Succulent Gardens!!!

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Succulent Gardens, www.LaurasStampPad.com

Succulent Gardens are all the rage right now and I am on that same train!!! Woot Woot!!! You all know I love flowers as it is but succulents are these cute little things that are just so precious! My Mom got me one for Christmas and so far it is still alive and cute as ever! Here’s hoping I can continue to keep it alive! 🙂

Now let’s get started on this beautiful card! You may have noticed that you can’t see the Old Olive on the front panel! I created this card in a fun way! I started with an Old Olive base measuring 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″. Then I took a piece of Sweet Sugarplum measuring 4″ x 10-1/2″ and folded it in half like a card. I adhered this to the middle of the Old Olive base. This gives a fabulous little backing but a fun card base. You could always do this with a black base but a white card that you can write inside! You could do this with any card!

Now to decorate it, I used the Succulent Garden Designer Series Paper. I put a strip along the left side measuring 1-3/4″ x 5-1/4″. Then I layered another piece measuring 2-1/2″ x 3″. For the main point, I took a piece of Tip Top Taupe measuring 3-3/4″ x 2-1/4 and layered on a piece of Whisper White measuring 3-1/2″ x 2″. Before adhering it to the taupe, be sure to stamp the greeting from the Oh So Succulent Stamp Set in Tip Top Taupe Ink. It’s always best to stamp before assembling so you can flip it over if you make a mistake. I love that there are 2 sides to every piece of cardstock! 🙂

Next, I tied some of the Succulent Garden Ribbon Combo Pack around the cardstock. This ribbon is like soft and fuzzy. It’s a fun texture! For the flowers, I stamped them from the Oh So Succulent Stamp Set and die cut them out with the coordinating Succulent Framelits. You can bundle and save 10% when you purchase these two products together – click here to get the bundle! I did the large flower in Sweet Sugarplum and the small flower in Mint Macaron. The greenery pieces were done in Old Olive. I added the greenery flat to the cardstock and popped up the flowers with Stampin’ Dimensionals. Love it!!!

It was super easy to create this card and pick the colors because I just used the ones listed in the designer paper! The entire Succulent Suite is beautiful and goes together so well! You can see another sample here! When you purchase the bundle and save 10% as well as the coordinating Succulent Gardens Designer Paper, you can pick out a FREE Sale-A-Bration item!! Saving 10% and getting a free item is super fabulous! I love Sale-A-Bration time!!! Stock up on your favorite goodies before it ends on March 31st!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura


Coloring With a Chalk Marker!!!

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Rustic Birthday Chalk Marker, www.LaurasStampPad.com

Happy Friday!!! Today we are going to be coloring with the White Chalk Marker! These markers are fun to use on black cardstock for that chalkboard look but you can use them for other projects like this one too!!! I love getting out tools and using them for more projects than the typical use! So get out that Chalk Marker and let’s play!!!

For this card, I used a Crumb Cake card base! Then I took a piece of Cucumber Crush (5-1/4″ x 4″) and ripped the top and bottom. You just want to do little tears all along, rather than one long rip!  Then I took another piece of Crumb Cake (5″ x 2-1/2″) and ripped the top and bottom of this piece as well. I stamped the Happy greeting from the Happy Celebrations Stampin’ Up Stamp Set in Crumb Cake Ink. After stamping the greeting, I used the White Chalk Marker and drew lines down each of the letters. I’m not the best at drawing and free-hand stuff so a simple line was enough for me but you could always decorate with dots, squiggles, or another design!

Now it is time to assemble! I adhered this piece to the Cucumber Crush piece and then stamped the “Birthday to You” in Cucumber Crush Ink in the lower right corner! Then I added this piece to the card front! To finish it off, I wrapped some Linen Thread around the top and tied it into a knot. Linen Thread is the perfect embellishment for a man card!!! Simple and fabulous!!!

You could always mix up the colors to match the recipients favorite color or based on the gender! If you would like to check out other samples using the Happy Celebrations Stamp Set by clicking here and here! If you would like to see more ways to color with the Chalk Marker, click here and here!

Don’t forget that Sale-A-Bration is still going on till the end of March! You can pick out a FREE item for every $50.00 that you order! You will also be earning Laura’s Loyal Stampers Stickers and after 10 stickers you will get a $40 Gift Certificate! Now is the perfect time to stock up on all the stamping goodies!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you back here on Monday!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura


Carried Away!!!

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Birthday Hot Air Balloons, www.LaurasStampPad.com

I am soooo in love with this style of card. I have used it with some many different styles of Designer Paper and they are all so amazing! It is a quick and simple style but yet beautiful! I just love it!!

