RobinsCraftRoom.com

Happy Summertime Anniversary!

Aloha, all!

     This week marks the second anniversary of my son and daughter-in-law's wedding.  Their official marriage was June 30th, but they had a big formal wedding in Indonesia in December of their wedding year.  I like to celebrate their official date as their anniversary.  December has plenty of other stuff to celebrate (like Christmas!).

     It just so happens that this week also features a challenge from the SU Only Challenge group to make a card for Summer Wedding Anniversaries.  So guess for whom I designed my card for the week?!

     I wanted the colors on this card to be bright and fun, and the colors in the brand new Stampin' Up! Hostess paper set, Cheerful Treat, seemed to be just the thing for it.  I chose this sheet because I could use a larger print on a 5-1/4" square card.  I can leave tinier prints for smaller pieces of paper on smaller cards. The colors on this page are Melon Mambo and Lucky Limeade, two of Stampin' Up!'s newest colors to be featured in the July 1st release of the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog.  That's also where you'll find the papers for the first time.  The dark dot in the center of the Melon Mambo flowers is undoubtedly Concord Crush, which is a color in this set of papers.  But as it's so small and you can't really tell, I made believe that it was Night of Navy so that I could use some retiring ribbon for an embellishment.  While there will still be 1/8" Grosgrain Ribbon in the new catalog, the Night of Navy color is going to be retiring as of June 30th.  I also used Night of Navy as the layer behind the scalloped layer and that behind the "Happy Anniversary" greeting (from the set, Teeny Tiny Wishes).

     Making the hearts was the fun part of this project.  In fact, I made them more than once because on the first go round I didn't have the light on in my craft room and made some beautiful Real Red and Lucky Limeade hearts.  Not going to work with this paper in real daylight!  Anyway, there are three layers for each heart.  The bottom Melon Mambo layer was made by punching the heart with the Sizzix Movers and Shapers Die from the Punch Windows Set.  The middle layer was made with Lucky Limeade and the Embosslit Scalloped Heart of Hearts.  I just wanted that scalloped edge, and it worked out perfectly.  The top Melon Mambo layer was punched with the Full Heart Punch, then embossed with the Finial Press Embossing Folder.  It was not by accident that they all have the same design.  I carefully lined up each punched heart to try to get it centered exactly on the design I'd chosen to use.  This is not at all hard to do, and I think it's quite effective in a design such as this. 

     So there's my design for my son/daughter-in-law and for my SU Only Challenge group!  I'll hope you'll visit the SUOC blog to see the fab projects submitted by the other members of the challenge team, and maybe even add one of your own by using the link tool at the bottom of the post!

     This was not the first card that I made with this design. 

     I actually made the first card at the same time I was making my card for the last SUOC Wedding project challenge.  So I was thinking white.  Once I saw other anniversary cards, I thought maybe I'd do something a little more colorful.  This works out because I need a Wedding card for a nephew later this summer, and this one might just be the perfect card!  Besides the Whisper White, the card also includes one of my favorite colors, Marina Mist.

     Here's the sketch for the layout.  You might want to pay particular attention to the measurement of the scalloped layer.  4-3/4" is a perfect sized square for using the Scalloped Edge Border and Corner Punches!  I hope you have fun with this punch and with the card design!

Subscribe to the comments for this post

I {Heart} Sketch Challenges!

Aloha, all!

     It seems that a lot of cards and projects that are being made right now feature Stampin' Up! stamp sets that are retiring.  But today I found myself using two stamp sets and a Stampin' Wheel that are in the current Stampin' Up! catalog AND are going to be continued on into the new catalog that will be effective July 1st of this year. 

     The whole project all started as I've been studying the new catalog (available to my customers on June 20th) for samples that I could use to make card swaps that I'll be sharing with my stampin' friends at the Stampin' Up! Convention next month.  It ended with a fab card sketch challenge at Create with Connie and Mary (CCMC-SUM04).  I combined the idea I got from browsing the new catalog with the sketch and ended up with this fun card! 

     My objective with this card was to use lots of different types of Stampin' Up! products that we, as demonstrators, could show off at a workshop without there being too much hard work.  Of course, it also means that those of you who are NOT demonstrators can also make the same type of card easily, too!   Believe me, if this wasn't an easy project, I wouldn't be making FIFTY of them for swaps!

     The easy part about the scalloped circle and all but one of those hearts is that they're either stamped or punched (the large circle with a Sizzix Die using the Sizzix Big Shot).  How easy is that!?  The stamp sets are I {Heart} Hearts and Heard from the Heart (Stamped with Concord Crush Ink), and the Wheel is called Very Vintage (stamped with one of the new colors being introduced in the next catalog, Wisteria Wonder).  The card stock shades for this card are Confetti Cream, Regal Rose and the new colors Lucky Limeade and Wisteria Wonder.  The Regal Rose Designer Series Paper pattern is from the Brights Patterns Stack, which is in both the current and new catalogs.

