Have A Spooky Halloween

On October 27, 2020October 18, 2023 By JanetIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Hello Friends!

I’m back with a quick card for the Fusion Card Challenge “Purple Night”.

This challenge is as below. One can use just the sketch for inspiration, just the picture, or both. I decided to go big or go home and went with both.

I bought the Camouflage background stamp several months ago, but had yet to use it. I decided it would be great for making a “spooky” purple background. I actually used three different stamp sets to achieve my final result.

I don’t think of the tree stamp in “Life Is Beautiful” as spooky, but given that it’s photopolymer, it’s easy to bend the stamp around a bit to give it more insidious look. And, of course, Festive Corners filled in for the rest of the “spooky” look!

LET’S GET INKY!

Continue reading “Have A Spooky Halloween” →

Keeping It Clean & Simple

On October 26, 2020October 18, 2023 By JanetIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Hello Friends!

I’m playing along with card challenges this week; this one from CASology with the theme “DRY”. As the name implies, “CAS” stands for Clean And Simple. This is hard for me, as I prefer using lots of layers, texture, and of course, bling! But, always up for a challenge, I decided to play along! (#CAS376)

Last night Dean and I took an evening hike up to our future cabin site (AKA Janet’s future stamp-camp site!). The crisp evening air, the changing color of the leaves, and the sunset were spectacular!

This is where Dean proposed to me 8 years ago, and whether it’s because of this, or just simply the beautiful scenery, or both, this spot elicits a magical feeling inside me. I can’t be in that spot and not wrap my arms around him and say….YES, YES, YES, a thousand times YES! I am so very blessed to love, and be loved by, him. We stayed up there and watched the sun set before we made our way back down the mountain in the dark.

And, oh my, after the sun set it got very cold! When we reached home, I made my way down to the barn and put blankets on my boys (horses), which they seemed to greatly appreciate judging by the snuggles I got! Yes, Fall is certainly here! And, our walk is where my inspiration for this challenge came from; lots of “dry” autumn leaves on the ground!

Continue reading “Keeping It Clean & Simple” →

Repeat a single image for maximum effect

Repeat A Single Image For Maximum Impact

On October 24, 2020October 25, 2020 By JanetIn Uncategorized6 Comments

Hello Friends!

Today I popped over to SUO Challenges to find that this week’s challenge (#SUOC260) was “Birthdays”. Well, that leaves the door WIDE OPEN to create as one pleases! Who doesn’t need birthday cards, right? Birthday and Thank You cards are by far my most needed cards to stock up on! With not a lot of time for creating lately, I elected to select just a single stamp and repeat this image across the page to maximize it’s effect. Flowers work especially well for this technique.

Sponging ink is one of my favorite ways to create a background, layering the color to achieve some depth. Just remember to always start with the lightest color first, and then build upon that with the darker colors, overlapping and blending with the color before. Keep a piece of scratch paper underneath your panel, and start the sponging process on the scratch paper, working your way onto the cardstock to prevent a heavy “smudge” of color. (Maybe I like sponging ink because I usually end up with INKY fingers, which ranks right up there with horse-dirt on my hands!)

In this case, I chose to start with Balmy Blue. I started at the top and applied ink about three-quarters of the way down the panel, letting it lighten the further down the panel I got.

I then moved to Pacific Point. Again, start at the top and work your way about two-thirds of the way down into the Balmy Blue, allowing the color to fade as you move down the panel.

Finally, I topped it off with just a hint of Night of Navy across the very top.

I used my Stamparatus to assure continuity in height of my poppies across the panel, stamping the taller flowers first, and then coming back in with the two shorter flowers.

I colored the poppies with Stampin’ Blends Combos: Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive.

As usual, I couldn’t leave the card front looking pristinely clean, so out came a Stampin’ Spritzer with a little bit of water and a single drop of Night of Navy ink from a re-inker. A couple squirts across the top of my “sky” gave it the little bit of distressing that I feel adds more character to a piece. I think either looks great, it’s just a personal preference of mine to give an image some distressing!

Pristinely clean versus Slightly distressed

I wrapped a piece of Braided Linen Trim across the front, securing the ends with tape on the back; tied a small bow with the same Braided Linen Trim and applied with a glue dot.

The “happy birthday” sentiment is from the Timeless Tulips stamp set and stamped on a scrap of Whisper White CS in black ink. I then hand trimmed it into a rectangle.

I used the Triple Banner Punch to crop the ends of a scrap of Pumpkin Pie DSP from the Regals Designer Series Paper, and applied the sentiment on top of it.

Three graduating sizes of Champagne Gems in the right upper corner finished it off with some bling!

This card is easily reproduced without a lot of fuss, so it’s easy to make several to keep on hand for upcoming birthdays!

The cool Fall weather we’ve been experiencing has gotten me back outside and in the saddle more. I managed to chalk up three rides this week!

We also brought home our first load of steer calves for the year.

The grass is growing and turning green again, even while my flower beds are dying back and almost ready to be tucked in for the winter.

The house was a little cool last night when we got home with our calves, so Dean built the first fire of the season in our woodstove as well.