I started with a piece of Whisper White measuring 4-1/4″ x 11″ for the card base! Then I took a piece of Night of Navy (4″ x 4″) and layered on a piece of the Carried Away Sale-A-Bration Designer Series Paper (3-3/4″ x 3-3/4″). I added this piece to the card front towards the top. For the greeting, I stamped it from the Lift Me Up Stamp Set in Night of Navy Ink. I added some Mint Macaron Sheer Linen Ribbon around the card and tied it into a knot! Simple and fabulous!!!

Smiles Across Miles, www.LaurasStampPad.com

This one I did with Real Red cardstock layering the Carried Away Designer Paper. I used some of the Gold Metallic Ribbon which is another fabulous Sale-A-Bration item you can pick for Free with every $50 order! I also added a little red star from the Brights Enamel Shapes.

There are so many different ways you can create this card with different Designer Paper, different ribbons, adding some bling and changing up the greeting!

You can purchase the Lift Me Up Bundle, which includes the Lift Me Up Stamp Set and coordinating Up & Away Thinlits, and the Mint Macaron Sheer Linen Ribbon and then get the Carried Away Designer Series Paper for FREE!!! Sale-A-Bration is such a fun time of the year. You get to pick out a free item with every $50.00 in product that you order! It is like you are being rewarded for shopping! Love it!!!

What is your favorite Designer Paper that you can wait to use to create cards like these? Let me know in the comments below! I have another sample to share later using the Falling in Love Designer Paper. Stay tuned!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura


You’re Sublime!!!

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You're Sublime, www.LaurasStampPad.com

How adorable is this?!?!?! This cute card is perfect for Valentine’s Day and it uses a non-Valentine’s Day stamp set – You’re Sublime! It is such an adorable stamp set!!!

I started with a Peek-A-Boo Peach card base! Then I took a piece of Whisper White (4-1/2″ x 3″) and stamped the little submarine from the You’re Sublime Stamp Set in Basic Gray Ink. You will need to use a Stazon or Archival Ink since I did watercoloring and you won’t want it to bleed! I prefer Basic Gray because I like the softer look rather than Basic Black. I hadn’t received my Watercolor Pencils order at the time of making this so I used an Aqua Painter and ink. You can see a complete tutorial on watercoloring like this HERE! I used Dapper Denim Ink and Peek-A-Boo Peach Ink. I layered this onto Dapper Denim measuring 5″ x 3-1/2″ and tied some Dapper Denim Ruched Ribbon around it on the bottom. I added this piece to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals!

Froggy Card, www.LaurasStampPad.com

When we did this card in class, I let the stampers pick any of the images from the You’re Sublime card and here is one of the fabulous creations! Sondra went with the froggy and she used the Watercolor Pencils and Blender Pen to color him in. The ribbon covered up the greeting so we went with a Birthday greeting from the Balloon Adventures Stamp Set! It is sooo adorable! I love when my stampers change up my cards with their own creativity! It gives me great ideas too! 🙂

Stamping is always fun with you do it with others! Sharing creativity, conversations, and laughs is what I love the most about being a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator! 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend!!! Happy Stampin’

~Laura


Tasty Trucks & Cupcake Exhaust!!!

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Cupcake Exhaust, www.LaurasStampPad.com

The Tasty Trucks Stamp Set from the Sale-A-Bration Promotion is super cute and can be turned into so many different looks – sweets, tacos, hot dogs, and any other type of delivery. Super cute! I got this idea of cupcake exhaust from a fabulous stamper friend, Mary Ellen Stites! I would follow this truck all over town! I love cupcakes!!!

For this card, I started with a Smokey Slate card base which is perfect because then you can use any colors for your truck! Then I took a piece of Whisper White (4″ x 5-1/4″) and stamped everything from the Tasty Trucks Stamp Set in Basic Gray Archival Ink! I like using gray over black because it is a softer look! I colored in everything with the Watercolor Pencils and Blender Pens!

Watercolor Tutorial, www.LaurasStampPad.com

I love the Watercolor Pencils because you can just outline or color in a bit and then take the Blender Pen and even out the color! I like to go in a circular motion and just swirl around till everything is colored in. If you would like certain spots to be darker, just go back in with pencil and add more color! I love it!! After coloring everything in, I tied some Silver Metallic Ribbon (Sale-A-Bration) around it. That ribbon is super fabulous and a little bling-y! Then I added the piece to the card front! Love it!!

Sweetest Ever, www.LaurasStampPad.com

I couldn’t stop with just one truck so here is another!!! I tied the ribbon into bow on this one and went up and down! Super fun!!

