Acorn Stamp

 Summer is winding down here, so I am digging out a couple of fall stamps sets. I had an unused set with an acorn, which I will use now. Our new town is named for the oak trees. This card is for my daughter's preschool director, who has created a smooth start in these uncertain times. My Stampin' Up! Night of Navy and Crushed Curry supplies match our school colors. I am happy to have time, space, and supplies to make cards from the kids' teachers.

Supplies Used

Papers and Card stock: Stampin' Up! and Close To My Heart

Stamps: The Stamping Village and  Close To My Heart (retired)

Inks: Stampin' Up!

Embossing Folder: Close To My Heart (retired)

Punch: Stampin' Up! Banners Pick a Punch

Thanks for Everything

I really like the large sentiment "Thanks for Everything" from the All Things Thanks stamp set. It was a great sentiment for our Thanksgiving hosts and for the current TGIF Challenge.

My card came together while my daughter was napping. I used a mix of current and retired Stampin'Up! products.

Inks: Real Red, Tangerine Tango (retired), Crushed Curry, Pear Pizzazz, and Versa Mark
Card stock: Whisper White and Pear Pizzazz
Stamps: All Things Thanks & For all Things (retired)
Accessories: Linen Thread, Stitched Shapes Dies, and White Embossing Powder
Designer Series Paper: Coffee Break

After this, I will be back to making Christmas cards. Happy Crafting!

World Card Making Day

Happy World Card Making Day! I am finishing up some baby cards today. You can check out holiday cards from card makers all over the word on the Simon Says Stamp blog. Now I can ready to begin my holiday cards and will be taking the Merry Making class from Online Card Classes beginning Monday. Happy crafting!

(All supplies are from Stampin' Up!. The papers are retired but the Moon Baby stamp set and Watercolor Pencils are still available.)

Easter Blog Hop

Welcome to the Fun 'n Crafty Stampers Easter blog hop! I do not usually buy Easter stamps, so the Crazy About You Bundle and the Oval Framelits Dies were handy for making an Easter card. (Upon writing this post, I realized that the oval frailest are not currently available from Stampin' Up!. Due to strikes on the West Coast ports, a few items are not available.)

I adhered the Gold Soiree Designer Series Paper before die cutting my oval. I continue to use the Decorative Dots Textured Embossing Folder and the In-Color Sequin Assortment on many cards. The Stampin' Write Markers are also a versatile supply to have. I colored directly on my rubber stamp with the brush tip of the Strawberry Slush marker. After stamping Easter, I traced over the letters with the fine tip to help them stand out on the card.



I am loving the Crazy About You Bundle from the Occasions catalog. It is fun, versatile, and easy to use. For the thin dies, place wax paper between the die and the paper to keep it from sticking. I adhere my script words with a little Tombow liquid glue, and the 2 Way Glue Pen also works well.

Through March 31, you can earn a free Sale-A-Bration item for every $50 of merchandise you order from Stampin' Up!. Purchasing the wood or clear-mount Crazy About You Bundle will automatically earn a free item! I have the clear-mount version of the stamps and really like them.

Thank you for visiting my blog, and make sure that you hop along to all of the other fabulous posts!

Tobe B. of The Craft Sea

Sara G. of 1200 Some Miles

Jennifer B. of Northwest Stamper

Pam W. of Stinky Tofu

2 Posts in 1 Day

I made two cards last night, so you get two posts in one day. I also played along with the Fab Friday Color Challenge. I like all three of these colors, but I had not thought about combining them until I saw this challenge.

I love the versatility of the Hello You Thinlits Dies paired with the Crazy for You Stamp Set, and decided to make a birthday card this time. I added the Calypso Coral ink to the Lullaby Designer Series Paper with a sponge dauber and used some candy dots for a little more color and texture.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Green & Rainbows

We enjoyed St. Patrick's Day around here. I made a rainbow fruit salad for Alex's lunch and for our dinner. We still need more rain in California, so it would be nice to see some real rainbows this spring.

Here is a silly leprechaun after school on Tuesday. He enjoyed decorating a rainbow cookie at school and getting some Lucky Charms cereal.

I don't have any green clothing, but I still have the necklace that my brother gave me from Ireland.

I ended my day be making a green card for Jennifer's color challenge. I don't use green as much in my cards, so this was a fun way to use my various shades of green inks and card stock.

Supplies Used:
Whisper White, Mossy Meadow, & Old Olive Card Stock
Mossy Meadow & Pear Pizzaz Inks
Crazy for You Stamp Set
Big Shot
Retired Embossing Folder (You can use a variety of embossing folders instead.)
Hello You Thinlits Dies


I am planning to blog about card making and Stampin' Up! on Wednesdays, so I hope you will check back regularly for updates. Here is a link to the current Weekly Deals.

Hello Card

We have a family movie night most Friday nights. Sometimes I use this time to color stamped images. It is good practice and now I have flowers to add to my cards. I recently made a card for the Fun 'n Crafty Stampers swap to send to my friend Tobe. My technique was to use the alcohol markers to color my flower and rhinestones. Since I used dark card stock for the base, I added notebook paper with a punched edge to the inside of the card.

