Addicted to Vellum

The challenge word at the Addicted to Clean and Simple challenge is "vellum." I have some lovely Gold Fancy Foil Vellum paper, but I've never figured out what to do with it. So I accepted the ATCAS challenge.

And then I regretted it. I made a card. I hated the card. I tried to modify the card. I ruined the card. I threw it away. Ugh.

Next, I thought I might be able to use the vellum to make a box using the Gift Box Punch Board. I did. It was cute. It would be cute with a flickering electric tea light in it. But, duh, it's not a card. And it wasn't anything special. (A whole bunch on a tablescape might be pretty....)

Then, in desperation, as it was closing in on midnight, I hit upon an idea. I had one striped vellum banner left. (The others were in the recycling bin.) I paired it up with a Gold Foil Sheet banner. I wrapped some Gold Baker's Twine around the top of the Whisper White panel and adhered everything to a Basic Black card base.

Now what? I needed to stamp something on it. I pulled out the "Sumthin' Sumthin" stamp set and stamped "Surprise!" in Gold Encore Ink (because I was so surprised that I actually came up with a good idea!) I added a few Gold Sequins and finally had a design that I actually like! 

(Stamp Set: Sumthin' Sumthin'; Ink: Gold Encore; Card Stock: Basic Black, Whisper White; DSP: Gold Fancy Foil Vellum and Gold Foil Sheet; Accessories: Hexagon Punch (for flagged ends of banners), Gold Baker's Twine, Gold Sequin Trim)

Watercooler Challenge

Someone left a comment on my blog inviting me to join a new blog challenge: Watercooler Challenges. Well, I'm always up for a new challenge, so I hopped right over there to see what was happenin'! 

The current Watercooler Challenge is to CASE (copy and steal everything) one of our favorite pins on Pinterest. Well, the Stampin' Up! artisans had so many wonderful creations and I pinned one that had so many textures and layers, yet was so clean and simple. This card just spoke to me.

My hairdresser is up and leaving (me) and moving to Florida. She's always wanted to live on the beach and she's made the decision to go there before winter hits here on the East Coast. I say, "Good for her!" (even though it's going to be bad for my hair!) I wanted to make a special card for her to wish her all the best on her new adventure. I was happy to CASE this beautiful card to send her on her way!

(Stamp Sets: Really Good Greetings, Choose Happiness, Gorgeous Grunge; Inks: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar; Card Stock: Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake; Accessories: Burlap Ribbon, Natural Chevron Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim, Linen Thread, Ovals Framelits Collection, Basic Pearls)

Part Three: Christmas in October

This is one of my favorite designs--evah! There's something about it that just calls to me. I think because it's clean and simple and because the colors are so calming. It's stunning in its simplicity!

(Stamp Set: Wondrous Wreath; Ink: Smoky Slate; Card Stock: Smoky Slate, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White; DSP: All Is Calm Specialty Series Paper; Accessories: On Point Embossing Folder, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Banners Framelits, 1/8" Silver Ribbon)

I love how the sentiment from "Wondrous Wreath" fits into the Apothecary Accent Framelit.

Christmas in October Part Deux

Today's card is a lesson in adaptation. I had designed a card for the October session of the Christmas card-making class. It was a real cutie. I got out my "Trim the Tree" DSP pack, grabbed the Real Red card stock and was ready to prep 64 cards only to realize that the "Trim the Tree" DSP is Cherry Cobbler not Real Red. Doh! 

I had to think fast and figure out what I could make with the supplies I had on hand. I had pinned this card on Pinterest as something I might want to do for the Christmas card-making class. I figured it would look good in red and gold--which is what I had available. Pinterest to the rescue!

Here's my version of the card. Love the "sparkle" sentiment!!

