Holiday Doilies

Like I said in yesterday's post...doilies are the new black! They are just too much fun! Stampin Up jumped on the doily bandwagon with this perfectly simple Delicate Doilies stamp set. They even have it in digital form HERE and an extra large doily stamp HERE. Love them all!

For today's card I used the Delicate Doilies stamp set and Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler, and Pear Pizazz inks. You could literally use any color combination you wanted  on this card along with any sentiment. We made this card in my Stamper's Night Out class last week and the girls loved it! It's one of those simple cards that takes you 5 minutes to create but looks fabulous! Such a perfect holiday card!

To get the beautiful vibrant colors when you stamp you need to use a good quality white cardstock. You can check out my cardstock comparison HERE. For this card I used Whisper White. It's the very best!

I hope you like today's card! I'm going to share another doily project tomorrow!

Have a great Thursday!

OH! P.S. if you live anywhere near Tahlequah, OK you have to come to the 12 Hour Scrapbooking Crop for the Relay for Life!! It will be FUN!

Doilies are the new black...

That title makes me laugh. But seriously doilies are pretty popular right now!
You can do alot with them and they are inexpensive! You can find them at Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, or just about any craft store. The doilies come in white and they come in different sizes, but for this card I used the smallest ones.
For this card I wanted my doily to be different shades of orange. I simply inked the doily with Pumpkin Pie and Calypso Coral with my ink applicator tool. Yes. It's that simple.
I'm on the run today so I'm not going to post step by steps for this card. I think it's pretty simple, but if you need specs just send me an email at aprilmassad@yahoo.com! I would be happy to share them with you!
I'll be sharing another doily card this week! They are just so much fun!
Have a fantastic Wednesday!
Oh and if you haven't heard....I'm taking pictures again! Eek!!

103 Days

You have 103 days left until Christmas! If you were to make one card per week that would only be 15! Eeek! Better get started! ;)
The card I'm sharing today is one we made in our last Stamper's Night Out at the Scrappin Pad. We used two different sets of stamps for this card and some pretty striped Basic Grey paper.
Since this is a pretty simple card, I'm just going to give you a supply list and I'm going to tell you how I stamped the background!
Supplies:
- 5x6.5 inch Card Base in Kraft
- (2) .5x5 inch striped pieces of patterned paper
- 5x3 inch piece of Watercolor paper
- Tree and Banner Stamps by My Mind's Eye
- Happy Holidays Stamp by Technique Tuesday
- Stampin Up markers and inks in Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Early Espresso
- Stampin Up Blender Pen

Happy Holidays Background:
1. Take your clear acrylic Happy Holidays stamp and ink with Early Espresso. Stamp where you want your colored phrase to go. (I stamped mine with enough room to put the two trees to the left.)
2. Clean and ink your stamp. Stamp with different ink colors around the main phrase as in the photo above. (It's easy to line up the clear stamp, but if you are using a wood mount stamp you can simply use the Stamp-a-ma-jig to line it up.)
3. Once you are finished stamping your Happy Holidays phrases, use your markers and blender pen to color in the letters.

This card is simple and fun! The background technique can be used with just about any sentiment stamp! If the sentiment stamp you want to use has solid letters you can change it up! I would stamp the main phrase in different colors and the surrounding phrases in the same color! So fun!
Well I hope you like today's card!

Happy Birthday with Pennant Punch!

Hello all! I've been so busy lately, but in a totally good way!
I did make time today to share a quick and easy birthday card!
I LOVE the pennant punch from Stampin Up and I also love the Life of the Party line from Basic Grey! They go perfectly together!
The Penant Punch is one of my faves! It can be (obviously) penants, trees, an ice cream cone, and as in this case a birthday hat! So cute!
This is one of the cards we made at our Stamper's Night Out on Tuesday! It is quick, simple, and fun!

Supplies:
- 4x5.5 inch white card base
- 3.5x5 inch piece of patterned paper (Life is a Party from Basic Grey), plus scraps for hat
- Penant Punch from Stampin Up
- Happy Birthday Stamp from Happiest Birthday Wishes Stampin Up Set
- Small Star Stamp from Penant Parade Stampin Up Set
- Real Red, Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie, and Garden Green Markers
- Frame Ornate #4 Sizzix Die and Big Shot
- Whisper White cardstock
- .25x3.75 inch piece of Real Red cardstock punched with the scalloped border punch

Directions:
1. Adhere the large piece of patterned paper to the front of your card.
2. Cut your piece of Whisper White cardstock with the frame die and Big Shot.
3. Use your markers to color the letters on the happy birthday stamp different colors. Once the letters are colored, huff on the stamp to remoisten the image and stamp onto your die cut frame. Stamp several stars around the sentiment and adhere to the front of your card. Trim the excess.
4. Adhere the red border punched strip of cardstock beneath the stamped sentiment.
5. Take your Penant Punch and punch both shapes out of patterned paper. Adhere together with foam adhesive squares and add to the front of the card.
6. Stamp another star and punch it out with the extra small circle punch. Adhere to the top of the hat.

Yep it's that simple! This card is great for when you are headed out the door to a birthday party! It takes less than 10 minutes to make!
Well I hope you like today's card! I hope you have a safe and fabulous Labor Day weekend!

A BIG Thank You!

