Beautiful Peacock

Hi Stampers!
I hope your week is off to a great start!  It's always interesting to see what new activities and adventures will command my attention. It's a combination of a little work, a little parent care, a little child care, a little house care, a little pet care, a little spiritual care and as much crafting as I can fit in - haha!

Today I'm going to show you something I didn't really like when I first saw it. I ended up ordering this set and then warmed up to it a bit. If you are fascinated with peacocks and their gorgeous feathers, you will be drawn to this set!  It's called "Beautiful Peacock" and is from the Sale-A-Bration brochure, available for free, with any $50 purchase. Here are a couple of ideas that I had to try and capture the beauty of the feathers.

The top card is a stamped peacock in black Archival ink with a stamped sun ray from the "Wherever You Go" stamp set for the feathers. I added some sequins to try to jazz it up a bit and then was inspired to use some Eastern Palace Designer Series Paper with a design that mimics the feathers on a real peacock.  I was happy with the final product, but it was a round-a-bout way to get there!

The next idea I had was to try Brusho to create the feathers. I used the blue, green and yellow Brusho color crystals and sprinkled them on water color paper (I heat embossed the peacock on the paper first with white embossing powder) and then used an Aqua Painter to activate the crystals and spread the color. This technique gave the "sense" of peacock feathers without actually looking like feathers. I paired the watercolor paper with more Crushed Curry and Island Indigo paper and embellishments to bring out those colors. It was a fun experiment and more practice with Brusho!

I hope you aren't afraid to try new things. If something you try is a complete disaster, there is always the trash can ;) . In the meantime, you never know what you happy accident you may create on the way to growing your skills and testing out your ideas.

I hope you have some creative outlet in your life! Let me know if you'd like to give rubber stamping a try. It's an amazing hobby and oh, so fun!

Have a great Tuesday!
Sarah

Hanging Garden

Happy Friday Stampin' Friends!
Another week is almost in the books!  We are hanging in there (pun intended) with winter and more snow and more cold. It's what we do in Montana and while there's a few that complain, the alternative is moving away and very few seem eager to do that!  One thing I love about winter is it brings out my nesting instinct. I love to be a homebody and rotate among my hobbies and interests. I just finished a great book that gave me much to think about, especially what it would be like to be blind. The book was "All the Light We Cannot See" and I highly recommend it. We rely so much on our vision, literally and figuratively, yet one of the main characters of this book was blind and she still lived an extraordinary life. Food for thought.....

Today I want to feature a stamp set that did not make my wish list the first time around. I get a little tired of "foliage" themed stamps including flowers, leaves, more flowers and more leaves and a few branches.  I already have quite a few sets in my stash and really have to talk myself into buying more. I was able to obtain this one for free with some hostess dollars (you start earning hostess dollars for free product at the $150 level of order and it increases from there).  Yesterday, I finally had some time to work with it a little and see what ideas came forth.  The set is called "Hanging Garden" and it has some great hanging baskets as well as wonderful sentiments in an interesting font.  Oddly enough, the first card I made used no color!

I'm not sure what gave me my inspiration other than the new floral embossing folder was laying on my work table close by as well as some Very Vanilla card stock and things sorta took off from there. I stamped the basket with Black Momento ink, thinking I would color it with my Blends markers, but then I decided I liked the look of going with just black. Anyway, I love how it turned out!

Here's the next one I made:

For this one, I decided to not color the hanging plants again, but try to feature them all. I chose Tranquil Tide as my main color and added Fresh Fig as a contrast. I love this card and how appropriate for so many situations!  How often do we tell ourselves to "hang in there" or encourage others to do so.

For my third attempt, I decided to color the basket!

This was easier than I thought and I used the writing tip (not the brush tip) of the markers. I colored the basket first, then worked my card color scheme around the colors I had chosen. The birthday sentiment and the green leaves come from the "Happy Birthday Gorgeous" stamp set in the annual catalog.  I was really happy with how much they added to my design.

