from my ink pad to yours

Around the World on Wednesday: Out of the Box

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Hello to all of you on the Around the World Blog Hop.

Here is the latest map of our group:

This month our theme is Out of the Box and we are taking inspiration from one of our original members, the oh, so inspiring Mikaela Titheridge.

When I perused Mikaela's beautiful Instagram account (not for the first time, mind you) I saved several pictures and took the following screen shot:

I noticed that several of my favorites had the focal point sticking out beyond the card sketch design/pattern/layout she had created in the background.

If you look closely you will see this on the dancing animal, the bees, the cupcakes and the palm tree, even the clouds on the baby card duo. I'm always impressed with this kind of layout rather than keeping everything inside a frame.

You can see much of Mikaela's beautiful work on her Instagram account here. Or check out her blog here.

Since I had a bunch of colored turtles plus die cuts from the new Turtle-y Awesome Bundle (Turtle-y Cute Suite), I thought they could easily stick out from some of my favorite card layouts. Here is the my little "bale" of turtle cards:

I often like to use a circle that's been cut off to line up with a background layer. On this card, even thought the circle is trimmed off the turtle's body extends off the circle into the outer border of the card.

This is one of my favorite corner border sketches. (hint: conserve your paper by by just cutting and L-shaped (or backwards L) The banjo extends just a bit beyond the inner border of the card. By the way, these turtles are colored, first with a quick base of Light Lemon Lime Twist Blends/alcohol marker. Then I add more color, detail and shading with colored pencils - Stampin' Up!'s watercolor pencils. Since I don't actually add any water it's OK to use them with water based ink such as Tuxedo Black Memento as I used here.

This is the same sketch as above but everything is cut out of the designer series paper.

This was my chance to play with the cute dies in this suite: the chef's had and adorable apron, plus the birthday cake and balloons. Note that the balloons extend into the border area.

Are you still with me? Can I share one more?

Let's just say that here I took the turtles out of the box (the 12 x 12 piece of DSP) and put them into circles. I've used this sketch before by featuring bits of a single image featuring many animals. This time it was a different way to feature several nature loving turtle images from one of the sheets of designer series paper.

That's it! Now were on to see wha the talented Theresa has in store for us.

Here is the whole line-up:

Leonie Stuart - AU
Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU
Cheryll Miller - AU
Marga Bultena - NL
Kim Fee - UK
Annette Ball - CA
Kelly Taranto - US
Chris Smith - US
Theresa McEntee - US
Teri West - US
Cheryl Hamilton - US

Posted at 06:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Around the World on Wednesday: Seasons

Today I am blog hopping with the Around the World on Wednesday crew and our theme is seasons. And, as we continue to celebrate our 5th anniversary, we are casing team member, Cheryll Miller.

Cheryll's blog, Sense of Whimsy, showcases her beautiful artistic style. I chose this gorgeous card with the double embossing and beautiful frame from the Storybook Friends Dies:

I've been thinking a bit about how I would tie this into seasons. First of all, I do live in Minnesota, in north central US, where we get to enjoy all of the seasons. Though I appreciate them all, Spring is my favorite. Partly because it eventually brings flowers, but also because winters can be rather long and it is also such a welcome end to the snow. And, as a demonstrator who loves playing with color, I love having new In Colors to play with as we are waiting for the sun to come out an bring life to our flower beds.

One of the new colors that I''m particularly smitten with is Cloud Cover. Years ago, we bought a big old house with siding that was in serious need of replacement. We decided on a stucco like product with a couple of hundred colors to choose from. After spending what seemed like weeks on this decision, I ended up with a color closest to the old siding - almost exactly like the new Cloud Cover. I considered some beautiful creams, greens and shades of pink that looked beautiful on the samples homes in California, but then I thought about how much of the year the house would be seen with snow, some years 5-6 months. Sometimes bright and fluffy snow, sometimes dingy, fading snow. And you know what? While the condition of the siding we were replacing was poor, the color (very close to Cloud Cover) had looked surprisingly attractive the first long, snowy winter we'd spent there.

Last week I shared a simple treat box in Cloud Cover with few friends who were over for an afternoon of stamping. I had left over strips of the pretty Cloud Cover and Secret Sea patterned paper (Beautiful Gallery DSP) we used and decided that I should work those strips into my 'Seasons' card, giving me a little card/box duo to share with you.

One strip was 1" x 6", just enough to split in half for side borders to my card. I also used the Damask Designs embossing Folder and Gallery Blooms stamp set, along with the same die that Cheryll used from the Storybook Friends Dies. The greeting comes from another new set, The Right Words which has pairs that work so well for the outside AND inside of your card.

I selected another piece of designer series paper from the Beautiful Gallery suite and embossed with Damask Designs. Then I lightly tapped the raised surface with a Versamark pad and embossed the parts that took the ink with white embossing powder.
I used my blending brushes to apply just a bit of both Basic Beige and Cloud Cover to the oval before stamping the greeting and little flowers (Lilies of the Valley??)
Embellishments: Cloud Cover Flat Pearls and faux linen ribbon, also in Cloud Cover.

Here's the inside greeting, along with a die cut bloom from the coordinating Beautiful Motifs Dies which is part of the same suite.

I received a treat box like the one in my duo from another Chris Smith, a demonstrator from Michigan and introduced them to some friends last week. She added some delicious wrapped chocolates.

It's really easy with just a a 5" x 10.5" piece of cardstock and a 3" x 5" piece of DSP for decoration.
A few score lines for folding and glue in a piece of DSP on the bottom.
Decorate the top as you wish. I used a double die cut frame which made it stand out a little better when I layered it onto the same color cardstock.
The greeting is from the same stamp set as the card, The Right Words.
Ribbon is purely decorative and not necessary to keep the box closed. It's such a clever fold!

Here is the diagram I came up with to show the scoring.

That's it for this month's blog hop! Theresa is up next!

Leonie Stuart - AU
Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU
Cheryll Miller - AU
Marga Bultena - DE
Aurélie Fabre - FR
Kelly Taranto - US
Chris Smith - US
Theresa McEntee - US
Lori Willcox - CA
Teri West - US
Cheryl Hamilton - US

Posted at 06:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Around the World on Wednesday with Framed Scenes

Happy 5th Anniversary to us! The Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop is 5 years old today and we owe so much to our dear friend and founder Angie McKenzie. It's been wonderful to get to know such a talented group of artists from all over. Just last month I had the pleasure of seeing several of these creators from North America when we gathered for Onstage in Raleigh, North Carolina. It's such a fun group!

This month our theme is to case one of our talented members, Anne Marie Hill, from Texas in the US. You can find her work on her blog, Stampin' Anne, and Instagram account, stampin_anne . She's been on a bit of a hiatus recently as she battles some cancer. I am so grateful for her inspiration and wish her all the best.

As I looked through her designs I was reminded what beautiful work she does with so many types of images. I was drawn to this beauty that, while designed for a card sketch, was clearly inspired by some gorgeous designer series paper.

The colors made me think of the Refreshed Beauty Designer Series Paper ( it's on the last chance list in North America) with gorgeous sherbet colors. I pulled out a few images I already had created with similar colors and played around until I came up with these:

I had previously created the hibiscus blooms with the Happy Hibiscus Hybrid Embossing Folder. Until I put them with the Refreshed Beauty DSP I wasn't quite sure what to do with them. The sketch and colors, Anne used really made it all so easy!
Initially I added a little extra Flirty Flamingo to the centers with a sponge dauber and then when I wanted a little more definition I added a few strokes with my Dark Flirty Flamingo Blends.
In order to make the stamens stand out more I used a white gel pen on the raised parts and then, once it dried a bit, went over that with a Daffodil Delight Watercolor Pencil. I think you could also use the white watercolor pencil, but the gel pen makes it a little more distinct.
The leaves were die cut from Lemon Lime Twist card stock. I blended a little Granny Apple Green ink onto them to give them depth.
The dots are actually Strawberry Slush. Don't they work well with Flirty Flamingo.
A simple tied ribbon in Peach Pie polishes the card off.
Such happy, happy colors!