Hi everyone!
I just wanted to pop in here and say a big THANK YOU to everyone that stopped by the Scrappin Pad booth at the Creating Keepsakes convention in Tulsa this weekend!
We had a BLAST at the convention and were able to visit with over 600 fun and fabulous fellow scrappers and papercrafters!
I also got to do a Make 'n Take that I think everyone enjoyed!
I'm dying to get back into my scrap room to create some fun cards, but this is what it currently looks like!

Terrible I know. I brought everything home and had to just dump it out! I've been too busy, but I hope to get back in there and create in the next few days!
Also! Don't forget about Stamper's Night Out next week! It's August 30th at 6:30pm at The Scrappin Pad! We will be making a couple of Christmas cards, a Halloween project, and a fun reflection technique! To reserve your spot email me at aprilmassad@yahoo.com!
In the meantime you can check out a fun layout I did using my circle punch to make watermelons HERE on the Creating Keepsakes website! I love that layout of Brodey! It just screams summertime!
I hope you are enjoying your summer! The days are numbered!
See you soon!

Pinterest Inspired Happy Birthday

I am obsessed. My eyes are blurry and my legs are cramping from sitting at my computer. I blame one Jocelyn Bartley! (My good friend that sent me to this site yesterday.)
This site is brilliant. It is filled with ideas from all over. It also lets you "pin" your ideas to your own board, categorize them, share them, or even tag people with them. It's great!
If you are already a member follow ME! Then I'll follow you! :)
Okay so anyway the card above is inspired by THIS card I found on Pinterest today. I was so inspired I actually got up and away from my computer and made this card. I love it. I wanted to use the postage stamp punch like the one in the original, but I don't have it. So...I used the Curly Label punch instead. I love how it turned out!
I have shared supplies and directions below!

Supplies:
- 5x7 White Card Base
- Beyond the Garden DSP
- Curly Label Punch
- Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die and Big Shot
- 1.25x5 inch piece of White Cardstock
- Melon Mambo Cardstock (for butterflies)
- Scallop Trim Border Punch
- Ink in Melon Mambo
- Sentiment Stamp
- Stamp-a-Ma-Jig

Instructions:
1. Punch 9 labels with the Curly Label punch from different patterned papers from the Beyond the Garden DSP. (Or from any scrap paper you have) Adhere to the card front as shown in the example above.
2. Cut your butterflies out of the Melon Mambo carstock with the Beautiful Wings embosslit die. Adhere to the card as shown using foam adhesive squares. (For the smaller butterflies I simply cut the square in half)
3. Punch along the top and bottom of your piece of white cardstock with the scallop border punch. Use your Stamp-a-ma-Jig to stamp the sentiment in Melon Mambo ink. Adhere to the card front using foam adhesive squares.

Talk about a simple card! It takes no time to make and it's so pretty! Any patterned paper would be great for this card! The pieces are so small that scraps will work great!
Well I hope you like my Pinterest inspired card! If you have any questions about this card simply email me at aprilmassad@yahoo.com or comment below!
To purchase any of the Stampin Up products used just contact your Stampin Up demonstrator or go HERE!
Have a terrific Tuesday!

Etsy Inspired Thank You Card

When I browse Etsy I just sit in awe of the talented people that share their work on that site. If you have never visited it you really should. Etsy is a smorgasbord of handmade objects, vintage objects, and supplies to make them. Truly beautiful things can be found there.
I was searching artwork on Etsy last night and came across THIS beautiful mixed media piece. These prints are very popular right now. They are gorgeous and I thought hhhmmm....I can make a card similar to that with the First Edition DSP and the Sweet Floral Stamp I used for Friday's post. I really love how it turned out. The colors aren't as vibrant as the Etsy print because theirs is printed with a high quality printer, but I think the stamped version is beautiful! (Option: Heat embossing your image onto the First Edition DSP would really make the colors pop!)
There are so many stamps that would be perfect for this technique! If you want to try it yourself, keep in mind that you are stamping onto patterned paper and the bolder ink colors will work best. For my card I used Always Artichoke and Night of Navy. Experiment with a scrap piece to see what colors you like!
To get both colors onto that extra large stamp, I used my Stampin Spots. They are smaller versions of the larger ink pads Stampin Up makes. They are perfect for smaller jobs or when you want two colors on a stamp but don't want to have to use your markers!
This is a very simple and beautiful card! My card base is 5x7 and I ripped the edges of the First Edition DSP.
If you have any questions about this card simply email me at aprilmassad@yahoo.com or comment here!
Enjoy your Monday!

Finally Friday Simple Thanks

Wow it's finally Friday! I haven't been able to post much this week! I've had my scrapbooking hat on!
Today's card is a simple Thank You card I made using the gorgeous new Sweet Floral stamp! This extra large stamp is perfect for scrapbooking pages! I love it!
Any color scheme or sentiment would work for this versatile card!
I have shared supplies and instructions for you below! :)

Supplies:
- 5x6.25 inch Kraft Card Base
- 4.5x5.75 inch piece of Cajun Craze
- 4.25x5.5 inch piece of Baja Breeze
- 1.75x5 inch piece of Basic Gray
- Scrap piece of Cajun Craze
- Seam Binding Ribbon in Very Vanilla
- Mini Clothespin
- Baja Breeze Ink and Chocolate Chip Ink
- Brayer (Optional)
- Thanks sentiment from the Tagtastic stamp set
- Sweet Floral Stamp
- Any swirl stamp OR the you can use the swirls on the Thanks stamp
- Framed Tulips Embossing Folder and Big Shot
- Scalloped Circle Punch
- Scallop Trim Border Punch
- Score Board and Bone Folder

