Creation Station September Blog Hop--Tool Time

 

Welcome to the September Creation Station Blog Hop!  Whether you've hopped in from Sara Levin's blog or are starting here, I'm so glad you've stopped by.  Our theme this month is "Tool Time" and we are highlighting some of Stampin' Up!'s amazing tools.  Be sure to click on the "Next" button at the end of each post to hop around for new inspiration for using your tools.  

Today, I am highlighting the Simply Scored® scoring tool (#122334):

This is my Simply Scored®

I love my Stampin' Up! Simply Scored® for several reasons:  it is large enough to fit a full 12" X 12" piece of card stock on the scoring board, it has scoring lines every 1/8" up to 12-3/8", it comes with its own stylus, it comes with three score line markers which come in handy when you are doing multiples of one project, and it has its own storage compartment at the top of the tool.  The scoring tool is great for creating boxes, fancy fold cards, and rosettes.  I love to use it to create texture on projects like I've made for you today:

To create my scored background, I turned my Crumb Cake card stock upside down and scored the left side with 7 lines 1/2" apart starting 1" from the left-hand edge.  Then I scored the right-hand side the same way, just scoring half way up from the bottom of the page.  I ran the stylus up and down the score lines several times to make sure the score lines stood out on the front of the page.

The following products were used on this page with photos taken by my daughter Katharine:  two patterns from In Good Taste designer series paper (#152494), one for the background and one for the banner flags; Well Said stamp set (#148796), snipping the letters needed for the pieced "secret" from words stamped in Early Espresso on to the background paper; Tailored Tag Punch (#145667) and Early Espresso card stock for the left-hand edging and the "secret" background; the flag die from Tasteful Labels dies (#152886) for the banner; Playful Alphabet dies (#152706), Foam Adhesive Sheets (#152815) and Just Jade card stock for the letters; Linen Thread (#104199); Acorn Trinkets (#153552); Beautiful Autumn stamp set (#153450), the oak leaf from the Autumn Punch Pack (#153609), and Shaded Spruce, Granny Apple Green and Just Jade card stock and ink for the leaves.

Even though it may not always be straight or if I sometimes mess up, I always  write my journaling because my writing is also a part of family history.  I treasure letters from my father and recipes written out by hand by my mother on cookbook covers.  So I'll keep on hand writing my journaling.  Tip:  If you are going to write directly on a background paper like I did here, practice what you are going to say on a similarly sized sheet of paper.  It helps with spacing and you can edit when things don't fit.  And if you mess up on the final go, just cover it up with leaves!

Easton, like his mother before him, likes to put little "treasures" he finds in his pockets.  He needs a little treasure box, so I made one for him out of a Mini Pizza Box (#144645):

I used the scoring tool to score a "plaid" pattern in both the Crumb Cake background and the Just Jade layering piece.  I decorated the box with some of the same products used on the page.  

I'm pretty sure I'll be making a larger box when Easton is older but this mini one is perfect for the next time he and I head to our Secret Hideout.  It won't hold the bugs Easton is fond of, but he doesn't put those in his pockets--yet!

Next, hop on over to Vicki's blog for a look at one of her favorite tools.  I can't wait to see what she has to share with us!

To Vicki Boucher's Blog . . .

   

Poinsettia Gable Card--#tgifc279

TGIF Challenges has a brand new challenge category for us this week:  Designer Take Over.  Love it!  This week TGIF Challenges designer Elizabeth Price challenged us to make a 3D card. Several different 3D ideas went through my head before I thought about a gable card.  I haven't done one of those in a while and thought it would be fun to do (it was!).

My card features the Poinsettia Petals Bundle (#155148, with the Poinsettia Petals stamp set and Poinsettia dies), the Poinsettia Place designer series paper (#153487), the Plush Poinsettia specialty paper (#153486) and the gold trim from the Forever Greenery Trim combo pack (#152475).  In addition, I used Soft Suede card stock for the card base; Garden Green card stock for layering, the greetings and the leafs; and two shades of Brushed Metallic card stock (#153524) for the poinsettias and the berry branches.  The greetings were stamped in VersaMark (#102283) and heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109129).  The leaves were sponged with a bit of Champagne Mist shimmer Paint (#147044).

