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Out of my Comfort Zone – Have a Heart!!

Aloha, all!

     I am finally back at my computer after having been gone for two weeks.  I definitely missed writing my blog posts live, but enjoyed reading comments and e-mails about my vacation projects while I was away.

     So now I am part of the first blog tour of the year for the group called "VC Rocks!"  "VC" stands for "Virtual Convention." It's a group of people who love Stampin' Up! products and want to celebrate both the beginning of a new catalog year and the annual summer convention.  Many of us can't actually attend the convention each year, so we enjoy our "Virtual" convention as a way of keeping in touch with old friends, as well as swapping stamped projects and even claiming "rooms" in our "virtual hotel"!  At the end of this post are links to the next and previous blogs on the tour as well as to the VC Rocks Blog, which lists all the blogs on the tour.

     And now for my project for the weekend, with the VC Rocks blog tour theme, Have a Heart!  Among activities on the VC Rocks blog are weekly challenges.  And this week's challenge was a doozie.  A doodling doozie!  We were to make a project that included doodling.  Well, then someone mentioned "zentangling."  Huh?  But, oh my, when I started googling zentangling (try saying that fast 10 times!) I discovered this fun doodling for myself!  And I got carried away!

     And this card is just full of it!  I won't bore you with all the details about the machinations through which I went as I tried to figure out how I was going to put the zentangling together with the Blog Tour theme, which is Hearts.  But I finally settled on the Stampin' Up! Stamp Set, Sweetheart, which is retiring at the end of this month (sob!).  That nice open heart shape was just perfect for some beginner zentangling/doodling.  Here's how I set about filling up my heart shapes.

     Starting at the top and moving clockwise, I first divided the heart into 4 quadrants.  I originally thought I'd do different zentangles in each quadrant, but finally decided on something that linked all the quadrants together.  So the second step was to draw lines and curves that followed the lines and curves of the heart shape.  Once I did that, and moving on to the 3rd shape, I crosshatched all of the original lines.  Finally, I colored in the square shapes that had been formed in a fairly repetitive pattern.  It's the repetitive part that's the jewel of this technique!  First of all, I said to myself (repeatedly!), "This is hand-drawn; there are no mistakes."  Then I just let myself relax and color the squares.  Time just flew by and I was in a "zone."  Comfort zone?  Yes, finally!

     Now about those colors.  I used three of the new In Colors that Stampin' Up! will be featuring in the new catalog:  the darker red color with which I stamped the hearts and drew the lines is called Raspberry Ripple; the lighter red color is Primrose Petals; and the green color is Gumball Green. I used the new colors' Stampin' Write Markers to fill in the squares.  I also used Gumball Green and Raspberry Ripple card stock for the project, both of them as mats for the main stamped layer, and the Raspberry Ripple for the card base.  The very lightest pink color in the doodle squares is Pretty in Pink, a current core color in the Stampin' Up! collection.

     And the pearls?  As you can see in my sketch, I drew a dark line with the Raspberry Ripple to separate the quadrants of the hearts.  When I was finished with the card, I decided that I did not like the effect.  So out came my supply of Basic Pearls to cover the lines. Over the top?  Maybe.  But I love the overall effect of the square center of the heart pattern formed by the pearls!

     If you'd like to try this stamped layout, here's one hint for getting those four hearts aligned pretty perfectly.  Use a pencil to make four dots in the center of your stamped layer.  Two of the dots should be centered 1/4" apart on the (imaginary or lightly drawn) horizontal line, and two of the dots should be centered 1/4" apart on the (same deal) vertical line.  Then, using your Stamp-a-ma-jig, stamp each heart so that the bottom dot of the heart is stamped over one of the pencilled dots.

     Here's the full card layout to help you complete your project if you'd like to try it out!

     OK – I've taken up enough of your time!  You'll want to be on to the next blog in this Blog Hop, Kym Schwickendorf's blog, Artful Imagination.  Or maybe you'd like to go back to Patrice Herrera's "My Little Patch of Dirt" blog.  (Now there's someone who knows this zenfangling technique!!!  Aloha to you, too, Patrice!).  And if you'd like to see the whole list of blogs on this blog tour (there are 30!) then go the VC Rocks Blog's home page.  Of course, there you'll learn more about VC Rocks and you just might want to join – it's free and it's a fabulous time all summer long!

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Dimensional Fun!

Aloha, all!

     It's time for another SUO Challenges project- actually we're a bit late because I'm just now returning from my travels and I'm the one who sends the final SUO Challenge blog post on its way!    

