The more I use the Peach Parfait color the more I love it!  I love warm autumn colors and this Peach Parfait can certainly be that.  But it can also be a fun, bright spring color or a subtle yet playful color.  It's quite versatile!  And of course pairing it with Soft Suede is a no brainer!

Supplies Used:

Bordering on Romance stamp set (Occasions mini)
Everyday Enchantment DSP (Sale a Bration)
Labels Collection Framelits
Adorning Accents Edgelit and Embossing Folder
Stampin' Sponge
Peach Parfait card stock
Soft Suede card stock
Jet Black Stazon ink
Pumpkin Pie ink (to watercolor in the flowers)
Old  Olive ink
Aqua painter
Smooch Illuminate Top Coat

As if my daughter wasn't challenging me enough in the stamping arena…along comes my four year old son!

He had a birthday party to attend this past weekend for a friend from preschool.  I asked him to "go make his friend a card" which typically entails drawing a few squiggles on a piece of copy paper, calling it a roller coaster, and tossing it in with the gift.  Well to my shock he says "I want to make one like you do."  So I, of course, told him he could pick some stamps and ink and stamp away (on said copy paper).  Again, this was not what he had in mind.  "No mommy, a real card like you make."  Well okay!

So, he did all the stamping.  I did the sponging.  He put the adhesive on and the dimensionals and placed everything just so on his card.  He chose the color button (I threaded it, he decided which side of the button was going to show), I had my hand over his to help him with the punches, and then I stamped the sentiment inside.  I think I need to worry about two of my children taking over my stamping suite now!  What do you think?

So that is his above… and my "inspiration" card below for him.  (Ya, he's not a big football fan!)

And just because I can… here's his cute little signature.  I love his "R"!

Supplies used:

Happiest Birthday Wishes stamp set
Soft Suede ink and cardstock
Pool Party card stock and Designer paper (Attic Boutique from the current Occasions mini) – Notice how stamping some "dirty spots" all over the doilies can take it from girlie to boyish!
Spiral punch
Buttons
White baker's twine

I often tell stampers that not every card they make has to be completely different.  Here is a sample of what I mean.

This card was CASEd from the Stampin' Up! demonstrator web site and we used it for Technique Club the other night…

I loved the sharp contrast of the Riding Hood Red ink and the Jet Black Stazon. 
It uses the new Twitterpated Designer Series paper, a jumbo Neutral brad, and of course a "gem" (self adhesive jewel rhinestone).  The stamp set is "Raining Flowers" and the butterfly comes from a Sale A Bration stamp set that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE (the set is SO me it's not funny) called "Elementary Elegance."  The saying comes from "You're a Gem" stamp set.

Now, as sometimes happens, a happy mistake comes along!  One of my card club members messed up the "cloud" with the sentiment.  I don't remember what happened, crooked? smeared?  I don't know.  Doesn't matter.  But, we made the best of it and she stamped another "cloud" on a scrap piece of white and attached it to the card with a dimensional.  I loved it so much I had to make one myself.  It perfectly illustrates how changing up just one aspect of a card (subtly at that) can totally change the look and feel of a card!

What do you think?

To see them side by side…

Fun, right?

I urge you to go find a card you have made already and find one element to change.  See what happens!

So, here are the cards my Technique Card Club members created this month. 

I put my favorite card in front.  It uses the Always Thankful stamp set currently in the Holiday Mini catalog.  I made this card using a fun fold, slightly different than a traditional card.  And I love those tiny little silver brads!  So fun.  One of the best things of the card, in my opinion is the color combination.  The base is Soft Suede and the designer series paper is the new Peach Parfait.  Those were the colors I was going to stick with but once I had it together I really felt like it needed another color, and surprisingly that color was Cherry Cobbler!  Doesn't sound like a good combination but in the end it really worked!  A great autumn thank you card.

Other stamp sets we used were Patterned Party, French Script, Just Believe and Thank You Kindly.  The techniques we did were the fun fold, multiple colors on a single stamp, water coloring with blender pen, using the stamp a ma jig and layering images. 

My club members seemed to like them and hopefully you find some inspiration in them too!

So, just so you know… just because there aren't posts here on my blog doesn't mean I haven't been stamping!!  I've actually been able to do quite a bit of stamping lately, just not a lot of blogging!

So, I have a few minutes before I run out for the evening so I wanted to share one of my most favorite cards right now.  I just LOVE it! It uses a bajillion new things from the Holiday mini and it makes me happy!  I hope it makes you happy too!

I actually had this card as one of the Make and Takes at my last Team Meeting.  Do you see all the NEW things?  Check out the supply list below.  And because it's been a while, I included all the dimensions and some tips on how to make the card as well!  Hope you enjoy!

