STAMPlorations inspiration #113 and news

Happy New Year 2017, lovelies!

And welcome to a new year of Tuesday inspiration from the STAMPlorations inspiration team! Hope you enjoy this feature. We're tweaking it a bit and starting today, each Tuesday post we will all feature stamps from one of our talented stamp designers. And there will be sales ;)

Today we're using Shirley's The Bees Knees stamp line. From now until Jan 9 you can get any of The Bees Knees stamps at 10% off in the STAMPlorations store! The stamp set I used today is even 20% off! Keep reading to learn how to score even bigger savings ;)

Still in a New Year's Eve celebratory mode, I chose to use the World Birthday Cakes for a fireworks celebration on a card.

World Birthday Cakes

Maybe it's because I live in Europe, but I really appreciate the New-Year's-around-the-world idea. At breakfast I think of those down under celebrating, and so on as the day progresses! I attempted to reflect the idea of how all of us around the world share one great big beautiful sky. How'd I do?

I stamped the buildings, masked them and pounced on some DI in Stormy Sky, Shaded Lilac, Seedless Preserves and Black Soot. Then I splattered some water to create depth in the sky. And then I grabbed an oldie but goodie Fancy Pants stamp and heat embossed some silver firework explosions.

A heat embossed sentiment on a snippet completed my design.

I'm taking this card to the Party Time fun over at Danipeuss Kartenchallenge - Feiern as well as AAA Cards - Silver.

Now... here comes more happy news I mentioned above regarding STAMPlorations... you can now get any of the products in the STAMPlorations store at 20% off by using my personal discount code. Yep, use the discount code STAMPGIRLMARIA when checking out of the store to get 20% off stamps, stencils and dies! Anytime! Any products! Isn't Shery wonderful?

So from now until next Tuesday, The Bees Knees stamp line is 10% off, World Birthday Cakes is 20% off. With the STAMPGIRLMARIA discount on top, now is definitely the time to pick up any of Shirley's stamps on your wish list!!! Care for more ideas using World Birthday Cakes (great sentiments in this set)? Check out this card and this card. And have a wonderful week.

simply create too 91

Well it's everybody's favorite, Anything Goes time again over at Simply Create Too! Can you figure out what my card's all about?

I've pulled this one out of the archives - it was made for a submission call requiring the use of text talk. Can you translate?

Used PP from Fancy Pants. The texture plate and alphabet stamp (stamped once in blue and once in dark gray) are from Sizzix. Hand cut the speech bubble shape and used a chipboard exclamation point.

BTW, translated...  "In my opinion, you da man. I love you. End of message" :)
TTFN. CU at SCT # 91!

nbus goes us - take 1

I stumbled across the NBUS and not-even-put-away-yet PTI Phrase Play #11 die in my craft room yesterday. And found it perfectly fitting for graduation cards which I needed. Again! So I made a few. Then a few more non-graduation. Seven in total! And I am happy to  categorize this die "US" (used schtuff!)

Here's one card that I made inspired by the challenge at ShowCASe Your Style #16.

Black and white striped. A bit of metallic. OK.

Gettin' an Oscar-esque vibe? Me likey. More HOORAYs to follow. Have a good one.

patriotic birthday take two (CASOS)

Here's another patriotic birthday card for ya.  More masking and distress inking.  This time with some he-man bling (flat sequins) thrown in for fun.

BFF's DH has a July 3rd birthday.  So why have I never made him a patriotic card before?!?!?

Playing the One-Layer Wonder challenge at

Thanks for looking.

Supplies it's your birthday:

Paper: Bringmann

Stamps: fireworks Fancy Pants, sentiment American Crafts

Ink: Distress Ink, Versafine

Tools:star and square die Sizzix, scissors

Other: Post-It, makeup sponge

masculine tag (Moxie Fab, Hero Arts, CFC)

Don't have to ask me twice to use letter tiles.  I love using them.  Same goes for die cut negatives.  So with these challenges happening:

Moxie Fab - Emphasize the Negative

Casual Fridays -

Hero Arts -

I made this tag .  It's actually already left the house hanging on a wine bottle.  Masculine enough I hope...

Some background stamping, heat embossing, die cutting, edge distressing, eyelet setting and ribbon recycling and voila.

Thanks for your visit.

Supplies tag :

Paper: tag, PP Fancy Pants

Stamps: Hero Arts

Ink : Versafine, Versamark, Distress Ink 

Tools:  heat tool, eyelet setter, alpha die PTI

Other: eyelets, ribbon, twine

they said "red" (CASology, Loves Rubberstamps, Neat and Tangled)

Red.  OK, with a touch of heat embossed pink.  And gold since it's trendy right now.  Must admit I'm lovin' the metallic touches showing up everywhere.

This is not a Valentine.  Thought it was gonna be, but then I decided to go the wedding or anniversary route. No inside sentiment yet.

Do the sequins push it over the edge of CAS to not-CAS-anymore???

Playing at:
CASology - Week 31 Red
Loves Rubberstamps - #39 All about Love
Little Tangles - Love Love Love

Hope your day's love-filled.

Supplies for love x4:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, PP Studio Calico

Stamps: Fancy Pants

Ink : Jenny Bowlin, Versamark

Tools: 

Other: pink embossing powder Zing, gold embossing powder, sequins

frame by frame (Moxie Fab) and a winner

Lucky I got this one photographed before dark - in between six batches of Christmas cookie dough...
I recycled for this one - that should come as no surprise.  Upcycled actually.

When I saw the Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab it reminded me of a card I'd made for DD's bday which had found its way into my "old cards" box.  Feminine, pink, flourish of black.  Decided to turn the front panel into an anniversary card.  Inside now reads "nothing beats true love."

