Hip to be Square Sketch Challenge

Hope everybody had a great weekend and had enough rest to charge your batteries and start Monday with a cheerful and energetic look, lol. I start my week with a challenge for Our Creative Corner.

Last week, the Sale-A-Bration promotion started and if you want to see the catalog, click here. There are several stamps and accesories that you can earn for free for every $50 you spend on Stampin' UP! products. Items from the online clearance rack (as well as any current SU! products) can be included in your online order and count toward your total! Spend $150 or more and you will receive both Sale-A-Bration gifts and earn Hostess Benefits! Qualifying totals exclude shipping and taxes.

And that is not all, if you want to become part of the Stampin' UP! family, this is the time! The starter kit is only $125 during the Sale-A-Bration promotion, from January 24 until March 31.

Don't hesitate to contact me for any questions you might have.
Have a great day!
Lili

Cardstock: Whisper White (100730), Tangerine Tango (111349), Pacific Point (111350)
DSP: Flirtatious Specialty (122360)
Stamp sets: Fresh Vintage (125117), Bring on the Cake (121958)
Punches: Decorative Label (120907), 1-3/8" Circle (119860)
Embossing folder: Perfect Polka Dots (117335)
Embellishments: Island Indigo Baker's Twine (125575), Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack (127279)

Fridays Stamp Club

This is a card I made applying a technique I learned from Andrea Walford's Club 52 (you can learn more about the club here) called Gradated Wash Technique using two colors. I had a lot of fun practicing the technique, which involved using reinkers as watercolors and watercolor paper. It has the look that the brayer gives a card.

To create the card, I was inspired by Michelle Zindorf, who is a pro with the brayer. Visit her site and you'll get inspired too by all the beautiful cards she creates. Anyway, this is what my Friday's Stamp Club did last Friday. Enjoy!

Cardstock: Basic Black (121045), Pumpkin Pie (105117), Old Olive (100702)
Designer Series Paper: Twitterpated (125406)
Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers (113252), Inspired by Nature (111656)
Punches: Heart to Heart (119881)
Dies: Clear Circle (114533)
Embellishments: Glimmer Brads Basics (121003), 5/8" Victoria Crochet Trim (118481)

Freshly Made Sketches #19 and colourQ challenge #121

Hi there! Another card for two challenges. I used the sketch by Jen Mitchell (which I flipped over) in Freshly Made Sketches and the colors of the colourQ challenge.

As a base for the card, I used a precut card from the Everyday Elegance packet and then I added the embellishments. I painted the kettle and cup with watercolor, but using very little water because I stamped the images with Staz-On on regular Whisper White cardstock, which doesn't absorb a lot of water. Then I applied Crystal Effects on the kettle and the cup for some dimension.

When I looked at the card after I finished it, I noticed that that is a "morning picture" for me because that is what I do every morning: heat up the kettle to prepare an instant coffee or tea after I drop off my daughter at school, lol.
Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Cardstock: More Mustard (100946), Crumb Cake (120953), Whisper White (100730), Riding Hood Red (111348)
Stamps: Morning Cup (W 116988, C 120489)
Embellishment: Old Olive 5/8" Satin Ribbon (117292); Large Pearls Basic Jewels (125577); Crystal
Effects (101055)
Cool stuff: Every Day Elegance Simply Sent Kit (122377)

Clean and Simple for The Paper Players

This week we have a clean and simple sketch at The Paper Players using tags. Yet again, I found inspiration in Cards Magazine.

I'm really happy with how this card turned out! Hope you like it! Enjoy!

Mojo Monday 225

For this week's Mojo sketch, I wanted to use fabrics. I think they look great on the card, and I wanted to show how well they can be combined with the Designer Series Paper, cardstock and buttons.
Hope you like it! Enjoy!

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Twitterpated (125406)
Stamp set: Lighthearted (121157)
Fabric: Twitterpated (125412)
Buttons: Twitterpated (125579)
Ribbon: Baker's Twine
Punch: Heart to Heart (119881)

Card Patterns Sketch 149

This is my first time participating in the Card Patterns Sketch Challenge. I'm really happy with how this card came out. Hope you like it! Enjoy!

