Well, Convention 2011 is now a memory. It was fantastic and I can tell you that I created a lot of memories I will treasure for a long time. From seeing friends made during the past ten (yes, TEN!) years of conventions to all the FREE product Stampin' Up! blessed us with this year to the displays that were out of this world, convention was a real PlusOne experience. That's the Stampin' Up! theme this year, PlusOne. And at convention they kept giving us PlusOne, from more giveaways to additional inspiration and creative ideas. I was totally worn out when I got home, but I was also re-energized to share with you! So let's get started!
Here is a card I designed when I was working on my New Catalog Debut event:
I need to work more at photography, as you can see. I have a very nice digital camera, but it scares me, so I scanned this card, placing it on a Soft Suede background so you can see the edges of the card, which is Very Vanilla. I wanted a somewhat vintage look and I think Very Vanilla is the right choice for that. Would you agree?
The card evolved this way: I love the new Ribbon Border Punch, so I punched out a strip using Early Espresso. I love the deep richness of that color! I threaded a piece of Very Vanilla 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon through the punched piece, added a little bow, and placed it against a strip of the tiny stripe paper from the Mocha Morning Specialty DSP. That package is a gotta have item! This is just one of the nifty sheets you'll love using if you can keep yourself from hoarding it (ask me how I know about hoarding!). Those two items were good together, but I felt it wasn't finished yet. So I punched a coordinating border using the Scallop Trim Border punch. Now I felt like I was getting somewhere! A final layer of the tiny striped DSP backed with another Early Espresso piece just made my heart sing! Then on to making a card using that completed element.
The flourish found in Creative Elements spoke to me, so I stamped it using Soft Suede to cover the front of my Very Vanilla card. We're getting somewhere now! I contemplated greetings and decided that the Memories stamp from another new set called Frame It (a gorgeous set for vintage stamping) would be perfect. I stamped the sentiment on Very Vanilla cardstock, punched it out with the Decorative Label Punch, and sponged the edges lightly with Crumb Cake ink using a Sponge Dauber (those things are great for what I call 'targeted' sponging, making it very easy to control just how much sponging I do as well as where I put it).
I made a backing layer using the Decorative Label Punch again. Notice how nice it looks? I know you will want to know how I did that, so I'll be putting a small tutorial together and will try to get it posted tomorrow. So be sure you come back. My method is different from any I have seen, and many of my stampin' friends love it!
I inked the butterfly from Creative Elements with Peach Parfait ink and outlined the stamp with my Soft Suede marker before stamping it on a scrap of Very Vanilla cardstock. I used my Paper Snips (which are perfect for making fine cuts and come with a protective case which keeps me from poking myself with them) to cut the butterfly out. I adhered it to the card with a Mini Glue Dot applied just to the center so I can 'fluff' the wings up a bit.
Here are the materials I used to make this card:
Stamps: Creative Elements (122645 wood, 122647 clear) page 137; Frame It (122850 wood, 122852 clear) page 133
Ink: Early Espresso (119670), Crumb Cake (121030), Soft Suede (115657), Peach Parfait (119783), and Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker (120973) pages 176-180
Paper: Very Vanilla cardstock (101650), Early Espresso cardstock (119686) on page 180; Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Series Paper (122366) page 183
Accessories: Lace Ribbon Border Punch (122362) page 211, Scalloop Trim Border Punch (118402) page 211, Decorative Label Punch120907) page 209, Very Vanilla 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon (119960) page 195, SNAIL adhesive (104332) page 206, Stampin' Dimensionals (104430) page 206, Mini Glue Dots (103683) page 206, Sponge Daubers (102892) page 203
You can order these products by emailing me, calling me (217-875-0092), or by visiting my Stampin' Up! website. By going through my website, you'll get the best possible prices on product and shipping. If you have any questions, please holler!
Don't forget to come back tomorrow or Sunday to see my Decorative Label Punch tutorial! Thanks for dropping by. I love it when you comment!
Judi
