from my ink pad to yours

March 08, 2023

Around the World on Wednesday: Color 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

This month the Around the World on Wednesday crew is working with a color challenge.

And it's not you typical color challenge! Our lovely leader, Angie, queried the group about our favorite colors and came up with these. From this group we have to use at least 3.

I can imagine so many great combinations with these colors. Some of my soft favorites are in that circle. So are the bold colors in some of my all time favorite pieces of clothing. But in the end my choices relate to an activity I've been preoccupied with over the last several weeks: househunting. We are in the process of finalizing an agreement for a Mid Century home and my mind is spinning with decorating possibilities and of course how I will put together a new craft room. Lately I've been thinking that room needs to include a nod to the widely popular Coastal Cabana. It's such an attractive color with wood tones often featured during that era. Thus I came up with this combination:

Coastal Cabana

Bermuda Bay

Pale Papaya

I've also noticed that some of the new Online exclusive dies, Irresistible Blooms have some accent dies that have a little bit of a retro, mid century flavor as do some of the new embossing folders that are also found online. So I mixed them up with another fun set that has been on my shelf for awhile, Nothing Better Than.

After embossing a quarter sheet of Coastal Cabana with one of the Basics Folders, I die cut the strip feature out of the left side. I set aside that die cut strip and cut another out of Bermuda Bay to set into the textured Coastal Cabana. All pieces were adhered to a Coast Cabana card base. These gave me a smoother base to set the strip into.
The cups were colored with Dark Pool Party and Light Bermuda Bay Blends along with the Pale Papaya Combo.
I layered a Pale Papaya die cut "Coffee" over another one die cut from Bermuda Bay.
The white circle is punched with a 1 3/4" punch. This will be back in stock again after mid April.

I was really happy with retro type look I got by mixing some brand new supplies up with some old favorites!

And now it's time to check out the other blogs. Tricia Butts is next!

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cazz Boylan - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Melissa Gifford - 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 cbondersonsmith@gmail.com

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 March host code, GUD694SP , I will send you free embellishments 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

Posted at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

February 08, 2023

Sending Smiles 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

Wow! The last month has flown by. We've moved, I've set up a new but temporary small stamping studio and now it's time for Around the World on Wednesday again.

This month our theme is embossing: heat, pressure, whatever .... There are so many variations and I'm excited to see what everyone shares!

I've yet to meet an embossing technique I don't like so it took a bit to decide what to share. Since I spent most of December and January dealing with our move, I'm feeling a little behind in trying out all of the fabulous designer papers in the mini catalog and Sale-a-bration brochure. So, I decided I would revisit an old favorite that I haven't done in a while.

I'm not sure there is even a name but I use designer papers with embossing folders to take advantage of the white "core" in the middle of the paper. After embossing the paper you simply use some fine sandpaper on a block to sand off the printed paper leaving the white core to show wherever it is raised. By mixing up the patterns in the papers with the patterns in the folders the possibilities are endless. This is particularly good with shabby chic styles and gives a wonderful softened tactile feel. I hope I can do it justice in the photos...

(I apologize in advance for the photo quality here. I ran up against the deadline and had to take some of the pictures in the evening at the lake where I always struggle with lighting. I hope you still get the idea and try this fun technique!)

I started playing around with some Regency Park papers that I wanted to try together . I used the suites Cane Weave 3D Embossing folder:

You can see the embossed and sanded portion on the right compared to the plain paper on the right. I sanded both sides and decided that the sketch that was coming together in my head really called for the patterned side:

The pattern left by the embossing and sanding blends into the printed pattern a little more but is still a very pleasing, slightly worn look. Here is how I mixed this piece up with some of the other Regency Park patterns:

I used the unembossed portion to die cut the detailed "Sending".
Using just a tiny strip of the striped pattern leaves a fun border between the dots and the textured floral.

Here are a few more very simple cards that show this technique:

This is a simple Mossy Meadow grid pattern from Favored Flowers, a beautiful collection of designer series paper from the Sale-a-bration brochure. You can choose it for free with a $50 order.
I embossed the right side with the Fern 3D embossing folder and again lightly sanded it with a fine sanding block.
I mixed the plain and textured parts with Basic White cardstock into this simple sketch to show both versions of the DSP:
Here is a close-up of the texture:

Finally, here is using a monochromatic pattern from Dandy Designs with the Pretty Flowers embossing folder. See how well the pretty design comes through on the simple patterned paper. The simpler your designer paper the more the pattern of your folder shows through. Sometimes you will want the pattern to be the main event.You might just use this technique simply for the worn, comfy feel it lends your card.

Once again the embossed, sanded portion is on the right and the unembossed portion is on the left.

I used both parts on the card, roughing up the edge of the unembossed strip to add to the shabby chic look. What would be a good occasion for this card?

See how the little bit of pattern in the original pattern shows through.

I'd love to have you try this technique! Leave me a comment and link if you do. I'd love to see how you use it!

Now it's time to continue on the blog hop. Next up is Tricia Butts.

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Melissa Gifford - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

Ximena Morales - DE

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - UK

Tina Zinck-MacDonald - CA

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.

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 February host code, 6UE7ARWH , I will send you free embellishments 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:

Posted at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

January 11, 2023

Case the Mini Duo 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

Today The Around the World on Wednesday crew is blog hopping with the theme of casing newest catalogs: The January - April Mini Catalog and/or the Sale-a-bration brochure. I'm sure you will see lots of fun new things as you follow the hop. If you are following the hop already, welcome! You probably arrived from Sharon Hashimoto Burkett.

First I have a bit of news. We are getting ready to move this week. We sold our condo over the holidays and will be moving to an apartment a few blocks away before we start a search for a new home (and a new stamping studio!). Anyway, you can imagine that time is a little bit tight. Can you also imagine that a theme of casing is going to be right up my alley? Plus I have a new suite, Enjoy the Journey, that I've been looking forward to exploring.

This suite is on pages 58-59 in the Mini Catalog. I was attracted to it for so many reasons: the die silhouettes really work well for people in my family, the greetings are a bit different and fill in blanks in my collection and oh my gosh - those papers! I put together shares with my downline and this is the set that really got me excited as I cut them up.