     Thankfully, I prepared my project for this week's challenge before I left! 

     On the other hand, I was limited in the Designer Series Papers I could use before I left because I'd not had the opportunity to see – let along order! – any of the new papers that you'll be seeing in a just a few weeks in the new 2012-2013 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog!  I was limited to the other sneak peek preview paper we had available, Summer Smooches.  Yes, this delightful Lucky Limeade Paper is part of the Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper.  I've been so "in love with" the papers with the graphic colors that I've ignored this sheet.  Until this project came along.

     But what a perfect background for a colorful bunch of flowers!  Oh, yes- the challenge was to make a project with 3-dimensional flowers!  On the other hand, the ribbon I've used for these flowers IS retiring soon!  This is one of the last projects involving retired products that I'm going to be showing off, and I thought I'd try to use up some of the retiring 5/8" Satin Ribbon.  ALL of that ribbon is retiring, and I'm going to be so sad to see it go because it makes beautiful ribbon rosettes.  I did sneak in a product from the 2012 Occasions Mini  - the large pearls. BUT they're still available! I hope that means they'll be in the new catalog. The final product (besides the Pretty in Pink, Real Red, and Bashful Blue Card Stock), is the set of leaves, all punched using the leaves from the Bird Builder Punch.

     I had so much fun making these ribbon rosettes that I made a quick video of how to make them and included it in my last newsletter.  If you're not on my newsletter list and sign up for it in the next week or so, I'll be glad to send you a copy.  I'm going to be making another video soon showing off a box for greeting cards – and I'm hoping to have some new products to show off as well – as I demonstrate it.  That will be something just for my newsletter, too!

    And as I rush off to get packed – two weeks before this posts! – here is a quick sketch for this card layout.  Hmmm.  I'm wondering what I'll be using for envelopes for my 5-1/4" square greeting cards now that the Medium Square Envelopes are retiring?  I may know soon! 

     I hope you're all having as much fun this week as I am now that I'm finally back home and enjoying my craft room again!

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Fun With Simply Sent!

Aloha, all!

     Simply Sent Card Kits provide just about the easiest way for anyone to make a quick card!  The only thing that you need beyond the kit itself is a couple of stamps and some ink. 

     One of the kits in the current (2011-2012) Stampin' Up Idea Book and Catalog has just about the prettiest cards that I can remember!

     The set about which I'm writing today is that very set, and it's called the Everyday Elegance kit.  I cannot believe the gorgeous laser cut design on the bottom front of this card!  And it's very effective whether the card is opened or closed.  This card features the Baja Breeze color, and already has the printed graphic design on the front.  The label on which the "Thanks" sentiment is stamped also comes with the kit, and it's a Self-Adhesive Die Cut Label.  That means no adhesive is needed!  Of course, I had to get fancy with this, so I added a piece of the Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper that I had laying out on my table (have I mentioned that I have a hard time learning to put stuff away before I start on the next project??).  I also added two Basic Rhinestone Jewels to spiff the card up even more!  The stamp set from which the sentiment is taken is designed to go with this Simply Sent Kit; it's called Everyday Wishes, and will retire at the end of this month.

     Here is the other card that's in this Simply Sent Kit.  For this card, I stuck entirely with what's included in the kit and the complementary stamp set.  See – no additions, and it's still a lovely card!

     One additional note:  BOTH of these cards may be used in either Portrait or Landscape orientation.  I showed one of each so you could see how that works out!

Products in this project that are going to be retiring:

• Everyday Elegance Simply Sent Kit (available while supplies last)
• Everyday Wishes Stamp Set (available until the end of May)

Products in this project that are NOT going to retire:

• Tangerine Tango Classic Stamp Pad (though it will be undergoing a reconfiguration to a new stamp pad type)
• Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper (Available June 1st in the new 2012-2013 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog)
• Cherry Cobbler Classic Stamp Pad (though it will be undergoing a reconfiguration to a new stamp pad type)
• Basic Rhinestone Jewels

     I hope that by the time this blog post goes live this kits is still available – because I know it will be something you'd love to have some fun with before it goes away!  I know I've been having fun with mine!  For one thing, while I'm on airplanes – and I've been on a lot of them this month! – I like to take the "down" time to write notes to my friends.  This is a perfect set of cards to use for this!

     Don't forget that you can order any of these products any time of the day or night, any day of the year, on my Stampin' Up! Website.  Just click HERE!

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On a Cooking Kick!

Aloha, all!