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink, Real Red
Stamp set: Filled With Love (discontinued)
Embosslits Die: Scalloped Heart of Hearts (117332)
Bigz Die: Clear Circle (114533)
Punches: Full of Hearts (119883), Itty Bitty Shapes (118309)
Tools: Circle Scissor Plus (112530)
Embellishments: Basic Pearls (119247)
Ribbon: Blushing Bride 3/8" Pleated (125570), 5/8" Victoria Crochet Trim (118481)

Clean and Simple #174

Here's my take on the Clean and Simple Challenge. Hope you like my creation! Enjoy!

Makeover Monday Challenge #10

This is my first time participating in the Makeover Monday Challenge. I had this stamp lying in my stash, and I'm so happy I found it because I think the image is so cute for a romantic card.
Hope you like my creation! Enjoy!

Here's the inspiration by Jessica Witty:

And here's my card:

Sneak Peek Sale-A-Bration

Today I wanted to make a card and give you guys a little sneak peek of the Sale-a-Bration catalog, which is out January 24! I used Linda's clean and simple sketch from Freshly Made Sketches to make my card. Hope you like it! Enjoy!

Lili

Glittery thanks for colourQ #120

Another colourQ challenge, yay! I love butterflies, and I really like the way this one looks on this card. Hope you do, too! Enjoy!

Lili

Watercolor Friendship

I have been teaching a technique with watercolors in my Stamp Club that I have on Friday's at home, and I created this card to apply that technique. I signed up for the Paper Crafter's Library Club 52 by Andrea Walford, where you get a technique every Friday. It is so much fun to learn a new technique every week, or a technique that you probably knew but forgot how to use it (which is what happened to me), or a well known technique with a twist.

On the internet, you can find a lot of videos and sites with techniques and products, but what I like about Paper Crafter's Library is that you have everything together in one place. If you are like me, and don't spend much time on the computer, or if you feel overwhelmed after stopping by a couple of blogs, this site is very convenient.

Have a great day!
Lili

Two in one

I combined two challenges again: a thank you card with designer or patterned paper for The Friday Mashup, and I wanted to make this card simple because that was the sketch for the Clean and Simple Stamping blog.

Again, I got inspired by the Cards magazine that I collect. If you are not subcribed to it, you should! There are tons of diverse cards with very different and unique styles. I love it, I get many ideas from this magazine.

Hope you like it! Enjoy!
Have a great day!
Lili

Cardstock: Whisper white (100730)
Stamp set: Season of Friendship (111776), Everyday Wishes (123686)
Punches: Extra Large Oval (119859)
Embellishments: Designer Buttons-Neutrals (119743), Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine (123125)

Mojo Monday #224 and The Paper Players #78

Again, I combined two challenges: the sketch from Mojo Monday with the colors from The Paper Players.
Hope you like my creation. Have a great day! Enjoy!

Lili

Cardstock: Whisper White (100730), Blushing Bride (119796), Pear Pizzazz (119795), Calypso Coral (122925)
Designer Series Paper: Twitterpated (125406)
Stamp set: Happiest Birthday Wishes (W 122615, C 122617)
Punches: 2-3/8" Scallop Circle (118874), 1-3/4" Circle (119850), Extra Large Oval (119859)
Embossing folders: Houndstooth (123134), Stripes (123128)
Ribbon: Blushing Bride 3/8" Pleated Satin (125570)
Embellishments: Basic Rhinestones (119246)

Mojo Monday 223 and PPA126

I decided to combine two challenges, Mojo Monday and Pals Paper Arts, so I used the sketch from Mojo and the colors from PPA. It wasn't easy to be limited only to three colors, but I made it, and added a touch of Cherry Cobbler for a little extra boost of color!

Hope you like my creation. Enjoy!
Have a great day!
Lili

The Paper Players Challenge #77

This week's theme challenge at The Paper Players is "All you need is Love."
I got captivated by a simple masking technique I saw in Capture the Moment.

