now.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

P.S. While the Stampin' Pastels are listed on the Last Chance Retirement Accessories List, only the current configuration will be retired. The current Stampin' Pastels contain the 30 core colors which will be retiring as of June 30th. As of July 1st, there will be a new set of Stampin' Pastels which will contain the new Color Collections.  There will also be a set offered of the new colors that can be added to the existing colors of the Stampin' Pastels so that you do not have to duplicate any colors.

So if you love the current colors and want to have then in addition to the new colors that will introduced in July, I recommend that you order the current Stampin' Pastels so that you can have the best of both old and new.

Supply List (All Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted):

Stamp Set: Wings of Friendship Level 2 Hostess stamp set*

Cardstock: Basic Black, Crushed Curry*, Bermuda Bay*, Pink Passion*

Inks: Bermuda Bay Classic Ink*, Pink Passion Classic Ink*, Whisper White Craft Ink

Accessories: Stampin' Pastels*, Scalloped Edge Punch, Filigree Designer Brads, Snail Adhesive, Dimensionals, cotton balls (can be found at your local store).

* These products are listed on the Last Chance Retirement Accessories List and will be available while supplies last or until June 30th (which ever comes first).

*This stamp set is listed on the Last Chance Retirement Stamp List and is available as a Level 2 Hostess stamp set until June 30th. Contact me to learn how you can earn this stamp set free as part of your Hostess Benefits.

Don't Miss out on the Great Savings during Last Chance June

Hi Everyone,
Do you love it when you can get great quality card making and scrapbooking supplies without having to pay full price? Seems like a silly question, right? I mean of course you would want to take advantage of the savings, especially with the way the economy is these days.
Well, during the month of June, Stampin' Up has many great products retiring and they have a fantastic selection discounted by 25 - 50%.  These products range from brads, buttons, ribbons, Designer Series Paper and so much more. If you are like me and have a list of projects that you want to create this summer, then you are probably also on the look out for great deals on supplies to help you complete them.
These products are limited in quantity and are only available while supplies last, so I recommend that you take the time today to make your list and place your order before your favorites sell out. 
Here is a list of just some of the discounted retiring products:

Brads & Embellishments
Item #   page  Product Description             Discount    Sale Price
112571 178    Circle Designer brads              50%          $ 2.98

112572 178    Star Designer brads                 50%          $ 2.98
112581 179    1/2" Library clips                    50%          $ 3.48
114348 179    Basic Jumbo grommets           50%          $ 3.48
114349 179    Basic Small grommets             50%         $ 3.48
114345 181    Basic Gray corduroy buttons   50%         $ 4.98
114339 181 Chocolate Chip corduory buttons 50%       $ 4.98
116313 181 Playground Designer buttons        50%       $ 3.98
116312 181 Sherbet Designer buttons             50%        $ 3.98
109108 178 Antique Brass Build‐A‐Brad       25%       $ 7.46
12583 179  Flower Assortment Designer brads 25%    $ 5.21
114301 180 Sweet Sticky Cuts                       25%        $ 6.71
114333 181 Button Latte Designer buttons      25%       $ 5.96
114340 181 Kraft corduroy buttons                25%       $ 7.46
114342 181 Pumpkin Pie corduroy buttons     25%       $ 7.46
114343 181 Summer Sun corduroy buttons    25%       $ 7.46

Ribbon
115608 183 Real Red 3/4" polka‐dot grosgrain ribbon 50%   $ 4.48

111848 182 Bashful Blue 1" double‐stitched grosgrain ribbon 25% $ 6.71
113883 182 Old Olive 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon     25%   $ 5.96
113882 182 Pretty in Pink 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon 25% $ 5.96
111846 182 Rose Red 1" double‐stitched grosgrain ribbon 25%    $ 6.71
113699 182 So Saffron 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon   25%  $ 5.96

Designer Series Paper
115677 161 Cast‐A‐Spell Designer Series paper (12" x 12")  25%    $ 7.46

115678 161 Tall Tales Designer Series paper (12" x 12")        25%    $ 7.46
115675 162 Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series paper (12" x 12") 25% $ 7.46
113992 162 Tea Party Designer Series paper (12" x 12")        25%      $ 7.46
For a full list of all the Retired Accessories just click on the Last Chance Accessories List Icon on my Sidebar or click here to download the list. Because these products are limited, I recommend that you place your order through my Online Store on my Stampin' Up website. Just click "Shop Now" in the top right corner to start shopping.
Don't forget to check out the Clearance Rack for more great discounts on Stampin' Up discontinued products. The products on the Clearance Rack are limited in supply so the list changes as products sell out, so make sure you check back often for great savings.
Remember, when you place a $40 order with me during the month of June, you will be entered into the drawing for a chance to win the Level 1 Hostess Stamp Set "Of The Earth" (the set is normally earned with a $150 workshop order or $150 purchase). For more details see the end of this post. 
Please contact me if you have any questions or if you would prefer to place your order with me personally, and I will be happy to help you.
Have a great day!
Until Next Time.
Happy Stampin',
Tricia Butts

Of The Earth 115336  Level 1 Hostess Set
(See Page 11 of 2009-2010 Catalog for details on how to earn this set or contact me today).

