an adventure in going green

 I wanted to try a cleaner card with the same stamp and die set I used last wekk for the Jingle Belles prompt (it ends today!).  This time I combined it with the newest Mystery Monday layout from TXStampin Sharon Armstrong:

stamp set - Peaceful Boughs; ink - Shaded Spruce; card stock - Basic White, Shaded Spruce; designer series paper - In Good Taste; ink - Shaded Spruce Stampin' cut dies - Beautiful Boughs, Layering Ovals, Stitched Shapes; Stampin' emboss folder - Evergreen Forest

I changed the shape of the sentiment and didn't stamp the embellishment, but other than that I was faithful to the mystery clues, and I think it works.

While I was working, I remembered that Stampin' Up! released the retirement list today, so I checked it - the stamp set and all of the dies I used are retiring!  If you're interested in adding them to your collection, they are only available until supplies are exhausted, or May 3 - get them now!

adventures in trying too hard

I've been trying to get more pretty paper out of my storage drawer and used up, including on Card Buffet designs.  In order to have enough for Card Buffet, I need to use smaller pieces, so I thought the sketch from Sunday Stamps would work.  I also wanted to use another retiring stamp set, you know, in case it's going to be someone's favorite before its unavailable.  I'm not sure I didn't try a bit too hard on this, though:

stamp set - Awesomely Artistic; ink - Lemon Lime Twist, Fresh Fig; Stampin' Write marker - Lemon Lime Twist; card stock - Whisper White, Soft Sky; designer series paper - Naturally Eclectic; blender pen

I wish there were something more than just the colors that tied the paper to the stamped images; it just seems a bit forced... 

This next card finally came together after I stopped trying too hard.  Inspiration photos usually have that effect on me, I overthink them.  I put the embossing paste bricks on the card base last week, for a completely different card that didn't happen (because after I started it seemed overly difficult), and suddenly this morning it occurred to me that it would work for Jingle Belles Orange You Glad It's Christmas:

stamp set - Ready For Christmas; ink - Lemon Lime Twist, Pool Party, Peekaboo Peach; card stock - Whisper White thick, Dazzling Diamonds glimmer: White Embossing Paste and Pattern Party decorative mask; Big Shot and Christmas Staircase thinlits

watercooler tic-tac-toe adventure

The tic-tac-toe board at Watercooler Wednesday was a bit easier for me than my usual it's-too-hard-to-choose dilemma.  I love purple and haven't done a fun fold recently, so I added stripes (albeit very subtle stripes) and sympathy, for Just Add Ink:

stamp set: Thanks for Caring (retired); ink - Blackberry Bliss; card stock - Blackberry Bliss, Perfect Plum; Big Shot with Deco Labels framelits and Stylish Stripes embossing folder

I was starting to feel in a rut, though, with purple sympathy cards (yes, I'm mailing yet another tomorrow and running low again).  So, I revisited the whole thing, this time using some brighter colors and a happier theme:

stamp set - Wild about Flowers; ink - Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow, Hello Honey, Blackberry Bliss; card stock - Hello Honey, Very Vanilla, Lost Lagoon; Big Shot with Stylish Stripes embossing folder and Ovals framelits