Stampin' with Kristin

Stamper's Dozen Blog Hop - Congrats!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!  It's the 15th of the month which means - it's time for another Stamper's Dozen Blog Hop!  This month's theme is "Congratulatory Cards" to get you ready for the graduation/wedding season - or any other occasion you wish to celebrate!

I was running REALLY short on time this month so this month's card isn't completely original and is pulling double-duty.  Today's card is a sneak peek for my stamp club!  They'll be making this card tonight.  It was inspired by a couple of cards and I want to be sure to give credit where it is due. 

First, the layout and color-scheme was inspired by a card I spotted on Pinterest by Diana Eichfeld.  I thought it could be a fabulous masculine graduation card!  You could make this in any school's colors! 

BUT, one of the enhancements I wanted to include was a "shaker feature".  I mean, seriously, what's a celebration without a little confetti?!?!?!  I've been wanting to do this since January when I saw this trick at the Leadership conference.  Stampin' Up! shared how to make quick confetti using the Fringe Scissors!  You simply cut some fringe, turn the paper 45 degrees, and cut again creating little squares.  Easy peasy!  The confetti is encased in a cello envelope.  I cut the cello down to size to fit my window and sealed it with sticky strip.

Finally, for some reason I felt the need to add a silver button.  I love how thin these little buttons are.  Hooray for mailable embellishments!  However, it was frustrating to me that I didn't have any Midnight Muse ribbon to lace through the button.  And, I know some of my stamp club members will feel the need to tie something through the button.  (Note - I momentarily forgot that we have Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine which would have worked!)  To make my "thread", I cut a thin strip of Midnight Muse cardstock and laced it through!  I included this trick years ago and had forgotten.

I hope you'll continue through this month's hop to see a dozen congratulatory cards!  Thanks for stopping by!

  

 

 

Spring Cleaning

Hello friends!  I'm sure it seems like AGES since I've posted an actual stamped project on my blog.  I just looked - it looks like it's been over 2 weeks!  Yikes!  Well, that's probably because I haven't stamped much this month.  Why?  I've been bitten by the Spring Cleaning Bug.  Mike and I have both spent quite a bit of time recently cleaning out closets and rooms and sections of our basement.  It hasn't left much time for stamping.  But, I have squeezed some in here and there. 

Today I wanted to share with you a card I made a couple of weeks ago for my stamp club.  It was inspired by this card created by Kimberly Van Diepen a couple of years ago!  I wasn't looking for a card that included triangles, but in the back of my mind, I really wanted to use the new triangle punch.  So, when I stumbled upon her card, I knew I had a layout that I loved!  I think this card (with the exception of the pearls) coudl make a very nice masculine birthday card.  What do you think?

How 'bout a Masculine Card?

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope you all had a good week.  Today's card is a masculine card.  Why do we have so much trouble creating masculine cards?  Is it because most stamp sets are flowers and butterflies?  Well, there are plenty of products that make fabulous masculine cards, too.  Today's card is just one example.  I turned to last week's Mojo Monday Layout - 318 for inspiration.  At first the hearts on the layout turned me off.  It took my brain some time to think past those gigantic hearts.  But, once it did, I'm pretty pleased with the result.

I HAD to get away from Christmas and fall.  I love them, but we need to create cards for other occasions, too, right?  I turned to the designer series paper in the big catalog for inspiration and Soho Subway immediately jumped out at me.  I don't think I've ever used this collection of DSP.  It's fun!  Granted, some of the sides aren't my style - that's why paper has two sides!!  So, I had my color combo - Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit, and Early Espresso.

Next were the stamps.  I can't tell you how many times I've pulled Notable Notions off of my stamp shelves to use.  On Sunday I finally put it together!  The sentiment and the background words are from that set.  I'm sure you may recognize the other set, The Open Sea.  That's always a great card for the men in our lives!

I just LOVED one of the cards I posted last week where I used the square framelits to make a...well, a frame!  I thought I'd incorporate that element into this card.  And I love it!

And, no other ribbon looks more masculine than our burlap ribbon - so I knew it would be perfect for the strip on the right. 

Yes, there's a Very Vanilla candy dot on this card - I've incorporated them in almost every card this week - probably because the box of candy dots was sitting on my table the whole time I was designing this week's cards.

Notable Notions Stamp Set

The Open Sea Stamp Set

Soho Subway DSP

Burlap Ribbon

Squares Collection Framelits

Open Sea - Father's Day Card

While flipping through the catalog, I spotted this fun layout on page 77 of the catalog.  It featured the By The Tide stamp set, but I felt like I've used that a lot recently.  Instead, I pulled out an oldie but a goodie, The Open Sea.  I think it makes a fabulous Father's Day card.

Using the Chalk Talk Framelits, I cut three tags out of Very Vanilla Card Stock.  I then stamped a variety of images from The Open Sea stamp set in Crumb Cake, Island Indigo, Cherry Cobbler, and Soft Suede Classic Ink.  The sentiment is from Delightful Dozen.  I used some linen thread, 7/16" Natural Trim, Neutrals Candy Dots, and Vintage Trinkets to embellish the card.

Sail Away

Do you see a sailing theme in my posts these last couple of days?  Not sure what brought that on other than there's alot of sailing-themed stamps and accessories coming out!  Before I begin, I admit that watercoloring is not my strength!  But, I'm still trying!  I used the Aquapainter and my ink pads to create this card - definitely not one of my favorite techniques, but I'm not giving up! 

I used Baja Breeze to do a wash over the entire image before I started.  I used a mix of Marina Mist and Not Quite Navy for my water.  Can you see the Daffodil Delight in the flag at the top of the sail?  Nope, I didn't think you would but it's up there!  I used Cherry Cobbler on the sails and Soft Suede on the boat. 

