Feb 21, 2013 | Cards, Create with Connie & Mary, Sale-A-Bration 2013, Simply Scored, Spring Catalog 2013 |
The Patterned Occasions set is another Sale-A-Bration set with a bunch of versatile images. My favorite image is the little elephant but another fun one is the band-aid. And that is what I focused on for this week’s color challenge at Create with Connie & Mary. I needed a get well card and decided to use the band-aid image and combine with the colors for this week’s challenge. And now this week I think I need a get well card for myself I’m trying really hard to fight away a cold or something that is trying to come in and take me over – I don’t need that so just go away. I’m so ready for Spring to be here – enough cold and rain. We don’t get snow we just get cold rain with some occasional ice – snow would be better – at least then everything is pretty.
By the way have you joined the Create with Connie & Mary Spring 2013 Online class? They are show-casing items from the Stampin’ Up! Spring catalog plus Sale-A-Bration! Lots of great ideas and its not too late to join.
Here are the colors this week – Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Basic Grey. Very popular right now is the yellow and gray combination and I think the splash of bright pink really makes these colors pop. Some of the combinations I’m not crazy about but this one I do like.


The card inspiration came from an idea I saw somewhere while poking around on the internet. Here are some details on this card –
- card base is Daffodil Delight – it’s a bit hard to see but the base is embossed using the new Simply Scored Borders Plate – there are two sets of double scallops.

- A Basic Gray layer with a piece of Designer Paper from Sunshine & Sprinkles pack in the Spring Catalog.
- I stamped the Band-Aid image from the Patterned Occasions set three times on Whisper White card stock – once in Daffodil Delight, once in Basic Gray and once in Melon Mambo – and cut out the band-aids and the words from the Gray one (just cut a tiny banner).
- The band-aids are added with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
- The words are glued flat and then I added a cute little clip from the Elements Cute Clips – the heart and it is tied with a piece of the Melon Mambo Striped Organdy ribbon – those are also in the Stampin’ Up! Spring catalog.
- I thought it turned out really cute and the colors made it bright and cheery.
Visit the Create with Connie & Mary site to see the creations from the rest of the design team and to submit your own creation for this new challenge. Plus don’t forget to check out the 2013 Spring class going on right now!
Stampin’ Up! Supplies:
- Stamps: Patterned Occasions (SAB)
- Ink: Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Basic Gray
- Card Stock: Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray, Whisper White
- Accessories: Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series paper, Elements Cute Clips, Melon Mambo 3/8″ Striped Organdy Ribbon (all from the Spring Catalog) , Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Feb 15, 2013 | Big Shot, Cards, Sale-A-Bration 2013, Spring Catalog 2013, sympathy, Vintage |
The new Stampin’ Up! Flower Trim is beautiful! If you haven’t seen it in real life you are missing out. And while the trim itself comes in Very Vanilla – you can change the color! On this card I changed my to Summer Starfruit – and I’ll share with you how I did that. Here are the two versions of this card –
These cards are very pretty in real life and I just love the little flowers. I cut off a couple of flowers for each card. Do you want to know how I changed the color from Very Vanilla to Summer Starfruit? It’s easy – here is what I did –
- I cut off the number of flowers that I wanted from the trim and placed them on a paper towel
- I used one of the new Stampin’ Spritzer bottles – fill it with some rubbing alcohol about 1/2 full or a bit more.
- Use the Summer Starfruit ink refill and add to the Spritzer bottles – the more drops the darker it will be – so you’ll have to decided what is right for you. I probably added 10 drops. Then shake it up.
- Spritz the flowers with the mixture in your spritzer bottle and let the flower dry – it shouldn’t take very long.