Now it’s time to put on a pot of homemade soup and bake some cookies!

Oh how I love this time of year! YAY FOR FALL!!!

I hope you’re enjoying the change of seasons as much as I am!

Again, thank you for stopping by and sharing a little part of your day with me today!

The products I used for my #SUOC260 (SUO Challenge) card are listed below. Each picture is a clickable link to my online Stampin’ Up store. If you have questions, need help placing an order, or just want to say hello, please feel free to comment below, or use the “Contact” tab at the top of this page. (If you’re using a cell phone, click on “Main Menu” and a drop-down list will appear from which you can click on “Contact”).

Until next time, I hope you get INKY!

Janet

Product List

Painted Poppies Cling Stamp Set [151599] $23.00	Timeless Tulips Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [151534] $18.00	Regals 6″ X 6″ (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [153073] $11.50	Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [100730] $9.75	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00
Balmy Blue Classic Stampin’ Pad [147105] $7.50	Pacific Point Classic Stampin’ Pad [147098] $7.50	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin’ Pad [147110] $7.50	Stamping Sponges [141337] $4.00	Stampin’ Spritzer [126185] $3.00
Night Of Navy Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill [103033] $3.75	Banner Triple Punch [138292] $23.00	3/16″ (1 Cm) Braided Linen Trim [147808] $7.00	Champagne Rhinestone Basic Jewels [151193] $6.00	Mini Glue Dots [103683] $5.25
Stamparatus [146276] $49.00	Paper Trimmer [152392] $25.00	Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [154897] $9.00	Old Olive Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [154892] $9.00

How To Make A Paper Hoarder Share Her Stampin’ Up Stash

On October 21, 2020October 20, 2020 By JanetIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Hello Friends!

I’m blessed with a cute little 7-year-old granddaughter, named Kambria, who loves, loves, loves to craft with Grammy. She definitely got my genes when it comes to pretty paper, ink, rubberstamps, and lots of embellishments! She and I can pass an entire day away in my craft room NO PROBLEM!

In fact, this little cutie began scrapbooking with me when she was 3-years-old. I’ve been a “scrapper” since my children were babes and she loved looking through my albums when she would come to see us. I didn’t work Fridays, and so before she was of school age, she would come hang out with Grammy & Papa every Friday while Mom and Dad worked.

Noting that she could spend hours looking through scrapbooks and looking through all of my pretty paper piece by piece by piece; and drawer upon drawer upon drawer of “embellishments”, I introduced her to papercrafting at a very young age. It wasn’t long before she was asking, “Can I scrapbook with you, Grammy?”

Though everything is digital these days, I still have a lot of my pictures made into prints (someday I’ll get around to scrapbooking all of them…) and so I’d let her look through the envelopes of pictures and pick out several that she wanted to scrapbook.

As a paper lover (hoarder), it was very difficult for me to let her have free pick of my paper stash, ribbon, gems, etc. But, with some guidance and eventual reorganization of my supplies, i.e. you can use anything in this cupboard, this tote, this box, this drawer…I did learn to share!

A darling little grandchild can make any paper-hoarding grandma share her stash!!!

Here are just a few of her scrapbooking beginnings. Washi tape and glitter glue were big on these first pages!

As time has gone by and my focus turned more to card making, hers has likewise shifted that direction. Now the second she hits the front door, the first words out of her beautiful little mouth are, “Hi Grammy! Can we make cards today?”

And that leads me to the here and now! She spent the day with us a few days back, and I was putting together a shaker card. As a girl after my own heart, who loves a little “bling”, the sequins in my shaker card were quite “swoon-worthy” to my little princess, and she wanted to make one too.

Soooo, of course we did!

She decided hers would be for her friend, and her friend likes cats…”I mean, like REALLY likes cats, Grammy!”

Without blinking an eye, I knew in that moment, I had to bring out “the good stuff”. Yep, current Stampin’ Up catalog stuff. If Kambria wanted to make a shaker card with cats, by golly, she was going to have the best cats I had!!!

And just like that, I handed over my “Playful Pets” suite of products. So much for “This is your paper, stamps, ink, embellishments to play with!” At age 7, with four years of paper-crafting experience behind her, I guess she’s earned the right to graduate to “the good stuff”. She’s had a good teacher after all! Of course, letting go is never easy, so we’re testing the waters carefully with a paper-hoarding Grammy’s ever-watchful eye as to exactly WHAT & HOW MUCH she’s using! LOL!

She wanted to make her shaker card in the same layout that I’d used, so that was easy.

She then proceeded to tell me exactly what she wanted in terms of cardstock, DSP, sequins, and she wanted her window to read “BFF”… “with hearts, Grammy”. This little girl was suddenly in charge of the craft room and completely in her element! With a little help on measurements and guidance on how to put it all together, 7-year-old Miss Kambria made her first shaker card for her “BFF who likes cats…I mean, REALLY likes cats!”

Oh how I love days with my grandkids; and finding something that we enjoy doing together IS PRICELESS! I have many fond memories of crafting with my grandma…it just runs in the family I guess! Kambria will look back at her early-years scrapbook and smile someday, remembering the time spent crafting with Grammy.

