Mom's Day...

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The fabulous Claire Brennan offered up this very cute sketch and I knew I had to make just one last Mom's Day card for a special mother...aren't they all special? Ever since I had my own little boy, I've had a much deeper appreciation for my mom and for all the tireless women out there who do so much for these little ones to make sure they grow up into good, strong people.
For this card, I decided to use a favorite color combo of plum and green. Using the sketch, I cut out a circle window large enough to accommodate my simple, yet pretty, sentiment. I replaced and flipped the smaller circular elements with these punched flowers and added some nice little buttons. For a final touch, I used dimensional pearls in alternating colors around the "frame" - now off to the mailbox to make sure my card gets there in time for the big day!
BEAN NOTES: Verve Happy Mother's Day (sentiment) Stamp; Stampin' Up Perfect Plum Craft Ink; Papertrey Ink Pretty Pastels Designer Paper; Plum Textured Cardstock (generic); SU Certainly Celery and Very Vanilla Cardstock; SU 5-Petal and Spring Flowers Punches; Green Buttons (generic); Plum Embroidery Floss (generic); Adirondack Lettuce and Wild Plum Dimensional Pearls HAPPY BEANS: Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestabilities; Big Shot

Bidding For Good...

Would any of you be interested in a set cards created expressly for you by moi, The Stampin' Bean? The West Side YMCA (my son will be attending the nursery school there this fall) is hosting an online auction to raise money for capital improvement and for financial aid for a deserving child to attend the Co-Op Nursery School program. I am donating an auction item for 15 handmade invitations for a child's birthday party or a set of cards for another occasion of the winning bidder's choice. I will work directly with the winner on color scheme and theme to create a truly one-of-a-kind card creation. This package is valued at $75 with an opening bid of $25. The auction ends May 7, 2010. If you are interested in bidding to benefit a worthy cause, please click HERE.
The fine print: Cards cannot be re-sold, either individually or as a package. Winning bidder must give 2 weeks advance notice of desired card theme and allow for reasonable delivery time. Auction is open to the public. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me by leaving a comment below!

A Happy Grad...

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We have been fortunate enough to have Ashlee, our little rugrat's babysitter, who also happens to be an extremely talented clarinet player on a full ride at one of Manhattan's top music conservatories. She's sweet and conscientious and such a help when hubby and I need a night out. She's graduating this year, and I wanted to make her a nice card to congratulate her.
For this card, I began with today's mojolicious Mojo Monday sketch. I chose to do the circular card, as Ashlee can do an amazing trick with her clarinet called "circular breathing." She can hold a single note for over 40 minutes! I picked some bright, fun colors and used this whimsical star image, stamping twice to pop out the center star. A little bow and a lot of liquid dimensionals topped off my congratulatory card.
BEAN NOTES: Verve Starstruck and Dare to Be (sentiment) Stamps; Stampin' Up Melon Mambo and Basic Gray Classic Dye Ink; SU Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper; SU Crushed Curry and Melon Mambo Cardstock; SU Crushed Curry Grosgrain Ribbon; SU Scallop Border Punch; Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestabilities; Sizzix Bigz Scallop Circle Die; Big Shot; Foam Dimensional Square (generic) HAPPY BEANS: Adirondack Cranberry Dimensional Pearls

Impressed, Amazed, Inspired...

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I have the wonderful chance to make a card for a very special lady who has been an incredible inspiration to me. I don't want to reveal her name here because I'd like for it to be a surprise (in case she checks in here at TSB!) So, I thought I would use this week's Pals Paper Arts Challenge: KISS and keep it simple. For colors, I used Julee Tilman's very fun combo of orange, aqua, and green to come up with what I hope will be a card to bring a smile to my fab friend's lovely face.
Inspired not only by the colors of Julee's color challenge, but also the challenge color icon, I started the card with these three pretty flowers from an old favorite set, Eastern Blooms. I love this stamp because the blooms are already lined up, so I had a very easy time stamping out fairly evenly spaced images. Next, I added a matching white piece of background cardstock and then popped out the entire panel over my white card base. I stamped my perfect sentiment below and I had a very clean and simple card to send.
BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Eastern Blooms and Sweet Little Sentiments (sentiment) Stamps; Papertrey Ink Hawaiian Shores, Ripe Avocado, and Orange Zest Hybrid Ink; SU Whisper White Cardstock HAPPY BEANS: This card is so simple that it's all happy!

A Glorious Thank You...

