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October 25, 2019

Meet So Many Stars

I love to play with longer border type dies. You can see quite a few of these if you look back at some of my February posts. I was thinking of these when I made this card for a color challenge I hosted a few weeks ago. It called for Seaside Spray + Night of Navy with heat embossing for dessert.

I started this card with 1 sheet each of Seaside Spray and Night of Navy attached edge to edge with one sided tape in the back.
Then I die cut the swirly stars across the "seam". After removing all of this, just leaving the outline (and trimming it down to an A2 size), I die cut a second swirly stars from Sparkle Glimmer paper and cleared out all of the removable pieces.
I embossed a set of stars that can be cut with this same die - in Shimmer White embossing powder on Seaside Spray and did a 3rd die cut.
I assembled all of this dies onto a top fold thick Whisper White card base with a layer of Rich Razzleberry on top so that it shows through the "unreplaced" parts of the swirly stars die.
A little ribbon with some left over glittery stars, along with a greeting stamped in Night of Navy and the card is done!

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

Check out the Stampin' Up! catalogs link at the top of my blog. 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]

***If you don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator 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. Clicking on any of the items in the product list below will also bring you to my shop.

Chris

If you place a minimum $50 (US) order using the June host code, QPWQEMHA, I will send you the free gift of product that will be featured in my November projects. 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

Posted at 01:27 PM in So Many Stars | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 22, 2019

More Buffalo Check...

So. Stampin' Up! has a 24 Hour Flash starting in the wee hours tomorrow. Lots of good stuff, including several that are still on my wish list. While I highly suspect most of my blog readers already have the Buffalo Check background stamp, if you don't, tomorrow is the day to get it at 15% off.

Buffalo Check is likely my most used stamp. My trio of cards today show that it works with just about anything.

But, before I get to the cards I need to give you the PDF with all the sets:

Download 10.14.19_FLYER_24HRSTAMPSALE_US

I also have gallery page for this sale which will show you other samples of the flash sale sets, along with thumbnails that link you to my store. There is even more Buffalo Check on that page!

On to my trio of cards...

I knew I would use Buffalo Check for today's Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge when I saw the warm color combination that Mary chose for us: Merry Merlot + Cajun Craze + Daffodil Delight with fall or Thanksgiving for dessert. I stamped my Buffalo Check with Merry Merlot on Cajun Craze card stock.
My Gather Together Leaf was stamped in early Espresso and colored with Daffodi Delight and Cajun Craze Blends after it was die cut.
The upper background was done with a leaf type stencil from Basic Pattern Decorative Masks which you can find in the holiday catalog - page 35. I had to try out my new Golden Glitz Delicata Metallic ink which I just received after it was on backorder. WOW! I can see why it was so popular. Talk about shine. It even comes through well in the pictures doesn't it? But my "leaves" aren't just Golden Glintz. Once I decided that I would use this piece for the color challenge, I carefully reapplied my stencil and added a hint of Merry Merlot at the base of each leaf, using a dauber to do so.
Gold Shimmer ribbon brings it all together. This ribbon will be available next month with the Christmastime is Here suite!

Another Color Challenge card from a few weeks ago, this one called for Petal Pink, Calypso Coral and Pear Pizzazz. Karen asked us to use foil for dessert. I thought that the Old Olive foil in the Noble Peacock foil collection looks close to Pear Pizzazz when it reflects light. I sued this foil as a thin strip in my border and also for the sprigs cut with the Frosted Bouquet dies.
Other fun features are the soft stamped off Petal Pink To a Wild Rose images on the Petal Pink layer with texture from the Subtle embossing folder, Petal Pink Buffalo Check and of course another excuse to use that luscious Petal Pink Organdy ribbon.

Switching gears let's see how well Buffalo Check Does with something a little more young at heart.

This features one of my favorite color combinations: Granny Apple Green + Call Me Clover + Real Red (with a little Crumb Cake, black and white thrown in as neutrals.) So it's no surprise that I was hosting this color challenge and, of course, I chose plaid as dessert.
I've used this layout several other times but this is the first time I left a little strip showing on the right side.
The Call Me Clover Happiness Blooms Enamel Dots are a fun finishing touch.

