Stamp With LisaT

Pumpkin Patch - Spring Flowers

I'm still on my kick of sharing a variety of cards created with Stampin' Up!'s Pumpkin Patch stamp set. I started off with a Halloween card, but am having fun creating cards for year-round use with this must-have set!

You can catch my Halloween and a birthday card here and a New Year's card here. I still have more ideas, so stay tuned. Other upcoming projects: Halloween treats, and Build-A-Bear cards! It may take a day or so: my crafting time is now devoted to helping my third grader transform a pumpkin into a globe. Picked up the primer & paint this morning, so I hope it's not windy when she gets home from school! (Sure wish my mom had had all of these cool crafting supplies when I was in school!).

Here's today's Pumpkin Patch card - a cheery, spring-like bloom guaranteed to brighten someone's day. There's room on the front for a small greeting or it can be left blank. 

Here are the fun details: I stamped and hand-cut the "flower petals" in Lavender Lace ink. The petals were stamped with one of the oval pumpkins. The center was stamped in Pixie Pink with the round pumpkin. I cheated and used my 1" circle punch to cut it out, although you can see it's slightly smaller. Next time I'll cut the circle out as well. Sometimes it doesn't pay to take a short cut!

For some visual interest, I glued the petals down on the ends nearest the center, and used dimensionals to pop up the opposite side. I also used dimensionals under the glittered-up center (Dazzling Diamonds!) and the Picture Corners. The leaves were cut using the Little Leaves Sizzlits die on my Big Shot. Here's a closer look:

If you're curious about this set, there's a picture below off all of the stamps that come in the set. It's from the Holiday Mini catalog, so it may only be available until January 4!

Pumpkin Patch   #116499  $22.95

 
To get your very own Pumpkin Patch set, visit my Stampin' Up! website, click Shop Now in the upper right corner and enter the item number 116499. You're off & running!

Recipe: (all supplies Stampin' Up!; images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009):
Paper: Sage Shadow, Pixie Pink, Lavender Lace, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Lavender Lace, Pixie Pink
Stamps: Pumpkin Patch
Accessories: Big Shot, Little Leaves Sizzlit die, 2-way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds, 1" Circle Punch, Picture Corner Punch
 

Pumpkin Patch - More than Halloween

As I shared in yesterday's post, there's much more than Halloween to Stampin' Up!'s new Pumpkin Patch stamp set. Be sure to check out the Halloween and Birthday cards that I shared yesterday. I only had time to finish and photograph one card today. There's another one not finished on my craft table and I've got lots more ideas, so be sure to check back in the next few days for other great ideas for this versatile set!

Today's sample: New Years!

They sure don't look like pumpkins anymore, do they? I came up with this idea because the little vine stamp reminded me of streamers/confetti! I used Silver and Gold Encore ink to stamp the balloons and the streamers. A white gel pen made the balloon strings. The ribbon slide is from the Hodgepodge Hardware kit and serves to anchor the Gold and Silver Elastic Cord. It's a gray, gloomy day here in northern NJ, so my picture doesn't quite capture the sparkle of this card.

If you must own your own Pumpkin Patch set, you can order it online, anytime! Simply visit my Stampin' Up! website, click Shop Now in the upper right corner and enter item #116449. It's just $22.95 and has year-round appeal.

Come back to see other fun ways to use this set!

Recipe: (all supplies Stampin' Up!; images copyright 1990-2009):
Paper: Basic Black, Brushed Silver
Ink: Encore Gold & Silver, white gel pen
Stamps: Pumpkin Patch,Teeny Tiny Wishes
Accessories: Ribbon Slide - Stylized Silver HodgePodege Hardware, Silver & Gold Elastic cord, dimensionals, mini glue dot

Halloween & Beyond: Pumpkin Patch

Now that I'm done with my Halloween trees, I had to make some gift cards to go along with them. I pulled out my Pumpkin Patch stamp set (it's a new set from the Holiday Mini Catalog). I stamped up some quick & cute cards, which I'll share below. But shame on me! I've been so busy with my trees, I missed some of what's going on in the blogosphere. A customer informed me that people are making non-Halloween cards with Pumpkin Patch. And here's a real "duh!" moment, because as soon as you stop thinking of them as pumpkins and start thinking of circles and ovals, there's a huge range of possibilities with this stamp set!

Here's the Halloween card with Pumpkin Patch:

and here's a peek inside:

This is the fun part: here's a Birthday Card with Pumpkin Patch. How cute would these little balloons be on a scrapbook page? Just think of the possibilites!