Instructions:1. Ink your Sweet Floral stamp with Baja Breeze ink. (Optional)You can make it easier to ink larger stamps by using a brayer to roll over the ink pad and then roll the ink onto your stamp. Stamp the center of your piece of Baja Breeze cardstock.
2. Take your piece of Baja Breeze and emboss with the Framed Tulips embossing folder.
3. Adhere your large piece of Cajun Craze cardstock to your card base. Adhere the piece of Baja Breeze to the piece of Cajun Craze.
4. Take your piece of Basic Gray and use the Scallop Trim Border Punch to punch along the top and bottom. Lay the piece onto your score board and score lines at the top and bottom right along the punched border.
5. Take your seam binding ribbon and tie a piece onto a longer piece. Adhere this to the piece of Basic Gray cardstock. Slide the knotted piece to the left and adhere to the front of your card.
6. Stamp your sentiment onto the scrap piece of Cajun Craze and punch with the Scallop Circle punch. Adhere under your knotted piece of ribbon with a foam adhesive square.
7. Take the mini clothespin and stamp a swirl onto it with the Baja Breeze ink. Clamp the clothespin onto the knotted ribbon and adhere the back to the card with a foam adhesive square.

And it's that simple!
To purchase any of the Stampin Up products I used please contact your Stampin Up demonstrator OR go HERE! If you have ever thought about joining Stampin Up you have until July 31st to take advantage of the $99 starter kit! Click HERE for details!
As always if you have any questions simply send me an email at aprilmassad@yahoo.com or comment here!
Have a safe and wonderful weekend!!

Welcome Tooth Fairy!

We had a visit from the Tooth Fairy at our house last week!
Brodey's tooth has been loose for a while and it started to bug him when he ate. I knew it was coming out soon so I asked him if he wanted to help me make a Tooth Fairy Box! He was so excited!
I die cut a pillow box with my Big Shot out of white cardstock. I gave it to Brodey and let him color it however he wanted to! (He only chose green lol)
I stamped the Tooth Fairy stamp onto watercolor paper and colored her with my watercolor pens, blender pens, and ink. I punched her out, added the strip of Tempting Turquoise paper, and topped it off with the punched Tooth Fairy! SO cute and personalized by Brodey! He loved it and was so proud of it!
Thank goodness we made it! That very night he pulled his tooth! He put his tooth in his Tooth Fairy pillow box and tucked it under his pillow. The Tooth Fairy left him a little note saying how proud she was that he took good care of his teeth and she loved the box he made! He was more excited that she left him $8! ;)
We had fun making the Tooth Fairy pillow box and it reminded me that Brodey and I need to make more things together!
This was a quick post, but I'll share a card tomorrow! I've been busy scrapbooking this week! If you have the Creating Keepsakes Scrapbooking Tips and Tricks Summer Fun and Travel Issue check out page 65! I have shared a fun technique using the large Medallion stamp!
Enjoy your Wednesday!

Simple Holiday Greetings

Well we made it to Friday! Yeah!
Today I am sharing a super simple holiday card. The best thing about this card is it can be for any occasion. Simply change the sentiment and colors!
My Stamper's Night Out girls made this at the last class! They all enjoyed it and everyone's turned out differently! We used the Circle Circus set and Sincere Salutations for the sentiments! This would be a great Christmas card because it takes no time to put together!
I have shared the supply list and instructions for this card below!

Supplies:
- 5x6.5 inch Kraft card base
- 4.5x6 inch piece of Whisper White cardstock
- Scrap piece of Whisper White cardstock
- Circle Circus stamp set
- Sincere Salutations stamp set
- Ink in Old Olive, Pretty In Pink, Real Red, Baja Breeze
- 1 3/4 inch Scallop Circle Punch (119854)
- 1 3/4 inch Circle Punch (119850)
- 1 inch Circle Punch (119868)
- Itty Bitty Circle Punch (118309)

Instructions:
1. Ink your circle stamps and stamp the piece of Whisper White cardstock as shown in the photo above leaving room for the punched circles. Adhere to the front of the card.
2. Take your scrap piece of Whisper White cardstock and stamp the circles that are punched out in the above photo. (The large scallop circle, large flower circle, tiny circle, and medium flower circle)
3. Use the coordinating punches to punch the circles out. Adhere them with foam adhesive squares.
4. Ink your sentiment and stamp onto the card as shown in the photo above.

Super easy but so pretty!
I hope you like today's card! If you have any questions you can email me at aprilmassad@yahoo.com or comment here!
To purchase the Stampin Up products from today's post simply contact your Stampin Up demonstrator or click HERE!
Have a wonderful weekend!!

Hey Friend - Combined Techniques

Hey friend! The weekend is right around the corner! Woohoo!
Today I'm sharing a card that I have combined the Versamark Resist technique and the Faux Denim/Linen technique on. The stamp set I used is called Friends Rock and it's retired. You can buy my used Friends Rock set HERE or the current stamp sets Best Friends Forever or Grunge Rock would be perfect for this card!
Supplies and instructions for making this fun card are listed below!