While my first card is clearly inspired by this one specific card the rest of today's set is my attempt to use this color combination to reflect the variety and playfulness I see in her work. Aside from doing beautiful artistry, Anne does playful work, truly the mark of a cardmaker who keeps her recipient in mind. Her blog and Instagram account are full of well, designed adorable characters for any occasion, along with plenty of floral cards. When I rediscovered this dinosaur in a little bag of Daring Dinos I just knew I had to give one of my hibiscus a prehistoric flavor:

Not too many extra notes on this card. The embossed layer is trimmed down to 5 1/8" x 3 7/8". The greeting is embossed on a scrap of the Refreshed Beauty DSP.
Isn't this dinosaur a cutie? I know just where this card is going!

I decided to push the envelope a bit more and see if I could apply that idea of playfulness by using this paper with a not necessarily playful set: Framed Scenes.

I stamped this little cottage I Smoky Slate and colored it with Blends. Now I think I should try adding a little more texture to the tree with Watercolor Pencils. What do you think?
Just a tiny bit of blended lemon Lime twist in the background softens the contrast of a stark white background.
The little flowers and greeting are from the Happy Hibiscus Bundle.

One more sample to show some of the Lemon Lime Twist/Granny Apple Green papers in the Refreshed Beauty. I thought greens might be appropriate for this cute little tree house!

The Firty Flamingo trim on the edges use the "waves" die from Ocean Friends.
Don't you think these colors help the images take on a sense of whimsical playfulness.

Well, that is it for this tired stamper. I'm looking forward to checking out Theresa's creativity:

Jan Clothier - NZ
Leonie Stuart - AU
Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU
Cheryll Miller - AU
Danielle Kassing - NL
Marga Bultena - DE
Aurélie Fabre - FR
Kim Fee - UK
Annette Ball - CA
Kelly Taranto - US
Chris Smith - US
Theresa McEntee - US
Bree Renwick - US
Teri West - US
Cheryl Hamilton - US

Posted at 06:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Fancy Borders

Note - I'm sorry if you are seeing double posts on this. I'm having a few glitches getting typed to upload my photos...

Maybe I didn't really NEED another set of border dies but how could I resist? I really like how well the stamps work with the dies from this bundle!

I used the Eyelet 3D embossing folder along with some flowers from Stampin' Up!'s Country Flowers Bundle.
All of the stamped images are from the Fancy Borders Bundle and embossed with white.
Colors: Misty Moonlight, Daffodil Delight, Lemon Lime Twist and Basic White.

Another using the bundle for images, greetings and die cuts, along with the Eyelet folder
This uses the denim print from the Country Lace DSP.

I just love Soft Sea Foam and Very Vanilla!
...and Cheerful Daisies which are sadly on the last chance list. I can imagine lots of die cut flowers looking good on a card like this.

This one just uses one of the borders as an accent.
Colors include the retiring Moody Mauve and Wild Wheat.
You can see that I like to add a little colored pencil detail once Im done doing the alcohol based coloring with Blends.

This is pretty quick and simple!
I used a piece of Full of Life DSP as a full layer on my card base and under the envelope flap.
Stamping was done in Melon Mambo ink.

Posted at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Around the World on Wednesday: This or That?

And still ... it's been a while but I'm back with the Around the World on Wednesday crew and a great theme of This or That. I can't wait to see all the possibilities!

I've spent the past few days with some fellow team members having some dedicated time with some of Stampin' Up!'s just launched January - April Mini Catalog and decided to come up with some this or that projects while we stamped. Since I'm always a bit torn between playing with a new suite in total - with the beautiful designer series papers (DSP), accessories and suggested colors, it isn't long before I'm wondering what other products and colors I might bring into the mix. This is how I decided to approach the Floral Delight Suite with it's featured Delightful Wishes Bundle.

For the first card I focused on colors and products featured in the suite:

The little flowers in this set are intended to be forsythia, an early flower that blooms before its leaves bud out. They are so refreshing to see after dreary late winter days. I used Crushed Curry, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive and Pool Party, all colors in the suite's DSP and beautiful vellum.
I'm a sucker for gingham and thought a bit of this Daffodil Delight print would go along way in bringing someone some sunshine.
Four stamps are involved in creating the sprig image and I was happy to see how beautifully and easily they lined up - this was the first one I stamped.
Another feature of this bundle that made it an easy first choice for me was the layered die cut "wishing". I just love the fine wording with an extra layer.
And, what do you think of these cute little bees!

For an alternate project I switched up the colors to use another combination I had sitting on my desk: Boho Blue, Lost Lagoon, Fresh Freesia and Petunia Pop:

I looked outside of the suite to accessorize this version. Aside from the colors I chose to use a die cut border from the Ocean Friends Dies, cutting it from Boho Blue to accent the striped DSP from a package of 2024-2026 In Color DSP in Petunia Pop.
The ribbon is a Sale-a-bration freebie - a pretty crinkled seam binding in Fresh Freesia.
The pretty little dots are 2024 - 2026 In Color Shimmer Dots from the Annual Catalog. (Hurry, they are currently on low inventory...)

What do you think? I might lean a bit towards the first one. The suite's colors are so happy with the yellow and blue and I really do have a preference for for white card bases... But then again I prefer the ribbon ties just around the panel - not the whole card - as I did in the first one. At any rate I had fun creating these after having an extra long break from my craft room...

That's it for me. Now it's time to continue on the hop. Next up is Tricia Butts. I can't wait to see what she has for us!

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

Posted at 05:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

A Sketch Challenge with Around the World on Wednesday

Yes, It's been a while. Family stuff, travel ... but I'm back with the Around the World on Wednesday crew and an awesome sketch challenge.

And. Here's the sketch:

I decided I should start using up a stash of colored images that I did when we recently took a trip to Alaska for a wedding followed by a cruise to Vancouver. I had packed a small stack of images and theses Blends and Watercolor Pencils:

As you can see it was a pretty easy way to pack. I brought just some of the light colored Blends to put a quick wash of color on the images and then added more detail and depth with the pencils. Though they are watercolor pencils and could work beautifully with water I just used them dry. The images were stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink. Once I came home and trimmed or die cut them I ended up with these:

I decided to use the stockings and the coordinating Sentimental Christmas designer papers for the sketch. I'd been thinking it would be fun to use the horizontal strip in the sketch for the greeting and wanted to play up the candy cane stripes a bit. Flipping through the papers I knew I had to tweak the vertical layer of the sketch to incorporate a fussy cut strip of these pretty ribbons.

This is really fun paper to play with. An extra bonus is that when you purchase this paper you will be supporting childrens's literacy!

That's it for me. Now it's time to continue on the hop. Next up is Theresa. I can't wait to see what she has for us!

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - UK

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the October host code, BZEK7JWD

I will send you a gift with a make and take project. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Posted at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Christmas in July: Filled with Cheer Card & Tag

Hi there, Crafters! I'm popping in with a couple of Christmas projects that I've done with the Filled with Cheer set, which is new this month on Stampin' Up!'s Online Exclusives.

I always like to try non-traditional colors for holidays, especially when working on Christmas in July. When I sat down to do some coloring with this new set, I chose Flirty Flamingo, Lost Lagoon and Crumb Cake with a little Pool Party thrown in for extra measure:

The card:

You can probably tell what colors were used and where. I cut out a mask and placed it over the colored image so that I could add just a touch of Pool Party with my blending brush. This helps make the white of the snow pop.
My greeting is on a banner layer because I messed up on the original. I used Stylish Shapes but whatever you have will work and you could even hand trim it. I DO suggest you practice a bit with this font as if you don't ink it too heavily you will realize that the letters in HELLO do have a fun little texture.

