Sunday’s a good day to play with Sunbursts

Sunday’s a good day to play with sunbursts don’t you agree?  Especially after days of thunderstorms and fire smoke.  Nice to have a reminder that the sun will appear again…someday.

No I’m not being existential or even grabbing for religious imagery but CASEing the catalog once again.

Check out the Annual Catalog sample on page 110.

All images © Stampin’ Up!
2013-2014 Annual Catalog Page 110

Makes use of the currently popular Sunburst paper piecing technique.   I’ve had several people ask me for the how to’s and the dimensions of this lovely catalog sample so thought I’d sit down and try to figure it out.   While I’m not entirely sure I’ve got it exactly right I came as close as I could with what I had on hand.  And of course I decided to give it just a tiny twist.  Always something I like to do when I’m CASEing.

Oh and in case you didn’t know.  CASE stands for Copy and Share Everything.   Something you’ll see a lot in the stamping world.  Sometimes it means an exact duplicate but for me I prefer to grab the basic idea or layout then change it up just a tiny bit to make it mine.  Besides…that allows for materials you may or may not have to be substituted.

Here’s my CASE of the catalog:

Supplies:

Stamps:  Loving Thoughts, Four Frames (the flourish image)

Ink: Primrose Petals, Versamark

Paper: Primrose Petals Core’dinations Cardstock, Very Vanilla & Pool Party Cardstock, Everyday Enchantment  SAB 2012 Designer Series Paper (retired)

Other: Lucky Limeade In Color Ribbon (retired), Basic Jewel Pearls, Big Shot, Argyle Embossing Folder, Flower Trim (retired), Stampin’ Trimmer, Silver Embossing Powder

To start I watched Diane Sisnero’s lovely video on this technique.  To find more videos or tutorials check out my Techniques board on Pinterest.  I have several scattered throughout there.

Card base was cut at 4″ x 12″ and folded for a total card size of 4″ x 6″.   That catalog card looks longer to me but I can’t figure out how they would have accomplished that with materials we have in the catalog unless they cut and glued sheets together so I went with what I knew could easily be done.

I cut 10 rectangles of 1-1/2″ x 4″ and using my Stampin’ Trimmer I cut them on the diagonal to give me a total of 20 rays.    I interspersed various DSP designs from the Everyday Enchantment Collection from last years SAB papers and Pool Party cardstock that had been embossed with the Stampin’ Up Argyle embossing folder in my trusty Big Shot.   Rays were laid out and adhered all the way around a 4″ x 4″ mat of Very Vanilla.  If you have a steady hand you can add glue to the mat and then butt the rays one by one up against each other.  I recommend you play with the layout you prefer in advance.  Once the mat is filled with rays then trim the excess overhanging with your Tabletop or other guillotine cutter (scissors will do in a pinch).

Once I marked where the ray layer piece would go I stamped the finial style image from Four Frames in Versamark at a top and bottom mark and heat embossed with silver embossing powder.

The Text layer is 1″ x 4″  stamped with a text from Loving Thoughts in Primrose Petals ink and embellished with our half pearl basic jewels and a flower trim blossom that was rubbed in the Primrose Petals ink pad and centered with another half pearl.  In my CASE I added the ruffled ribbon below the sentiment piece.  Confession time…I did that mostly because I forgot to allow for the ribbon when I added the silver embossing.  Oops!   Either way…it works.

While I did have buttons and could have carried through that type of embellishment the papers I chose just seemed to call for something a bit softer.  Don’t you agree?   Besides it’s summer for a few more weeks so flowers seem the thing to enjoy before heading into fall.

If you have the Stampin’ Trimmer this project will reinforce how much you love it!   At least it did for me.  It also led me to my Simply Scored Scoring board and the diagonal plate to create the perfect sized envelope for my non standard card.

Here’s the notes for creating that from Jackie Topa’s excellent guide – remember this uses the diagonal plate for the simply scored:

4 x 6 Card Envelope

cut paper 8” square

score@3-1/8” and 4-1/2”

score one long side@ 6-3/8”

finished size 4½” x 6 ¼”

There you have it a Sunday CASE of Sunburst.   I hope you’ve had a restful weekend or if busy, then one dappled with bits of joy and ease.

