January 26, 2017

Simple to Stepped-Up: Fancy Friday Blog Hop

Hello friends!  Welcome back for another Fancy Friday blog hop!  If you're starting here with me, thanks for stopping in and be sure to pay everyone a visit to see their fabulous projects.  If you're working your way through the hop, welcome to Canada!

Our theme this month is "Just Because."  Just because... well, anything!  Just because you wanted to create, because you had supplies to use up, or - in my case - because you needed a pile of thank you cards STAT as you're already behind on sending out notes from the holidays!

I made a stack of super-simple thank you cards a few nights ago, like this one - and let me tell you, there's nothing better than being able to crank out a batch of cards in under 10 minutes.



The adorable "Double Take" stamp set has some amazing sentiments in amazing fonts, and each is designed to layer in two colours for a little bit of oomph.  Isn't that cool?  So easy, too.  I used Bermuda Bay and Pool Party for these.

And after that stack of cards was done, I thought to myself that these would be perfect to "step up" for any level of crafter!  A newbie with very limited supplies could make the card above, but with a little extra time and effort, we can make this card into something special.


Have two extra minutes?  Why not add a base layer, cut the sentiment into a banner, and add a pop of colour with some DSP?

But if you're making one card and you want it to be extra special...


That's an easy fix, too!  A little splatter from Gorgeous Grunge, some silver twine, and some extra embellishments and layers make this card something really special.  That's the beauty of handmade - it can be as simple or stepped up as you want it to be!


Let's hop on over to Jennifer Frost and see what she has for us today.  I can't wait!  


Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers,
Shannon


January 25, 2017

Welcome Boots

Hello, my friends!  I'm just about to crawl into bed on Tuesday night and figured I'd get a post scheduled for the morning.  I know my appearances here have been sparse as I work my way through this pile of deadlines!  


Today's card comes courtesy of Country Livin', a sweet and small stamp set that can be easily missed.  While I originally bought this set for the guitar, it turns out that's the only stamp I haven't used yet!  Funny how that works, isn't it? 

Hope you're having a super day. 

Cheers,
Shannon

January 22, 2017

Beetles & Bugs - Product Feature!

This post originally appeared on the Stampin' Up! Corporate Blog on January 19, 2017.

Hello friends!  As I was browsing through the fabulous 2017 Occasions Catalogue, one of the stamp sets that called out to me was the Beetles & Bugs.  These fabulous images were bold and graphic, and they’d be great to throw in a TON of colour - my favourite!  

Having a five-year-old son, bugs (and mud, and trucks...) are a big part of my life.  James always goes through the new Stampin’ Up! catalogues with me and is excited to be involved in the ordering process... especially opening my orders when they arrive!  This set was one of his favourites too.  My little boy is my right-hand man, and he was so happy to join me to help with me with blog post.  

I used him as my inspiration for my first few projects; we have recently been changing his room to be a little bit more of a “big guy” bedroom.  He’s been adding posters, and we added a little reading nook for him.  I recently took out the shadow box I made when he was born (sob!) and I thought a handmade bug diorama would be a great addition to his grown-up decor.  


Combined with the Hardwood background stamp, making this display of (faux!) mounted bugs was so easy!  Stamping the beetles was a blast; each piece lined up so perfectly and it was so quick and easy to do.  The Simply Scored Scoring Tool makes mitered corners on the frame a snap, and I also used it to add a stand to the back of this framed piece so it will stand on its own.  It’s a great addition to his bookcase.  



Lunchbox notes are such a fun and easy way to add a bit of cheer to your child’s day.  The ants in Beetles & Bugs just screamed “picnic” to me, and I wanted to make a little lunch-inspired tag with them!  Paired with the Brights Designer Series Paper Stack and some food from Tasty Trucks (free during Sale-A-Bration!), these tags would be great for lunches, or you could repurpose the design for invitations to a picnic, take-home favours from a party, or a bug-themed birthday.  So easy!  

Speaking of birthdays - we’re going to need a card, aren’t we?  This bright collage of beetles makes a great card for someone of any age.


While this stamp set immediately appealed to me because of my little dude, I know lots of girls who love bugs too.  My friend (and one of my favourite in-laws!) Carolyn will be on the receiving end of this card... what’s more perfect for an entomologist?!  


The beauty of an all-images stamp set is that it pairs beautifully with virtually any sentiment.  I wanted something big and bold, so I used Badges & Banners and Scenic Sayings for these cards, with little touches of sentiments from Thoughtful Banners.  Perfect! 

While I was whipping up all of these fun projects, there was a recurring theme - my son kept sneaking into my office, crawling up into my lap, and asking if he could make some bugs too.  Because I was working on a deadline, I kept having to say no - a shame, since we love to stamp together!  That night, after I was finished and as I was lying in bed, I had a great idea - why not have James collaborate on a scrapbook page with me?!  


Using a 12x12 Cardstock in Whisper White, I stamped a bevy of bugs in Archival Ink in Basic Black and then let him go wild with my Stampin’ Write Markers.  I took a picture of him working on this page, and then used that for my layout.


Using the Good Vibes Project Life Kit, I was easy to slot in a few pre-cut cards to create this fun layout.  I love the combination of his art with my journalling and photo - and involving kids in the process is such a fun way to preserve family memories. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today; I really hope this post helps get the gears turning with this fabulous stamp set!  


Cheers, 
Shannon