Harvest Blessings--#tgifc289

This week's color challenge from TGIF Challenges is Garden Green, Merry Merlot, and Crushed Curry. Those colors remind me of Autumn and Christmas at the same time.  It was hard to decide which way to go.  Then I spent some time clomping through fallen leaves with Roxie.  Falling leaves it is!

My background was created on Fluid 100 watercolor paper (#149612).  I misted the entire piece with water, then dropped in Garden Green and Crushed Curry inks using a Water Painter (#151298).  Once this background was dry, I splattered Merry Merlot ink across the front.  After the splatters were dry, I stamped the large leaf from Gather Together stamp set (#150589) randomly on the background.  I stamped one leaf at a time in VersaMark (#102283), then coated it with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109129).  Once all the leaves were in place I heat embossed them using the Heat Tool (#129053).

The greeting is one of my Fall favorites from Country Home stamp set (#147678).  It was stamped on a 3/4" wide strip of Merry Merlot card stock and heat embossed in gold.  One end was punched with the Banners Pick a Punch (#153608).  A loose circle of gold trim from the Forever Greenery Trim Combo Pack (#152475) was placed under the greeting piece. A Merry Merlot card stock layer and card base complete the card.

For more inspiration with this fun color combo, check out the entries over at TGIF Challenges here.

I am trying to talk my husband into not mowing over all the fallen leaves until after my grandson, Easton, visits during Thanksgiving.  He doesn't get to experience the fun of clomping through fallen leaves in Coastal South Carolina. I want to share one of my simple joys with him. 

Here's to simple joys!

--Sara Nell

Good Things in Basic Black & Rococo Rose--#tgifc278

TGIF Challenges has an inspiration challenge for us this week.  Because I don't use this color combination very often, I pulled the pink and black from the inspiration photo to inspire my card:

My starting point was the gesso and pink paper pattern from the In Good Taste designer series paper pack (#152494).  I embossed this with the Old World Paper 3D embossing folder (#153200) to add some texture to the background.  The greeting from Tasteful Touches stamp set (#152562) was stamped in VersaMark on Basic Black card stock, embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder and then die cut with a frame die from Tasteful Labels Dies (#152886).

The inspiration photo had some foliage and flowers, so I added foliage die cut out of Basic Black, Rococo Rose and Silver Foil using dies from the Forever Flourishing Dies (#152714).  Rhinestone Basic Jewels, a layer of Basic Black and a card base of Rococo Rose complete the card.

It is fun to see the different inspiration each TGIF Challenges design team member and each challenger drew from this inspiration photo for their entries.  Check them all out at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Hope you have a great week!

--Sara Nell

  

Life is Better--#tgifc274

My card today is all about texture:  a textured designer series paper pattern, texture in the placement of the paper, texture in the glimmer paper and texture with heat embossing.

I started this card using scrap pieces from this designer series paper pattern from the In Good Taste designer series paper pack (#152494).  I had several different widths of scraps so I decided to use them (plus a couple of other pieces I cut to fill up my space) in a random stripe pattern.  I arranged and adhered the pieces on Whisper White card stock, then sponged the edges of the piece with Night of Navy ink.

A floral image from Bloom & Grow stamp set (#149229) was stamped twice on the striped piece, once right side up and once upside down, in VersaMark ink and then heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder.  

The greeting from Peaceful Moments stamp set (#151595) was stamped in VersaMark on Night of Navy and also heat embossed in gold.  Both ends of the Night of Navy greeting piece and the slightly larger Gold Glimmer paper piece (also scraps), were punched out using the new Banners Pick a Punch (#153608/available beginning 8/4/2020).  The striped piece was layered over Gold Glimmer Paper and then on a Night of Navy card base.

Find more projects made using paper scraps on this week's TGIF Challenges product challenge entry here.

Have fun using up your paper scraps!!!

--Sara Nell 

  

  

Reindeer Tags--#tgifc235

The TGIF Challenges team changed the challenge up this week.  We have a project challenge:  Tags!  I love making tags--to use for gifts and also as bookmarks.  In fact, I'd just finished making a bunch of Snowman Season tags when I saw this challenge.  So, no more snowmen tags.  I pulled out by Detailed Deer dies (#147915) and had fun making a set of reindeer tags. I think I will make some more of these! 

