You Brighten My Day

I hope each of you are enjoying some sun for the summer...wherever you are!!

You'll notice my blog feeling a little empty this summer. This is my time with the kiddos and I typically take a little break from the "daily do" list. I'll try to pop in and out to say hi!

This is my final card I am sharing as a designer for the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog. Today we're sharing some SUNSHINE with you all! Come on by to take a peek. It's been a fun ride for the last couple of years, but I am pairing down some responsibilities as I make way for new things in my life. I hope to continue to join in the fun with the Monday challenges when I have the time!

In the meantime...the pool is up and we're off to enjoy the summer sun!

New Catalog Favorite ~ Jar of Love

I finally received my box of new catalog goodies yesterday...and just in time as my card night is TONIGHT, so I have been busy getting my four cards ready for everyone to create. My challenge was to create all four cards using the new stamp sets and goodies I ordered. So fun, but lots of work on a time crunch!

My NEW favorite that I am looking forward to playing with even more is the set called Jar of Love. This set comes with SO MANY stamps! And, even better?! It comes with coordinating Framelits called Everyday Jars.

{Bundle it together and save 10%!}

To help me with my card making mojo, I used this week's Freshly Made Sketches #240.

 Head on over to the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog where we are sharing our new catalog favorites today and see what some of the other designers have chosen!

Stamp Sets	Jar of Love
Ink	Island Indigo, So Saffron, Basic Gray, Basic Black, Flirty Flamingo
Paper	Whisper White, Flirty Flamingo, Pool Party, Blooms & Bliss DSP
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sequins, Fine Tip Glue Pen
Tools	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Everyday Jars Framelits

Masculine Monday ~ Father's Day Edition

Today we are honoring fathers for Masculine Monday over at the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog. This is a card we made at one of my card nights this past month. We wanted to get a jump on Father's Day! Stampers also had the opportunity to stamp a happy birthday greeting instead if they preferred.

**CASED this card by Stamp & Create with Sabrina

Stamp Sets	Wetlands, And Many More (sentiment, retiring)
Ink	Early Espresso, Hello Honey
Paper	Delightful Dijon, Soft Suede, Hello Honey, Very Vanilla
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sponge Daubers, Sponges, Neutrals Candy Dots, Hemp Twine (retired)
Tools	N/A

Friday Favorites ~ Banner Banter

One of my FAVORITES will soon be retiring! I love this sweet and simple stamp set (Banner Banter) with coordinating Banner Punch.

We made this card during last week's card night (inspired by this card I found on Pinterest). I had two designs they could choose from. You could add the "celebrate" onto the bottom with the banner higher.

Or you could just add the banner to the middle of the card.

Stamp Sets	Banner Banter (retiring), "Celebrate" from a Paper Pumpkin Kit
Ink	Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, Mint Macaron, Basic Black
Paper	Crushed Curry, Mint Macaron, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Basic Black, It's My Party DSP
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots, Melon Mambo Striped Twine, Pearl Accents
Tools	Banner Punch (retiring)

Farewell to Perfect Pennants

Only one week left before so many fun products will be retiring! For my last card night I wanted to showcase as many retiring products as possible so that my customers could see these things in action and scoop them up if they can't live without something!

These two cards show a simple card design, but a different variation of each. I like that my guests can create the kind of card they want to make...choosing the embossed background, patterned paper, and stamps.

**For more farewells, come visit the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog today!

Stamp Sets	Perfect Pennants (retiring)
Ink	Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Watermelon Wonder, Pool Party
Paper	Watermelon Wonder, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, Cherry on Top DSP Stack (retiring)
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, 1" Cucumber Crush Lace Trim (retiring), Rhinestones, White Baker's Twine
Tools	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, embossing folders, Ornate Tag Topper Punch (retiring)

Farewell to Pretty Petals

We're just shy of two weeks away from the new 2016-2017 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog debut! Although this is an exciting time for all of the new stuff to come, it also means you still have time to order some of the retiring products before they are gone, gone, gone!

Today on the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog we are showcasing some of these retiring products, so head on over to take a peek at what some of the other designs are going to miss!

Today I am showcasing the Pretty Petals DSP Stack.

I was inspired by a card that I saw in the Stampin' Success magazine (an exclusive magazine for demonstrators only) and turned it into a card I could use for my monthly card night. It was such a simple, but sweet design that really showcases this paper well!