And that, my friends, is how you make a paper-hoarder share her stash!

My card features the stamp set Butterfly Wishes; Artistry Blooms DSP; Square Vellum Doilies; Playful Alphabet Dies; Whale Of A Time Sequins.

Kambria’s card features Playful Pets DSP & Dies, Playful Alphabet Dies; Be Mine Stitched Dies; Playful Pets Trim Combo Pack; Poppy Parade Sequins.

A list of the products with links to my online store are noted below.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Until next time, I hope you get INKY!

Janet

Product List

Butterfly Wishes Cling Stamp Set [149346] $23.00	Playful Alphabet Dies [152706] $34.00	Window Sheets [142314] $5.00	Artistry Blooms Designer Series Paper [152495] $11.50	Night Of Navy 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [100867] $8.75
Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [100730] $9.75	Square Vellum Doilies [152484] $5.00	Stamping Sponges [141337] $4.00	Whale Of A Time Sequins [152461] $6.50	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin’ Pad [147110] $7.50
Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin’ Pad [147096] $7.50	Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin’ Pad [147097] $7.50	Water Painters [151298] $12.00	Foam Adhesive Strips [141825] $8.00	Playful Pets Designer Series Paper [152489] $11.50
Flirty Flamingo 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [141416] $8.75	Real Red 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [102482] $8.75	Basic Black 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [121045] $8.75	Playful Pets Trim Combo Pack [152466] $7.50	Pets Dies [152705] $23.00

Sometimes We Just Have To Press On

On October 17, 2020October 17, 2020 By JanetIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Hello Friends!

In deliberating what direction I wanted this post to go, I pulled out the Stampin’ Up! Press On stamp set.

This is a perfect set for the coffee lover in your life, but it also contains some really good encouragement sentiments to remind us that sometimes we just have to press on. I think all of us can look back at this year, 2020, and apply that “press on” attitude!

I needed a thank you card, however, and so used the “A cup of thanks” sentiment from the Stampin’ Up! Press On stamp set. I really like how the In Good Taste DSP can be used to simulate a kitchen counter with tile backsplash, and chose to use this effect for my card. Don’t forget that this designer series paper, as well as the Heartwarming Hugs DSP that I used for the coffee cups, is all on sale, 15% off, until the end of this month. Stock up while you can!

I don’t know if you noticed, but I tried to make the kitchen counter as authentic as possible – complete with coffee cup ring, spilled coffee beans, and coffee grounds! Now, if only we all had an Alice (Brady Bunch) to tidy up after us, right?

LET’S GET INKY!

Materials:

Stamp set:

Stampin’ Up! Press On stamp set

Paper:

In Good Taste DSP (Designer Series Paper) – 5 1/8″ x 3 7/8″
Heartwarming Hugs DSP – scraps of 3 different patterns for cups
Early Espresso CS (cardstock) – 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ – fold in half at 4 1/4″
Real Red CS – 5 3/8″ x 4 1/8″ (cut 2)
Whisper White CS – 5 1/4″ x 4″ (cut 2) + scraps for sentiment tag and coffee lids
Sahara Sand CS – scrap for 3 cup-wraps

Ink:

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink
SU (Stampin’ Up) Real Red Ink

Accessories/Embellishments:

Soft Suede Combo Stampin’ Blends
Wrapped In Texture Embossing Folder
Crystal Effects
Brown Glitter
Stampin’ Chalk Marker
Dimensionals

PUTTING IT TOGETHER:

Stamp the coffee to-go cup image on three different colors of the Heartwarming Hugs DSP, then using snips, fussy cut them out.
Stamp the top “lid portion” of the same stamp on Whisper White CS x 3, and then fussy cut the lids out.
Adhere lids to DSP cup images.
Stamp the mid-portion of the same cup stamp onto a scrap of Sahara Sand CS and fussy cut the center-section cup-wraps out.
Place the three Sahara Sand pieces into the Wrapped in Texture embossing folder and run through Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine.
Adhere the textured cup-wraps to center of DSP cups.
Set the 3 cups aside while we work on the card base background.
Apply one of the Real Red mats to the Early Espresso card base front.
Take the In Good Taste panel that you cut for the card (Stacked stone/tile on front & gray on back) and cut 1 3/8″ from the long edge.
Adhere the larger piece with tile side up, to the top of one of the Whisper White mats, leaving a thin white border.
Randomly stamp some coffee beans (from Press On stamp set) on the gray side of the 1 3/8″ piece of DSP, in black ink, allowing some to go off the edge of the paper. Color coffee beans with Soft Suede Blends. I colored the whole bean in the light Soft Suede, and then simply highlighted the middle line of the bean with the dark Soft Suede marker.
Squeeze a little dot of liquid glue to the tip of your finger and smudge it onto the gray DSP (countertop). Sprinkle a little bit of brown glitter (from my stash) “coffee grounds” over the glue and let dry.
Adhere the stamped gray DSP below the tile piece and butting edges up.
Place dimensionals to the back of the three (3) coffee cups and apply to image panel equally spaced over the gray DSP (countertop).
To create the coffee ring around the bottom of the first cup, I drew a thin line of clear Crystal Effects (from my stash) around the bottom of the cup and let it dry. I then used the Dark Soft Suede Stampin’ Blends marker, small tip, to draw over the Crystal Effects, giving it some color. I then used the Light Soft Suede Stampin’ Blends to somewhat fill in the ring.
The “A cup of thanks” sentiment was stamped in black ink onto Whisper White CS and then I used my paper trimmer to cut the rectangle tag.
I had a narrow strip of Real Red CS which I trimmed to length and applied to the center back of the sentiment tag. The whole thing was then adhered with liquid glue to the card front.
Stamp the heart image from “Press On” in Real Red above the first cup, and use a white chalk marker to hand draw some “steam” lines.
Adhere the entire image panel to the red mat on card base.
For the inside of the card, I used a 1″ strip of the same gray DSP (1″ x 3 7/8″), and again stamped some coffee beans randomly across it. I colored the beans the same as I did above, and added the heart in Real Red to the center.
Stamp the inside sentiment in black ink to the Whisper White panel, and adhere the stamped 1″ gray strip to the bottom, leaving equal borders.
Adhere the Real Red mat to the inside of the Early Espresso card base, followed by the white stamped sentiment panel.