     As I continue to go through the stamp sets that I have that are going to be retiring at the end of this month, I've found that not all of them can necessarily easily be used to make greeting cards!  Today's stamp set is a case in point.  The Stamp Set, From the Kitchen Of, looks like it would be the perfect size to fit onto a 3" x 5" index card, perfect for a box of recipe cards! 

     So that's what I did with it.  I found a recipe in our local newspaper last week for which I had all but a couple of ingredients, and I decided to experiment on my husband (and on me, too!) before I tried it for guests.  What a success it was!  So this is definitely a keeper of a recipe, and it was perfect to show off this retiring stamp set!  I put the directions for the recipe on the back of the card, and I'll repeat them for you at the end of this blog post.

     Now, then.  As I was writing the above, I realized that this set would also be perfect for a Cookbook Themed Scrapbook!  I think such scrapbooks are such fun, and I may have to keep this retired set around to work on one for my favorite recipes.  Either that or I could make up something in My Digital Studio.  Hmmm.  I'll think about this some more when I have more time on my hands – which seems to be sometime in the middle of 2015!

Here are the items in this project that are retiring at the end of May:

• From the Kitchen Of stamp set (available until the end of May)
• Poppy Parade Classic Stamp Pad (available while supplies last)
• Poppy Parade Card Stock (available while supplies last)
• Pear Pizzazz Card Stock (available while supplies last)
• Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write Marker (available while supplies last)
• Confetti White Card Stock (available while supplies last)

Items in this project NOT retiring?  Not a thing!

Here's the full recipe:

Ingredients:

• 9 – 12 oz package fresh Fettuccine
  
• 1 T Olive Oil
  
• 1 Medium Yellow Onion
  
• 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper
  
• 14 oz can Coconut Milk
  
• 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 T (to your taste) Red Curry Paste
  
• 1-1/2 lb Rotisserie Chicken
  
• 1/3 cup Chopped Cilantro
  
• 1 lime
  

Directions:

Cook Pasta according to directions and set aside (I tossed it with a bit of Olive Oil to keep it from sticking together).

Chop onion and pepper and saute in olive oil over medium high heat for about 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and red curry paste and stir until the coconut and curry paste are smooth, then bring to a simmer.  Remove meat from the chicken and chop or pull into bite-sized pieces, then add to coconut milk mixture. Toss well to coat evenly.  Return to simmer.  Stir in chopped cilantro.

Serve pasta topped with the chicken, or toss chicken mixture with the pasta. Cut lime into 4 wedges and sprinkle over pasta just before serving.

Note that my husband and I decided that this would go well with steamed rice, too.  And some peanuts sprinkled on top would be a great addition!

Serves 4

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Missing Our Hibiscus! – and a Favorite Stamp Set!

Aloha, all!

     Have I mentioned that I've been traveling on the U. S. Mainland for the last week?  And we'll not be home again for yet another week, and I'm missing our Hawaiian Garden!  I especially miss that gorgeous Pink Hibiscus that you see lying on the table in front of today's greeting card share.

     This Hibiscus is in a large bush just outside my kitchen window, and it blooms up a storm every day of the year!  Oh, occasionally some little bug will get after it and we have to prune it pretty severely.  But that's rare, and it comes back as big and seemingly more beautiful every time.

     And it's because of this Hibiscus that I'm so very fond of the Stampin' Up! Stamp Set, Greenhouse Garden.  Of course, here in Hawaii, we don't grow these lovelies in a greenhouse – they're all outdoors!  But do you see how close in color our Hibiscus is to the Regal Rose that I've used in the stamp on the left of the card – and to the Regal Rose Card Stock that forms the background for the central stamped squares? 

     But the stamp set is retiring.  Oh, my.  This may be one of those sets that I decide I have to keep just because of our Hawaii Garden.  It's perfect for scrap pages featuring the garden, and it will be hard to give it up. 

     We also have Hibiscus of other colors in our garden, including a Daffodil Delight-colored flower in the front garden, which is placed very close to the Real Red flower that is the most popular Hibiscus in our area of Hawaii.  The yellow Hibiscus in our garden is the State Flower of Hawaii, and its center – or Stybus – is an orange not a red color.  And our red Hibiscus has a red Stybus, which would not show up really well on a stamped image.  So this is where artistic license comes in!  But don't those flowers look lovely anyway? 