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I seem to be making Thank You cards quite a bit lately, which is always a nice thing. I did manage to get going on this week's Friday Challenge: Double Vision. This card is going to someone special, though I won't say who because she reads this blog and I'd like for it to be a surprise!
For this card, I started by stamping these lovely morning glories in black ink and then colored them with Copic markers. I stamped the image six times so that I could cut out the blooms and pop them up for some dimension. Next, I used my dies to cut out a window in my card base, which I covered with clear acetate. I added a blue frame around the window before adhering the blooms in a circular pattern around my simple sentiment. For a final touch, I paper pierced around the entire card, which took a bit of strength and patience, but in the end I was happy with the results.
BEAN NOTES: JustRite Seeds of Kindness (border), Custom Design Cardmaking Kit (sentiment), and My Garden Stamps; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Stampin' Up Brocade Blue and Wild Wasabi Classic Dye Ink; Copic Sketch Markers; SU Ballet Blue and Whisper White Cardstock; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); White Pearls (generic); Sakura Clear Jelly Star Pen; Spellbinders Labels One and Classic Circle Nestabilities; Clear Acetate (generic) HAPPY BEANS: Ornare Paper Piercing Template; Paper Piercing Tool

3 Tees...

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This week's Pals Paper Arts Challenge is based on another one of the marvelous Margaret Moody's sketches and it came in very handy for the card I wanted to make for my son's Nana. My little rugrat is currently obsessed with the color yellow and in particular loves to wear yellow shirts. Nana sent him three new shirts (with denim shorts so his diaper doesn't show!) for his little man wardrobe and they inspired me for this thank you card.
I wanted the card to feel like a kid's outfit without being girly. I used a denim background stamp and cut out three bitty T-shirts from yellow cardstock. I added a "sentiment" on each with some dimensional pearls to simulate puffy paint and included a red paper heart. Some fun yellow stitching and a couple navy blue buttons finished off this kiddie thank you.
BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Denim Background Stamp; Ranger Just Faded Jeans Distress Ink; SU Night of Navy, So Saffron, Real Red, and Whisper White Cardstock; Sakura Red Jelly Pen; Papertrey Ink Pure Poppy Twill Ribbon; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Dark Blue Buttons (generic)
HAPPY BEANS: Adirondak Denim Dimensional Pearls; Yellow Embroidery Thread; Sewing Needle

Stitched Gratitude...

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Just off our whirlwind Pals Hop, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to do this week's Friday Challenge: Sew Right! I love embroidery and stitchery, but usually it takes so much time that I don't get to do it that much. So, I took a chance and got out my needle and floss and figured I'd give this challenge a whirl!
My wonderful mom-in-law, Susan, just sent our little guy a box of cookies. It's just one example of how thoughtful she is and I wanted to make her a special thank you card. For this card, I stamped this lovely bouquet of flowers twice, once on white cardstock and again on some textured Kiwi Kiss. Here I used some periwinkle embroidery floss and needle to stitch each bloom. I then added tiny little stitched centers in a soft yellow. Using a watercolor pen, I filled in the spaces with some Bordering Blue ink before carefully cutting out the stitched blossoms and gluing to the leaves and stem. Whew!
I die-cut a small embossed oval from chipboard and sponged around the edges to create a frame. I then used a larger die to create the oval-shaped card base and stamped my simple sentiment directly on before stitching around the entire card in soft yellow. A pretty satin bow to match the leaves completed this stitched "with love" card.
BEAN NOTES: JustRite Plant a Little Love and Custom Design Cardmaking Kit (sentiment); Stampin Up Bashful Blue and Bordering Blue Classic Dye Ink; Chipboard (generic); SU Kiwi Kiss Textured Cardstock; SU Bashful Blue and Whisper White Cardstock; SU Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon; Spellbinders Classic Oval and Long Oval Nestabilities HAPPY BEANS: Periwinkle and Soft Yellow Embroidery Thread (generic); Singer Sewing Needle

Trio for a Mom's Day Hop...

It's my pleasure to welcome you to this month's Stampin' Pretty Pals Blog Hop featuring projects for Mother's Day! If you've hopped over from the fabulous Melanie Collins's Oops A Daisy, you're right at the beginning of the Hop as I'm stop number 1. We hope you "hop along" from blog to blog where you'll find inspirational ideas for papercrafted creations showcasing all that Stampin' Up has to offer. Should you hop off course, simply click on any links in the Pals Hop Line-up below and you'll be back on track! We're thrilled to have you visit and please feel free to leave as many comments as you'd like telling us what you think of our Spring and Easter-themed Hop...there are 13 blogs in all. Happy Hopping!


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For my project today, I decided to make a trio of Mother's Day cards for three of the lovely women on my husband's side of the family. I wanted to show how taking one idea can generate many cards. Each card was made in the same manner, just in different sizes and shapes: rectangular, standard, and square. These easy-to-create cards began with some Whisper White cardstock and two terrific stamps: Upsy Daisy and Butterfly Accent. First I cut the cardstock into the desired panel size. Using VersaMark Clear Ink, I then stamped the images across the paper and added a stamped butterfly before heat embossing with clear embossing powder. Next, I used the brayered/sponged sky technique to fill in my background, making sure to add the darker ink color toward the top and bottom with a sponge. Using a 2-Way Glue Pen, I then outlined and filled in each butterfly and sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.
To frame each image, I cut the corresponding colored cardstock and then, using a hobby knife, I cut out a frame and popped each up over my finished images for a "shadow box" look. Before adhering each to my cardstock base, I stamped "Happy Mother's Day" and added a strip of matching cardstock. Eazy-peezy and now I can help three of my favorite moms celebrate this special day!
BEAN NOTES: (Unless otherwise noted, all materials are Stampin' Up)** Teeny Tiny Wishes (sentiment), Upsy Daisy and Butterfly Accent Stamps; Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, and Baja Breeze Cardstock; Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, Soft Sky, and Baja Breeze Classic Dye Ink; VersaMark Clear Ink; Clear Embossing Powder (generic); Foam Dimensional Squares (generic)
HAPPY BEANS: Dazzling Diamonds Glitter; Brayer (generic); Sponge (generic)
**To order these or any other current Stampin' Up products, please email me HERE.