3 Ways to Use Watercolor Pencils, www.LaurasStampPad.com

 Here I colored with the Watercolor Pencils in 3 different ways – colored in (Coral), with the Blender Pens (Purple), and with an Aqua Painter (Blue). They are super easy to use and I have found that the color looks so even. Sometimes when using ink or markers with the Blender Pen or Aqua Painter, there can be streaks and lines on your project. With the pencils, there are no lines or streaks. It is just pure, rich color. You can always add in more details with the pencil after blending it together. You can even add more color by touching the Blender Pen or Aqua Painter to the tip of the pencil to pick up some color. There are so many fun ways to color with these! There are 13 pencils in the pack for just $16.00! That is a steal for so many colors, I think!

If you would like to see an up close and personal on the Watercolor Pencils, check out the Video Tutorial below or click here! Don’t forget to give this video a thumbs up if you liked it and be sure to subscribe if you are new! I post a video every Tuesday and Thursday!

Do you like Watercolor Pencils, Markers, or Ink Pads for coloring in with Blender Pens and Aqua Painters? Let me know in the comments below!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura


Avant Garden!!!

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Avant Garden, www.LaurasStampPad.com

You all know how much I love flowers so of course the Avant Garden Sale-A-Bration Stamp Set caught my attention right away! Free flower stamps are always the best!!!! You can get this set or one of the other Sale-A-Bration items for Free with every $50.00 order.

I started with a Calypso Coral card base. This measures 4-1/4″ x 11″ and I folded it in half so the crease is on the left side. Then I took a piece of Whisper White (4″ x 5-1/4″) and stamped the flower from the Avant Garden Stamp Set in Calypso Coral Ink. I stamped a few of the flowers in full strength ink and a few stamped off. I stamped the flowers just a bit in from the left side. I added some leaves in Wild Wasabi Ink, again stamping twice before going back to the ink! I also stamped the greeting from the same stamp set in Wild Wasabi! Then I took a piece of Whisper White Organza Ribbon and placed it on the left side of the cardstock and adhered the ends to the back side. I added this piece to the card base and finished it off with a Rhinestone in the center of each flower! I just had to add a little bling! This card could be created in any color of your choice! What color would you use? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura


Valentine Treat Boxes!!!

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Clear Treat Box, www.LaurasStampPad.com

Valentine’s Day is a little over a week away so it is time to start getting those treat ready and cards created! You can see some samples of cards here and here! I did another Treat Package that is fabulous here! Today, we are creating these little treat boxes!!! Precious and super sweet….hehe get it…..chocolate is sweet! 🙂

The base for this box is Clear Tiny Treat Boxes which come with 16 in the pack! For the inside decoration, I used some of the Sending Love Designer Series Paper. I cut it into a 2″ x 6″ piece and scored it just a smidge over 2″ and then from that score line a smidge less than 2″. The reason for this is because the box is 2″ so when you score at exactly 2″ it is kind of tight in the box. I placed the paper into the box and added the chocolate treats. Yum!!!

Valentine's Day, www.LaurasStampPad.com

I added some ribbon around the box and tied it into a box using the Sending Love Designer Ribbon which comes with both white and red ribbon. This is perfect because then you can really mix and match with the different designer paper patterns! I left mine without a tag because I will be passing them out to various people – friends, family, and people I see all week this week at the grocery store, Post Office, etc. You could always add a tag using your favorite stamp set that has hearts or a To:/From: or you can use the fabulous Sealed with Love Stamp Set!

Do you make Valentine’s Treats for your kid’s classroom, friends, family, or strangers?? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura


Technique Tuesday – Debossed Dots!!!

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Happy Tuesday!!! You all know what that means!!! I have a fabulous technique to share with you today – de-bossing and polka dots!!!! Super fabulous and fun for any occasion!!!

debossed polka dots, www.LaurasStampPad.com

Isn’t this card amazing? I love polka dots! You could change up the colors for a more masculine card! Let’s get started!!!

SUPPLIES: Celebrations Duo Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Happy Celebrations Stamp Set, Stampin’ Pierce Mat

I started with a Watermelon Wonder card base. Then I took a piece of Whisper White (4″ x 5-1/4″) and ran it through the Big Shot with the Celebrations Duo Embossing Folder in the middle. The Celebrate and Happy both de-boss the cardstock and then when you stamp over the top, the greeting will POP! I love it!! I have found that stamping over the top of the de-bossed image turns out the best when you stamp on top of the Stampin’ Pierce Mat. This mat has some gives for the cardstock to press into rather than a hard surface. I used the Happy Celebrations Stamp Set to stamp the polka dots all over and make the greeting pop! I went with Watermelon Wonder Ink, Tangerine Tango Ink, and Daffodil Delight Ink. I stamped the dots all over the cardstock, some in full strength and some as the stamped off shade of ink. For this card, I highly recommend going back to the ink pad each time and if you want the lighter shade, then stamp off onto a scrap piece of paper rather than on the card. The reason for this is because if you fall half off the cardstock, it makes the second stamp image have a line on it. Also, if you stamp over the celebrate greeting, the second stamp will have the letters in a darker ink so to avoid this, just go to the ink pad each time! 🙂 Be sure to stamp the dots with firm even pressure. Since the stamps are photopolymer, you can see when the paper and ink touch so sometimes you need to rock it a bit gently!

