Join Me for April's Creative Card Class - Saturday, April 10th

Hi Everyone,
Well, in all the excitement I almost forgot to tell you about this month's Creative Card Class. We will be making 5 High Quality cards that you can use for the wonderful ladies in your life. You can choose to create cards for Mother's Day, Birthday, Thinking of You, Thank You etc. The choice is yours. 
This is a great opportunity to play with some of the colors that will soon retire, to see if you like them enough for your own collection.
Once again, there will be two class times available:
Morning: 10am - 12noon
Afternoon: 1pm - 3pm
This is a fun and relaxing class. No stress allowed! We will also be trying out some Two Step Stamping as part of April's special promotion, so it really is a great opportunity to come and play and learn something new. Plus, you get to take home 5 fabulous cards that you made yourself.
Tomorrow I will post sneak peeks of the card designs we will be making, just to tempt you (I hope, lol).
Please contact me to reserve your spot and don't forget to bring a friend to share the fun with you.
Until Next Time.
Stampin' Hugs,
Tricia Butts

Stampin' Up announces its Color Renovation

Hello Everyone,
Well, I had planned to share a project with you today but that has been bumped for some exciting breaking news from Stampin' Up.
Starting with the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog, Stampin' Up will launch its new Color Renovation consisting of 4 Color Collections. Each collection will consist of 10 colors to give us 40 core colors.
Here is the list of the 4 new color collections will be available July 1st, 2010. The new collections consist of 25 current colors, 10 returning In Colors (including current In Colors Melon Mambo, Soft Suede & Rich Razzleberry) and 5 new colors. (Click download to save this file to your desktop or click print to print a copy).
In addition, July 1st will also see the release of the new In Colors and the great news is that they will be available for 2 years instead of one! Stay tuned for further updates as we get closer to the new catalog!
Sadly, this also means we must say goodbye to some of our old favorites.
Here is the list of the colors that will be retiring June 30, 2010. (You can save this PDF file to your desktop by clicking download or print out a copy by clicking print.) In addition to this list, Basic Brown and the three remaining current In Colors: Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay & Dusty Durango will also be retiring.
The retirement of these colors means that any inks, reinkers, cardstock, embellishments (ribbons, brads, buttons etc), Stampin' Write Markers, Water Color Crayons and Pastels in these colors will retire June 30th.
These colors will be available while stocks last, so if you see any colors that you would love to own, contact me to place your order before they disappear. Also, if you have any questions about this new development, please contact me and I will be happy to help you.
With all of these exciting changes, I will be posting projects in coming weeks that will feature some of the current colors that will be retiring so that you can get a chance to say goodbye to them and decide if it is something you would like to add to your collection.
I hope you are all as excited as I am about the new changes that are coming to Stampin' Up! This will provide you with new, updated colors that are in keeping with current trends and wonderful new options for your creative projects.
Until Next Time.
Happy Stampin',
Tricia Butts

The Birds are Back!

Hello Everyone,
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter with family and friends. I am sorry I have been AWOL the past few days but I what I thought was just allergies has turned into a nasty cough and my voice has practically disappeared. Let me tell you, it has made life challenging with my 4 kids, lol.
Today I thought I would share with you a card that I created with Stampin' Up's new Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch and the stamp set, Vintage Vogue, both from the Occasions Mini Catalog. Did you know that April is the last month to order from the Occasions Mini? Time really has flown by (sorry, bad pun) and I can't believe that we will soon have to say goodbye to all the wonderful products available in this catalog.

This card is a great reminder that Spring has returned with the two cute little birds perched on the card so cheerfully. I chose to use Melon Mambo cardstock for the card base and stamped the large flower from the Vintage Vogue stamp set all over the card front with Melon Mambo Classic ink for a tone on tone pattern.

The birds were created using Pretty in Pink cardstock for the body of one and Barely Banana cardstock for the body of the second bird. The wings I punched from Whisper White cardstock and then stamped them using the vine stamp (from the Vintage Vogue stamp set) using Sage Shadow Classic ink on one wing to coordinate with the Barely Banana bird and Real Red Classic ink on the other to coordinate with the Pretty in Pink bird. Both of the branches were punched from Soft Suede cardstock.

I took a strip of Whisper White cardstock and stamped it with the vine stamp and Sage Shadow to create an all  over pattern. I then punched one edge with the Scallop Trim Border punch (sorry, now that Sale-a-bration is over this punch is no longer available). I matted the Whisper White strip onto a piece of Barely Banana cardstock.