Supplies:
- 5x6.5 inch white card base
- 4.5x6 inch piece of glossy cardstock
- 1.75x5 inch piece of Lucky Limeade carstock
- 3x5 inch piece of Elegant Eggplant carstock
- Glossy cardstock for stamped and colored elements
- Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder
- Friends Rock Stamp Set
- Border Punch
- Versamark
- Ink pads in Lucky Limeade, Tempting Turquoise, Elegant Eggplant, Melon Mambo
- Stazon in Black
- Markers in Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade, Tempting Turquoise, Elegant Eggplant, Melon Mambo
- Sandpaper or sanding block
- Sponges or ink applicators

Instructions:
1. Take your large piece of glossy cardstock and stamp your images randomly all over the piece with Versamark ink. Allow to dry or heat with a heat gun until dry.
2. Take your glossy cardstock and sand in straight lines horizontally and then vertically from top to bottom. (This will give you the linen texture)
3. Take your ink and ink the glossy cardstock with your sponge starting at the bottom with the Elegant Eggplant and working your way to the top of the cardstock with different colors. Keep going over it with the sponge and work in circular motions to wipe the ink from the stamped images. This will make the images pop and become lighter. Set aside to dry.
4. Attach the inked piece of glossy carstock to the front of your card base.
5. Take your piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock and border punch along the bottom. (Optional: Rip along the top of the cardstock so it will be close to 2.5 inches wide.)
6. Take your piece of Lucky Limeade cardstock and emboss it with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. Adhere to the piece of Elegant Eggplant and adhere to the front of the card.
7. Stamp the desired images and sentiment onto glossy cardstock with the black Stazon ink. (Stazon is a permanent ink and will not bleed while coloring with the markers.) Color the stamped images and cut out. To make the color darker on the glossy carstock simply color over it again with the same color until the desired darkness is achieved.
8. Adhere the images and sentiment to the front of the card using foam adhesive squares.

This card is so much fun to make! You could change up the colors and make it a boy card! Any of the sports stamp sets would make perfect backgrounds! The possibilites are endless!
If you have any questions about this card simply email me at aprilmassad@yahoo.com or comment here!
To purchase the Stampin Up products in this post contact your Stampin Up deomstrator or go HERE.

Thinking of You - Faux Denim

Happy Wednesday! The week is half over!
Today's card is another glossy cardstock card! I have used glossy cardstock on the last few cards I have shared and today is a faux denim technique!
This technique works with any blue ink that matches your project. I wanted a darker denim look to match the Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper(DSP). I used a combination of Not Quite Navy and Night of Navy. If you want a lighter denim you could use Baja Breeze and Marina Mist.
Like the Versamark Resist technique, the Faux Denim technique has been around for a while! It's a fun technique that isn't just limited to blues! This technique is beautiful with any color! It especially looks good with Melon Mambo or Rich Razzleberry for teen/girly cards!

To distress your denim even more you can go back over it with your sandpaper once you apply the ink! This photo is of the same card but I went back over the "denim" with the sandpaper a second time.

Below I have shared the supplies and instructions for making this card!

Supplies:
- 4.5x6 inch Kraft card base
- 4.25x5.75 inch piece of glossy cardstock
- Sandpaper or a sanding block
- Ink in Not Quite Navy and Night of Navy
- Sponges or ink applicators
- 5.5x2.75 piece of Kraft carstock
- 4.25x2.5 inch piece of Paisley Petals DSP
- .25x2.5 inch piece of purple Paisley Petals DSP
- 1x2.5 inch piece of pink Paisley Petals DSP
- Seam Binding Ribbon in Very Vanilla
- Corner Rounder
- Eyelet Border Punch
- Sentiment Stamp (Mine is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set)

Instructions:
1. Round the bottom corners of the front of your card. Round the corners of the tops of the large piece of DSP, the piece of Kraft, and the piece of glossy cardstock.
2. Take your glossy cardstock and sand in straight lines horizontally and then vertically from top to bottom. (This will give your glossy cardstock a linen texture)
3. Take your sponge and apply the inks along the edge and into the middle of the glossy cardstock. I use circular motions. You can keep applying ink until you get the desired affect.
(Optional) Once the ink has dried go over the glossy cardstock again with the sandpaper. This will give you the look in the second photo.
4. Use your border punch to punch along the bottom of your piece of Kraft and the piece of pink DSP.
5. Adhere the pieces of DSP to your piece of Kraft as shown in the photos.
6. Stamp your sentiment with Night Of Navy ink onto the top of the DSP and tie your Seam Binding Ribbon around the bottom. Adhere to the front of your card using foam adhesive squares.

Fun and easy! Practice this technique on a scrap piece of glossy cardstock using various ink color combinations! The affects are beautiful! The new color Island Indigo is also a beautiful blue to use!
I hope you like today's card! If you have any questions please email me at aprilmassad@yahoo.com or comment here!
To purchase the Stampin Up products used in today's post simply contact your Stampin Up demonstrator or go HERE!

Thanks So Much - Versamark Resist and Glossy Cardstock

Well happy Monday stampers!
Today I am sharing another card I made using glossy cardstock! You will LOVE today's technique! It is so easy and SO cool!
This card also shows off Stampin Up's new 2011-2012 colors...which I LOVE! They are bright, cheery, and look so good together!
The technique I used on this card is called Versamark Resist. I know many of you have used this technique for years, but many of you have never heard of it! I thought I would give it a little twist today!
To keep it short and sweet I'm only going to give you instructions for doing the glossy panels. For the sentiment I used the Thanks So Much stamp from the Sincere Salutations set. I heat embossed it using white embossing powder. Behind the sentiment I put a strip of Pool Party cardstock punched with the Lace Ribbon Border Punch. The flower on the end of the sentiment strip is punched with the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch.
If you have any questions about this card simply send me an email at aprilmassad@yahoo.com or comment below!