Lastly, I went back to a more monochromatic feel with Powder Pink:

This is a great way to incorporate 2 sentiments on the front of a card, which isn't always easy! The "Thank You Kindly" sentiment could have also been stamped on the inside of the card, but I like how this ended up. They are a little hard to see, but I added some of our smallest pearl embellishments in the hanging plant for a little bling.

I hope my ideas have shown how you can take one stamp set and make it look very different with color schemes, design and coordinating choices for embellishments and paper. I love to include our Designer Series Paper in almost everything I make as I think it is gorgeous!

Please contact me if you would like any further information about this set or any other Stampin'Up! products. There is a whole world of creativity at your fingertips in our catalogs and online store. All the links are on the right side of this blog.

I've updated my February calendar with lots of new events so check out the SU website link. Classes are a good way to grow your skills if you've been doing paper crafting for awhile or test the waters if you're a newbie!  This is an easy hobby to start, even easier to get hooked into!

Happy weekend and Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

Valentine Love

Hi Stampers!
We are coming up on one of the biggest holidays for card giving, Valentine's Day!  Whether you are thinking of grandchildren, kids, friends or your one true love, it's a great time to let someone know you love them. We have advanced way beyond the construction paper and marker production of home made valentines but that's where it started and gave us our first taste of paper crafting!

While the craft has certainly gotten more sophisticated, it can still boil down to paper and ink and stamps!  I have some cards today using the "Sure Do Love You" stamp set and "Lots to Love" Framelits. They are bundled in the new 2018 Occasions Catalog and together with the bright and exciting "Painted with Love" Specialty Designer Series paper, you can make some spectacular Valentines for all your loves!

Here are just some of my ideas!

As you can see, all of these ideas have some element of the "Painted with Love" DSP. The color scheme is bold and bright with Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo and Calypso Coral, with just a hint of Powder Pink and splash of gold foil. The challenge was to use this very bright color scheme and try to create different moods, i.e. more toned down or more amped up! Extra elements were created by using ribbon, punches, gold foil paper and some fun gold vinyl stickers. I hope you can see that even when you limit yourself to a stamp set and some paper and a color scheme, you can still come up with lots of ideas and take your design in many directions.

All of the products are listed below and a simple "click" on any one of them will take you to the online store where you can shop away!  I'm always available to answer any questions or help with an order. It's the perfect time to invest in some supplies as it's Sale-A-Bration time!  From now until March 31st, you get to choose a free product from the SAB brochure for every $50 you spend - win! Win!

Thanks for stopping by!  All Stampin'Up! products can only be purchased through a SU demonstrator, in person or online. If you live in the United States and are interested in our products or would like more information about becoming a demonstrator and taking advantage of the fabulous discounts we get, contact me for more information. My team, Big Sky Stampers, and I would love to have you join us!

Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

P.S.  I've just put out my February calendar for classes and events!  Check it out on the SU website link on the right. Then scroll down until you see the calendar and click the forward arrow from January to February!  Thanks!

Coloring Petal Palette Designer Series Paper

Hi there Stampin' Friends!
I have been intrigued by the new Petal Palette Designer Series Paper for a couple of reasons. First, any black and white combo is always easy to incorporate into a design. It can be the main thing or the background thing that points to a wow component. I also am intrigued by the easy and numerous ways there are to color this paper!  Let's start here:

As you can see, I took a plain piece of the Petal Palette DSP and used our new alcohol markers, the Blends, to color:

The difference before and after coloring is pretty dramatic, don't you think!  I then turned this colored piece into the card above.

What about foam brayers? Here are some pictures of my use of them...

This proved to be the quickest way to color the paper!

Next I tried Watercolor pencils and the blender pen.

I then wanted to try the Aqua Painter, remembering to not use tooooo much water as this paper is not watercolor paper!

Lastly, I wanted to try a background stamp and I picked my current favorite, the Marbled one.

All of these were fun experiments, didn't use up much paper and gave me some idea of what different things I could do with the paper. Altering paper with stamps and ink is what we are all about, right?!