I was happy to finally have In Color markers, as I used them to draw in the little knots at the bottoms of the balloons. I used the vine stamp from the Pumpkin Patch set to stamp the end of the string, and hand-drew the strings using a Basic Black marker. Here's a peek inside:

So now my opinion of Pumpkin Patch has gone from a cute Halloween set to a must-have stamp set that is versatile and adaptable to a wide variety of occasions. I've got some more ideas that I hope to stamp up tonight to share tomorrow or over the weekend, so be sure to check back.

Better yet, get your own Pumpkin Patch set and let your creativity fly. Visit my Stampin' Up! website, click Shop Now in the upper right corner, enter item #116499 and you're off & running!

Pumpkin Patch    #116499    $22.95

Recipe: (all supplies Stampin' Up!; images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009):

Halloween Card:
Paper: Garden Green, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
Ink: Garden Green, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black
Stamps: Pumpkin Patch
Accessories: Pumpkin Pie Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

Birthday Card:
Paper: Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Thoroughly Modern DSP
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Basic Black marker
Stamps: Pumpkin Patch, Teeny Tiny Wishes, On Your Birthday (inside)
Accessories: Melon Mambo Polka Dot Grosgrain, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Dimensionals, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

Golden Oldies Birthday Card

Oops - almost forgot to share this card! Made it a few weeks ago when we attended a birthday party for one of my husband's friends. (Normally, I'd say "our" friend, but when you see the number inside the card, I'll just call him my husband's friend!)

Hmm - the colors look a little flat in this picture. I used Sahara Sand as the base, with texture from the Harlequin style plate from the Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plate group. I added a strip of textured paper from the To the Nines Specialty pack as an accent. Love those corduroy buttons, too! The old guy (from Golden Oldies, which I just realized is retired!) was colored in using markers and an Aqua Painter brush. Have you tried that easy coloring technique yet? Stamp your outline image with Stazon ink (it's waterproof). Apply marker along the edges of your coloring area (where you'd like the color to be deeper). Use a damp Aqua Painter to 'pull' the color into the main area & blend. Allow one area to dry before coloring the next to prevent bleeding. That's it - it's actually quite quick & easy!

Here's a peek inside the card:

The stamped sentiments are from On Your Birthday. The "60" was die-cut from a Sizzix set I've had for years. (It was my little red Sizzix machine that took me from scrapbooking to card making, and eventually stamping!).

Recipe: (all supplies Stampin' Up!; images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009):
Paper: Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, To the Nines Specialty, watercolor
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, Blush Blossom & Going Gray markers
Stamps: Golden Oldies, On Your Birthday 
Accessories: Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plates, Chocolate Chip Corduroy Button, Hemp Twine, Crystal Effects (great adhesive for bulky embellishments!)

First Day of Fall!

Happy Fall! Happy Autumn, Happy falling leaves! I love this time of year. The cool, crisp mornings are just great here in Morris County, NJ!

Here's a card I made to celebrate the first day of fall. I used Branch Out (#113200), which is a wonderful & versatile stamp set that you won't find in the current Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog. It's on the Dormant List, which contains stamp sets that are available but not in the catalog. This set is a gem, adaptable to any season. At $22.95, you'll get a lot of mileage out of it!

I used lots of In Colors on this card. Didn't have a stamp that said Fall (imagine that!), so I used my Big Shot and the Billboard die. This die's great for creating your own sentiments on cards or scrapbook pages. I wanted an additional embellishment of some sort, but there wasn't a lot of room on the card, as the stamped image panel and the mats took a lot of room. Here's a great tip: To add the visual interest of an embellishment, add some texture by using a crimper on the bottom edge of your card. I've been using this trick a lot lately; it adds lots of interest without adding any 'busy-ness' to your cards!

To get a softer, watercolor-type look to the leaves on the trees, I inked up the stamp, then spritzed it with water from a  mister bottle before stamping onto paper. Since I was using water this way, I used Naturals Ivory card stock as it's pretty sturdy. I also pressed my stamp onto a folded up paper towel before inking it up in the same color again - I didn't want to transfer the water to my stamp pad.

Here's a peek at the Branch Out set:    (#113200    $22.95)

 

Grab your own Branch Out set when you Shop Online at my Stampin' Up! website!

Recipe: (all supplies Stampin' Up!; images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009):
Paper: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Garden Green, Naturals Ivory
Ink: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Garden Green, Crushed Curry
Stamps: Branch Out
Accessories: Big Shot, Billboard die, Ticket Corner Punch, Scalloped Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, Sponge Dauber, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig, crimper, brads, dimensionals

Ahoy, Matey - It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Ahoy, me mateys - and yes, I'm for real - today is Talk Like a Pirate Day, and we've been invited to a Pirate Party here in Montville, NJ! How fun! Of course, I had to make a pirate card for our hosts. I used the retired Stampin' Up! set Ahoy Matey. I haven't gotten the new (and very cool) pirate sets set, but I'll link you up below if you want a look - believe me, I'm kicking myself now!

