Avant Garden Smackdown

#stampinup    #faithfulinkspirations   #saleabration2017   I'm back!  Man, oh man! I was on a business trip in Texas at the beginning of the month and I caught a wicked virus of some sort. I was down and out for more than a week and I'm still recovering.  I'm pretty sure it wasn't the flu, but it was something, all right!  I'm still working my way back to full energy level--and I'm pretty close--but it was a long time coming!

So that was the icky Texas news. The wonderful Texas news is that I was in the right place at the right time and I was able to attend Lydia Fiedler's monthly stamping class in Austin! Woot! Chris, one of my coworkers and fellow Stampin' Up demonstrator, came along, too! We were super stoked to get to see Lydia and her Saturday stampers!

Here are a couple of pics of Lydia demonstrating the techniques we would use on our cards.

Here's Chris and me as we get ready to get down to stampin' business.

And here we are with Lydia! Squee!!!

We made three awesome cards during the class, which I'll be showing you today through Wednesday.

First up is an awesome card that uses the Sale-A-Bration set, "Avant Garden," and the "smackdown" technique.  I'd never done this technique but it's super cool and super easy. Just ink up your image and stamp, as usual. Then, without reinking, stamp around the image a bit. This will give you a watercolor effect.  See what I mean?

The flowers are stamped in Watermelon Wonder, the leaves and sprinkles are stamped in Old Olive.  The sentiment is stamped in Basic Black Archival Ink.  I cut down the main panel to 3-3/4" by 5" and then adhered it to a 3-5/8" by 5-1/8" Old Olive panel before adhering it to a Thick Whisper White Card Stock card base, cut lengthwise.

Isn't this a wonderful card? Isn't Lydia a talented designer? Want to get your hands on this stamp set? You'll need to place a $50 order by midnight (MT) this Friday March 31, 2017, and then you can choose this set as your FREE 
Sale-a-Bration item. Hurry! You don't want to miss out!

tams# 12538

Product List

Avant Garden Photopolymer Stamp Set [143272] $0.00	Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad [138323] $6.50	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [126953] $6.50	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $7.00
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.00	Old Olive 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100702] $8.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.00

So Very Thanks

#stampinup   #saleabration2017   #faithfulinkspirations   I wasn't so sure I liked the "So Very Much" Sale-a-Bration stamp set when I first saw it.  I tend to go for a bolder script--especially when it's super-sized!  But when we made this card at the Proverbial Stampers gathering, I started falling in love with the set.  And it doesn't hurt that you can get this set for FREE with a $50 purchase during Sale-a-Bration!  The designer paired this with another FREE SAB set--"Avant Garden."

We started by stamping the large "thank you" sentiment in Soft Suede onto a 3-3/4" by 5" Very Vanilla panel.  Then we stamped the "so very much" just below, also in Soft Suede.  We added a row of Blushing Bride flowers from the "Avant Garden" set at the bottom of the card.  The stems are Pear Pizzazz.  The stamens in the flowers are also Soft Suede.  This is such a sweet color combination, isn't it?!

We adhered the stamped panel to a 3-7/8" by 5-1/8" Blushing Bride panel and then onto a Pear Pizzazz Card Stock card base.  For a finishing touch, we added a row of three small Pearl Embellishments just under the sentiment.

So pretty--and so easy!

 

tams# 11934

Product List

So Very Much Clear-Mount Stamp Set [143343] $0.00	Avant Garden Photopolymer Stamp Set [143272] $0.00	Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad [126978] $6.50	Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad [131172] $6.50
Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad [131180] $6.50	Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131201] $8.00	Blushing Bride 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131198] $8.00	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [101650] $9.00
Pearl Basic Jewels Embellishments [119247] $5.00

Once More, With Gusto

#stampinup   #faithfulinkspirations   #saleabration2017   I used to sing in a choir.  I don't like to brag, but it was the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Choir.  Whoa, that was fun and exhausting.  And then I had a baby....that was almost 23 years ago, so I think my singing "career"--aside from congregational singing during worship--is over.  If you pull up next to my car, you may hear me singing away to the radio, well, that is if I'm not engrossed in a true crime podcast.  

Anyway, one of my choir directors--either at BSO, or the Laurel (MD) Oratorio Society, or in college, or maybe as far back as high school--used to start the chorus off with the exhortation, "Once more, with gusto!"  (I'm sure he wasn't the only choir director to use that phrase.)  I like it and I find it comes in handy for non-musical settings, too.  Like when I've had a week of blog posts with the same (stinkin' cute) stamp set.  Really.  Five days.  Five posts--every one a different "take" on the gorgeous "Avant Garden" stamp set that you can earn for FREE with a $50 purchase.  Seriously.  After seeing all these cards, you know you want this stamp set!  Contact me today and I can hook you up.

I was inspired by these projects by Jennifer Downey, one of the amazing Creation Station design team members.  I can't believe I'm on a design team with TWO Stampin' Up Artisans along with many other awesome artists from around the world.  Our blog hop is once a month, on the first Sunday of the month.  You can start on my blog and hop all the way around the blog and be inspired every month.

