Simply Adorned Jewerly as Teacher Gifts

This year I decided to give two special people at my daughter's preschool a special gift.  I made them each a locket/necklace using Stampin' Up!'s retired Simply Adorned Jewelry line.  Some of it is still available on the Clearance Rack so get yours before it's too late!  Unfortunately, the 1 1/2" x 2" locket is no longer available but 1" x 1" lockets and 1" x 1 1/4" lockets are still available.

completed large locket and necklace

1 1/2" x 2" locket - stamped and created Queen for a Day locket insert

inserts for 1 1/2" x 2" locket - personalized for individual

completed small locket and necklace

1" x 1 1/4" locket - stamped and created a bird/nature design for locket insert

back of 1" x 1 1/4" locket insert

inserts for 1" x 1 1/4" locket - personalized for individual

Ingredients:
Simply Adorned jewelry line (lockets and necklace chains)
card stock cut into 1" x 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" x 2" sizes
stamped inserts using the following stamp sets: Artistic Etchings, Bliss (retired SAB set), Forever Young, Lovely Letters, Silhouette Sentiments (retired Hostess set), Tiny Tags and You're a Gem (retired) - much easier to use tiny stamps with these little inserts
Bitty Butterfly punch and Petite Curly Label punch
Rhinestone Jewels & Pearl Jewels

End of the Year Teacher Gifts

Packaged card sets in clear boxes from Clearbags

I decided to take the inspiration I found for the Monday Muse this week and make monogrammed cards for the teachers and staff members at my daughter's preschool.  I used some of my retired Brights DSP and lots of brights card stock.  I was able to make up 12 cards for each teacher and staff member with the Brights DSP I had left over.  To make the gift more presentable, I placed them inside these clear boxes I had gotten through Clearbags.  It was a quick assembly-line gift making session for me and all the teachers loved them!

2" x 4" DSP cut into banners

Add DSP banners to card bases

Stamp initial using Lovely Letters stamp set; Punch out with 1 1/4" Circle Punch & Scallop Circle Punch for layering

Add monogrammed layers to card bases

Completed card sets - Easy to do when done in an assembly-line fashion!

Grab some DSP, card stock and ink and give it a try today!

Ingredients:
Brights DSP Pack (retired but substitute with any DSP)
Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry, Real Red, So Saffron (didn't like the Daffodil Delight card stock with this DSP) and Old Olive card stock and ink
1 1/4" Circle Punch
Scallop Circle Punch
Lovely Letters stamp set #115030 WM or #127796 CM (retiring soon)

EPIC Father's Day card using MDS

I decided to use MDS to create a Father's Day card for my husband.  He loves to play golf but gets little time to play a round or two.  So we're giving him a whole day to play a round of golf...18 holes!  I used some of Stampin' Up!'s latest downloads including This and That Epic Day Kit, Travel Log DSP from the Travel Log Kit, and hexagon, circle and heart digital punches.  I'm not as good with creating a card digitally with MDS yet but I'm experimenting with it and learning a lot.

outside of MDS card

inside of MDS card

Give MDS a try with Stampin' Up!'s 30-day trial.  You just may fall in love with it especially with all the exclusive Stampin' Up! colors, DSP, stamps and updated digital downloads every Tuesday.  I have to admit that I'm already addicted and can't stop looking through all the digital downloads each week.  The best part of creating digitally...if I make a mistake, I can remove it instantly or just hit delete on the whole project and if I want to create 10 to 100 or more of a digital project, all I have to do is hit print or order and it's done!

Ingredients:
MDS FREE 30-day Trial #130910
This and That Epic Day Kit download #133465
Travel Log Kit download #126022
Hexagon Punch digital download #130924
Circle and Heart Punches are part of the MDS software  

More information on MDS Free Trial:
~ Express yourself and impress your friends when you create projects using MDS, My Digital Studio’s digital design software.

With the FREE 30-day trial, you’ll get:
* Full access to the software at NO COST for 30 days
* Full access to design tools to create cards, photobooks, calendars, and more
* Full access to a sample of exclusive artwork
* The chance to buy additional downloads that you can keep after your trial expires
* Ability to order your projects from our professional print services 

April Club Cards

This month we created some Spring cards using new products from the Spring Catalog.  We also watercolored with Aquapainters and ink.  It always makes me feel like an artist and makes quite the "WOW" effect on any card.  Give it a try today!

Swallowtail Cards

Used sponge daubers with darker ink on top of the lighter color ink

Forever Young card

Used Label Collection Framelits to create a window effect as if you're looking out a window onto the girl swinging in the tree

Manhattan Flower Embossed Folder card

Watercoloring with Aquapainters and SU! ink

Ombre Effect Card

The ombre effect has been all over the internet lately so I thought I would give it a try.  I used the color combination of Pool Party, Coastal Cabana (a new In Color for the 2013-2015 years) and Bermuda Bay (a returning color from the past).  I used the Elements of Style stamp set since it is one of my favorites and unfortunately, a soon-to-be retired stamp set.  For the first card, I purposely rocked my stamp to give the flowers a double effect & stamped off the Bermuda Bay bird to make it just a little bit lighter.  For the second card, I only used the color combination of Coastal Cabana and Bermuda Bay.

Close up of Pool Party, Coastal Cabana and Bermuda Bay color combo.  Also, I used the corner rounder on two edges to give the card a different look.

 

This second card is my favorite.  I stamped the flowers twice on the Whisper White card stock (once on the left side and a second time in the bottom middle/right side of the card).  I also stamped the greeting on a scrap piece of Coastal Cabana card stock before adding it vertically to my card.

Close up of the hummingbird with a pearl for the eye

Ingredients:
Elements of Style stamp set #118611 WM or #120045 CM
Trust God stamp set #132094 WM or #126702 CM
Sweet Essentials stamp set #132085 WM or #126457 CM
3/16" Corner Rounder punch #119871
Pearls
Pool Party, Coastal Cabana and Bermuda Bay ink and card stock

Flower Framelit Card

In need of a teacher appreciation card idea for all the teachers and staff at my daughter's preschool, I decided to make a flower card using the Floral Frames Framelits.  They are having a fiesta theme for the teacher's appreciation luncheon so I decided to go with bright colors and retired or retiring supplies.  I chose Poppy Parade (retired) and Lucky Limeade (soon to be retired) card stock.  I added a message to help the teachers feel appreciated for all that they do for our kids as well.

Tip: Use Basic Black or Early Espresso on Poppy Parade card stock.

Directions:

1. Cut out your card base using a 5 3/4" x 11" piece of card stock; scored at 5 1/2".
2. Fold the card base at the score line and place the largest flower framelit on the card base with a part of two flower petals extended past the score line.  This will allow your card stock to be cut in a flower shape with the card fold still intact.
   
3. Tip: To keep your framelit from moving on you when you start to use the Big Shot, place a post it note across the framelit and the card stock. 
   
4. Cut out your card stock layer using a 4 1/4" x 11" or smaller piece of card stock.
5. Use the 4th largest flower framelit (the one that matches the largest flower shape but is a size smaller) on the other color of card stock.
   
6. Adhere the smaller flower layer to the flower card base.
   
7. Add a greeting or a design to the outside flower layer and then add a greeting or write a personal message inside.

Ingredients:

Floral Frames Framelits #127012

Sizzix Big Shot machine

Post-It notes

Word Play stamp set #120308 WM or #120651 CM

outside quote is from Occasional Quotes stamp set (retired)

Poppy Parade (retired) and Lucky Limeade (soon to be retired) card stock

Poppy Parade ink (retired)