On to my card. I chose to case the hiker on page 58. I changed up the greeting since I needed something for someone who is leaving for a new job. "Wishing you joy in this new adventure" will be perfect.

I also switched paper to one of the pink and orange scenes.
I chose not to add clouds and switched up the size. This is a 4"x6" card. (Also check out the Enjoy The Adventure Memories & More cards and envelopes on page 73.) If I hadn't been in a bit of a hurry I would have remembered to pull these out. They really work great with this suite but a closer look shows that they go with most of the other DSP collection in this catalog. Stampin' Up!'s designers have really been on their toes!
There is just a hint of a black border on this. The DSP is cut to 5 5/8" x 3 5/8". I initially cut the black layer to be 1/8" larger but it didn't look right then I mistakenly cut it down to the same size - or maybe just a tish bigger. Anyway I really liked it as a hint and not a bigger border.
The greeting is trimmed out with the banners from the Stylish Shapes Dies. I chose to repeat the black one more time and used black twine though the colors in the suite are pretty great too.
One more peek:

Now it is time to check out the other stampers. Next stop is Tricia Butts:

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cazz Boylan - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Melissa Gifford - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

Ximena Morales - DE

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - UK

Tina Zinck-MacDonald - CA

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.

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 January host code, 7BDHNV6J , I will send you free embellishments 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

Posted at 04:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

January 02, 2023

Introducing Share a Milkshake

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

I'm welcoming in a new year of Color Challenges at Splitcoaststampers with this sweet little number featuring Sharing Milkshakes from the @stampinupoffical upcoming mini catalog. Colors are Early Espresso, Mint Macaron and Sweet Sorbet. Dessert is what else but "something sweet"!

Share a Milkshake is a versatile set in the new January - April Mini catalog that debuts on January 5th. It will cover your Valentine card and gift needs and then keep working through many seasons. I don't know about you but ice cream is popular in our house all year long! While I'm always drawn to the pretty floral Valentine sets, when it comes to DH, ice cream speaks his language SO much better. He even made his own ice cream over the holidays - to complement our cookie baking.
Of course there is a mix of old and new here. The Share A Milkshake Bundle (160396) with stamps and dies and the Country Gingham 6"x6" DSP (160388) are in the upcoming Mini Catalog. Other supplies are noted below.
The images from the bundle were stamped with Mint Macaron, Sweet Sorbet and Early Espresso ink and die cut out of Basic White Thick cardstock.
The scallop layer is die cut with one of my favorite die sets Scalloped Contours. I love the scalloped rectangles AND the scalloped border.
I stamped an oval from Watercolor Shapes onto the scalloped rectangle and assembled the pieces of the milkshake scene.
I layered the scalloped rectangle onto a piece of 3 3/8" x 4 5/8" Sweet Sorbet.
When it came time to cut my DSP here is I did. Whenever I have a diagonal pattern I like to cut into the paper so that I leave myself the option of having a piece I can use for a corner border. Hopefully I'll show you what I did with that piece soon.

CUT A SCANT 1/2” CORNER BORDER OFF 2 EDGES. YOU WANT TO BE SURE THAT SQUARE YOU ARE LEFT WITH IS AT LEAST 5 1/2” X 5 1/2” SO THAT IT CAN COVER AN A2 CARD.

WORKING WITH THE 5 1/2” SQUARE, TRIM OUT A 5 1/2” X 4 1/4” PIECE TO FIT A A2 CARD FRONT. THIS WILL LEAVE A 1 1/4” X 5 1/2” STRIP TO USE AS A BORDER.

TO GET MORE USE FROM THE A2 SIZE PIECE TRIM OUT ANOTHER RECTANGLE THAT WILL BE COVERED BY YOUR OTHER LAYERS. IN THIS EXAMPLE I USED A 3/4” BORDER. THE EMPTY SPACE WAS COVERED BY THE SWEET SORBET LAYER IN THE ABOVE CARD.

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.

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 $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

Posted at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

December 14, 2022

Something New, Something Used

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 back to hopping with the talented stampers with Around the World on Wednesday. If you are coming here from Wendy Lee's blog, welcome!

This month our theme is Something New, Something Old. So, something that is new to me and something I've used before. Since December is also pre-order month for the next mini catalog and Sale-a-bration brochure, I suspect you will see a lot of us giving a little sneak preview.

I got out a beloved bundle from our July - January Mini Catalog, Snowman Magic, and some glimmer paper that I've also used before and mixed them up with a soon to be released Sale-a-bration set Adorable Owls. Check out those big owl eyes! I think that's why it's called adorable.

While this cute little guy looks like it will be so much fun to color, I left it simple with some Smoky Slate shadows on my wintry white owl. Then I did a little fussy cutting. It's quick!
Die cut a snowflake frame from the bundle from thick Basic White cardstock. I added about a 1/4" edge around the frame and then trimmed a piece of Tahitian Tide glimmer paper to have a 1/8" Border around the white frame.
I had not tried embossing on the glimmer paper before but was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. I used Versamark ink and white powder from the Basic Collection to stamp this beautiful greeting from Snowman magic. HINT: Position the snowflake frame on the glimmer paper as you stamp so that you make sure you get it between the snowflakes.
Assemble your card: I used Multi-purpose adhesive to attach the frame to the glimmer paper. Stampin Dimensionals were used to lift my owl up off the frame.
Finally, add a few Iridescent Pearl Basic jewels to highlight your creation. Easy Peasy!

Now let's go see what everyone else has to share!

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - UK

Tina Zinck-MacDonald - CA

Though the snowflake frame and magical time greeting are some of my favorite aspects of the Snowman Magic Bundle, there are several other really cute features, some of them shown here:

This card was originally designed for a color challenge here in my Splitcoaststampers Gallery.

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.

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 December host code, 6ZDBSWQN, I will send you free embellishments 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

Posted at 04:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

November 28, 2022

Framed Florets, a Little Fussy Cutting Goes a Long Way!