(Stamp Sets: Mosaic Madness, Good Greetings (Hostess), Gorgeous Grunge; Ink: Real Red; Card Stock: Real Red, Whisper White; DSP: Gold and Red Glimmer Paper; Accessories: Mosaic Punch, Hexagon Punch (to make flag ends), Basic Rhinestones, Red Sharpie)

Christmas in October Part One

I just held my third Christmas card-making class and it was a great experience. Good friends, good food, good times! We worked hard to make 12 cards in 4 hours--some of the stampers are speed demons and got finished in only 2 hours! 

I designed two cards and my BFF, Lynn, designed one. I think our stampers really liked our designs--at least they said so! I'm looking forward to our last session in November. I've already got some designs in mind.

Today I'm showing the first card, designed by Lynn. She always comes up with awesome designs. I think you'll agree. Here's Lynn's card. I know she'd love to see your comments. Please leave Lynn some love!

(Stamp Set: Ornamental Pine; Ink: Soft Suede, Versamark; Card Stock: Soft Sky, Whisper White; Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Basic Rhinestones)

Stay tuned tomorrow for another Christmas in October card!

Stamp Etching (Thanks, Lydia!)

During this past summer's #InspireCreateShare2014 Stampin' Up! convention, I met the fabulously talented (and wickedly funny) Lydia Fiedler. During one of the presentations (Stampin' Up! invites real life demonstrators onto the stage to do demonstrations!) Lydia showed a technique that she called "stamp etching." She's also got a tutorial over on her blog, Understand Blue. You should subscribe to her blog...so entertaining and so many good ideas!!

Well, I thought I'd give it a try. And I thought I knew how to do it. And I thought my card turned out pretty well, but, um, well, I guess I didn't follow the instructions. But I think Lydia would be just fine with that because art is art and has no instructions.

So here's my stamped etched card for this week's Nacho Average color challenge.

 

(Stamp Sets: Blended Bloom, Good Greetings (Hostess); Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Card Stock: Bermuda Bay, Basic Black, Crushed Curry; DSP: Flowerpot; Accessories: Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker)

 

Birthday Flowers

The last couple of days I've shown you some fall cards. I'm trying not to get into a rut, so I chose some bright and cheery, any time of the year colors for my entry into this week's Freshly Made Sketch challenge.



One of the first designer series papers that I bought was the "Back to Black" set. I love, love, love black and white! I originally thought about doing this card in Basic Black and Whisper White, with a splash of Real Red, but the Pacific Point ink pad was calling me: "Here I am! Over here! I feel neglected. It's been such a long time." So I swapped out the Basic Black mat from behind the "Back in Black" DSP and added a Real Red mat. Once I'd added my flowers to the vase, I remembered that I had a bunch of Pacific Point Candy Dots! Yay! They were just the right element to finish off the card.

(Stamp Sets: Pictogram Punches, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Inks: Pacific Point, Real Red; Card Stock: Whisper White, Pacific Point, Real Red; DSP: Back to Black; Accessories: Zig Zag Embossing Folder, Circles and Banners Framelit Collections, 2-1/4" Circle Punch, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Pacific Point Candy Dots)

Hello (Again) Fall!

There's a color challenge over on the Fab Friday challenge blog. The combo would make a great Halloween card. But I think I've mentioned before that I don't really "do" Halloween and I've already "done" 3 Halloween cards. So I thought I'd go for a fall card--particularly since the "For All Things" stamp set was still on my stamping desk!


I saw a tree with beautiful, big, yellow leaves outlined perfectly in rust. It was like someone colored the outline on them. Unfortunately, I was too far away and in my car, so I couldn't get a good picture of them. But those leaves have been on my mind all day. Originally, I thought I'd recreate those leaves for this challenge. Stamp the oak leaf in Tangelo Tango and then do the rock-and-roll technique and outline the leaf in Blackberry Bliss. Well, that was an epic fail. But the corollary adage to yesterday's "There are no stamping mistakes; only stamping opportunities" is "There are two sides to the paper. So I turned it over and started again. Instead of edging the leaves with Blackberry Bliss, I used the dotted stamp from the "Gorgeous Grunge" set (also still out on my desk). Not what I envisioned, but kinda cool...at least I think so.

