Celebrate Today Card

I feel like I'm on a hot air balloon ride today.  I arrived in Orlando, Florida for Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Conference and I am so relieved to be family/kid-less for the next 4 days!  I love my kids but after spending the last 5 1/2 weeks with them being tracked out of school (we have year round schools here in NC), I am definitely ready for a break.  I am looking forward to all the card swaps, business classes, card and project demonstrations, and lots of time with my fellow demonstrator friends for the next 4 days.  So today's card is one I made to swap with other demonstrators while I'm in Florida.

Have you ever wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride?  Me either.  But this card makes it seem like so much fun.  Today's card was inspired from a swap card I did last year.  It used washi tape and a cut out heart so the washi tape peeked through. As a swap card for Leadership this year, I decided to do a similar card using the Celebrate Today stamp set.  I chose the hot air balloon since I had another idea for using the balloons.

Close up of hot air balloon with washi tape peeking out from the balloon cut out

First, I stamped my greeting at the bottom of the Whisper White card stock.  Next I added some washi tape to the center of the card stock alternating between 3 designs from the Sweet Dreams Washi Tape pack.  Then I cut out the hot air balloon from a Whisper White layer, stamped the bottom of the balloon underneath in Lost Lagoon and added it on top of the washi tape.  Don't you like the way the washi tape peeks through the hot air balloon cutout?  Finally, I added a small piece of Baker's Twine tied into a bow to the side of the hot air balloon layer.  I had a lot of fun making this card and hope you will give it a try as well.  Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

• Stamps: 
• Celebrate Today 
• Because You Care (hostess set)
• Paper:
• 4 1/4" x 11" Crisp Cantaloupe card stock (scored at 5 1/2")
• 4" x 5 1/4" & 3 7/8" x 3 1/4"  Whisper White card stock
• Ink:
• Lost Lagoon
• Accessories:
• Balloon Framelits
• Sweet Dreams Washi Tape
• Crushed Curry Baker's Twine (closest color to washi tape)
• Stampiin' Dimensionals

Celebrate Today - Happy Birthday Card

my version of the Celebrate Today birthday card

Today's card inspiration comes from the Stampin' Success magazine.  A magazine sent every other month to Stampin' Up! demonstrators to provide some inspiration, give us some product information and business information as well.  The original card was made using Stampin' Up!'s notecards (see SU!'s original card below).  I decided to make it a normal size card using Whisper White card stock and layering it onto a Soft Sky card base.  It really made the balloons "pop" on the card with having a different colored card base.  I also decided to use Smoky Slate ink instead of Basic Gray as Stampin' Up! did in the original card.  I love how cute this card turned out and have already sent it out to my MIL for her birthday.  I will definitely be making a lot more of these birthday cards in different color combinations to use as my go-to birthday cards this year.

Stampin' Up!'s original HAPPY birthday card

Ingredients

• Stamps:
• Celebrate Today

• Paper:
• 4” x 5 ¼”  Whisper White card stock and scraps
• 5 ½” x 8 ½” (scored at 4 ¼”) Soft Sky card stock

• Ink:
• Coastal Cabana
• Hello Honey
• Soft Sky
• Smoky Slate
• Wild Wasabi

• Tools and Accessories:
• Balloon Framelits
• Stampin’ Dimensionals

Valentine's Day Mini Treat Boxes

happy Heart day mini treat boxes

banner cut out of DSP and ribbon tied in a bow added to mini treat boxes

In need of some small treat ideas for Valentine's Day?  I've got just the thing for you...Mini Treat Boxes filled with Hershey's hugs and kisses.  These mini treat boxes were so easy to make using Stampin' Up!'s pre-made Tiny Treat Boxes.  They are 2" x 2" x 2" so they fit tiny little treats inside.  I added some DSP and/or washi tape, added a little bit of stamping and/or some punched out hearts to the mini treat boxes to decorate them.  Tip: If you plan to stamp onto the treat boxes, be sure to leave them flat and do not start folding or putting them together before you stamp.  It will make your stamp look uneven on the boxes.

mini treat boxes with stamped images on them

top of boxes with some washi tape & a stamped image punched out and added with a dimensional

outside of mini treat boxes; added DSP hearts to each side

Order your Tiny Treat Boxes and get started today!

Ingredients

• Stamps: 
• Love You More (retired) - substitute with any current stamp set 
• Tags 4 You
• Yippee-Skippee

• Paper:
• 6 ½” x 1 ½”  Stacked with Love DSP Stack (tip: cut the DSP long ways and you can get approximately 3 strips to use on your mini treat boxes)
• Whisper White card stock scraps

• Ink:
• Real Red
• Staz On Black

• Tools and Accessories:
• 5/8” Satin Ribbon in Real Red and Basic Black (retired) - substitute with any current ribbon
• Label Bracket Punch
• Heart Punch (retired) - substitute with current Sweetheart Punch 
• 1" Circle Punch
• Stampin’ Dimensionals

Lotus Blossom Card

Lotus Blossom Card

Have you seen the new Sale-A-Bration Catalog?  I am in love with many of the items offered during this Sale-A-Bration period.  The stamp set that caught my eye first was the Lotus Blossom set.  It's a 3-step stamp that turns an ordinary flower into a work of art on your card or project.  I chose to CASE the card which is shown on page 7 of the SAB Catalog since it was so beautiful and simple to recreate for my Club members this month.  We stamped the images in two different colors (Daffodil Delight and Rich Razzleberry) to add a bit more dimension than the one shown on page 7.  We also used a Stampin' Spritzer like the SAB Catalog mentioned to give the flower more of a watercolor look on some watercolor paper.  My Club members loved how their cards turned out and I hope you will enjoy creating it as well.

Close up of Water Spritzing on stamp to create a watercolor look

Original Card from SAB Catalog p. 7

Ingredients

• Stamps:
• Lotus Blossom (SAB set)

• Paper:
  o 4½” x 3”  Watercolor Paper
  o   4½” x 3”  and 4" x ½” Moonlight DSP Stack
  o   4 ¼” x 11” (scored at 5½”) Old Olive card stock

• Ink: 
• o  Daffodil Delight 
  o   Old Olive 
  o   Rich Razzleberry

• Tools and Accessories: 
• o   Stacked With Love Designer Washi Tape
  o   Stampin' Spritzer and water