It is an easy technique, but the effect on the hearts makes all the difference. You can apply that technique in any outline stamp you could have, and then fill it in with any other stamp with design. For the outline of the hearts I used a stamp from Gina K, but for the inside I used I (Heart) Hearts and Best Friends Forever. I think that it is a great technique to share. Hope you enjoy it!

Have a great day!
Lili

Cardstock: Whisper White (100730), Chocolate Chip (102128)
Stamp set: I (Heart) Hearts (W 117010, C 118571), Best Friends Forever (W 122805, C 122807)
Embellishments: Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine (123125)

Happy Birthday for Friday Mashup

This is my first time participating in the Friday Mashup challenge. The theme is birthday and/or to work with pastels, so I decided to use a technique that I presented at a Stampin' UP! regional which involves using pastels to create a custom background. For this particular card, I used Red Riding Hood and Pacific Point pastels to create the background, then I clear embossed the "happy birthday" with the cupcakes on top, and I fixed the pastel onto the cardstock with regular hair spray. If you don't spray any fixative, the pastels don't get adhered to the cardstock.
I didn't add much to the card because I didn't want it to detract from the background.

If you want the tutorial on how to create the background, which was inspired by a technique from Gina K., you can click here!
Have a great day!
Lili

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red (111348), Very Vanilla (101650), Pacific Point (111350)
Stamp sets: Perfectly Penned (122890), Crazy for Cupcakes (111618), Easy Events (W 116958, C 123225)
Ribbon: Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta (119257)
Embellishments: Dazzling Details (124117)

Baby shower card for Freshly Made Sketches

I don't make many baby shower cards, but it is nice to have them ready for when the occasion comes. I love to use subtle colors for these cards. I consider that these colors give a delicacy to the card just as a baby can be so delicate. I have four children, three grown ups (in their 20s), and the baby of the house is twelve, and I haven't gone to many baby showers since I haven't experienced that stage with my children yet, so that's probably why I am not into making baby shower cards often.

That's why I decided to make a baby shower card for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge! Enjoy!

Cardstock: Very Vanilla (101650), Sahara Sand (121043), Pink Pirouette (111351)
Stamp set: Baby Bundle (C 120576; W 118525)
Ribbon: Certainly Celery 1/4" Grosgrain (109031)
Punches: 1" Circle (119868), Word Window (119857)
Embossing folder: Perfect Polka Dots (117335)
Cool stuff: Crystal Effects (101055)

My first colourQ challenge of 2012

I looove when I can use discontinued Stampin' UP! cardstock, DSP, or any other retired product. I love colors, especially cardstock and DSP, and more than once I buy them and then they are on the shelves for months, and by the time I could use it, or I remember I have them, they are already discontinued. So I buy another pack of papers, stamps which are in the current catalogs, and the circle starts again. This year, as soon as I purchase any current product, I will use it as much as I can, so that it won't go to the retired bin! Anyway, all this came up because Cameo Coral is a discontinued color, and that is one of the colors at colourQ this week!

I found my inspiration for this card in Cards magazine, which I love. I always get inspired by all the wonderful cards that a lot of talented people have created...there are so many possibilities to play around each time I look at a card in that magazine.
Have a great day!

Lili

Happiness Always for Mojo #222

Back in business with the first challenge of the year I participate in, Mojo Monday! Hope everybody had a great holiday season and I wish you a wonderful year with health and happiness.

To create this card, I used Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Series Paper. I love the color combo of those papers. I also used the doily from the Flirtatious Specialty Designer Series Paper. Hope you like my creation. Enjoy!

Cardstock: Very Vanilla (101650), Early Espresso (119686), Soft Suede (115318)
DSP: Mocha Morning Specialty (122366), Flirtatious Specialty (122360)
Stamp set: Happy Greetings (discontinued)
Ink: Soft Suede (115657)
Punches: Doily Triple Layer (122465), Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer (122464)
Embellishments: Basic Pearls (119247), Antique Brads (117273)