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

I have a few favorite card sketches that call for just portions of an image and today's card uses one of them:

Measurements for this card include a 8.5" x 5.5" Basic White card base, 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Evening Evergreen cardstock, 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" piece of Fitting Florets Designer Series Paper (DSP) in pattern shown or your preference. You will also need 1-2 floral die cuts from the DSP plus 1-2 fussy cut images from the same sheet. To make the best use of your DSP a couple of these should come from the edge. Thick Basic White card stock will be needed to cut the ovals and a leaflet.
I do paper shares with my team and often look for ways to use the 6" x 6" pieces I distribute. It's sometimes hard to cut through images when dividing the 12" x 12" pieces but knowing you can still use them in cards like this makes it a little easier!
When I'm using a whole die cut DSP image I often cut an extra plain card stock die cut of the same image so that I can layer them for a sturdier image that can be popped up or at least add a little more dimension.
Die cut your oval shapes and the leaflet out of the thick Basic White. Add your greeting in Soft Succulent. I added some subtle blending with a little Soft Succulent that was left on my brush. This is optional!
Layer your 3 7/8" x 5 1/4" Soft Succulent DSP over the Evening Evergreen layer. Before adhering it to your card add the ovals and florals as shown so that you can trim off anything that extends beyond the edge.
Adhere these layers to your Basic White card base. Add a few Soft Succulent Opal Rounds and you have a beautiful birthday (or whatever sentiment you choose) card!

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.

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 November host code, X3TVZGW7, I will send you a package of adhesive embellishements . 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

Posted at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 04, 2022

Introducing Fitting Florets

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

This month Stampin' Up! has a pre-release bundle from the upcoming January - June 2023 Mini Catalog:

Framed Florets Bundle (item 162407)
Framed Florets Photopolymer Stamp Set (item 161815)
Framed Florets Dies (item 160623)

along with some coordinating limited edition (only while supplies last) products:

Framed & Festive Cling Stamp Set (item 160888)
Fitting Florets Designer Series Paper (item 161814)
Gold Adhesive-Backed Swirls (item 161822)

I used some of the Fitting Florets designer series paper plus the dies and Framed Florets stamp set to create this beauty:

I love how the Evening Evergreen Windowpane Check Ribbon looks with the pretty florals in the Fitting Florets!
You can't see it but the card base is Basic White with embossed sections of Blushing Bride and Evening Evergreen. The Blushing Bride section measures a generous 5 1/2" x 3 5/8" and the 5 1/2" x 5/8". You will want to stamp your greeting in Evening Evergreen on the Blushing Bride piece befreo embossing it with the Timeworn Type 3D Embossing Folder. I positioned the paper in the folder so that the finer letters of "WITH ALL MY" are in relatively untextured sections of the folder though it will likely look great where ever you place it. The exact width of these isn't that particular just as long as once combined they cover the 4 1/4" width of the card. Any excess can be trimmed away. The Evening Evergreen piece is embossed with the Fern 3D Embossing Folder. (An optional step is to apply white craft inside the folder to make the fern image pop. I used a piece I had done this to previously but it won't make or break the design.)
Some additional notes on the way I put together my cards: I prefer to use regular Basic White for most of my card bases, especially when I am covering the whole front with other papers. I do make sure I cut the top layers generously enough to completely cover the card base. It is easier to trim away the extra layers than to trim the card base. Once you adhere the layers to the base, use your bone folder or fingernail to smooth down the edges over the fold or edge of the card base. This gives it a nice finish
I used two images from the DSP for this card. One is fussy cut, in other words trimmed with a paper snips while the other is cut out with one of the Framed Florets Dies. While it is certainly faster to cut things out with a die, it can be very relaxing to trim out images on your own once you get used to doing it. I applied the fussy cut piece directly to the covered card base.
Tie a piece of Evening Evergreen Windowpane Ribbon around your card front, tying the bow near the bottom of the card.
The die cut figure is reinforced with another white die cut in the same shape so that it can be popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals over the ribbon, above the bow.
While the Gold Swirls are gorgeous I also like the Solid Faceted Gems with the Fitting Florets DSP. The Petal Pink is VERY close to Blushing Bride, and the Balmy Blue and Night of Navy also work well. Even the Mossy Meadow and Melon Mambo will be useful with this collection.

That's it! Don't you think the Windowpane ribbon and Faceted Gems make wonderful additions to this collection?

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.

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 November host code, X3TVZGW7, I will send you a free gift to enhance your stamping experience. 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

Posted at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 10, 2022

Bewitching Meets Pretty Medallion

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 sharing a fun little number I made for last week's Color Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers:

The challenge called for Gorgeous Grape, Daffodil Delight and Pumkin Pie, with fall or Halloween as dessert. By the time I got done the neutrals, Gold, Black and White were added to the picture:

I was curious to see if I could blend the three challenge colors and at the last minute decided to try it over the Pretty Medallion background. Everything just seemed to fall in place after that.

You will want to use Stazon or a permanent ink for the Pretty Medallion so that you won't smear it as you blend the ink. Though I started with a full 1/4 sheet of Basic White for this layer, I later trimmed it down to a 3 1/8" x 4 3/8" piece, layering it onto a 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" piece of Basic Black. Start blending in the center of the Medallion with Daffodil Delight ink. Add Pumpkin Pie around that and finally add Gorgeous Grape around that. You may want to go back and add more ink and more blending until you get what you are happy with. (Last week some friends and I went to check out one of our neighborhood's newer restaurants, The Lost Fox, for happy hour. Then we stopped back at my place to do a little crafting and they made their own versions of this card. Some of them added spots to the blending with a few spritzes of water. It was a fun addition.)
The adorable Bewitching stamp set does not have any greetings with it and I resisted getting a second Halloween set this year. I've had fun finding other greetings like the "Let's Get into the Spirit" greeting from Bottled with Happiness. You can find a post for one of those cards here. And, you can always depend on some versatile greetings in the monthly Paper Pumpkin which is what I did on this card. I gold embossed Happy Halloween on Basic Black and die cut it with one of the flag shapes from Stylish Shapes. The classic witch hat with the buckle was also gold embossed and punched out.
The ribbon was so much fun to do. It almost felt like a Mardi Gras card. I used up some retired Gorgeous Grape sheer ribbon but you could easily color some crinkled seam binding to use in it's place. I cut some of them in half for a frazzled appearance. No fancy bow on this one as the mix of ribbon is the idea.
The Pretty Medallion/Basic Black layer is adhered to a Basic White card base with Dimensionals. The hat is also added with dimensionals. I used Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue for the greeting.