Also used to create greeting pieces and the Plush Poinsettia paper layers were the

Banners Pick a Punch (#153608), the Stitched Shapes dies (#152323) and the Tasteful Labels dies (#152886). 

Here are the dimensions and scoring and cutting directions for a basic gable card like this one.  As you add your decorations to the card, be sure to fold the card to make sure the pieces will not interfere with the folds or extend over the edges.  You want to make sure it fits into a medium envelope for a 5-1/2"x 4-1/4" card.

Card base:  5-1/2” x 12”, scored at 2”, 4”, 8” and 10”

Use paper trimmer to cut from the first  score line to the last score line, 1-1/2” from  top and and bottom of card.  Fold as shown.

Card stock layers:  2 @1-7/8” X 5-3/8”; 2 @ 2-3/8” X 1-7/8”; 4 @ 1-7/8” x 1-3/8”; 2 @ 3-7/8” X 1-3/8”; 1 @ 3-7/8” X 2-3/8”

DSP layers: 2 @ 1-3/4” X 5-1/4”; 2 @ 2-1/4” X 1-3/4”; 4 @ 1-3/4” X 1-1/4”; 

2 @ 3-3/4” X 1-1/4”; 1 @ 3-3/4” x 2-1/4”

Check out all the great ideas for 3D cards over at the TGIF Challenges blog here.

Hope you have a nice three day weekend!  Maybe you can try your hand at a gable card.

--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

  

Hello with Blooms & Just Jade--#tgifc277

Back in April or May when I first saw the five new 2020-2022 In Colors, I would not have thought that Just Jade would be the one I would use the most.  But,  here I am with another Just Jade centric card!!!  Today's card is my entry in this week's sketch challenge from TGIF Challenges.  The sketch includes a watercolor background and a horizontal band.   My card is a pretty straightforward interpretation of the sketch:

My watercolor background started with a wash of Mint Macaron on Fluid 100 watercolor paper (#149612). I added streaks of Just Jade with the edge of my wide water painter (#151298) for a bit of depth to the wash.  Once the wash was dry, I stamped the small blooms cluster image from Bloom & Grow stamp set (#149229) randomly over the wash using Mint Macaron ink.

The focal bloom image was stamped in Just Jade ink on to Whisper White card stock. It was colored with So Saffron, Mango Melody, Magenta Madness, and Misty Moonlight Stampin' Blends Combos, then die cut with a die from the Budding Blooms dies (#149548).  This was arranged over a piece of Just Jade card stock with a scallop edge created with another die in the same die set, wrapped with a piece of Polka Dot Tulle (#146912).

The greeting is also from the Bloom & Grow stamp set.  The card is finished with a layer of Just Jade on Whisper White thick card stock and three Pearl Basic Jewels (#144219).

Want some ideas for wonderful watercolor backgrounds?  Check out the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Have a great weekend!

--Sara Nell

Be Joyful!--#tgifc276

The TGIF Challenges color combo challenge this week is Magenta Madness, Bermuda Bay and Gorgeous Grape.  Happy, fun, joyful colors and just the combo to help me get out of a slump. 

Joyful colors called a joyful background technique--Bubbles!  This technique made a big mess and my old white tee now sports a colorful pattern! It was my first try at this technique.   It didn't turn out like I thought it would--but I don't care--it was fun and messy and all the things I needed!  A reminder to be joyful!

 

To create the background, I filled three shallow dishes with water, a drop of dishwashing soap and several drops of one of the challenge color refill inks.  After covering my kitchen counter with a towel, a piece of cardboard and several pieces of watercolor paper, I started blowing bubbles into one of the dishes using a straw.  Once I had a big load of bubbles, I transferred them from the dish to the watercolor paper.  I repeated this with each of the colors and added more bubbles of each color as needed.  I expected more white areas on the paper when it was dried, but am happy with the subtle circles and colors.