•Base cardstock: Confetti Cream (8.5” x 11”)

•2nd layer: Early Espresso (5 1/8” x  3 7/8”)

•3rd layer: Garden Green (5” x 3 ¾”)

•4th layer: Holly Berry Bouquet DSP (4 ½” x 3 ¼”)

•Stamp Set: Warmest of Wishes

•Inks: Early Espresso

•Embellishments: Cherry Cobbler Baker’s Twine, Jingle Bells mini, Very Vanilla  Velvet Ribbon

• Accessories:  Stocking Builder Punch, Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, stampin’ sponge,  mini glue dots, paper piercer, dimensionals

Tips:
Run some scrap Early Espresso Card stock through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder. Punch out with the Stocking Builder Punch.
Punch out the stockings from the embossed Early Espresso.
Punch out the toe, heel, and trim from scrap Cherry Cobbler card stock.
Sponge the edges of the Cherry Cobbler CS and Garden Green CS.
Adhere the DSP to the Garden Green CS.  Use the piercer to pierce all along the edges.  Adhere to Early Espresso layer.
Wrap the ribbon around the layers with mini glue dots.
Finish assembling card. 
Stockings get attached with dimensionals..
Cherry Cobbler Baker’s Twine gets attached with a mini glue dot.

You may choose any 3 packages of the Designer Series Paper in the current Idea Book & Catalog and Summer Mini Catalog and get one pacakge for FREE!!

Perfect for cards, scrapbooks, and more.  Don't miss out on Stampin' Up!'s exclusive designs and top quality papers.

Here is a card we did recently featuring the new Designer Series paper "Beyond the Garden."  I'm not usually one for bright colors but I have to say I'm enjoying this paper pack quite a bit!  (I also used it here on the this scrapbook page.)

Supplies Used:

Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder with the Big Shot
Bird Builder Punch (117191 $16.95)
Heart Bitty Button (118761 $4.95 for 64 assorted buttons)
Striped Grosgrain ribbon ($9.95 for 10 yards, available in 11 colors)
Linen Thread (104199 $4.50 for 15 yards)
Daffodil Delight Card Stock
Old Olive Card Stock
Beyond the Garden designer series paper (122342 $10.95)
Basic Pearls (119247 $4.95 for 150 assorted pearls)

Well, for me anyway.  Cover pages for scrapbooks.  I never know what picture should be the first picture in the scrapbook!  Maybe if I scrapped chronologically it would be simpler, huh?  ANyway, one of my friends/scrapbook club members had a baby girl last week and I wanted to design a cover page appropriate for her beautiful (and I mean BEAUTIFUL) baby girl.  Here's what I came up with.  I envision a nice black and white picture (or maybe sepia toned one) on the Chocolate Chip layer and her name and birth date written on the Daffodil Delight scallop circle.

What do you think?  Do you see my vision?  What other title might you put on here? 

And remember, for all of you moms with boys only.  It's OKAY to use flowers and butterflies on your scrapbook pages (okay, maybe not for football pictures, but ya know what I mean!)!  It's YOUR scrapbook!  You're a girl!  It only makes sense!

Items Used:
Beyond the Garden DSP (very pretty and fun paper in the current Summer Mini)
Jumble Alphabet (retiring 6/30 :( )
Scallop Border Trim Punch
Perfect Polka Embossing folder with Big Shot
Corner Rounder
Beautiful Butterflies Die for Big Shot (exclusive to Stampin' Up!)
Self Adhesive Halfback Pearls
Buttons
White Baker's Twine
Daffodil Delight 1/8" taffetta ribbon
White Gel Pen
Card Stock: Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango

I held my first 10/10/20 class a few weeks ago.  We made 10 different cards that should've taken about 10 minutes each to create and the fee was $20.  Here is one of the cards my guests made…

As you can tell it uses some retired items (the button, the DSP) but those are very easy to replace!

I'll be doing another 10/10/20 on July 6th if you'd like to join us!  RSVP to save your spot!

So kind of last minute but my oldest and I decided to throw a Summer Kick Off Pool Party for her 2nd grade class.  She was INSISTENT that the party be on the last day of school.  And in my head I'm thinking "oh boy, how am I going to make the invites in time?"  LOL  Well, time is relative, right?  Three days later I have finished her invitations (amongst lacrosse banquets, kindergarten celebration/graduation, Field Trips, birthday parties, lacrosse tournaments, gymnastics…you get the idea!). Here (most) of them are.  (She's put some of the girls in their envelopes already.)

A quick explanation (because I'm tired and need to get some sleep!)…

The stamp set is NEW!  It's the "Sunny Fun" stamp set in the Summer Mini.  (Thank you Nicole for letting me borrow yours!  Like I said, this was a last minute decision to host this party and of course I didn't order this set…yet!)

The card bases are Tempting Turquoise (for the boys) and Regal Rose (for the girls).  The Designer Series Papers are older retired ones.  The colors are Certainly Celery, Pretty in PInk (on most) and I think Not Quite Navy.  Like I said, the DSP is old!

The girls helped me color the kids and stamp the sentiments… so they're not perfect… but they're close and more importantly they're done! :)  We colored with markers, blender pens, and aqua painters!