KINDEST GNOMES

Gnomes are so cute and remain quite popular.  The Stampin’ Up Kindest Gnomes set can be used for everyday and for Christmas – especially when combined with the Storybook Gnomes DSP which has several darling Christmas themes.  I used my new Split Textures Dies for this card.  I love the way the openings captivate your attention – especially with the Sunshine and Rainbows DSP background.  The Pool Party top layer has also been run thru the Big Shot with the Tasteful Textures Embossing folder leaving lots of interesting texture. 

The Gnomes and Mushroom Huts are part of the Storybook Gnomes DSP and have been die cut and adhered to the card front.  The gnomes and mushroom huts vary in color.    The Call Me Clover grass and flower image come from the Gnomes Dies.  The top flower is colored with Mango Melody Stampin Blends, and the flower to the right with Flirty Flamingo – colors found in the DSP.  Wink of Stella has been applied judiciously to add a bit of bling.  The sentiment is from the Framed Occasions Sentiments stamp set and was stamped in Mango Melody.  The sentiment was die cut with Beautiful Shapes Dies as was the Mango Melody frame.

The message layer features a strip of the matching DSP and a stamped Gnome.  Like the Gnome on the envelope, a few strokes from some Stampin’ Blends, and you can have some colorful fellows!

Sale-A-Brations continues thru the end of August.  Check it out here – Sale-A-Brations

2 more fun cards to go.  Don’t forget to let us know which cards you wish to make!

Blessings, Rosemary – (H)630.759.3089 – (C)630.965.1965 – paperrose01@aol.com

Final – CHRISTMAS in JULY

Is it ever too early to start making Christmas cards?  We live in a computerized society and the lack of personal interaction is ever increasing!  A handmade Christmas card that comes from your heart is such a personal gift.  Won’t you join Debbie and me on July 14, 15, and 16 FROM 9am – 5pm as we celebrate CHRISTMAS in JULY!

We are offering 8 Christmas cards.  You can choose as many as you wish for $3.50 each.  Our only request is that you PLEASE LET US KNOW NOW which cards you wish to do.  Each card requires our prep and although we have prepared a certain number of each card, we have no idea which card will be the most and least popular.  So – I have a contest for you!  Each person who chooses the MOST and LEAST popular cards will receive a prize!  But you must tell us by July 13th and include the MOST popular and LEAST popular cards.

WISEMEN

Our Wise Men card comes from an older stamp entitled Every Blessing.  There is an embossed copper star in the upper left corner.  The stamping is done with StazOn to give the solid black coloring.  My favorite New Horizons DSP is layered on Fresh Freesia and Evening Evergreen.  You can feel the awe of the Wisemen as they gaze into the color-filled sky.

The message layer for WISEMEN is embellished with a strip of matching DSP and another copper embossed star.  We experimented with gold, silver and copper embossing powders and felt copper was the best choice.

CHRISTMAS GNOMES

Isn’t this a HAPPY card?  These cute little gnomes come to us from Divinity Designs.  They are adorned with rhinestones and pompoms.  The middle gnome rests on a wobble and loves to move around.  The retired So Much Happy die is one of my favorites and I just can’t bring myself to sell it.  Our gnomes are layered on embossed Shaded Spruce and Real red with a white die-cut Christmas.

The message layer for Christmas Gnomes features none other than Santa Gnome with his bag full of presents.  A pom pom festoons his Santa hat.  4 gnomes, a poinsettia blossom, a present, and a candy cane come with this card and you can arrange them however you wish. 

PEACE

This is my Christmas peace on earth card.  The lack of caring and kindness and the increased racism and selfishness in America is very upsetting to me.  I used the Begin with a Dream Stamp Set and have used many different colors and shades to show everyone is different but the same.  The art work is layered on Shaded Spruce and the new Starry Sky. A bit of metallic green holly and red berries adds a Christmas touch.

I added a “Peace, Joy and Love” message in Shaded Spruce to the message layer.  A bit of holly embellishes the layer.