This photo shows the blends that were used.

I didn't have much cardstock around the poinsettia and gifts image so I fussy cut it and finished it quickly with a Crumb Cake tag I die cut with Greetings of the Seasons Dies. Way to make my relaxing coloring time useful! The ribbon uses a bunch of small pieces. I sometimes trim them lengthwise as I did here with the Black and Vanilla Gingham.

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the July host code, KUCZDWEF, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Product List

Filled With Cheer Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [164362]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [147107]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121045]	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [120953]
Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154884]	Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154882]	Lost Lagoon Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [161680]
Basic Black Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154843]	Pool Party Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154894]	Stampin' Up! Masking Paper [155480]
Subtles 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163776]	Linen Thread [104199]	Black & Very Vanilla 3/8" (1 Cm) Large Check Ribbon [161982]
Pretty In Pink 3/8" (1 Cm) Bordered Ribbon [163784]	Deckled Rectangles Dies [159173]	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183]
Paper Snips [103579]	Greetings Of The Season Dies [164112]	Blending Brushes [153611]

Posted at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Around the World on Wednesday: Case a Team Member

Hey there, stampers! It's time for another Around the World on Wednesday blog hop.

Our dear leader, Angie has organized this years Case A Team Member month with a Bananagram or letter tile theme. Here are the tiles for those of us on the hop:

If you are following the blog hop you have likely come from Angie's blog and have read that we are casing/working with each other. We chatted a bit a few weeks ago and decided to use flowers (especially the Country Flowers Bundle) and the brights. I think we both might have been looking at the Full of Life 6x6 DSP.

While I fully thought I would totally stay on that path, there were a couple of Angie's cards that really seemed to call to me to mix our styles together. First is a Blackberry Bliss Monochromatic card she did for an Instahop:

I love anything with these masks but I was especially impressed with the monochromatic approach and the tile technique.(Hint: she has a lot of amazing monochromatic cards on her blog and Instagram!) Then as I was browsing further into her body of work I came upon this beautiful Delft look:

I just loved the blue flowers with the eyelet like embossing. While I did think of trying to get all of these concepts together I did have to narrow it down. I kept the monochromatic Layers of Beauty and mixed it up with the Delft/eyelet look. For now my tiles only come into play with the Bananagram letters but I'll be trying that technique soon!

Here's a closer look:

As you can see I did use the teapot dies from Country Flowers, though I depended on Layers of Beauty to actually bring in the flowers. Those masks are amazing. Using the blending brushes I was able to get all of those shades just using the Blueberry Bushel ink pad. What? You say Blueberry Bushel isn't in the Brights. You would be correct. But I think the color IS bright. It's one of my all time favorites and is kind of a fun twist on the Delft look.
I stamped a 1/2 sheet of cardstock with the Layers of Beauty bouquet turned several ways to mostly fill the sheet. Then I blended the colors using the masks. I was able to die cut several pots cups etc in addition to getting my border.
After trying the greeting with white embossing on Blueberry Bushel cardstock, I decided I wanted a softer look and embossing the greeting on white and used a blending brush to apply the color. (hint: I use a sharpie to put color or abbreviations for them on the back of my blending brushes. I use a fine point because some of my brushes are used for more than one color.)
The embossing is done with the Eyelet 3D folder, part of the Country Woods/Country Flower suite. A hint with this folder is to add up to a half inch to the dimensions you will need as the design does "shrink" the paper a bit.

I had originally wanted to show this teapot from Country Flowers with the little cups from the Latte Love dies. The scale of the cups works really well with the teapot. Unfortunately, the card just seemed too busy with them but I did put together a little tag:

This tag was made with the new Online Exclusive Greetings of the Season dies

Finally, just to add at least a few of the brights colors, I tried another version using the teapot as a plant pot.

The leaves were die cut from white and both Lemon Lime Twist and Granny Apple Green were applied with a blending brush.

Now it's time to continue on the blog hop: Next up is the talented Bree Renwick.

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the July host code, , I will send you a gift with a make and take project. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Product List

Layers Of Beauty Bundle (English) [163519]	Eyelet 3 D Embossing Folder [163414]	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183]
Blueberry Bushel Classic Stampin' Pad [147138]	Blueberry Bushel 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146968]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]
Blending Brushes [153611]	Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053]	Versamark Pad [102283]
Basics Embossing Powders [155554]	Greetings Of The Season Dies [164112]	Petal Pink & White 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Diagonal Trim Combo Pack [163417]
Tinsel Gems Four Pack [161623]

Posted at 06:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

More Musical Jamboree Cards

This past weekend I participated in my friend Kevin Theesen's Summer Online Retreat. I showed how to make simplified version of this tunnel, or some may say theater, card with the Musical Jamboree stamp set. It's really fairly simple and I just love the whimsical look that these animals get when they get to use papers from Thoughtful Journey as a background. One of the retreat participants mentioned that the characters reminded her of the Country Bear Jamboree at Disneyland.

For this card I colored and fussy cut all of the animals plus the campfire from the set. For each of the animals I put down a base of Stampin' Blends in either Smoky Slate of Crumb Cake and then added more dimension and "fur" using Watercolor Pencils - without water.
The background is Thoughtful Journey Designer Series paper.
I used the woods die from the Grassy Grove dies. It's really important to do the scoring before doing the die cutting because it will be harder to score on the skinny trees. For this particular greeting, it is easier to get it centered by putting the space between "we belong" and "together".
Construction details are given below for the simplified card:

Measurements: Gray Granite Card Stock: (2)8 1/2” x 5 1/2” (half sheets), 2 scraps for animals
Petunia Pop: scrap (for bandana), Thoughtful Journey DSP: 1 - 6” x 6” piece
Score one of the half sheets of Gray Granite at 4 1/4” for A2 card base. Wait to fold this until embossing is finished.
Emboss the coyote image in white in the lower right front of the card - in portrait orientation. Emboss another coyote and the badger on the Gray Granite scraps. Emboss the coyote’s head with bandana twice on the Petunia Pop scrap.
Trim the 2 animals and bandanas that were embossed on the scraps. Attach the bandanas to each of the coyotes. Set aside.
Emboss “You’re a great friend” in the upper middle of the DSP as shown. Trim 5/8” from each side. Score the DSP with the greeting vertically through the greeting. Reserve the trimmed strips.
Fold the DSP as scored and attach to the inside of the Gray Granite card base. I apply adhesive to the back of the right edge, align the folds of the DSP and the card base interior and then fold the card to attach. Repeat this with the left side.
Score the second Gray Granite half sheet at 2 1/8”, 4 1/4”, and 6 3/8”.
Using the 7th largest deckled circle die cut a circle out of the upper center of sheet in step 4 - landscape orientation. This should be 1/2” - 1” from the top and equidistant between the 2 1/8” and 6 3/8” score lines.
Fold the piece from the previous step so that the middle line is a mountain fold and the side score lines become valley folds. Apply adhesive to the back of the right side (landscape orientation) and line this up to the right edge of the open card base. With this inner section folded, apply adhesive to the left edge and fold the card aver this to finish adhering the two layers of the card.
Attach the badger and the coyote to the lower part of the inside circle as shown. Take care to place the coyote so that it is entirely in the 3rd quadrant of the inner card so that it won’t bend when the card is folded. Attach the reserved DSP strips about 1/8” in from the edge of each side of the open card.

Here is one more version with the Country Woods DSP:

The card and coyote are done with Gray Granite Cardstock
This time I did my embossing in Black. I think just stampin in black might work too.
The greeting is from the Simply Said stamp set.
I colored the banjo and did just a bit of shading with the watercolor pencils - again with no water. You do need to use a rather gentle touch with the pencils or you risk pushing off the embossing.

