from my ink pad to yours

Favorite Handstamped Cards From 2020-2021 Annual Catalog: Masculine Sets

We have been enjoying spring up along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Sometimes that means snow, sometimes it is crashing waves, once in a while in means lunch on the deck, better yet it means lovely hikes to check out waterfalls on the rivers that feed into the big lake.

It also means that I have trouble getting the perfect light to take photos of my work so I haven't been posting so much.  Later today I'll fiddle with a poster board I've set up in the spare bedroom but for now, with Stampin' Up!'s Annual 2020-2021 catalog coming to an end on May 3, I'm just going to settle for posting a few of my favorite cards with a few retiring "masculine" products.

As I go to publish this, the Beautiful World stamp set is already sold out though the dies appear to still be available. The dies are very useful on their own.  The images for the first cards use just the dies with blended backgrounds so you would be able to make similar cards with different greetings if you only had the dies. The second card also features the Best Plaid Builder dies, tone on tone with Merry Merlot. I used the baby wipe technique for the stamping on that card.

High Tide is a beautifully designed stamp set with so many possibilities. I'm so glad we had it for two years! Click on the picture to see the original blog post:

The following card is made with Game On, grouped with masculine sets but certainly useful for any game lover. I've even used the small checked image to make longer checked borders - just no pictures. The embossing folder I've used, Pinewoods Planks is also retiring. I've loved using it with masculine and more feminine shabby chic cards alike. I posted this just recently but you can still click on the picture to find the original post.

Rooted in Nature is another true work of art. As I write this the stamps and Nature's Roots dies are both still available. I used the Black Ice technique on the first card.

Geared Up Garage is another fun set that fills the bill a certain segment. Sadly the dies are sold out but this was such a favorite card I couldn't help sharing it one more time. The stamp set is available right now but the list of stamp sets no longer available is getting longer quickly.

The availability of these products will change over the next few days - but no matter what they will officially retire on May 3rd.

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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.

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]

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, CCTYVJAU, 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.

SHOPPING LINKS

Product List

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many Messages for a Monochrome Rainbow Challenge

Today is the second Wednesday of April and that means, not only that it's the day I do the Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop,

but that we celebrate the whole rainbow of colors with the Monochrome Rainbow Challenge.

Our leader, Angie MacKenzie has organized the colors by time zone.  Here in Minnesota we are UTC - 5 which means I get to work with green! That certainly isn't hard for me. In fact, last week's color challenge over at Splitcoaststampers was Black + White + Gray with your favorite color for dessert. I love all colors but I especially love to work with green. Lately Soft Sea Foam and Granny Apple Green have been getting a lot of use!

This is my card:

• Of course I used my favorite combo of Soft Sea Foam with Granny Apple Green to color in these flowers on some of the True Love designer series paper (DSP).
• I took a chance on overdoing the diamond theme but I was happy with the way it turned out.  The edge is simply the flip side of the paper that the flowers came from. The embossed white is done with the Dainty Diamonds embossing folder. I've featured this folder on some of my favorite cards over the past year and I'm so disappointed that it is retiring. If you don't already have it you can now get it for 10% off. Get it while you can!
• The greetings is from Many Messages, a background sized stamp full of greetings that can all be cut out at one time with one large die. This bundle is from the January - June Mini catalog and will even have another coordinating stamp in the upcoming annual catalog.

Beautiful card, right?  But then I received a package with new colors and ... TWO new greens: Soft Succulent and Evening Evergreen and I knew I would have to add another green card to this rainbow.

I chose to play with the Pansy Petals Suite to get to know these greens.  Pansy Petals, the coordinating DSP has a stripe with the two new greens AND Soft Sea Foam:

These are just some of the possibilities with the three greens along with Basic White and Very Vanilla. Here is my first card using one of these pansies:

• You can see I drew all the greens from the stripe. I made the stripe a little more feminine by bringing in the scallops which are from the Scalloped Contours Dies, another new set coming out in May. (Seriously, there's nothing better than being able to order early by being a demonstrator!)
• The Genial Gems (upcoming catalog - Hand-Penned Suite) are technically Mint Macaron but blend beautifully with the other greens.
• Ribbon is white faux linen from Flowers for Every Season combo. OK. Is that right?
• I've now used products from four Suite/Bundles. Well, that's the beauty of suites. The products in them do work together beautifully but stamping doesn't have rules and you can use them anyway you want!
  

Well, that's all for me this month so it's time to check out the rest of the hop.

We have 4 special guests this month and one of them, Lisa Martz, is next on the hop. I'm sure you will emjoy her beautiful work!