     The layout for this card is just a bit different from how I first envisioned it.  I'd wanted to punch the stamped images with the 1-1/4" Square Punch.  But the flowers were just a hair too large for them to be shown off nicely punched at 1-1/4."  So I punched them with the 1-3/8" Square Punch, which meant that I had to cut the 1-1/2 squares for the mats by hand (well, by paper cutter!).  I decided to leave the background rectangles (which I'd already cut) the same size and just squeeze those squares in there.  When all was said and done, I decided I liked it just the way it came out!

     Oh, and there's another retiring stamp set that I used for this card – the Heard from the Heart Stamp Set will retire at the end of this month, along with Green house Garden.

     I still have almost another 4 weeks to use these beautiful stamps here on my blog – and you have that same amount of time to buy these stamp sets.  And then they retire for good!

     Here's a layout for this card.  And don't forget that, if you have an image that's small enough, use that 1-1/4" Square Punch for the stamped image and the 1-3/8" Square Punch for the mat – it makes the card a LOT easier to make.  And a lot more fun to make, too!

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A Bookmark for Our Book Club Leader!

Aloha, all!

     I am still showing off retiring Stampin' Up! products, and there's only one product in today's bookmark that's not retiring – and that's the Whisper White Card Stock on which some of the images are stamped.

     But first let me tell you about the book club to which I belong.  It is the best – and biggest! – book club to which I've ever belonged.  There are no rules – heck, you don't even have to read the book!  You just have to be an active, fun member of the group and suggest a book now and then.  I think that there were 15 or 16 people at last week's monthly meeting, and we had a great pot luck lunch at the Hilo Zoo and Rainforest Garden.  Was that a treat for all of us!!

     And I truly believe that the reason we are so successful is that my friend who started it is someone everyone likes and whose ideas people enjoy experiencing.  So when I noticed that Maureen had changed her e-mail tag line to the sentiment that was on one of the stamps in the Stamp Set, Flight of the Butterfly, I knew that I had to use this stamp in a project for her.  And what better project for a book club leader than a bookmark!

So – what's retiring?

• Flight of the Butterfly Stamp Set (available until the end of May)
• Butterfly Punch (available while supplies last)
• Concord Crush Classic Ink (available while supplies last)
• Concord Crush Card Stock (it's on the back of the bookmark – available while supplies last)
• Blushing Bride Classic Ink (available while supplies last)
• Blushing Bride Card Stock (available while supplies last)

What's not retiring?  Just the Whisper White Card Stock!

     Wow, have I enjoyed getting away from cards a bit more than usual these days!  This may become a habit – well, maybe not – but certainly I should do this more often!  I hope you're a bit better than I am at doing different kinds of projects – and I'll bet you have lots of fun doing it! 

(Fun note:  The book that's in the photo is one written by one of the members of our book club – "The Road to Hana Maui" by Lynn Nakkim.  Look it up sometime.  It's one of the book club books I've actually read!)

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It’s Retiring, So I’d Better Use it Now!!

Aloha, all!

     Week before last as I was going through my stamp sets to mark those that are retiring, I found three retiring sets that I had never used!  What?  Well, then, why did I have them?  It's possible that I received them as "freebies" somewhere along the way.  But in any case, I decided that as long as I owned them and they're still current, I might as well use them – at least once!

     The stamp set that I used for this card is called, Best Friends Forever.  Hmmm, I wonder what gave that name away?  The colors that I used for this card are also going to be retiring, and I'm trying to make as much use of them as I can before I have to say, "Goodbye," to them at the end of the month.  The colors are:  Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz.  I have to tell you that I never realized what a lovely combination they make all by themselves until I made this card.  It's definitely not a color combo, or even a color feel, that you find here often.  But I did really enjoy the look once I finished with it.

     I think what really sets this off is the set of Labels Framelits that I used to cut out the BFF stamped image as well as the two mats behind it.  As I lined them up to see how they looked on the front of the card, I thought that a bit of texture might be a real complement to the stamped background images.  So I adhered the Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz layers together, then ran them through the Sizzix Big Shot with the Elegant Lines Embossing Folder.  Now that gave it some character that I really liked!  Then I adhered the stamped layer to this group, and attached the group to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals just to give it a final bit of shadow to complete the soft look of the card.

    Not much of a layout here.  But lots of products!

Here are the products in this card that are retiring:

• Best Friends Forever Stamp Set (available until the end of May)
• Pear Pizzazz Classic Ink (available while supplies last)
• Pear Pizzazz Card Stock (available while supplies last)
• Blushing Bride Classic Ink (available while supplies last)
• Blushing Bride Card Stock (available while supplies last)
• Confetti White Card Stock (the card base – available while supplies last)

And the one product that for sure is not retiring:

• Elegant Lines Embossing Folder for the Sizzix Big Shot

Still Available!

