All Occasion

Sheer Perfection

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I had taken a break from blackberry bliss, since I couldn’t leave it alone.  I went through a pack of that paper pretty darn quick.  Just had to order another.  I absolutely love, love, love that color.  I am glad we get it for another year.

Sheer Perfection

Isn’t this velum paper just beautiful?  It is yet another free gift with a qualifying purchase during Sale-a-bration!  Those folks at Stampin’Up! did a really clever thing during this sale.  By the time we hit March, things have slowed a bit, so they introduced four new gift items!  Wheeeeeee!

Sheer Perfection

I picked my favorites right away of course.  This pack has several patterns and they are all wonderful.  You should really get some of it, really.

Sheer Perfection

The gift bag I made to go with is pretty darn simple.  I probably should have done more, but I was wasn’t feeling it.  My daughter thought it would be perfect with a couple of candy bars inside.  What bag wouldn’t, right?

Either way, I finally got these together.  Some Saturday’s are busier than others, and today was chuck full of very wonderful distractions.  Life can be so good.

Hope you had a creative day!

Moana

Back to Black Throw Back Thursday

~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

I let myself get so caught up in the fun of the spring and sale-a-bration catalogs that I neglected one of my favorites.  Digging into old product and paying homage.

Back to Black

It might be hard to tell just what is retired here, because it looks familiar.  Well, the pool party paper used here is the retired version.  If you look closely, you can see some of the texture.  Remember that?  Just a subtle thing, but nice.  Also, how about all of that bling?  I was quite generous with the rhinestones, even the retired ones.  Yup, the large rhinestones.  When they hit the clearance rack, I bought a bunch.  It will be sad when that stash is gone, but that won’t be any time soon.

Back to Black

I might have used all of the floral punches, but one.  Have to love a good floral card and matching box right?  Now it just needs something fabulous to go inside.  How about some jewelry or truffles?  I like it.

Back to Black

If you want to re-create any of these, just get out your back to black dsp, all of your floral punches, pool party paper and matching ribbon, and a healthy stash of basic rhinestones.  I took the guesswork out of the box and used my box punch board.  You might notice all the lift.  Of course there is a serious dimensional party going on here too.  So, join in!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Celebrate This!

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I always call it a celebration when you get to use product that has been sitting quietly waiting its turn.  It seems I have been doing that a lot lately.  That would be the difference between preparing for workshop projects and blogging daily.  I think the daily thing is a lot more interesting, even if a bit tiring.

Confetti Celebration

I have to admit I struggled with this one a bit.  I tend to lean to the softer look and this one was pretty darn edgy.  But, I absolutely adore orange, so I persevered.

Confetti Celebration

Late night and early morning work tend to make for a lot of shadows in my photos. But when you have a family that comes first, those tend to be the available hours of my day.  I can cope well enough with the shadows, most of the time.

Confetti Celebration

This gift bag had a different plan to start with.  I had a math problem while using my scoreboard and I had to improvise.  It is actually a pretty nice size.  It used a whole sheet of cardstock with only a little bit snipped away.

On a side note, it was extremely satisfying to use hexagon shaped dimensionals on a hexagon shaped punch.  For those of us who like things just so, it is definitely just so.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Let’s Celebrate Gold Soiree!

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How beautiful is this paper, right? Well, having it to look at is fun, but using it is better.  Sometimes we hang on too long because it is so pretty.  If you have it, use it.  That being said, this is only my second project with this paper pack.  Oooops…

Let's Celebrate

This is on its way to becoming a six card set.  I have a friend hosting a baby shower for her daughter and I am on prize patrol.  Yup, the prizes will be card sets and the like.  How fun will that be!

Let's Celebrate

This was one of those cards that as I started I was pretty unsure.  I though the calypso coral and garden green would just take over and my paper would be lost.  Leave it to Stampin’Up! to have everything go together so perfectly.

Let's Celebrate

I just kept going and was pleasantly surprised when it looked better than I thought it would.  I really love the boarder stamp I used inside.  It is so delicate.  Why don’t you give it a try!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Just a Little Sumthin’ Sumthin’

~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

Today is all about quick and simple.  I was able to attend a girls camp planning meeting last night and of course I had to have something to share with the girls.  Imagine this set times four.