     The Very Vintage Stampin' Wheel is one of the Jumbo Wheels, and I cut its piece of Confetti Cream card stock to be 1-7/8" wide which is just at either edge of the stamped image.  For the strip with the sentiment on it I started with a piece of card stock that was 4-1/4" wide x 1-1/4" high.  I first punched one long edge with the Eyelet Border Punch, then stamped just above the punched area, and finally trimmed the strip to just above the stamped sentiment.

     Here's the whole layout of the card, shown a little differently today so that you can see where I used all of the Stampin' Up! products that are in this project. 

     This week, whether you make a card with 2 or 3 products or with all 17 products that I used for this project, be sure to have fun doing it!

Subscribe to the comments for this post

A Fun CASE for Valentine’s Day

Aloha, all!

     You'll recall the word CASE – I define it as "Copy And Share with Everyone."  Well, today's card is definitely a CASE!  Fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Tina Taves, featured this online this morning and I fell in love with the design!

     This card uses the Stamp Set, Valentine Defined, from the Stampin' Up! 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog.  I had no idea that the Full Heart Punch punched out those flamingos so perfectly!  And now I do thanks to Tina.  My only big change to this was to add a layer of Red Glimmer Paper (also in the Occasions Mini Catalog) to the central square element, and also as the Scalloped Oval Mat for the "Love" greeting.  Another feature of this card is that it uses two of the designs from the Love Patterns Designer Series Paper Set for $9.95, which is only available until February 14, 2011.  This is the same paper as in the Patterns Paper Stacks featured in the Stampin' Up! 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog, but you get a lot more Pretty in Pink and Real Red paper in it without having to purchase the other colors in the paper stacks (you'd have to buy both the Brights and the Subtles paper stacks at $19.95 EACH to get both of these colors).

     The layout for this card is very close to the layout for a similar card that I made almost exactly one year ago!  On February 7, 2010, I showed a card with the main square element starting with a 3-1/4" square as the bottom mat, and this one starts with a 2-3/4" square as the bottom mat.  How do I know this?  Because it's in my Robin's Craft Room 2010 Greeting Card Layout eBook!  That eBook is now for sale, and I'd love for you to have a copy!  For more information, click on the link at the top of the column to the right.  I even have a sample of the eBook available so that you can see what it's like before you buy.

     Of course I would love for you to order any of the Stampin' Up! products that I used to make this card.  All you have to do is go to my Stampin' Up! website to order online any time 24/7/365!  Or call (808.965.1391) or e-mail me if you have any questions!

     And if you decide to make any kind of a Valentine's Day Card this week, I hope you have LOTS of fun with it!

Subscribe to the comments for this post

Punch Parfait Potpourri

Aloha, all!

     How do you like all that alliteration in the topic today?  Perfect for this post! 

     The topic comes from all the "p" words that are appropriate for today's pretty project:  Punch Potpourri (as in the Level 1 Hostess set) and Peach Parfait (as in the orange-ish color that's featured as part of the presentation.  Hmmm.  Let's count the "p"s in this post so far!  Or not.

     I copied the overall design of this card from a project featured in a recent issue of the Stampin' Up! magazine, Stampin' Success.  (Great magazine with tons of ideas – but just for Stampin' Up! demonstrators.)  All of the images are from Punch Potpourri, and all coordinate with one of Stampin' Up!'s fabulous punches.

• The two flowers are part of the Boho Blossoms Extra-Large Punch, with the top one first stamped in Marina Mist and the bottom flower stamped with Peach Parfait.
• The butterfly, stamped in Peach Parfait is punched with the Butterfly Extra-Large Punch.
• The heart, which in this project is stamped directly onto the card stock and not punched out, could have been punched with the Full Heart Extra-Large Punch.
• Finally, the lovely Marina Mist Bird is punched with the Two-Step Bird Extra-Large Punch.

     Oh, and then there are the other embellishments:  I cut a strip of Peach Parfait card stock and ran it through Stampin' Up!'s Crimper (remember I said earlier this week that I was really into texture as an added element these days?).  And I added a Button and a Brad in the Marine Mist color.  Unfortunately, as Peach Parfait is just a temporary Stampin' Up! "In Color," there are no brads or buttons in that color.  But I think that the Pumpkin Pie Brad fits the bill for this card just fine.

     This is a stamp set that will get lots of use in Robin's Craft Room, and one that I think you'll love to have to use with all those punches.  In fact, I'm going to feature this stamp set and all those punches in one of my product classes this fall – we'll make several different cards and at least one 3-D project featuring this stamp set and these punches with colors of your choice in early November.  I've almost got my class schedule for the fall and early winter completed, and I'm going to be sending out my class schedule to people on my mailing list early next week.  If you'd like to get the brochure, just sign up for my newsletter and you'll be among the first to get the list and have first dibs on the limited class space!

     Here's the layout for today's card.  Have fun!   And wish my newest recruit, Dana, good luck on her first workshop on Friday night!!!  Go, Dana!