Last piece of the puzzle, I stamped the F friends stamp (also from Vintage Vogue stamp set) with Sage Shadow onto a piece of Whisper White cardstock and matted it onto a piece of Sage Shadow cardstock.

Now, the fun part - assembling the card. The important thing with this card is to work out your placement before you apply the adhesive. This way you can plan out your layout the way you want it.

The first layer to adhere to your card is the Whisper White-Sage Shadow stamped cardstock that we matted with the Barely Banana cardstock. I positioned it so that it was approx 2/3 of the way down the card and adhered it with Snail Adhesive.

Next I positioned the F friend stamped cardstock piece so that it overlaps the top part of the Melon Mambo card front and the Barely Banana/Whisper White patterned piece. Apply Snail adhesive around the edge of the piece but when you place it on your card, don't apply pressure to the left edge (this is so that you can slide your branches underneath).

Take the two Soft Suede branches, apply Snail adhesive carefully to them and gently slide the end of each branch under the Friend piece to hide it. Gently rub the branches to adhere them to the card and then gently rub the edge of the Friend piece to adhere that to the card.

To assemble your birds, use Snail adhesive to glue the wing to the corresponding body and then using the Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker draw a dot for the eye on each bird. Then using the Dusty Durango Stampin' Write Marker I colored the triangle for the beak.

Finally, I adhered both birds to the card using Snail adhesive to complete the card.

This card is a great combination of stamping and using punches to create a great card for a friend. You could also add a sentiment to personalize it for a birthday, thank you, thinking of you or get well card.

Hope you have enjoyed today's card share. Don't forget, April is the month to take advantage of the great Stampin' Up products from the Occasions Mini before they disappear (last day to order is April 30th).

Please Contact Me to place your order or visit my Online Store by visiting my Stampin' Up website and clicking Shop Now in the top right corner.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

Products Used (All Stampin' Up):

Stamp Set:  Vintage Vogue - Clear Mount Stamp 118598  Price: $17.95

                                                    Wood Mount Stamp 117690 Price: $23.95 

Set Quantity: 8

Cardstock: Whisper White, Barely Banana, Melon Mambo, Soft Suede, Sage Shadow, Pretty in Pink

Inks: Melon Mambo, Sage Shadow, Real Red

Accessories: Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch (currently not available), Soft Suede and Dusty Durango Stampin' Write Markers (from set of 6 In Color Stampin' Write Markers), Snail Adhesive

Let's Celebrate Spring with Two Step Stamping!

Hello Everyone,
I hope you all survived the 1st day of April. April Fools Day definitely gets pretty crazy and this year didn't seem any different.

One thing that is not a joke is Stampin' Up's new promotion for April, celebrating Two Step Stamping. This is a wonderful way to get started on your Spring projects and you get the chance to save on select stamp sets as well as the chance to earn a brand new stamp set for free.

Aren't these samples beautiful! These were created with the new Awash with Flowers stamp set.

OK, do I have your attention? Here are all the details:

Attention Hostesses

Host a $350 workshop and receive the brand-new Two-Step Awash with Flowers stamp set FREE!
Item Description
117062 Awash with Flowers (wood-mount)
120549 Awash with Flowers (clear-mount)

Now to help you achieve that $350 goal, Stampin' Up is offering this great special.
Attention Customers

Two-Step into spring with a sneak peek from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog! Be the first to add the Awash with Flowers stamp set to your collection.

Item        Description                                            Price
117062  Awash with Flowers (wood-mount)    $39.95
120549  Awash with Flowers (clear-mount)  $27.95

Plus, purchase spring-themed Two-Step Stampin' sets at 20 percent off the retail price--no additional purchase necessary!

Qualifying stamp sets are listed below:
Item    Page   Description              Discount Price
113824   94    Greenhouse Garden    $20.76
113734  98    Fifth Avenue Floral  $19.96
111578  101   Flower Fancy           $29.56
113258  112   Trendy Trees            $14.36

Important Note: The Awash with Flowers stamp set is a sneak peek from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog and will not be available again until the release of the new Idea Book & Catalog.
You can download the special flyer for this month's special offers Here for all the details.
Contact me today to place your order, or better yet book a party and earn the new Flowers Awash stamp set for free.
Until Next Time.
Happy Stampin',
Tricia Butts