If you want a pack of this fabulous paper or any of the tools I talked about, see the supply list below. Click on any of them and it will take you right to the online store!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out ways to get ink on paper!  There are probably more so I will keep thinking about it!

Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

Bottles and Bubbles

Hi there Stampers!
Today I have a really creative bundle to feature from the Stampin'Up! 2018 Occasions Catalog. It's all about bottles and bubbles!  I had a couple of motivations to purchase this set. First, personally, I love pop and drink Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi waaaaay to much!  I have a couple of friends that are similarly addicted and it will be fun to make cards around this theme. Second, brew pubs are all the rage in Montana. We have more than a dozen right in Bozeman. Occasionally we check them out and sample the latest fare. Some like the new brews, but I go for the appetizers and you guessed it, the pop, if they have it!  Either way, I knew I would get alot of fun and use out of this set. To make the bundle even sweeter, there is a coordinating Designer Series Paper Pack in the Sale-A-Bration brochure that is free with every $50 purchase!  Can't beat that!  Here are some of my ideas so far:

As you can see, the color scheme stayed true to the Designer Series Paper for the most part. I added some fun silver foil elements for bottle caps, a wood crate for the bottles and some retired bottle caps as embellishments.  There are some handy sentiments too, so this set can be used for a Thank You, birthday, or just because.    Here's a closer look at the bundle:



I especially think the straws are wonderful! The card sample in the picture above would be a fun anniversary idea, right?

The thing I like most about making and sending cards is the joy it spreads. This particular set seems very happy and joyful, shall we say, bubbly?

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a peek at my latest ideas and creations.  My inspiration comes from the world around me and that includes all the friends I've met rubber stamping. What a great way to spend some time! Please contact me if you want to know more or are ready to dive in to this fun world of stamping!

Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

Cross of Hope

Happy Monday Stampers!
I used to dread Mondays as it meant back to work. Now I love them because it's another week of creativity!  It isn't always so black and white as life does throw us some curve balls, doesn't it. There's still work and chores and responsibilities that take up a lot of my time but there is the oasis of crafting which for me takes the form of rubber stamping, knitting and quilting.   Rubber stamping has been my main "go-to" in the craft world for a few years now and it just gets better and better.

I wanted to feature a great bundle today called "Cross of Hope". It's in the 2018 Occasions catalog and offers some lovely crosses, sentiments and foliage.  I can envision using this set for general occasions, but also wedding, baby, sympathy and encouragement cards or projects. For people of faith, we are encouraged to share the hope that is within us and this is a great way to do it. Here are some ideas I came up with:

 I wanted to experiment a little with the framelits so I cut different cross pieces in different papers to see what I liked. I love all the crosses I made, especially the top two. I was surprised to discover that the intricate lattice cross cut  better out of the gold foil paper than the card stock. It still took a few passes through the Big Shot to get a consistent cut, but that is due to differences from Big Shot to Big Shot and not the framelit itself. I always look at the underside of my framelit piece before I take the framelit off and if it doesn't look like it cut over the whole area of the framelit, I rotate the piece 90 degrees and cut again.  All of these cards also feature some beautiful Designer Series Paper which I am always drawn to. On the top card, I used some retired seam tape ribbon to create a fluttering ribbon effect. I used glue dots at the bends in the ribbon and kept the rest of it unattached to enhance the fluttering effect.

I hope I've inspired you with some of my ideas for this bundle!  You can purchase it in the online store as well as all of our other fabulous products. There is so much to love!!  If you live in the United States, I would love to be your Stampin'Up! demonstrator. Just go to the "shop now" link on the right, set up a profile and start loading your shopping cart!  Your order will be delivered directly to you in no time flat!  I'm also happy to answer any questions about my work, Stampin'Up! products or Stampin'Up! itself.

And now, have a great Monday!
Sarah

Climbing Orchids

Happy Tuesday Stampers!