Supplies for Glossy Panels:
- Glossy Cardstock White
- Versamark Ink
- Sponges or Ink Applicators
- Circle Circus Stamp Set
- Ink in Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Wysteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade

Instructions:
1. Make sure the stamp set you choose to use is perfectly clean with no residue.
2. Cut your cardstock into 4 panels that fit your card size. (My card is 6.5x5 and my panels are 4.5x1.25 PLUS 2 millimeters)
3. Apply temporary adhesive to the backs of your panels and line them up on your stamping surface exactly as they will be on your card base. (My panels are about .25 of an inch apart)
4. Take your circle stamps and stamp with the Versamark as shown in the sample above.
5. Once you have stamped all of your circles allow the cardstock to dry or heat it with a heat gun until it's dry.
6. Take your sponge or ink applicator and apply your ink to the panels. (I ink in circulur motions) The more ink you apply the lighter the stamped areas will be. Just keep going over the panel with your ink until you get the desired affect.
7. Once all four panels are inked simply apply to your card base!

Yes it's as simple as that! I hope you enjoyed today's card!
Like I said if you have any questions please email me at aprilmassad@yahoo.com or comment below!
To purchase the Stampin Up products used in today's card you can contact your Stampin Up demonstrator or go HERE.
Enjoy the rest of your warm summer Monday!

Happy Birthday with Glossy Cardstock

Happy Friday to you!
Today I'm sharing a card I made using Glossy Cardstock! I shared a little bit about Glossy Cardstock in yesterday's post.
Glossy Carstock is basically white cardstock with a glossy layer on one side. It looks like photo paper that you print photos on, but it is NOT the same. (Trust me I've tried lol)
One of my favorite things to do is use sandpaper to give it texture! It might be difficult for you to scratch up that pretty glossy shine, but it's so much fun! It's kind of like being the first one out in a yard of freshly fallen snow! ;)
Here is a close up pic of the glossy cardstock.

I'm going to give you the directions for making the patterned glossy cardstock. If you have any questions about anything else on the card just send me an email at aprilmassad@yahoo.com or comment below.

Supplies:
- Glossy Cardstock
- Sandpaper (I used fine grit)
- Fine Flourish Stamp (Or any background stamp)
- Array of Sunshine Stamp Set
- Ink in River Rock, Calypso Coral, Baja Breeze, Perfect Plum, Certainly Celery, and Old Olive
- Scrap Paper to stamp off on
- Stamp-a-ma-Jig
- Sponge

Directions:
1. Take your Fine Flourish stamp (or any background stamp) and stamp all over your glossy cardstock using the Stamp-a-ma-Jig to line it up perfectly.
2. Take your sandpaper and sand in straight motions from top to bottom, and flip the cardstock and sand again from top to bottom. Sanding vertically and then horizontally will give the cardstock a fine linen texture.
3. Take your sponge and sponge the River Rock ink lightly around the edges of the cardstock and into the middle. The sanded areas will take the ink differently than the non-sanded areas and the cardstock will look like burlap.
4. Take the largest flower stamp and ink it with the Baja Breeze ink. Take your sponge and pick up some of the Certainly Celery ink. Ink into the middle of the flower and around the sides. Huff on the stamp the remoisten the ink and stamp onto the glossy carstock. Repeat and stamp again.
5. Ink the largest flower again with the Perfect Plum ink and sponge the stamp as you did with the Certainly Celery in step 4. Stamp onto the glossy cardstock.
6. Ink the large leaf stamp with the Old Olive ink, stamp off on a scrap piece of paper to mute the green, and stamp the leaf onto the glossy cardstock. Repeat and stamp two more times.
7. Ink the rose with the Calypso Coral ink, stamp 0off on a piece of scrap paper to mute the color, and stamp onto the glossy cardstock. Repeat and stamp two more times.
8. Take the smaller leaf stamp and ink with the Perfect Plum ink. Stamp onto the glossy cardstock.
9. Use your sponge inked with the River Rock ink and ink around the edges again and into the middle.

I just LOVE the look of distressed glossy cardstock! It's so pretty and vintage!
Like I said if you have any questions about measurements or anything else on this card please let me know! You can comment below or send me an email at aprilmassad@yahoo.com!
To order any of the supplies mentioned above you can contact your Stampin Up demonstrator or go HERE to shop online.
My next card share will be another glossy cardstock card! Fun fun!
Enjoy your Friday!

1 Card...3 Cardstocks

Hello everyone!! Long time no see!
Today I thought I would do a little cardstock comparison. It's something I talk about at every card class and something that every stamper should explore!
Now for this comparison I am only going to compare 3 basic types of SMOOTH cardstock. I'm not trying to leave out poor textured cardstock because he has his place in papercrafting too, but he isn't the best choice when stamping! We want a good smooth surface when stamping so that our image comes out nice and clean!
Below you will see photos of 1 card with the 3 types of smooth cardstock I'll talk about today!