DONE!

Whether a coffee lover or not, I think this card will brighten someone’s day. So, let’s keep on Pressing On! 2020 will soon be over and I hope you’ll all join me in praying for a calmer, “less memorable” 2021!!!

If I can assist you in anything Stampin’ Up, or “crafty” simply reach out to me via the Contact tab above! I’d love to hear from you, even just a simple hello to let me know you’re all still pressin’ on!

SU has a new promotion coming SOON. This promotion, Curvy Celebrations, includes early-release products from the January–June 2021 Mini Catalog in addition to exclusive Christmas products. It includes a 10% discount when purchased all together with the Quite Curvy Variety Bundle item number.

Some of the items in this variety bundle are only available during the pre-release order period! I got mine today and will be sharing it with you in the next couple days, as the bundle will be orderable by YOU, my customers, on November 3. The promotion-exclusive items will only be available in the bundle between November 3 – January 4, so take a look at at the bundle and decide if you’ve “gotta have it”, as you’ll get more with the bundle during the promotion than after the new catalog comes out (the promotion-exclusive items will go away).

I’ll have more on that for you in my next post!

Thank you for taking some time today to check out what’s happening at Bright Acres Creations! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with questions, suggestions, or a simple “hello”! If I can assist you in placing an order, please just let me know. I’ve included the Stampin’ Up products used for today’s card below, and each one links back to that product in my online store.

Just as a reminder, both packs of DSP used today are now on SALE, 15% off, though the sale prices aren’t reflected below. If you click on the link and go to my online store, it will be listed at the correct sale price there.

Keep on pressing on my friends!

Janet

Product List

Press On Cling Stamp Set [153392] $22.00	Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper [153492] $11.50	In Good Taste Designer Series Paper [152494] $21.00	Early Espresso 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [119686] $8.75	Real Red 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [102482] $8.75
Sahara Sand 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [121043] $8.75	Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [100730] $9.75	Wrapped In Texture Embossing Folders [153574] $8.00	Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] $120.00	Paper Snips [103579] $10.00
Paper Trimmer [152392] $25.00	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Real Red Classic Stampin’ Pad [147084] $7.50	White Stampin’ Chalk Marker [132133] $3.50	Soft Suede Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [154906] $9.00
Stampin’ Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755] $4.00

Main image of card front, Clean & Simple Christmas Card

Clean & Simple – Only 10 Minutes To Christmas Shine

On October 13, 2020October 12, 2020 By JanetIn Uncategorized

Hello Friends!

Today I have a card for you that’s clean and simple, shimmers and shines, and only takes about 10 minutes to put together.

I started with the dimensional tree cut from Very Vanilla cardstock with the “In The Woods Dies”. I then painted the tree gold with shimmer paint, only to realize that Stampin’ Up no longer sells the gold shimmer paint. However, it dawned on me that the shimmer paint, with it’s brush strokes, actually looked a lot like the Brushed Metallic gold cardstock. So, if you don’t have gold shimmer paint, the Brushed Metallic Cardstock is a very good alternative. That’s actually what I used for the scalloped mat behind the sentiment and they match quite nicely! I used Toile Tidings DSP which I love for its classic Christmas appeal in Real Red and Garden Green – just FYI – it’s ON SALE NOW! (SEE BELOW)

I was afraid the sentiment may get lost on the DSP (Designer Series Paper) design, so I used my Stamparatus to first stamp the sentiment in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, and then wiped the black ink from the stamp without removing the stamp from the Stamparatus. I then simply inked the stamp in Versamark, stamped over the first black image, sprinkled clear embossing powder over the Versamark and heat set it. This gave me a nice, glossy, dark, slightly raised, and definitely more prominent sentiment on the patterned DSP.

In this same manner, you can have any color of embossed image. Just stamp your image in whatever color of ink you wish and stamp over it in Versamark, then use clear embossing powder. Of course, a stamp positioning tool, such as the Stamparatus, is a MUST for this type of stamping! There are other stamp positioning tools on the market, but the Stamparatus beats it’s competitors hands down!