Since I've already done another Musical Jamboree post I'll add a few more cards that I've done here. This set is so much fun but I really need to get to work with some other new sets!

These two cards use the set, Under the Moon along with blending brushes. I like to use Lemon Lolly for the moon, mask it, and go around it with Pool Party, Azure Afternoon, Blueberry Bushel and a bit of Night of Navy. By starting with light colors it looks like the moon is lighting the sky.

Don't you think this is a fun set? As I was coming up with ideas for card sketches and colors I worked to develop two different Pinterest Boards. The first is called Character Card Sketches and will give you ideas for cards that feature characters of many types with they are humans, animals or even made of snow. The second board is Musical Jamboree Inspiration. This board has 1) cards made with this set and 2)non-card animal art that give ideas for settings and colors that might work with this set. As you can see there are more ideas than I will ever have time to use so I hope you might find them useful too!

The two other blog posts of mine that feature this set:

Benji Meets Kubel - the card with stripes

Musical Jamboree and Thoughtful Journey Designer Series Paper

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the July host code, BPGXPC77, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Product List

Musical Jamboree Cling Stamp Set (English) [163616]	Gray Granite 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146983]	Petunia Pop 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [163801]
Thoughtful Journey 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163303]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Deckled Circles Dies [162286]
Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]	Paper Snips [103579]	Bone Folder [102300]
Simply Scored [122334]	Stampin' Seal [152813]	Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154882]
Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154904]	Gray Granite Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154886]	Basics Embossing Powders [155554]
Watercolor Pencils Assortment 1 [161700]

Posted at 09:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Benji Meets Kubel

Today is our monthly Around the World on Wednsday blog hop and it's really a special hop. The super imaginative Angie Mckenzie leads our group and her little Shi Tzu, Benji, is taking a virtual trip around the world, visiting each of us. What a blog hop we have in store for you!

This is Benji:

If Benji is going to visit us he's going to have a hard time avoiding our grandpup, Kubel, who spends a lot of time at our place and sometimes even takes trips around Minnesota with us. Kubel is our daughter's dog and he is named for her all time favorite Minnesota Twins baseball player, Jason Kubel. The pup Kubel was expected to be a Mini Australian Shepherd but it turned out he is the same size as both of his parents ... COMBINED.

I sure hope Benji isn't afraid of him. Kubel will be so excited.

First Kubel will want Benji to take a walk with us. Yes, Benji we'll carry you if you get tired. Our first walk of the day is usually to Willow Pond Park just a few blocks from our place. If we are lucky we will see ducks, bunnies and even turtles...

Did you see the turtle? That one was pretty big! I think those pups will need a rest. It's somewhat less strenuous to supervise all the neighborhood animals, cars and UPS trucks from Kubel's place in one of the picture windows. I hope Benji can see over the hydrangeas. Maybe the turkeys will come through.

When he's rested up we might think about a trip up to Lake Superior. It's almost a 4 hour road trip but it's worth it! Kubel loves to swim in the lake, even if it is cold. He earned this swim by getting his newly groomed coat VERY dirty. Luckily the waves were pretty gentle. Benji was still smart to stay on shore though - that lake is cold!!!

When we finally got to my craft room we decided to keep working with more critters, this time from Musical Jamboree. I'm doing a demonstration with that set for an online retreat later this month and I still need some extra samples. For this card I used one of my favorite sketches for characters. Last year I used it for cards I made with a bird, a cat and a goose.

The main part of this sketch is the trimmed off circle that I usually fill with some sort of animal or character. I always feel like these characters should have appropriate or even elaborate settings and using the circle seems to let me off the hook a bit. Of course, this time I used the coyote. I just love this guy. For this circle I used a white Stylish Shapes circle layered onto a Spotlight on Nature circle - the one with the dashes and dots. This layer was Pretty Peacock.
Often I cover the whole card with one DSP or dry embossed design on the top 4 or so inches with a contrasting paper on the bottom - about 1 1/2". This time I used the striped Pretty Peacock DSP from the Regals 6" x 6" and a wood tone from the Online Exclusive Meandering Meadows DSP. Since it seemed a bit dark and that's not my usual style, I trimmed the combined patterned pieces down to 4" x 5 1/4" so that a white border of the card base would lighten things up. I used the 3D Timber Embossing Folder on the wood. In the past I've used borders to accentuate the "seam" of the two papers but I used some Wild Wheat Jute Trim that I unwound into three separate strands. Once it is unwound the individual strands will be wavy as you can see on my card.
Sometimes I use tags but for this card I simply embossed the greeting with white powder on a scrap of Pecan Pie and trimmed around it.
As you can see in the close up, I like to use "dry" watercolor pencils a lot on animals as it gives more texture, especially if they are supposed to have fur.

In this instance I set out to color a lot of animals while I sat in on a zoom meeting. I colored a bunch of them with either light Gray Granite or light Crumb Cake Blends. Then I add more texture, detail and shading with the colored pencils. I did not add any water to these so it's fine to stamp them with any dye ink. I used Early Espresso pencil over Light Crumb Cake on this fella. The banjo was light Wild Wheat Blends with Crushed Curry details. I layered several blues and greens (Garden and Night of Navy especially) in an attempt to get something that I would like with the Pretty Peacock. I really like that this guy has a kerchief as it gives me a chance to tie it in with whatever background I'm using.
I made a mask so that I could use the blending brushes to add a touch of color to the background of the circle. Pool Party, and "grass" blend of Pretty in Peacock and Garden Green. Use a really soft touch for this!

One more card. Benji and Kubel thought I should try this sketch out with them. The tree "border" is a preview from the Frosted Forest Dies which will be available in July. The pups are from another Online Exclusive set, Pets and More.

Now it is time to travel on to Theresa. I imagine she has quite a creative adventure planned for Benji.

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Aurélie Fabre - FR

TIna Zinck-MacDonald - CA

***The online retreat I'm doing is Kevin Theesen's Summer '24 Online Retreat, Friday, June 28-29. It will be recorded. There is a great line up of demonstrators presenting many different projects. You can find more information and registration here. Let him know I sent you!

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the early June host code, NRMFK9N4, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Posted at 06:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sweet Peas

Just popping in with a cute little baby card today.

This first card was from a fun playing session with the new stamp set, Sweet Peas.
Stamping was done in Granny Apple Green. I used the Lemon Lime Twist and Granny Apple Green Blends Combos to do the coloring.
The vine was just an experiment and I love the way it turned out. I just eyeballed placement - it wasn't perfect. But, once it was colored and fussy cut (very relaxing to me!) it SEEMED perfect.
The little round circle DSP is from the Brights DSP.
The die cut circle is from the Spotlight on Nature Dies. I cut a second one from Granny Apple Green and layered it under the first one so that the design around the edge has a little green showing through.
No other embellishments so this is great for the mail.

Let me know if you have questions!

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the early June host code, NRMFK9N4, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Product List

Sweet Peas Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [163621]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]
Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad [147095]	Lemon Lime Twist Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [161682]	Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154885]
Spotlight On Nature Dies [163580]	Granny Apple Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146990]	Brights 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163775]
Paper Snips [103579]

Posted at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thoughtful Journey

Before you read on I want to draw your attention to the "STAY IN TOUCH" link just above. Click there to sign up for my newsletter. You'll be so glad you did! Many thanks ~ Chris

A while back I shared some cards that I did with Thoughtful Journey Designer Series Paper. Well, that was just the beginning...