Now I can't wait to see what other projects could use a little Pretty Medallion pizzazz!

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.

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, S4HDSMY2, I will send you a free gift. 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

Bewitching Bundle (English)

[159857]

Pretty Medallion Cling Stamp Set

[158930]

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[121045]

Jet Black Stāzon Ink Pad

[101406]

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad

[147094]

Gorgeous Grape Classic Stampin' Pad

[147099]

Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad

[147086]

Versamark Pad

[102283]

Blending Brushes

[153611]

Metallics Embossing Powders

[155555]

Stylish Shapes Dies

[159183]

Black & White 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Gingham Ribbon

[156485]

Whisper White 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon

[151326]

Highland Heather Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[154887]

Simply Elegant Trim

[155766]

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

Posted at 12:56 PM in Bewtiching, Pretty Medallion | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 08, 2022

Joyful Flurry Joins in with the Stamping Inkspirations 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

I'm blog hoping today with Angie Mackenzie's Stamping Inkspirations Blog hop.

This month our theme is a great sketch:

I thought that this sketch would lend itself beautifully with the Joyful Flurry Bundle and I found this combination to be so successful I made a couple of cards.

The first card uses my original idea of featuring the 3-D type cut out created by one of the Frosted Flurry dies that doesn't simply cut out a snowflake but cuts bits of the snowflake partially out of the paper.

When I looked at the greeting, " It's a season of magic & wonder", I thought right away about using glimmer paper in Orchic Oasis peeking out from behind the torn edges.
The Wintry 3D embossing folders help carry out the magical snowflake theme.
The edges of the Basic White card base get a little ink with a Blending Brush. The ombre effect mimics the glimmer. I wanted to keep the glimmer to the middle of the card so the edges just have a matte look.

I changed things up a bit with the second card which features some of the In Color 2022-2024 DSP in the same Orchid Oasis color of the previous card:

I decided white on white circles would be a fun change up for this stamped snowflake.
Instead of Glimmer paper, this card uses some of the Orchid Oasis (2022-2024 In Color). The pattern shown looks a little like snowflakes and the flip side is the pretty diagonal plaid shown at the edges of the card.
The smaller, glimmer snowflakes are die cut from the same glimmer paper as the previous card. They are "extra embellished" with a few Orchid Oasis Matte Dots.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Now it's time to check out more great interpretations of this sketch. Next up is Susan Webster at Pumpkin Hill Stampers:

Angie McKenzie ● Aurélie Fabre ● Annette Ball

Tricia Butts ● Jan Musselman ● Ann Krucek

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert ● Mo Rootes ● Marieke Bart

Leonie Stuart ● Chris Smith ● Susan Webster ● Karen Henderson

Vickie Littlewood ● Robbie Susan Chandler ● Danielle Kassing ● Teri West

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.

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, S4HDSMY2, I will send you a free gift. 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

Posted at 04:10 PM in Joyful Flurry | Permalink | Comments (9)

September 14, 2022

My "Neighborhood"

It's a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood is the general theme for the September 2022 Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop with a focus on each participant's favorite place in the world!

I grew up in Duluth, Minnesota in the US and spent a lot of time on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Even though we currently live in a downtown Saint Paul high rise, we still spend as much time as possible at our "Sea Villa" up on Lake Superior. Even as I write this we are finishing up an extended stay up here as we celebrate our anniversary. As summer starts to change to fall, this is one of my favorite times to be here. Walks in the woods, time spent watching the ever changing lake and listening to the waves are just some of the ways we relax up here. With some recent rain we even found some waterfalls to visit.

Of course I usually sneak in a little stamping when I'm up here. I keep a cupboard of crafting essentials up in our loft. This trip I brought along Season of Chic so that I could work on a design team project I had for Splitcoaststampers weekly Color Challenge which included "nature" for dessert.

So many current Stampin' Up sets relate to this area, from Adventurous Journey with its boat and kayak to Wildlife Wonder with some of the animals found in the north woods. I decided to bring Season of Chic for it's versatility and the fact that I love to explore what's in bloom along the roadsides and walking paths.
The colors in our challenge this week are Soft Succulent, Evening Evergreen and Rich Razzleberry. There is a lot of this razzleberry/orchid color popping along the paths right now.
I stamped all of the die cut elements on this card on watercolor paper so that it would be easy to soften and blend out the colors a little.
I decided to bring in even more nature by picking a small fern and inking it up with Evening Evergreen ink and pressing it into some Soft Succulent card stock. Yes, I have the fern folder and stamp but those are in St Paul and this a fun, if slightly messy, substitute!

I'm looking forward to checking out the neighborhoods "around the world" on our blog hop. Wont you join me in peeking in on them? Next up is Tricia Buts.

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.

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 September host code, QYUY6YC3, I will send you a free gift. 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 06:00 AM in Season of Chic | Permalink | Comments (6)

August 10, 2022

Never Ever Grow Up

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

It's been a busy summer and here we are back again to hop around the world with all of the talented stampers with Around the World on Wednesday.

This month our theme is "Never Ever Grow Up". I think you will see a variety of fun cards for the younger set as you hop around the world with us. Since most in our family are the adult variety of kids I thought I would get a head start on a holiday that I think that gives many adults a chance to embrace their inner child, Halloween.

