Creative Card Share: Outlined Love Easel Card

Hi Everyone,

Today, as promised, I am sharing with you an Easel Card I created for Valentine's Day using the Sale-a-bration stamp set, Outlined Occasions as well as the stamp set Greeting Card Kids.  The sweet little girl is just perfect for water coloring using a blender pen Stampin' Up!'s Classic ink pads (I also colored the Love from Outlined Occasions using this technique).
The frame for the little girl was created using the new Sizzix Paper Doily Large Sizzlits Die available in the Occasions Mini Catalog. Isn't this a beautiful die cut? I just love the detail and it turns an ordinary piece of cardstock into a delicate work of art.  For this card, I used Cherry Cobbler cardstock to showcase the stamped image and the Pretty in Pink cardstock matted behind the image.

The background of the card was created using the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder on a piece of Pretty in Pink cardstock.  To add a vintage feel to the card, I lightly sponged Frost White Shimmer paint onto the embossed areas of the cardstock using a sponge dauber.  It added a subtle shimmer to the cardstock that helped to enhance the Cherry Cobbler Doily frame. I used Stampin' Dimensionals to attach the Doily diecut to the Pretty in Pink cardstock.

To create the base of the card, I once again used a piece of Pretty in Pink cardstock. I stamped the Love image on Very Vanilla cardstock using Stazon Black ink and water colored the image. I then punched out the image using the Extra Large Oval punch and matted it with a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock punched using the Decorative Label punch.  I attached it to the card base using Stampin' Dimensionals to allow it to act as a rest for the card front so that it stands up. The hearts located on either side were created using the Fashionable Hearts Embosslits Die (found on p35 of the Occasions Mini Catalog) and embellished with the medium rhinestones from the Basic Rhinestones pack.

The wonderful thing about this card is that it lays flat and is easy to mail in a regular envelope. 

This card went together so simply using my Sizzix Bigshot to do the hard work for me, diecutting the Doily and embossing the cardstock.  I just love the way this card came together and I think it has a Wow factor to it, don't you?

I hope today's Creative Card Share has helped to inspire you to create your own Easel card for someone special.  With Easter just around the corner, not to mention Mother's Day, wouldn't this be the perfect type of card to send to a friend or family member?

I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

P.S.  To see another example of an Easel Card I created, this time for Mother's Day, visit here .

Celebrate the New Year with the New 2012 Occasions Mini Catalog

Happy New Year Everyone,

I can't believe it is 2012 already.  The last few months have gone by so fast and so much has happened that I have been neglecting my blog.  Now that the holidays are over and hopefully things are starting to settle down, I will be hopefully posting more often.

Today is a very exciting day because I can finally show you the new amazing 2012 Occasions Mini Catalog from Stampin' Up!  There are so many fantastic new products in this catalog that I know you will just love and it will help you start your new projects for 2012.

Stampin' Up! has once again outdone themselves with fabulous new rubber stamp sets, embellishments, Designer Series Paper packs and so much more. Plus, they have released incredible new Sizzix products that will take your crafting projects to new levels. The New Paper Doily Large Sizzlits Die is so beautiful and delicate and you will love the sample projects featured in the mini catalog. In addition, Stampin' Up! has two Framelits Dies collections (Hearts & Labels) as well as the Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies and coordinating Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folders that are simply amazing. There are even stamp sets that work perfectly with each of these new products!

To view these exciting new products and so much more in the new2012 Occasions Mini Catalog, just click here to download your free digital copy. You can also download the free supplies list for the Occasions Mini catalog here. The Supplies list will provide you with the supplies used to create each of the beautiful projects in this wonderful new mini catalog.

So go ahead and download your digital copy of the new 2012 Occasions Mini Catalog and make your plans to transition from the Holidays to the New Year. 

Don't forget, Sale-a-bration 2012 starts January 24th and you will have the opportunity to earn fabulous free exclusive Stampin' Up! products when you order at least $50 in Stampin' Up! merchandise. Better yet, host a party/workshop and earn fantastic free Sale-a-bration products in addition to the amazing Hostess Benefits available. Contact me today to learn more.

I am looking forward to sharing new ideas and projects with you in the upcoming weeks to help inspire you with your own creative projects.

Until Next Time.