This first trio was actually my first time sitting down with this suite of products. I don't know if I've ever been so willing to let the DSP take over as I did with these. I'm usually in the camp that says that designer series paper is a pretty tool, not the main event. But the dreaminess, scale and coloring of the designs is perfect for greeting cards and I'm not surprised that Stampin' Up! is temporarily out of this DSP. I hesitated to finish this post right now because of that but then again, if the paper is out of stock, maybe that means many of you already have it. Right?
Anyway these three cards give you 3 ways to make the DSP the focal point of the card: torn edges, crisp layers or a simple wide border. The die cuts from the bundle are really just fun embellishments.
All of my die cuts are doubled up with two layers here. The last one just to add some dimension but the first two it was howI added the flowers. While I just used Mossy meadow cardstock on top of either Petunia Pop or Wild Wheat flowers, next time I might try this with some watercolored or brushed on ink.
And yes, I said that right. The die cuts with flowers are two pieces? They are designed to layer one on the other as I did in the first two cards. I've seen other cards that have just the back layer colored as both the flowers and greenery, which certainly works but it's nice to know that you can quickly layer them.
I decided I should get a few photos of this. Here are a few extra photos to show this in action:

Aren't those little white flowers cute? I got sidetracked and just had give them their own card.

I cut a piece of the Full of Life DSP with a Radiating Stitches Die to provide a setting for this.
After embossing a quarter sheet of white cardstock with the Dashing Designs folder I trimmed it down to 5 1/4" x 4" before putting it on a white card base.
The "MISSING YOU" is stamped with Lemon Lime Twist ink and hand trimmed. A glue dot attaches a little white baker's twine. It was really so simple!

This one took only slightly more time:

I started by diecutting the largest open die out of a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of thick Basic White cardstock.
Then I attached the remaining "negative" 5 1/4" x 4" piece onto a Basic White card base and then glued the delicate die cut back in place. White on White on White!
I also die cut some of the smaller accessory leaves out of white cardstock. They were colored in Lemon Lime Twist with a blending brush. Using a silicone mat helps to keep these smaller pieces in place while you get them colored.
I stamped the poppy like flowers with Smoky Slate and colored them with the Petunia Pop Blends. Then I used a circle from Stylish Shapes to cut them out.
The greeting was also stamped in Smoky Slate.
The stamped circle is attached over a twist of Petunia Pop ribbon with Stampin' Dimensionals
Embellish with Petunia Pop Shimmer Gems and you are done!

Finally these next two were muddling around in my brain since I first say the dies for this set. I love open dies that can be used more or less across the card. I'll link a few other examples at the end of the post. I got the idea on paper just in time to use these as a warm up exercise for a crafting session with some of my teammates last weekend.

I cut the DSP to be just a bit bigger than the card front. Usually I go just barely past the 4 1/4" or 5 1/2" marks on my trimmer. It's a bummer to find out that a layer you want to cover your base with is too small and it's easier to trim of the layer than the card base.
Next, I position the die somewhat diagonally across the lower end of the DSP, making sure I cut off enough to leave room for my greeting. If the bottom isn't entirely separated from the die cut snip it apart and set aside for another project.
Attach the top remaining DSP to your card. Then add some tiny dots of glue to the back of your die cut and put it in place.
Unravel a 24" piece of Moody Mauve and Boho Blue twine. You'll get 3 wavy strands of each. Save 2 of each for other projects and use the remaining two to wrap around. your card, tying it in a bow.
Embellish with pearls from the Adhesive Backed Pearl Trio.

Here is the second version featuring Wild Wheat:

Other Dies with DSP ideas.

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the May host code, NRMFK9N4, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Product List

Thoughtful Wishes Bundle (English) [163314]	Thoughtful Journey 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163303]	Adhesive Backed Pearl Trio [163319]
2023–2025 In Color Jute Trim [161637]	2024–2026 In Color™ Shimmer Gems [163781]	Petunia Pop 3/8" (1 Cm) Bordered Ribbon [163785]
Bubble Bath 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [161718]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Soft Sea Foam 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146988]
Basic Beige 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [164511]	Wild Wheat 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [161725]	Petunia Pop 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [163801]
Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133676]	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183]	Lemon Lime Twist 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [144245]
Full Of Life 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163357]	Dashing Designs 3 D Embossing Folder [163483]	Radiating Stitches Dies [161595]
Baker's Twine Essentials Pack [155475]	Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad [147113]	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad [147111]
Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad [147145]	Boho Blue Classic Stampin' Pad [161650]

Posted at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Layers of Beauty Masks

Before you read on I want to draw your attention to the "STAY IN TOUCH" link just above. Click there to sign up for my newsletter. You'll be so glad you did! Many thanks ~ Chris

Maybe you've seen previous Layers of Beauty cards I've posted here and here. Today I want to share a specific group that use the masks without having the big bouquet stamped along with the masking/blending. Don't get me wrong. I love the whole bundle with stamps, dies and masks BUT I know that might not be in everybody's budget and I wanted to show how the roses look without the stamps or maybe even the dies. It takes just a bit more attention to line up the 5 sequential masks without the stamped image as a guide but the masks have numbered notches which are pretty slick. Even after lining up the notches, I suggest you eyeball and make minor adjustments. And, remember they don't have to be perfect to be beautiful - many of mine aren't perfect but most people can't tell!

Let's start with this lovely Lemon Lolly and Daffodil Delight card. This was made with supplies that are still available with the new catalog, though the border die is in the Online Exclusives. Your favorite border or even a straight edge would work.

The rose has Lemon Lolly for the base layer and then Daffodil Delight for the second and third masks.
I used Garden Green for the foliage, using a softer touch with the blending brush for the lighter shade.
I stamped off the greeting also, using a second generation for the "Grateful for you".
The DSP is from the Brights color family. And, can I say again I love this stripe - it works with everything!

I was having so much fun using these masks that I didn't clean them between bouquets. SO, this pink is actually Pretty in Pink ink mixed with a little Daffodil Delight that was left on the mask. Still a very pretty pink and I just had to make it into a card.

The green for this bouquet is the new In Color, Shy Shamrock, again using a lighter touch for the softer shade.
The anniversary greeting was stamped toward the bottom of a die cut made with the Deckled Rectangles dies.
The background paper is another pattern from the color family prints - this one from the In Color 2024-2026 collection. I wanted to keep going with the shabby chic look of the deckled edge and thus sanded some of the edges. You can see this best in the upper left corner. This is such a fun trick with DSP because the inner core of the paper is white and will show with a worn, shabby look through when you sand it.

This next card makes use of two of the Radiating Stitches Dies. These are in my online store with Stampin' Up!

This card doesn't use the coordinating dies and you could easily replace the greeting with something else in your collection if you only wanted to purchase the masks.
I covered the base of the card with yet another print from the In Color 2024-2026 Designer Series Paper. It features tiny white circles, which are also a versatile monochromatic look.
The ribbon is from a pair of rolls that include white and Petal Pink.

Do you recognize the scalloped die on this Lemon Lolly card? If you've been following my blog or work at all you will know it is one of my favorites and I warned people I would still be using it after it retired.

I did this with whatever ink was on the blending brushes I picked up. I think it included Lemon Lolly, Berry Burst, maybe some Petal Pink and Lemon Lime Twist.
I love tiny tag dies and this one is included in the Layers of Beauty dies.
The Lemon Lolly ribbon is also retired but the bit of Lemon Lolly twine that I added to it is still available!

Finally (Whew!) I got out my new Basic Beige ink pad and tried a miniature version of a card box I used to teach years ago.

Both boxes are made with the measurements in the following pdf.
Score on the dashed (and solid) lines and then cut where the line is solid. You will want to score again between the cuts on each end. This will give you a edge to fold over.
You can make a second one the same what for the bottom. I used stamped thick Basic White for the top and Basic Beige for the bottom.
If you think of it, for the bottom increase the measurements by about 1/16th" or one line on most imperial measurement tools. This will give you a slightly smaller bottom for the box. If you use the same measurements for both though it will still work, just have a slightly more snug fit.
Finished measurements are approximately 4 1/2" x 2 3/4 x 1 1/4".
I used the stitched Basic Beige ribbon to finish off both boxes.