Here are the tips on making this card –
- The card base is Summer starfruit.
- The layer of Whisper White card stock is embossed on the bottom edge with the Needlepoint Border Embossing Folder (Spring catalog).
- Add a 1/2 piece of one of the Tea Lace Paper Doilies (Spring catalog) to the white card stock.
- Stamp sentiment on the white card stock.
- Add the leaves/stems to the doily layer. Use the piercing tool and pierce a hole on either sides of the stems to pull the Linen Thread through and tie in a bow.
- Attach the Whisper White panel to the card base.
- Add the flowers to the stems – I used glue dots.
Here is another version of the card –

If you look at the two version of the cards there are just a couple of minor differences –
- The stamp set that I used – So Sorry on one and Vintage Versus from the Sale-A-Bration brochure on the other
- The stems/leaves that I used – the Bird Builder punch on one and the Little Leaves Sizzlits die on the other.
I hope you like this card. I do and will probably make a few more as I need some more sympathy cards and I think this one turned out very peaceful looking. Thanks for stopping by today. All the products that I used are available in my online store on my website – just click the SHOP NOW button – www.monika.stampinup.net

Feb 14, 2013 | Big Shot, Cards, Create with Connie & Mary, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Spring Catalog 2013, Valentine's Day |
Happy Valentine’s Day! We made Valentine’s at the Ronald McDonald House on Tuesday night. And since today – Valentine’s Day was going to be a Create with Connie & Mary challenge day I decided to use the sketch for the card we were making at the Ronald McDonald House. Stampin’ Up! has a partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Charities and demonstrators from all over volunteer time to get crafty with house guests everywhere. I go with a small group of demonstrators to one of the houses here in the Atlanta area – we try to visit every month. And since it was the week of Valentine’s day of course we had to make Valentine cards.
This weeks Challenge at Create with Connie & Mary is a sketch challenge. Plus you can get daily inspiration right now if you join Create with Connie & Mary Spring 2013 Online class. They are show-casing items from the Stampin’ Up! Spring catalog plus Sale-A-Bration! Lots of great ideas and its not too late to join.
Here is a look at the sketch for this week –

Since I wanted a Valentine card – the first thing was to take the flower and make it a heart. Then I just played with the rest until I got something I wanted. I ended up turning the sketch for my card. It needed to be a simple card for everyone at the Ronald McDonald house to make. And I pre-prepped several pieces ahead of time so they just had to glue them on.

Here are some details on this card –
- card base is Primrose Petals and I used the hearts folder from the Adorning Accents Embossing Folders to add hearts across the bottom (I did this ahead for them)
- Above the embossed hearts is a scalloped piece of Pool Party card stock – this was cut with the Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die (I cut these ahead of time too)
- They stamped a greeting above the scallops – they had a choice of four different ones – “Happy Valentine’s Day” from Wacky Wishes, “Be My Valentine” from Delightful Dozen, “You’re in My thoughts, You’re in my Heart” from Word Play, and “happy valentine’s day” from Teeny Tiny Wishes – all the stamping was done in Real Red ink (it’s best to have only one color ink to choose from when we stamp there)
- I punched hearts from the More Amore Designer Series paper using the Full Heart punch (I punched all these ahead of time). They added them to the card with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
- I also had a couple of hearts from the Hearts A Flutter stamp set that they could use. They were able to write and stamp on the inside of their card and decorate the envelopes too.
- We had cards for grandma’s, auntie’s, mama’s, and sister’s.
- Signed and sealed and ready to be delivered!
Here are some photos of our Stampers’s this week.





I hope you gave some love to someone close to you and even to someone you didn’t even know! I know everyone had the Ronald McDonald House that stamped with us really had a fun time.
Visit the Create with Connie & Mary site to see the creations from the rest of the design team and to submit your own creation for this new challenge. Plus don’t forget to check out the 2013 Spring class going on right now!
Stampin’ Up! Supplies:
- Stamps: Wacky Wishes (and others listed above but not shown on this sample)
- Card Stock: Primrose Petals, Pool Party
- Accessories: Full Heart Punch, Big Shot Die Cut Machine, Adorning Accents Embossing Folders, Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die, More Amore Specialty Designer Series paper, Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Feb 13, 2013 | Big Shot, Designer Series Paper, Scrapbook Pages, Spring Catalog 2013, Valentine's Day |
We are quickly closing in on Valentine’s Day and if you happen to take photos on that day or any other day and want to scrapbook the photos of the ones you love here is the perfect layout for that. Using the More Amore Specialty Designer Series Paper and the Hearts A Flutter Stamp set and framelits – all from the Stampin’ Up! Spring catalog.

