Goodbye, Butterflies, Blooms & Bliss!!!

I was sooooo sad to see this line of products retire.  It's a stamp set called Papillion Potpourri and it has several different images of butterflies and two coordinating punches: the Elegant Butterfly and the Bitty Butterfly.  It really does make a versatile suite.  I have used it on all kinds of cards and scrapbook pages, too, because they can be somber or sweet, playful or pretty, depending on the type of project you are making.  The stamp set will be made until the last part of May but the punches are only while supplies last - so if these projects excite you, you'll want to grab these items before they are gone!  Also retiring is the patterned paper used on all three cards.  It is called Blooms & Bliss and contains the most wonderful color combination: Blushing Bride, Island Indigo, Mint Macaron (also retiring), Rich Razzleberry, Sahara Sand, Sweet Sugarplum and Whisper White.

To see other projects I have made using Papillion Potpourri and/or these punches, CLICK HERE!

DOstamper STARS Challenge: Product Spotlight DSC #186

This weeks challenge was to use the 2016-2018 In Colors.  Rather than trying to use them all at once, I zoned in on the Sweet Sugarplum, which is prominently featured in the new Playful Palette Designer Series paper.  I'm pleased with the results.  You'll have to keep your eyes peeled in the coming weeks to see other In Colors in my work.

Be sure to check out more "Product Spotlight" inspiration from the DOstamperSTARS Team (click on their names below):   

• Michelle Harrington- you are here 
• Angela O'Neill 
• Sharon Bennett
• Jan Carlson
• Miriam Bollinger
• Cathy Peck
• Judy Strickling
• Robyn Rasset 
• Joan Weidling 
• Dawn Olchefske 
• Connie Plaumann
• Dawn Thomas

DSC #178 - DO STARS Challenge- Butterflies & Pretty Petals

I’m not gonna lie – this challenge was exactly that. A challenge! When I first saw the sketch, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get it come out on paper like I had imagined it.  Have you ever had that happen?  Anyway, I finally gave myself permission to just play and throw away what didn’t work.  And you know what?  That’s okay…sometimes you need to lighten up and give yourself permission to experiment.  After a few iterations that ended up in the trash, I came up with this version and I’m really happy! 

An interesting aspect of my design is that I created it without a single stamp!  I also really love the bold colors against the black, don’t you? 

So, here’s the skinny – I used patterned paper from the Pretty Petals DSP Stack.  After trimming the DSP into rectangles, I matted them with black.  I originally tried to make both the green layer and butterfly patterned layer the same size, but I felt like the green layer didn’t show much, so I ended up making that layer ½” bigger in each direction than the butterfly layer.  I embellished the card with some retired ribbon from my stash, and a little layered circle embellishment I created using my 1-3/4” Scallop Circle punch, my 1-1/2” CirclePunch, and my Elegant Butterfly Punch.  I gave popped it up with some Dimensionals and gave it some Pearl Basic Jewels as a finishing touch.  I decided to decorate the inside, but left it free of sentiments so that I can either hand-write my own note, or add an appropriate sentiment when I want to use it…I think this is versatile enough for many occasions, so I wanted to keep my options open…it’s always nice to have a few cards laying around that can be sent quickly as the need arises.

***ALERT: The 1-3/4" scallop circle punch IS retiring so grab it while you can!

Here's the sketch that inspired my card:

Now, grab a favorite beverage and snack and click the following links to see what my friends did with this same sketch:

• Judy Strickling
• Sharon Bennett 
• Dawn Thomas 
• Cathy Peck
• Joan Weidling
• Angela O'Neill
• Dawn Olchefske
• Michelle Harrington 
• Robyn Rasset
• Debbie Sollinger 
• Miriam Bollinger  
• Jan Carlson
• Connie Plaumann    

Butterfly Basics

I'm so excited!  I just made my first sale on my Etsy shop.  As a thank you to this customer, I made a card to include along with the item she ordered.  I used Whisper White, Crushed Curry, and Always Artichoke for my color palette.  I chose to add a bit of bling to the butterfly using adhesive rhinestones, and added some extra interest by heat embossing the image in black, using the border & background stamps from the Butterfly Basics stamp set, and using a tool to spritz some ink to create a grungy look.