(Stamp Sets: For All Things, Gorgeous Grunge; Inks: Tangelo Tango, Blackberry Bliss; Card Stock: Basic Black, Blackberry Bliss, Very Vanilla; Accessories: Tangelo Tango Stitched Satin Ribbon, Honeycomb Embossing Folder, Banner Framelit from Snowflake Thinlits Collection)

I CASEd This Sketch!!

When I first saw the sketch on the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge blog, I thought, "Wow! That's too hard. I don't have any ideas." Then, as sometimes happens, I got a flash of inspiration, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do! And then I went right to work and put my inspiration onto paper and it turned out better than I imagined it would!! I love it when a plan comes together!



Over the weekend, the Creation Station projects used the "Wondrous Wreath" set and I was fresh out of ideas. I even said that I thought that whatever I would come up with would be derivative of someone else's creative designs. And while my card is inspired by others who have made a fall wreath, on a wooden door or fence, or who have made a garland out of the wreath, I think my design is unique. (Watch. Now someone will say--hey! that's my design....)

(Stamp Sets: Wondrous Wreath, For All Things, Hardwood Background, Gorgeous Grunge; Inks: Crushed Curry, Tangelo Twist, Blackberry Bliss, Baked Brown Sugar; Card Stock: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla; Accessories: Wonderful Wreath Framelits Collection, Snowflake Card Thinlit--for the banner)

The "Hello Fall" sentiment took a while to dry. I even hit it with my embossing tool before I ran it through the Big Shot. Then when I was applying it to the card, the ink smeared. Really?! Well, there are no stamping mistakes, only stamping opportunities. So I grabbed my "Gorgeous Grunge" set and inked up the dots with Crushed Curry ink and added some more splotches to the sentiment. You know. Like I meant to do that!

Seizing the Birthday

I haven't played along with the Seize the Birthday challenge in a while. I should play more often because I always need birthday cards, right? This challenge doesn't have a topping--and extra element.  It's an "anything goes" challenge! 

Sometimes having a blank slate is more challenging than having a specific "recipe," but I got an idea as soon as I grabbed the "You're Amazing" set and the "Moonlight" designer series paper pack. I wanted the feeling of banners and streamers because it's a party!! How'd I do?

(Stamp Set: You're Amazing; Inks: Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Basic Gray; Card Stock: Whisper White, Lost Lagoon; DSP: Moonlight DSP Pack; Accessories: Banners Framelits, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, Decorative Dots Embossing Folder, Hello Honey and Lost Lagoon Stitched Satin Ribbon)

Creation Station: Gift Box Punch Board Lighted Banner

Welcome to Creation Station! The design team has come up with some awesome projects for you! The featured stamp set is "Wondrous Wreath" and the theme is wreath-themed home decor projects. Our accessory is the Gift Box Punch Board.

I'm having trouble thinking outside the Wondrous Wreath and matching framelits box. There are so many cute projects out there on Pinterest and Splitcoast Stampers that I'm afraid anything I'd come up with would be redundant and derivative. So I'm going to skip the stamp set and the wreath theme and go right to the Gift Box Punch Board and home decor project. OK? OK, then.

I've had this idea brewing in my mind for quite a while and I've even made some origami boxes in an attempt to bring my idea to life. But the origami boxes were too bulky and took too much paper and the light didn't shine through. But then the new catalog came out with the Typeset Specialty Series paper and then the Gift Box Punch Board came out in the holiday mini and I knew that I'd have to sit down and make my idea come to life!

Here's my banner of lighted boxes! I used the book pages from the Typeset Specialty Series Paper because I wanted this banner to hang on my daughter's bookshelf. She's an avid reader and I knew this would be just the thing for her!

Banner with room lights off

Banner with room lights on

(If you're viewing this blog on a mobile device, you might be missing the short video of the blinking lights in action!)

