Sorry it took me so long!

I thought that I was being so clever having posts ready before I left for vacation. If I had been really clever I would have had done them for at least the week I was gone and the week I got back.
I had a wonderful trip to Paris and between the jet lag and all of the little things that you have to catch up on when you are out of the country for a week it has taken me forever to get back to posting. I finally got a chance to stamps last night!
We received a gift from a couple that we met on the trip and I had to get a Thank you note out to them. I had a color challenge that I hadn't worked on from a friend so here is what I came up with:

All Supplies Stampin' Up!: Carte Postale and Much Appreciated stamp sets; Certainly Celery and Tempting Turquoise; Certainly Celery and Tempting Turquoise classic ink pads; 3/4" and 1" circle punches; Fresh Favorites I buttons.

Inspired by...Curtains

I found these curtains here. I liked the tones in the curtains and so decided to let them be my inspiration.
I went with the color and the stripes to make a masculine thank you card.

All Supplies Stampin' Up!: So Much stamp set; Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa and very vanilla card stock; Chocolate Chip classic ink pads.

Inspired by...Bedding

I found this bedding here. I liked the colors and the pillows all stacked up on the top of the bed.
So here is what I was inspired to make.

All Supplies Stampin' Up!: Dream Come True (retired) stamp set; Canvas and Polka Dot Background Stamps; Soft Sky, River Rock and whisper card stock; Soft Sky and River Rock classic ink pads; white taffeta ribbon.

I wasn't 100% on how this turned out but I did learn a couple of things. Since we don't have markers in the InColors and I wanted to have stripes that were in Soft Sky and River Rock I had to come up with something. I used the sponge daubers and ink refills to make really juicy sponge daubers and then I used those to transfer the ink to the stamp.

What doesn't show well in the photo but looks much better in real life is that I stamped "Merci" in Soft Sky on the ribbon and it turned out really well but I guess is too light to show well in the photo.

Blast from the past

Sometimes I like to pull out an old set. There a hundreds and hundreds of wonderful stamps in the Stampin' Up! catalog but sometimes I pull out a stamp that isn't in the catalog anymore. If Stampin' Up! kept all of the wonderful sets they ever made in the catalog it would just get too huge - so that is why the retire sets. I love that when sets are retired because it means that there are great new sets coming but I still love some of my old sets. I made a card today using all retired sets.
All Supplies Stampin' Up!: Delight in Life and All Year Cheer I stamp sets; Simple Stripes BG Stamp; Soft Sky, Certainly Celery, Barely Banana and whisper card stock; Soft Sky, Certainly Celery, and Barely Banana classic ink pads; 1/4 white grosgrain; blender pen.

I guess the moral of the story is -if you see a set that you REALLY want you might want to get it now because who knows how much longer it will be available. The current mini catalog has products that available to order until May 31st. The only way to know for sure that you can get the set that you want from the occasions mini catalog is to order it before the end of May.

When it was cute - make it smaller.

I did a card several weeks ago that had this same theme. I needed a quick gift card for a Thank you and with a few changes came up with this cute little 3" x 3" card and envelope. I think that when a card looks cute it may look really cute smaller - why is that? They do say that the best things come in small packages.
I also love to stamp on the envelope! I think that when you add a little hand stamped touch to the outside it gets people ready for the artwork inside!

All Supplies Stampin' Up!: Tart & Tangy and Everyday Flexible Phrases stamp sets; Old Olive, Real Red and whisper card stock; Old Olive and Real Red Stampin' Write markers; red gingham ribbon; olive poly twill ribbon; scallop, 1/16 and 1 1/4 circle punches.

I also realized that I hadn't ever posted this card that I made weeks ago to take to the regional meeting and swap. I thought that I would share it with you all as well. I think everyone should have this cute little Tart & Tangy stamp set it is just so cherry.
All Supplies Stampin' Up!: Tart & Tangy and Much appreciated stamp sets; Old Olive, Real Red and whisper card stock; Old Olive and Real Red Stampin' Write markers; Old Olive and Real Red classic ink pads; red gingham ribbon; olive poly twill ribbon;1 3/8 and 1 1/4 circle punches; ribbon slide from styled silver hardware.