Farewell Sale-a-bration: All Good Things Must Come to an End

Hello Everyone,
Well, it has been a crazy busy kind of a day so I am running behind with my post today. It is with some sadness that I contemplate the end of Sale-a-bration. It has been fun working with this year's Sale-a-bration stamp sets and seeing all the possibilities they have to offer and I love the new Scallop Trim Border punch. Not to mention the wonderful DSP Welcome Neighbor and all the great stamp sets from the 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog that we had to choose from. I really think this was the best Sale-a-bration but now it's time to say goodbye for another year.
For those of you who are still sitting on the fence about placing an order and taking advantage of the Sale-a-bration free products, then my advice is to navigate your way to my website and visit my Online Store to place your order before 11:50pm Mountain to qualify for this promotion. It's as simple as creating an account and placing your order. The website walks you through the steps to help.
If you would like to look through any of the current catalogs, you can download a digital copy from my sidebar of my blog to peruse and make your wishlist.
I always tell my customers that a wishlist is a very important thing to have. It helps you to remember items that you have seen and where you found them so that when you are looking for them next time, you have the information right at your finger tips. It also helps you in that you can write something down and think about it awhile and see if it is something you still want in the future. It also makes a great list to give to someone who maybe would like to buy you a gift for your birthday or other special occasion.
Tomorrow is the start of a whole new month and a whole new promotion to get excited about. We will be entering the world of two step stamping with some great special offers that I think you will enjoy.
Hope you all have a wonderful evening.
Until Next Time.
Stampin' Hugs,
Tricia Butts

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

Why I Love Being a Stampin' Up Demonstrator

Hello Everyone,
I hope you are enjoying beautiful Spring weather this fine Tuesday. Well, it has been a very busy week since I last posted and I apologize for not sharing with you this past week. With my kids being on Spring Break, it was nice to be able to spend some time with them before the crazy final stretch of school starts again. Someone told me we have 9 weeks of school left until Summer Break, yikes! That means all the end of school year activities will soon start and then there are preparations for teacher gifts. OMG, I am tired just thinking about it!
Which brings me to the title of today's post. I am so thankful that I discovered the opportunity to become a Stampin' Up demonstrator and that I get to do something that I love and still be there for my family when they need me. I have been able make my own decisions as to what kind of demonstrator I want to be and have the flexibility to change to meet the needs of my family and myself.
When I first signed up in September, 2008, I was a "Hobby Demonstrator", taking advantage of the discounts and benefits Stampin' Up provides their demonstrators, for myself and my own personal needs. Over time, as my children have grown up and our family has changed, I have had more time to explore and develop my own business and share it with friends.
I love being able to teach classes and share with my customers the latest techniques I have learned and to inspire them with ideas that they can shape and develop for their own projects. It makes me so happy when I see the joy on someone's face when they realize they have created a card or project that they thought they couldn't possibly make, at a workshop or party. As much as I love creating for myself, I love sharing with others the joy of stamping and creating with others so much more.
One of my favorite things to do is spend time with my two daughters creating cards and projects with them and getting inspired by their wonderful ideas. Children don't have any preconceived ideas as to what colors should be used together or how things should be done and because of that, they create the most incredible things that make me go WOW!  They don't have any fear of "What if this doesn't look right", they just love to see what something will look like if they try something. Some of my best inspirations have come from my creative sessions with my daughters.
I often have people look at the things I create and ask me "Where did you learn how to do that?" or "how did you come up with that idea?" and I tell them it's simple. Being a demonstrator has provided me with an unlimited supply of ideas and techniques that helps me to learn and grow as a demonstrator everyday. Stampin' Up offers wonderful resources to its demonstrators to help teach us and inspire us so that we can continue to provide great ideas and projects to our customers. Plus, Stampin' Up demonstrators are some of the most kind, generous and sharing people I know and they often share their ideas and techniques with the rest of us on various demonstrator groups so that we all benefit.
So as I prepare to go and pick up my children from school, I say a prayer of thanks that I am lucky enough to have found an opportunity to have the best of both worlds. If you would like to learn more about being a Stampin' Up demonstrator (whether you just want to support your hobby or you wish to build your own business), please visit my website:
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/triciabutts/startyourownbusiness
or contact me and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
With Sale-a-bration almost over, now is a great time to join Stampin' Up and save 15% off your Starter Kit. You can choose from the Standard Starter Kit or the Digital+ Starter Kit. Plus, you will also get to choose a free stamp set of your choice (up to $47.95 value). 
But hurry, Sale-a-bration ends March 31st.