Create a stunning card or home décor project with graceful silhouette images from our Of the Earth set. These elegant, delicate nature images will add a unique look to your projects that will please and captivate all who see them.
Set Quantity: 4

Saying Farewell - Of The Earth Tri-Fold Card

Happy Saturday Everyone,

Yes, I am back and on a weekend to boot. I just had to share this card I created today with you all. It is my way of saying farewell to some of my favorites before they disappear for good. Remember, the products listed on the Last Chance Retirement Lists will retire after June 30th, so don't wait too long.

(Note: Products on the Last Chance Accessories List are only available while supplies last and already many products have sold out. Check the List by clicking on the Last Chance Accessories Icon on my Sidebar to see the latest list of available products.)
Now normally in June we are all sad because we have to say goodbye to our 6 In Colors but this year things are a little different. With Stampin' Up's Color Renovation we will have changes in the core colors available and instead of 4 Color Families (with 12 colors in each family), we will have 4 Color Collections (with 10 colors in each).
As part of the Color Renovation, Stampin' Up decided to add 3 of this year's In Colors to the core color collection. This means that Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo and Soft Suede will still be available after July 1st.

Sadly, we will have to say goodbye to the remaining 3 In Colors of Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango (Sniff, Sniff). I will really miss these 3 colors and I have found myself using them repeatedly over the past year. The good news is that we will have 5 brand new In Colors starting July 1st and I will have the chance to find some new favorites to play with.

Today's card is created using the Tri-Fold technique and I discovered this wonderful card design by chance when I was visiting one of my favorite blogs, Chic'n Scratch, which has all the wonderful creations of Stampin' Up Demonstrator Angie Kennedy Juda. She has an incredible library of videos that are easy to follow and will have you creating in no time. You can see her version of the Tri- Fold Card here.

The stamp set I chose to decorate my card is the Level 1 Hostess Set, Of The Earth, which is a beautiful stamp set and so versatile that I have found many uses for it over the past year. With this card design, I was able to use this set to create the background for the side panels, the focal design on the front as well as the soft shadow images on the inside of the card. Only the sentiment came from a different stamp set (Watercolor Trio Stamp Set in the Summer Mini Catalog).
The card base is Sahara Sand cardstock and I chose this neutral because I really wanted to showcase the Bermuda Bay color. The side panels were created using Bermuda Bay Classic ink on Bermuda Bay Cardstock for a pretty tone on tone effect.

For the main focal design, I used the In Color Markers and colored directly on the stamp with the brush tip. I used Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry for the flowers, Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango for the Butterfly and Bermuda Bay for the stems and leaves. Once I had colored the stamp, I huffed air onto the stamp to activate the ink and then stamped the image on Very Vanilla cardstock. Next I created a Faux Border by sponging Crushed Curry Classic Ink around the edges of the Very Vanilla cardstock with a sponge dauber.

For the inside of the card, I used Sahara Sand Classic ink to stamp the same image as the front of the card on to the Very Vanilla cardstock to create a soft shadow effect. The sentimet, funnily enough, was also stamped with Sahara Sand Classic ink but I must have forgotten to clean my stamp properly so it had a tinge of Melon Mambo to it, which I actually like.

So there you have it. A creative and colorful card that can be used for many occasions and is very simple to create. Now the Bermuda Bay cardstock has sold out in the individual packs of cardstock but you can still purchase the In Color Assorted Cardstock (while supplies last) that includes 6 sheets of each of the 6 In Colors in the 8.5 x 11 pack (total 36 sheets) and 4 sheets of each of the 6 In Colors in the 12 x 12 pack (total 24 sheets).

Plus, more good news. The 8.5 x 11 assorted In Color cardstock is 25% off the original price, as is the Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry and Bermuda Bay Classic Ink pads. Also the In Color Markers are also 25% off, so now is a great opportunity to pick up these wonderful products and get great savings at the same time.

As for the Of The Earth stamp set, you can earn this Level 1 Hostess set by hosting a party with a minimum of $150 in sales. This can easily be done with a Catalog party by sharing the news of the great savings going on now with the Last Chance Retirement Lists with your friends and family. Contact me for more details on how you can earn this wonderful free Hostess set and the additional free Hostess benefits.