Seeing Spots

I was feeling like some dry embossing. I just hadn't done that in a while so here is what I came up with. I love to use a contrasting ink to sponge over a dry embossed image to really make it pop. The colors are a little off in this photo but the effect is really pretty in real life. I hope you like it.
All Supplies Stampin' Up!: Seeing Spots stamp set; Chocolate Chip, Close to Coca and Barely Banana card stock; Chocolate Chip, Close to Coca and Barely Banana classic ink pads; Seeing Spots classy brass template; Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon; 1 3/8", 1 1/4" and 3/4" circle punches; sponges.

So Much Fun!

We made this cute 4"x4" card at regional meeting and I really love how the fold that we used makes a little pocket inside.
All Supplies Stampin' Up!: So Much and Fundamental Phrases stamp sets; Kraft, Real Red, Soft Sky and Textured So Saffron card stock; Basic Black classic ink pad; White SatzOn ink pad; pewter jumbo eyelet.

Here is my version of the card using the beautiful Ginger Blossom DSP and I just love the In Color line for 07-08. I did an outside and inside picture so that you can see how a little gift card could fit inside.

All Supplies Stampin' Up!: True Friend stamp set; Very Vanilla card stock; Purely Pomegranate and Groovy Guava classic ink pads; River Rock, Purely Pomegranate, Groovy Guava double stitched ribbon.

Inspired by SU! Regional

Here is another project that we did at the SU! regional meeting in Tulsa. How cute to make a really quick pocket card by sealing an envelope and cutting an 1" off the top? I loved the look and it came together really quickly.

All Supplies Stampin' Up!: Live Your Dream stamp set; Soft Sky card stock; Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip, and Groovy Guava classic ink pads; Medium Kraft envelope, Groovy Guava double stitched ribbon, White circle aluminum metal edge tag, Afternoon Tea DSP, 3/16 corner rounder and 1/8 circle punch.

Here is the project that this sample inspired me to make.
All Supplies Stampin' Up!: So Much & Tres Chic stamp sets; Almost Amethyst card stock; Almost Amethyst classic ink pad; Medium White envelope, White Taffeta ribbon, Almost Amethyst Prints DSP, Pretties Kit and corner rounder punch.

A tiny sample from Tulsa regional meeting

I had such a great time at the Stampin' Up! Regional meeting in Tulsa this past weekend. My brain is on overload!! I got a ton of great ideas and I have to take the time to filter it all and it will take me a few weeks to post all the info. I don't have a ton of time today but I have to start sharing some of what we did. This was a cute thank you card that they had us do for one of our stamp times. I really like the clean lines of this card and I will have to work on some cards that use this layout as the inspiration.
All Supplies Stampin' Up!: Live Your Dream stamp set; Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi and Very Vanilla card stock; Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, and Groovy Guava classic ink pads; Groovy Guava double stitched ribbon, small rhinestone brad from Pretties kit, and 3/16 corner rounder punch.

Watercoloring

I was checking out Mocha Memories and the post fron February 24th inspired me to watercolor again. Watercoloring is a basic technique that I just haven't done in a while. I had forgotten just how fun it is to do and how pretty the results can be. While my technique is not quite as good as the inspiration card I am glad I got out the aqua painter again.

All Supplies Stampin' Up!: Bud Basics and Much Appreciated stamp sets; Basic, Black, Tempting Turquoise, YoYo Yellow and Whisper White card stock; Gable Green, Tempting Turquoise, YoYo Yellow classic ink pads; SatzOn Jet Black ink pad; White 1/4" grosgrain, aqua painter.

I would love to see if any of you have watercolored lately. Leave a comment with a link if you have - I would love to get some more inspiration.

Fruit is fun.

I have a new set called Tart & Tangy. I have been hoping to find the time to really dive in and try it out. It will be in the Occasions Mini Catalog available March 1st. There is also a designer series paper that coordinates called Summer Picnic. I love how cherry the little cherries in this set are. I needed a quick and cute thank you card and here it is:

All Supplies Stampin' Up!: Tart & Tany and Much Appreciated stamp sets; Old Olive, Real Red and Whisper White card stock; Old Olive and Real Red Stampin' Write markers; Old Olive classis ink pad; Real Red Striped grosgrain ribbon; 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" square punch.

I was inspired by this card at splitcoaststampers.

There is also a cute citrus stamp. I think that it would make a great little gift box all bright and cherry. I will have to work on that to post tomorrow.