Until Next Time.
Stampin' Hugs,
Tricia Butts

A Butterfly Easter Card

Hi Everyone,
I'm back with today's card share that will hopefully help inspire you to get started on your cards in time for Easter. Can you believe that April is almost here? It seems like the year has gone into fast forward with the changing of the seasons.
Today's card features one of my favorite items from the Occasions Mini catalog, the Beautiful Wings Embosslit, that works with my favorite tool, the Big Shot. This card was actually a Make n Take for a Stampin' Up party I had for a friend recently, and everyone loved using the Big Shot and fell in love with all the cute little butterflies created by the Beautiful Wings Embosslit. They just couldn't believe that so many butterflies could be embossed and cut from one small square of cardstock with just a quick turn of the handle on the Big Shot.

The base of the Easter card was created from Orchid Opulence cardstock (from the Bold Brights family), cut at 11" x 4 1/4" and scored at 5 1/2".  I used a piece of Whisper White card stock for the first layer and embossed it with the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions folder with my Big Shot.  I adhered the embossed Whisper White cardstock to the Orchid Opulence card base with Snail adhesive.

Next, I used the Big Shot to cut and emboss my butterflies with the Beautiful Wings Embosslit (p24 Occasions Mini Catalog) using a scrap of Orchid Opulence cardstock.

Note: Make sure that your piece of cardstock is larger than the area of the embosslit so that the butterflies will release from the die easily. If the cardstock is too small, the butterflies may get stuck in the die. If this happens, gently remove them using the tip of the Paper Piercing Tool or another pointed instrument that can be used to carefully lever them from the die without damage.

Using the Paper Piercing Tool, I made a hole in the center of the largest butterfly. I then took my Two Way Glue Pen and carefully applied glue to the embossed areas of the butterfly. To add a little sparkle to my butterfly, I sprinkled Dazzling Diamonds onto the butterfly's wings and then gently tapped it to remove any loose glitter. Set it aside to allow the glue to dry.

I then took another smaller piece of Whisper White cardstock and carefully stamped Happy Easter, from the Well Scripted stamp set (p19 Occasions Mini catalog), in the lower right corner using Orchid Opulence Classic ink. Taking a piece of Barely Banana cardstock, I adhered the Whisper White cardstock stamped piece to it.

I used my Paper Piercing Tool to create a whole in the upper left corner of the Whisper White cardstock, making sure that it goes through the Barely Banana Cardstock.

Taking a clear rhinestone brad, I threaded it through the hole in the center of the butterfly and then through the hole in the Whisper White/Barely Banana cardstock and bent the legs back to anchor it.

Time to assemble the card by first attaching a piece of Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper (p25 Occasions Mini Catalog) to the right side of the card. I chose the pretty Orchid Opulence with polka dots because I loved the way it looked coordinated with the embossed polka dots on the Whisper White cardstock. I then applied Snail adhesive to the back of the Barely Banana cardstock and layered it on top of the Whisper White cardstock and the Orchid Opulence DSP.

This card could just as easily be used as a birthday, Mother's Day, thinking of you or get well card, just by changing the sentiment on the card. I like to create cards that can be used for a variety of occasions and I think this is one of those card designs.

I cased this card from another demonstrator, Dawn Griffith, who creates the most amazing cards and she is one of my greatest sources of inspiration. I hope that you will be inspired by this card and create your own cards soon.

Until Next Time.

Stampin' Hugs,

Tricia Butts

P.S. I would love to see your cards, so please leave a link to your card photo in the comments section so that I can visit and enjoy your creativity.

Products Used (All Stampin' Up):

Stamp Set:

Well Scripted Wood Mount 117072   Price   $19.95

                         Clear Mount  118601  Price   $14.95  Set of 6

Paper: Shades of Spring DSP, Orchid Opulence cardstock, Barely Banana Cardstock, Whisper White Cardstock

Ink: Orchid Opulence Classic Ink

Accessories: Big Shot, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Dazzling Diamonds, Clear Rhinestone Brad, Two Way Glue Pen, Snail Adhesive, Paper Piercing Tool.