If you want to make your own, I've included a picture tutorial after the "Next" and "Back" buttons. But if you can't wait to continue along the blog hop, go ahead and use the "Next" and "Back" buttons. I know you'll LOVE the design team's projects (and I know they have some awesome ideas for the "Wondrous Wreath" stamp set for you)!!

Gift Box Punch Board Lighted Banner Tutorial

Start with a 6" x 6" piece of Typeset Specialty Series Paper. Align the left side of the paper against the S on the Gift Box Punch Board. Follow the instructions on the punch board--punching and scoring all 4 sides of the paper. Turn it over, as directed, and punch all four sides again. DO NOT make the tabs on the corners; you will not need them for this project. PRO TIP: Don't press too hard when you score, or you'll cut the paper. A light touch is all that's needed. (Ask me how I know.)

 

Use your bone folder to fold all the scored lines so they're easier to manipulate when forming the box.

Normally, you don't need any adhesive at all when making the gift box, but for the banner, we want all the sides sealed tight. So, put a line of snail (or Tombo) down one side of the inner corner....

....and adhere to form the corner of the box. Repeat for all for corners.

Put a bit of adhesive on the underside of the box tops and adhere THREE to form the top of the box. You can still get your fingers inside to squeeze to make sure they're adhered well.

Flip the last flap out so that you can mark the center. You'll punch here. I made a smaller punch on the outside flap so the light didn't pull through.

After you punch the flap, fold it onto the top of the cube, but DON'T adhere yet! Use the punched hole as a guide to mark where you need to punch the inside flaps. I used a larger hole punch for the inside flaps.

Next, place 3 glue dots around the top flap--but DON'T adhere yet!

Insert the light through the top flap and then through the bottom flaps. NOW you can adhere the top flap!!

Here's the finished cube.

October's Paper Pumpkin is as "Sweet As Pie"

My, oh my! This month's Paper Pumpkin kit is so sweet. It's so sweet that it's as sweet as pie! Ha! That's the name of the kit: "Sweet As Pie." The kit comes with everything you need to make 8 food-safe pie-wedge-shaped boxes that you can send home with your Thanksgiving guests filled with pie...or as the Stampin' Up! video shows, with candies or other treats. The kit even has 8 mini skeins of yarn to make pom-poms. How long has it been since YOU made a pom-pom??!!

Here are two boxes that I made with the kit. I think they're so cute, don't you?

(Stamp Set: Sweet As Pie; Ink: Old Olive; Accessories: October 2014 Paper Pumpkin)

 

(Stamp Set: Sweet As Pie; Ink: Old Olive; Accessories: October 2014 Paper Pumpkin)

There are other ideas on the Stampin' Up! Pinterest page for using the kit's parts to make cards, scrapbook pages, and a Thankful banner. I'm going to make the banner because it's totes adorbs! (And because I think it's time to take down the Fourth of July banner.)

Here's the You Tube video that shows you how to put together the kit and all the parts that come with it! I know you're going to love these stepped up Paper Pumpkin kits. (The next one will probably be something wonderful for Christmas!!) Sign up for a subscription to get your very own kit and spend 30 minutes in creative heaven. Just click the link over there on the left of my blog!

Stencils and Stripes, Oh My!

The Addicted to Clean and Simple codeword for this fortnight is "stencil." I had so much fun using the "Dots and Stripes Decorative Mask" when making my BFF's birthday card that I thought I'd try that again.

I was lazy resourceful and I decided to use daubers that had already been inked up. I had a weird variety of colors and I wasn't sure which would go together. I chose Island Indigo, Hello Honey, and Rose Red. I think they look pretty cool together. I mounted my striped panel onto a Hello Honey panel for an extra pop of color. It was only then that I had to decide what was going to go on top. Since this is a clean and simple challenge and the stripes are definitely a bold CAS choice, I needed a simple image. One of my go-to sets is "Really Good Greetings," so out it came! I hadn't used my "Word Bubble" Framelits yet, so I thought I'd give them a whirl. I think I like the finished product. This card was made using the go-with-the-flow creative technique that I use when I only have a short creative window between driving my kids to and from their various activities!!