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

Chris

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

Rare Blessings Cling Stamp Set

[149241]

Slice Of Happiness Cling Stamp Set

[149289]

Beautiful Day Cling-Mount Stamp Set

[151257]

Leave A Little Sparkle Cling Stamp Set

[149292]

Magical Mermaid Cling-Mount Stamp Set

[151234]

Stargazing Cling Stamp Set

[149295]

Wonderful Moments Photopolymer Stamp Set

[147529]

Seaside Notions Cling Stamp Set

[149278]

Buffalo Check Cling-Mount Stamp Set

[151372]

Gather Together Bundle

[153036]

To A Wild Rose Bundle

[151073]

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

Petal Pink Classic Stampin' Pad

[147108]

Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad

[147101]

Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad

[147104]

Merry Merlot Classic Stampin' Pad

[147112]

Call Me Clover Stampin' Pad

[147139]

Golden Glitz Delicata Metallic Ink Pad

[150711]

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[100730]

Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[120953]

Cajun Craze 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[119684]

Petal Pink 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[146985]

Noble Peacock Foil Sheets

[149495]

Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[131201]

Granny Apple Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[146990]

Call Me Clover 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[146969]

Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[144603]

Cajun Craze Combo Pack Stampin' Blends

[147931]

Real Red Combo Pack Stampin' Blends

[147935]

Call Me Clover Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[147282]

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[147274]

Happiness Blooms Enamel Dots

[148805]

Petal Pink 5/8" (1.6 Cm) Organdy Striped Ribbon

[149441]

Gold 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Shimmer Ribbon

[152156]

Posted at 05:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 21, 2019

Lots of Cheer Trio

Happy Monday everyone. Today I've got a trio of Christmas cards showcasing the different images in Lot's of Cheer. This set is perfect for quick coloring and these cards show how you can come up with colors that aren't necessarily available in the Blends collection.

These ornament balls are stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento and colored with some of the newer Blends combos: So Saffron, Rococo Rose and Pretty Peacock. Aren't they lovely!
I fussy cut them - it was way faster than it probably looks.
You'll want to stamp the greeting on the Pool Party layer prior running it through your Big Shot with the Tufted 3D folder.

What do you do when you have a color challenge that calls for Granny Apple Green + Melon Mambo + Blushing Bride with stripes for dessert PLUS the overall theme was Christmas. No corresponding DSP...so I had to make my own!
I used an acrylic quilting ruler to draw my 1/4" wide stripes on the diagonal, colored them in with my blends which allowed me to get a little variation with each color. The light Lovely Lipstick Blends marker works perfectly as a fill in for Melon Mambo and gave me a chance to add a little shading with the dark one. (For the Blushing Bride stripe I had to use my regular marker, discovering that you can carefully combine these different types of markers when necessary as long as you don't mix them in the same area and are careful not to touch a stamped area that wasn't meant for that marker.) When I was all done coloring the stripes I went over the lines with a (retired) Black journaling marker.
A stitched rectangle die and some Glitter Enamel Dots finish off this card.

This was also for a Christmas in July Color Challenge: Cherry Cobbler + Garden Green + Gold.
I embossed this jingle bell wreath in gold and colored it with Blends (SU alcohol markers) These don't come in Garden Green so I used Mint Macaron Light and Dark plus a little Light Call Me Clover to bring it closer to the Garden Green range.
I added the sentiment, cut it out with a rectangle die and popped it onto a white card.
Once I have the routine down for coloring the bells it's definitely a card that can be mass produced.

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

Lots Of Cheer Cling Stamp Set

[149503]

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[100730]

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

[121045]

Lovely Lipstick Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[147281]

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[147274]

Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker

[100082]

Glitter Enamel Dots

[146934]

Stitched Rectangle Dies

[148551]

Mint Macaron Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[147283]

Call Me Clover Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[147282]

Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[144598]

Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder

[109129]

So Saffron Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[149557]

Rococo Rose Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[149572]

Pretty Peacock Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[149560]

Tufted 3D Embossing Folder

[151785]

Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[122924]

Posted at 06:32 PM in Blends, Lots of Cheer | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 10, 2019

Coming in November: Christmastime is Here Suite

Today I have a quick preview for you. As Stampin' Up! demonstrators, we get to pre-order new products before they become available to the general public. Quite the fun perk I'd say! I can't do links for these yet but the products include the Christmas Rose bundle of stamps and dies, Christmas is Here specialty designer series paper, Gold Glitter Enamel Dots, and Gold Shimmer Ribbon. You can also choose a special bracelet with your order ... in November. Anyway, here are my sneak peeks:

One of the DSP images can be cut with a die, making for some very quick cards. This one made with embossed pieces I had sitting on my desk.