Late Night Stampers: The Best Group on the Web

Happy Tuesday Everyone,
Well, it is a cold and wet day here in Northglenn and the snow is supposed to be not far away. On days like this, I like to plan out some projects and get creative. But somedays, I just seem to hit a roadblock. Do you know what I mean?
When this happens to me, I visit my favorite inspirational group on the internet: Late Night Stampers Yahoo group. This group was created by a wonderful lady, Sherrill Graff, who has been a demonstrator with Stampin' Up since 1991. She decided she wanted to share her ideas, experience and love of stamping and Stampin' Up with as many people as possible.
Her group is not just for SU demonstrators but for anyone who loves rubber stamping, scrapbooking, card making, paper crafting and creating or would like to but don't know where to start. It is a wonderful, friendly, caring and sharing group that is open to everyone who would love to be a part of this special community.
This is a great place if you are looking for new ideas, help with a problem, a place to share your creations as well as offering support and fellowship.
So, how do you become a member? It is very simple. Just click Here and it will take you to the website. Click Join this Group and follow the simple directions. Please tell Sherrill I sent you so she will know how you found her group.

This group is free to join and there are no rules as to how often you need to post or participate. This is a friendly, no stress group that welcomes everyone and once you become a member, I think you will discover how much fun it is and before long you will be joining in on the fun too.

Hope to see you soon.

Until Next Time.

Stampin' Hugs,

Tricia Butts

Fancy Bag in a Flash

Happy Monday Everyone,
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Can you believe that it is truly, officially Spring? That means wonderful sunny days mixed with sudden snowstorms here in Colorado. The good news is that the snow doesn't hang around long and the sunshine isn't far away to warm us up again.
Today I am going to share with you a cute little bag that I created with my Big Shot. This sweet little bag really does go together quickly and simply and is a perfect way to give a gift to a friend, teacher or family member.

Using the Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP), I cut a piece 5 1/4" x 12" from one of 12" x 12" sheets. I chose the glittered pattern side to face outwards to add a little sparkle to the bag. Creating a sandwich with the Sizzix Fancy Favor die (exclusive to Stampin' Up), the Extended Cutting Plate and the Extended Premium Crease Pad, I ran the DSP through the Big Shot to cut out the bag. The die not only cuts out the shape of the bag, it also creates the crease lines so that it is easy to fold and create the bag.

Once all the crease lines had been folded, I used Sticky Strip to assemble the bag, as it is a very strong adhesive and provides the bag with strength and stability.
Now comes the fun part, the decorating of the bag. This is where you can personalize the bag to suit the person you are giving it to. I chose to add a simple stamped greeting using the Vintage Labels Sale-a-bration stamp set in Real Red Classic ink. I used the square shaped frame stamp and the Best Wishes stamp on Very Vanilla cardstock and then punched it out with the Curly Label Punch. I adhered it to the bag using Snail adhesive.

Next, I took a piece of Real Red Satin ribbon (in the Occasions Mini catalog) to create the handle for the bag. I attached the ribbon using two of the Pretty in Pink Sending Love Epoxy Brads (found on p13 on the Occasions Mini catalog) to anchor it to each side of the bag. I used the Paper Piercing Tool to poke holes through the side of the bag and through the ribbon and put the brad through the holes and anchor it by bending back the legs.

Finally, I created a small flower using Pretty in Pink cardstock that I punched twice using the Scalloped Circle Punch. Using the Faux Suede technique, I separated the two scalloped circles with my bone folder (as described in this Post ) to create four scalloped circles, and then scrunched them up into small balls. After carefully unscrunching the circles (is that a word?), I put a hole in the center of each of the circles, using the Paper Piercing Tool and threaded them onto a 5/16" Very Vanilla Brad (from the 5/16" Neutrals Jumbo Brads) and folded the legs behind the bottom circle. Make sure the faux suede surface is facing up.

Next I carefully scrunched each of the circles up around the brad to create ruffled petals. You can carefully move the circles to offset the scallops to add additional dimension to the flower. I then attached the flower to the front of the bag in the upper corner with a Dimensional.

So there you have it. A great little gift bag that is fun and easy to make. Add a little tissue paper to the inside of the bag along with your gift and it's ready to go. This would be a great little bag for Easter or Mother's Day, both of which are just around the corner.

Contact me today to place your order or visit my Online Store where you can place your order 24/7. Just Click Shop Now.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin',

Tricia Butts

Products Used:

Stamp Set: Vintage Labels (Sale-a-bration Set available for free with $50 purchase of Stampin' Up products -Ends 31st March, 2010)

Paper: Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper, Pretty in Pink Cardstock, Very Vanilla Cardstock

Ink: Real Red Classic Ink

Accessories: Big Shot, SU Fancy Favor Die, Extended Cutting Pads, Extended Crease Pad, Real Red 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Pretty in Pink 1/2" Sending Love Epoxy Brads, 5/16" Neutrals Jumbo Brads, Scallop Circle Punch, Curly Label Punch, Paper Piercing Tool, Snail Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals.