This set features 3 fun witch hats and a pair of silly feet. A little more of the playful than the scary variety. Plus a spider and stars stamp. Plus there's a punch that gives you a hat, band and stars. So many possibilities!
I stamped the first pair of feet on the bottom center of a scored white card, using Jet Black Stazon ink. This makes it easy to stamp the remaining feet which will go off the edge a bit.
Either Stampin' Write Markers of Watercolor pencils will work well with the Stazon ink.
I pulled out another fun set, Bottled with Happiness for its line "Let's get into the spirit".
Layer some scallops cut with the Scallops & Contours Dies and add a Black & White Gingham bow to keep the "cute" going.
What do you think of the little sparkly green star on the band of the hat. I punched it out of the glitter washi.

Now that you've had a little Halloween preview it's time to move on to the next blog in the hop, Tricia Butts. I can't wait to see what creation she has for us!

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - UK

Elaine de Montmorency - CA

Teri West - US

Cheryl Hamilton - US

Thanks so much for hopping with 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.

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 August host code, QSGZGFJ, I will send you a free gift. Plus you get to choose a free Sale-A-Bration item with each $50 ordered. 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

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

July 13, 2022

CAS(e) A Team Member

I'm back today with a fun Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop: Our theme is CAS(e)ing a team member.

AND! I get to case the talented Wendy Lee. It was so much fun practically immersing myself in her blog, absorbing her style. To top it off, I had a great little chat with her. In the end I decided to CAS(e) her fabulous, glimmery Kite Delight card, Glimmery Thanks.

For the most part I use specialty papers in small doses. Wendy's card is more of a Go Big, Go Bold card when it comes to glimmer and I thought it would be a great way to stretch myself as I tried on a little bit of someone else's style. By using one of the colors Wendy used, I could also incorporate this week's color challenge over at Splitcoaststampers: Parakeet Party, Polished Pink, Coastal Cabana and Blushing Bride.

Since it is Christmas In July all month for our color challenges, I initially aimed for a wintry Christmas scene - a little whimsical for a vintage trailer.

What do you think of that large glimmery background? I think it is perfect with these whimsical colors. At first I was concerned that the paper depict the idea of a forest of pines, so I tried stamping on the glimmer paper. Since I used Parakeet Party it doesn't show really well but I did learn that the ink will dry as I wasn't picking any of it up on my fingers.
I cut the detail of the trees from white glimmer paper to depict the snow. And then used a partial Stylish Shapes circle of white glimmer paper to give my vintage trailer a base of snow.
The Polished Pink/Blushing Bride trailer gets a little bit of sponging around the edges to lend depth.

As you can see, I also borrowed Wendy's sketch with a Stylish Shapes circle to lend focus and organize my scene. I really like how this sketch works with the Trees for Sale stamp set and the Tree Lot dies. So much so that I decided to make a second card with a few tweeks:

Recalling a Christmas spent in Pensacola a few years back, I decided to use a warmer climate for the next scene. I took some liberties with the color combination and added some Granny Apple Green for some bolder trees. I like how this stands out from the Glimmery Parakeet Party background. Maybe I prefer just a tish less glimmer too?
I also changed up how the Coastal Cabana color is used. The circle is lightly blended on White cardstock and I added a skinny border layer. Wendy loves layers! I hope I used enough. Since I've shared a few sheets of the Parakeet Glimmer paper this was my last sheet so I cut out a circle to use on a future project. Thus, this time my circle is actually inlaid into the Parakeet Party layer...

I might have to come up with some more cards with this sketch - in the other glimmer paper colors. It really is a fun look. Thank you for the inspiration, Wendy!

Well that's enough chatter for these cards. On to Alaska! I can't wait to see what Teri West comes up with.

Jan Clothier - NZ

Tatiana Tobin - AU

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cazz Boylan - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Melissa Gifford - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

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 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 cbondersonsmith@gmail.com

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, PJ3P2ZKP, I will send you a free gift. 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

Trees For Sale Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[159785]

Tree Lot Dies

[159938]

Stylish Shapes Dies

[159183]

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

[159229]

2022–2024 In Color 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Glimmer Paper

[159246]

Real Red & White 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Glimmer Paper

[159578]

Parakeet Party 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159259]

Polished Pink 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[155710]

Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[131297]

Blushing Bride 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[131198]

Smoky Slate 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[131202]

Polished Pink Classic Stampin' Pad

[155712]

Parakeet Party Classic Stampin' Pad

[159208]

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad

[147097]

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad

[147095]

Blending Brushes

[153611]

Posted at 06:00 AM in Happier than Happy, Tree Lot Dies, Trees for Sale | Permalink | Comments (9)

June 08, 2022

Let's Hear It for the Boys

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

Yes! I have been a bit MIA if you haven't been keeping track of me on my Facebook page or Instagram. Just lots of non-stamping stuff going on...But, I'm back today with, drum roll please, ... Let's Hear It for the Boys, a blog hop with the awesome Around the World on Wednesday group.

Our theme is projects that celebrate the guys in our lives. I took a little bit of a twist on this one. After we get done celebrating those guys, they may need some thank you notes. I made these for my husband to use after he retired last week.

I got started with this set of cards by using a color challenge calling for Coastal Cabana, Granny Apple Green and Mango Melody. This was also my first go round with the Rugged Icons Dies:

I can easily see myself using all of these, well maybe I'll need to use my imagination for the beard. Anyway, here is the first card:

After experimenting with a few die cuts I realized that whatever color is used for the outline needs to work for trees and the shadow of the mountains. With the bright colors of the challenge I decided to go with the boldness of basic black. I also cut a Mango Melody and Coastal Cabana scene to use for the inlay.
I cut the same image from the front of my Basic White card base and lined the inside of the front with a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Granny Apple Green cardstock. This kept the inlay easy I only needed to add the sky, sun and river or trail.
I centered the black frame so that the horizon line was level and secured it with sponged on Multipurpose Adhesive.
Add the inlay. Hint: Fit the pointed end of the sky piece on the left into place first.
Add your greeting. I loved the way the simple font from Sending Smiles works here.

With one card down and feeling a little more comfortable with the dies I tried a modification of my simple card sketch to avoid the extra layer on the inside of the card.

This one used some smaller layers on the front to add the Granny Apple Green. I also changed the path to a river. Since I knew I'd be making a few more I positioned my greeting on the Stamparatus to get consistent placement.