Stampin' Hugs,

Tricia Butts

Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

Fun with Black & White Tags

Hi Everyone,
Sorry I have been absent for so long. My kids are all back in school and we are slowly getting into a regular routine. With my husband away on business, I have been taking care of everything which has meant very little time for stamping and creating.
So today I thought I would share with you some tags that I created for a swap that I participated in recently. I belong to a wonderful group called Art of the Creative Mind, where we explore creating art using mixed media. It is a lot of fun and really has given me the opportunity to think outside the box.
Anyway, this particular swap was to create two Black & White Tags. Now, I have never really played with this combination before as I tend to gravitate towards color, so this was a fun challenge for me.

I decided to have one tag be black and the other white to explore the different contrasts. I also decided to use two different embossing techniques - heat embossing and dry embossing using my Sizzix Big Shot.

For the Black Tag I used the Stampin' Up Background stamp, En Francais, and stamped it with Whisper White Craft ink. Using white embossing powder and my heat gun, I heat embossed the tag and loved the texture and look of the bold white script on the black cardstock.

To embellish this tag, I used my Scallop Circle punch to punch out my flower shape and then cut between every second scallop towards the center to create the petals. I stamped the pattern using a stamp from the Elements of Style stamp set from Stampin' Up, using Basic Black Classic ink. The small black center flower was punched from black cardstock using the Boho Blossoms punch and I used a clear rhinestone jewel to accent the center of the flower.

The small white tag was dry embossed using my Big Shot and the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing folder that is exclusive to Stampin' Up. Then I created my sentiment using the For You stamp, also from the Elements of Style stamp set with Basic Black Craft ink and heat embossed it using black embossing powder to add some dimension. I matted it onto a slightly larger circle of black cardstock. The ribbons were some scraps I had left over from another project and just seemed to finish it off.

For the white tag, I decided to again use my Big Shot and the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing folder to emboss the background to add texture. I created the border across the top using the new Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch from Stampin' Up.  The flowers were punched from white and black cardstock using the Boho Blossoms punch and I accented the centers of each of the flowers with Dazzling Diamonds for a little sparkle.

The letter F and friends were stamped in Basic Black Craft ink and heat embossed using black embossing powder. The stamped images were created with the Vintage Vogue stamp set from Stampin' Up. I carefully cut out the letter F to help it stand out against the white embossed cardstock. I again used a scrap of black ribbon to create the tie for the tag.

These tags can be used for many different projects. You can use them as gift tags, bookmarks, or as an element for your card or scrapbook page. I had so much fun creating these tags and they really are a wonderful way to explore new techniques and color combinations.

I hope you have enjoyed today's creative stamping project and I hope that it will inspire you to try experimenting with tags. Have a wonderful day.

Until Next Time.

Stampin' Hugs,

Tricia Butts

http://www.triciabutts.stampinup.net/

Tuesday Share: A Note of Thanks

Hello Everyone,
Today I thought I would share with you a project that I came up with by accident. I was playing around with my Big Shot and the Box #2 die one afternoon and started thinking that it would make a great Note Card Holder. My husband when he saw it, thought it would be a great Business Card Holder (but that's a story for another day).
So, I decided to create some Thank You notes that are quick and easy to create while still providing variety (if you are like me and don't like to make a lot of things exactly the same). The Thank You cards are inspired by Dawn Griffith, a wonderful, creative demonstrator.
You can customize your Thank You notes by varying the colors used as well as the stamps to create your design.

I chose my colors from the Soft Subtles color family from Stampin' Up and used the large flower from the Vintage Vogue stamp set (from the Occasions Mini catalog) to create the background on the note card and I created the border by using the Scallop Trim Border Punch (Free Sale-a-bration Product with $50 purchase of Stampin' Up products) on a scrap of cardstock to make a stencil.  The sentiment is from my faithful favorite stamp set, Teeny Tiny Wishes. I used Whisper White cardstock for the base for a crisp, clean look and I chose Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink and Barely Banana Classic inks to create the card variations.
For the Note Card Holder I chose Barely Banana cardstock and cut out the box shape with my Big Shot and the Box #2 die. I then decorated one side of the cardstock with the Sweet Swirls wheel and Melon Mambo Classic ink for the inside of the box and on the other side I used the vine stamp from Vintage Vogue stamp set with Barely Banana for a tone on tone pattern for the outside of the box.