I was hosting another card night and still wanted to use this layout, but I had run out of the Old Olive cardstock (for the base), so I decided to change the card base and bring in a few more of the different prints from the DSP stack.

And then I ran out of the Silver Baker's Twine and gave another option of using the Watermelon Wonder Lace Trim (also retiring). I had a variety of sentiments available for my guests to use and they got to choose if they wanted to use the twine or lace trim. My two samples also showcased that you could change up the order of the paper to get a different look.

Stamp Sets	various sentiments
Ink	Basic Black
Paper	Very Vanilla, Watermelon Wonder, Old Olive, Pretty Petals DSP Stack
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Fine Tip Glue Pen, Silver Baker's Twine, Watermelon Wonder Lace Trim, Silver Sequins
Tools	N/A

SSINK Blog Hop - May Flowers

It's time for another blog hop with the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration girls! This month's theme is all about May FLOWERS! We are really enjoying Spring here in Oregon. The weather has been exceptionally good with just the right amount of rain and lots of sunshine, which brings out the most beautiful flowers! 

As you hop along, please be sure to comment and show some love on every blog! We are always excited to hear from our followers! You should have just left stop number 4 on the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Blog Hop - Darla at Stampin with Darla If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn't work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below. 

Each of the cards I am sharing with you today have all been inspired by cards I have found that have jumped out at me. I have either CASEd the cards or used it as a springboard for my own design. (I have been lacking a little bit lately in coming up with my own designs, so I have been doing a lot of seeking for inspiration! Hopefully I am not the only one who sometimes can't come up with a design on her own!)

I have also used the Flower Shop stamp set and coordinating Pansy Punch on all of the cards you will see below! But, have no fear ~ these two products will be sticking around for another year! However, they won't be offered as a bundle like they are now, so take advantage of that while you can and save 15%!

This first card I created for a card night last night. It uses the (retiring) English Garden DSP. I kept this card to a few colors ~ Mossy Meadow, Hello Honey & Soft Suede. Both Mossy Meadow and Hello Honey are retiring in-colors (get them before it's too late!), so I wanted to try and use them for one last hurrah! The "Happy Birthday" sentiment is from the hostess stamp set Happy Birthday, Everyone and will also be retiring at the end of May. The flower image is from the Flower Patch stamp set and I used Hello Honey and Soft Suede Markers to color the flower image and stamp onto the background.

 *CASE by Karen at Karen's Stamping Page

Because I ended up not having enough of the DSP for the card above, I also threw in another option and the ladies could pick either the one above or the below mixed color of DSP. Even though the pink on the card wasn't technically a match to the ribbon I used (retired Raspberry Ripple!) I figured it worked perfectly enough this time around. I don't know about you, but sometimes you just need to use up some of your ribbon stash, so both of the ribbons on these first two cards are retired, but worked perfectly with this design and I had just enough needed.

I found this card one day randomly on Facebook and was instantly drawn to its design. I literally created this card exactly as I saw it and only added a different sentiment (from the Rose Wonder stamp set) and simply added a rhinestone in the middle to give it that pop of bling! For the life of me, I can not seem to find the card I was originally inspired by, so I will be sure to update with credit when I find it! **Edited to add: Found the card I cased HERE.

I used a Blackberry Bliss (retiring) card base and inked my images in Hello Honey (retiring), Old Olive, Blackberry Bliss (retiring), and Perfect Plum. The leaves and sun image are from a set called Kinda Eclectic and the small middle flower is from a set called Petite Petals. Both of these sets you will see carried over to the new catalog!

Lastly, we created this card at a team meeting we had a couple of weeks ago. My upline brought all of the supplies to create this card and ironically it uses the same stamp set as the flowers above, so I thought I would share with the rest of these cards! I love the black and white with the pop of color using Mint Macaron and Watermelon Wonder. The washi tape is from the Everyday Chic Designer Washi Tape. It also uses the Kinda Eclectic stamp set (leaves) I used in the above card, as well as a sentiment from the Rose Wonder stamp set.

*CASE by Martha Herrera

Phew! You made it! Thanks for stopping by today and for joining our hop. We're a small group this week, but I hope you will continue on and enjoy more flower inspiration. Next up on the hop is Diana at Stampin Fun with Diana.