There are a ton (well, maybe not a ton) of new masculine stamps coming out in the Summer Mini.  I used three of them on this card:  Sail Away, Best Dad Ever, and The Open Sea!

This card will be one of five that we make in my Let's Hear It For The Boys class this coming June!

Did you see the special I posted yesterday?  You still have time to enter yourself in the drawing for over $45 in products!  Check it out!

Sneak Peek: Travel Log

This past Monday was our second wedding anniversary!  And, I thought that I should probably make my husband a card.  I'm SO bad about giving cards.  I ALWAYS have been.  I know, it doesn't make sense.  My husband is SO thoughtful and romantic.  For our first anniversary last year, he went to my favorite restaurant and bought me some gift certificates.  You're probably thinking - that's nice but not so special.  Well, do you know WHY he went to that particular restaurant (other than the fact that it's a favorite)?  He remembered that they still issue PAPER gift certificates!  And, the traditional gift for the first annivesary is paper!

Anyway, I wanted to make him something romantic but masculine.  Glittery hearts were out.  So, I started to think about this journey that we've been on together.  We've experienced quite a bit in the past couple of years; and we love to travel.  We've been to Hawaii twice, Puerto Rico and the Southern Carribean, Arizona, Utah, Virginia, Las Vegas ,and various other little trips.  We've already got a trip to Alaska this spring and a vacation in Disney World next May on the books!  We love exploring and experiencing new places.  Our marriage has certainly been an adventure.  And that's when I realized which stamp set I'd use to make Mike's anniversary card - Travel Log.  You've never seen this one before.  It'll be coming out in the Summer Mini Catalog in May.  Stampin' Up! gave it to us in Nashville back in January.  It kinda seemed appropriate!  To be honest, I didn't like this stamp set when I initially saw it.  But, it's kinda workin' for me now.

Happy Anniversary, my love!

Extreme Skateboard!

At one of my workshops last weekend, my hostess challenged me to a theme for which I don't often create:  Cards For Teenage Boys!  YIKES!  Well, I decided to design last Friday morning/afternoon - when I had 110% of my stampin' mojo!  I guess it had been building up last week while I was sick on the couch.  I'm pretty pleased with this card.  It has a couple of techniques.  It certainly screams "Teenage Boy".  And, there's NO RIBBON!  That's tough for me.  I'm sure you've NEVER seen me use these stamps!  But, it's a perfect card for Sale-a-Bration because you can earn Extreme Skateboard for FREE this month!

Here's how we made this card...First, we textured some roof sheathing (is that how you spell that?).  I picked it up at my local hardware store months ago for my Die Cut Divas.  I ran it through the Big Shot using the Texturz Plates.  It required a couple of shims, but it works!  It cuts down easily using the SU Tabletop Cutter.

Next, I cut out a 3" Circle (in Not Quite Navy) using my Big Shot and the new 3" Circle Die.  I stamped my skateboarder in Versamark and heat embossed him with Silver Embossing Powder to match my roof sheathing!  But, the card needed something extra and buttons and ribbon and scallops weren't gonna cut it.  So, I pulled out my Extreme Elements stamp set.  I rarely use this stamp set when stamping.  However, I "pull it out" a lot when using My Digital Studio.  I added some subtle elements on the Riding Hood Red layer using Riding Hood Red Ink.  And, I added some "splotches" on the Crumb Cake card base using Crumb Cake ink.

But, I was really stuck when it came to the sentiment.  I have NO teenage boy-style words.  There are a few in the catalog, but I don't own them.  I know, hard to believe.  And, the one thing I had that could work just wasn't going to fit.  So, I pulled out Fundamental Phrases - another set I haven't used in ages - and purposefully stamped "Happy" and "Birthday" slanted.  What do you think?

Father's Day - Plane & Simple!

Father's Day you ask?  Of course!  Last night's workshop hostess actually requested a Father's Day card!  She is planning ahead!  Granted, this design is flexible enough for any occasion!  This card was made using the Plane and Simple Stamp Set out of the Occasions Mini catalog.  This is a great stamp set - and maybe, just maybe, I'll try stamping it in a different color scheme at some point!!!

Last night's workshop was especially special for me.  Why?  Because my mother-in-law and sister-in-law were in attendance!  They've certainly been the recipient of my hand-stamped cards, but they've never gotten to see me in action!  They both enjoyed themselves!  My friends joke that the "7 Degrees of Kevin Bacon" is really the "2 Degrees of Kristin".  It's really amazing how small our worlds really are!  Last night's hostess was someone I met at a workshop a couple of years ago through a woman who spotted my ad in the local paper for an Open House about 3 years ago!  WELL, apparently my nephew and the son of last night's hostess are really good friends!  Did you follow any of that?  No worries, I won't quiz you later.

Check out the Father's Day oval.  HELLO?  When I stamped that, I thought - OMG! An Easter Egg!!!  I'm going to have to try stamping that diamond pattern in a pastel color and punching it with an oval punch.  Who would have thought this masculine, vintage stamp set would have a little Easter in it!?!?!?

Here are all of the supplies I used to make this card:

• Plane & Simple Stamp Set (Occasions Mini)
• Crumb Cake Card Stock (8-1/2" x 5-1/2")
• Basic Black Card Stock (5-1/4" x 4") - punch the designer label layer out of the middle of this piece to save paper.
• Very Vanilla Card Stock (5-1/8" x 3-7/8") - plus scraps for punching
• Basic Black Wide Grosgrain Ribbon
• Designer Label Punch
• 2" x 1-3/8" Oval Punch
• Basic Black Classic Ink
• Soft Suede Classic Ink
• Crumb Cake Classic Ink