Easter Blessings

Hello Everyone,
It's a beautiful, sunny day here in Colorado and the flowers are bravely starting to poke their heads above the earth's surface in search of the sun.
Today's card is a reminder that Easter is only a few weeks away and now is a good time to get started on your Easter cards for friends and family. I chose the stamp set, Abundant Hope, which can be found in Stampin' Up's Occasions Mini catalog (p24). I love the elegance of this stamp set and while it is technically meant for Easter, I think it would also be perfect all year round for birthdays, Anniversary, Thinking of You, Get Well and Sympathy cards. The flower image can be colored using a wide range of techniques including watercoloring with watercolor pencils, watercolor crayons, chalk pastels, and inks. It would also make a lovely tone on tone image.

For my card, I decided that I wanted my flowers to be the main focus of my card design. I wanted the colors to capture your attention, so I chose to color the image with my Stampin' Write Markers.

Using Stazon Jet Black ink, I stamped the floral image onto a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock. Next, I colored the image using Old Olive for the stems and leaves, Crushed Curry for the flowers and added detail with the fine tip of the Dusty Durango marker.
I then matted the image onto a piece of Crushed Curry cardstock. My card base I created from Very Vanilla cardstock and I added a piece of Dusty Durango cardstock that I had embossed with the Finial Press Textured Impressions Folder using my Big Shot.
I wrapped a piece of Very Vanilla Satin ribbon (also available from the Occasions Mini Catalog) around the middle of the Dusty Durango cardstock and adhered the ends to the back and adhered the Dusty Durango cardstock to the Very Vanilla card base.
For the sentiment, I once again chose Jet Black Stazon ink and stamped it on a scrap of Very Vanilla cardstock. I then punched it out using the Modern Label punch and matted with an oval cut from Crushed Curry cardstock using the Large Oval punch before attaching it to the card.
Simple, but classically elegant and perfect for the occasion. You could use this card design to create a set of Thank You cards for someone as a lovely gift. Change the colors of the cardstock and flowers for a new look for a different occasion. There are so many possibilities that would make this a wonderful stamp set to add to your collection.
I hope you enjoyed today's card. Please contact me if you have any questions or you would like to place an order.
Until Next Time.
Happy Stampin',
Tricia Butts
P.S. This was the final card from Saturday's card class. Stay tuned for new card shares.

Products Used (All Stampin' Up):
Stamp Set:  Abundant Hope - Clear Mount Stamp   118547  Price: $13.95
                                                      Wood Mount Stamp  117054 Price: $17.95

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango

Ink: Jet Black Stazon ink

Accessories: Big Shot, Finial Press Textured Impressions Folder, Stampin' Write Markers Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango (from the In Colors set of 6 Markers) & Old Olive, Modern Label punch, Large Oval punch, Very Vanilla Satin ribbon, Snail adhesive.

Blissful Birthday in Blue

Happy Monday Everyone,
Well, the morning has been pure chaos but I finally have a moment to sit down and add today's card share. This card was another card from Saturday's card class and I like to have at least one of my cards for my classes have a masculine theme, because, let's face it, males have birthdays too.
Most people, myself included, struggle with what to create when it comes to a card for the men in their lives. So, I took the challenge when creating this card, hoping to come up with a design that not only would work as a masculine card but that would also work for various age groups.
Now, besides being my favorite color, blue tends to be a safe bet when it comes to guys. After all, aren't we told "blue for boys, pink for girls". So with that in mind, I chose my new favorite combination from Stampin' Up's Bold Brights color family, Brilliant Blue and Tempting Turquoise to create my card.

I also decided to incorporate two of Stampin' Up's birthday stamp sets that can also be found on the Sale-a-bration free product list that expires March 31st, Starring You and Birthday Bliss.

I created the card base from a piece of Tempting Turquoise cardstock cut at 4 1/4" x 11" and scored at 5 1/2" to create a top fold card. Next, I took a piece of Brilliant Blue cardstock and stamped the image from the Starring You stamp set randomly over it with Brilliant Blue Classic ink to create a tone on tone pattern.

Then I decided to add a little texture using the faux suede technique. I punched out two circles in Tempting Turquoise cardstock, one 1"and one 3/4", and then did the same from Brilliant Blue cardstock. I then used my bone folder to break down the fibers in the cardstock by rubbing the bone folder across the cardstock on both sides of the circles until the cardstock begins to separate around the edges.

