July Cards + An Announcement

I know several people with birthdays in July and these are some of the cards that I recently made.  I used three new products from the current Stampin' Up catalog that I thought went together perfectly!

1.  One For All stamp set

2. Brights designer series paper

(comes in 10 different colors)

3.  Glitter Enamel Dots

The tip that I am sharing today will help you coordinate the colors that you use.

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #40 - Use the same color for both the base of your card & the words.

Notice that both my card base and my words are stamped in blue.  This is one thing that I love about Stampin' Up products . . . everything coordinates!  For every color of cardstock, there is a coordinating color of ink, as well as other products.  In addition, all of Stampin' Up's forty main colors are divided into 4 groups:  Brights, Subtles, Regals, and Neutrals.  The colors within each group are designed to go together.  All of the colors in my cards are from the Brights group, which I think is fun to use during the summer. 

And here is my announcement . . . this is my last blog post!  I have made a decision to end my blog this week and also  to resign from being a Stampin' Up demonstrator at the end of September.  If you are still interested in purchasing Stampin' Up products through me, you can do so through the end of September by either sending me an email (godismydelight@yahoo.com ) or by following the steps that are listed in the right sidebar under "Steps to Order".  I will leave my blog up for viewing for several more months.

Also, I still have a few catalogs (241 pages of beautiful inspiration!) that I need to give away.  Just send me an email with your address & I will put one in mail to you.

Thank you for joining me here for this past year.  I have enjoyed sharing my stamping tips with you.  I will continue to stamp cards and scrapbook pages & I hope that you will too!

Mollie's Birthday Outing

For our oldest grandaughter's 9th birthday, Pete & I took her to visit the Underground Railroad Living Museum at the First Congregational Church in Detroit.  She had learned about slavery & the Civil War in her homeschool studies this past school year.  All three of us enjoyed this interesting and educational experience!

We arrived early and were given a tour of this beautiful, historic church.  We took many photos in an attempt to capture the many amazing architectural details.  However, the Underground Railroad experience was located in the basement and no photography was allowed.

For my scrapbook page . . . 

•  I cut out a couple of things from the brochure that I had saved. (See Tip #29)

• I added strips of some old paper from Stampin' Up that I thought complimented the photos. (See Tip #24)

• I noticed that lanterns were an image that was used prominently in the brochure and displays, so I used a couple of lantern rubber stamps to use as accents.  (See Tip #3) 

• I lightly sponged brown ink around the edges of my journaling blocks, to further the "time-worn" look.  (See Tip #35)

If you are visiting any historical sights this summer (or anytime), perhaps these tips can be useful to you as you are creating your scrapbook pages.

For any questions or information about ordering Stampin' Up projects, you can email me at godismydelight@yahoo.com.

Roses

One of the things I enjoy in the summer-time is tending to the roses at our church building.  I am amazed each year when the bushes become full of gorgeous blooms!  I am currently spending a couple of weeks out of state, so a friend has graciously agreed to look after the roses.  

The card above is one that I made to give my friend after I get home.  It features one of the many beautiful papers from the Garden Impressions collection, that I have shown here for the past couple of weeks.  

When a piece of paper is that pretty, it just makes sense to make it the focal point of a card!  

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #4 - Use paper with large patterns as the focal point of your card.

I also used the coordinating Abstract Impressions stamp set for the "thank you" and for the rose in the corner on the envelope.

This is such a beautiful and useful suite of products!  If you would like to create your own beautiful cards, you can order by following the directions under the Shop Now button.  Or simply send me an email (godismydelight@yahoo.com).

Here's another rose for you . . . this is one of my husband's heirloom roses from our backyard.

I hope that you are having a beautiful summer so far; perhaps even enjoying some roses!  Thanks for stopping here today.

A Beautiful Day

Last week I showed you the gorgeous new Garden Impressions paper and the coordinating Abstract Impressions stamp set.  But I recently paired the paper with the Beautiful Day stamp set and was happy with the results!

It's a simple set really, but it makes a striking impact with those big, bold images.  Plus, the two sentiments feature a pretty font and useful words.  

I watercolored the images with an Aqua Painter brush and ink pads. 

You simply take a closed ink pad and give it a good squeeze, and you end up with a little pool of ink on the inside of the lid.  Then, take an Aqua Painter and squeeze a bit of water into the ink and you are ready to color your image.  

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #39 - Use an Aqua Painter brush and an ink pad to color stamped images.

I waited a couple of minutes to make sure they were dry and then cut them out and adhered them to my cards.  

Here is another look at the Garden Impressions paper . . . 

I just can't get enough of this paper!  You'll be seeing more of it in upcoming blogposts!

If you have any questions about these products or techniques, send me an email.  Thanks for stopping here today!