Blog Hop Participant List:

1. Diana at Stampin Fun with Diana
2. Darcy at Dj's Stampin Place
3. Kim at Stamping with Kim
4. Darla at Stampin with Darla
5. Heidi at Stuck on Stampin'

Have a Cuppa for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is just a couple of days away and we're celebrating our wonderful mothers at the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog by sharing Mother's Day cards. There's still time to make a card, so I hope that you'll feel inspired by our creations.

My mother-in-law ordered the Have a Cuppa stamp set (from the 2016 Occasions Catalog) a couple of months ago and when it arrived I asked her if I could use it for her next card making night she hosts each month. I thought this would be the perfect card for these ladies! They loved it! The tea cup paired perfectly with the Birthday Bouquet DSP (also from the 2016 Occasions Catalog). Both of these items will not be carrying over into the new catalog come June, so if these products tickle your fancy be sure to order before the end of May!

**My card was inspired by this one I found on Pinterest.

Stamp Sets	Have a Cuppa
Ink	Soft Suede, Watermelon Wonder, Blushing Bride
Paper	Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Pool Party, Watermelon Wonder, Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Pearl Accents, Twine, Paper Doilies
Tools	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Cups & Kettle Framelit Dies, Decorative Dots Embossing Folder

Oh Happy Day ~ Celebrate!

I just love banners! To me, they scream ~ CELEBRATE!

Today's sweet and simple card uses one of our retiring stamp sets called Banner Banter. Not only is this stamp set retiring, but we are also saying goodbye to the coordinating Banner Punch. Sad day! The good news is that there is still time to get these products before the end of May comes and they are gone for good! Buying this as a bundle will save you 15%, but you can also purchase each of these products individually if you want one over the other. In fact, the Banner Punch is on sale for $9.10 (reg. price $13).

I created this card to CELEBRATE a baby dedication at our church. The base of this card is one of our Whisper White note cards (measuring 5" x 3-1/2"). I embossed it using the Softly Falling Embossing Folder (which will be carrying over to the new catalog - yay!). The soft Wild Wasabi twine is retired, but this card would be great with a lot of different kinds of twine. The itty bitty hearts come from the Two-Step Owl Punch, which thankfully is sticking around unlike so many of the other punches!

Stamp Sets	Banner Banter
Ink	Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Wild Wasabi,
Paper	Whisper White, Calypso Coral
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots, Rhinestone Accents
Tools	Banner Punch

For more celebration cards, come visit our Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog.

Check out all of the retiring products here, and be sure to place your order through my online store at heidiboos.stampinup.net before May 31st if you see something you can't live without!

Friday Favorites ~ Apple of my Eye

Today it's Friday Favorites over at the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog! I have sooooo many favorites right now, but I wanted to pick out a favorite that will soon be retiring from the 2016 Occasions Catalog. This set is called Apple of My Eye. It will no longer be available to purchase after May. Time to ink it up a little more before it's gone and I have a whole bookshelf of new stamps that will occupy my stampin' time.

We made this card at a recent card night. I gave the stampers the option to use Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the lemons (I ran out of my Wink of Stella glitter pen, so I went back to the old school method...which definitely adds a lot more glitter!)

Or I gave the option for the stampers to use Crystal Effects to give it a little more of a 3D look to the sliced lemon. The downside of this one is that they had to make sure they set it aside for a very long time to let it dry! 

WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

The original card was one that I CASED from a card I saw here. I added some rhinestones for a little extra bling. I actually used this card design for my March Card Night, which then inspired me to create the above design for another group of stampers.

I added the Wink of Stella glitter pen to give the orange a little shine.  

Stamp Sets	Apple of my Eye, Timeless Texture
Ink	Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Cucumber Crush, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry
Paper	Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Read Red (hearts), Pumpkin Pie
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Rhinestone Accents, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, 2-Way Glue Pen, Crystal Effects, Wink of Stella Clear Glitter
Tools	Paper Snips, 1-3/8" Circle Punch

Pearl Accents

Today over at the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog we are showcasing pearls. I think pearls are the perfect accent to any card. If you see below, I used them in a very subtle way by putting a pearl in the top left corner and two pearls in the bottom right corner. By adding these pearls, it gives the card an even more delicate touch, which was especially perfect for this beautiful flowering image and subtle colors.

I added some Clear Wink of Stella Glitter to various parts of the flower to help make it shine.