I am working on a fun 30 day coloring challenge that Kathy posted at The Daily Marker. You can view more photos on my Instagram feed.

Supplies:
Rhinestones
Blended Bloom Stamp
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
2014-2016 In Color Card Stock
Doilies
Lullaby Designer Series Paper
Hello You Thinlits Dies
Spiral Border Punch
Blendabilities (currently unavailable)

Happy Coloring!

Watercolor Fun

I really enjoy using my inks to make watercolor backgrounds for cards. I made a few backgrounds and then turned them into cards after they had time to dry. I was excited to receive my Hello You dies and Polka Dot embossing folder to add to some cards.

The Big Shot makes these quick and easy cards. I hope that you are enjoying your weekend! I am planning to work on another card later today.

Hey, Valentine

I started on the Valentines for Alex's class today. I made the card for his teacher using a challenge from the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog. I am glad that my friend Pam shared this fun challenge since I would not have thought to use this color combination.

I really enjoyed making this card, especially tearing some card stock for the "water" and coloring the fish with alcohol markers (Blendabilities and Copics). I added the googly eyes as a final detail. I am partial to the fish with glasses after wearing them myself for so many years.

Now onto 25 cards for the kindergarteners. I have a simplified card in mind and will see if I can get some help from the 5 year old.

Are you making any crafts for Valentine's Day? I am having fun with the Hey, Valentine stamp set and think that I can use it for a few more years.

September Blog Hop

Welcome to the September Fun 'n Crafty Stampers Blog Hop! This month we are featuring products from the new Holiday catalog. There is so much in the catalog! You can order products and get inspiration for cards, Project Life, home decor, gift wrap, and more.

I decided to share a card made with the Motley Monsters Designer Series Paper and a greeting from the Holiday Home stamp set. From my first glance at the Holiday Catalog, the Holiday Home stamp set went on my wish list because it is so versatile. I did not really consider the Motley Monsters papers until I saw then in person. The patterns are fun, cute, and versatile.

Here is the 12x12 sheet of paper used for my card and the finished card:

Tips:
1. Consider how you can trim a piece of Designer Series Paper to enhance your card design. I looked at the sheet above and thought about how it could be used in distinct sections for different cards. I trimmed around specific monsters for this halloween card.
2. Don't worry if you do not have an exact color match. I love Stampin' Up!'s color system, but I don't have all of the ink pads. Even though the paper uses Tangerine Tango, I was still able to use my Tangelo Twist ink pad to stamp the greeting.

Blog Hop Participants:
Sara G of 1200 Some Miles
Tobe B. of The Craft Sea
Pam W of Stinky Tofu
Jennifer B. of Northwest Stamper
Angela M of Stamp with Angela

Thank you for visiting my blog today, and you do not want to miss the other fabulous creations on this blot hop! The next blog is The Craft Sea.

What kind of fall and holiday crafting are you planning this year? Please leave me a comment below.

Products used:

Motlley Monsters Designer Series Paper

$10.95

Holiday Home Photopolymer Stamp Set

$15.95

Tangelo Twist Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Bermuda Bay 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Stampin' Dimensionals

$3.95

Twine Baker's Whisper White

$2.95

Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$7.95

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

Fun n Crafty July Blog Hop

Welcome to the second Fun 'n Crafty Blog Hop! This month we are featuring DSP - Designer Series Paper. I hope that you have already visited the other stops on the hop. I will post a list below in case you missed any of the creative projects and cards along the way.

The Designer Series Paper packs from Stampin' Up! make it easy to coordinate colors and mix 2 or more patterns. For my cards, I used the Petite Pairs stamp set and two new DSP packs. My first card features the Gold Soiree pack, and this paper really shines when you see it in person.

The second card uses the Moonlight DSP stack and features the new in-colors Hello Honey and Blackberry Bliss. As I made this card, I thought about my mom's birthday next month. Since I wanted to share the card now, I will make her a different birthday card.

I look forward to trying more of the new DSP from Stampin' Up! for future cards since other designer series paper packs are on sale this month. Thank you for stopping by my blog and make sure that you do not miss a stop on this blog hop.

Blog Hop Participants:
Jennifer B. of Northwest Stamper
Kathy T. of Stampablog
Tobe B. of The Craft Sea
Angela M of Stamp with Angela
Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
Sara G of 1200 Some Miles

Free Shipping, Washi Tape, & More

I have a few things to share, so let's start with a card. I love using washi tape on cards! I made this card for the Paper Players Challenge and for a card swap with the Fun 'n Crafty group of demonstrators.

After I finished this card, I found out the the Delightful Dozen stamp set that I used here and on other recent cards is retiring. You can shop the "retiring" stamp sets and accessories here. The good news is that Stampin' Up! is offering FREE shipping through Friday, April 25th.

If you are a paper crafter, please leave me a comment with what items you are sad to see "retire."

Introducing Project Life by Stampin' Up!

If you have read my blog long enough, you may have seen some scrapbook layouts here. I started scrapbooking in 2005 and blogging in 2007. In 2008, I started stamping and making cards. Even though I have not scrapbooked much in the last couple of years, I have tried some Project Life products. Recently, I was rethinking about how to preserve our photos, stories, and memories. It was like Stampin' Up! read my mind...