I got my inspiration from a card I saw on Mary Fish's website.  I changed a few things but I still think both are lovely.  I hope my new customer enjoys it...I left it blank & included a blank envelope so that she could send it to someone else.

To buy the supplies to make this card, please click on the product images below.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

DOStamper Stars Sketch Challenge DSC#070

Awhile back, I saw this challenge posted at my upline's website.  I finally took some time to sit down and create a card from it.  I'm happy with how it turned out.  It seems like I'm constantly looking for "thank you" and all-purpose cards, so I was happy to create one to add to my stash.  I used the Fresh Prints DSP (#132996) stack that is in the spring catalog.  This paper is delicious!  I loved it so much I ordered a second stack so that I don't run out any time soon.  It works beautifully for many occasions, and features Real Red, Coastal Cabana, and Crumb Cake.

Go for the Gold Challenge

So, I’m a little late in posting this, but life has been busy, and that can be a good thing.  Anyway, back when the winter Olympics were taking place, my upline challenged our group of demonstrators to use GOLD on a card.  She called it the “Go for the Gold Challenge.”  Now, if you know me, I’m not a gold person at all.  I own exactly one piece of jewelry that has any gold on it, and the presence of gold in my stamping is just as sparse.  So, I had to resort to the only gold I had, which was glitter (that, incidentally, I own only because it came with the silver glitter I wanted). 

In spite of my lack of interest in the color, I did end up very pleased with the card I created for that challenge.  Banner, butterflies, and lacy things seem to be a trend right now and this card is no exception.  I love how the very vanilla and brown look with the gold accent.  The assembly of most of this card is fairly intuitive.  The part you might be curious about it the gold glitter.  I punched a circle out of our Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets (#120805), peeled off one side of the backing, mounted it on very vanilla cardstock, lined up the punch exactly over the adhesive & punched it again.  This will give you a circle that has cardstock on one side, adhesive in the middle, and backing on the other side.  I then peeled off the backing & sprinkled glitter over it.  When I do this step, I use my finger to press on the glitter and get it good and stuck to the adhesive.  Then I dumped off the excess glitter, and mounted it to the card by applying adhesive to the cardstock (back) side of the circle. This technique will work for any powder or glitters & can be used with any shape punch or die.  The sky is the limit!  

Other current product used on this card include the Delicate Doilies Sizzlits (#126999), 2-3/8"scallop circle punch (#11874), 1-1/4" inch circle punch (#119861), 1-3/4" circle punch (#119850), and the Elegant Butterfly Punch (#127526).

Papillion Potpourri Birthday

Here's a birthday card I created awhile back and never got around to posting.  I try to be humble, but I've got to admit that this is one of my favorites.  I just love all the textures, patterns and layers...don't you?  This was a fun card to make, and I'm curious to see what it would look like in different color combinations, so if you decide to try it, post a link to your creation so that I can see!

Supplies used:
Paper: Cardstock (Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Basic Black, Whisper White) and Sycamore Street DSP (polka dots, retired)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Stamps: Papillion Potpourri (butterfly) and a retired sentiment
Other: rhinestones, Elegant Butterfly punch (coordinates perfectly with the Papillion Potpourri butterfly stamp), Little Leaves Sizzlet, 1-3/4" scallop circle punch, Delicate Doilies Sizzlet, Houndstooth Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Scallop Edge Border Punch
Tip:  I used the scallop edge border punch to layer black on black.  It adds a little depth and interest without being too distracting.  It's hard to see in the photo but it's along the bottom edge.  Also, I used Stampin' Dimensionals adhesive to get some depth to my layers.