Subscribe to the comments for this post

Just a Bit More!

Aloha, all!

Yesterday we looked at two different versions of the same basic card.  Today we’ll look at the final card I decided to make with this design.  The operative word with this card is "texture." 

Aha, you thought I’d say "bling"!  But bling is texture.  And so is texture made by using some of the Sizzix Texturz Plates offered by Stampin’ Up!

This is the same basic design as yesterday’s card.  But here’s the Texture!

• I added Heat and Stick Powder and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to both images stamped to be used with the Heart to Heart Punch.

• I texturized both pieces of the Real Red Card Stock with one of the Sizzix Texturz Plates from the set, Stampin’ Up! Backgrounds I.

• I added three red brads from the Circle Fire Rhinestone Brads set, two on either side of the greeting from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, and one on the Pretty in Pink stamped image from I  {Heart} Hearts.

• Finally, instead of the 1/4" Pretty in Pink Grosgrain Ribbon with the knot, I added the Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon and tied it in a bow.

These three cards have the same basic design.  But the last one has a lot more that’s special about it!

Yes, I made a bunch of the other two cards.  But I made only one of this card.  And it’s going to be sent out to a very special person–YOU!!!  All you have to do is be the first person who e-mails me a request for this card, and it’s going to be YOURS!!!

Subscribe to the comments for this post

Kick it Up a Notch!

 Aloha, all!

Yesterday was a "stamp-a-stack" session in Robin’s Craft Room.  The whole premise behind "stamp-a-stack" is that you can get a lot of cards done in a short time period.  The idea is to have cards for the special holiday and not have to stress over them!  So last week and this week, we completed a stack of Valentine’s Day cards done so we’d have a bunch to send out.  We got ten done last week, and ten more done this week. 

Now, that’s not 10 different cards.  But I did have 2 different cards for the group to make, with each person making 5 of each.  So the boredom level stayed reasonable.  Actually, last week, Lucy managed to get creative with the small number of elements I had cut and ready for her, and she had quite a few different designs.  See, creativity abounds even when you’re trying to keep things on simple!  That’s what Stampin’ Up!’s all about, after all–being creative!

This week I decided to go ahead with the two set designs, but to give each person a bit more material just in case they had time be be creative – and wanted to be creative.  This first card is a fun, although fairly simple, card.  I promised that this week I’d use punches.  This card uses three of them:  The Full Heart Punch, the Heart to Heart Punch, and the Modern Label Punch.  We used the Full Heart Punch to make a window in the Real Red Card stock that was adhered with Stampin’ Dimensionals and  "looked" through to the glittery paper from the Sending Love Designer Series Paper.  We used the Heart to Heart punch to punch images we had stamped using Real Red Classic Ink with one of the stamps from the set, Love You Much.  Those are the hearts on the right edge of the Full Heart Punched window.  Finally, we used the Modern Label PUnch at the bottom as a window through to some Very Vanilla card stock stamped with a greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

Top it off with some 1/4" Pretty In Pink grosgrain ribbon, attach it to a Pretty In Pink greeting card, and you have a Valentine’s Card.  And it’s quick! 

But then I was thinking that maybe the ladies would like a bit more. So I included some extra Very Vanilla Card stock and had the new Clear Mount Rubber Stamp Set, I {Heart} Hearts, available if they wanted to use it.  With this, some of us stamped an image with some Pretty in Pink Classic Ink, and punched it out with the Heart to Heart punch.  So there are some extra hearts to kick the card up a notch and balance everything out a bit.  Nice!

Tomorrow, I’m going to add even some more to this card to make the card that I’m going to send out to a very special person!  It might even be YOU!!

Subscribe to the comments for this post

Happy Anniversary, Harry!

Aloha, all–and especially my darling husband, Harry!

Today is our wedding anniversary and I’m looking forward to a nice dinner out.  We rarely eat out because we have such a lovely garden and lanai (covered patio) and can eat dinner every night in one of the most beautiful settings we know of!  So it’s really a treat for us to drive into Hilo and enjoy being waited on.

Of course, I couldn’t let our anniversary go by without a card that is hand made by the resident Stampin’ Up! demonstrator (that would be me).  I made this card with the "Manchester" Designer Series Paper pack.  I think that Manchester has a nice masculine feel to it, and love that it includes outdoorsy colors, such as Always Artichoke and Kraft, as Harry’s avocation these days is his wonderful Hawaiian garden (seen in the background). 

To accent the card, I used some brass colored brads from the Vintage Brad set, as well as some Kraft satin ribbon.  The word, "Love" stamped on the heart (punched with the Full Heart Punch) is from one of the stamps in the All Holidays stamp set.

Happy Anniversary, Harry!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s introduction to a card fold that is just TOO CUTE!!  I made a belated birthday card for my friend, Lucy, and I’ll show it off then.

Subscribe to the comments for this post