In the designing stages of the Stamparatus, Stampin’ Up gathered a handful of demonstrators as collaborators to act as a “think tank” in order to make it the best possible tool out there for it’s intended purpose. I’m proud to tell you, my sister, Krista Thomas, of RegalStamping.com, was part of that design team. They did a fantastic job in the design, if I do say so myself! But, don’t take my word for it – give it a try! I know you’ll love it!

LET’S GET INKY!

Materials:

Stamp Sets Used:

For Unto Us

Metal Dies:

In The Woods
Layering Circles

Paper:

Toile Tidings Designer Series Paper (red stripes – 5 3/8″ x 4 1/8″) (green stripes 5 3/8″ x 3/4″) ( green scene 3″ x 3″ to crop circle from)
Brushed Metallic Cardstock (tree 3 1/2″ x 2 1/4″ piece) & (scalloped circle 3 1/4″ x 3 1/4″)
Very Vanilla Cardstock (card base) 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ – fold in half at 4 1/4″
For card inside: Very Vanilla- 4 3/4″ x 3 7/8″; Red Striped Toile Tidings DSP 5 3/8″ x 4 1/8″; Green Striped Toile Tidings DSP 5 3/8″ x 1/2″

Ink:

Memento Tuxedo Black
Versamark

Accessories:

Clear Embossing Powder & Heat Tool
Wonder Of The Season Ribbon Combo Pack (Gold cord)
Wonderful Gems
STAMPARATUS

Putting It Together:

Adhere the green striped Toile Tidings DSP to the bottom of the red striped Toile Tidings Mat, leaving about 1/4″ of the red showing at the bottom.
Crop the tree from Brushed Metallic CS using the In The Woods Dies.
Crop the scalloped circle using the largest of the scalloped circle dies in Layering Circles Dies, from Brushed Metallic CS.
Crop the circle for the sentiment using the second largest “plain” circle die from Layering Circles Dies, from the green “scene” Toile Tidings DSP.
Place the cropped circle in the Stamparatus (make sure “scene” is upright and straight).
Lay the sentiment stamp in the center of the circle and close the “lid” to pick up the stamp.
Ink stamp with Tuxedo Black ink and close “lid” to stamp.
Open Stamparatus and use rag or shammy to wipe black ink from stamp.
Re-ink the stamp with Versamark and close “lid” to stamp over the previous black ink.
Remove circle from Stamparatus and sprinkle clear embossing powder over stamped image, tapping off extra embossing powder.
Heat set using Heat Tool.
Adhere stamped circle to scalloped brushed metallic mat.
Adhere that to the right-top side of the red-striped mat.
Wrap a piece of gold cord across the front of the mat toward the bottom edge of the green striped piece, and adhere ends of cord to back using tape.
Tie a small bow using gold cord and adhere to front using a mini glue dot.
Adhere the tree to left side of card front and lift the “boughs” to create dimension.
Use a red “Wonderful Gem” to top the tree.
For the inside, adhere red-striped DSP to inside card base.
Stamp sentiments from For Unto Us in Red Red to Very Vanilla panel.
Adhere green-striped DSP to bottom edge of Very Vanilla panel.
Adhere Very Vanilla sentiment panel to red-striped DSP.
DONE!

Just a quick reminder that Stampin’ Up has a selection of DSP (Designer Series Paper) ON SALE NOW! Through the month of October only, some DSP is marked down 15%! I’ll put a link to all those that are on sale down below, along with the products that I used today.

I want to thank you again for spending a little bit of your day here with me!

I hope you’re settling happily into autumn weather, and anticipating the holiday season which will be upon us before we know it!

Until next time,

I hope you get INKY today!

Janet

These are the Designer Series Papers that are on sale right now! Unfortunately, my link-list below doesn’t reflect the sale prices, however, if you click on the link for each one, it will take you to my online store and the sale price will be reflected there. All of the sets below are currently on sale for $9.78, with the exception of the In Good Taste DSP which is on sale for $17.85 (it’s a larger pack).

Product List

Artistry Blooms Designer Series Paper [152495] $11.50	‘Tis The Season 6″ X 6″ (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [153489] $11.50	Forever Greenery Designer Series Paper [152492] $11.50	Poinsettia Place Designer Series Paper [153487] $11.50	Trimming The Town Designer Series Paper [153491] $11.50
Plaid Tidings 6″ X 6″ (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [153527] $11.50	Toile Tidings Designer Series Paper [150432] $11.50	Peony Garden Designer Series Paper [152483] $11.50	Whale Of A Time 6″ X 6″ (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [152460] $11.50	Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper [153492] $11.50
Magic In This Night Designer Series Paper [153517] $11.50	Snowflake Splendor Designer Series Paper [153512] $11.50	In Good Taste Designer Series Paper [152494] $21.00	Playing With Patterns 6″ X 6″ (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [152490] $11.50	Playful Pets Designer Series Paper [152489] $11.50

Products used in today’s project:

Product List

For Unto Us Cling Stamp Set [153335] $21.00	In The Woods Dies [147919] $33.00	Layering Circles Dies [151770] $35.00	Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] $120.00	Toile Tidings Designer Series Paper [150432] $11.50
Brushed Metallic Cardstock [153524] $15.00	Very Vanilla 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [101650] $9.75	Stamparatus [146276] $49.00	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Versamark Pad [102283] $9.50
Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder [109130] $6.00	Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053] $30.00	Wonder Of The Season Ribbon Combo Pack [153537] $9.00	Wonderful Gems [153536] $8.00	Stampin’ Seal [152813] $8.00
Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755] $4.00

Create a vintage background for an otherwise simple Christmas card.