JOLLY OLD ST. NICK

Jolly Old St. Nick is a die from the past.  As Stampin’ Up does not put out the Holiday Catalogue until mid summer, Debbi and I look to our Christmas archive for ideas.  Old St. Nick is die cut and adhered on white card stock with white pom poms trimming his Santa hat.  The sentiment MERRY CHRISTMAS is stamped in Real Red at the bottom of the card and a matching red bow and ribbon enhance the card.

The retired Sparkle of the Season Stamp Set features a cute Santa line stamp that is perfect for the message layer of the Jolly Old St. Nick card.  This is certain to delight both young and old!

CELEBRATE the SEASON

I think the Grassy Grove Bundle is an extremely artistic set and can lead to much creativity.  For Celebrate the Season, a patch of flowers are stamped onto New Horizons DSP which is layered with an embossed die-cut forest setting in Moonlight Mist.  Two copper deer are in the forest and a copper star is adhered in the upper left corner.  The sentiment is embossed in copper on matching DSP.  Many different sentiments are available that can be used for this card

The message layer is embellished with a strip of matching DSP and a copper baby deer. 

DELIVERING CHEER – GIFTS

Debbie and I affectionately refer to the Delivering Cheer cards as The Girls! 

Here, we see our Christmas gal delivering cheer with Christmas gifts.  Her skirt is stamped on DSP and cut with snips.  Her upper and lower body are stamped and cut with our friendly Scan’N’Cut.  The artwork is layered on snowflake DSP with several rhinestones sparkling amid the snowflakes.  A larger snowflake can be seen peeking from the left and right of the artwork panel.

The message layer for the Christmas Gifts card is embellished with a strip of matching DSP.  You can add additional elements as desired. 

DELIVERING CHEER – TREES

This card is our “other girl” Delivering Cheer with a small Christmas tree embellished with red rhinestones.  The girl, her skirt and legwarmers and the tree are pre-cut with our friendly Scan’N’Cut.  The sleigh comes to us from Divinity Designs and is a Hero Arts product.  Our sled is die cut in Early Espresso and Crumb Cake and sponged with Early Espresso.  It’s evident our gal is delivering cheer on her sleigh along with her pet rabbit. 

Like Delivering Cheer – the message layer is festooned with a strip of DSP matching the front panel.  The rest is up to you!

PENGUIN PLACE

Penguin Place was a card slated for Christmas 2021 but there was an issue with Stamping Up receiving the penguin punch.  Debbie designed this card so that the middle penguin moves head over heels.  The spinning mechanism that allows it to roll is 2 pennies and several dimensionals.  How fun is that?  The opening is die cut and the pieces are cut either with dies or with the Scan’N Cut.

The more you rock the card back and forth, the easier the penguin will roll.  Here is a video of the penguin moving, Penguin in action.

The message layer features a penguin wearing a jaunty bow tie.  You can add an additional tree or 2 if desired.  Did you see the tiny sequins on the trees. 

Well, what do you think?  We hope you like at least one of our creations.  Don’t forget to let us know which card you think will be the most favorite and the lease favorite.  Please please please let us know as soon as possible which cards you wish to do.  I’m hoping I won’t have to post a cut-off date.  To review:  Dates – July 14, 15, 16.  Times – 9am – 5pm.  Cost – $3.50 per card.  We will have drinks; please feel free to bring a snack/lunch.  I am aware several of you will be out of town.  Please make your choices now and we will set up a make-up session in August.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Blessings, Rosemary – (H)630.759.3089 – (C)630.965.1965 – paperrose01@aol.com

SPRING GNOMES

The silly gnomes come again but this time they are SPRING GNOMES!  There are actually 6 different gnomes and you can combine them as you wish on this slim-line card.  There is actually a strip of cut grass that the gnomes are resting on. Stamped, die-cut clouds float in the sky along with the butterflies and a bumblebee.  Debbie added 7 gems that are difficult to see in the picture but the card has lots of glitz!  The Scan’n Cut was our friend that cut out the gnomes and the grass.