Jan Clothier - NZ

Tatiana Tobin - AU

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Melissa Gifford - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

Satomi Wellard

Pia Gephardt - DE

Ximena Morales - DE

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Annette Ball - CA

Angie McKenzie - US

Mary Brown - US - Special Guest

Connie Babbert - US - Special Guest

Wendy Lee - US

Shel Anderson - CA

Chris Smith - US

Lisa Martz - US - Special Guest

Tricia Butts - US

Wendy Weixler - US - Special Guest

Elaine de Montmorency - CA

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert - US

Teri West - US

Cheryl Hamilton - US

Gallery Links

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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.

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]

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, CCTYVJAU, 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.

SHOPPING LINKS

Beautify of Friendship Sneak Peek

I'm excited to share a sneak peek with you tonight but first I want to let you know that Stampin' Up! will be refreshing the Clearance Rack on Tuesday, April 13th. Check it out here!

Beauty of the Earth is a gorgeous new suite in the upcoming Annual 2021-22 Catalog. While there is some truly amazing watercolor style designer series paper that is part of the suite, I ordered just the bundle of stamps and dies thinking I would force myself to explore the bundle's possibilities in even more colors. For instance...

...the new In Colors:

 

Pale Papaya

 

Polished Pink

 

Fresh Freesia

 

Soft Succulent

 

Evening Evergreen

Pale Papaya, Pink Polish and Fresh Freesia make a amazing sunset don't you think? I did these with our blending brushes.

• At first I used just one tree die, layering a Soft Succulent die cut over another cut out of Evening Evergreen as sort of a shadow.
  
• I was using the Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss so I had to trim my 1/4 sheets down to die cut the trees.  I hand trimmed curves into the portion left over from the trees and used this for my "ground".
• "friendships refresh the soul" is a wonderful sentiment. Once I decided to use this I decided my tree really needed some "friends" in the form of birds. I cut them from Pale Papaya and added some shading on the bird's breasts with the Pale Papaya and Pink Polish Blends. This year we have Blends Combos for all of the new In-Colors!

These new colors and the suite will be available on May 4th!

This is my first card with this set but Beauty of Friendship already has it's own gallery. You can find it here.

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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.

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]

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, CCTYVJAU, 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.

 

A Birthday Blog Hop: His & Hers

Today we are doing a Birthday Blog Hop with Stamping Inkspirations! I decided to do his and hers birthday cards with a few soon to retire sets that have been calling for me to play with them.

Before you get too comfy grab a cuppa and get ready for lots of birthday ideas. Angie has put together a group of over 30 stampers to give you loads of ideas!

 

• This is the first card I made. I got the sketch idea from a two year old Stampin' Up! catalog. Basically it involved a larger circle in the upper right portion of the card. Perfect for my CAS style.
• I used a blending bush to add Bermuda Bay ink to my Basic White card base in the area my overlaid circle would be.
• I cut a circle out of a Basic White card front and ran it through my Stampin Cut & Emboss with the Pinewood Planks folder.
• Then I cut another circle out of a piece of heavy Basic White cardstock. Setting the die cut circle aside for another card, I used a large scallop circle from Layering Circles dies to cut the scalloped frame from the remaining piece.
• The umbrella is punched from Daffodil Delight DSP. I'm going to miss the polka dots when these designer series papers retire! I filled it with flowers that were colored with Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight and Melon Mambo Blends.
• Add a few Basic Pearls or a little punch.
• Itty Bitty Birthdays supplied the inside greetings for this and the following card along with a few extra flowers.
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• To be honest I bought this first set, Game On, because of the little checks image. Lately I've been seeing a cards on social media using these great collage images.
• I prepared the Misty Moonlight card layer just as I did the Basic White layer in the previous card. I added it to a Basic White card base.
• Using the leftover white circle from the previous card I stamped the greeting, playing cards and checks from the Game On stamp set. I also stamped the dice image on Basic White Heavy cardstock and cut it out.
• I used a little Light Crumb Cake Blends to age the images a little more.
• The skinny Cherry Cobbler frame is done with the largest Stitched Shapes circle die which has the center cut out with a Layering Circles die.
• Sprinkle with Gold Metallic Pearls.
• The Itty Bitty Birthdays message and chess images were used on the inside of the card.
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Many of these supplies, including Game On, Under My Umbrella, Itty Bitty Birthdays and the Stitched Shapes Dies  will retire in early May (5/3) and I really had been itching to use them a little more...

...but then along came a box of goodies with some new stuff and I just had to add a card for anyone who is young at heart:

• These little birds from Party Puffins are so adorable! This guy is going to be "puffin" out those candles.
  