(Stamp Set: Really Good Greetings; Inks: Island Indigo, Hello Honey, Rose Red; Card Stock: Whisper White, Hello Honey; Accessories: Dots & Stripes Decorative Mask, Sponge Daubers, Word Bubbles Framelits)

I'm a Create with Connie & Mary Top 3 Pick!

BREAKING NEWS: I'm so stoked! My card was chosen as a Top 3 Pick in this week's Create with Connie & Mary Challenge!! I'm so honored!!

Boo To You!!

Today's card just sort of "came" to me. I saw the wonderful sketch over at this week's Retro Sketches challenge and knew it would be fun to use one of the label punches. I toyed around with some ideas and then inspiration struck me like a bolt of lightening. I love it when that happens!



I've said it before: I don't really "do" Halloween cards, but I was inspired to make some cute little ghosts on a pitch black tag. And I've been using the heck out of this sheet of Tangerine Tango DSP from the "Flowerpot" DSP pack. Good thing there are two of each design in each DSP pack!

(Stamp Set: Good Greetings (Hostess); Ink: Tangelo Twist; Card Stock: Tangelo Twist; Basic Black, Whisper White; DSP: Flowerpot; Accessories: Owl Builder Punch; Angled Top Tag Punch, Tangelo Twist Stitched Satin Ribbon, Snowflake Card Die--banner framelits)

The multiple ribbon wraps on the sketch reminded me of mummy wrapping and the punched label reminds me of a tombstone. I know I'm late to the "using the Owl Builder punch to make ghosts" but they were just what this card needed! And it all came to me in a flash!

For All Things Fall Card

This week's Create with Connie & Mary Challenge is a color challenge.


These colors are perfect for Christmas cards, so I decided to do something a little different with them and make a fall card! I knew I had a scrap of Garden Green DSP from the "Flowerpot" collection, so I went hunting in my scrap box and found it! I coupled that with the yummy Cherry Cobbler Sheer Linen Ribbon from the Holiday mini catalog. I embossed a Baked Brown Sugar panel with the Argyle Embossing Folder and layered that right on top of a Baked Brown Sugar base card. Great. Now how to make this a fall card?

I grabbed the "For All Things" stamp set and stamped the acorn stamp in Baked Brown Sugar and the "Grateful For You" greeting in Garden Green. I cut this out with an Oval Framelit. Et voila! A fall card using "traditional" Christmas colors!

(Stamp Set: For All Things; Inks: Baked Brown Sugar, Garden Green; Card Stock: Baked Brown Sugar, Very Vanilla; DSP: Flowerpot; Accessories: Argyle Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler Sheer Linen Ribbon, Ovals Framelits Collection)

Simple Fall Card

Stampin' Up's designer series papers (DSP) make card making easy. I love the "Color Me Autumn" DSP--it's gorgeous. I flipped through my pack and chose a piece for this week's Paper Craft Crew Card sketch challenge.

 

The "Color Me Autumn" DSP coordinates so well with the "For All Things" stamp set! That's another thing I love about Stampin' Up! Everything coordinates, and that makes designing cards easy!

(Stamp Set: For All Things; Inks: Cajun Craze, Mossy Meadow; Card Stock: Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Very Vanilla Mossy Meadow; DSP: Color Me Autumn; Accessories: Basic Gold Metal Button, Gold Baker's Twine, Banners Framelits Collection)

Fresh Friday Sketch

I really enjoy participating in stamping blog challenges. They really help me get creative in a hurry. Take tonight, for instance. I stayed late at work and ate dinner late. Then I received an email that I needed to take some time with and answer it right away. Around 8:30 tonight, my DD asked me, "Don't you have a card to make for your blog?" And I said, yes, but the email was important. Besides, it was still "early."

Fortunately, this week's Freshly Made Sketch challenge is one I can really sink my creative teeth into. It's clean and simple and fresh. 
 