The horizontal message layer can display one gnome as Debbie has shown here or can include additional gnomes.  You can make it a fun card however you choose.  And we have the sleek slimline envelopes from Stampin’Up!

This is the vertical slim-line version of the Spring Gnome card.  This sample was much more challenging to create than the horizontal sample above.  We do see 2 gnomes that were not used in the first sample in addition to the clouds butterflies and bee.  Wink of Stella and gems add lots of pizazz. 

The message layer features a single gnome along with a pot of flowers, butterfly and bumblebee.  Again, you can design the message layer as you wish. 

Please remember to let us know which cards you wish to make and what day you plan on coming.  Masks are optional as of this date. 

Blessings, Rosemary – (H)630.759.3089 – (C)630.965.1965 – paperrose01@aol.com

St. Pat the Gnome

Can you tell that I really like gnomes?  I think they are little fun creatures.  For March Stamp Camp we have a set of leprechaun gnomes featuring a shamrock, horseshoe, and rainbow.  The gnomes rest on a background of Stampin’ Up Simply Marbleous DSP embossed with the Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder.  Note the curved corners on the 3 layers of card stock. The Detailed Trio Punch makes curving those corners a cinch.  Added shamrocks in Shaded Spruce and Call Me Clover embellish the top card layer.  Touches of Wink of Stella add glimmer.

 

Although I have very few Irish friends to send this card to, I thought the Irish Blessing used for the message layer would make this card appropriate for anyone.  This is a blessing I would wish for all my friends and family.  The blessing is printed in green, die cut and layered on a Shaded Spruce scalloped circle.  A cheerful shamrock adds and additional Irish touch.

This is the first card for a very varied March Stamp Camp.  And YES – we will be having Stamp Camp in my home.  Regarding masks, I am waiting to see what our Governor will declare on February 28th.  I’m hoping for mask optional.  Norb and I have been Covid-free thus far.  I know many of you have not been that fortunate.  If you prefer Cards to Go, you just need to let us know. 

So – dates/time:  Thursday March 3rd from 10 am to 4 pm, Friday March 4th from 10 am to 4 pm, and Saturday March 5th from 9 am to 4 pm.  If you will have limited time for stamp camp, please alert us to that fact and we will prep part of your cards.  If you need assistance with coloring and fine motor skill tasks, let us know and we will help.   Just please let us know as soon as you can what cards you wish to do and when you plan on coming.  Thus far, it does not appear there is a snow storm scheduled for the March Stamp Camp time period, but we never know what Mother Nature has planned.

Don’t forget that I am featuring a 20% discount on all Stampin’Up products.  This is a personal discount that I try to give twice a year.  Also, Sale-A-Bration ends February 28th.  We are using Simply Marbleous DSP on 2 of our projects for March Stamp Camp,  And the Friendly Hello Bundle from Sale-A-Bration is one of our featured March Cards.  Check out these Free products at Sale-A-Bration in my Stampin’Up Store

Stay tuned for our next card!  Rosemary – (H)630.759.3089 – (C)630-965.1965 – paperrose01@aol.com

Val the Gnome

Meet Val the Valentine Gnome.  Val comes to us from Etsy and has been resized for us to work with and cut with the Scan’n’Cut.  Val is perched on a Merry Merlot card front die cut with the Happy die and embossed with the Tasteful Textile folder.  Val’s sentiment is stamped in Merlot on white cs and layered on Melon Mambo.  The Banner Pick a Punch trims the edges.  Val is holding a gold metallic heart and 4 additional gold hearts embellish the card front.  The card base is Melon Mambo which has also been embossed with the Tasteful Textile folder.

The message layer features a message from the Pansy Patch Stamp Set – WISHING YOU A LITTLE EXTRA HAPPINESS JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE YOU.  Die-cut hearts in Merry Merlot, Real Red, Melon Mambo and gold embellish this layer.

This card makes up quickly as everything is ready to adhere. I added a touch of Wink of Stella to Val’s flowers, hat and nose.  Adding a little treat such as candy or a cookie along with Val the Gnome Valentine card would make anyone happy. 