It took me a while to figure out how to use the background paper once it was dry!  I played around with different texture stamps and colors.  On this card I used the grid pattern from Comfort & Hope stamp set (#152509) and the rustic squares pattern from Textured Essentials stamp set(#152612).  The images were stamped in Magenta Madness and Bermuda Bay and then embossed with clear embossing powder.  Bermuda Bay splatters were added with a Water Painter (#151298).

The letters were die cut out of Gorgeous Grape card stock adhered to a piece of Foam Adhesive Sheet (#152815) using the Playful Alphabet dies (#152706). A bow of Magenta Madness 1/4" ribbon (#153623)enamel dots (#152480), a layer of Gorgeous Grape card stock and a Magenta Madness card base complete the card. 

Be sure and check out all of the fun projects using the color combo over at the TGIF Challenges blog here.

I'm thinking I may just keep this card on my desk as a reminder to look for joy!

Hope you have a great weekend!

--Sara Nell

Jeremiah 15:16

 

Magic & Wonder--#tgifc275

This week we have an inspiration challenge from TGIF Challenges.  I really didn't want to post a Christmas card in August, but you go where inspiration leads you!  Inspiration led me to a plaid pattern in the 'Tis the Season designer series paper pack (153489), a returning favorite in the new August to December 2020 Mini Catalog.  I was drawn to the plaid and the square shape in the inspiration piece.  So, a similar plaid in Christmas colors and a 4-1/2" square card base were the starting point for my card:

I pulled out Cherry Cobbler, Just Jade (a lighter shade of Shaded Spruce) and Whisper White from the plaid for my embellishments:  Cherry Cobbler poinsettias each created with two small poinsettias die cut from the Poinsettia Dies (#153522), layered together and centered with three tiny pearls from a retired pack of Basic Pearls; some Just Jade branches die cut with the Beautiful Boughs dies (#150661); Just Jade 1/4" ribbon (#153621); and, a large Basic Pearl (#144219) colored with the dark Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends.

The greeting is from the Poinsettia Petals stamp set (#153475/bundled with Poinsettia dies, #155148).  It was stamped in Shaded Spruce onto Whisper White card stock and die cut using an oval from the Stitched Shapes die set (#152323). 

A layer of Cherry Cobbler card stock and a card base of Whisper White thick card stock complete the card.

There are lots of ways to draw inspiration from any photo.  You'll see a variety of different projects all inspired by the photo below over at the TGIF Challenges blog here.

I hope you have a great week!

--Sara Nell 

      

 

Creation Station August Hop--Where the Wild Things Are Party Animals

Welcome to the August Creation Station Blog Hop.  Our theme this month is "Where the Wild Things Are Party Animals".  We've got lots of fun inspiration for you this month, so be sure and click on the "Next' button at the end of each hop to make your way around to all of the design team members' blogs.

My wild party animal today is the moose from the Merry Moose Bundle (#153015).  It  includes the Merry Moose stamp set (#150494) and Moose Punch (#150652). I'm so happy the Moose is back in the new mini!  Wild moose live in the Northern forests, so I kept mine in their habitat while they party hearty:

This cool dude is styling in his Mango Melody scarf.  He was stamped with Early Espresso ink on Soft Suede card stock then punched out.   To make the letters, I stamped the large tree image randomly on a piece of Whisper White card stock using Just Jade and Mint Macaron inks.  I die cut them using the Playful Alphabet dies (#152706) and mounted them on letters die cut out of a Foam Adhesive sheet (#152815).

This party group is celebrating a birthday with Mango Melody balloons.  The background

is a combination of a Textured Essentials stamp set (#152612) image stamped in Mint Macaron and the large tree image stamped in Just Jade.  Five moose were punched out of Soft Suede and adhered to the background and then the entire piece was embossed using the Subtle 3D embossing folder (#151775).    

The balloons were punched out of Mango Melody card stock using the Balloon Bouquet Punch (#140609).  The greeting is from the Well Said stamp set (#148796).  It was die cut using a die from the Rectangle Stitched dies (#148551).

Now, head on over to the fantastic Sara Levin's blog to check out her Wild Things:

To Sara's Blog . . .