Manly Birthday

#stampinup   This week's Create with Connie & Mary challenge is COLOR! Again, they've come up with an interesting combination that I would never have thought up myself! Color challenges inspire us to use those colors that we sometimes neglect. They really keep the creative juices flowing!

I started with a Crumb Cake card base--because that was the "safe" choice for me. I ran a Daffodil Delight panel through the Big Shot with the Polka Dot Embossing folder. I love those big polka dots--I think they make the card  festive, which is what I want for a birthday card!

Next, I stamped the "happy" balloon from the "Celebrate Today" stamp set in Bermuda Bay onto a Whisper White piece. I stamped the solid balloon in Daffodil Delight onto a Whisper White piece, and then stamped the Bermuda Bay sprinkles on top of it. I cut out both of the balloons with the matching Balloon Framelit Dies.

For the sentiment, I stamped a banner and "birthday" from the "Thoughtful Banners" set in Crumb Cake onto a Crumb Cake scrap. I punched this out with the matching Duet Banner Punch. All the element are adhered to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals. 

This quick and fun card would be great for a manly birthday.

tams# 7515

Product List

Celebrate Today Photopolymer Stamp Set [137138] $26.00	Thoughtful Banners Photopolymer Bundle [142330] $35.00	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad [131171] $6.50	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad [126944] $6.50
Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad [126975] $6.50	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [120953] $8.00	Daffodil Delight 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [119683] $8.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.00
Balloon Framelits Dies [137362] $17.00	Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [133739] $7.50	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00

Mojo Birthday

#stampinup   A couple of my favorite stampers (Hi Justin Krieger and Mary Fish!) posted cards using a totally awesome layout. Being the cracking analyst that I am, I figured they must be playing along in a sketch challenge--and they were! I headed right on over to this week's Mojo Monday sketch challenge so I could play along, too!

I wanted to create a bright and cheery birthday card--so what better colors to use than those in the Cherry on Top 6"x6" Designer Series Paper Stack? I cut three 1.5" strips of DSP and flagged the ends with the Banner Triple Punch. I adhered these strips to a Bermuda Bay card base, as in the sketch.

Next, I stamped two solid balloons from the "Celebrate Today" stamp set in Watermelon Wonder onto Whisper White Card Stock and added the happy birthday sentiment in Bermuda Bay on top of the balloons. I cut these out with the matching Balloons Framelits.

I cut a 2.5" by 4-3/8" Whisper White panel and backed it with a 2-5/8" by 4-5/8" Crushed Curry mat, I wrapped a length of Pool Party Glitter Ribbon around the assembly and adhered it to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals. I added the balloons to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals, too.

For a final bit of bling, I added two medium-sized Basic Rhinestone Embellishments to each balloon.  And there you have it: one bright and cheery birthday card!

tams# 5554

Product List

Stampin' Pierce Mat [126199] $5.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Rhinestone Basic Jewels Embellishments [119246] $5.00	Banner Triple Punch [138292] $23.00
Pool Party 3/8" (1 Cm) Glitter Ribbon [140561] $5.50	Cherry On Top Designer Series Paper Stack [138443] $8.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $8.50	Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131199] $7.00
Bermuda Bay 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131197] $7.00	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad [131171] $6.50	Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad [138323] $6.50	Celebrate Today Photopolymer Bundle [138869] $36.50

Because I'm Happy

#stampinup   This week's sketch at the Create with Connie and Mary challenge blog uses four elements stacked on the left side of the card. I had an idea to use the "Layered Letters Alphabet" but I couldn't come up with a word that I liked that would fit on a 5.5" x 4.25" card. So back to the drawing board!



I stared at my stamp sets for a good long time. I don't like to repeat myself (let's just forget that obsession with Mint Macaron and Basic Black and the "Birthday Blossoms"set) and I don't like to make something that seems to derive from the design team's ideas or the cards already posted in the challenge. I finally settled on the "Celebrate Today" set and thought I could stamp the balloons in various shades of blue for an ombre effect--but those balloons are ginormous! With a little creative placement, I think I pulled it off.

I stamped one balloon in each of the following colors: Pacific Point, Marina Mist, Pool Party, and Soft Sky. I cut them out with the matching Balloons Framelits Collection. I stamped the "birthday" sentiment in Pacific Point on a Pool Party mat and then ran it through the Big Shot with the Large Polka Dot Embossing folder. I adhered the Pool Party piece onto a Pacific Point card base.

I adhered three Stampin' Dimensionals to the back of each balloon and stacked them on top of each other along the left side of the Pool Party Panel. I finished the card by adding some Basic Rhinestones for a little party bling!

 

tams# 3805

Product List

Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [133739] $7.50	Rhinestone Basic Jewels Embellishments [119246] $5.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $8.50
Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [122924] $7.00	Pacific Point 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [111350] $7.00	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad [131181] $6.50	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [126982] $6.50
Marina Mist Classic Stampin' Pad [126962] $6.50	Pacific Point Classic Stampin' Pad [126951] $6.50	Celebrate Today Photopolymer Bundle [138869] $36.50

Celebrate Grad!

#stampinup  I still need to make a few more graduation cards--there are so many high school and college grads in my life! It's a blessing to know these special young people...and one mom who returned to school and got her degree after her kids finished school. You go, girl!

The color challenge at this week's Create with Connie & Mary was a great inspiration for my final batch of graduation cards.



I started with a Lost Lagoon card base and added a Hello Honey mat. Next, I used Lost Lagoon ink to stamp two rows of flags from the "Celebrate Today" stamp set on the corner of a Whisper White panel.

I stamped one balloon in Hello Honey onto Whisper White card stock and added "graduation" in Lost Lagoon. I cut this out with the matching Balloon Framelits. I also cut a So Saffron balloon with the framelits and stamped the dots on top with So Saffron ink.

Then, I cut a 1" strip of So Saffron card stock, flagged the end with the Banner Triple Punch, and stamped the word "celebrate" in Lost Lagoon.

I attached the balloons with Stampin' Dimensionals and tied a bow with a length of Whisper White Baker's Twine.

tams# 3499

Product List

Celebrate Today Photopolymer Bundle [138869] $36.50	Lost Lagoon Classic Stampin' Pad [133644] $6.50	So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad [126957] $6.50	Hello Honey Classic Stampin' Pad [133643] $6.50
Lost Lagoon 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133679] $7.00	Hello Honey 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133678] $7.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $8.50	Banner Triple Punch [138292] $23.00
Twine Baker's Whisper White [124262] $3.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Stampin' Pierce Mat [126199] $5.00