Stamp Sets	Birthday Blooms, Rose Wonder (sentiment)
Ink	Memento Black (Blender Pens - Pink Pirouette, Wild Wasabi - retired)
Paper	Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Mint Macaron, Birthday Bouquet DSP
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Pearl Accents, Wink of Stella Clear Glitter, Subtles Candy Dots (Blushing Bride), Blushing Bride 1/4" Cotton Ribbon
Tools	N/A

Birthday Candles CASE

I LOVE this card we made at my February Birthday Bash Card Making Night. I will openly admit that everything about this card was CASED by Mary Brown at Stamper Camper's Corner. I fell completely in love with it when I first laid eyes on it, so I figure it would be perfect for card night and I didn't have to do all the thinking of coming up with a design! Win-win!

It's a fun fancy fold and she has all of the measurements and directions on her blog if you're interested in finding out.

Come visit the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog for more birthday cards as we help join in the #imbringingbirthdaysback movement!

SSINK Baby Shower Blog Hop

Today we're throwing a baby shower! One of our very own Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration design team members just had her sweet baby boy on April 10th, which just happens to be perfect timing for our SURPRISE SHOWER for this month's blog hop! Congratulations Kim Ryden on the birth of your sweet baby boy Micah Hunter. We are so happy for you!! Enjoy "opening" each of your gifts as you hop along! :)

As you hop along, please be sure to comment and show some love on every blog! We are always excited to hear from our followers! You should have just left stop number 6 on the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Blog Hop - Jennifer at Happy 2 Scrap 4 Life. If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn't work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below.

My gift for Kim and baby Micah is something that all new mamas want ~ a gift card to Target to buy whatever she needs! :) Kim, enjoy buying some cute new baby boy clothes, diapers (if you must!), or all of those fun new style baby accessories you swoon over! Of course a gift card requires a cute gift card holder. 

M for Micah!

Pull on the ribbon and you will pull out the gift card holder.

We love you, Kim! 

Be looking in your mailbox soon for lots of goodies to come. ;)

Next up on the hop is Donna at Geek Squad Crafting. Keep hopping along with us to join in the fun of our virtual baby shower.






Participant List:

1. Diana at Stampin' Fun with Diana
2. Bree at Craft-Somnia Momma
3. Jenny at Jenny G Paper Crafts
4. Kathy at Kathy's Stamping World
5. Melissa at The Stamp Doc
6. Jenn at Happy 2 Scrap 4 Life
7. Heidi at Stuck on Stampin'
8. Donna at Geek Squad Crafting

Botanical Blooms Bundle

Today at the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog we are sharing some of the great bundles available for purchase from the 2016 Occasions Catalog. Any bundle you purchase always saves you 15%!

The bundle I have really enjoyed playing with is the Botanical Blooms Bundle. With this bundle you get the Botanical Blooms Photopolymer Stamp Set, Botanical Builder Framelits, and Botanical Gardens Designer Series Paper. Purchasing them all together saves you 15% off the price if you were to buy them individually! The products coordinate so well together...why wouldn't you want them all?! ;)

The first card I am sharing with you today may look familiar to some of you as this was one of the make n takes we created at November's On Stage Local (top right).

I changed the dimensions, but kept the design concept the same and simply attached it to a Hello Honey card base. I added a sentiment and a candy dot for the center of the yellow flower. To get that "perfect" top and bottom image on the white, I used my faithful Stamp-A-Ma-Jig. Without it, there is no way I would be able to get it that straight as the stamp itself isn't as long as the paper. Have you tried this awesome tool yet? This particular DSP is unique as it is meant for you to stamp directly onto the Botanical Garden Designer Series Paper using the coordinating stamp set. How fun!

Stamp Sets	Botanical Blooms, Suite Sayings (sentiment)
Ink	Hello Honey, Cajun Craze, Mossy Meadow
Paper	Whisper White, Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow, Botanical Gardens DSP
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Old Olive Candy Dots,
Tools	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Botanical Builder Framelits, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

My second card is a CASE from Angela Lorenz. We made this card at February's card night. I am just getting around to posting! I thought this would be fitting to share another example of how to use the three coordinating products. The vine on the right of the card...isn't that beautiful?! I used the same concept of stamping onto the DSP. The center of the yellow flower is sponged with Cajun Craze so there is some ink peeking through behind the center of the floor. I finished it off with a Cajun Craze candy dot.

Stamp Sets	Botanical Blooms, Suite Sayings (sentiment)
Ink	Cajun Craze, Mossy Meadow
Paper	Whisper White, Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow, Botanical Gardens DSP
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Cajun Craze Candy Dots, Sponge Daubers
Tools	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Botanical Builder Framelits

Check out the other project I created using this bundle!