Several reminders – The card cost remains the same – any 4 cards for $14 and $3 for each additional card.  I am offering a 20% discount on Stampin’Up products thru the end of February.  If I place your order, I will deduct the 20% off the top.  If ordering on-line through paperrose01.stampinup.net, I will send you a check for the 20% or you can deduct the amount off stamp camps. Sale-A-Brations runs thru the end of February.  My goal is to have us celebrate March Stamp Camp back in my home.  We need some cozy time together.  Cards will be ready for pickup on Thursday, February 3rd.  Please let me know if you prefer having them delivered or mailed.

Valentine Blessings, Rosemary – (H)630.759.3089 – (C)630.965.1965 – paperrose01@aol.com

GRACE’S GARDON

Grace’s Garden is one of my favorite sets and I’m sad to see it retire.  I love the overall ambience of the set as well as the message.

The Highland Heather card is layered with the Brick and Mortar 3D embossing folder.  The white card stock was water misted prior to the embossing which allows the maximum texture.  The garden arch opens to the message layer and you can see flowers peeking through.  The gate actually opens although I find its easier to adhere the arch with the gate closed then cut open after.

 

The flower, bird and cat images have all been pre-cut.  The flowers can be colored with Stampin’ Blends and placed as you choose. On the top card, the garland of purple roses is climbing up the arbor.  On the card to the right, the rose garland embellishes the message layer and a partial garland embellishes the top of the arbor.  There is no wrong placement.     Dimensionals are used for several images.  The bird and cat are at a visual stand-off.  Purple and yellow butterflies add additional color and interest. 

The message layer is seen from the front and the inside.  The message is wonderful for friends and family and can be embellished as you choose.

This is the final card for May Stamp Camp – 2 flowery cards, a tree, and butterflies.  Please let me know as soon as possible which cards you choose to make. 

As a reminder, May Stamp Camp is on Thursday and Friday May 6 and 7 from 10am to 4pm, and Saturday May 8 from 9am to 4pm.

The next stamping experience will be Christmas in July on the 15th from 10am to 6pm, and July 17th from 9am to 4pm.  Debbie and I are already discussing Christmas.  I am taking the month of June off to concentrate on physical therapy for my knees!   

Springtime Blessings, Rosemary – (H)630.759.3089 – (C)630.965.1965 – paperrose01@aol.com

UNDER MY UMBRELLA

Hi crafters!  I’ve kept in touch with many of you during our Shelter in Place/Quarantine but just so you know, I am still alive and kicking.  Covid-19 has not hit any of our 30+ family members and we continue to wear masks, wash hands, and social distance.  However, we still need to communicate with friends and family so stamping and paper crafting must continue.  With the help of my Scan and Cut, I have developed 4 cards that will be for a Non-Stamp Camp.  What month?  I imagine we can consider it June Non-Stamp Camp! 

The first card is in keeping with our wet wet spring!

Under my Umbrella is a cute and cheerful card – even with the rain drops!  And this set is in the new 20-21 StampinUp! Catalog.  Of course the Pleased as Punch Designer Series Paper (DSP) is retiring but the stamp set and umbrella punch are staying with us.  The DSP provides the rainy background and the darling umbrellas.

The umbrellas vary in color and pattern but everyone will receive coordinating colors.  The flowers and boots are stamped in black and cut out with the Scan And Cut.  You can color them as you wish.  I chose Stampin’ Blends in light and dark Granny Apple, Calypso Coral, Mango Melody, Highland Heather and Rococo Rose for the flowers and black for the boots.  5 rhinestones are added to flower centers for some dazzle.  I recommend Stampin’ Dimensionals for a 3D effect.  A cluster of flowers is tucked slightly inside a boot.  Wink of Stella will make all your images pop,  If you are out of Wink, I have several.

The message layer features raindrops in Balmy Blue to match the card and the DSP.  A third umbrella is available to adhere on the message layer along with another cluster of flowers.