I love the way the bright challenge colors looked with the black but wanted to try some more muted colors. There are lots of possibilities if you consider various darker shades of green paired with lighter shades. For these I settled on Evening Evergreen for my frame with Soft Succulent in the background:

I used Balmy Blue for the sky/river and So Saffron for the sun. I subbed in Crumb Cake on the second card to depict a trail.
The same greeting used previously was stamped in Evening Evergreen.

Now it's time to check out the rest of the blog hop.

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Melissa Gifford - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - UK

Elaine de Montmorency - CA

Teri West - US

Cheryl Hamilton - 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.

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 June host code, X6MYPQDK , I will send you a free gift. 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 05:00 AM in Rugged Icon Dies | Permalink | Comments (4)

March 24, 2022

What's Cookin' Handmade Stamping Up Card

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

Well, have you checked out the Retiring List/ Last Chance Products? Some items are up to 60 % off. See my post on that from yesterday here. Check here for my Retired Project Gallery. It is a work in progress but I do have a few favorites on there already

I wrote up this post before seeing the retiring list and, sadly, this is a bundle that is retiring. So far I haven't located the stencils in the new catalog either and these are really must haves in my opinion.

This card is from a color challenge I designed for a few weeks ago. The colors were Real Red, Pool Party and Petal Pink. The red and pale blue had me thinking about a couple of vintage style kitchens: my mom's late '60's kitchen and my daughter's vintage 1940's kitchen which still boasts some the most unique drawer pulls I've ever seen. Dessert for this challenge was flowers:

Real Red

Pool Party

Petal Pink

Here's what I came up with:

The background is made with the Butterflies & Flowers Decorative Mask and Blending Brush,
I cut a white and Real red scalloped rectangle with the Scallops & Contours Dies, layering them ever so slightly to give the skinniest Real Red border. It's a little reminiscent of some layering with the largest die in this set here.
The two-tone vintage bowl was stamped with Real Red. I added Light Pool Party with a Blends Marker. The home I grew up had the palest blue/green painted cupboards and breakfast nook. ...with Real Red Mediterranean tile patterned kitchen carpet. Remember that? It was a rather sharp look that wasn't quite like any other kitchens I'd been in.
A little Basics Baker's Twine in white, allowed me to add that Real Red wisk as an accent.
and the Petal Pink? Yes, I barely got this in there. I stamped a spoon with Crumb Cake ink (Neutrals are allowed) on a scrap of Petal Pink. You may have noticed that many of my photos are taken with a piece of wood tone DSP in the background. This weathered wood pattern has always struck me as having some petal pink in the background. So I felt justified in using Petal Pink for the old wooden spoon. OK?

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.

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 February host code, YPYJ7NWJ, I will send you a free gift. 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

Posted at 11:00 AM in What's Cookin' | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 23, 2022

Last Chance Products

Hello Stampers,

I know that most of my posts are inspirational cardmaking in nature but today is really about things coming and going from Stampin' Up!

Demonstrators have just had a peek at the new 2022-23 Annual Catalog and with that comes the Last Chance Products Promotion. Check out the Last Chance Promotion HERE.

If you have favorites in the retiring 2020-22 In Colors waste no time in snatching them up. When they are gone, they are gone.

If you are intrigued by getting a sneak peek at what's to come, by all means check out the "Join the Fun" button at the top of my blog! Demonstrators recently had a guessing game on their private Facebook page to learn the new 2022-23 In Colors. They are featured here:

While I really love them all I'm especially excited that there is something closer to a periwinkle, Orchid Oasis. The other new colors are called Starry Sky, Tahitian Tide, Parakeet Party and Sweet Sorbet. Can you pick them out in this picture?

I'm really looking forward to the time I spend with stampers in my downline as we chat about the new stuff and get together to try out everyone else's favorites...

Effective April 1 we will have a shipping increase: In the United States, standard shipping and handling charges will change from $6.95 USD or 10% (whichever is greater) to $7.95 USD or 11% (whichever is greater)—including territories and APO/FPO.

Stampin' Up! does try to be conservative in their prices increases but please be aware that this next catalog is likely to see a number of increases across the product lines.

Finally I'm preparing a gallery of projects featuring retiring products. Since I don't know in advance what they are it is certainly a work in progress but you can find the index for it here:

2022 Retiring Product Gallery

Retiring Product List - this will be link on a separate page, allowing me to update it with corrections or improvements.

Initial List - see my shopping page or the above link for more updates:

Download 2021-2022-Annual-Catalog-Last-Chance-Products_US

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

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.

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 $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 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 12, 2022

Embossing Techniques with Stamping INKspirations

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

Happy Saturday! Today we are doing an Embossing Blog Hop with Stamping INKspirations.

I thought I would try something I haven't done for awhile: emboss resist. It turns out that it worked out as a great way to pull together these images from Amazing Silhouettes.

I stamped the images with white craft ink on 1/4 sheet Basic White cardstock since the sheen of the ink was a little easier to see and thus control the placement better.
I started with the tree since it was the fussiest about being "upright" and then added the others around that.
The whole sheet was embossed with white embossing powder.
Polished Pink, Mango Melody and Granny Apple Green inks were applied with Blending Brushes. Use a tissue to blot of any extra ink.
I trimmed the sheet to 3 1/2" x 4 3/4" and attached to a 3 3/4" x 5" piece of gold foil paper.
The thanks was cut from the same gold foil and layered over a slightly large die cut of vellum cardstock.

Here's a skinny shot of the vellum under the gold foil:

And finally, here is a more posed shot - not taken in front of the patio door to catch the light on the foil...

Now it's time to check out the rest of the blog hop. The talented Teri West is next!

Angie McKenzie ● Aurélie Fabre ● Jill Chapman

Jo Blackman ● Leonie Stuart ● Tricia Butts

Karen Henderson ● Mo Rootes ● Jan Musselman

Susan Webster ● Sue Allen ● Chris Smith

Teri West ● Gez Carpenter ● Danielle Kassing

Elaine de Montmorency ● Terry Hamilton ● Vickie Littlewood

Lorraine Tierney ● Annette Ball ● Marieke Bart

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.

