The Best Thing About A Mother & Mojo Monday (#80)...

It's Tuesday, but it's Mojo Monday time! I thought this was a fun sketch.


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I thought that with Mother's Day right around the corner, it would be a perfect chance to create a card for this lovely occasion using my new Manhattan Floral stamp from Stampin' Up. I did trim away some of the petals to fit my needs. I had a sweet vellum phrase to use instead of a stamped image. Bean Tip: Try substituting an image or other embellishment for an element in a sketch -- here, I used the rose image in place of the scalloped circle.
BEAN NOTES: Jo-Ann Craft Essentials Vellum Phrase; Stampin' Up Manhattan Floral Stamps; SU Bleu Bayou Classic Ink; Anna Griffen Designer Paper and SU Bleu Bayou Designer Series Paper; SU Soft Sky, Bleu Bayou, and Whisper White Cardstock; White (generic) Cardstock ; White Grosgrain (generic) Ribbon; Copic Sketch Markers; Foam Dimensional Strips (generic); Making Memories Brads
HAPPY BEANS: Sizzix Manhattan Textured Impressions Die (SU exclusive); Big Shot

A Park Avenue Birthday...

I got a couple new Stampin' Up sets a few weeks ago and have been eager to try them out. Here is a birthday card with a simple design that was easy to whip up with these great sets.

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BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Park Avenue Patterns, Gallery, and Party Punch Stamps; SU Kiwi Kiss and Bordering Blue Classic Ink; SU Whisper White and Bordering Blue Cardstock; Bazzil Textured Cardstock; SU Kiwi Kiss/Whisper White Satin Ribbon; Paper Shapers 1-1/4 and 1-1/8 Circle Punches and Medium Corner Rounder; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Hero Arts Gemstones; Double Rectangle Punch (generic)
HAPPY BEANS: Rotary Perferator (generic)

Eggs, Tulips, and One Little Chick (The Bunny Trail Part 4)...

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With just a few minutes to spare (okay, 45 minutes, but in the card making world, that's like a blink of an eye to someone like me!) I decided to finally finish off my Easter cards. For some reason, this one gave me the most trouble, though it really was the most simple in design!
BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Bunny Hugs Stamps; SU Baja Breeze Classic Ink; DCVW Glitter Designer Paper; SU Whisper White, Baja Breeze and Soft Sky Cardstock and DCWV Textured Cardstock; SU So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Paper Shapers Medium Corner Rounder
HAPPY BEANS: Kaiser Light Green Pearls

Down the Bunny Trail (Part 3) & Mojo Monday (#79)...

It's already Monday again and I thought I would use this week's Mojo Monday challenge to catch up on my Easter cards:

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For the jar, I borrowed an idea from my mother-in-law, Susan (a very talented stamper and the person who got me hooked in the first place), to stamp the image on something clear or opaque. For this card, I used a piece of clear acetate. Bean Tip: Use clear mini glue dots to secure acetate and "hide" your adhesive behind elements of your image for a clean look.
BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Jar of Fun and Occasions Stamps; SU Pumpkin Pie Classic Ink and StazOn Timber Brown Ink; SU Delicate Dots Designer Series Paper; SU Whisper White Cardstock and DCWV Textured and Kraft Cardstock; Clear Acetate (generic); Copic Sketch Markers; Paper Shapers Small Oval Punch; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Brads (generic)
HAPPY BEANS: White Raffia Ribbon (generic); Fiskars Scallop Edge Punch

Down the Bunny Trail (Part 2)...

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Posting again so soon because I won't be posting at all for the next few days (best friend coming to visit -- yay!) I am falling behind on my Easter cards, and only have one to add to the bunny trail...better get stampin'!
BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Bunny Hugs Stamps; SU Whisper White Craft Ink; K&Company Berry Sweet Designer Paper; SU So Saffron and Whisper White Cardstock, and Light Pink and Fuschia (generic) Cardstock; Kaiser Floral Rhinestones; Ranger Seafoam White Embossing Powder; Nestabilities Classic Circle and Scallop Circle Dies; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Big Shot
HAPPY BEANS: American Crafts Happy Spring Premium Grosgrain Ribbon

Birthday Wishes & Mojo Monday (#78)

I discovered this fun challenge called 'Mojo Monday' and thought I'd give it a whirl. I love this American Crafts background paper I found at Pulp Fashion, a lovely boutique store in Stillwater, MN. Visit the Mojo Monday blog for great design ideas every week!