• Labels Framelits Collections.  This was in the 2012 Occasions Mini Catalog that has expired.  BUT Stampin' Up! has continued it! We are all thinking this means that it will be in the new annual catalog next month!

     While I'm sure that I'm having a good time seeing old friends and family this week, I do know that I'm missing my craft room time!  I hope you're having enough good crafting time for the both of us – and having fun doing it!

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A CASE for Mother’s Day!

Aloha, all! 

     And an early "Happy Mother's Day" to those of you who are mothers of one kind or another!  This is the day for the biweekly Stampin' Up! Only Challenges and the theme this week is Mother's Day.  Now you who come here often know that it's not that often that I have something other than a card to show off.  But here is my second 3-D project is as many weeks!

     And it's also once again a project that I have CASEd from another Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.  This time the design for this project is the brainchild of demonstrator Kirsteen Gill, who is a member of some online groups to which I belong.  I just could not imagine going for even a day before trying this out!  While I may not duplicate her instructions online, I will be including this in one of the classes in my Craft Room in the next few weeks. 

     The fun thing for me about this project is that I got to use up some of my stash of the Designer Series Paper set, Just Add Cake, which will retire in just 5 more weeks!  I've really enjoyed not only the paper, but also the coordinating Peach Parfait Card Stock, which is a 2010-2012 "In Color" and will also retire at the end of May 2012.  There's also a bit of Wild Wasabi Card Stock in this project, but that color is NOT retiring as it's one of the current groups of core colors in the Stampin' Up! catalog.

     This photo shows the box opened up to display four little boxes that are perfect for earrings or small jewelry, or even paper clips for a desktop!  I decorated the lid with some matching ribbon – some of the Peach Parfait Stitched Poly Ribbon that will also retire at the end of May.

     For the little 3" square greeting card to go with this gift, I stamped the "Packed for Mom" stamp on some Whisper White Card stock using Black Classic Ink.  Then I stamped it again on a piece of scrap card stock and colored in a small area of the stamp with coordinating Stampin' Write Markers.  Finally, I punched it with the 1-1/4" Circle Punch and matted it with a piece of Wild Wasabi Card Stock punched with the 1-3/8" Circle Punch, and then adhered it very carefully onto the black and while image.  This technique is called "Spotlighting," and it's especially fun for a large stamp such as this one.  By the way, the Packed For Mom and the other Packed For… stamps that are in the Occasions Mini Catalog were only guaranteed to be a part of the Stampin' Up! catalog until yesterday.  As I'm actually traveling as this is being posted live, I won't have a chance to update my post to let you know if it's actually no longer a currently available Stampin' Up! product.  But I'll update this as soon as I can.

     Just for a recap:

Items in this project that are retiring or possibly not being continued into the 2012-2013 Idea Book and Catalog:

• Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper (available while supplies last)
• Stitched Poly Ribbon (available while supplies last)
• Peach Parfait Card Stock (available while supplies last)
• Packed for Mom Stamp Set (in the 2012 Occasions Mini catalog which expired yesterday; status unknown as of this writing)

Items in this project NOT retiring:

• Whisper White Card Stock
• Pumpkin Pie Button (part of the Brights Collection of Buttons)
• Wild Wasabi Card Stock
• Markers used to color in the Packed for Mom Stamp (though some may no longer be available for individual purchase)
• The Simply Scored Tool and Diagonal Plate used to score the card stock for the little white boxes.

     As I look at the blog posts that I have planned for the next couple of weeks, I believe that there are no more CASEs involved.  So I'll be able to share my layouts and instuctions with you!  Meanwhile, if you have any question or comments, please leave them here on the blog where I'm most likely to see them while I'm traveling!

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Aloha to My Favorites!

Aloha, all!

     Aloha mean many things, including the "Hello" greeting I give you each time I write a post on this blog, and often including a "fond farewell and good wishes" as we say, "Goodbye."  So then, I send an Aloha along with a goodbye to my absolute favorite Stampin' Up! Stamp Sets ever.  The two sets are my favorite Two-Step Stamping set, Flower Fancy, and my favorite "go-to" greeting stamp set, Sincere Salutations. 