I've been eying a certain sheet of the Confetti Celebration DSP and tonight it called to me. "Yay!" I thought. "I'll use this on a Basic Gray card base. What? I'm down to one half sheet of Basic Gray?! Ugh. OK. I'll use it." Then I sat down at my stamping table and lo and behold there was a pre-folded Crisp Cantaloupe card base. I decided to use that instead. And I found a just-big-enough piece of Basic Gray in my scrap box that I could use behind the DSP. Yay! Yay! Yay!

(Stamp Sets: Really Good Greetings, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Ink: Basic Gray; Card Stock: Crisp Cantaloupe, Basic Gray, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White; DSP: Confetti Celebration, Typeset Specialty Paper; Accessories: Circles Framelits Collection, Petite Petals Punch, Basic Rhinestones)

Retro Anniversary

Oh boy! Oh boy! The challenge on the Retro Sketches blog this week is a "stamper's choice." We can choose any sketch in the Retro archives. I love having a choice--but it wasn't easy!! There are so many awesome sketches in the archive. I had to go way back to April 2013 to find the sketch I wanted to CASE. I saw several along the way that piqued my interest, but this one said: "You need an anniversary card and you won't have time to make one the day before your anniversary 'cause you'll be away on business." I can't believe I have my anniversary card made almost a month prior to my anniversary!!



I've been wanting to make some flowers using the Petite Petal Punch and Typeset Specialty Series paper and this sketch allows me to do just that. I found an already made Cherry Cobbler card base on the floor near my cutting station. I love Cherry Cobbler with Very Vanilla and Basic Black. I knew two of the sentiments from the "Good Greetings" hostess set would be perfect on this card. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Hope Hubby will like it. (And I hope I remember I have it when our anniversary rolls around!)

(Stamp Set: Good Greetings (Hostess); Ink: Cherry Cobbler; Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, Very Vanilla; DSP: Typeset Specialty Series; Accessories: Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Banner Framelits Collection, Petite Petals Punch, Banner Punch, Basic Rhinestones)

On A Clean & Simple Roll

I'm on a roll here with trying my hand at some clean and simple blog challenge. I figure if I try, try again, I might just get it right!! This week's cue card word at the CASology challenge blog is "splatter." (How can splatter be clean and simple?)

There are so many ways to splatter on a card and the CASology design team came up with some wonderful designs! Go check them out! 

I thought about using the "Gorgeous Grunge" set, but that would have been too obvious. I looked at my basket of pens and saw that I had a Stampin' Spritzer already filled with Blackberry Bliss ink. So I knew that would be my splatter. I flipped through my "Moonlight" DSP pack and found a sheet with Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, and Sahara Sand splatters that would also fit the theme. Then I chose another greeting from the "Really Good Greetings" stamp set--one that I think is encouraging--and there are so many people in my life who need encouragement! I decided that I wanted the sentiment to be BOLD.

(Stamp Set: Really Good Greetings; Ink: Blackberry Bliss; Card Stock: Hello Honey, Blackberry Bliss, Whisper White; DSP: Moonllight DSP Pack; Accessories: Stampin' Spritzer)

CASed Sketch Thank You

I really like the sketch at the CAS(E) This Sketch blog challenge this week. The design team came up with so many wonderful ideas! 



I started--as I am wont to do--with a scrap of DSP that was in my "scrap  box." I like the colors in this sheet of "Flowerpot" DSP. On my own, I never would have put together Tangerine Tango, Blushing Bride, and Crushed Curry--but I like this combination!! And I love the bold triangles. I needed to make a thank you card for a dear friend who sent me a handmade bar of sweet smelling soap as a random act of kindness.

(Stamp Set: Teeny Tiny Wishes; Ink:Tangerine Tango; Card Stock: Tangerine Tango, Blushing Bride, Crushed Curry; DSP: Flowerpot; Accessories: Banner Punch, LabelCard Thinlit (Arrow), Essentials Paper Piercing Pack)

While I'm trying hard to embrace my clean and simple self, I still needed to add a bit of texture in the corners of this card. It looked too "naked" without the piercing!