Next, I carefully peel the two layers apart until I have two circles, with each circle having a smooth side and a rough or faux suede side. Repeat this for all your circles and you will have a total of 8 circle. Taking the 3/4" circles, scrunch them up and then flatten them out again. Then apply ink to them with a sponge dauber or lightly rub them accross the ink pad  of the corresponding color (i.e. Tempting Turquoise Classic ink on Tempting Turquoise cardstock).

Using glue dots to attach the smaller circles to the larger circles, I paired up the Tempting Turquoise circles with the corresponding Brilliant Blue circles. I arranged them on the front of my card until I was happy with how it looked (making sure to leave a space large enough to fit my sentiment). I applied a small amount of adhesive to the back of each of the large circles and adhered them to the card front.

To complete the card, I stamped the sentiment using the Birthday Bliss stamp (from the stamp set of the same name) in Tempting Turquoise Classic ink onto Whisper White cardstock and then punched it out using the Wide Oval punch. I attached it to the card using dimensionals.

So there you have it. A male birthday card that works for most age groups and comes together relatively quickly so that you could make several at a time to have on hand for birthdays through out the year. Change the colors for variety (I think this card would look great in varying shades of brown or combine shades of red and orange for a bold look).

I hope you have enjoyed today's card and please, don't forget to take advantage of Sale-a-bration and the opportunity to earn free Sale-a-bration products. Contact me today learn mor or to place your order. Plus, you can place your order online through my Stampin' Up Online Store by clicking Shop Now.

Until Next Time.

Happy Stampin,

Tricia Butts

Products Used (All Stampin' Up):

Stamp Sets: 

Birthday Bliss 115442   Price: $15.95  Set Quantity: 4 *

Starring You  111696    Price: $13.95  Set Quantity: 4  *

* Earn either Stamp Set Free during Sale-a-bration with the purchase of $50 in Stampin' Up products. Purchase $100 in Stampin' Up products and earn both sets free. (Excludes S&H and Taxes) 

Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Brilliant Blue, Whisper White

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Brilliant Blue

Accessories: Wide Oval Punch, 1" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Bone Folder, mini Glue dots, Snail Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

Spring Fancy Flowers

Hi Everyone, I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. I had a wonderful day yesterday teaching my Creative Cards Class. The theme was Spring Fever and I think we did a pretty good job of creating some very Springy cards.
Today's card share is one of the cards we created yesterday. I was inspired by the wonderful Dawn Griffith and the card she created last week that can be seen here on her blog. I just love visiting her blog and all her amazing creations.  Her version of this card was created using Bashful Blue and Whisper White. I decided to step it up a little by adding some Pretty in Pink plus a little glitter with Dazzling Diamonds to give the card a little sparkle.

Three large flowers were punched using the new Extra Large Fancy Flower punch available in Stampin' Up's Occasions Mini Catalog. After punching two in Pretty in Pink cardstock and one in Bashful Blue cardstock, I then punched out three circles (two Bashful Blue cardstock, one Pretty in Pink cardsock) using the 3/4" Circle punch.

Next I took a strip of Pretty in Pink cardstock and punched a border along one edge using the new Scallop Trim Border (you can earn this free during Sale-a-bration with a $50 purchase of Stampin' Up products).

I then decided to add a little texture, so I embossed the Pretty in Pink cardstock strip and the circles using the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions folder with my Big Shot (they all fit nicely side by side in the folder).

Taking a piece of Whisper White Organza ribbon, I wrapped it along the center of the Pretty in Pink strip and attached the ends to the back of the cardstock. Using sponge daubers, I added Bashful Blue Classic ink around the edge of the blue flower and Pretty in Pink Classic ink around the edges of the pink flowers.

Next, I attached the circles to the centers of the flowers (Bashful Blue on Pretty in Pink and vice versa). With a two way glue pen, I dabbed dots of glue all over each of the circle centers of the three flowers and added Dazzling Diamonds for some sparkle.

Now it is time to put the card together. Using Bashful Blue cardstock for my card base, I attached the Pretty in Pink cardstock strip to my card, approx. 2/3 of the way down the card. Next, I positioned the two pink flowers and adhered them to the card base with snail adhesive. Then I placed the blue flower between the two pink flowers and adhered it to the card using dimensionals.

Finally, I stamped my sentiment using the Sale-a-bration stamp set Vintage Labels in Bashful Blue Classic ink on Whisper White cardstock and then punched it out using the Wide Oval punch. I then attached it to the card with dimensionals towards the bottom of the card so that it partially overlaps the Pretty in Pink strip.

