'tis the Sweet Season

Hello and Happy Sunday,

It's a very foggy morning here on the SoCal coast. Fall is in the air, finally! So glad our warm and humid weather has gone away and we're back to normal.

I'm still playing with my new SU Holiday sets. Using Jen's Freshly Made Sketch for inspiration, I put this card together yesterday. I've used some of the new Holiday DSP. Some of the designs have a fuzzy layer too. Super cool! The white stripes in this candy cane design are fuzzy and it goes perfectly with this stamp set and my card.

This set comes in a bundle with a punch that works with the candy cane and a bow. I didn't stamp the bow, instead, punched it from some green glitter paper. My HO HO HO! background is a stamp in the set, and yes, I stamped it about 12 times to cover the top layer. Luckily, using a photopolymer stamp and positioning stamping tool, in my case a Misti, made it quite easy to line up. This is a bright and cheery card and other than the time to stamp the background, went together super fast.

The stamp set has a sentiment in the shape of a candy cane that can used to stamp inside one of the candy cane images. Quite a versatile and fun stamp set. Here's the inside with the sentiment candy cane stamp. I found some Doodlebug enamel peppermint candy pieces in red and green. Perfectly sweet embellishments!

I made a few other cards for challenges yesterday too, so you'll probably see at leas one more post from me today. In the meantime, thanks so much for looking in!

Have a great Sunday,
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Candy Cane Season set by Stampin' Up
Paper: SU Whisper White card stock, Concord & 9th green glitter paper, SU Santa's Workshop DSP
Ink: SU Real Red and Emerald Envy
Other: SU Candy Cane Season punch, Lawn Fawn Banner die, Doodlebug enamel shapes, Gemini Jr, Misti Stamping Tool, foam tape

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Hi stampers,

Happy Saturday to all. It's a typical Saturday for me. Some laundry, some errands. Did a little clean up and organizing in my craft room (it seems I'm always tweaking something), and finally some stamping. I'm still working on cards for my craft group meeting next week. The ladies wanted samples, which is what I've been making. I still need to come up with the group project/make & take card too.

This card I made yesterday evening using the current CAS(E) this Sketch. It's one of the samples using a new SU Holiday set. In a recent Simon Says Stamp monthly kit we received some glitter paper in some bright colors. I thought this ornament die would look great cut from it. I remembered this "retro" holiday DSP from years ago, I don't remember what it's called, and thought it would be a good fit with the ornament.

I cut a circle from gold glitter paper, also from SSS, to back the teal ornament. Notice that I matched the patterns in the DSP when I put the teal patterned paper over the white. I thought it looked better not breaking up the pattern. The greeting is from the corresponding stamp set.

For the inside, I used the same piece of DSP and stamped a greeting from another new SU Holiday set, Timeless Tidings.

Have a nice Saturday afternoon and thanks for stopping in,
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Beautiful Baubles set and Timeless Tidings set by Stampin' Up
Paper: SU Taken With Teal, Whisper White card stock and SU DSP (retired), SSS glitter papers
Ink: SU Taken With Teal
Other: SU Details Baubles Framelit dies, Die-namics Stitched Rounded Rectangle die, Spellbinders Circle die, gold twine, Misti Stamping tool, Gemini Jr, dimensionals

Lunchbox Notes Challenge

Happy Friday to all,

Last Sunday when I saw Joanne's challenge for the Paper Players this week, I didn't think I would play along. I'm way past school lunches. But, I then thought of my friend's kids who are 8 and 11 yrs, so I texted their mom to see if they take lunches to school. The reply was yes, so I decided to play along and give these to my friend to put in their lunches.

However, the real challenge was getting them completed in time to post, which is why I'm kind of squeaking in at the last minute. I didn't get around to actually deciding on stamps and design until Monday afternoon, and then started stamping and die cutting. Next thing I know, Mr. Personal Chef comes into my craft room to say that we were hosting dinner Monday evening for a couple of our neighbors, so needless to say, that put a halt to my stamping. Tuesday morning, I had to head back to my work project in Palm Springs, but I knew I was coming back Thursday instead of Friday, which I did, and I was able to finish the note cards. Pictures were taken this morning, and here we are.

I made two of each design. The image on the left is the outside and the image on the right is the inside (obviously, LOL.) These are 4 x 4" square note cards.

Joanne, I enjoyed this fun and different challenge.

(click on images to make larger)

A quickly written post today, and now it's back to work reports. I'm looking forward to the weekend and not traveling this coming week.

Have a great day all and thanks,
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Critters in the Jungle, Wild For You, Rawr, Duh-Nuh, Sweet Smiles, Ahoy Matey sets by Lawn Fawn and Sweetest set by Avery Elle
Paper: SU Whisper White, Gorgeous Grape, Barely Banana, Real Red, Marina Mist, Only Orange, Yoyo Yellow, Pacific Point, Crumb Cake card stocks
Ink: Memento tuxedo black, Copics, SU Gorgeous Grape, Real Red, Granite Gray, Only Orange, Pacific Point
Other: Lawn Fawn and Avery Elle corresponding set dies, Lawn Fawn Stitched Cloud Border die, Die-namics Stitched Hill, Pierced Circle, Stitched Square, Double-Stitched Square, Pinking Circle dies, SU Hexagon Die, Misti Stamping Tool, Gemini Jr, dimensionals, Nuvo glitter pen

Merry Christmas

Hello all,

So sad that's it the last day of the long weekend. I'm heading back out to Palm Springs tomorrow for work. Today is laundry then packing, with some stamping in-between, of course, LOL.