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 March host code, M9VSSZKV, I will send you a free gift. 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

Posted at 03:50 PM in Amazing Silhouettes | Permalink | Comments (11)

March 09, 2022

Layer Up with Around the World on Wednesday

Before you read on please 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

I'm so curious about this month's Around the World Blog Hop and I think you will be too. The theme is Layer Up and it's all about using (lots of) layers PLUS we get to decide what that really means.

I confess that I thought twice about this one. Lately I lean towards CAS and border cards, not necessarily many layers. Layers of embossing? Layers of ink?...

Well, I've been thinking about trying to layer these Picture This pieces since I first cut a bunch of them while trying a friend's dies - last summer. Of course I never put the die in exactly the same place so when I stacked them up little moon shapes peek through when you layer them. Anyway, the thought of layering them intrigued me. I finally used them yesterday for a color challenge since I had die cuts for two of the colors (Mango Melody and Flirty Flamingo) and a card base, Pale Papaya, in the third. A key for this particular look was that the colors a rather close to each other on the color wheel.

The Flirty Flamingo and Mango Melody layers are shifted just slightly from each other leaving only crescent shapes of Mango Melody showing through the Flirty Flamingo.
Since the circles were originally cut from quarter sheets I had room to trim them down in order to create borders.
While I could have embossed my greeting directly onto my card I chose to use a separate piece and add it as an extra(!!!) layer. This gave me a little more wiggle room to get it centered in the framing circle. The inside greeting, "you matter to me" is also from the Happy & Heartfelt stamp set from the January - June 2022 Mini Catalog.
Brushed Brass Butterflies finish this off beautifully, especially since it echoes the gold in the greeting.

There are so many possibilities that I decided to put together a few more, using up the rest of the die cuts I had packed. Depending on the colors and the way you layer the dies there are many possibilities.

Monochromatic: I just love using white on white!

These are layered differently, basically turning the top circle layer 180 degrees so that they create a different pattern than the crescents in the previous card.
A little texture from my favorite folder, Tasteful Textile 3D, adds a little more interest.
I decided not to add much more to this, just a die cut "thanks" from the Amazing Thanks dies and a few tiny gold flowers that didn't make it onto the previous card.

Finally, using higher contrast colors becomes graphic art by itself:

This one uses 4 untrimmed quarter sheet die cuts over another Pale Papaya card base, arranged in a random fashion. Pretty thick though you could also trim these a bit to leave several borders.
I used Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie and Granny Apple Green because well, those are the colors I had - and I didn't have either the dies or a large Stampin' Cut & Emboss in my traveling stash.
I die cut the Happy & Heartfelt greeting with a Stitched Rectangle die. This did fit in my Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss, which is the only machine I have with me right now (and it's 20% off this month)!

What colors would you use? I think I'll be trying some more of these once I'm back home...

Now it's time to see how everyone else interpreted our little layer theme. Next up is Tricia Butts. I'm sure she has something wonderful to share with us!

Here is the whole group for this month:

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - UK

Elaine de Montmorency - CA

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert - US

Teri West - US

Cheryl Hamilton - 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.

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 $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

Posted at 04:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

February 14, 2022

Rainbow of Happiness

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

Body

Content

BLOG 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.

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 $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 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 12, 2022

A Color Challenge with Stamping INKspirations

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, my crafting friends! I hope your weekend is going well. Today I'm doing a little blog hopping with Stamping Inkspirations, organized by my friend Angie, MacKenzie.If you have arrived here from the blog hop, I'm Chris Smith from St. Paul, MN.

Today Angie has us doing a color challenge with some beautiful colors.

Blushing Bride, Polished Pink, Fresh Freesia Bumblebee and Garden Green. Are you thinking spring and flowers? I might have been too. Except, we've been traveling for much of the past few weeks and even though I was just barely organized to sign up for the hop, I apparently wasn't when it was time for me to pack to head up north to check in on the big lake. Even though I keep a second stash of ink pads up there - I don't have the in-colors and this combo has three of them. I do have a stash of ink refills so I set about trying to recreate the colors by mixing them with others as needed and adding white craft to lighten if necessary. I used some sponge daubers to blend the colors onto Basic White cardstock and ended up with these:

I used Rich Razzleberry and a little Highland Heather mixed with a healthy amount of white craft refill to approximate Fresh Freesia.
For Bumblebee I used Crushed Curry and a little less white than I normally would.
My Polished Pink stand-in was Flirty Flamingo with Melon Mambo mixed with the white.
The green sheet is mostly Garden Green with a bit of Bumblebee blended in.

I've always love the "oil painting look" but haven't done this technique since Stampin' Up! started carrying the Blending Brushes which are a little quicker to use. My older technique requires sponge daubers and I'm starting to think that they work better if they are old. When I ordered new daubers a few years ago, the sponge would expand when I put craft ink on them, becoming very wobbly and hard to control. Now I am wondering if the sponge gets stiffer as they age because they worked beautifully now. So if you try this, use some daubers that have been in your stash for a while... I'll add a how-to video towards the end of the post.

Second problem ... I only brought two stamp sets with me thinking I just had to work on a color challenge for Monday which I intended to be masculine. All I had to work with were On the Horizon Bundle and Wildlife Wonder stamp set. What to do, what to do? I thought my chances were better with the bundle and it's dies...

Other than my limited supplies the scene is a bit inspired by our trip to Green Valley AZ earlier this month when we went to visit my parents for mom's birthday. They have a lovely view of the Santa Rita mountains with a bit of Green Valley's dessert flora in between them and the mountains. I decided to take a chance cutting up the die cut with the string of little trees to see if I could create some quasi Prickly Pears.
I applied my desert flora over the bottom edge of the card, trimming off the excess in an attempt to add to the depth. I say you should try anything once.
I also tried a trick I've done with blended backgrounds in the past. Trim off one edge and turn it upside down as a border. You can do this on one or both sides.

Here are some other pictures from our recent travels, noting the difference in climate and scenery...