Download Small box scoring measurements(2)

The box with the (Unbounded Love) tag has just one bouquet masked across the center of the 1/2 sheet cardstock prior to scoring. Note that the contrast of the ink softens a bit as it dries completely.

For the second box I stamped pretty much all over the 1/2 sheet of cardstock I started with. It is a different look but did take longer to do. It does simplify things, however, to do everything with one color and I think it gives a very elegant look. These would be great for showers or even weddings.

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the May host code, 62ZPFCC7, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Product List

Layers Of Beauty Bundle (English) [163519]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Brights 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163775]
Elegant Borders Dies [161593]	Lemon Lolly Classic Stampin' Pad [161666]	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad [147094]
Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad [147089]

Product List

Layers Of Beauty Bundle (English) [163519]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Shy Shamrock Classic Stampin Pad [163808]
Pretty In Pink Classic Stampin Pad [163807]	2024–2026 In Color™ 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163777]	Deckled Rectangles Dies [159173]
Layers Of Beauty Decorative Masks [163517]	2024–2026 In Color™ Shimmer Gems [163781]

Product List

Layers Of Beauty Bundle (English) [163519]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Shy Shamrock Classic Stampin Pad [163808]
2024–2026 In Color™ 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163777]	Layers Of Beauty Decorative Masks [163517]	2024–2026 In Color™ Shimmer Gems [163781]
Peach Pie Classic Stampin Pad [163810]	Radiating Stitches Dies [161595]	Petal Pink & White 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Diagonal Trim Combo Pack [163417]

Product List

Layers Of Beauty Bundle (English) [163519]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Layers Of Beauty Decorative Masks [163517]
Lemon Lolly 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [161720]	Lemon Lolly Classic Stampin' Pad [161666]	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad [147145]
Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad [147143]	Baker's Twine Three Color Pack [162759]

Product List

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Layers Of Beauty Decorative Masks [163517]	Blending Brushes [153611]
Basic Beige Classic Stampin Pad [163806]	Basic Beige 3/8" (1 Cm) Bordered Ribbon [163788]	Paper Trimmer [152392]
Unbounded Love Bundle (English) [163384]

Posted at 12:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Make it Masculine Blog Hop

Before you read on I want to draw your attention to the "STAY IN TOUCH" link just above. Click there to sign up for my newsletter. You'll be so glad you did! Many thanks ~ Chris

Today I'm hopping with the Crafty Collaborations group and the theme is masculine cards or projects. With Father's Day just about a month away along with birthdays and anniversaries it would be a great time to hop around the internet and collect some masculine ideas. I don't know about you but feminine flowery images are fun to play and ideas across the internet abound. That's not always the case for masculine cards. If you follow the hop you'll have lots of ideas. When it's time for something for one of your favorite guys pull a few of these ideas out of your pocket.

I recently ordered the Under the Moon set from Stampin' Up!'s new Annual Catalog thinking that I would not only use it alone but as kind of an accessory to some other sets. One of those sets is Feathered Flight which was introduced as an Online Exclusive last year.

This is one of the first pieces I played with, stamping the clouds and water in Pretty Peacock. You can stamp the water image and then rotate it 180 degrees and use it to stamp more water, as many times as you wish to blend together what you need.
I'm not an expert with waterfowl though it does look a bit like our neighborhood mallard. I stamped him, again with Pretty Peacock, just above the water and then decided that I should soften the white/peacock contrast by brushing on a little Crumb Cake ink. I die cut a Pretty Peacock foliage silhouette from the Thoughtful Wishes bundle but you could use any foliage silhouette die you might have.
I used a strip of Country Wood DSP that was originally rather white but I used my blending brush to add some Lost Lagoon shading.

A few more with some of the same supplies:

On this one I used the swimming duck from Feathered Flight(Pretty Peacock) and then used the water image from Under the Moon(Lost Lagoon) but rotated it to be upside down giving the illusion of more water.
The card base and largest layer are Pool Party, not a color I would usually use on a masculine card but I think it does well with this monochromatic look. I embossed the large layer with the Timber 3D folder and then added a little Lost Lagoon ink around the edges to give a bit of contrast with the card base.
Oh, yes. The layer for the main image. Keeping the height the same and allowing for variation in the borders at the sides allows for easier assembly.
Ribbon doesn't often find it's way on to masculine cards but shredding it into threads and tying a knot is acceptable, don't you think?

Finally, I think this one is my favorite because I love doing this masking thing with the moon!

Keep your blending brushes out for this one! Believe it or not the main layer starts with a 1/4 sheet of white cardstock.
Start by stamping the moon with Lemon Lolly and then mask it.
My first layer of blending was done with Pool Party, roughly an inch around the moon. This will create the moon's glow in the night sky.
Next, blend in some Azure Afternoon allowing it to overlap the Pool Party just a little. Then Blueberry Bushel over the remainder of the card, . Follow up with a bit of Night of Navy to deepen the color at the edges.
Before removing the mask from the moon stamp a few clouds with white craft ink. Then, create the illusion of the moon's reflection in water by stamping the water stamp with white craft ink. I stamped this a few times, turning the stamp to broaden the coverage.
I added the flying waterfowl in black. You could easily do this same card with the little dolphins from the Under the Moon set.
Trim off a bit and layer your image onto an Azure Afternoon card base. I added a skinning strip of Summer Splash for a little nighttime sparkle.

Now it's time to check out the other blogs on the hop:

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the May host code, 62ZPFCC7, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Product List

Under The Moon Photopolymer Stamp Set [163531]	Feathered Flight Cling Stamp Set (English) [162726]	Pretty Peacock Classic Stampin’ Pad [150083]
Lost Lagoon Classic Stampin' Pad [161678]	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [147107]	Azure Afternoon Classic Stampin' Pad [161663]
Blueberry Bushel Classic Stampin' Pad [147138]	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [147110]	Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad [147116]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Pretty Peacock 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [150880]	Lost Lagoon 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133679]
Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [122924]	Azure Afternoon 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [161719]	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [120953]
Country Woods 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163393]	2024–2026 In Color™ Glimmer 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper [163771]	Blending Brushes [153611]
Pretty Peacock & Gold 3/8" (1 Cm) Metallic Ribbon [162588]	Linen Thread [104199]	Timber 3 D Embossing Folder [163094]
Thoughtful Wishes Dies [163313]

Posted at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Musical Jamboree and Thoughtful Journey Designer Series Paper

Before you read on I want to draw your attention to the "STAY IN TOUCH" link just above. Click there to sign up for my newsletter. You'll be so glad you did! Many thanks ~ Chris

The other night I stamped a few images from a new set, Musical Jamboree, to bring down to the family room to color while we watched a show. I colored a few and then did some fussy cutting so that I could play around with the images to see what kind of card sketches worked well with them. I mostly colored with neutral type colors in Blends, Gray Granite, Pebbled Path, Crumb Cake with a little Pecan Pie on the banjo. I don't know why - other than I have a crush on it - I colored the bandana with Petunia Pop. Then I added a little extra texture and shading with the black watercolor pencil. The pencil lets you almost create hair in the animals.

Just to add a little suspense I have to tell you about a couple of other quick cards I made earlier that were sitting on my desk before I show you the coyote...

I had previously completed these cards combining the Thoughtful Journey designer series paper (DSP) with the In the Grove Dies. I decided that if I trimmed the framed woods down a bit I could show more of the scenery and colors. This did require me to find some low profile greetings, such as those in the Sweetly Scripted set.

I really like how adding the additional frame of DSP around the woods adds to the the card. I certainly thought they were finished. But, look what happens when I add my coyote:

Doesn't it look fun and almost whimsical. When I posted them on Instagram a friend said that they almost tell a story and I agree! I had some other ideas for playing with Musical Jamboree but I think they are going to have to wait. This guy with his Petunia Pop bandana belong on this card!