Wow! I've digressed again.  I thought that using "Avant Garden" for a one-sheet wonder set of cards would be fabulous--and think my cards are pretty spiffy!  The one-sheet wonder technique is a great way to make a bunch of cards in a jiffy.  If you search "one sheet wonder templates" on Pinterest, you'll get a bunch of ideas.  I, however, went simple, because I wanted to create my own designer series paper with this stamp set and have that shine as the focus of the cards.

So, I started with an 8-1/2" by 11" sheet of Whisper White Card Stock and stamped the flowers in Melon Mambo, followed by Sweet Sugarplum, and then Blushing Bride.  Then I cut the paper at 10" on the long side and 7-1/2" on the short side, which, when cut into quarters, yields four 3-3/4" by 5" pieces of your one-sheet DSP.  I saved the 1" strips to use on two additional cards.

I adhered the quarter pieces onto 3-7/8" by 5-1/8" pieces of Basic Black Card Stock--putting black with these vibrant colors makes them pop even more!  I wrapped a length of Sweet Sugarplum Ruched Ribbon around before adhering the stamped piece to a Melon Mambo Card Stock card base.  I stamped the "happy birthday wishes" sentiment from the same set in Basic Black Archival Ink onto Whisper White and cut them out with one of the Stitched Shapes Framelits.  I adhered this to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

I switched it up a little when using the 1" strips of DSP.  I embossed a 3-3/4" by 5" piece of Melon Mambo Card Stock with the Petal Burst Embossing Folder and adhered this to a 3-7/8" by 5-1/8" of Basic Black Card Stock.  I wrapped a length of the SAB Silver Metallic Ribbon around this piece before using Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere it to a Basic Black Card Stock card base.  I used the same sentiment, cut with the Stitched Shape Framelits, for these cards, too!
Here's the whole lot of the cards I made with this method. Quick and easy--and really pretty, too!  And now my #imbringingbirthdaysback cards for February are made.  I just have to write inside and get them in the mail....details, details.

tams# 11784 Card One

Product List

Avant Garden Photopolymer Stamp Set [143272] $0.00	Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad [126948] $6.50	Sweet Sugarplum Classic Stampin' Pad [141395] $6.50	Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad [131172] $6.50
Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $7.00	Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [115320] $8.00	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $8.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.00
Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372] $30.00	Sweet Sugarplum 3/8" (1 Cm) Ruched Ribbon [141428] $8.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00

tams# 11785 Card Two

Product List

Avant Garden Photopolymer Stamp Set [143272] $0.00	Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad [126948] $6.50	Sweet Sugarplum Classic Stampin' Pad [141395] $6.50	Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad [131172] $6.50
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $8.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.00	Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [115320] $8.00	Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372] $30.00
Petal Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [141493] $7.50	3/8" Metallic Ribbon Combo Pack [143601] $0.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00

On A Roll!

#stampinup   #faithfulinkspirations   #saleabration2017   I'm on a roll!  I've got yet another card to share that uses the "Avant Garden" stamp set--and it's different than the ones I've shared every other day this week.  And hold onto your hats! Tomorrow I'm going to share yet another card that uses "Avant Garden"--well, actually, more than one card.  Come back tomorrow and see what I have for you, but keep reading to learn about today's card.

This is another card that we made at the Proverbial Stampers gathering.  I really love these colors--they're so fresh together!  We started by embossing a 3-7/8" by 5-1/8" piece of So Saffron Card Stock with the Hexagons Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Then we stamped the sprinkles from the "Avant Garden" set in Tangerine Tango Ink onto a 1" by 5" strip of Tangerine Tango Card Stock.  Next, we stamped the small leaves in Mint Macaron around the perimeter of a 2-1/2" by 3-1/2" piece of Mint Macaron Card Stock.

The main image is stamped onto a piece of Whisper White Card Stock that was cut with one of the Stitched Shape Framelits.  The flowers are So Saffron with Tangerine Tango stamens; the sentiment is Tangerine Tango; and the small leaves are Mint Macaron.

We adhered the embossed piece to a So Saffron Card Stock card base with Stampin' Dimensionals. Then we adhered the Tangerine Tango strip and Mint Macaron piece to the card.  I like to use Fast Fuse Adhesive when adhering a flat piece to an embossed piece.  I think Fast Fuse makes it stick better.  Finally, we adhered the stamped circle to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Isn't this card sweet?  This is a color combination that I never would have thought up on my own, but I really like it, don't you?

Remember, you can get your very own "Avant Garden" stamp set for FREE with a $50 purchase during Sale-a-Bration 2017.  Ask me how! 
 

tams# 11759

Product List

Avant Garden Photopolymer Stamp Set [143272] $0.00	So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad [126957] $6.50	Tangerine Tango Classic Stampin' Pad [126946] $6.50	Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad [138326] $6.50
So Saffron 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [105118] $8.00	Tangerine Tango 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [111349] $8.00	Mint Macaron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [138337] $8.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.00
Hexagons Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [143231] $9.00	Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372] $30.00	Fast Fuse Adhesive [129026] $10.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00