If you have a minute I hope you’ll send some good thoughts and prayers the way of our very busy firefighters.   Our Douglas Complex fire nearby here in Southern Oregon was recently rated #1 in the nation with resources streaming in to fight it.  We’ve lost one young man already in the fight against fires here locally and my heart goes out to his family.   With the help of recent rains the fires are down but still going.   Means more work for those fighting and more smoke for those living nearby.    Here’s hoping your week ahead is safe, sunny and smoke and fire free.

Hugs and Sunday Blessings – Jean

Join the Llamas – “April Showers Springtime Hop”

 

Welcome to our April Showers Springtime Hop!

Spring has sprung my friends.  At least here in Southern Oregon.  While many of the Llamas still have snow on the ground and in the forecast, my little mountain valley is flooded with sun, and warm temperatures abound with only a cloud or two promising the occasional Spring shower. 

I’m the tail end of the line on this hop.  Depending on which direction you are traveling you are either heading to the wonderfully talented Christine who began our hop or moving on from Kath’s Springtime goodness.  Either way…you are in for a Springtime, color filled treat, on these hop pages.  If you get lost, click on the home button or the hop banner to get back to our Llama Hop Homepage and the hop’s participant blog listing.

Does Spring time find you looking for color and possibly a trip to Paris?   Here’s my vision of those wishes as revealed at a recent stamp camp.

Springtime in Paris – Vintage Etchings

Color Scheme: Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, Pink Pirouette, Primrose Petals

Do you see our Spring Catalog peeking through…the new 7/8″ scallop circle punch, Canvas Creations (yes it’s really canvas!)  and the Honeycomb folder just to name a few fresh items.  Don’t forget that catalog retires May 31st.

Created the central mini canvas in each piece with a delicate wash of color using our  retiring Watercolor Wonder Crayons then heat embossed in gold over top.   The crayons may not be available any more but with a blender pen and a light touch with diluted reinkers you can achieve something similar.  It’s hard to see but the canvas I colored on is really canvas!  Have you used our Canvas creations yet?  Lots of fun. Next time I’m planning on ripping the edges so it’s more noticable just what I’ve used and adding another subtle layer of texture.

Should I mention that Artistic Etchings and French Foliage the two sets I made use of are also on the recently released retiring list?  Yep.   Paris and the Eiffel Tower may be eternal (oh wait…maybe that’s Rome :D) but sadly Stampin’ Up stamp designs aren’t.   Hope you’ve gotten your copies of these two lovely sets.  They disappear June 3rd.  Luckily the Very Vintage wheel is continuing.

Supplies: 

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, French Foliage

Ink: Crumb Cake,  Soft Suede, Pool Party, Versamark (watermarking/embossing ink)

Paper: Crumb Cake, Naturals White, Canvas Creations (Naturals White or Watercolor Paper works too),  Pool Party Core’dinations, Brushed Gold Cardstock

Punches: 7/8” Scallop Circle, 1-1/4” Scallop Circle, 1” circle, ¾” circle

Big Shot Embossing Folders:  Chevron or Honeycomb

Other: Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel & Wheel handle, Heat tool, Gold Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy, Big Shot, Dimensionals, Tombow multipurpose glue, Snips, Sanding Block, Aqua Painter, Watercolor Wonder Crayons (Subtles collection) 

 ******

 I hope you’ll join me later in the week for a more in depth look at the Watercolor Wash technique and how these were done.    I’ll have a couple more examples that used different sets of stamps and color palettes. 

Hoping that Spring is filling your skies with sun, your yard with color and just the right amount of April Showers.

Hugs and Blessings – Jean

 

 

                           

Join the Llamas in a “Spring-a-bration Blog Hop”

What’s a Spring-a-Bration Blog Hop I hear you asking?    It’s a showcase for both the new Stampin’ Up Spring Catalog and the 2013 Sale-a-Bration celebration currently going on. 

Every year Stampin’ Up celebrates our creative stamping product line with a Sale-a-Bration event.  Purchase product you love and receive free product in return.  Now that’s something to celebrate…or as we are saying from now until March 22 to Sale-a-Brate!    And of course to make purchasing easy they also release a new seasonal catalog filled with the latest in fun product that of course coordinates with many of your current Stampin Up supplies.

If you haven’t seen these wonderful new catalogs and the goodies they contain here’s your chance.