This set comes with several sentiments.  I will include 3 of the sentiments die cut with Stitched So Sweetly Dies.  The 3 sentiments are: LIFE’S SHOWERS BRING LOVE’S FLOWERS, NO MATTER THE WEATHER WE’RE FRIENDS FOREVER, and RAIN OR SHINE YOU’RE ALWAYS ON MY MIND.

Having your choice of 3 sentiments allows you to choose what you want, perhaps adhere one of the others on the message layer, or simply add to your library.  This message layer shows a partly open umbrella. You may receive a fully open or partially open umbrella for the message layer.  The umbrella handles are punched from sturdy black glimmer cs.

If you are interested in this Non-Stamp Camp, the cost remains $14 for any 4 cards and $3 for any additional cards.  Please contact me by text, phone or E-mail to let me know which cards you wish to make.

Depending on how the pandemic progresses, I am giving thought to in home Stamp Camp with a limit of 4 crafters at a time, well distanced and wearing masks.  This will require sterilization of all supplies in between use. If enough of you are interested, I will consider this as a possibility for July. 

Healthy Blessings, Rosemary – (home)630.759.3089 – (cell/text)630.965.1965 – paperrose01@aol.com

Easter Tulips

Although Easter is late this year, the date is fast approaching.  If we are lucky, we may not have any snow to commemorate our Lord.  Debbi and I have created four Easter cards for our April Stamp Camp (April 3, 4, 5).  However, all could be used for other occasions.  Today, we are going to view the Easter Tulips card

“Blessed Easter” is the stamp set featured on this card.  The color scheme is Tangerine Tango and Daffodil Delight .  The tulips are water-colored with blender pens and an assortment of inks.  The Fancy Fan Embossing Folder provides texture to the top part of the card, and the beautiful Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper adds softness to the card.  I absolutely love the Watercolor Wonder DSP.  Deb added a bit of Tangerine Tango ribbon, and a double butterfly using the Elegant and Bitty Butterfly Punches.  We split the message from the main stamp so we could use the tulips for other occasions.   Deb stamped the message on Daffodil Delight, cut it out with the Circle Framelits, and then sponged the circle heavily in Tangerine Tango. 

This beautiful card will be one of the four we will be completing at our April Stamp Camp.  Dates/times are:  Thursday, April 3rd from 2 – 9 PM; Friday, April 4th from 2 – 9 PM; and Saturday, April 5th from 9 AM – 4 PM.  If you need another date/time, please let me know, and I should be able to accommodate your request.

On a personal note, many of you are aware of weight loss surgery I had in October 2013.  I am proud to report that I have lost over 90 pounds, and am fast approaching 100 pounds.  Still have more to lose, but I am feeling a sense of accomplishment!

Remember that Sale-A-Bration ends March 31st.  Let me know if you want to take advantage of this annual sale. 

Give me a call or drop an E-mail if you have any questions about the April Stamp Camp.  Cost is $12 and everything you need is provided.  Check back tomorrow for the next Easter card post.    Blessings, Rosemary – 630/759-3089 – paperrose01@aol.com

More Mostly Male Stamp Camp Cards…

One of the stamp sets Deb and I both fell in love with when we saw the new 2013-2014 catalog was “Mosaic Madness.”  We thought this was a set that was a bit different and had a lot of possibilities.  Our first card for this set is Manly Mosaic Madness:

      

I have long been a fan of black, gray, white and just a touch of red.  This “Mosaic Madness” card shows this absolute favorite color combination!  Although it is hard to tell in the pictures, the black cs is embossed with the new Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder.  The mosaic images are stamped in Basic Gray and Going Gray, and are punched out with the new Mosaic Punch.  The little quatrefoil images are punched with the matching Itty Bitty Shapes Punch.  The 5/8” Basic Gray satin ribbon adds a touch of elegance to this simple card.  We’ve used the new Smoky Slate cs on the inside of the card for your message of choice.  Another nice touch with this card is that it is EASY!  You will be done in no time – especially if I have most of the mosaic images pre-stamped for you!