And here's a peek inside:

I used a Sketch Challenge - SC244 from Splitcoaststampers for the layout. If the colors look familiar, it's because I used them recently on this card. Night of Navy, Garden Green and Brocade Blue were the colors used in a challenge issued by my group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators this week. I liked the combo so much, I had to use them again!

So, just in case you're wondering, Talk Like a Pirate Day is for real. There's a Talk Like a Pirate web site with information, and you can practice just how to talk like a pirate here. Mark the date and plan a fun party next year! And while you're planning next year's party, take a look at these fun products you can use for your invitations and favors!

Beware Pirate - #115187   $26.95

Pirate Time - # 116718   $16.95

Pirate Party Kit - #116213  $15.95

And don't forget good old Just Jawing #111660   $25.95:

If you'd like to get a head start on your preparations
for next year's Talk Like a Pirate Day, you can shop online here!

 

Recipe: (all supplies Stampin' Up!; images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009):
Paper: Night of Navy, Garden Green, Brocade Blue, watercolor, patterned paper from old Prints Pack
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Basic Gray & Going Gray pads; Night of Navy, Garden Green, Brocade Blue, Blush Blossom & Basic Black markers
Stamps: Ahoy Matey
Accessories: Big Shot, Billboard die, Spiral Punch, Photo Corners Punch, Clips Assortment, dimensionals

Delightful Decorations Christmas Card

Know what I missed yesterday? Yesterday was 100 days until Christmas! That means that today is only 99 days until Christmas! Better get busy on those cards and gifts!

Do you need inspiration for your holiday creations? If so, make sure to sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter. I've got a free holiday gift for all of my subscribers: starting later this month, I'll be sending out 12 Weeks of Christmas projects! My subscribers will receive 12 weekly ideas and supply lists for cards, projects/gifts and fun ways to present your gifts with tags, bags & wraps. Don't miss out, sign up now!

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To get a jump on my Christmas cards, I decided to participate in a Color Challenge hosted by my group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators. The challenge was to use Night of Navy, Garden Green and Brocade Blue - all colors that I love! I wanted to make a Christmas card using Delightful Decorations (#116517)and was inspired by a recent (and clever) swap card that I received. On that card (which you can see here in an album on my Facebook page - become a fan while you're there!), the evergreen tree from Lovely as a Tree was stamped repeatedly to achieve the look of a tree branch, from which ornaments were hanging.

I was going for the look of one of those metallic holders that are used to display special ornaments, so I used the large swirl from Baroque Motifs (#113490). Here it is - thanks for a great challenge, ladies!

Here are some more details:

• I used the Eyelet Border Punch on the bottom of the Very Vanilla main panel

• the Merry Christmas sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes (#115370) was the perfect size for that tight space!
• I tied a bow around the top of the punched ornament with Gold Elastic Cord (#109867), available in the Holiday Mini (the gold & silver Elastic Cord are only available in the Mini Catalog, but are terrific for year-round crafting - stock up now!)
• I used the Photo Corners Punch (#109042)to create a little interest in an otherwise-empty corner - also helps to pull the colors together
• the photo corners and the punched ornament are raised up on dimensionals

Here's a peek inside the card - the sentiment is from the Snow Swirled (#111609)set. I used the Eyelet Border Punch (#113692) and part of the large swirl from Baroque Motifs again just to tie the inside visually to the front of my card.

To order any of these items online, visit my Stampin' Up! website here! Happy Stamping!

Recipe: (all supplies Stampin' Up!; images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009):
Paper: Night of Navy, Garden Green, Brocade Blue, Very Vanilla
Stamps: Delightful Decorations, Baroque Motifs, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Snow Swirled
Ink: Night of Navy, Garden Green, Brocade Blue
Accessories: Ornament Punch, Photo Corners Punch, Eyelet Border Punch, Gold Elastic Cord, dimensionals

Robotic Get Well Card

A week or so ago, my friend's son had a surgical procedure performed. I wanted to drop off a quick card so they knew we were thinking about them. I whipped this card out in (literally) just a few minutes. The Lots of Bots (#115293) stamp set was perfect for a quick 'Get Well' type of card!

The coloring's not my best - I was rushing and my 3 year old was hovering/bumping. It was nice to be able to put a card together in just a few minutes, though. If I had "do-overs" I'd have taken a little more time with the coloring. Here's a tip: when stamping/coloring a free-standing image, use a little gray - with a blender pen or Aqua Painter - to create a shadow under the image. This way, your image is anchored and not 'floating'. Another idea would be to punch an oval shape in some scrap paper. Use the piece with the oval hole, place it where you'd like a shadow and lightly sponge some gray ink over the open oval.