Stay tuned for more with the Thoughtful Journey DSP. This has so many possibilities!

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the May host code, 62ZPFCC7, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Product List

Sweetly Scripted Cling Stamp Set (English) [163600]	Musical Jamboree Cling Stamp Set (English) [163616]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]
Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad [147111]	In The Grove Dies [163511]	Thoughtful Journey 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163303]
Pebbled Path Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [161658]	Gray Granite Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154886]	Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154882]
Pecan Pie Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [161674]	Petunia Pop Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [163828]	Watercolor Pencils Assortment 1 [161700]

Posted at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Around the World on Wednesday and a Sketch Challenge

Before you read on I want to draw your attention to the "STAY IN TOUCH" link just above. Click there to sign up for my newsletter. You'll be so glad you did! Many thanks ~ Chris

The second Tuesday in May means that it's time for our Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop.

This month we have a sketch theme:

I envisioned strips of wood in the background and decided to explore the Country Birdhouse Bundle with it's coordinated Country Woods designer series paper (DSP). Soft, worn colors were also part of the picture forming in my mind.

As you can see my card base is Petal Pink and the size is A2 - folded 8.5" x 11.
The next layer is a quarter sheet (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") embossed with Dashing Designs 3D Embossing Folder. This is a great neutral folder. I trimmed this piece down to 4" x 5 1/4". Sometimes the embossing "shrinks" the cardstock just a bit and this is why I start with a larger piece and trim it to size after the embossing is done.
To finish it off I lightly rubbed a white craft pad across it and embossed with white embossing powder. I considered just having the ink and not the heat embossing but it shows the texture just a bit more when you are using white embossed powder.
Other than the greeting and the Petal Pink scallops on the bird house, all of the pieces are cut out of the DSP.
The birdhouse, bird and greeting were stamped in Gray Granite ink.
The 3 strips are each 3/4" wide. I cut a 1 1/8" piece of the same DSP but used the backside for the wood tone space between the strips. I did this by centering the middle strip on the reverse side and then gluing the edge of the remaining strips to the sides of this reverse piece.
I tied a bow with Crumb Cake Twine and attached it under the Birthday greeting with a rolled glue dot.

Here is a close up of the softly colored birdhouse:

Thank you so much for stopping by. Now it's time to move on to see what Theresa McEntee has to show us.

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - US

Angie McKenzie - US

Kelly Taranto - US

Shel Anderson - CA

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert - US

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the May host code, 62ZPFCC7, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Product List

Country Birdhouse Bundle (English) [163401]	Country Woods 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163393]	Gray Granite Classic Stampin' Pad [147118]
Baker's Twine Essentials Pack [155475]	Dashing Designs 3 D Embossing Folder [163483]	Basics Embossing Powders [155554]
Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad [101731]	Petal Pink 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146985]	Basic Beige 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [164511]
Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]

Posted at 06:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Can we talk a bit about Gorgeous Gingham?

Before you read on I want to draw your attention to the "STAY IN TOUCH" link just above. Click there to sign up for my newsletter. You'll be so glad you did! Many thanks ~ Chris

Can we talk a bit about Glorious Gingham? This 6"x 6" DSP comes in a pack with 5 colors: Blueberry Bushel, Berry Burst, Pecan Pie, Lemon Lime Twist and Pretty Peacock and it's retiring in just a few days. I have a spare pack for myself and I thought I'd let you know why.

One of my favorite things about it is that one side is a diagonal check which is one of my favorite ways to add borders to a card. (Oops! It appears that all of my cards show this side but I think I'll be able to remedy that with the new Country Flowers set.)

Often I use it in small amounts so it does go a long way.

It plays nicely with any other DSP pattern that includes its color. The Masterfully Made DSP, featured here, is 30% off.

If you don't want the crisp check with white look you can use your blender brush to add more of the color for a deeper look with shades of the color. I've also done this when I want to pair it with Very Vanilla instead of white as I did with the Ice Cream Swirl and Blueberry Bushel cards above and also with this sympathy card:

I was looking through photos for these cards and came across a project I was planning with the gingham and Trucking Along Bundle and then the bundle went on a rather prolonged backorder. The bundle is available and here are some of the planning shots I took. They will give you a better idea of the paper and also some color ideas if you have or are interested in the Trucking Along Bundle.

As I look to what is available in this look with the new Annual Catalog I only see one diagonal plaid which comes in Blackberry Bliss in the To Market Suite. I expect we will see more come and go but this is a color mix that is really versatile so give it a thought while it is still available at 20% off. If you think it should find a place in your stash, you can get it through my store which has a link in the menu bar above. Or click on any of the products at the end of this post. While you are in the shop, do check out some of the other great bargains including the Paper Florist Dies shown below with the Pretty Peacock plaid in one of my "tablecloth corner" cards.

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the April host code, FRDSRTF4, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Can we talk a bit about Gorgeous Gingham? This 6"x6" DSP comes in a pack with 5 colors: Blueberry Bushel, Berry Burst, Pecan Pie, Lemon Lime Twist and Pretty Peacock. One of my favorite things about it is that one side is a a diagonal check which is one of my favorite way to add borders to a card. It plays nicely with any other DSP pattern that includes its color. If you don't want the crisp check with white look you can use your blender brush to add more of the color for a monochromatic look with shades of the color. As I look to what is available in this look with the new Annual Catalog I only see one diagonal plaid which comes in Blackberry Bliss in the To Market Suite.

Product List

Glorious Gingham 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163170]	Ice Cream Swirl Bundle (English) [162771]	Quiet Reflection Cling Stamp Set (English) [162689]
Masterfully Made 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [161192]	Wanted To Say Dies [161594]	Graceful Deer Cling Stamp Set [162084]
Tailor Made Tags Dies [155563]	Layering Leaves Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [161277]	Bough Punch [157711]
Kindest Expressions Cling Stamp Set (English) [161415]	Translucent Florals Dies [162252]	Trucking Along Bundle (English) [162306]
Paper Florist Dies [161284]

Posted at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More Layers of Beauty and a Last Chance Reminder

Before you read on I want to draw your attention to the "STAY IN TOUCH" link just above. Click there to sign up for my newsletter. You'll be so glad you did! Many thanks ~ Chris

Last week I introduced some of the cards I've made with Layers of Beauty. This is a hard bundle to set aside so I'm going to share a few more with you. But first, we are also closing in on the last week or so of Stampin' Up!'s 2023-2024 Annual Catalog and the last Chance List. I have, well, just a few opinions about the best things to take advantage of on that list.

This week's color challenge: Gorgeous Grape + Fresh Freesia + Daffodil Delight, over on Splitcoaststampers was perfect opportunity to take out the Pansy Dies one more time before they retire. While the coordinating stamp set is now out of stock, the dies are on sale for just $16 and I wanted to show that they work REALLY well without the stamps.

I only used Thick Basic White cardstock on this. I blended the challenge colors, plus Mossy Meadow (a "free" neutral), on the white cardstock with blending brushes and then die cut a bunch of pieces. As I assembled the pieces I added a little more shading where needed. I do love that the Color Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers always allows you to add colors from Stampin' Up!'s Neutrals color palette.
I also blended a rainbow like piece going from Mossy Meadow to Daffodil Delight to Fresh Freesia to Gorgeous Grape.
I cut off the right front edge of my white card base using the large curve from the Basic Borders Dies, applied some Fresh Freesia ink with a blending brush and adhered my rainbow piece underneath it. These border dies are on sale for $17.40 and are still in stock as I write this.
My greeting is from an Online Exclusives set, Comforting Thoughts. I embossed it in white on a scrap of the Mossy Meadow Blended piece and cut it out with a cute little label die from the Lovely & Sweet Bundle. This bundle WILL carry over.
I finished the card off with 3/4" White Herringbone ribbon which is retiring with a discounted price of $6.80. I also applied some Tinsel Gems (3 pack, not retiring).
As you can see you can make beautiful pansies with just the dies and then add any of your favorite greetings.