Discount Cardstock:
When I say discount I mean the cardstock that is thinner and cheaper than Stampin Up's Whisper White cardstock. It's the cardstock you pay less for at Wal-Mart or Hobby Lobby.
While it has it's purpose, it does not give you a beautiful stamped image. When you stamp on the discount cardstock it isn't your fault that the image doesn't come out perfect or that the ink isn't as rich and colorful. It's just the paper!
Like I said it does have it's purpose! It's great for scrap paper or projects you don't stamp on! Practice makes perfect so practice on the discount paper!

Whisper White:
Whisper White is my most favorite cardstock to stamp on hands down. The weight is perfect. It isn't too heavy to use a punch with, but it's heavy enough to give you a beautiful, rich stamped image! The stamped image is cleaner and you really see how beautiful and rich your ink colors are!

Glossy White:
Some people consider Glossy White cardstock a specialty cardstock like watercolor paper. I put it in the category of cardstock because it is perfect to stamp on! It gives your stamped images a brighter almost cartoon or 3d look. The glossy finish gives a a fancy or store bought sheen!
Besides stamping on it there are SO many different ways to use glossy cardstock. In future posts I'm going to show you several different ways to use this product!

Tip: Always make sure that you use the same type of cardstock to stamp on that you use to make your sentiment. Different cardstocks look different when next to each other! Your project will look better when your sentiment cardstock matches your stamped cardstock!

To purchase the products mentioned above contact your Stampin Up Demonstrator or go HERE.

Supplies used above:
- Flower Stamps: Array of Sunshine
- Ink: Riding Hood Red and Night of Navy
- Cardstock: Whisper White, Glossy White, Riding Hood Red, Night of Navy
- Sentiment Stamp: Something to Celebrate
- Modern Label Punch

It's always interesting to me to see different products compared! It gives you a better idea what you like and might spark some creativity!
If you have any questions please send me an email at aprilmassad@yahoo.com!
Enjoy your Thursday!

Bye Bye Stars

Happy Friday!
As I mentioned on yesterday's post it's Stampin Up's retirement time! They will be retiring a ton of products that you can order until June 30th. They do this to make room in the new catalog for a ton of new stuff!
One of the retiring sets is Seeing Stars. I used it on today's card. This is another card using the inlaid embossing technique! This easy technique gives your card a quilted look and is perfect for 4th of July cards/projects!
I have shared supplies and instructions to make this card below!

Supplies:
- 4x5.5 White Card Base
- (3) 1 inch circles punched from Riding Hood Red cardstock
- (1) 5/8 inch circle punched from Riding Hood Red cardstock
- (2) 5/8 inch circles punched from Not Quite Navy cardstock
- (1) 2 inch circle punched from Not Quite Navy Cardstock
- (1) 2.5 inch circle punched from Not Quite Navy cardstock
- Whisper White Cardstock
- Scrap Piece of Riding Hood Red Cardstock (Optional)
- Stars #2 Big Shot Die and Big Shot Machine
- Square Lattice Embossing Folder
- Scallop Oval Punch
- Scallop Oval Die and Movers and Shapers Die for the Big Shot (Optional)
- Ink in Riding Hood Red and Not Quite Navy
- Sentiment or You're Invitied from the Sincere Salutations Stamp Set
- Seeing Stars Stamp Set

Instructions:
1. Adhere your circles to the card front as shown in the photo above. (Use a glue stick to adhere the circles and stars for best results after embossing)
2. Die cut your stars out of Whisper White cardstock using the Stars #2 die.
3. Use temporary adhesive to adhere your stars to a flat stamping surface. Use the Stamp-a-ma-Jig to stamp your die cut stars with the Seeing Stars stamps. Adhere your stamped stars to the card as shown in the photo above.
4. Trim the excess cirlces and stars from the edges of the card. (I have a rotary blade trimmer and to trim I simply lay the card face down and trim the excess off)
5. Use a corner rounder to round the top right corner of the card. (Optional)
6. Place your card front into the Square Lattice embossing die and run through your Big Shot.
7. Use your Movers and Shapers die to cut out a scallop oval from your scrap piece of Riding Hood Red. (Optional)
8. Stamp your sentiment onto Whisper White and punch out with the Scallop Oval punch. Adhere onto the red scallop oval.
9. Use foam adhesive squares to adhere your sentiment onto the center of the largest star.

This card would be perfect for invtations to your 4th of July picnic! One of the best things about the Big Shot are the steel rule dies. These dies allow you to cut multiple layers of cardstock at one time! This is great when mass producing cards!
I hope you enjoyed today's card and the fun inlaid embossing technique!
If you have any questions about Stampin Up's retiring products, receiving a new catalog, or today's card send me an email at aprilmassad@yahoo.com!
Have a super fab Friday!

Bye Bye Animal Stories!

Well it's Stampin Up retirement time! The new catalog comes out July 1 and that means we will have to say buh bye to lots of stamp sets from the old catalog! Animals Stories is one of those sets. I've used it on cards here and here. I'll be a little sad to let it go, but there are so many new sets in the catalog I can't wait to use!
Today's card is a fun and colorful card we made in my Stamper's Night Out class on Tuesday night. My example is for a baby shower but this would be a perfect little birthday card!
My Stamper's Night Out girls loved the inlaid embossing technique we used for the circle background! I'll be sharing a 4th of July card with the same technique tomorrow!
Supplies and instructions for making this card are listed below!