Cards for June

One of the things I love most about summer is FLOWERS!  I love how they add color and brightness to our yards and landscapes.  Can you imagine our world without flowers?

The cards above showcase my favorite new paper from Stampin' Up's new Annual Catalog, which will be released tomorrow (June 1).  Take a look at all of these beautiful designs . . . 

(photo credit - www.stampinpretty.com)

These papers are so bright and happy!  They come in a pack of 48 6"x 6" sheets for $11.  There is also a pretty coordinating stamp, along with matching dies (which are also sold separately), called Abstract Impressions.

(photo credit - www.stampwithbrian.com)

I made both sets of cards using very simple designs that you could copy, using any paper or sentiments.  And here is this week's tip:

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #38 - Stamp your sentiment onto a punched piece of cardstock or paper.

For the first set of cards, I used the Everyday Label punch.

(photo credit - www.stampinup.com)

I used the Banner Triple punch on the second set of cards.

(photo credit - www.stampinup.com)

Here is the cover of the new catalog.  It is 241 pages of beautiful new stamp sets and paper-crafting supplies, as well as stunning samples of cards and other hand-stamped items.

I have 6 copies that I can give away; would you like one?  I would be happy to put one in mail to you!  Just send me an email (godismydelight@yahoo.com) and give me your name and address.

I am looking forward to showing you here on the blog more of the new products, as well as helpful tips.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Wild About Flowers

I recently made two versions of a card, using the stamp set Wild About Flowers.  This is one of the sets that will soon be retiring from Stampin' Up's Annual Catalog.  

The card above has the look of a field of wildflowers.  The key to this look is sponging on a blue sky and some green grass.

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #35 - Use a sponge to add subtle touches of color. 

 

Stampin' Up sells sea sponges in packs of 3 for 3.50.  These sponges can easily be cut into wedges to use for different colors.  This is an easy and inexpensive way to add interest to a hand-stamped card!

For this card, I stamped the flowers again in the exact same way as I did in the first card, except that this time I stamped them directly onto a sheet of Wood Textures background paper.  This looks like wildflowers growing against the side of an old barn.

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #7 - Stamp directly onto patterned paper.

The Wild About Flowers stamp set, along with many other stamp sets and accessories, will only be available for one more week.  Then it will be time for a new Annual Catalog, full of fun & beautiful new stamping supplies!  You can leave a message in the comments or send email me at godismydelight@yahoo.com if you would like to see the list of retiring products OR if you would like a free copy of the new catalog.

Quick Gift Bags

Recently my friend, Crystal, came over and we enjoyed visiting over tea and cookies.  Later when I saw her at church, she asked me what kind of tea I had served her.  It was the tea pictured above, Newman's Own Organic Black Tea.  It's not sold in any of our local grocery stores so I decided to fix her up with a little bag from my stash.  (I buy it from Amazon.)  

It was the perfect excuse for me to get out my Gift Bag Punch board and some patterned paper.  

Petal Passion Designer Series Paper

If you regularly read this blog, you've seen this paper several times!  I've used it on cards, scrapbook pages, and other projects.  I think that the black and white color scheme has a "dressed up" look to it and it seemed like a good choice for the tea bags that I wanted to give Crystal.  This paper is in Stampin' Up's Occasions catalog and is only available until May 31.

There are several gift-giving occasions in the month of May (including Mother's Day, graduations, end-of-school-year).  And sometimes it's fun to just surprise someone with a little gift out of the blue!  Having the gift bag punch board makes it really convenient to put together spontaneous gifts.  Here are photos of previous bags that I've shown here on my blog . . . 

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #6 - Use patterned paper to make gift bags.

If you would like to order a gift bag punch board, you can order one by following the easy steps in the right sidebar, under "shop now".  Or let me know and I will have it sent directly to you.  You can email me at godismydelight@yahoo.com.

Thank you for stopping here today!  

Cards for May

We are finally starting to have some spring-like days here in Michigan.  This card has two of my favorite things I look forward to this time of year - green leaves & bike rides!  I have made several cards just like this one to have ready to send out during the month.

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #2 - Stamp a stack of cards each month to have ready to send.

I used the Sheltering Tree stamp set; it's one of those all-season sets that can be used over & over again throughout the year.  Plus, it works well for both masculine & feminine cards.

I've made a lot of cards with this set, but I've never shared any here on my blog.  However, if you search "Sheltering Tree, Stampin' Up" in Google Images, you will see many beautiful cards!

Here is a tip that I used in this card that adds a very subtle, yet effective touch:

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #37 - Use a thin yellow mat behind outdoor scenes to give a hint of sunshine.

I love how that little mat brightens up the card in such a simple way!  If you need the Sheltering Tree stamp set to create some fresh and fun cards, you can order it today by clicking on the "Shop Now" button in the right sidebar and following the steps listed under "steps to order".  Or you can just send me a message at godismydelight@yahoo.com.