OK, now on to some more Layers of Beauty cards, and there just happen to be a few more of my retiring favorites...

First of all I used up some of the pieces I played around with on my last post with another of the Basic Border Dies:

The border die I used here is from the same die set that has the curved die used above.
The flowers are trimmed from a piece that I die cut a smaller die from and featured in my previous post.
The paper I used on the inside of the card that peeks through is from the retiring Bright and Beautiful DSP (from the Balloon suite). The greeting is from the retiring set, Phrases for All which is currently half price.

One of my all time favorite die sets that will be retiring is Scalloped Contours Dies. Here are a few that I got out when I first started playing with Layers of Beauty:

And, here is one more Layers of Beauty card that I shared on Instagram over the weekend - the only one I've made that doesn't use something that is retired. It features some new products in one of the new In Colors, Peach Pie.

The Layers of Beauty Bundle includes stamps, dies and a set of 5 masks for coloring the beautiful bouquet of roses. I used Peach Pie for the two lighter colors on the roses and then some Calypso Coral for the darkest detail. I lightly blended some Garden Green on the leaves.
I also used some other new products, In Color DSP, gems and In Color Glimmer Specialty Paper. The paper lace border is made with one of the Elegant Border Dies in the Online Exclusives.

More favorites:

Parakeet Party Blends - If you use Blends, you can always use some extra greens and these are a good deal!

Soft Shimmer and Masterfully Made DSP. These work so well together.

Glorious Gingham DSP - I use these so much, especially the diagonal patterns as borders. Hint: When I want to soften the contrast of a bold color with white, I use my blends to add more color so that the white disappears and you just have a two shades of color.

Masks: I love to add just a hint of color to my background with these.

Classic Matte Dots - I will really miss these. They aren't too showy when you need something less feminine and dots are so useful. Sometimes I use them to bring balance back to the card when I can't get the other elements of the card arranged just right.

Sheer Ribbon 3 pack - I have really fallen in love with Bubble Bath and Lemon Lolly the past few months. I always prefer neutral or pale ribbons and these do fill that bill!

Scalloped Contour Dies - I think I will still be showing samples with these, just about my favorite dies ever!

Basic Border Dies - The zig zag and curve are my most used but the clouds and shallow point are quite useful too.

Chic Dies - You can easily use these without the coordinating stamps. leaves, flower, shells and snowflakes cover all the seasons plus that open weave piece is fabulous!

Christmas Pine Cone Dies - Any flower can become part of a holiday arrangement with these on hand.

Pansy Dies - SO, SO pretty on their own. They would probably work well with any greetings.

Merry Melody Embossing Folder - I have loved using this for Christmas birthday cards!

I will link the above mentioned favorite retiring products at the bottom of this post.

Rumor has it the Clearance Rack is being updated too so don't forget to check that out!

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the April host code, FRDSRTF4, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Product List

Parakeet Party Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [159220]	Soft Shimmer 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper [161750]	Masterfully Made 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [161192]
Glorious Gingham 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163170]	Foursquare Decorative Masks [161285]	Artistic Mix Decorative Masks [159178]
Classic Matte Dots [158146]	3/8" (1 Cm) Sheer Ribbon Combo Pack [161635]	Basic Borders Dies [155558]
Chic Dies [158815]	Christmas Pinecone Dies [156309]	Pansy Dies [155680]
Scalloped Contours Dies [155560]	Merry Melody 3 D Embossing Folder [156392]

Posted at 12:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Layers of Beauty Intro

Before you read on I want to draw your attention to the "STAY IN TOUCH" link just above. Click there to sign up for my newsletter. You'll be so glad you did! Many thanks ~ Chris

Layers of Beauty was the first toy I played with when I received my preorder and it's almost preventing me from playing with anything else. Geesh!

Today I'm sharing a couple of cards I did while playing with this week's Color challenge at Splitcoaststampers.

Barbara chose these colors: Polished Pink, Lemon Lolly and Parakeet Party plus she suggested we use an embossing folder if we'd like "dessert".

This first card makes use of a smaller die that cuts out just a portion of the larger bouquet.
I used one of the Fun Patterns embossing folders for my dessert. This is a regular (non 3-D) folder and I was pleasantly surprised that this pattern didn't soften the cardstock too much so it still made a nice firm card base.

Same card, different version:

I couldn't bear to toss out the remaining parts of the bouquet so I tried putting one of the pieces as a second image draped down from the top of the card.

I can't decide which I like better but maybe you can see why I have trouble butting this bundle away...

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the April host code, FRDSRTF4, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Shop with Me:

Posted at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This or That with Around the World on Wednesday

Before you read on I want to draw your attention to the "STAY IN TOUCH" link just above. Click there to sign up for my newsletter. You'll be so glad you did! Many thanks ~ Chris

Hello Stampers! It's time for the monthly Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop again.

This month our theme is This or That: remaking a card or changing things up or just trying to decide "this one or that one". I'm also hosting a color challenge over on Splitcoaststampers this week so I thought I would combine the two. The colors are Crushed Curry, Granny Apple Green and Basic Black. Dessert is optional and is adding a second green.

I definitely had daisies and bees on my mind when I chose these colors. We usually have an optional dessert for these challenges and the dessert I specified was to add a second green. As part of the design team I usually know the colors or themes ahead of time so I have a little time to play - or be perplexed about my choices. Perfect for this or that, wouldn't you say?

I've known that it was going to be time for my favorite dies, Scalloped Contours, to retire but I'm still a bit sad about it and won't be sending mine to storage any time soon. But I also need to get a little more practice using other dies that can work in the same situations, such as the Everyday Details dies. So one of my dilemmas was whether to use the scallops or not. In a way it was kind of nice thinking that I would end up with two cards, instead of making decisions for just one, especially when I started thinking about the choices for daisies that you get with the Cheerful Daisies Bundle.

This bundle allows you to die cut stamped daisies OR to layer dies for nicely textured daisies.

I did think about whether the bee should be stamped on white or Crushed Curry cardstock but in the end the main choice was whether to include it on the polka dot card or not. I decided it was too busy with the polka dots.

I tried our three kinds of daisies on the white, Every Day Details, card base:

Final choice - big dots, scallops and green daisies or little dots and white textured daisies - with a bee. I've yet to decide which is my favorite and posted both for the color challenge. What do you think?

Now it's time to continue on to the rest of the blog hop. Let's see what creative delights Tricia has in store for us!

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

I so appreciate that you took the time as you visit my blog today. Let me know what you think and come back again soon! Feel free to ask questions if something isn't clear.

If you would like to receive my newsletter please click on the Stay in Touch link at the top of my blog. You can also check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link in the same location. If you don't have regular Stampin' Up Demonstrator and would like hard copies of any of our current catalogs please feel free to email me at [email protected]

I would love to help you with your stamping journey and have you shop with me! You can click on "Shop with Chris Smith" at the top of my blog.

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the April host code, FRDSRTF4, I will send you a gift with a make and take project. You will also get to choose at least one Sale-a-bration item. US customers only. Customers placing an order smaller than $50 will still receive my thank you card.

If you place a $150 or greater order please don't use the hostess code. You will still receive the gifts but you will also get your own hostess benefits.

Product List

Cheerful Daisies Bundle (English) [161297]	Bee My Valentine Bundle (English) [162554]	Scalloped Contours Dies [155560]
Everyday Details Dies [162864]	Basics 3 D Embossing Folders [161598]	Blending Brushes [153611]
Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad [147087]	Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad [147095]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]
Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad [147145]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121045]
Brights 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [161643]	Black & White 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Gingham Ribbon [156485]	Black & Very Vanilla 3/8" (1 Cm) Large Check Ribbon [161982]