We made this fun layout at my scrapbook class last month. It’s full of hearts of all shapes, sizes and patterns. Let’s take a closer look at everything I used –
- The bases of this layout is Basic Gray – this is a two-page 12″ x 12″ layout
- On either side is a strip of Real Red card stock that was die cut on one edge with the Finishing Touches Edgelit Die and then layered with a strip from the More Amore Specialty Designer Series paper
- Tucked in on either side are Very Vanilla and Pool Party card stock that has been cut with the Labels Collection Framelit Dies – I actually used the same size die for both colors and just off set them to show the layers.
The banner is made from the Hearts a Flutter stamp set and the pieces cut with the Hearts a Flutter framelits – these can be purchased as a bundle (15% savings). The colors are Pool Party, Primrose Petals and Real Red. The banner is accented with a laser cut heart from the More Amore Specialty paper and a button from the Sycamore Street ribbon and button pack (you can earn this for free during Sale-A-Bration). I used the Pool Party Baker’s Twine to string everything together.
The photo mats are Very Vanilla – but you could completely replace those with photos, or use them as mats.- Along the bottom of the photo mats are lots of hearts – punched with the Full Heart and Small Heart punch and die cut with the heart from the Hearts a Flutter framelits. A few stamped ones are sprinkled in and another laser cut heart.
For the title I added the Love you stamp from Seasonal Sayings – this set was originally in the Holiday Mini catalog but it was carried over into the spring catalog – did you notice there is a full page of carry-over items all listed in the back of the Stampin’ Up! Spring catalog. This was cut out with the Apothecary Accents Framelit die set and then a Pool Party Label framelit is layered behind it.- Now add the photos!
Come back tomorrow for the last of the 14 hearts! If you would like to order of the products that I used visit my online store on my website – www.monika.stampinup.net – or contact me to place an order for you. If you are local to me I will have a table at the Bascomb United Methodist Scrapbook Crop on March 2nd and have scrapbook layouts and kits available for sale.

Feb 12, 2013 | Big Shot, Spring Catalog 2013, Valentine's Day |
For Heart #12 I have a cute fabric heart pouch. All sewed up for Valentine’s day and filled with kisses. This was a swap from Leadership created by Patty Shipley.

I received just this little pouch which is made from the More Amore Designer Fabric from Stampin’ Up! – use the Heart Framelits to cut the fabric and a piece of heavy weight plastic and then put kisses in the center and sew around to close it up. On the list of supplies there are a few more items listed – a stamp set, designer paper, twine and cardstock – perhaps there was supposed to be a tag on here too – I’m sure that was cute too.
Speaking of sewing I am on the hunt for a new sewing machine so I can make crafty little things like this. If anyone has a suggestion let me know.
Tonight I’ll be going to the Ronald McDonald house to make Valentine’s with the guests that are there. It happens to be my challenge card for Create with Connie & Mary – so you’ll see it on Thursday – it is a very Simple Valentine card. Plus tomorrow I’ll share my Valentine Scrapbook layout – and I think that should complete the 14 hearts projects.
Thanks for visiting!

Feb 10, 2013 | Big Shot, Spring Catalog 2013, Valentine's Day |
Now that is an unusual description but I couldn’t think of what else to say – it’s a Valentine made from a Toilet Paper cardboard tube. Who would have thought to use that to make a candy holder – not me. That’s because this is another swap from the Stampin’ Up! Leadership conference – but I can’t tell you who created it there is no name on it – either it wasn’t there at all or I lost it somewhere between Orlando and here – sorry about that.

So the base of this project is the card board center of the toilet paper roll – it’s squished at one end and glued shut. Then covered with Designer Paper and decorated. Inside is the candy and it is stuck in between a strip of card stock so you can just pull it out by the tails sticking out the top.

So here is a look at all the products used many are from the Stampin’ Up! Spring catalog –
- More Amore Specialty Designer paper (spring catalog)
- Hearts a Flutter stamp set and framelits (spring catalog) and Big Shot
- Full Heart punch
- Large Rhinestone Jewels (spring catalog)
- Real Red card stock & Scallop Edge Border punch
- Pool Party Seam Binding ribbon
- Basic Gray, Pool Party, Very Vanilla card stock
- Ciao, Baby! stamp set (spring catalog) & Petite Curly Label Punch (Sale-A-Bration)
- Real Red ink
- Cardboard core from toilet paper roll
A great way to reuse something you already have in your home.