Sumthin' Sumthin'

It only took about an hour to whip up twenty handouts!  How about that!  I got into my stash of retired designer series paper and pulled out these awesome colors.  I cut the squares 6×6, put adhesive on two perpendicular sides, rolled into a tube and squished one end together.

Sumthin' Sumthin'

Fill with candy and staple shut!  Really, it was just about that simple.  I used the other side of the paper to give a more solid pattern to frame my stamped phrase.  It was so quick.

Sumthin' Sumthin'

It makes people feel special when they know you made them something, even a little something like this.  What a great use of awesome products, right?

Have a creative day!

Moana

Tap Tap Tap

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I have to admit, when the spring catalog comes out I get a little distracted.  I sometimes forget the annual catalog and all of the stamps and products I love from it  This stamp set is one great example.

Tap Tap Tap

Isn’t it just so cute?  I made the cards a little different this time.  I put a masculine and feminine emphasis on each one.  It made me happy.

Tap Tap Tap

What really made me happy was this awesome bag!  I don’t know if someone else has made one with these dimensions before, but it is all new to my brain.  It was my families favorite.  It can hold a huge candy bar, and even several greeting cards.  How about a combo of both?

Tap Tap Tap

The typewriter is great, but I love the tap tap tap stamp.  It really makes me giggle. So, it had to get used as much as possible.  I would have done more if I could.

Tap Tap Tap

What products did I use for these projects?  Tons!  I worked in basic black with the Typeset Specialty designer series paper.  I accented in hello honey and blackberry bliss stitched satin ribbon.  I even played a touch with that super fun handheld stapler.  Much easier to use than my desktop one, much.  Of course I had to add petite petals in black with basic pearls.  I grabbed a sentiment for the bag from the Sale-a-bration stamp set A Happy Thing.  Really, tons of fun stuff here.

Now, how about you go out there and have a creative day!

Moana

Dear Heart and Cheerful Critters

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Today is totally out of my comfort zone, but I stuck with it.  It was hard not to add a ribbon or some sort of accessory.  Do the mini brads count?

Dear Critter

I took this cute little raccoon from the Dear Heart set.  I have enjoyed the little boys faces so much that I hardly noticed this guy.  I was ready to use the dinosaur instead, then I saw him.

Dear Critter

I couldn’t decide on a background, at all.  I had picked the sentiment from Cheerful Critters, but thought it would be a punch.  I actually went to bed frustrated with nothing but the raccoon colored.  In the morning I merged the two together.

Dear Critter

Even though I am not the most precise stamper when it comes to things like this, I liked the results.  But I have to admit I did rummage through the ribbon one more time trying to add something else.  I stayed firm though and left it as is.

I used smokey slate as my primary color for the paper, stamping, and blendabilities.  I only used a bit of real red for the focal sentiment.  All good? Thought so.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Painted Petals with Elegant Eggplant

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I sat down to work on this blog project with only one thing in mind, purple.

Painted Petals

I am totally feeling it.  I haven’t used elegant eggplant in ages.  I think it could have easily been a year.  For shame…

Painted Petals

The painted petals stamp set is such a useful set.  The sentiments, all three shown here, are wonderful.  The flowers have so many options.   The additional graphic elements really give a lot of interest.  I wonder how many projects I could make with just this set.  That thought just sent my mind spinning.

Painted Petals

It seems I can’t make a card these days without a matching bag or box.  It makes for a really busy desktop.  I obviously need to give more of this away.

Painted Petals

The background is cardstock velum stamped with white stazon using lovely lace and then I embossed it.  Sometimes the double treatment is necessary.

Painted Petals

I hope you feel inspired to get out there and have a creative day!

Moana

Sheltering Tree

~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

Spring is in the air and blossoms are all over my fruit trees.  I thought I would try to re-create that with my maiden voyage of this beautiful stamp set.  It worked.

Sheltering Tree

I tried  to add more interest with white stazon flowers in the trees, but my color pallet was too light and they were kind of lost.  Seeing them in person makes it easier that through a photo.  I thought I could color with some blendabilities over the stazon parts, but decided against it.