I put the box together using Sticky Strip adhesive to give the Note Card Holder extra strength and stability. I decorated the front of the box by stamping the fabulous friend stamp from the Oval All stamp set in Barely Banana Classic ink on Whisper White cardstock. I then punched it out using the Large Oval punch and then matted it onto a piece of Barely Banana cardstock punched with the Scallop Oval punch. Using Stampin' Dimensionals, I attached it to the front of the box.
Now wouldn't this look cute sitting on your desk,  full of note cards just ready for when you need them? It would be a great gift idea too (I am thinking it would be a great Teacher Gift for the end of the school year).
Hope you enjoyed today's project share and hope it inspires you to get crafty in your craft room.
Until Next Time.
Stampin' Hugs,
Tricia Butts

Products Used (All Stampin' Up!):
Stamp Sets: Vintage Vogue, Teeny, Tiny Wishes, Oval All, Sweet Swirls wheel
Cardstock: Whisper White, Barely Banana
Inks: Barely Banana, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Big Shot, Sizzix Box #2 Die, Scallop Trim Border Punch (Sale-a-bration Free Product with $50 purchase of Stampin' Up Merchandise - ends March 31st), Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Sponge Daubers, Sticky Strip, Snail Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card Share: Things I Love

 Happy Tuesday Everyone,

I am back with a Card Share for you today, using one of the stamp sets you can earn for free during Sale-a-bration. The stamp set, Things I Love (which can be found on p54 of the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog) is one of 77 sets listed on p11 of the Sale-a-bration Mini Catalog (the inside back cover) and is fast becoming a new favorite with me and my two daughters. How can you not love a stamp set that features chocolate!

I decided to use Stampin' Up's In Colors to give my card a little kick, so to speak. I used Soft Suede for the card base and embossed it with my Sizzix Finial Press embossing folder using my Big Shot. 
I then added a piece of Melon Mambo cardstock to the lower section of my card, after I stamped the background using the Sweet Swirls wheel with Melon Mambo Classic ink.  Before adhering the Melon Mambo cardstock to the base card, I wrapped a piece of the Soft Suede Polka Dot 1/2" Grosgrain ribbon across the top edge of the cardstock, so that it will give the card a seamless look. Then with a shorter piece of the Soft Suede ribbon, I tied a knot to give the appearance of a bow. I adhered the Melon Mambo cardstock with snail adhesive to the Soft Suede card base.
Next I stamped one of each of the images from the Things I Love stamp set ( shopping bag - Bermuda Bay, Chocolate - Soft Suede, Heart - Melon Mambo, and new shoes in Rich Razzleberry, all In Color Classic inks) on Whisper White cardstock.
Using the 1" Circle punch, I then punched out each of the images and matted them on 1 1/4" Circles punched from Bermuda Bay cardstock.  I arranged them on the upper half of the Soft Suede card base using Mini Glue Dots.
The Happy Birthday sentiment is from the stamp set, Well Scripted (available in traditional Wood Mount or the new Clear Mount option), which can be found in the Occasions Mini Catalog. I stamped it on Whisper White cardstock using Soft Suede Classic ink and then punched it out using the Wide Oval punch. To add a little fun to the card, I embellished the sentiment with a cute little brad from the Chocolate Chip Sending Love Epoxy Brads (also in the Occasions Mini Catalog p13). The little flower on the brad fit perfectly with the theme of the card without overpowering the sentiment. I adhered the wide oval to the Melon Mambo cardstock with dimensionals to finish off the card.

Here is a close up view of the sweet, little flower brad I used for embellishment. This brad set contains two different designs and you get 8 of each design (a total of 16 brads) for just $3.25 and is a wonderful and very affordable addition to your paper crafting supplies. They would make a great addition to your cards, scrapbook pages and many other papercrafting projects.
My biggest challenge is that both of my daughters have fallen in love with this card and want it for their next birthday.

I guess there is only one way to solve this problem. I will just have to make another one, lol. 

I hope you have enjoyed this card share today as much as I had creating it. It really is a fun card and would be perfect not only as a birthday card, but also a Thinking of You or Friend card.

Until Next Time.

Stamping Hugs,

Tricia Butts

Products Used (All Stampin' Up): 

Stamp Sets: Things I Love 115229  Price: $15.95  Set Quantity: 6

* Free Sale-a-bration Reward with Purchase of $50 in Stampin' Up products (excluding S&H and Taxes) Use Item #120208.

Well Scripted Wood Mount 117072 $19.95   Set of 6

                          Clear Mount 118601 $14.95
Sweet Swirls Wheel 115523 $6.50

Cardstock: In Colors - Soft Suede, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay; Whisper White

Inks: Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede

Accessories:Big Shot, Sizzix Finial Press embossing folder, 1" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Soft Suede Polka Dot 1/2" ribbon, 1/4" Chocolate Chip Sending Love Epoxy Brads, Mini Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Snail Adhesive.