This pretty Spring card can be used in many different ways just by altering the sentiment. Imagine it as a special card to a friend to let them know that you are thinking of them or a way to congratulate someone on the birth of their baby girl. You could even use it as an Easter card. Change the colors around and you can have a completely different look again.

I hope you enjoyed today's card as much as I did creating it and teaching it. As much as I love creating cards, I have so much more fun teaching others how to create their own works of art.

Hope you all have a great week.

Until Next Time.

Stampin' Hugs,

Tricia Butts

Products Used (All Stampin' Up):

Stamp Set: Vintage Labels (Sale-a-bration stamp set free with $50 purchase of Stampin' Up Products)

Vintage Labels - Clear-Mount  119122
                               Wood Mount 118392  Set Quantity: 6

Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Ink: Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Extra Large Fancy Flowers Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Whisper White Organza ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds, Two Way Glue Pen, Stampin' Dimensionals, Snail Adhesive, Sponge Daubers.

Celebrating the Blues

Hi Everyone,
Well, the weather has decided to be contrary and it can't seem to make its mind up whether we have rain or sunshine today. I guess on a happy note, at least it didn't snow, so  I am thankful for that.  But that pretty much sums up Spring weather here in Colorado and it isn't even Spring technically.
So today's card share I decided to celebrate my favorite color blue with a card that has a more modern and perhaps masculine twist to it. 
I have recently started to experiment with Stampin' Up's Bold Bright color family, and now I am really wondering why I had been shying away from it. I am really liking the vibrant colors, especially when used with Whisper White as I did with today's card.

With such bold, vivid colors, I decided to choose a stamp set with a modern, geometric flavor and reached for Circle Circus from Stampin' Up. I just love the variety of circles available in this stamp set.

Using Tempting Turquoise and Brilliant Blue classic inks, I stamped a pattern on my Whisper White card base using a variety of circles with different patterns and sizes. I then added a piece of Brilliant Blue cardstock that I had embossed with the Finial Press Textured Impressions Folder with my Big Shot to the lower half of my card base.

Next I punched both sides of a strip of Tempting Turquoise cardstock using the Scallop Edge punch.

Taking a piece of Whisper White Organza ribbon, I tied a knot in the center of the ribbon and then attached it to the center of the Tempting Turquoise cardstock. I then attached the strip to the card base,covering the edge where the Brilliant Blue cardstock met with the Whisper White cardstock.

Finally, I chose the Happy Birthday stamp from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set  and using Tempting Turquoise classic ink , stamped it on a scrap of Whisper White cardstock. I then punched it out with the Word Window punch and accented it with two silver brads. Using dimensionals,  I applied the sentiment to the card front.

The finished card has a crisp, clean look and by changing the colors used, you can create a wonderful Thank You card set as a gift for someone special.
Hope you enjoyed this card share.
Until Next Time.
Stampin' Hugs,
Tricia Butts

Supplies Used (All Stampin' Up):
Stamp Sets: Circle Circus, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: Brilliant Blue, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White
Ink: Tempting Turquoise and Brilliant Blue Classic inks.

Accessories: Big Shot, Finial Press Textured Impressions Folder, Scallop Edge punch, Word Window punch, Whisper White Organza ribbon, silver brads, dimensionals, snail adhesive.

Just Click Shop Now

Spring Fever Card Class

Happy Monday Everyone,
I hope you all had a great weekend. The weather here in Northglenn was beautiful and very Spring like, which has me in the mood to make cards with pretty pastels and Spring themes.
Today's card share is another card from my Creative Card Class - Spring Fever that I am holding this Saturday, March 13th, in my home studio. Just click Events details about this class.

This butterfly card just makes you think of warm Spring days when the flowers are just starting to bloom and the butterflies return to our gardens.

I hope you will join me this Saturday for a fun and relaxing class making 5 pretty Spring cards that will be perfect for any occasion.

Contact me today to save your spot.

Until Next Time.
Happy Stampin',
Tricia Butts

Products Used (All Stampin' Up):
Stamp Set: Well Scripted (p19 Occasions Mini Catalog)
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Barely Banana, Pretty in Pink
Ink: Certainly Celery, Barely Banana, Pretty in Pink
Accessories: Big Shot, Sizzix SU Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Sizzix SU Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Very Vanilla 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Scallop Trim Border Punch (Sale-a-bration Free Product with purchase of $50 in Stampin' Up products), Circle Fire Rhinestone Brads, sponge daubers, dimensionals, snail adhesive.