Sheltering Tree

The card base is wild wasabi with whisper white and blushing bride layers.  To keep the boarders nice and tidy I adhered them with tombo multipurpose glue so I could wiggle them in just the right place.  I love the skinny boarders, but they can be a bit tricky.

Sheltering Tree

It needed some kind of embellishment, but it had to be subtle.  The linen thread became the perfect choice and finished it off perfectly.

Sheltering Tree

Now, with these cards looking so happy and ready to go, I wish I had a bunch more to send to all my dear friends.

Have a creative day!

Moana

B.Y.O.P. Trio

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How about waking up to this bundle of sunshine!  I’ve noticed that I have migrated to yellows quite a bit.  It must be a bit of spring fever in the air.  I know it is only February, but with how warm it has been, everything is bright and in bloom.  Just like this bundle.

B.Y.O.P.

This awesome stamp set B.Y.O.P. has the best sayings ever.  If you are a gift card giver, this is the set for you.  It has sentiments for everything and they range from funny to nice to just right.  I’m telling you, just awesome!

B.Y.O.P.

The products are pretty basic here today.  I think it is obvious that I love flowers.  There are four different floral punches and even a floral die cut.  Yup, I love flowers.

B.Y.O.P.

The color scheme is all about crushed curry.  That is one of the colors used in the free designer series paper pack.  The ribbon and buttons are also from a coordinating set.  Also free.  Don’t you love that?

B.Y.O.P.

So, no matter what kind of gift giver you are, this totally works.  But really, giving a gift card can look kind of tiny, even though it can be just right.  Why not give it a beautiful wrapping?

Have a creative day!

Moana

Yee-Haw For Big Sisters!

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Some things in life just require a great big ‘Yee-Haw!’  Like announcing you are having a baby!  That is definitely something worth celebrating.

Yee-Haw

A friend just announced her third child through the most adorable set of photos posted on  Facebook.  Her two girls were all done up in hot pink with cowgirl galore.  I couldn’t stop looking at them and loving every moment.

Yee-Haw

Then, I remembered this awesome stamp set.  I had made a card some time ago for workshop with totally different colors, but a similar design.  The original design credit goes to Brian King, another Stampin’Up! demonstrator of sheer awesomeness.  So, he inspired me, and then this beauty came along.

Yee-Haw

One stamp set, Yee-Haw, along with a heavy dose of melon mambo and basic rhinestones, and this beauty is perfect.  I thought about adding flowers too, but actually managed to hold back.  I might go back later, just because, you never know.

Either way, the card is awesome, big sisters are awesome, and I can’t wait to give it to her!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Cheer Up Buttercup!

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Does this little guy just cheer you up or what?  I absolutely love the fry box die cut!  I have made so many for quick little gifts here and there.  They go together so quickly and look adorable every time!

Cheer Up Buttercup

The geometric stamp set has this awesome sentiment and is actually the reason I had to have it.  It has also had tons of use for obvious reasons.

Cheer Up Buttercup

I was actually headed out to work and decided I needed a little get well goody for a student of mine.  I already had the flower ready from the other days project.  With that said, it only took about ten minutes to put this all together, including a quick few photos to share.

Cheer Up Buttercup

I am telling you, this die is the best!  Get into those quick project ideas and share some happiness!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Hello You

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I was pretty unsure about using such a dark color.  I normally would have brightened it up, but stuck with it.  The results did come together pretty nicely I must say.

Hello You

The designer paper from the Birthday Bash set had been fussing at me for a while to get out the Night of Navy.  Isn’t it pretty paper?

Hello You

The wording set is a combo of a stamp and a thinlit.  The small words come from a huge set of stamps that really give so many choices.  They are photopolymer so placement is super easy.  The adorable ‘hello’ is one of five thinlits from the Hello You set.  For being so delicate, it was super easy to use.  Great results!

Hello You

I went back and forth on adding the Boho Blossoms flowers or not.  The card actually was lovely without them, but I kept on. I liked how they added just the right touch.   If you are a clean and simple kind of crafter, just remove the flowers. It really does make a difference.