Supplies:
- 5x6.5 inch card base in Kraft or Soft Suede
- 4.5x5.75 piece of Daffodil Delight Cardstock
- 4x5.25 piece of Whisper White Cardstock
- 3 different sizes of circles punched from Pear Pizazz, Pumpkin Pie, and Bashful Blue Cardstock
- 1x5 piece of Pumpkin Pie Cardstock
- 2x4.75 Piece of Whisper White Cardstock
- 2.25x5 Piece of Pear Pizazz Cardstock
- Scrap Piece of Whisper White Cardstock
- Animal Stories Stamp Set
- Bubble Stamp from the Summer Splash stamp set (Optional)
- Sentiment Stamp (Mine is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set)
- Ink in Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Pear Pizazz
- Modern Label Punch
- Border Punch
- Square Lattice Embossing Folder and Big Shot Machine

Instructions:
1. Adhere your circles to the largest piece of Whisper White cardstock with liquid adhesive or a glue stick. (This will help the pieces stay down after you emboss them) Run through your Big Shot using the Square Lattice die to emboss.
2. Adhere your embossed piece to the piece of Daffodil Delight cardstock and adhere to the front of your card.
3. Punch the strip of Pumpkin Pie with your border punch and adhere to the bottom portion of the card.
4. Using the Stamp-a-ma-Jig, stamp your animals onto the medium sized piece of Whisper White cardstock. Cut two slits on either side of your giraffe's neck and tie a ribbon through it. (Optional)
5. Adhere the stamped piece onto the piece of Pear Pizazz cardstock and adhere to the front of your card with foam adhesive squares.
6. Stamp your sentiment onto the scrap piece of Whisper White cardstock and punch out using the Modern Label punch. Stamp the corners with the bubble stamp. (Optional)
7. Adhere to the bottom portion of your card front with foam adhesive squares.

This sweet card looks complicated to make, but it is very easy. The colors could easily be changed to suit the event or to make the card feminine!
I'll be sharing another card using this fun technique tomorrow!
As always if you have any questions about this card just send me at email at aprilmassad@yahoo.com!

Good Luck!

School is out! That also means a ton of graduations going on! Tomorrow we will be headed to Oklahoma City to celebrate my cousin Ryleigh's graduation from Trinity University! Go Ry! (You will be receiving this card tomorrow lol!)
To honor Ryleigh's past few years going to school in San Antonio, I chose colors that remind me of the city! Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, and Tangerine Tango make me feel like I'm on the River Walk!
For the patterned background strip I used the Stamp-a-ma-Jig and the Fine Flourish stamp! I simply lined it up and stamped it all three colors on Shimmer White cardstock.
For the pretty little flowers I used my markers to color the stamp, huff to remoisten, and stamp onto Shimmer White cardstock. I then handcut them out and tied them together with a little white ribbon.
This card is very simple to put together! I'm headed out the door or I would post directions for you! IF you do have any questions about this card or would like directions simply email me at aprilmassad@yahoo.com! As many of you know I will be happy to help!
I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I will be headed to the lake so I won't be posting until Tuesday!

For Your Shower

Hello! :)
Yesterday was my son's last day of pre-k! Where does the time go? It seems like he was just a little baby and now he's a big kindergarten boy!
Today's card actually is for a baby! I used the cute Animal Stories
set by Stampin Up. I used this set on another card I made HERE. It is another baby card, but this is a great stamp set for kid's projects as well!
I also used the brand new Triple Layer Doily Punch from the Summer Mini Catalog! I LOVE this punch and it's sister Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch! They are both so much fun to use and add a little wow to your cards!
I've shared the supplies and directions for making this sweet card below!

Supplies:
- 5x6.5 Card Base is Soft Suede or Kraft
- 3 Pieces of Shimmery White Cardstock 1.75x3.75
- Scrap Pieces of Shimmery White, Regal Rose, and So Saffron
- .5x6 Strip of So Saffron
- .75x6 Strip of Regal Rose Punched with the Eyelet Border Punch
- White Ribbon
- Ink Pads in So Saffron, Regal Rose, and Soft Suede
- Animal Stories Stamp Set
- Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set
- Fine Flourish Stamp
- Stamp-a-ma-Jig
- Doily Triple Layer Punch
- Modern Label Punch
- (Optional) Movers and Shapers Die, Big Shot, and Punch Windows

Directions:
1. Adhere your strip of Regal Rose onto the bottom of your card base.
2. Take your strip of So Saffron and stamp it with the Fine Flourish stamp in So Saffron. Adhere above the strip of Regal Rose.
3. Take the three pieces of Shimmery White cardstock and use the Stamp-a-ma-Jig to stamp your three animals onto the bottom of the cardstock.
4. Adhere to the card as shown in the photo above.
5. Punch your So Saffron and Regal Rose with the left setting on the Doily Punch. Punch your So Saffron, Regal Rose, and Soft Suede with the right setting on the Doily Punch.
6. Cut all of the punched doilies in half. Adhere the Regal Rose and So Saffron pieces together.
7. Adhere the doily pieces to the Shimmery White cardstock as shown in the photo above.
8. Stamp your sentiment onto Shimmery White cardstock and punch out with the Modern Label punch. Ink the Fine Flourish stamp with So Saffron and stamp the edges of the punched sentiment. (If you click on the photo above you can see it enlarged)
9. Run a scrap piece of Regal Rose through the Big Shot using the Modern Label die in the Movers and Shapers window. Adhere behind the punched sentiment. Adhere to card with foam adhesive squares.
10. Tie the white ribbon across the bottom of the card between the strips of So Saffron and Regal Rose.