Celebrate Mistakes, www.LaurasStampPad.com

After all of the dots were complete, I wrapped some Gold Metallic Thread around the card a few times and tied a knot on the backside. I added this piece to the card base with Stampin’ Dimensionals! Then for the little greeting of “Your Day”, I stamped it in Tangerine Tango Ink onto Whisper White and layered it onto Tangerine Tango! I used the Banner Triple Punch to add the banner tips. I added the greeting to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals. I love it and think I should do some blues and greens next!!! What colors would you use for this card? Let me know in the comments below!

If you would like to see all of this in action, check out the Video Tutorial below or click here! Be sure to give it a thumbs up if you liked it and subscribe if you are new!! I post a video every Tuesday and Thursday!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura


My Mom’s Frog Birthday Card!!!

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Mom's Birthday Card, www.LaurasStampPad.com

My Mom’s Birthday was earlier this month and this is the card I created for her! She actually fell in love with this stamp set and bought it for me so we could make cards with it. (Note to self: we still need to do that!) 🙂 I started playing with this set and the New Watercolor Pencils and knew this was the perfect set for her card!

I started with a Crumb Cake card base and then I layered a piece of Old Olive cardstock (4″ x 5-1/4″) on top. I took a piece of Whisper White (3-3/4″ x 5″) and lightly brushed over it with a Sponge Dauber. I did Old Olive Ink on the bottom 1/3 and Pool Party Ink on the upper 2/3. I added a strip of Pool Party Stitched Satin Ribbon across the top and then added it to the card base. For the frog and the wheelbarrow, I stamped them from the You’re Sublime Stamp Set in Basic Gray onto scrap Whisper White.

Wheelbarrow, www.LaurasStampPad.com

I used the Watercolor Pencils to color in a bit and then I took a Blender Pen and swirled around to move the color and fill in! Once it was all colored, I fussy cut out both images and adhered them to the card base with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Lil Froggy, www.LaurasStampPad.com

For the greeting, I stamped it from the Number of Years Stamp Set in Old Olive Ink. I punched out the greeting with the Decorative Label Punch. Then I sponged the edges with Pool Party and added it to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals too! I love it! I think it turned out perfectly. My Mom loves nature and has a huge garden. This was fabulous!

Do you like making cards specifically for a special someone or do you just make general cards for everyone?? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura


Valentine’s Day Triangle Treats!!

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Triangle Treat Pockets, www.LaurasStampPad.com

How cute are these little treat holders??? The don’t require any adhesive either which makes them super fabulous! All you need is a 6″ x 6″ piece of Designer Paper. For the one on the left, I used the Sending Love Designer Series Paper which is already in 6″ squares! For the one on the right, I used the Carried Away Designer Paper which is one of the Sale-A-Bration items you can get for Free with every $50.00 order! This paper is in 12″ square sheets so you will need to cut it down!!!

For these little treat pockets, you will fold your 6″ Square diagonal corner to corner to make a large triangle. With the point at the top and the other 2 points at either sides, fold the each of the side point across the front to the opposite side, straight across. Then fold the top little triangle down over your overlapped triangles. This final step is what holds everything in place!!

Triangle Treats Tutorial, www.LaurasStampPad.com

You can always squeeze the sides to pop it open and even press the bottom flat a little bit! Quick, simple and super cute! Now to fill it with some goodies! I used one of the 3″ x 6″ Gusseted Cellophane Bags to hold the chocolate treats! I tied some ribbon around the top into a bow using the Sending Love Ribbon Combo Pack which has red and white ribbon in it!

Treat Pocket, www.LaurasStampPad.com

These treat bags are perfect for classroom treats for Valentine’s or any other holiday. You could use these for a child’s birthday party or any type of party! I plan on using mine for my nieces and nephews Valentine’s Treats as well as a few to pass around randomly to share the love in February!!! 🙂

Balloon Treat Pocket, www.LaurasStampPad.com

Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below – Valentine’s Day or Hot Air Balloons??

Happy Stampin’

~Laura