Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator - Coldwater, Michigan - KatheD@gmail.com

Monday, January 2, 2012

new year adventures

A new year calls out for trying new things, doesn't it?  So here is something different for me:
stamp sets - Bordering on Romance, Pocket Pals; ink - Pear Pizzazz, Riding Hood Red; Stampin' Write markers - Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride; card stock - Baja Breeze, Naturals White; designer series paper - Twitterpated; Big Shot and Adorning Accents Edgelits die; antique brads, Blushing Bride pleated ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals
The Bordering on Romance stamp set, Blushing Bride pleated ribbon, and Twitterpated designer series paper are not styles I would usually be attracted to, but they were a specially bundled deal offered to me as a Stampin' Up!® demonstrator, so I thought I would give something new a try.  (They will be available starting January 4 from the Occasions mini catalog.)  I used sketch CCMC182 from Create with Connie and Mary to put it all together.  Happily, the sumptuous pleated ribbon qualifies this card for the Shopping Our Stash challenge to "Tie it up!", even though it's brand new and not from my stash.  The sentiment stamp is an old favorite, though!

Although the techniques aren't new, and I've tried both before, it remains challenging for me to color images (and be pleased with the results), but since practicing to improve skills is another common "new year" adventure, I used Stampin' Write markers on the card above and a blender pen on this card:
 stamp sets: Fifth Avenue Floral, Teeny Tiny Wishes; ink - Real Red, Cherry Cobbler; card stock - Very Vanilla, Wild Wasabi; specialty designer series paper - Holly Berry Bouquet; blender pen, Stampin' Dimensionals
The sketch came from Freshly Made Sketches. The Fifth Avenue Floral stamp is another old favorite; the Holly Berry Bouquet specialty designer series paper was new in the Holiday mini catalog, but will only be available through tomorrow - January 3 - be sure to get your order in now if you love this paper as much as I do.  As you can see, it isn't limited to Holiday creations!

I've been enjoying my extra-long weekend, and I'm looking to another year full of adventures big and small - I hope yours is fabulous, too!

10 comments:

Sabrina said...

Your submission for freshy Made Sketches is beautiful! Love the colours! :)

None None said...

Beautiful! Love the colors of both cards and thanks for the reminder that holiday DSP is not necessarily just for the holidays! You did a fantastic job showcasing it as a thank you card with that beautifully colored flower. Thanks for joining us at FMS!

Jen Mitchell said...

Beautiful cards. One of my new year's resolutions is to try coloring more too, so it's nice to see the two different techniques side by side. Thanks for joining us at Freshly Made Sketches!

Linda Callahan said...

Beautiful flowers!

June Houck said...

Very pretty cards, Kathe. So sweet and feminine.

Lisa Martz said...

I really like how your focal image in the first card mimics the DSP below it. Pretty card. Thanks for playing the Create with Connie & Mary challenge this week!

Nance Leedy said...

Both cards are beautiful and feature such different but lovely flowers! Great use of color and I love seeing all the new products! Thank you for playing with us at CCMC!

Leslie Hanna said...

I love both of these cards! I don't like to color, so I didn't pre-order this or several other sets. And great way to use Christmas paper for a non-C'mas card!

Thanks for joining us at Shopping Our Stash!

Mary Brown said...

Both of your colors are just wonderful! LOVE the choice of the Bordering on Romance and matching dsp (love the choice of patterns on this one) card. BEAUTIFUL!! Thanks for playing along this week in the Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge!

Deb said...

Both cards are just wonderful! I love how you used the new products! So soft and pretty! Thanks for playing the challenge at Create with Connie and Mary!