Another bouquet cut from the DSP, this time on a simple Country Floral embossed background.

Yet another image cut from the DSP. You'll could get 4 bouquets cut from each of the 4 12x12 sheets in this pattern plus a partial image from each. This is how I chose to use the partial image.
There are couple of dies that can be used as lace borders. On this card I cut the one down the middle to edge both edges of my "table runner".
The following card uses that same die as one piece underneath my bouquet.

It was also fun to see how this suite plays with other papers and stamps, this time Wrapped in Plaid specialty paper and Itty Bitty Greetings.
Here's a closeup of this paper with the shiny gold foil and glitter dots - it was hard to get photos that do justice to the shine in these.

Keep your eyes open for more information about this lovely suite as November draws closer. If you don't want to wait, maybe it's the perfect time to join the Stampin' Up! family of demonstrators. It would be great to have you on my team.

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

Chris

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 10:33 PM in Christmas Rose, Christmastime is Here Suite | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 08, 2019

Beautiful Friendship Duo

These are the cards I made while getting to know the lovely stamp set, Beautiful Friendship.

The larger pair of roses was stamped off (onto what became the second card) so that I could get a lighter rose, with the third rose stamped in full-strength Calypso Coral.
Then I just got to know the stamp set a little better by stamping around this trio adding leaves in Pear Pizzazz and smaller floret in Mint Macaron.
I used one of the smaller dotted images to give the impression of greens grounding the roses.
A skinny Calypso Coral border with a textured Eyelet Lace corner make for a simple card sketch.
A white flax ribbon plus a few subtle sequins finish off this card, which would be perfect for a wedding.
If you are worried about getting layers even and straight, this corner card layout is easy because you just line everything up at the corner. If the measurements aren't perfect no one will really know.

Here's the quickie I did with the bolder images:

The roses in the foreground are, of course the roses I stamped off to get a lighter shade for the first card. I used Very Vanilla as the card stock here. Otherwise the colors are the same.
The background is what I like to call "sloppy stamping" . I've had others say, "No, that's second generation stamping." Well, technically it is, but I think of 2nd generation stamping as more deliberate and planned. This is a little more freewheeling.
A Mint Macaron Textile ribbon plus a few dimensionals finish off this simple card.

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

Chris

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

For 2nd card add:

Product List

Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[101650]

Mint Macaron 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Textile Ribbon

[149480]

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

Posted at 09:50 PM in Beautiful Friendship | Permalink | Comments (3)

October 07, 2019

Dandelion Memory - Sweet Silhouettes Dies

Did you get in some stamping for World Card Making Day this past Saturday? I got to stamp with some new pre-ordered new products that I look forward to sharing with you in a future post. All up at the lake while I watched the rain and waves.

Today I'm looking a bit to the past since this week's color challenge at Splitcoaststampers includes two in colors that retired earlier this year. It was fun to dig them out and give them another play so I'm thankful to our hostess, Barbara who chose them: Berry Burst + Lemon Lime Twist + Pool Party with silhouettes for dessert. you can find the color challenges here.

I blended the background by mixing the challenge color refills each with a few drops of white craft ink and applying them to the paper with sponge daubers. Adding the craft ink makes the colors a bit lighter depending on the ratios of white to dye ink that you use. The craft ink makes them blend like butter on your paper.
The rose images are stamped with the white craft pad - right over this background.
I stacked the dies 3 layers high. I use a sponge with Multipurpose glue. If you set the die into its negative a you apply the glue, this helps you keep the glue off of your work surface - and other placed you don't want it to go. I probably need to show this on a video...
I love doing borders the height of the card - so little measuring!

I guess this blog writing comes back pretty easily after my little hiatus. As long as I keep it short and sweet... I'll try to come back tomorrow with a few cards that show off Beautiful Friendship a little more!

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

Chris

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