Thanks for "hopping" by!

More inspiring ideas await you at Mike Funke's Stampin'-Style, stop number 2 on the Pals Hop. Hop on over and see Mike's very cool and creative ideas. Click on any of the sites listed below to begin the Pals Hop. We're thrilled to have you visit and excited to hear what you think of our hop. Feel free to leave as many comments as you'd like along the way!

1. Regina Mangum Stampin' Bean

2. Mike Funke Stampin-style

3. Barbara Furlong The Love of Stamping

4. Debbie Pierce Stampin' Sunshine

5. Carla Bazhenow Carla's Scraps

6. Kylie Nicolosi Kylie's Crafty Corner

7. Sumaiyah Yates Stampin' Dymonz

8. Martha Stewart Seasons of Stamping

9. Jason Casper Jason's Stampin' Pad

10. Mary Fish Stampin' Pretty

11. Gina Shaw Cards by Gina

12. Kalshelia Lloyd Stampin' Fabulousity

13. Melanie Collins Oops a Daisy

For You...

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After a card-making frenzy the last couple weeks, I seem to have hit a little slump and need to get my creative juices flowing again. To give me a boost, I decided to hit two challenges at once for a springtime card. This week's Pals Paper Arts Challenge is a theme: FLOWERS! I started with a mojolicious Mojo Monday sketch and a color palette of green and cream. From there, however, I was a little baffled as to where to go.
After several abortive attempts, I finally settled on a single flower framed by a scalloped oval frame. The bloom was created from Stampin' Up's 2 Step Bird Punch by punching out three of the bird's wings (this was an idea I got from my fabulous mom-in-law, Susan) and adding some distress ink around the edges. The leaves are also from the same punch! Though it was a struggle, I was pleased with my finished card, which I wanted to have a subtle, vintage feel.
BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Love & Friendship Rub-On (sentiment); Ranger Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters Distress Ink; Papertrey Ink Pretty Pastels Designer Paper; SU Very Vanilla and Kiwi Kiss Cardstock; Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder; Big Shot; Pearls (generic); Spellbinders Classic Circle and Classic Scalloped Oval Nestabilities HAPPY BEANS: SU 2 Step Bird Punch

A Rockin' Birthday...

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This week I have the honor of being the Featured Artist on the Pals Paper Arts Challenge, which is a color challenge! The combo is a fun springtime mix of Certainly Celery, Lavender Lace, and Barely Banana. I thought I'd veer away from the Easter card frenzy today and do something a bit different. For all of you who read TSB regularly, you know I love punches and today I have a project that utilizes several Stampin' Up punches to create a cute little rocking horse.
The punches used are the Round Tab, Modern Label, Heart-to-Heart, and Designer Label. All are faves of mine, but the one that got me inspired to create today's project was the Round Tab. I've always thought the curve at the bottom looked like the legs of a rocking chair or horse, and I wondered whether I could create one with it. In case you are wondering, here is a list of horse parts and their corresponding punches used to make them:
*Rocking Horse Legs: Round Tab Punch. Fold the punched tab in half as you normally would. Cut out the middle to form legs.
*Body: Designer Label Punch. Fold punched label in half vertically.
*Head and Neck: Heart-to-Heart Punch. This was a little bit tricky, but the hearts used are the two largest (the smaller being the head and the larger the neck.) Fold each in half lengthwise. (Bean Tip: Score down the middle first for a cleaner and easier fold.) Glue the larger heart over the smaller after cutting a portion off the tip to trim. If I get enough interest in a tutorial, I'll take pictures! Snip the tip of the larger to create ears.
*Saddle: Modern Label Punch. Punch twice with two different colors. Glue one on top of the other and fold over to back, trimming away excess.
To make the tail and mane, I used brown embroidery floss and for the bridle I used purple. I was pleased with the results!
The remainder of the card is fairly straightforward, as I wanted to showcase the rocking horse. A big fat ribbon (sentiment stamped directly on with Craft Ink) and a few gemstones and I was all done. I chose to make this a birthday card because for now I don't have any expecting friends, but my son has plenty of little pals with what are sure to be rockin' birthdays!
BEAN NOTES: (Unless otherwise noted, all materials are Stampin' Up) Birthday Whimsy (sentiment) Stamp; Lavender Lace Craft Ink; Designer Paper (unidentified); Lavender Lace, Creamy Caramel, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery Cardstock; Sizzix Top Note Die; Big Shot; Ribbon Bundle Grosgrain Ribbon; Ticket Punch; Brown and Purple Embroidery Floss (generic); Gemstones (generic); Foam Dimensional Squares (generic)
HAPPY BEANS: Round Tab, Designer Label, Heart-to-Heart, and Modern Label Punches