I am really excited that Stampin' Up! will be offering this simple scrapbooking solution! You can begin ordering some Project Life products on May 1 with more products coming on June 2. I will share updates here and on Facebook.

Gorgeous Grunge Birthday Card

Where did March go? This is the birthday card that I made for my husband at the beginning of the month.

The card uses the Gorgeous Grunge and Banner Greetings (hostess) stamp sets. This is almost a one layer card, but I put the banner on dimensions and added the heart embellishment.

Have a great week!

Last Call!

Two Stampin' Up! specials will end on March 31st.

When you sign up for the Paper Pumpkin kits by 3/31/14, you receive a set of 5 free markers with your first kit. I took my March kit (which I absolutely love) and added in stripes with a Stampin' Write Marker. This card was fun and quick to make!

Sale-a-bration will also end on 3/31/14. The annual sale give you free product for every $50 order. I have gotten some awesome freebies during this sale. I love the mini banner punch embossing folder! I got to share the embossing with some co-workers on Monday when we made a card at lunch. It was our spring break week, so it was nice to craft and catch up before we are all busy again. This card was inspired by one I saw on the DIY Royalty blog.

If you have any questions about Stampin' Up! products, you can email me at stampacrossthemiles(at)gmail.com. You can order online anytime at http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/saragrafton/.

What have you been creating lately? Please leave me a comment below.

Fab Friday Sketch

I've been in a bit of a card making rut this year. I recently had a couple of occasions to give out some handmade cards at work and was reminded how much I enjoy sharing and personalizing the cards. This week I enjoyed trying out this sketch from Fab Friday:

I was originally inspired to use my Morning Meadow and Simply Sketched stamp sets with the ruffled ribbon after seeing Stacey's card.

Here is my card:

Supplies Used:
Cardstock - Whisper White & Smokey Slate
Paper - Blushing Bride (exact pattern retired)
Ink - Blushing Bride & Costal Cabana
Stamps - Simply Sketched & Morning Meadow (Hostess sets)
Embellishments - Tea Lace Paper Doilies & Costal Cabana Ruffled Stretch Trim
Tools - Paper Snips, Stampin' Sponge
Order supplies anytime at http://saragrafton.stampinup.net

Happy Birthday to You

I participated in a card swap last month with the Fun n' Crafty Stampers to share card ideas with new supplies from the Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog. I chose to use the Another Great Year stamp set. I love both the large Happy Birthday stamp and the cute little cupcake stamp. The Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Pack became a fast favorite. Also, the Banner Punch is free now through March 31 with a $50 order. I made 8 of these cards to swap:

Instructions
1. Cut Whisper White card stock to 5½ x 8½ and score and fold to make a card base
2. Cut Real Red card stock to 5¼ x 4, the Costal Cabana card stock to 5 x 3¾ and another piece of Whisper White card stock to 4¾ x 3½
3. Stamp “Happy Birthday To You” with Crumb Cake ink on the smaller piece of Whisper White card stock and color in open letters with a Costal Cabana marker
4. Stamp the cupcake with Real Red ink on a scrap of Whisper White card stock and color in stripes on the bottom with the Costal Cabana marker
5. Punch cupcake with the circle punch and add it to the stamped image on dimensionals
6. Adhere the stamped piece to the Costal Cabana card stock and then to the Real Red card stock
7. Punch banners from the striped paper from the Fresh Prints pack.
8. Adhere banners to the card with dimensionals and add the Whisper White Bakers Twine
9. Adhere finished piece to the card base

Supplies
Card stock: Whisper White, Real Red, Costal Cabana
Ink: Crumb Cake & Real Red
Marker: Costal Cabana
Stamps: Another Great Year
DSP: Fresh Prints
Punches: 1 Inch Circle & Banner
Other: Whisper White Bakers Twine, Stampin’ Dimensionals

You can see more samples from the Fun n' Crafty Stampers on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/nwstamper/fun-n-crafty-project-samples/

You are never too old to color

Stampin' Up! just held the annual Leadership conference in Houston and shared upcoming product releases. As a new demonstrator, I am getting the highlights from Facebook and Twitter. I am really excited to learn that Stampin' Up! will start selling the alcohol based, blendable markers because you are never too old for coloring! I have a small collection of these markers from another company, and I was inspired to play and make a card. I chose my colors from the current Pals Paper Arts challenge.

I stamped my greeting and image from the Simply Sketched (hostess) stamp set in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. For years, this has been my favorite black ink and soon Stampin' Up will carry it. (Yay!!!) The Whisper White card stock held up well to some coloring with just a little bleeding through. I expected this and placed scratch paper under my card stock when I colored.

My favorite ribbon is the Whisper White 3/8 inch Taffetta ribbon because of its versatility. At some point, I tried coloring this ribbon with one of my purple alcohol based markers and it worked well. Here is the ribbon that I colored for this card:

I embossed the Soft Sky card stock, added some rhinestones and Dazzling Details, and made a Real Red card base to complete this card.