Live the Life You Imagined

One of my best work friends retired last week. I miss her already! We worked together in our office and we traveled together with our team to all corners of the world. She's smart and funny and hard-working and kind and caring and just an all-around great person. I miss her already!

Fortunately my friend is retiring locally so we'll be able to get together often. In fact, several women from our team are taking our friend out to dinner tonight. I think the sentiment "Live the Life You Imagined" is a great retirement send-off. My friend is retiring because she wants to accomplish lots of other things in her life and work was just getting in the way! That's the way to retire!

Here's a card I made for my friend. I CASEd this awesome card from UK stamper, Julie Kettlewell. You ought to take a look around at the rest of Julie's blog, too. She's got some amazing work there!!

(Stamp Sets: Traveler, Really Good Greetings, Hardwood Background; Inks: Soft Suede, Night of Navy; Card Stock: Soft Suede, Night of Navy, Naturals Ivory; Accessories: Angled Tag Topper Punch,Early Espresso Baker's Twine)

I can't believe I'd never inked up--or mounted--the Hardwood Background stamp. It's awesome!! I'm going to use it a lot now that it's seen some ink (and I've remembered that I own it)!

Here's the inside of the card. Another sentiment from "Really Good Greetings" was fitting here, as well.

(Stamp Sets: Traveler, Really Good Greetings; Ink: Soft Suede; Card Stock: Soft Suede, Naturals Ivory)

Creation Station Celebrates Fall & Halloween!

Welcome to another edition of the Creation Station blog hop! This time we're featuring the set "Fall Fest" and our theme is Halloween.  Since I don't have that stamp set and I don't own any current Halloween stamps, I've had to improvise--but isn't that what creativity is all about??

The only Halloweeny stamp I have is one from the "Mingle All The Way" stamp set. I colored the stamp with Tangerine Tango and Basic Black markers to get a two-color image. I cut the image with one of the circles from the Circles Framelits Collection and punched the Tangerine Tango mat with the 2-1/2" Circle Punch. I used a panel from the "Flowerpot" DSP pack for an accent and tied a piece of Calypso Coral seam binding onto the front of the card. Cute, huh?

(Stamp Set: Mingle All The Way; Card Stock: Basic Black, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White; DSP: Flowerpot; Accessories: Circle Card Thinlit Die, Circles Framelits Collection, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Calypso Coral Seam Binding, Tangerine Tango and Basic Black Stampin' Write Markers)

Since Halloween is such a fun holiday, I wanted the inside of the card to be fun, so I pulled out all the stops!

(Stamp Set: Good Greetings Hostess Set; Ink: Tangerine Tango; Card Stock: Basic Black, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White; Accessories: Circle Card Thinlit Die, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Zig Zag Embossing Folder, Calypso Coral Seam Binding, Basic Gray Baker's Twine)

I strung a bunch of bats inside the card! When you open the striped flap, the bats "fly" across the card. To cover the hole I made in the circle, I added an extra bat--it makes me think of a bat flying across a full moon. The greeting is from the "Good Greetings" hostess set (available through the end of October with a $300 order or workshop).

Here's how to make the bat using the Elegant Butterfly punch. First, punch the butterfly as usual. Then, attach it to a post-it note to use as a handle. Then, put it back into the punch like this and punch again.

(Elegant Butterfly Punch used to make a bat!)

Here's a close-up of the bats. I think they're so adorable (if I do say so myself)!!!

(Card Stock: Basic Black, Tangerine Tango; Accessories: Circle Card Thinlits Die Elegant Butterfly Punch, Zig Zag Embossing Folder, Basic Gray Baker's Twine, 2-1/2" Circle Punch)

I hope you enjoyed my improvisational creativity. Use the "back" and "next" buttons to continue hopping along the Creation Station blog. I know you're going to be amazed by the creations the design team has come up with!!