In the trigger the turquoise circle frame with the butterfly caught my eye.  So I added a turquoise heat embossed frame on vellum popped up on dimensionals with a stamped and pencil-colored butterfly behind it.  Voila.  Maybe in my next life I'll crochet some cool little frames.

Dear followers, thanks so much for your comments/advice on this post.  DD chose the number 3 which means Maria M. wins the wooden ornaments!  I'll be contacting you Maria (love the name BTW!).

Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies for love:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, vellum

Stamps:   BG CHF, Fancy Pants, frame Viva, butterfly K and Co.

Ink : Cats Eye, Versafine, Versamark, Distress Ink

Tools: 

Other: embossing powder Zing, colored pencils

vital hope is in the air (SCS, SSS)

What can you see in the air?  Well, butterflies of course.  That was my take on the HYCCT #1220 titled "Hope is in the Air."  I find the butterfly a joyful creature.  Definitely hope-inspiring when you think they start out as ugly worms!

This was such fun to make.  Dylusions spray inks on and a butterfly cut from recycled tissue paper.  A stitched strip of crepe paper.  A vertical sentiment repeated.  Voila.

And not meaning to bore you, but another challenge is called "Vital Signs" (HYCCT#1218) which is kinda tricky.  Blood pressure?  Weight?  OK, how about heart rate.  Enter my fave stamp of late and my fave CAS design.

Used some autumn colors this time for the "Autumn Leaves" challenge at Simon Says Stamp.  And added a stamen punched from foil CS for a little extra something.  And cuz my spacing of the hearts was a little off this time ;) Also a sentiment in gray this time around.

Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies Happy Birthday:

Paper: cardbase Papermania

Stamps: sentiment The Craft's Meow

Ink :Dylusions spray inks, Versacolor

Tools: die Memory Box, sewing machine

Other: tissue paper, crepe paper

Supplies you are special to me:

Paper: cardbase Papermania

Stamps: heart Fancy Pants, sentimentPTI

Ink : Adirondack, Versacolor

Tools: punch ?

Other:

show... me! (CPT, SCS)

In this post I told you about taking "creative liberties" and having an adventure with a card.  Well, I liked the outcome some much I decided to do it again.

This card is going to the Hope You Can Cling To campaign (Splitcoast Stampers).  There is a challenge to "Show What You are Made Of".  In other words, "journey to your stampy happy place and find that go-to design principle that makes you the happiest and most comfortable".

Tough to define your own card style,eh?  I tend to be all over the board.  But I'm slowly getting there...  Colors, but lotsa white space.  No fear of mixing stamp sets. Importance of sentiment font/style.  Hearts, yeah they just make me feel good.  Always include a little one when I sign my name on a card or letter.    All that's missing would be some polka dots cuz they make me smile too.  Oh, and practical gal that I am - easy to mail.

Used the colors from Creative Paper Trade's challenge #3:

And here is another card for the HYCCT category "Peaceful Pink".  I hope someone gets a happy, peaceful feeling when they see this card.  Like a summer sunrise at the lake.

I'm trying to make all my cards upbeat and basically just normal cuz I don't think sick people like to be treated like sick people!

Play along.  Make some cards to send out to the University of Texas Cancer Center.

Supplies celebrate:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, CS Neenah

Stamps: heart Fancy Pants, sentiment PTI

Ink: Distress Ink, Versafine

Tools:

Other:

Supplies hello:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, CS Neenah

Stamps: sentiment Hero Arts

Ink: Distress Ink, Versafine

Tools: acrylic block, mini mister

Other:

masculine card helps law of averages (Retro)

OK, so I complained about the many detours I took on this card.  But when I got the idea to make another one using this Retro Sketches sketch and a 6x6 PP pad, the average time per card got knocked back down into the realm of acceptable!

So here's another entry for this sketch and this one is so CAS and so masculine.  I'm a happy camper.

My choice of PP as well as the random lettering was inspired by the Paper Nudge over at The Creative Paper Trade.  Another new blog with great challenges and beautiful products to win.

Happy weekend everyone.

Supplies Happy Birthday:

Paper: card base Buttinette, PP Basic Grey

Stamps: alpha Fancy Pants, sentiment The Craft's Meow

Ink: Versacolor, Versafine

Tools: punch EKS

Other: letter stickers Making Memories

all we are is just a...nother... (ric#8)

Why, when looking at the inspiration photo at Runway Inspired Challenge #8, the first thing I notice would be the brick wall must have something to do with the fact that I recently purchased a brick wall stamp from Prima!

So many funky elements in this photo (is that snow on leaves?) but the next thing that grabbed me was the splattering of colors and shapes on the dress.  Whoa.

Came up with this.

This is a mini card 2 1/2 x 3 1/2.  Stamped the brick wall then the sentiment which I clear embossed.  Added the confetti then mounted the panel onto black CS.  Scored the fold and was about to cut the back to be the same size as the front when I decided to leave it wider and "continue" the flourish idea from the front panel.  Kinda like the lace on the dress.  So it actually became a 3 1/2 square card.

Also popping this over to the Moxie Fab World.  Just love the topic Cath shared recently - practical solutions for paper crafters.  Lots of fabulous ideas to check out if you haven't yet.

I have a jar filled with confetti.  I never throw my paper scraps away until I've punched the heck out of them :)  First with circle or heart punches.  Then those last tiny bits with my hole puncher.  For this card I just picked out the colors I needed.  Call me frugal practical.

Thanks for visiting today.  Hope your day is colorful.

Supplies lots of love:
Paper:  scraps, confetti

Stamps:Prima, sentiment Hero Arts, flourish Fancy Pants

Ink: Versafine

Tools:

Other:  clear embossing powder Ranger