The first is looking towards the Santa Rita Mountains from my parents' patio.
The second shows Cowboy Whiskers Prickly Pear as seen during a trip to the Sonora Desert Museum last Saturday. You don't want to brush up against one of these but I really thought the name was appropriate.
One of the cards I made with Mom, a birthday card for a quilt loving friend. We used the quilt dies from a holiday catalog a few years back along with the Flowering Cactus Medley from last year plus her new Cactus Cutie Bundle. Sorry for the poor pix - it's the only one I took.
Finally a shot of Lake Superior, near Tofte, MN before we left to return to St. Paul earlier this morning. It was 15 below!

Here is an older video of the sponge dauber blending technique - with even more cacti (Flowering Desert) from the archives:

Gosh, I'm chatty for a Saturday... all because I thought I needed to explain how I got to my card... Now for the rest of the blog hop, next stop is the amazing Tricia Butts:

Angie McKenzie ● Leonie Stuart ● Aurélie Fabre

Rachael Merrick ● Jan Musselman ● Jo Blackman

Karen Egan ● Mo Rootes ● Robbie Susan Chandler

Danielle Kassing ● Gez Carpenter ● Ann Krucek

Annette Ball ● Susan Webster ● Karen Henderson

Elaine de Montmorency ● Chris Smith ● Tricia Butts

Teri West ● Linda Moore ● Marieke Bart

Vickie Littlewood ● Jill Chapman ● Susan Simpson

Terry Hamilton ● Cheryl Hamilton ● Sharon Hashimoto Burkert

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.

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 $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

On The Horizon Bundle (English)

[157779]

Sponge Daubers

[133773]

Whisper White Craft Stampin' Ink Refill

[101780]

Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill

[115664]

Highland Heather Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[147167]

Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[141402]

Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[115662]

Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[131157]

Garden Green Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[102059]

Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Ink Refill

[131158]

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

[159229]

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[121045]

Basics Embossing Powders

[155554]

Heat Tool (Us And Canada)

[129053]

Paper Snips

[103579]

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

Clear Block F

[118483]

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

Posted at 03:39 PM in On the Horizon | Permalink | Comments (15)

February 10, 2022

Furry Friends Crafty Collaborations 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 we have the theme of Furry Friends for our Crafty Collaborations blog hop.

Stampin' Dreams Blog Hop Banner

If you are following the Stampin' Dreams blog hop and are new to my blog, welcome to my inkpad. I'm Chris Smith. Normally I stamp in a little pantry sized studio in downtown St. Paul, MN but more often than I care to admit, it carries over onto our nearby dining room table.

At first I didn't think of otters as furry friends and thought I would feature a bunny today... but we've been traveling and stamping time got tight so plan B was necessary. I decided to feature a group of projects I did during a stamping play date with one of my he'Artstringstampers downline a while back. There will be plenty of time to talk bunnies later...

So, otters have fur right? In fact, unlike most other marine mammals, otters don't have blubber and instead use a very dense water resistant fur to keep them warm. That must be what makes them so cute! The projects I'm going to share with you today use watercolor pencils (and a whole bunch of other stuff we had out on the table) to make that fur come to life.

As you can see here, even though they are called watercolor pencils I don't always use watercolor with them. They are SO versatile. I used them dry on several of these pieces as I think this gives a little more texture to their fur.

This card uses a number of dies. One of my he'Artstringstampers team buddies was visiting and I played with her Layering Diorama Dies to create a simple pond. The grass and leaf are from the Palms Dies in the mini catalog. Finally, I added one of the Tasteful Labels Dies to add my embossed greeting.
Can you see all of the ways I used my pencils? I love to start soft and then add pressure to intensify my colors as I did at the edges of my little pond. A little more green for variation to my Granny Apple Green grass. And, finally the textured look of the otter.
Something to keep in mind about watercolor pencils: if you are using water with them you will want to use a water resistant ink like Stazon Jet Black. If you plan to use them dry you can use either the Stazon or Memento's water based ink, Tuxedo Black. Sometimes I get away with using waterbased ink when I'm using blender pens, as long as I let it dry several hours and use a light touch with the Blender pen. Otherwise it is safest to use Stazon with anything that will be wet or damp.

Here are a few more:

I stamped the otter, hat and greeting on a Crumb Cake that had been precut with the Tailor Made Tags dies. I have to say that I love the old fashioned typewriter font with this set!
Similar use of the pencils, this time stamping directly on the Crumb Cake makes coloring this little guy super easy.
I used the White Stampin' Chalk Marker for the pompom.
This gets a fun ribbon treatment that is simply a mix of scraps: Pool Party Sheer and White Glitttered Organdy colored with a Granny Apple Green Blends all tied up with Black & White Baker's Twine from the Playful Pets Combo.

This next project is one that got away from me a little but I'm going to share it anyway since you might want to try some of the features if you have these supplies. You know I had to keep playing with Liz's Diorama dies:

I combined the dies with Art in Bloom hybrid bundle, using the folder inked with Mossy Meadow to emboss the Pear Pizzazz top layer.
Tone on tone Mossy Meadow stamping of the leaves on the middle layer.
More "dry" watercolor pencil on the actual pond layer with just a bit of pencil shading around the edges.

Finally the tag that started me down this path. I had originally seen some Otter tags by the talented Trayce Bauer on Instagram (@inkingtheedges 11.24.21 post). This was my version:

I used Blender Pens with the pencils. It's still a good look, just without the texture but I make up for that using Trayce's idea of the embossed Pool Party background.

Amazing Otters is a Sale-A-Bration set. That means that you can get it "free" with a purchase of $50 (US). It is only available until the end of February. I think these adorable critters will definitely earn their spot on your stamp shelf. As you can see, they will play nicely with so many other stamping supplies!

Now it's time for the rest of the blog hop. Depending on how you interpret "Furry Friends", Stampin' Up has at least 20 stamp sets featuring one or more of these critters. If I'm looking at the trail correctly you should be taking a virtual hop to see the talented Denise Willerton in Canada:

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.

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 $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

Watercolor Pencils

[141709]