I've had a crazy morning already and it isn't even lunch time yet!  I had a regularly monthly class held at a customer's house and we had a delightful time of stamping and card creating, WHILE I was also fielding texts and Facebook messages from my downline WHILE I was trying to register for a Stampin'Up! event in Las Vegas in April.  I think my blood pressure is thru the roof but everything got dealt with and I can calm down now.  As far as I know, my children, dog and husband are ok and the house didn't burn down. Other than that, it's been a morning.... !!!!

So, let's talk orchids!  I know almost nothing about plants and flowers other than the general information most people can recite. I'm not a gardener and don't even have aspirations of starting that past time/hobby.  I wasn't so sure about the Climbing Orchid bundle in the catalog because most orchids are too strong of a scent for me and I'm not really fond of the big huge ones you see in floral bouquets and weddings.  Anyway, I decided to try it out and see what I could do with it. The first card is a simple, non-layered look with some Brusho crystals watercolored on the background with an Aqua Painter. I did use Shimmery White card stock which was fun and held up to the water from the Aqua Painter quite nicely.

This second one is a completely different take. I layered the orchids after stamping with White Craft ink on Night of Navy Card stock. Once it was completely dry, I used some Wink of Stella on the orchid petals as well.  I love the color combination of Night of Navy and Lemon Lime Twist!

My last card was the most involved. I used multiple layers for the flowers, stamping in Perfect Plum ink on Whisper White card stock. I used a dauber and some Daffodil Delight ink to add some yellow to the petals.  The background is the fabulous brick mask and our wonderful Embossing Paste.  In case you are wondering, I used the branch framelit from the "Colorful Seasons" bundle for my stem.

This was more fun than I thought it would be and I will do some more climbing orchid cards soon. I'm thinking they would make lovely wedding cards!

My supplies are listed below and a click on any of them will take you to the online store!

My team has been rapidly expanding lately!  Please contact me if you would like to jump in and become part of Big Sky Stampers today!  We have a great time and you will feel like you found your "tribe"!

Have a great day!
Sarah

Hedgehugs and Hedgehogs!

Happy Monday Stampin' friends!

I decided to start my week off with "cute"!  I woke up from a sad/weird dream that has me discombobulated this morning so I need to turn this around and quit thinking about it. I decided something cute and whimsical might do the trick, thus, HEDGEHOGS!  We have a new hedgehog stamp set (even features a skunk too) in our new 2018 Occasions Catalog and I had to have it. You see, I'm kinda sorta related to one. My son has had a hedgehog for almost 2 years now so he's part of the family!

Anyway, here are a couple of creations featuring the cute little things...

The top card used some fussy cutting to cut out the hedgehogs and the bottom card was just stamped.  I wanted to incorporate some colorful Designer Series Paper in my creations so brighten up the day and amp up the interest.  Critter-themed designs are super versatile because you could make a kid's birthday card, a Valentine, a baby card, etc. I like to collect all the animal stamps that come along with Stampin' Up! each year so sooner or later, I'll have a whole zoo!

Here's a peek at the stamp set itself so you can see it better:



I'm sure you could come up with some more fun designs of your own!  My supplies are listed below and one click on any item will take you right to the online store where you can fill up a shopping cart and have an order shipped straight to your house!  That is so convenient when we spend enough time out and about trying to get supplies!

I hope you are off to a great new week!  It's Sale-A-Bration time, don't forget!  You can choose a free product with every $50 purchase! Contact me for more details or check out the online store as well!

Oh, and just for fun, here's a pic of our favorite hedgehog and son!



Happy Stampin'!
Sarah

A Weekend of Waterfronts

Hi Stampers!

I am finding myself in the middle of a quiet weekend with not much that I have to do so guess where I am? Yep, down in my stampin' room with a whole lot of fun ideas and some time to relax and create. Those days or weekend don't come often and I love when they do. No distractions or deadlines this morning, just ink and rubber and paper!

I wanted to play with the "Waterfront" stamp some more as I think it is really fascinating to use the different stamp shapes to create a scene. I featured this stamp a few weeks ago but here are some new ideas. I won't take the time to list my supplies because the main feature and point of this blog is to convince you that you need this stamp set because you will love it!  Here ya go!