Well I hope you like today's card! The colors can be altered for a boy! Riding Hood Red, Night of Navy, and Soft Suede would be so handsome!
As always if you have any questions about this card please send me an email at aprilmassad@yahoo.com!
Thanks for stopping by!

1 Stamp Set...2 Cards

Hello all! :)
Next month Stampin Up will release the brand new 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog! While I am SO excited to see what new products they come out with, I am a little sad to see certain stamp sets go! Especially the fun hostess sets! Get 'em while you can!
Silhouette Sentiments is one of my favorite hostess sets. It's a very simple set that has great sentiments. I used it on a card HERE and I have used it on two different wedding cards that I'm sharing today!
When I think of making a wedding card I always think of light and simple. I shared another simple wedding card HERE. Today's cards use the Silhouette Sentiments set to make a pretty scene.

For this first card I made a window in my card base using the Curly Label punch. I simply punched once, lined up the outer curves, and punched again. I then took a pencil and lightly traced the window onto the inside of my card base. I then stamped my scene within the penciled lines.
For the sentiment I used the "For the Newlyweds" stamp from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set. This stamp set is one of the best stamp sets I own. There are 24 sentiments in this set and every one of them fit in the Modern Label Punch.
I also used the Curly Label punch to punch the ends of the pink strips of cardstock on either side of my sentiment.

For the second card I simply stamp my scene onto a piece of Whisper White cardstock, cut it out, and rounded the edges.
For the sentiment I used the same stamp and used the Modern Label punch that I mentioned above!
In case you are wondering how I backed the Modern Label punch with the Wild Wasabi, I simply took a scrap piece and ran it through my Movers and Shapers Die for the Big Shot. The Punch Windows Set that go with this die are all slightly larger versions of punches. I LOVE this because I LOVE to layer! (In case you haven't noticed haha)
Another fun technique I used on both of these cards was to adhere my cardstock to my card base BEFORE I emboss. That way several of the layers are embossed along with the card base. Fun!
I hope you enjoyed these cards! I didn't post directions, but if you have any questions don't hesitate to send me an email at aprilmassad@yahoo.com. I would be happy to answer your questions!
Have a terrific Tuesday!

Finally Friday Father's Day Card

Well it's finally Friday! The week is ending but Brodey's school isn't out until Wednesday!
Today I thought I would post a Father's Day card we made in my May Stamper's Night Out!
This fun stamp set is from the Stampin Up Summer Mini Catalog. It's called Best Dad Ever! Even though this card wouldn't work for my Dad, I LOVE the ties!

The girls at SNO had a great time heat embossing on this card with the clear embossing powder. Clear embossing powder really makes your stamped images POP! It makes the color brighter and it gives a handmade card a little WOW!
If you have never heat embossed before you have to try it! It's so much fun! I have a How To HERE and below I'm sharing the directions to make this card!

Supplies:
- 4x5.5 inch card base
- 4x5.5 inch piece of Basic Gray cardstock
- 2x3.5 inch piece of Riding Hood Red cardstock
- .5x3.5 inch piece of More Mustard Cardstock
- 2.25x3.5 inch piece of Whisper White Cardstock
- .5x3.5 inch piece of Whisper White Cardstock
- Small Circle punched from More Mustard Cardstock
- Brad
- Basic Gray Ink
- Markers in Basic Gray, Riding Hood Red, and More Mustard
- Clear Embossing Powder
- Powder Tray (Optional but helpful to pour powder into and refill)
- Heat Gun
- Versamark Ink
- Stamp-a-ma-Jig
- Best Dad Ever Stamp Set
- Corner Rounder (Optional)

Directions:
1. Take your large piece of Whisper White cardstock. Temporarily adhere it to your work surface with temporary adhesive. Use your Stamp-a-ma-Jig to position your stamp to stamp the center of the carstock.
2. Take your markers and color the ties. Once all the ties are colors huff on the stamp to remoisten the ink and stamp. Clean your stamp off.
3. Use your Stamp-a-ma-Jig again to postion the tie stamp right over the stamped ties. Ink your tie stamp with Versamark and stamp right over the ties again.
4. Pour your embossing powder over your stamped image over the embossing tray. Very lightly tap off excess powder and heat with the heat gun just until the embossing powder turns shiny. (Overheating will cause your powder to burn and yellow.)
5. Allow to cool and use your corner rounder to round the top two corners of the cardstock.
6. Take your strip of More Mustard and stamp the Best Dad Ever stamp onto the left side with Versamark ink. Use your clear powder to heat emboss the sentiment.
7. Dry Emboss your piece of Basic Gray cardstock and adhere to the front of your card.
8. Take your strip of Whisper White cardstock and stamp Happy Father's Day with Basic Gray ink. Adhere to Red Riding Hood Cardstock.
9. Take your circle of More Mustard and poke a hole in the center. Feed the brad through and attach to piece of Red Riding Hood cardstock.
10. Adhere your pieces to the card as shown in photo.

Such a handsome Father's Day card! So many different color combos will work if you aren't into these! I was going for more of a retro look! ;)
Well I hope you like today's card!
Don't forget to comment on yesterday's post for a chance to win a copy of the new CK Scrapbooking Tips and Tricks Flower Issue! It's a good one!
Enjoy your fab Friday!