Thinking Spring to chase away the Winter Chills

Happy Friday everyone,
Well, it is cold and snowing here in Northglenn, Colorado and I am chilled to the bone. So I decided today I would share something that is definitely Spring themed to try and chase away the Winter blues.
I recently participated in a swap with a Valentine's theme with the Luv21stroke decorative painting yahoo group.  I wanted my card to reflect how I can use my paper crafting to emulate a form of decorative painting. 

I love watercoloring with my Stampin' Up Classic ink pads and my blender pen. It is so relaxing and I love the way the colors look on the Very Vanilla Cardstock. The filgree heart is from the I (Heart) Hearts stamp set and I matted it on a Pretty in Pink heart diecut with the new embosslit Scalloped Heart of Hearts which is exclusive to Stampin' Up. I once again used the bouquet of flowers from the Happy Moments Sale-a-bration Stamp set, coloring them with Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Barely Banana and Lavender Lace Stampin' Up Classic Inks. The sentiment is from the stamp set Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Pretty in Pink classic ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and punched out with the Large Oval punch. To make it pop, I matted it on Pretty in Pink cardstock punched out with the Scalloped Oval punch to match the heart.

In addition to the card, I added two little gifts for my partner.  When I think of Spring, I think of flowers and butterflies in pretty Spring colors. So with that in mind, I started creating.

One of my most favorite tools in my craft room is my Stampin' Up Sizzix Big Shot. It sits on my counter top ready to be used at a moments notice. I use it all the time and so do my children. It really is the work horse of my craft area.

So, using my Big Shot I went to work creating my partner's special gifts. Both were cut from the Two Tags Sizzix  Bigz die (Stampin' Up exclusive) and I embellished them with the embossed Butterflies from the Sizzix Beautiful Wings Embosslit (it can be found in the new Occasions Catalog) and the Cherry Blossom Embosslit (both SU exclusives).

The tag also uses the Swirls & Scribbles sizzlet to provide the vines. After all, the butterflies need somewhere to rest and the flower needed some greenery to help make it pop.

The ribbon is a piece I found in my ribbon jar and I loved the shimmer it added to the tag. Now I love bling, so I added a faux clear, crystal gemstone with an adhesive back for the center of the flower.

With the bookmark I decided to combine my Big Shot with a little stamping and some punches for good measure.

The vine is stamped with Certainly Celery Classick ink on Whisper White cardstock. This stamp is from the new Vintage Vogue stamp set and provides a nice contrast o the butterflies. I punched the circle with the 1 1/4" circle punch and then matted it  with a 1 3/8" pink circle. Then using purple cardstock punched using the Scalloped Circle punch, I matted the pink circle and applied it to the scallop end of the bookmark.

The butterflies were attached with a small amount of adhesive applied to the stamped circle. By applying the adhesive to the center on the back of each butterfly it allows the wings to be gently folded up to add dimension to the bookmark.  

To finish it all off I stamped the sentiment from the Whimsical Words Sale-a-bration stamp set with Lavender Lace Classic ink. I used two of the remaining butterflies to embellish the bottom part of the bookmark.

So I hope you enjoyed my little piece of Spring time and I hope it inspires you to get creative on this cold, Winter day.
Remember to take advantage of Sale-a-bration and earn a free Sale-a-bration product with every $50 purchase of Stampin' Up merchandise (excludes shipping & handling and taxes). Download your free digital copies of the Stampin' Up catalogs from my side bar here on my blog.

Contact me today to place your order or visit my Stampin' Up website and click Shop Now in the top right corner. Hope you have a great weekend.

Until Next Time.

Stampin' Hugs,

Tricia Butts 

Products Used (Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted):

Stamp Sets:

Happy Moments, Teeny Tiny Wishes, I (heart) Hearts, Vintage Vogue, Whimsical Words

Cardstock:

Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink, misc. scraps

Inks: Stazon Jet Black, Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery, Lavender Lace, Pretty in Pink Classic inks

Accessories:

Sizzix Big Shot, Two Tags Bigz die, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit, Swirls Scribbles sizzlit, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scalloped Circle Punch, Large Oval Punch, Scalloped Oval Punch, snail adhesive, misc. ribbon.