In case you are wondering about the background of the first card, that is the Burlap background stamp in very light Sahara Sand ink. I love, love, love the texture it created. I did that first, then did the rest of my stamping.

On this card, I needed a little help with an aqua painter for the grass. The rest of the mountains and river are stamped with stamps from the Waterfront set.

I decided I needed to try a beach scene, although I have basically no experience with beaches. We keep vacationing to mountains and will need to switch that up one of these days!

These last two I have put on my blog before, but here they are again to demonstrate some more ideas!

So, are you convinced?  The Waterfront stamp set is amazing!  You can order it online or contact me and I'll get one for you. It's in the new 2018 Occasions catalog!

Hope you are having a fabulous weekend!

Sarah

Playing with Pretty Palette

Hi Stampin' Friends!
Winter is back today in Montana! It's always so pretty when we get new snow but there is a downside with the shoveling and upkeep.  While I'm not complaining, it is causing me to rethink my to-do list and schedule for today. Maybe I'll just do what I absolutely have to and let some other things go while I stay close to the fireplace and stay warm and dry.

I'm continuing to explore and play with some new products from the 2018 Occasions Catalog. It's one thing to look at the products in a catalog and it's another thing to have them in your hands and begin to experiment and see what they can do and how they can be used. One suite I chose to buy fairly soon was the Petal Palette bundle. It has some lovely sketched drawings of foliage and a bird, as well as some awesome sentiments to incorporate.  It comes with some embossing folders and Designer Series Paper as well, which will be further featured tomorrow !  Here are some of my creations:

As you can see, I used the new Stampin' Blend alcohol markers to color my stamped images on most of these cards.  Be sure to stamp in Momento black ink so your markers don't bleed and the black doesn't bleed!  There are framelits to cut out the bird and flowers, as well as the branches and other features. If you didn't want to fuss with cutting anything out, you can always just stick to stamping, as I did in the 2nd card.  If you like trinkets, this suite also has some petal and flower trinkets to use on a project, as I did in the last card!

Suites are a good way to go if you need help coming up with ideas or coordination of products. Stampin'Up! has created a whole line of products that coordinate for you and you can go from there to create your own ideas.  Believe it or not, I have several more things I've made which I will feature tomorrow!

Getting just the stamp and framelit bundle is enough to qualify for one Sale-A-Bration freebie and if you add more to your order, you can get even more freebies!  Don't miss out on Sale-A-Bration! It goes from now until March 31st and is a perfect time to stock up on basic supplies or some special products on your wish list.

Have a great day today and do something creative!
Sarah

Lookin' Sharp!

Hey there Stampin' Friends!

I don't know if you noticed, but I missed a blog yesterday. I unexpectedly made a quick trip about 2 hours away (Billings) to help my son out with a medical emergency. That ended up ok and I headed back home early this morning.  It was a gorgeous day across Montana with just the right amount of snow, sun peeking through clouds and dry roads!

I wanted to share a fun suite of products with you today that is featured in the new 2018 Occasions catalog. I think most of us always need some new ideas and products for masculine-themed cards. It's easier to get a feminine look with all the floral and vintage and lacy products but harder to go masculine. Stampin'Up! has a great suite this spring with some fun stamps, an awesome new punch and to-die-for Designer Series paper. I recently played with this suite and here are some results:

I wanted to especially focus on the Designer Series Paper so you will see many pieces of that in the above cards. The stamp set I used is called "Truly Tailored".  The punch is featured on the top card and I can cut a framing piece of the same shape in some Night of Navy card stock. The buttons are part of the suite as well as the wonderful corduroy ribbon.  There are even more stamp choices as well as another father-related set in the catalog.

Have you started a wish list yet out of the new catalog? Are you remembering it's Sale-A-Bration and with every $50 you spend, you can receive a free product from the SAB brochure!  If you have any questions or need more details, be sure to contact me. Otherwise, click on the links to the right and have fun!!!

I'll be back with more tomorrow! Until then,
Happy Stampin'!
Sarah