Hello You

Either way, you should give this card a try.  It uses a ton of fun products that come together in a way that only Stampin’Up! could.  I so love how everything coordinates in every way.  Especially with a monochromatic look like this.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Bloom With Hope

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I just love making my own background paper.  The stamp set Bloom With Hope is full of these delicate lines that are just beautiful.  The flower I used is only one of many.  If you love flowers, well, this is a great set for you.

Bloom With Hope

I chose not to use a sentiment with this card.  There are several in the set from birthday to sympathy, but I left it ready for anything.  I was just in the mood for sunflowers, and this is what I came up with.

Bloom With Hope

I did a lot of stamping on the background paper, but none of the images were at full strength.  Stamping off is the secret here.  Just play a bit and it will be wonderful.

Bloom With Hope

I stamped my main flower in Hello Honey and colored it with my Daffodil Delight Blendabilities.  Yup, there are many colors that will work and not bleed, not just the Momento ink.  Another experiment for you.  Although, I do think that Stampin’Up! did provide a list of compatible inks at one time.  I will have to look.

Bloom With Hope

I added some bling and colored them in with Crumb Cake Blendabilities.  That helped my sunflower concept come around.  I cut out my image using the rounded square shape from the Apothecary Accents Framelits set.  Love that one!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Calling All Heroes!

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I have always had so much fun with this set.  It truly makes me giggle, every time.  I know I have seen many projects with a serious theme using the city skyline, but I love the whimsy.

Calling All Heroes

I put these notebook covers together for a lovely group of girls.  As summer slowly approaches, we all start to prepare for the coming events.  One of them that is big in my life is my daughters week long church camp.  It is just so wonderful for everyone involved.  The older girls have the opportunity to be the Youth Camp Leaders  or YCL’s.  They picked superheroes as the theme for their campsite.  So, naturally, I went here.

Calling All Heroes

We had a planning meeting on Sunday evening, and I made these notebook sets to help them stay organized.  And of course to let them know how special they are!  What better way than this?  I couldn’t think of one either.

Calling All Heroes

The sunburst framelits work so well here giving it a little extra zing.  It stayed pretty clean so the focus could be on these little heroes.  They felt super special and looked awesome too.  I made eighteen of these guys.  Yup, it took a while, in several sitting.  Too much fun though!  Go get some stamps out and make something for someone else.  You will feel great doing it!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Lovely As a Tree

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These lovely cards were actually my handout for a church lesson I taught yesterday morning.  I have the privilege of teaching a young women’s class for girls from the ages of 16-18.  They are such an amazing group.

Lovely As a Tree

Our topic was “Why Do We Need Adversity”.  Good question right?  An object lesson that was in the talk I used spoke of a young sapling tree standing alone in the wind and how trees in that situation grow deep roots, thicker bark, and ways to be more flexible in order to survive.  It was so perfect for today’s times.

Lovely As a Tree

So, when I planned this handout, I knew the beautiful oak tree was the perfect subject.  How symbolic of standing the test of time, a strong beautiful tree.

Lovely As a Tree

I put this together using almost artichoke, saraha sand, and very vanilla paper.  I stamped in momento ink and used a sentiment from a Tim Holtz collection.  I loved the touch of the embossing folder bringing out the tree theme even more and finished it off with a wooden oak leaf element.  Great right?  The layout could hold many options. There seems to be a need for masculine styled cards in my collection more often than not.  You should try this out!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Flower Flurry Bigz Gift Box

~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

Sometimes my brain thinks things, and sometimes they don’t work the way I envision them.  I struggled with ribbon this time.

Flower Flurry Bigz Gift Box

I wanted to make a pretty gift box for a workshop project and use fun Sale-a-bration products as well.  I wanted a fluffy bow to be in the middle of the flowers.

Flower Flurry Bigz Gift Box

Well, I hated it.  Turns out having all three ribbon colors from the accessory pack was a bad idea.  I thought it was a trashed project idea until I managed to pull out the ribbon bundle and just leave it with coastal cabana ribbon.  Phew!

Flower Flurry Bigz Gift Box

Success after all.  It feels so springy and happy!  Now, what to put inside for the special someone.  Maybe a great big cupcake, or a candle, or who knows!

Have a creative day!

Moana