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BEAN NOTES: K&Company 'Birthday Wishes' Clear Stamp; Stampin' Up Always Artichoke Classic Ink; American Craft Designer Paper, SU Very Vanilla and Soft Sky Cardstock, and Bazzil Textured Cardstock; SU Always Artichoke Grosgrain Ribbon; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic)
HAPPY BEANS: Kaiser Powder Blue Pearls; VersaMark Dazzle Champagne Ink and Ranger Super-Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder

Down the Bunny Trail (Part 1)...

I usually make a different occasion card for each recipient (not so impressive -- I don't know that many people!) For this Easter, I found inspiration for my card designs from a wonderful blog called Stampin' Pretty. Here are the first two of the year:

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Bean Tip: A wonderful tutorial for a Stay-Put Bow has changed my ribbon-tying abilities for the better!
BEAN NOTES: 'Happy Easter' (generic) Stamp and Hero Arts Clear Chick Stamp; VersaMagic Tea Leaves Chalk Ink and Stampin' Up Pink Passion Classic Ink; K&Company Berry Sweet Designer Paper; Bazzil Cardstock and Yellow Cardstock (generic); Orange Grosgrain Ribbon (generic); Paper Shapers 7/8" Circle and 1" Scallop Punches and Medium Corner Rounder; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Brads (generic)
HAPPY BEANS: Kaiser Floral Rhinestones; Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy Embossing Folder; Big Shot

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BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Darling Dots and 'Happy Easter' (generic) Stamps; VersaMark Clear Ink; DCWV Nana's Nursery Baby Girl Cardstock; Cream and Pink Cardstock (generic); SU Wild Wasabi Grosgrain Ribbon; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Making Memories Silver Brads
HAPPY BEANS: Ranger Super Fine Detail Silver Embossing Powder

Wild Things...

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This gate-fold card was a cinch to make using a Scor-Pal. I like the contrast of the black and white, and the zebra, of course, lends itself to those colors. Bean Tip: Add a strip of sticky tape (like Wonder Tape) to adhere the ribbon to the back of the card for added stability.
BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up In the Wild Stamp; VersaMark Clear Ink; DCWV Background Paper; Black and White Cardstock (generic); SU Black Grosgrain Ribbon; Nestabilities Classic Scallop/Circle Dies; Hero Arts Gemstones
HAPPY BEANS: Black Embossing Powder (generic); Sizzix Texturz Wild Dashes Embossing Template; Big Shot

Catalog Inspired...

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Mary Fish, an independent Stampin' Up demonstrator, often showcases cards that have been inspired by images she finds in magazines and catalogs. Here are two of my own:
This 'Ever Grateful' card found its background image and color palette inspiration in a duvet cover featured in a recent Pottery Barn catalog.
BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Botanical Blooms and So Many Words Stamps; SU Rose Red, So Saffron, Mellow Moss Classic Inks; Soft Sky Designer Series Paper; SU Soft Sky Ribbon; SU Mellow Moss, So Saffron, and Soft Sky Cardstock; Paper Shapers Medium Corner; Rounder; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Making Memories Brad
HAPPY BEANS: Cuttlebug Leafy Branch Embossing Folder; Big Shot


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The above 'Thinking of You' card's main three-panel element came from a wall-art item in a catalog I received whose name, I am sorry to say, escapes me. I did manage to save the clipping (below.)

BEAN NOTES: Papertrey Out on a Limb and Stampin' Up Trendy Trees Stamps; Encore! Gold and Bronze Inks; Bazzil Cardstock; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Making Memories Copper Brads
HAPPY BEANS: Form-A-Line Gold Foil Tape