Or host a party and invite your friends and I will show you how easy it is to create this stunning card that you will be able to create yourself plus other great ways to create with Stampin' Up products. Contact me today to select your party date.

Or, you can place an order of at least $150 either online through my Online Store or by contacting me to place your order. You will also qualify for additional benefits to earn free Stampin' Up products. Contact me today to learn more.

But remember, you only have until June 30th. All orders must be placed by 11:50pm on June 30th, and I recommend that you don't wait until the last minute. 

Now, there is one last way that you can earn this stamp set for free. I have one "Of the Earth" stamp set that you can have the chance to win. All you have to do is place an order of $30 (not including S&H and taxes) or more with me either through my Online Store or by contacting me to place your order by June 30th. For every $40 (not including S&H or Taxes) you will receive an additional chance, so if you purchase is $40 in Stampin' Up products you will be entered once in the draw. If you purchase $80 you will be entered twice and $120 will give you three chances. I will draw the winning name on July 1st from the qualifying entries.

Don't forget to download the Last Chance Retirement Lists from my Sidebar on my blog or visit the promotions page on my Website here for the links. Remember that there are selected products on the Last Chance Accessories List that are discounted 25-50% and the Decor Elements Last Chance List contains products with discounts of 25%. Now is the perfect time to purchase fantastic Stampin' Up products and save!

Contact me if you have any questions or problems and I will be happy to help you. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Until Next Time.

Happy Shopping,

Tricia Butts

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Clearance rack for more great savings! Up to 60% discount on discontinued Stampin' Up products that available in limited supply. These items can only be ordered online through my Online Store on my Stampin' Up website here:

http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/ Just click Shop Now to get started.

Supply List:

Stamp Sets: Of The Earth (Level 1 Hostess Set), Watercolor Trio (Summer Mini Catalog)

Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Bermuda Bay, Very Vanilla

Ink: Sahara Sand, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry

Accessories: In Color Markers, Dimensionals, Sponge Daubers, Fiskars Paper Cutter, Bone Folder

Last Chance Retirement Accessories List: Update on items no longer available

Hi Everyone,
Here we are barely into the second week of June and the list of retired accessories that have sold out has grown by leaps and bounds. Here is the latest update provided by Stampin' Up as of 3pm today (June 9th):

The following items are no longer available to order. We will fill current backorders, but we cannot take any additional orders.

100475: Cameo Coral card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
100661: Really Rust card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
100720: Sage Shadow Classic Stampin' Ink refill
100763: Brilliant Blue Classic Stampin' Ink refill
101166: Brocade Blue card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
101232: Gable Green Craft Stampin' Ink refill
101324: Orchid Opulence Classic Stampin' Ink refill
101483: Gable Green Classic Stampin' Ink refill
101614: Lavender Lace card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
101658: Pale Plum card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
101771: Mellow Moss Classic Stampin' Ink refill
102158: Almost Amethyst card stock (12" x 12")
102514: Creamy Caramel card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
102521: Going Gray Classic Stampin' Ink refill
102630: Bordering Blue card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
103124: Summer Sun card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
105122: Handsome Hunter card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
105231: Apricot Appeal Classic Stampin' Ink refill
105440: Rich Regals Craft Stampin' Ink refills
105441: Soft Subtles Craft Stampin' Ink refills
105442: Earth Elements Craft Stampin' Ink refills
105443: Bold Brights Craft Stampin' Ink refills
105554: Bold Brights Classic Stampin' Ink refills
105555: Earth Elements Classic Stampin' Ink refills
105556: Rich Regals Classic Stampin' Ink refills
105557: Soft Subtles Classic Stampin' Ink refills
106536: Creamy Caramel card stock (12" x 12")
106548: Mellow Moss card stock (12" x 12")
107077: Lavender Lace card stock (12" x 12")
107081: Apricot Appeal card stock (12" x 12")
107090: Taken with Teal card stock (12" x 12")
107097: Summer Sun card stock (12" x 12")
107107: Only Orange card stock (12" x 12")
107110: Green Galore card stock (12" x 12")

This is a good reminder that items on the Last Chance Accessories List are only available while supplies last, and already we are seeing that people are taking advantage of this opportunity to stock up on these items before they disappear.
If you have any favorites that you wish to stock up on, then I urge you to place your order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. You can visit my Online Store on my Stampin' Up website: http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/ and click Shop Now. This is the best way to beat the rush on these items before the disappear from the Last Chance Accessories List.
You may also contact me to place your order. I check my email throughout the day and you can also call me.

Until Next Time,
Stampin' Hugs,
Tricia Butts