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!

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!

Go Green!

Howdy folks!
I just love the color green! I think it might be my favorite color! I especially love it when the grass starts to turn green! Springtime is my favorite season and St Patrick's Day is right around the corner!
At my Stamper's Night Out Tuesday we made these adorable little St Patrick's Day baskets! They are the perfect size to hold some of the fun little chocolate coins! I brought my sewing machine and let the girls sew their baskets and I think they enjoyed it! Sewing on paper projects is easier than you think! I think it's actually easier than sewing on fabric!

To make this sweet basket you will need:
Big Shot Machine
Baskets and Blooms Die
Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder
Lucky Shamrock Stamp
Circle Punch
Markers (Daffodil Delight and Old Olive)
Shimmery White Cardstock
Kraft or Soft Suede Cardstock
Old Olive Cardstock
Decorative Label Punch
Crop-a-Dile
Satin Ribbon
Sewing Machine (Optional)

Directions:
1. Take a piece of your Kraft cardstock and position it so that you only cut out the two basket pieces.
2. Take your two die cut basket pieces and emboss them with the Vintage Wallpaper folder.
3. Adhere the two baskets pieces together OR sew around the three sides with your sewing machine. I used a zig zag stitch.
4. Take your Lucky Shamrock stamp and color it with the markers. Huff on the stamp to remoisten the image and stamp onto shimmery white cardstock. Punch the image out with the circle punch.
5. Use your Decorative Label punch to punch a label out of the Old Olive cardstock. Use your Crop-a-Dile to punch a hole in the top. Adhere the stamped circle onto the Old Olive label with a foam adhesive square.
6. Tie your label onto your basket with the satin ribbon.
7. Fill the basket with chocolate coins or other green goodies!

This is a fun, quick project that is so cute! The Big Shot die cut machine that I used to make this card is by far my favorite die cut machine! I have four different machines from four different companies and the Big Shot is by far the best, in my opinion! It will cut any dies that you might already have from other machines! I have several SNO ladies getting the machine and I will be doing Big Shot classes with them!
If you are interested in purchasing the Big Shot or have ANY questions about it or this card please don't be shy! Send me an email at aprilmassad@yahoo.com and I would be happy to answer your questions!
I have also set the date for our April Stamper's Night Out! It will be on April 12th at 6:30pm at the Scrappin Pad! More details to come!
With spring upon us SUMMER is right around the corner! That means Stampin Up's new Summer Mini Catalog will be popping up in mailboxes everywhere! If you would like to be one of the firsts to receive it simply send me an email with your mailing address ASAP! I would love to send you one!

Happy Thoughts

I love the sentiment on this card! Especially when I watch our weather and it tells us about another winter storm moving in tonight! Right now my happy thought would be that next month the grass will start to turn green! ;)
This is a very simple card I made today with one of my favorite color combos and a hostess set called Apple Blossoms. I used it on a set of cards HERE.
My color combo today is Baja Breeze, Soft Suede(or Kraft), and Cherry Cobbler. If you were to ask me what my favorite color is right now it would be Baja Breeze. It's the most perfect shade of blue. I have to make myself not use it on every single card!

Supplies:
-Ink: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler
-Stamps: Apple Blossoms
-Cardstock: Soft Suede or Kraft, Cherry Cobbler, Baja Breeze, Whisper White
-Decorative Lable Punch(Sentiment)
-Boho Blossoms Punch(Two Small Flowers)
-Crop-a-Dile (as a hole punch)

Directions:
1. Cut a piece of Kraft cardstock to 8x5.5 inches. Score down the middle at 4 inches.
2. Cut a piece of Baja Breeze cardstock to 5 x 4 1/8 inches. Randomly stamp the large flower and small flower from the Apple Blossoms set with the Baja Breeze ink.
3. Cut a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock to 5 1/8 x 3.75 inches. Adhere your Baja Breeze piece to the Cherry Cobbler piece.
4. Cut a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock to 5.5 x 1.5 inches. Use the Stamp-a-ma-Jig to Stamp the circle stamp onto the cardstock using Cherry Cobbler ink.
5. Use your hole punch or Crop-a-Dile to punch holes in the stamped image.
6. Cut a piece of Kraft cardstock to 5.5 x 2 inches. Adhere the piece of Cherry Cobbler to the Kraft piece with foam adhesive squares to pop it up.
7. Stamp your sentiment onto Baja Breeze cardstock with Chocolate Chip ink. Punch out with the Decorative Label punch. Adhere this with foam adhesive squares.
8. Ink your large flower stamp with Chocolate Chip and stamp twice onto Whisper White cardstock. Punch the center of the flowers out with the medium flower from the Boho Blossoms punch. Adhere the flowers to the card as shown in the photo.