I had a couple of two-inch strips of a Night of Navy design from the Feels Like Frost designer series paper (#150444) sitting on my desk, so I started with those.  I wanted to make a set of three tags for the challenge so I went through my stack of Feels Like Frost paper for the matching design.  I was sidetracked by the icy pussy willow design.  I said to myself or maybe out loud to Roxie, "Ooooh, Purple Posy!  I have to use this one."  That's why it looks like an odd set.  But. . .Purple Posy!

Here's how I fancied these up:

1.  Mounted the paper on Whisper White thick card stock to give the tags some heft and to have a nice white space on the back for a gift message.

2.  Punched the top with the Delightful Tag Topper Punch (#149518).

3.  Layered a Pearlized Doily (#146936) on each tag using Multipurpose Liquid Adhesive.

4.  Die cut 3 two-leaf sets from the Frosted Frames dies (#150658): two in Seaside Spray and one in Purple Posy.  I coated these with Shimmery Crystal Effects (#150892) and then sprinkled on some Ice Stampin' Glitter (#150445). After they dried, they were layered on the doily using Multipurpose Liquid Glue.

5.  Die cut 3 blossoms from the same die set out of Sparkle Glimmer Paper (#146957) and layered those on each tag using the Multipurpose Liquid glue.

6.  Stamped the greeting banner from Toile Christmas stamp set (#150469) three times:  two in Night of Navy ink on Seaside Spray and one in Highland Heather ink on Purple Posy.  These were heat embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109130) and then die cut with the coordinating die from the Christmas Cardinal dies (#150640). They were adhered to the tag with Stampin' Dimensionals.

7.  Die cut two reindeer out of Night of Navy card stock and one out of Highland Heather card stock.  Then coated them with the Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Brush (#141897). They were adhered with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals.

8.  Added three Rhinestones (#144220) to each of the Night of Navy tags and three  Pearls (#144219) to the Purple Posy one.

9.  Tied  Seaside Spray 1/4" metallic ribbon (#150446) on the Night of Navy tags and Whisper White 5/8" Polka Dot tulle ribbon (#146912) on the Purple Posy tag.

I wish you could see all the fun shimmer on these tags!

 

If you need inspiration for your holiday tags, head over to the TGIF Challenges Blog and see all of the design team's  and challengers' entries.  They are fantastic!

Have a happy rest of your week!--Sara Nell

  

Embossed Leaves--#tgifc227

The TGIF Challenge this week is a product spotlight:  embossing powders.  I embossed leaves in the last challenge and I am embossing leaves in this one!  This time I used the leaves in the new Gather Together stamp set and the coordinating Gathered Leaves dies:

On this card, I used the Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder three different ways on my leaves:  1.)  I stamped the large leaf image from the stamp set in VersaMark, heat embossed it and die cut it. 2.)  The Mint Macaron leaf was die cut, the edges were dragged through the VersaMark ink pad and then heat embossed.  3.  The Pretty Peacock leaf was die cut with another leaf die in the die set, partially pressed into the VersaMark ink pad and then heat embossed.  For good measure, I embossed the greeting in copper on a Pretty Peacock banner created with the Banner Triple punch.

The background layer is from the Come to Gather designer series paper pack.  I embossed it with the Brick & Mortar 3D embossing folder to give it a bit of dimension.  It is hard to see in the photo, but looks nice in person!

I arranged my leaves over a Vellum card stock circle to give a break from the colorful plaid background paper.  My ribbon is a combination of Copper Trim and the Pretty Peacock trim I tore off a piece of Pretty Peacock scalloped linen ribbon. 

The final touch was three Cajun Craze rhinestones from the Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels pack.  You need this rhinestone pack--five different colors that coordinate with designer series paper packs in the Holiday Catalog! 

Want some inspiration for using embossing powders?  Head over to the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Glad you stopped by today!--Sara Nell

Path of Petals Wishes--#tgifc225

We have a fun technique challenge this week from TGIF Challenges:  All on Black.  I don't use a lot of Basic Black card stock, so this challenge took a little thought.  I thought I would be embossing something in silver on black, but then I remembered the 2018-2020 Stampin' Emboss Powders.   I just checked and these are no longer in the catalog.  What!?!  I've already made my card and I think it is pretty, so I am posting it.  I still love these wonderful, brightly colored embossing powders.  Just note that they are no longer available; however, this card would be pretty in any of our metallics.  If I'd checked my catalog before I did the card, I think I would have used gold, copper and silver instead of the Call Me Clover, Pineapple Punch and Blueberry Bushel Stampin' Emboss Powders.