A Little Vintage-Style Background

On October 8, 2020October 7, 2020 By JanetIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Hello Friends!

Today was one of those days I felt like getting extra-INKY! The Tin-Tile 3D embossing folder has that vintage look to it and with a little bit of embossing powder (ok, a lot of embossing powder), I was able to create a visually stunning, extra-textured, vintage-style background for the pretty little Christmas tree cropped with the In The Woods Dies.

With the Tin-Tile and distressing, I felt like this could easily fit right into a 1930s style home, just like the one my grandparents lived in when I was a little girl. This card took me back to an old-fashioned Christmas with a white flocked tree in the middle of the living room, my parents and grandparents visiting while us kids played with our new Christmas toys as Christmas dinner cooked in the oven. That memory is fabricated somewhat, as my family never had a flocked Christmas tree, but our neighbors always did and I remember thinking it was so pretty!

As we get closer and closer to the holiday season, I can’t help but reflect on days gone by when life was simpler and the highlight of Christmas was getting to spend it with my grandparents, who lived 16 hours away by car, a ham in the oven and a few presents under the tree.

As I look at the weather forecast and see cooler temperatures coming soon, I’m beginning to get excited for the holiday season. I’m looking forward to crafting, baking, decorating, and spending time with friends and family! I’m anxious to pull out the winter sweaters, cozy up on the couch with a good book and hot beverage!

Things are starting to die back in our yard and my fall cleanup will begin in short order.

With the days getting shorter, I’m looking forward to pots of stew, chili or soups simmering on the stove making the house smell wonderful all day; and dinner before 9:00pm (which is our summertime routine, as there’re things to be done while it’s still light outside!)

How I love the changing of the seasons!

I’ve begun my holiday preparation already… making lists and “loose” schedules so that I can fit in everything that I want to squeeze in without last minute stressors!

Today’s card took me back to Christmases past. I love the “vintage” feel of this card, and I hope you too are able to recall some good memories from Christmases past.

LET’S GET INKY!

Materials:

Stamp Sets Used:

Wrapped In Christmas

Metal Dies Used:

In The Woods Dies
Layering Ovals Dies
Layering Circles Dies

Paper:

Shaded Spruce – card base – 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ – fold in half at 4 1/4″.
Very Vanilla – mat 1 – 5 3/8″ x 4 1/8″
Watercolor paper – image panel – 5 1/4″ x 4″
Tis The Season DSP – scraps for tree skirt and scalloped circle mat behind sentiment.
Very Vanilla scraps for Christmas tree and sentiment tag.
Cherry Cobbler CS – card inside mat 1 – 5 3/8″ x 4 1/8″
Very Vanilla CS – card inside sentiment panel – 5 1/4″ x 4″

Ink:

Versamark
Shaded Spruce
Cherry Cobbler
Early Espresso

Accessories:

Gold Embossing Powder
Tin Tile 3D Embossing Folder
Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint
Textured Ribbon (retired)
Gold Glitter Star – leftover from Summer Nights Paper Pumpkin Kit (July, 2020)

Putting It Together!

Spritz the watercolor paper with water to moisten.
Place inside the Tin Tile 3D Embossing Folder and run through Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine 3 times.
Remove from embossing folder and set aside to dry or use heat tool to dry.
Once dry, smear the Versamark ink pad over (direct pad to paper technique) over top of embossed watercolor paper.
Sprinkle gold embossing powder over entire panel and tap off excess. Use a coffee filter, or piece of paper underneath to catch the excess, then return unused powder to container.
Use heat tool to set the embossing powder.
Use a sponge to dab Shaded Spruce ink over the gold embossing, letting it be heavier in some areas and lighter in others to achieve a distressed look.
Add to the distressed look by sponging Early Espresso ink around the edges of the panel, and randomly swiping some Early Espresso ink over areas of the Shaded Spruce ink.
Use a tissue and lightly wipe the green and brown ink off of the embossed gold. Don’t rub too hard, however, or the embossing will peel off.
Wrap a piece of ribbon slightly higher than the halfway mark on the embossed panel horizontally, adhering ends to the back. Tie a small bow and attach to front of ribbon using glue dot.
Use a scrap of Very Vanilla CS and crop the tree using the “In The Woods Dies”.
Lightly paint Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint over the entire tree to give it a gorgeous sparkle. Once the shimmer paint is dry, lightly lift the die-cut “boughs” in the tree to give it dimension.
Use a scalloped oval die to crop out the “tree skirt” from the Tis The Season DSP.
Stamp the sentiment from Wrapped in Christmas in Cherry Cobbler Ink onto Very Vanilla scrap.
Crop the sentiment out with Layered Circles Die.
Crop a scalloped circle from the same Tis The Season DSP to go under the sentiment.
Adhere all elements to the image panel noting placement in picture.
Adhere image panel to Very Vanilla mat and adhere stack to card front.
For the inside of the card, stamp the sentiment in Cherry Cobbler ink on Very Vanilla panel. Use Shaded Spruce ink for the filigree above and below the sentiment.
Adhere the sentiment panel to Cherry Cobbler mat and apply to card inside.