I've been making some cards for my stamp/craft group that is coming up and the theme is Christmas. Most are using stamp sets and supplies from the SU Holiday catalog. For this card, my inspiration comes from the Freshly Made Sketch, and I'm just squeaking in under the wire.

I love the greens and blue combination in the plaid DSP, so that was the inspiration for my colors on this one. I've combined two of the new SU sets with the new Under the Mistletoe DSP.

Here's the inside:

Now, I'm off to put in a load of clothes. Have a great day all, and thanks,
Colleen

Supplies
Timeless Tidings and Winter Woods sets by Stampin' Up
Paper: SU Whisper White and Old Olive card stock and Under the Mistletoe DSP
Ink: SU Night of Navy, Spiced Spruce, Old Olive, Memento tuxedo black, Stampin' Blends
Other: Winter Woods Framelits dies, Die-namics Double Stitched Circle dies, Spellbinders Circle die, Die-namics Fishtail Flag die, navy enamel shapes, Gemini Jr, dimensionals

Life's A Beach

Happy Sunday all,

I hope you're enjoying this long weekend. I know I am. I've been doing two of my favorite things, stamping and watching tennis. Most of my stamping has been making Christmas cards for my craft group get together in a few weeks. The ladies wanted examples and I've been using new SU sets. I'll share some of them in later posts.

For this post, I have a beach themed card. Even though the calendar is saying it's the end of Summer, here in San Diego, not so much. We're heading to a little afternoon party in a few hours, and this will be a "thank you" card for our hosts. (although you'll notice it doesn't actually have Thank You as a stamped sentiment.)

This is one of my favorite stamp sets. It's called Beside the Sea and it's by Avery Elle. I stamped the beach house image twice onto water color paper using SU black Archival ink and watercolored them with Zig Real Brush markers in a rainbow pattern. The card base is SU Coastal Cabana card stock. I used the SU Seaside embossing folder on the next layer, also Coastal Cabana card stock. The patterned papers are Doodlebug, but I don't remember from what 6 x 6 pad. The sketch inspiration is from the As You See It Challenge. I put the sentiment panel on the bottom, for my card, it looked better there. The little seagull is from the same stamp set.

I kept the inside super simple with the other sentiment and another image from the set.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of your day,
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Beside the Sea set by Avery Elle
Paper: SU Coastal Cabana and Whisper White card stock, Doodlebug patterned papers
Ink: SU Archival Black, Zig Real Brush markers, SU Coastal Cabana, Memento tuxedo black, Copics
Other: Beside the Sea Elements dies, SU Seaside embossing folder, foam tape, Gemini Jr

Let's Shell-ebrate!

Hi again,

Well, we go from Fall back to Summer for my second post today. I had this image colored and sitting around on my table for a while. I was cleaning off my stamping area and instead of popping her into my box of "things," I decided to use her. I looked through my stash of pattern papers and fund these from Echo Park to go with. Sunday Stamps is a sketch this time and I, for one, like tilted panels, and it seemed perfect to show off the patterned papers.

The images are stamped with Memento tuxedo black and colored with Copics. No dies for this set so I fussy-cut them. The sentiment is stamped using SU Early Expresso and it's cut out with a Die-namics Fishtail Flag die. The stamped images are popped up with SU dimensionals.

The inside of the card uses some Amy Tangerine summer stickers. I liked how the umbrella ties into the patterned paper on the front and the shells matched the Shell-ebrate theme. The inside greeting is a stamp from the same stamp set.

Enjoy your afternoon and evening, and thanks!
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Seaside Wishes by Sugar Pea Designs
Paper: SU Daffodil Delight, Whisper White and X-Press It Blending card stocks, Echo Park Splash patterned paper
Ink: Memento tuxedo black, Copics, SU Early Expresso and Grapefruit Grove
Other: Die-namics Fishtail Flag die, SU enamel dots, Amy Tangerine stickers, Gemini Jr, dimensionals

Trick Or Treat

Happy Saturday, and Happy Labor Day Weekend to all!

Last night while watching some US Open tennis, I made my first Halloween card for this year using this week's CAS(E) this Sketch sketch.

Unfortunately, the photo doesn't show some of the details. The card base is SU black card stock embossed with the SU Spider Web EF. The DSP is from last year's SU Holiday catalog. Along the bottom of the DSP I glued SU black sequin ribbon and IRL it looks pretty cool. The stamp set is from Avery Elle and it's called Bad Kitty, LOL. I stamped the images in Memento tuxedo black and colored them with Copics. They are cut out using the set dies. The rectangle element is cut with a Die-namics Inside and Out Stitched rectangle die. A few enamel dots for embellishment, as well as Stickles used over the kitty's collar, hat band and a drop of neon green over her eyes.

The inside of the card uses more images from the set. I thought the spider web and spiders would pull in the spiders in the DSP.

We don't have much planned for the long weekend, other than going to a friends house tomorrow afternoon for a barbecue and pool party. I hope you have some fun planned.

Thanks for looking in,
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Bad Kitty set by Avery Elle
Paper: SU Basic Black and Very Vanilla card stock and SU Spooky Night DSP
Ink: Memento tuxedo black, SU Pumpkin Pie, Granite Gray, Mango Melody, Copics
Other: Bad Kitty Elements dies, Die-namics Inside and Out Stitched Rectangle die, SU black sequin ribbon, SU Spider Web embossing folder, orange, black and neon green Stickles, enamel dots, Misti stamping tool, Gemini Jr, dimensionals