Our final Mostly Male card is By The Tide.  I know we used this stamp set several months ago, but this card is vastly different.  Deb did 2 versions, both in Night of Navy  – 1 version uses DSP and the other has a bit more stamping.  Of course the DSP card is the faster of the two, but I really like the stamped version although Deb says it is hard to keep the stamping straight – which I think calls for use of the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig!  We didn’t add a message to the front, but there is plenty of room to add Navy of Navy text such as “Happy Birthday,” “Celebrate,” Happy Father’s Day,” or any other message.  Square punches help make this stately card quick and easy!

       

I hope you can make it this weekend!  As I mentioned yesterday, now that I am retired, I no longer have to stick to the Friday 4 – 9 PM and Saturday 9AM – 4 PM time/day restraints.  I know many of you have summer things on the weekends, so if you can make it on Wednesday, June 5th, or Thursday, June 6th, just let me know what day and time are best for you.  The cost for June Mostly Male Stamp Camp is $10.00.  And don’t forget that the new catalogs are in.  Like last year, I am not charging for the catalogs.  You can stop by and pick one up, or I can drop one by.  I posted the E-mail links in yesterday’s blog.  Just let me know what works for you.

As I have mentioned previously, we will not have stamp camp in July – and I’m still not sure about August, but I will let you know in plenty of time.  I will keep you posted of specials as they occur, and please let me know if there is something you need or if you have a stamping/paper crafting question.

Blessings, Rosemary – 630.759.3089 – paperrose01@aol.com

More “Wet” Cards

Today I am going to share the remaining two cards for our “Everything Water” Stamp Camp:

This cute little rain boot comes from the “Bootiful Occasions” Stamp Set in the main Stampin’ Up catalog.  To give it a wet look, the rain boot was stamped in Midnight Muse, colored in Pool Party and embossed twice with clear embossing powder before it was cut out.  Little flowers are popping out of the boot bringing true the statement “When the rain is done, out comes the son.”  The Pool Party card is embossed with the Framed Tulips Folder while the Whisper White cs is embossed with lofty clouds from the Cloudy Day Embossing Folder.  I added the new Bitty Butterfly to match the flowers.  . 

Of course, the blooming stem can be done in any color. I used the branch from the Bird Builder Punch, and flowers punched from the Trio Flower Punch and the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.  Here is the same card with flowers punched in Daffodil, So Saffron, and the retired Barely Banana.  It is easy to carry the theme through by adding a stem with several flowers inside the card.  As shown below,  I stamped the boot image, and flowers from the “Bordering on Romance” stamp set on the envelope. 

Our final card for the “Everything Water” Stamp Camp is “Oh Whale.”  This is a cute card for children or anyone with a fun-loving personality.       

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh Whale” comes with several messages including “Whale you be mine?”, “Thanks a ton!,” “Whalecome!” and “Get whale soon.”  Of course any message could be used depending on the occasion.  Designer paper from the Sunshine & Sprinkles set provides the ocean background.  The circle punch from the Itty Bitty Punch pack is used to punch the shape of the top waves.  The whale is stamped in Pacific Point and die-cut with the “Happy Whale” clearlits die and Big Shot.  The Two Way Glue Pen is used with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to add sparkle to the waves.  Fluffy clouds are cut out from Whisper White cs embossed with the Cloudy Day Embossing Folder.  We found that the clouds show up more when sponged lightly with Pacific Point. 

Our “Everything Water” Stamp Camp is right around the corner – this Friday, April 5th from 4 PM – 9 PM, and Saturday, April 6th from 9 AM – 4 PM.  We look forward to seeing you.  If you are pretty sure you will be attending, it is helpful if you can let me know.  However, if you decide at the last second to drop by, we will always have a few extra sets of cut paper.  If you can’t make it, but want to do the cards, let me know, and we will have a kit prepared for you to pick up and put together at your leisure.  The kits include stamped images, completed embossing, sponging, die cutting and all embellishments.  You only have to provide the adhesive and manpower to put the card together.  The cost for the stamp camp and for the kit is $10.