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.

A Black Friday Tradition

 Black Friday, 2009

Today I want to share a tradition that I've enjoyed for several years.  I spend every year on the day after Thanksgiving stamping my Christmas cards.  I enjoy this the most when I can do this with family or friends (I miss you, my Alaska friends!).  This always puts me in a holiday mood and it gets me off to a good start in my preparations for Christmas.  I'm excited this year to have two friends who are new to stamping that will be joining me.

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #21 - Spend "Black Friday" stamping Christmas cards. 

Here are a few cards, that might inspire you.  I stamped these cards to sell at a Christmas Crafters Market, which is this Saturday.  (At Coldwater High School, 9am-3pm, if you are local)  All of these feature current products from Stampin' Up's Annual & Holiday catalogs.

These first three cards were made using the "Quilted Christmas" designer series paper (Holiday catalog).

I used the Christmas Pines stamp set and the Wood Textures designer series paper (both from the Annual catalog) for these next three cards.

The next couple of cards were made with the Star of Light stamp set (from the Annual catalog).

This last one is my personal favorite.  I used the Hometown Greetings edgelit dies and also the mini tinsel trim (both from the Holiday catalog).

If you need any supplies to get you started, I would be happy to help you!  

Autumn Sunflower Card

Are you ready to welcome autumn this year?   I will enjoy autumn once it arrives, but I'm not quite ready for summer to end!  Our weather here is Michigan is already quite cool, but hopefully we will have an "Indian Summer."  

Stampin' Up released it's Holiday Catalog last week.  You can view it by clicking on the catalog image in the sidebar.  If you are ready to think about the autumn holidays and Christmas, you will enjoy looking through the pages!  I also have several copies to give away, so let me know if you would like me to send you one.

The card above features one of the new stamp sets, called Painted Harvest.

This is one of those great stamp sets that make you look like an artist!  The stamps have a stippled texture to them, so that when you stamp, you end up with an image that looks soft and watercolored.  I paired this stamp set with my favorite patterned paper, Wood Textures. 

 

The tip that I want to share with you this week is one that you can use on any stamping project this autumn.

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #12:  Tie a piece of linen thread to add instant charm to your card.

Sometimes a card needs just a little extra "something" to make it special.  Linen thread can be used in a lot of different ways; here I tied a couple of pieces in a little bow and attached it with a drop of glue.  Very quick & easy!

Stampin Up sells linen thread in a package that contains 15 yards for $4.50, which makes this a very inexpensive way to dress up a card!

If you are interested in purchasing any of these items, you can order by following the directions in the sidebar under the "shop now" button.  Let me know if you have any questions (godismydelight@yahoo.com)!

A "Shabby Chic" Card

This is the card that I sent to my mom and her husband after we spent a few days with them earlier this summer.  It features the Wood Textures patterned paper and the Banners For You stamp set.  

The pack of paper includes several sheets of lighter wood, which is perfect for stamping directly on, which is what I did with the flowers, giving it that "shabby chic" look.

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

Here is the card I shared here a couple of weeks ago, using one of the darker shades of wood.

This paper can be used in so many different ways . . . it goes with any style, any color, any stamp set, etc.  Plus it works for both masculine or feminine cards.  This is a "must-have" item if you enjoy paper-crafting!  The price is $10 for a pack of 48, double-sided 6"x6" sheets.

Item # 144177

The Banners For You stamp set contains a lot of fun sentiments, plus some pretty flowers to dress up the banners.

Item # 141710

Ordering is quick & easy . . . just look in the sidebar and follow the steps under "Shop Now".  

By the way, here is a photo of my mom & her husband, James.  They both enjoy working in the kitchen and they treated us to a lot of delicious food while we were there!

Jar Of Love Card + Give-Away Winner

It's hard to believe, but we're halfway through summer!  For some people, it will soon be time to get out canning jars & start putting up produce from their gardens.  I don't do much canning, but I do use a lot of canning jars around my house!  They are so convenient to use for storage, plus for standing in as vases for cut flowers.  The card above is one that I recently made & then decided to make several of them to use for the cards I will be sending out in August.  

I am re-sharing a tip from last month:

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

It is easy to make up a set of cards, just alike, to have ready to send whenever you need one.

Here is the Jar of Love stamp set:

With all of the different sentiments, flowers, & little extras, this is a very cute set to play with!  There is a matching die cut set available also, that makes it even more fun.  Here are a few cards that I made last summer with these stamps:

The card at the top also features the Wood Textures paper, that I've been using a lot lately.  The distressed look pairs nicely with the canning jars.

Finally, it's time for me to announce the winner of the give-away!  It is . . . . Pam, my stamping friend in Alaska!  She was part of my stamping group several years ago when we lived there & I remember that she made beautiful cards.  I'm sure she will create some nice projects with this paper that I will be sending her.  Congratulations Pam!

Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to my blog.  I hope you will find my tips to be useful in your own paper-crafting.  Give-aways are fun . . . I will likely be doing another one in a few weeks.

Remember that Stampin' Up is having their Bonus Days promotion going on through the end of July.  If you place a $50 order, you will receive a $5 coupon code to use on an order in August.

Please email me (godismydelight@yahoo.com) if you have any questions about subscribing, ordering, or anything stamping-related.  I would love to hear from you!

Scrapbook Page With Wood Words

(click to enlarge)

Pete & I were able to travel to Texas last month to attend the graduation of our son, Ben, from Sunset International Bible Institute.  It was a fantastic weekend, in many ways.  And so I want to memorialize it on a scrapbook page so that for years to come, I can look back and  remember what a blessed time it was.

I sat down with my stack of photos & my supplies & and got to work, creating two 2-page spreads.  Here is what I chose to with:

  Here is a simple stamping tip that I used to help put these pages together fairly quickly:

SIMPLE STAMPING TIP #3 --- Look for elements (colors, accents, etc.) in your photos that you can repeat on your page.

When I looked at the photos that I wanted to use, I noticed a lot of blue, and little bits of red & yellow.  I also noticed that wood was a part of some of the photos (the table, the wall, the old house) and I realized that the Wood Textures paper from Stampin' Up would be perfect to use.  Here is a closer view of that paper:

It comes in a pack of 48 double-sided 6" x 6" sheets.  As you can see, it includes several varying shades & textures of wood, ranging from smooth & finished, to rough & distressed.  And there are a few sheets with the stacked wood and the tree rings, which seems to be a trendy thing at the moment.  This pack of paper is priced at $10 and I can see endless ways of using it.  (You'll be seeing a lot of it here on my blog!)

The Wood Words stamp set is the same set that I showed here last week in making my July cards.  

  

I thought that the small images seemed to match the rustic feel in my photos.

I used the same colors and embellishments on both pages to tie them together, since they were both from the same trip.

Do you have any plans for travelling this summer?  Even short weekend trips are worth documenting and it doesn't require a lot of time or money to get your photos in a scrapbook!  Our Stampin' Up catalog is full of products to help you.  I still have a few copies that I can give away, so let me know if you would like one.  You can email me at godismydelight@yahoo.com.  Or you can browse the catalog by clicking on the catalog image in the right margin.

Thanks for stopping by today . . . I'll be back next Thursday with another simple stamping tip!