I hope you like today's card! Everyone had to cancel for tonight's Stamper's Night Out due to the weather. I'm sad! I always enjoy my classes, but I will see everyone on the 22nd! There are only 2 spots left for that class if you would like to come!If you want to reserve those spots you need to email me at aprilmassad@yahoo.com!
Don't forget Sale-a-Bration is still going on but only until the end of next month! Who doesn't love free stuff? ;)
Well I'm headed back to the craft room to plan March's Stamper's Night Out!
Stay warm!

Keep it Simple Day 3

We are keeping is "sew" simple today! ;) Hubby is back to work, but Brodey is still here! AND it's snowing again. It has been all day nonstop. I'm not sure how much has been dumped on us today, but I do know that any and all areas the boys messed up are filled back in!
Todays card is a play off of yesterday's card. The cool thing about this card is that it could be for just about any occasion you could think of. The hearts can be replaced with flowers, brads, stamped images, anything!
All I did was score the lines, use my markers to fill them in with color, and then I sewed over the lines with my sewing machine.
The hearts are punched with the smaller heart from the Heart to Heart punch. The sentiment is from the wedding stamp in the Fun and Fast Notes set.
Well I'm headed back into the craft room to finish some scrapbook pages I have to get done!
Have a wonderful Friday!

Keep it Simple

Keeping it simple isn't always easy, but it sure is a good thing to keep in mind when you are running out the door to a wedding shower!
I always want to add more and more to a card, but there have been plenty of times I waited until the last second to make a card for a wedding shower, baby shower, or birthday party. This card can be made in no time!
I combined two stamp sets for this card. I used the happiness stamp from the Heard from the Heart set and the flower stamp from the Thanks for Caring set. Both of these are beautiful and versatile sets that are good to have on hand.

Supplies:
Watercolor Paper
Cardstock (Blushing Bride and Certainly Celery)
First Edition Designer Series Paper
Markers (Soft Suede, Blushing Bride, Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, Old Olive)
Blender Pen
Heard from the Heart Stamp Set
Thanks for Caring Stamp Set
Scallop Border Punch
Basic Rhinestones
Stamp-a-ma-Jig

Directions:
1. Trim your watercolor paper to 5.75 x 5.5 inches. Score the shorter side at 2.75 inches.
2. Take the happiness stamp from the Heard from the Heart set and ink the small words with the Soft Suede marker. Ink the happiness word with the Certainly Celery marker. Go back and ink only the happiness letters with Old Olive to make them stand out. Huff on the stamp and stamp onto the card.
3. Use your Stamp-a-ma-Jig to position the flower stamp from the Thanks for Caring Stamp set. (You can line this up at the end of the line from the happiness word.)
4. Take the stamp and ink the leaf and stems with your Certainly Celery marker. Ink the flowers with the Blushing Bride marker. Huff on the stamp to remoisten the ink and stamp with the Stamp-a-ma-Jig.
5. (optional) Take your blender pen and lightly go over the stamped sentiment. Use your blender pen to blend the leaf and stems. Take your Pink Pirouette marker and color in the centers of the flowers. Use your blender pen to blend out the color.
6. Top the flower centers with the rhinestones.
7. Trim a piece of the First Edition DSP to 0.75 x 5.75 inches. Adhere to the bottom of the card.
8. Punch your Blushing Bride cardstock with the Scallop Border punch. Trim (2) pieces to 5.75 x 0.5 inches. Adhere one piece to the top of the card and the other piece to the top of the First Edition strip.
9. Trim a piece of the Certainly Celery cardstock to 0.25 x 5.75 and adhere to the top of the pink scallop piece.

That's it! Pretty simple, right? You can make changes to simplify the card.
- You could just use paper strips instead of the Scallop Border punch.
- You can skip the blender pen steps.
You will still have a beautiful card just minus the little details! ;)
I hope this post finds you warm and well! We still have a ton of snow here in Oklahoma with the wind chill at 3 degrees. I'm ready for summer!
If you have any questions about this card please don't hesitate to email me at aprilmassad@yahoo.com!