     My recollection is that Flower Fancy was the very first Two-Step Stamping set that I ever had.  Yes, it's that old!  And I just loved that it looked like I'd skillfully watercolored in the deftly sketched flowers.  I'm still amazed at how much I like the whole effect of the casual elegance of the set.  These are but two of the flowers in the set.  As the next month goes on, perhaps I'll have a chance to use the set again.  But there are so many retiring sets that I love, I really want to share as many of them as possible with you!

     I also love the the font that is used in the Sincere Salutations stamp set, and the unique way that the words are arranged – and how they fit on my greeting cards so well!  Sigh, I truly will miss having that set available for so many occasions!

     Now that I look closely at this card, I find that everything in it – except for the Basic Black stamp set used for the words and outlines and the Whisper White Card Stock – will retire at the end of May also!  The two colors that I used for this card – Pear Pizzazz and Poppy Parade are in the 2010-2012 set of "In Colors" and they'll be replaced by new colors in June.  We'll find out all about those new colors fairly soon, but I'm going to miss these lovely colors for sure.  (Did you notice that two of the flowers are a lighter color?  It's still Poppy Parade, but I stamped the image off on a piece of scrap paper before I then stamped it on the card!) Oh, and the Pear Pizzazz Stitched Poly Ribbon - so easy to use in greeting cards! – is also on the retired list. 

     If you see anything in this card that you might want to buy, you would do well to purchase it as soon as possible, especially the accessories.  While the stamps will be available until the 2011-2012 Catalog expires on May 31st, accessories are only available while supplies last!  You can shop any time day or night on my website.  So just click here if there's something you'd like to order while there's still time!

     I don't have a sketch for today's card because it uses the same sketch as the one I used last Tuesday.  But I did as I suggested you might do, and made the background card stock for the 1" squares just slightly bigger, and also adjusted the size of the layers of the larger motif to fit the stamp set I used.  It really is a lot of fun fussing around with all these measurements!  But if you'd like the exact measurements for this card, just let me know in a comment below and I'll take care of it!

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CASEing Pinterest!

Aloha, all!

     Have you at all paid attention to the fab new online collection of photos of just about everything called, "Pinterest"?  I certainly have, BUT I have to tell you I simply do not have the time to be an active participant in the group.  So you won't find much of me on there.  My time is filled so much with my current online groups, my own paper crafting and classes, and volunteer work not involving stamping (oops – as I write this I'm late for a meeting.  Eeek!!  BRB!).

     And speaking of my online groups, one group for which I've been a Design Team member for quite awhile is the Stampin' Up! Late Night Stampers.  This week the Design Team challenge was to find a card on Pinterest to CASE (Copy And Share with Everyone is my version of the acronym). So I made a quick pass over a few pages of cards (you can do that even if you don't join Pinterest) and picked the one that struck my fancy the most.  Of course it had to be the card of someone who is very active and popular on Split Coast Stampers.  This is another group on which I don't spend nearly enough time, and I'd never run across Jen del Muro because she's not a part of the Stampin' Up! community there.  But she is a fab designer for sure.  What I had to do was copy her card but use only Stampin' Up! products. 

     And that was quite easy, thank you very much (the original from which I copied this is at the end of the blog post).  Since I'm starting to focus on retiring products, as well as on the end of the Stampin' Up! 2012 Occasions Mini Catalog, I chose the 2010-2012 "In Colors" for my triangles, and the Stamp Set, Loving Thoughts (from the mini catalog) for this card.  So the triangles are Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Concord Crush, and Poppy Parade.  I punched the triangles with the Petite Pennants Builder Punch – which makes triangles SO very easy!

     I stamped the "Happiness" sentiment using Concord Crush classic ink on Whisper White card stock and hand cut the notch on the left side.  For the background colors, I used Crumb Cake (formerly "Kraft") and Basic Black Card Stock.  Had I been thinking a bit more clearly, I would have used Concord Crush for the dark background color.  But it was already glued down, and this wasn't a big enough deal to start tearing things apart!  I punched the right corners of the card stock, as well as the basic card, with the Corner Rounder Punch.  As the In Colors didn't have buttons to go with them, I used a Pumpkin Pie Button from the Brights Collection of Buttons.  I finished the card off with a piece of Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine (also from the Occasions Mini!).

     Oh, and the most fun products on this card – and also from the Occasions Mini – are the Adorning Accents Edgelit Die and Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folders.  I know most all of us in Stampin' Up! land are really hoping that these products will continue forward into the 2012-2013 Idea Book & Catalog.  Crossing my fingers!

     Here's the card on which this CASE is based.  It really is a great design that Jen del Muro made, and I wish I'd thought of it myself!!

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