Shimmery Birthday Balloon

Good morning! I have a fun card for you today that shows off a little shimmer! The first picture of this card may be a little hard to tell, but the polka dots on the balloon have a little shine and shimmer to them (take a peek at the second picture posted for a better look).

I created this card for February's card night (the theme was birthdays!). I used the Perfect Pairings Sale-A-Bration stamp set (only available through TODAY!!) and the Celebrate Today stamp set and coordinating Balloon Framelits. I love the boldness of the Happy Birthday sentiment (you can see the Sale-A-Bration freebies HERE).

Here is an up close of the shimmer on the balloons. To get this effect I used Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder. It gives it that subtle shine to add a fun touch to a card.

Stamp Sets	Celebrate Today, Perfect Pairings (2016 SAB)
Ink	Watermelon Wonder, Mint Macaron, Basic Black, Pool Party, Versamark
Paper	Whisper White, Watermelon Wonder, Birthday Bouquet DSP
Accessories	SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots, Pool Party Twine, Iridescent Embossing Powder
Tools	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Balloon Framelits, Heat Tool

Head on over to the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog to see some other cards with shimmer and shine.

And, don't forget it's the last day of Sale-A-Bration, so if you need to place one more order to get one more freebie, head over to my website at heidiboos.stampinup.net and click on SHOP NOW!

Paper Pumpkin Fun!

Are you a Paper Pumpkin subscriber yet? If not...you should be!! I have really been loving my Paper Pumpkin kits lately. Each month it's a surprise, but it's always something fun! I took March's kit to the beach with me this last weekend over Spring Break. These Paper Pumpkin kits are so great for when you want a little bit of creativity because all you have to do is grab the box and go...it comes with everything! (Your first kit comes with a block, but after that ~ you're all set!)

Normally the Paper Pumpkin box is orangish-red, but to celebrate THREE YEARS they created a special box for March! I love this Bermuda Bay color and wish they would change it to this color from here on out. :)

Before I show you just how cute the March kit is, I have to tell you about the special incentive for April's Paper Pumpkin. If you are a current subscriber or subscribe before April 10th, in celebration of Paper Pumpkin's 3rd birthday, Stampin' Up! will send each subscriber an additional stamp set in your kit!! What are you waiting for?! Head ----------------> HERE to sign up! Or better yet save $5 and purchase a 3 month subscription ($55, regularly $60)...and earn a FREE Sale-A-Bration product, too! I'll be placing an order on Thursday, March 31st at 10:00 AM if you want me to add the subscription to my order. You'll be emailed a code and then you will use that to sign up for your kit!

Here are all of the goodies that came in the March kit. Have I mentioned how much I love Bermuda Bay?! (Not pictured is the Bermuda Bay Stampin' Spot. Each kit comes with the ink that you need to create the project!)

While we were at the Oregon Coast for Spring Break it rained (surprise, surprise) so we had a little bit of down time INSIDE...time to pull out the Paper Pumpkin kit! This is a fun activity that my daughter and I like to do together.

Each kit comes with a stamp set you can use for so many other projects, as well. It also comes with an instruction booklet with easy step-by-step instructions.

One thing I love about Paper Pumpkin is that a lot of times it will have special embellishments you can't get anywhere else in the catalogs. Like these pre-colored Mint Macaron pearls!

 

Often times subscribers will think outside the box and create many different things using the kit contents (check out Stampin' Up's Paper Pumpkin Pinterest board), but I pretty much stick to how it was intended. I like to think "inside the box" every now and then and not have to come up with my own creations like I do with most of my other cards. That's the great thing about Paper Pumpkin. You can get as creative with it as you want to or just follow the instructions.

The March kit included 4 full-size cards and a special envelope (pre-scored), which includes a pocket to slip in a gift card. SO CUTE!!

Wrap it all up in the envelope and then it comes with self-adhesive stickers to close up the envelope with the cutest little touch! I stamped the heart in the middle of the circle (which comes in the stamp set!)

This kit also included 4 gift card pockets and coordinating smaller cards that you can slip in the pocket with the gift card.

Wrap it all up nice and cute and it's ready to give to someone special!

Fun times stamping with my girl!

 

**Check out a few more samples using Paper Pumpkin kits from a couple of our SSINK designers.