Thanks for stopping here today!

Lots Of Love Card

This is a "fancier" card than I usually make, but it was still fairly simple.  I think this is a nice card to use for Mother's Day (coming up on May 13) or as a birthday card for someone special.  I have 3 tips to share with you today . . . 2 old ones and 1 new one.  First the new one . . . 

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #36 - Use patterned paper to dress up your envelope.

This only took a couple of minutes to do, but I think it makes it look extra-special.  Simply cut a strip of paper that will cover the flap.  Adhere the paper strip to the flap of the envelope (I use Stampin' Up's Multipurpose Liquid Glue) and then trim the excess paper.  

Then, the next tip I used . . .

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #1 - Copy a design from our catalog.  Modify, if needed to fit your own style or the supplies that you have on hand.

So there's the card that I copied; do you see it?  I modified it by using layers of black & green cardstock as the base, but I totally copied the placement of those little flowers and leaves.  I also added a length of black shimmer ribbon at the top, instead of the embellishment that is shown in the catalog.

Then, one final tip . . .

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #33 - Find inspiration in the objects around you.  Find ways of re-creating the style on a card!

Have you seen these postage stamps?  They came out a few months ago.  As soon as I saw them, they reminded me of the Lots of Love stamp set.  (It makes me wonder if Stampin' Up & the US postal service coordinated on this!)

This has been one of my favorite stamp sets from the 2017-2018 Annual Catalog.  Unfortunately, it is being "retired" and will no longer be available after May 31, 2018.  The coordinating paper, Whole Lot of Lovely (that I used on the envelope) has already sold out.  If you are interested in seeing a list of the other retiring products, you can click here.  

I have already had a sneak peek at the new catalog, which will be released on June 1.  There are so many fabulous new products!  If you would like to have a free copy of the catalog, let me know & I will be glad to put one in mail to you.

Spring Colors

Here in Michigan, we don't have many trees or flowers blooming yet.  But at least we can dream about spring and the beauty that we will soon be enjoying!

Today I am sharing a spring card that I recently made, using the Colorful Seasons set from Stampin Up.  This is definitely a stamp set that can be used throughout the year.  And these are great sentiments as well! 

Here is a card that I made for autumn with this set, and here is a winter card.  I already know that I will be using that chair stamp for a summer card!

But back to my spring card . . .

I want to share with you a fun tip that worked beautifully on this card.  If you look closely, you will see a bit of blue behind the flowers.  This was quick & easy to do, using a sponge.

There is another place where I sponged on some ink, but it isn't as obvious as the blue.  Do you see the green ribbon?  That ribbon started out as white, but I quickly changed it to green!

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #35 - Use a sponge to add subtle touches of color.

Stampin' Up sells sponges in a pack of 3 for $3.50.  I like to cut these sponges into wedges to use for each color.  One pack of sponges can last you forever!

You can send me an email (godismydelight@yahoo.com) or leave a comment if you have any questions.  Thanks for stopping here today!

Inspired By A Postage Stamp

 Have you seen these new postage stamps?  They just came out a couple of weeks ago.  I have always been a fan of Mr. Rogers and rushed to our post office to buy these stamps on the day they were issued.  And it's a good thing that I did because they were sold out within a few short hours!  That means that there are a lot of admirers of Mr Rogers in our town and that makes me happy!

I keep several different kinds of postage stamps on hand.  I often try to match the colors or design of the card I am making to the postage stamp that I will be using. (Just a fun creative exercise for me; I don't expect the recipient to notice!)  So here is the card that I created to go with the Mr Rogers stamp: 

 Obviously there is a lot of red and blue, but notice that I added some touches of gold to match King Friday's crown.  Also, I wanted to use some sentiments that Mr Rogers would.  I looked through all of my stamps to see if I had any that said "I like you" or "You are special".  Surprisingly there weren't any!  But I made some phrases with some of the words from the Thoughtful Banners set that seemed close enough.  

By the way, I copied the design for the card right out of the Annual Catalog.  Whenever I feel stuck in coming up with a design, I open my catalog.  For this card, I knew that I wanted to use the Thoughtful Banners set, so I turned to that page and saw these cards at the bottom:

I liked the middle card the best, so I simply changed out the colors.   This is the very first tip that I shared on this blog!

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #1 - Copy a design from our catalog.  Modify, if needed, to fit your own style or the supplies that you have on hand.

I have read many things about Mr. Rogers and an interesting thing that I learned is that he constantly was sending out notes of encouragement to family, friends, co-workers, and his many "neighbors".  That is why it seems entirely appropriate that his picture is on a postage stamp.  I hope that you feel inspired to send a card to someone today!