DONE!

Don’t forget that Stampin’ Up DSP is on sale throughout this month! Stock up NOW!!!!

Thank you for making your way to my blog today, and spending a little time here. If you have questions, requests, or just want to say hi, please either leave a comment below, or use the “Contact” tab above! I love hearing from you and I’m always happy to reply! If you have questions about Stampin’ Up products, or if you need help ordering, I’m just a click away!

The products used to create today’s card are listed below, each with a link to my online store. Your orders are always very much appreciated!

I hope you get INKY today!

Janet
Product List

Wrapped In Christmas Cling Stamp Set (English) [153481] $22.00	In The Woods Dies [151809] $33.00	Layering Ovals Dies [151771] $35.00	Layering Circles Dies [151770] $35.00	Tin Tile 3D Embossing Folder [151801] $10.00
Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint [147044] $8.00	‘Tis The Season 6″ X 6″ (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [153489] $11.50	Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper [149612] $9.00	Shaded Spruce 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [146981] $8.75	Very Vanilla 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [101650] $9.75
Versamark Pad [102283] $9.50	Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder [109129] $6.00	Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053] $30.00	Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin’ Pad [147083] $7.50	Paper Trimmer [152392] $25.00
Gold 3/8″ (1 Cm) Metallic-Edge Ribbon [144146] $7.00

Life Is Beautiful

On October 4, 2020October 3, 2020 By JanetIn Uncategorized

Hello Friends!

Today’s card features the “Life Is Beautiful” stamp set which can be seasonally appropriate throughout the entire year, depending on how you choose to adorn your tree. Since it’s Fall, I chose to stamp my leaves in bright Fall colors. I also used some preserved Madrone tree bark, as I’ve used in previous posts. Directions for how to preserve the bark can be found here.

I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment on this card, also from the “Life Is Beautiful” stamp set. Despite the havoc coming at us from every direction throughout 2020, if we stop and take stock of how beautiful and precious life is, it becomes quite easy to focus with 20-20 vision – Life-Is-Beautiful!

This year has required many adjustments, but despite the inconveniences and angst, life goes on and we have so much to be thankful for! I guess it all comes down to “looking at the glass half empty, or half full”. I choose “half-full”.

I have to admit that I haven’t always had that “half-full” attitude. I had some life circumstances in years gone by which were “trying” (to put it mildly), and I felt quite justified in my negativity. I began down a very slippery slope of unhappiness and the “blame game” secondary to somebody else’s choices, and circumstances that were out of my control.

A very dear friend, who also happened to be my doctor and employer, recognized this and on a particularly bad afternoon, simply said to me, “You know, Jan, happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy even during tough times.”

Whoa! Wait a minute! I wanted to argue and justify that this, this and this were why I couldn’t be happy (it wasn’t my fault…)! But that small voice inside me told me to keep my mouth shut and think about what he’d just said. After much deliberation, I had to admit, he was right! While I couldn’t control many of the circumstances around me, I could control my attitude and make a choice to be happy despite my circumstances.

Light-bulb moment: My happiness didn’t have to hinge on what someone else did or didn’t do.

That revelation changed everything for me and I set about very purposely being happy, seeing the glass half full instead of half empty you might say. It wasn’t easy, as my circumstances and challenges were still there. But I awoke every morning with a determination that I would be happy today, regardless of the actions of others.

It took many months of very purposely choosing happiness, not allowing someone else’s actions to dictate my emotions and attitude. I learned during that time what it was to really lean on my faith – to let go and let God! Trust me my friends, God still works miracles. I’ve been on the receiving end a couple of times which I can identify with all certainty, and probably more that I’m not even aware of. I’ll share those miracles given me in due time. But let me just reaffirm… Life Is BEAUTIFUL! (And, happiness is a choice!)

LET’S GET INKY!

