Summer Smooches!

Didn’t you love the designer paper featured in yesterday’s bright birds card?

It’s now available!

Summer Smooches Suite Products available April 1-30!

And check out this video of the Petite Purse Die!  (She mentions in the video that Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators had access to these products even earlier and at a discount!  Learn how you can join and receive these perks too!)

Here are some of my favorite products in the Summer Smooches Suite.  What are your favorite summer smooches products?  Click here to see them all!

Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper
Summer Smooches Digital Kit
Summer Smooches Petite Purse Die

Stampin’ Up! Summer Smooches with Colorful Birds

I loved these cute little birds and their fun cages the very first time I laid eyes on the Aviary stamp set!  This made it from my wish list  to my home thanks to my sister Kari, who gave it to me for my birthday!  (Yes, I have a wish list too!)  Kari is a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator also.

The beautiful Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper inspired this bright, happy card made with the Aviary stamp set.

When using punches, you would stamp first and then punch it out looking through the punch ‘window’.  When using the Top Note Bigz Die, I cut my shape and then stamp the images.  It was easy to get good placement with the clear-mount stamps.  I stamped a sample on a scrap paper first to decide on my layout, then cut my shape and added the stamped images.

The middle bird cage was stamped first, then I masked the cage with a post-it note and stamped the stand so that it ended at the base of the cage.  (The stand is taller than I needed and would have stamped right through the cage.)

I wanted to add ribbon wrapped around the top note, but I didn’t want to cover the cages so I used an x-acto knife to slice a ribbon slot on either side of the image.  (I don’t know why the ribbon came out such a funky color in the photo.  It looks MUCH better in real life-I promise.)

And the final step is adding bling.  I generously added rhinestones to the cages.  Love it!!

 Card Recipe:
Stamps:  Aviary clear-mount, wood-mount
Paper: Whisper White cs, Pacific Point cs, Summer Smooches designer series paper
Ink: Black StazOn, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry
Extras: Top Note Bigz Die, Rhinestones, Ribbon

Enjoy!
Julie

New Digital Design Downloads

The new digital design downloads came out yesterday to spark your creativity.  These downloads can be used in any digital design program and they are specially designed to be used in Stampin’ Up!’s My Digital Studio .  Try out My Digital Studio Express for FREE for 30 days!

Little Milestone Birthdays Greetings Card Template Set
Perfectly Penned Stamp Brush Set
Fashionable Stamp Brush Set

 

Sweet Little One Swatchbook Template

 

Mom, I Love You Ensemble

 

Mistyped Alphabet Stamp Brush Set

Enjoy these digital downloads and get your free 30-day trial of My Digital Studio Express today!

Enjoy!  Julie

Postage Stamp Punch Fun

Playing with my Postage Stamp Punch and the fun In Colors today!

This very simple, clean card came together in a snap with the Postage Stamp Punch.  Even though it’s a very simple card, some fun, quick elements make it special.  The white background layer is Big Shot textured embossed with the Finial Press Textured Embossing Folder.

Quick tip:  When I first popped these on with dimensionals I wasn’t happy with the placement of my “postage stamps” so I need to lift them up again.  By patiently wiggling them off I was able to loosen the adhesive and remove them without damaging my paper.

I stamped the Thanks image with white craft ink then embossed with white embossing powder to give it a bright look.  Each punched square was popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  And the white organza ribbon makes everything extra special!

I’m loving making matching envelopes with the Scoring Tool.

I punched a flower from the paper to make a matching envelope closure.  So fun!

Card Recipe: 
Stamps: Pretty Postage clear-mount, wood-mount
Paper: Peach Parfait, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Ink: Whisper White Craft Pad 
Extras: Postage Stamp Punch, White Embossing Powder, Finial Press Textured Embossing Folder, Whisper White Organza Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Enjoy!

Julie

Fifth Avenue Floral Spotlight

Want to learn a fun, new way to be creative?  This is a clean and simple Fifth Avenue Floral card using the spotlight technique

I stamped the background on Whisper White card stock.  Then I stamped the Concord Crush flower on Shimmery White card stock and watercolored it using an aquapainter and Melon Mambo ink.  Unfortunately it’s hard to photograph the awesome shimmer.

The Concord Crush ink is water based so when I painted with the Melon Mambo it picked up some of the Concord Crush from the outline creating a nice effect.   Watercoloring these images makes you feel like a real artist!  The Shimmery White card stock is a little heavier and watercolors very nicely.

punched out a section of the rose which I layered on Concord Crush card stock and adhered it with a dimensional to match up with the flower below. With the spotlight technique, you want to keep your background fairly simple so that the spotlight really pops out.

The completed card measures 4-1/4″ square, so it would fit in a standard envelope but sloppily.  Soooo I created a custom 4-1/2″ square Whisper White envelope with my new toy…uh- I mean tool, the Diagonal Scoring Pad.

Card Recipe:
Stamps:  Fifth Avenue Floral wood-mount , mds ; Teeny Tiny Wishes  wood-mount , mds
Paper:  Whisper White cs, Concord Crush cs, Shimmery White cs, Melon Mambo cs
Ink: Whisper White craft pad , Concord Crush , Melon Mambo
Extras: 1-1/4″ Circle Punch , 1-3/8″ Circle Punch , Modern Label Punch , Aqua painter , Dimensionals , Scoring Tool , Diagonal Scoring Pad

Enjoy!  Julie