Hi All!!
So I just found a way to put a positive spin on the fact that Stampin’ Up! is increasing the price on cardstock….Hello!!! With the addition of the clear mount stamps, which are sold for an average of $3-7 less per set, that really goes a long way to make up for the $1.50 per pack increase in the 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock. It also encourages me to work more with alternative sizes of paper. Most people know that I have mostly gravitated to the standard A2 (4 1/4 x 5 1/2) card. Probably because I get 2 of them out of each 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, and the A2 envelopes are always readily available…..If I am ever out of my Stampin’ Up! envelopes I can always run to any office store, or Target/Walmart-type stores to grab some in a pinch (not that I’m ready to walk back into a Target store again…..see posts from last week for details of the nightmare experience.)
I noticed that the 12×12 paper isn’t changing all that much in price, so I decided to try out some 4×4 notecards because you can get 4 cards from the 12×12 paper and still have a 4×4 square of scrap paper for punching and such left over. And rather than purchase the more expensive envelope made for this size card…..they easily fit in the A2 envelope 
The inspiration for these very sweet, extremely simple cards comes from this weeks Featured Stamper over at Splitcoast Stampers. This week they named “Emily” as the featured stamper, and I chose to “case” her card titled “True Friend“. When I saw the simple embossed white background with a cute ribbon on the top, I was off and running. With the 3 cards I made I used a different embossed background on each, various different styles of ribbons, and different stamp techiniques. Yet, each of these cards only takes about 10 minutes to make!!!! And since there are not tons of layers or fancy folds it is very economical, even with the ribbon.
Another inspiration for these cards was that Stampin’ Up! is retiring my 2 FAVORITE baby themed stamp sets “Nursery Necessities” and “Cute & Cuddly.” So I just had to use them and encourage you to run over to my Stampin’ Up! site to get yours before they are gone!!! They retire at the end of this month, so get your while you still can…. On my Stampin’ UP! page click the “shop now” button, and then go to the “Last Chance Stamp Sets.” If you were thinking about any of these sets get them NOW, before they are gone forever.
Project 17 of 365: Three Simple and Sweet 10 minute cards
17 of 365: Three Sweet & Simple 10 Min Cards
One of the things I loved about these cards was getting to break out my Copic Markers. Copic Markers are a whole NEW experience in coloring!!! I am totally and completely in love with them. I haven’t had them very long, so my technique is not so great yet, but I still love the way it looks even if I am not perfect at coloring with them. I used my Copics on the stamped bear image. At one point I actually had the bear WAY too dark, but with the magic of Copic, I did not have to throw it away and start over. All I had to do was go over the dark areas with a lighter shade of brown a few times, and voila, it lightened up! These are alcohol markers so you can just continue coloring, layering, blending away, and not crumble up your paper. Just look at how you can shade without having dramatic lines in between the two colors you are blending together. Stamped images just look so much LESS flat when you can color, shade, and shadow until your heart is content.
Stampin’ Up! Supplies:
Paper:
- Whisper White
- Bashful Blue
- So Safron
- Melon Mambo
Stamps:
- Cute & Cuddly (on the last chance list so get yours now!!)
- Nursery Necessities (on the last chance list so get yours now!!)
- Best Yet (retired Hostess set)
Classic Ink:
- Bashful Blue
- Chocolate Chip
- Pumpkin Pie
- So Saffron
Accessories:
- Sizzix Big Shot
- Lattice Square Emboss Folder
- Perfect Polka Dots Emboss Folder
- 1 3/4″ Circle Punch
- Bashful Blue Stitched Ribbon
- So Saffron Ribbon (some leftovers I had from SAB 2009)
- Melon Mambo Polka Dot Ribbon
- Stampin Dimensionals
- Snail Adhesive
Non- Stampin’ Up! Items:
- Copic Markers
- Memories Black Die Ink (DO NOT use Staz On with Copic Markers, and the Basic Black ink will smudge)
- 2″ Scallop Circle Punch (slightly larger than SU so it fits around the 1 3/4″ Circle Punch)
- Cuttlebug D’Vine Swirls Embossing Folder
17 of 365 Melon Mambo Bear
17 of 365: Baby Blue Boat
17 of 265: So Safron Friends
A funny story for you to finish off this post…..
While in the process of typing up this post today I managed to get a 13″ scrape down my arm (starting above my elbow, running all the way down my arm, wrist, and halfway up my thumb) and it was not a craft related incident. Lol! While working up in my attic office space I could hear someone outside who seemed to be calling for their dogs. I know that feeling all too well….. So I got up and looked out my window I am in the attic…3rd floor) where I can see down the alley and in most of the backyards. I immediately spotted the 2 dogs, about 2 houses down (as I know the dogs that live there, and these weren’t them). So I run down the stairs, grabbing some flip flops as I went, out the door, down the alley….I spotted the owner, and told her they were a few houses down, and asked her if the were friendly, she said they were….And for the most part they were. We were having the darnedest time getting them to come back…we each had a dog by the collar, but they did not want to leave the dogs that were on the other side of the fence. Eventually her daughter came with leashes and treats. I hooked a leash on the dog I had, and while he was fine before, he just started JUMPING on me as soon as the leash was on???? He wasn’t angry or anything, at least I don’t think, because he wasn’t trying to bite me, but he just kept jumping on me….maybe he was excited because he thought he was going for a walk. Well, his nails must be long, because I now have a very stinging scrape (the kind that bubbles up above the skin) running all the way down my arm. It actually looks like I have a seam down my arm LOL! Well I guess it makes up for all the times my dogs have gotten overly playful and jumped on visitors
Until Next Time….
StampinBetty
Maybe if I would have made this card a few days a go, instead of early this morning, I would have had more time to better design the rest of the card. Well, I have a week until the wedding ceremony to do better on the next card 