Stamp sets used:

Life Is Beautiful
Gather Together

Metal Dies:

Gathered Leaves

Paper:

Very Vanilla CS – card base 5 1/2″ x 8 1/4″ – fold at 4 1/4″ (Card front will be 1/4″ smaller than card back)
Early Espresso CS (mat 2) – 5 1/8″ x 3 3/4″
Soft Suede CS (mat 2) – 5″ x 3 5/8″
Very Vanilla CS – image panel – 4 7/8″ x 3 1/2″
Gilded Autumn DSP – inside edge strip – 1/2″ x 5 1/2″

Ink:

Early Espresso
Cajun Craze
Pumpkin Pie
So Saffron
Balmy Blue
Tuxedo Black Memento

Accessories:

Preserved Madrone Tree Bark
Linen Thread
In Good Taste Elements
Light Soft Suede Stampin’ Blends
Stampin’ Sponges

Putting It Together:

On the Very Vanilla Image Panel, starting at the top, lightly sponge So Saffron across top and about three-fourths down the panel until it fades out.
Next lightly sponge Balmy Blue ink in sort of an arch across the top.
Stamp the tree trunk image in Early Espresso. Color in with Light Soft Suede Stampin’ Blend.
Stamp the leaves in Cajun Craze, stamping first below the tree, and then with the second generation ink (stamped off once below the tree), the leaves in the tree.
Repeat with Pumpkin Pie ink, stamping below the tree with fresh (1st generation) ink, and then with second generation in the tree.
Stamp the “Life Is Beautiful” sentiment above the tree.
Stamp the pumpkins from “Gather Together” stamp set on preserved Madrone tree bark, or Cajun Craze CS, using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink.
Crop out the pumpkins using the corresponding die from “Gathered Leaves Dies”.
Adhere pumpkins beside tree trunk.
Lightly sponge Early Espresso ink around edges of image panel.
Wrap Linen Thread around the left edge of the panel x 3, attaching ends to back of image panel.
Using a short piece of the Linen Thread, tie a small bow around the 3 vertical threads.
Use Early Espresso ink to lightly “grunge-up” the wood leaf from In Good Taste Elements. Use a glue dot to adhere the wooden leaf just below the bow.
Adhere the Early Espresso mat to the card base, followed by the Soft Suede mat.
Adhere a length of tree bark, (or a piece of Cajun Craze cardstock 5 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ – moisten top and bottom edges and carefully tear edges away) to mid-left side of card front.
Adhere image panel over all.
On the inside of the card, adhere the DSP strip along the right edge, even with the card base edge.
Stamp the leaf image from Gather Together in Pumpkin Pie ink.
Stamp the sentiment from Gather Together in Early Espresso, slightly overlapping the bottom of the stamped leaf.

DONE!

Thank you for stopping by my blog today! Spend some time looking around; I hope you find some inspiration here and may you GET INKY TODAY!

OH, OH, OH!!! Don’t forget that the Stampin’ Up Designer Series Paper is ON SALE through the month of October!! Now’s the perfect time to stock up on all the gorgeous papers you’ve had your eye on!

Click here for the flier of all the DSP on sale!

Or, simply go to my online store and click on Designer Series Paper Sale!

Janet

Product List

Life Is Beautiful Photopolymer Stamp Set [154871] $17.00	Gather Together Bundle [153036] $38.50	Gather Together Photopolymer Stamp Set [150589] $17.00	Gathered Leaves Dies [150662] $26.00	Gilded Autumn Specialty Designer Series Paper [153520] $15.00
Very Vanilla 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [101650] $9.75	Early Espresso 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [119686] $8.75	Soft Suede 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [115318] $8.75	Cajun Craze 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [119684] $8.75	Early Espresso Classic Stampin’ Pad [147114] $7.50
Cajun Craze Classic Stampin’ Pad [147085] $7.50	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin’ Pad [147086] $7.50	So Saffron Classic Stampin’ Pad [147109] $7.50	Balmy Blue Classic Stampin’ Pad [147105] $7.50	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00
Linen Thread [104199] $5.00	In Good Taste Elements [152476] $6.50	Stamping Sponges [141337] $4.00	Mini Glue Dots [103683] $5.25	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755] $4.00
Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] $120.00	Paper Trimmer [152392] $25.00

Designer Series Paper ON SALE NOW!

On October 2, 2020October 1, 2020 By JanetIn Uncategorized

Hello Friends,

I’m so excited to let you all know that Stampin’ Up is having a sale on Designer Series Paper going on throughout the month of October! We all love beautiful paper and Stampin’ Up has some of the best out there with quality second to none!

For the month of October only, you can enjoy a 15% discount on select Designer Series Paper from both the Annual Catalog and the August-December Mini Catalog!

Click here for a PDF file of all the papers that are on sale, or simply go to my on-line store to shop!

If you’ve had your eye on some DSP for Christmas card making or whatever else, now’s a fantastic time to order and stock up!

As you all know, pretty paper is my weakness! Truth be told, I have way more paper now than I can possibly use in my lifetime already…but, can one ever really have too much paper?

I say NO very emphatically! I’ll get around to using it all SOMEDAY! And, as I tell my husband all the time, one must have a very large assortment because the day will come when you need a specific pattern, in a specific color, for a specific project! It’s just easier to have it on hand, rather than having to shop and hope you find it on a moment’s notice!

It’s happened before and it will happen again! One must be prepared for all of life’s decorating, cardmaking, and scrapbooking emergencies!

If anyone in my family needs pretty paper for any occasion… I’VE GOT IT! In such a way, I can save the day!!!

So, whether you have superhero aspirations or just love Stampin’ Up DSP, now’s the time to order! This only happens once a year, so don’t wait! ORDER THOSE GORGEOUS PAPERS NOW!

Happy shopping friends!

Janet