• Same basic sketch but I eliminated the circle frame and chose to use a newer pattern of DSP (3 7/8" x 5 1/8") in Bermuda Bay. This is layered over a piece of Bermuda Bay cut just 1/8" larger.
• The images are stamped with Stazon to get a nice deep black.
• Colors are Bermuda Bay, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo and Granny Apple Green.
• Make a Wish is from the same set and is white embossed on Basic Black on a hand trimmed flag, layered onto a similar Melon Mambo flag.
• Party Puffins will be available beginning May 4, 2021.
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Now it's time to check out the other blogs. Cheryl Hamilton is next.

Angie McKenzie  ●  Leonie Stuart  ●  Alejandra Gomez

 Danielle Kassing  ●  Annette Ball  ●  Kirstie Pattrick

Linda Moore  ● Mo Rootes  ●  Libby Fens

Tricia Butts  ●  Jan Musselman  ●  Aurélie Fabre

Narelle Fasulo  ●  Sandra Mastello  ●  Karen Henderson

  Susan Simpson  ●  Susan Webster  ●  Melissa Faust

JoAnn Pollock  ●  Gez Carpenter  ●  Jo Blackman

Jill Chapman  ●  Rochelle Laird-Smith  ●  Melissa Gifford

Terry Hamilton  ●  Deb Macdowell  ●  Satomi Wellard

Shel Anderson  ●  Elaine de Montmorency  ●  Ann Krucek 

Chris Smith  ●  Cheryl Hamilton  ●  Teri West

 

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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.

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]

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, CCTYVJAU, 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.

SHOPPING LINKS

Product List

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floating & Fluttering Backgrounds with the Stamparatus

Welcome to my blog, whether this is your first visit or one of many.  I've taken much of the last week off from stamping and blogging but I'm back today with a post about the Stamparatus, the Floating and Fluttering Bundle along with links for a blog hop so you can really get your fill of Stamparatus ideas.

 

While this set was designed to arrange the butterflies after they've been die cut, the stamps also make wonderful backgrounds, especially when you add the Stamparatus. I've had fun experimenting with different ways to work with these two. While I meant to do a video, I've had trouble getting the lighting right while we are staying up near Lake Superior so I hope the extra pictures will help.

• This card takes advantage of the wreath technique. This technique makes use of a template that has two perpendicular squares cut into it. I used a square from the Stitched Shapes to cut this pattern:
  
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• If you want to make sure that you make the die cuts evenly, score two perpendicular lines to mark the center of your template. You can use these to line up your dies.
• I then used a Seaside Spray square cut with the same die as the base for my wreath and the small leaflet stamp to make my wreath.
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• Rotate your square base, stamping an image in each spot until you have eight images forming a circle. I moved my leaflet to a second spot on my Stamparatus plate and repeated the process to get to total of 16 leaflets in my wreath.
• I added a butterfly and greeting from Itty Bitty Greetings to finish off my wreath element. That tiny greeting works perfectly as a little tab much as you might find on a pocket. Itty Bitty Greetings will retire at the end of this month.
• I used a background piece I had stamped earlier, softening it with vellum on top of my white card base. I think I did it with the Stamparatus - but didn't write down how I did it. Arghhh!!!  I did keep track of how I did this next card:

• I wanted to see if I could make a template that allows you to stamp on a rectangular piece.
• I started with a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (A2 Cardfront) as my pattern and also cut a 7 3/8" x 7 3/8" piece which is as large a square as you can use in your Stamparatus:
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• It might help to score/mark the center with a diagonal (optional).
• 
  
• Then you will want to lay your A2 pattern on top so that it looks like all of your A2 corners are about equidistant from the edges of the template square. Trace and then do a quarter turn, line it up again and trace again.
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• I used my trimmer to cut a little "x" into the middle for a place to get my scissors started. I think it is faster to trim this out with my scissors but you could choose to do so with the trimmer itself.
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• Here it is all cut out.  It is the same piece - I'm taking these pictures up near the lake. I either have too much light or not enough so it's hard to keep them consistent.
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• Here is how it looks in the Stamparatus.
  
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• You will want to practice a bit on some scratch paper to make sure you get your multiple butterfly image just where you want it.
• Then you rotate it through a quarter turn between each image stamped. You will get a few blank spots with this particular image. Use the tiny leaflet to fill them in or incorporate the blank spots into your other images.
• This template can be used with any other stamps. Just have fun playing!
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• This was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored in with Granny Apple Green Blends. I trimmed it down to allow a black and white border. 
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Now it's time to check out some other ideas! You are at Chris Smith's blog. The next stop on the hop will be Vicki Kello.

 

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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.

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]

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, CCTYVJAU, 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.

SHOPPING LINKS