Don't you love these bright colors against the silver and black!  I used the Path of Petals stamp set for my images.  The greeting is embossed in silver to coordinate with the Silver Foil layer and the silver glitter in the black glittered organdy ribbon.  The bouquet is made with three different stamps, so it was easy to stamp, then emboss, then stamp the next image and emboss, etc., to get the three colors.  I used the leafy image to emboss the frame in black.  My layers and frame were made with the Rectangle Stitched Dies.   I added Silver Metallic Pearls to finish the card.

The TGIF Challenges design team projects for this challenge are really, really nice.  You can check them out together with some great entries at the TGIF Challenges Blog here. 

Thanks for stopping by today!--Sara Nell 

Your Special Day--#tgifc223

The air conditioner for our house was out for 4 days.  Even though we've finally had a nice cool day,  I think my brain is still in melty mode.  I woke up this morning with a great idea for this week's TGIF Challenge.  Then I started looking closely at it and said to myself, "Self, this is a very bad idea."  So I moved on to trying out different background ideas.   Nope.  I then decided simple was the way to go.  

So here, at last, is my card for this week's color challenge:  Coastal Cabana, Gorgeous Grape and Melon Mambo.

I changed things up again as I worked on this idea.  (Like I said, I must still be in melty brain mode.)  Didn't like a white speckled background, my stamped Coastal Cabana background looked too busy, my Coastal Cabana card stock background looked too plain.  The only idea I didn't change was the top layer die cut with the largest Rectangle Stitched die to go with the stitching detail on the Stitched Label die cut.  But the Coastal Cabana Layers needed texture, so I embossed them with the Subtle 3D embossing folder.  It is amazing what that embossing folder does--it is my go to embossing folder these days!  A simple texture was all my background needed.

I stamped my sentiment from Stitched All Around stamp set in Gorgeous Grape.  When I laid it on my card, I knew it needed a little oomph.  So I tried a little trick I learned from Elizabeth Price:  I stamped the sentiment with Gorgeous Grape and then VersaMark (love my Stamparatus) and heat embossed it with a mix of Clear Stampin' Emboss Power and Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  What a cool effect!  I added Wink of Stella glitter to the center of my Melon Mambo heart (another die in the Stitched Labels die set) for another touch of sparkle. 

For a last touch of pizzazz, I tied on a bow of Whisper White polka dot tulle ribbon.  

I really wish you could see the glitter on this card.  So nice! 

There are some really, really nice cards with this color combo over at the TGIF Challenges Blog.  Be sure and check them out!

So happy you stopped by today!--Sara Nell 

     

Glancing Back But Moving Forward!

This has been a harried month for me!  Starting up this new blog, setting up my stamping space to make room for new products--new colors, new stamps, new papers. Still more than a little bit to go on all of it, but it is getting there.  There's nothing like Spring cleaning in a stamping/crafting place.  You always get waylaid with fun discoveries.

Speaking of being waylaid, I've been going through my box of completed stamping projects.  I've been more thoughtful this past year about making projects to give and send to folks, so my box is smaller than usual but still filled with some great cards that I have yet to use.  I found this little gem in my box:

This note card was designed for a Simply Stamping class to teach heat embossing.   It uses two of my favorites from the Last Chance retiring list:  Post Script background stamp (Item #143989) and the Pressed Flowers hostess only stamp set (#146789).  The greeting is from the returning Botanical Bliss stamp set (#151284), stamped on a die cut label from the returning Stitched Labels dies (#146828). The background and greeting were stamped in Soft Suede.  The flowers were stamped in VersaMark and embossed with Lovely Lipstick embossing powder.  A simple, pretty card.

There is a whole new suite of products called Pressed Petals in the upcoming catalog.  Can't wait to stamp with it.  There is never a reason to mourn the retiring products for very long, but it has been fun to look back at the projects I've made with these great sets. 

My old blog on my Demonstrator Business Web Site has also had me glancing back as I've read my old posts.  It's been fun to read my old posts, see my inspiration to continue and to change through the years.  So fun to read my stories--especially my Master & Commander connection to the retired The Open Sea stamp set.  I still look at those cards and think of Captain Aubrey's dear old ship, Surprise.   

I had a choice to save these old posts, but decided not to do so.  I will save some of my favorite projects on Pinterest and Instagram.   I loved glancing back at these old posts, but decided just to move forward with this new blog.  A new and exciting stamping year is coming.