Recipe: (all supplies Stampin' Up!; images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009):
Paper: Gable Green, Basic Gray, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Gray, Jet Black Stazon, Gable Green
Stamps: Lots of 'Bots
Accessories: Blender Pen

Delightful Decorations Card Swap

A few days ago, I mentioned that a holiday card swap I had participated in had a large number of cards created with the new Delightful Decorations stamp set and coordinating Ornament punch, both of which made their debut in the Holiday Mini catalog. As promised, I'm sharing my (two) favorite cards that I received from this swap. Stay with me 'til the end of this post, where I'll link you up with further inspiration for your homemade Holiday / Christmas cards!

This first was created by Tracy B., a talented stamper in my extended group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators. What I love most about this card is its utter simplicity. It's clean, uncluttered and so appealing! If you're thinking of mass-producing your own Christmas cards this year, this is the way to go! Like me, Tracy used both Delightful Decorations (#116517) and Four the Holidays (#116921). I love how she tied the Silver Elastic Cord around the top of the ornament when making her bow.

The next card I loved was this one, created by Debbie. I love the crispness of Bermuda Bay paired with white. The shimmery striped paper is from the Bride Specialty Paper (#115669). (Did you miss this in the catalog? It's not where you might first look for paper - you can find it on page 158 with the other "distinctive accents").

The strip of patterned paper is from the Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper pack, and proof that you don't need a lot of patterned paper to pack a big punch! Debbie also used my favorite combination of the Teeny Tiny Wishes (#115370) set and the Modern Label punch for the sentiment.

Do you need some inspiration for your holiday or Christmas cards?

If you need further inspiration for your holiday cards, I've uploaded photos of all of the swap cards that I received to an album on my Facebook page. You can view my Holiday Swap album here (edited to fix link). While you're there, be sure to "become a fan" - I'll be sharing lots more exclusive content there (now that the kids are in school!). I'm planning a big contest once I reach 100 fans, and you'll want to be part of the fun!

Feel free to order online from my Stampin' Up! website anytime - it's available 24/7!

Questions? Contact me!

Etsy Challenge Card

Two posts in one day! You'll not believe me now that I'm really suffering from lack of inspiration. What do you do when the creativity is just not flowing for you? I was thinking about this earlier, and some of the things I do are:

• organize my craft/work space - sometimes you'll find scraps of paper in a striking color combination, just lying there, waiting to be combined

• participate in a challenge - this takes a lot of the guesswork right of the creative process & gives you a jumpstart
• make something simple: you'll get the sense of having made something, and taken a 'baby'step' to start your creativity flowing again
• browse through online galleries or blogs (hope you find lots here to inspire you!)

I thought a challenge might give me the kick start I needed, and realized that there was an Etsy Challenge that I hadn't participated in yet (EIC52). Usually, an Etsy shop is selected, you browse through the online shop of handmade goods, select something that inspires you and create away. In celebration of the one year anniversary of the Etsy Inspired Challenge, it was a little more open-ended, and we could select any inspiration piece from any Etsy store. Lack of browsing time kept me from participating before now. Still, I just went to Etsy and found something right on their main page, where they show a variety of wares from various shops. Something jumped right out & grabbed me because it was simple!

Here's my inspiration piece, which is an embroidered brooch from Sea Pinks' shop. Simple and in keeping with the season!

And here's the card that it inspired:

I searched in vain for an acorn stamp and settled for a leaf image from Autumn Days. Used a circle for the stamped image in keeping with the round brooch. Jazzed it up with Soft Suede In Color Polka Dot ribbon, and a crimped bottom edge - a fun trick I picked up from a card sent to me by my fellow SU demonstrator Debbie.

After I selected this piece and created my card, I further explored Sea Pinks' store, which has similar brooches and pincushions (ironic, since the first time I participated in the Etsy-inspired challenge, I chose a pincushion as my inspiration for a card which you can see here. Look what else Sea Pinks has in her store - if I had Stampin' Up!'s Trendy Trees stamp set, I'd have been all over these! Now I'm trying to think who'd like these as a gift, as I'd buy the stamp set just to make coordinating cards or gift tags!

    

Here's the Trendy Trees set - see what I mean?

Recipe: (all supplies Stampin' Up!; images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2009):
Paper: Kraft, Soft Suede, Mellow Moss, Naturals Ivory
Ink: Soft Suede
Stamps: Autumn Days, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Accessories: crimper, Soft Suede Polka Dot ribbon, dimensionals, circle punches, Scalloped Circle punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label Punch