Click to see & download PDF of Catalog

Clicke to see PDF of brochure
Use slide bars on the PDF to view side to side and top to bottom

    

The Stamping Llamas you’ve come to know and love are kicking off the new year with a new hop cycle geared to put a little Spring in your step and your stamps as well as a reason to Sale-a-Brate with Sale-a -Bration and the FREE product we all love.   

If you are working the hop in reverse you’ve arrived from proud Grandma  Debbie  and her Ode to Spring and Spring-a-bration.  Her blog is titled Clever and Cute and her hop post fills that bill perfectly.  Thanks Debbie!  

 If you’ve just started the hop here you are in the right place as I’ve the honor of kicking off this new hop.  From here you’ll move on to Chrisitines and so on until you’ve worked your way around the circle.  Should you lose your way or take time to sniff some flowers you can always find your way back to the Spring-a-Bration by clicking on the Home page button.   Once again my gratitude to Stephanie who creates our wonderful hop banners and buttons using what else…Stampin’ Up’s My Digital Studio digital design software and our wonderful dowloads.  In case you are wondering it looks like she made liberal use of the  One Big Sale-a-Bration Disk that is available for free with a $50 purchase during Sale-a Bration.

So is this Hearts on a String or Poetry in Motion?  You decide.

Here’s my Valentine offering with a bit of a surprise tucked inside.  When opened the full string of hearts falls out to express your love in full.     This is a variation of the card we made at Stamp Camp a couple of weeks ago.   With all the heart shaped punches, dies and stamps that Stampin’ Up sells its easier than ever to express your love.   And for an SU demo to “share what we love”  it’s perfect…that is a part of our Statement of the Heart after all. 😀  

Spring Catalog items featured here:   Print Poetry Paper Stack, Honeycomb embossing folder, Primrose Petals Core’dinations paper.

All stamp images & die cuts copyright Stampin’ Up.

Do you ever feel “strung out”…. in a good way?

All stamp images & die cuts copyright Stampin’ Up!

 The inside view:

All stamp images and die cuts copyright Stampin’ Up!

As you can see my favorite new product from the Holiday Catalog the Core’dinations Cardstock is back!  And in beautiful Spring colors (see page 12 of the Spring Catalog for the list of available colors).    Here I made use of the Primrose Petals color paper.   Paired with the Honeycomb embossing folder and a bit of sanding this paper really steals the show.     You may have also noticed a slight oops!   The inside is stamped with the XOXO image from one of last weeks Stampin’ Up Valentine Bundle stamps – My Little Valentine.   Ah well…as we all know the road to love is often paved with an Oops or 2.  😀

Can you tell I enjoyed mixing up my images from a variety of stamps?  Here’s the details….

Supplies:

Stamps:   Tiny Tags (small heart and love sentiment),  Wacky Wishes (hostess set), Pleasant Poppies (partial flower on heart) – optional – Hearts a Flutter (Spring Catalog – my set hasn’t arrived yet but this would be perfect).

Ink:  Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals Classic Ink

Paper:  Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Very Vanilla, Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple Cardstock, Primrose Petals Core’dinations Cardstock, Spring Catalog’s Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack.

Punches:   Full Heart Punch, Small heart Punch, Decorative Label Punch (the tiny punch piece at the end is made using a cute little trick with this punch).

Other:   Big Shot, Fashionable Hearts Embosslit, Honeycomb Embossing Folder (Spring Catalog), Hearts Framelits, Sanding Buddy, Brights Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, envelope, Glue Dots, Adhesive of choice (Snail, Tombow liquid glue, glue stick, etc).

Want to make one of your own?   Here’s the directions for my original stamp camp card.  With a few minor alterations you can duplicate the one above.   And the lovely thing about these “string cards” is that they work for any occasion and with any shape.  Given all the punches and bitty dies that Stampin Up has in its catalogs you’ll always have just the right shape for any string work you choose to do.

Hearts on a String Card – January 2013 stamp camp  –  PDF of  instructions

One last look:

 

Check out the Tiny Tags heart image filling in the honeycombs.

And a quick check of the backside of the hearts so you can see how they are sandwiched on the string.  

    That’s it for my Spring-a-Bration contribution.   Now on to Christine’s inspiring assortment of projects that will Spring board you right into your very own Springtime stamping frenzy.

 

Click to return to Debbie Martin’s blog

      

Click here to advance to Christine Giuda’s blog