Stampin' Addicts New In Color Blog Hop: Blackberry Bliss

Welcome to the Stampin' Addict's 2014-2016 In Color Blog Hop.  We are focusing on the five new colors that we get to play with for the next two years.  Technically, this is the first stop on the hop.  However, if you started in the middle, than you probably arrived from Debra Bergin's take on Blackberry Bliss.  She is very talented and I always enjoy the project she makes.  All the blogs are linked together in a circle, but if you get lost along the way, you can always go to Stampin' Addicts for a complete list of blogs on the hop.

I am also featuring Blackberry Bliss today.    My two favorite of the In Colors are Hello Honey and Lost Lagoon.  I keep reaching for them over and over.  But I wanted to force myself to work with a color I am not naturally drawn too, hence the Blackberry Bliss.  (Although you will see I still used a lot of Hello Honey in my projects).

First, a card featuring some new stamp sets: Work of Art and Bravo.   I had this idea in my head, put it on paper and then saw a similar card on Pinterest this week.  I suppose great minds think a like.

Colors: Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey and Whisper White.  Stamps: Work of Art, and Bravo.  Accessories: Blackberry Bliss 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon, Rhinestone Jewels. 

 Second, another card this time featuring the Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack and the new Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack:

Colors: Sahara Sand, Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey and Whisper White.  Stamps: Perfect Pennants and Gorgeous Grunge.   Big Shot: Pennants Framelits.  Punches: Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack.  Accessories: Blackberry Bliss 3/8" Stitched Ribbon, Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack.

 And last, a cute little treat pouch similar to the one that Donna Griffin featured at the New Catalog Kickoff Party.  Notice the purple Vintage Facet Button?  I colored it with the darkest of the Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities:

Colors: Blackberry Bliss, Pear Pizzazz and Whisper White.  Stamps: Regarding Dahlias.  Big Shot: Pennant Framelits, and Stylish Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Punches: Hexagon and Scallop Edge. Accessories: Watercolor Wonder Washi Tape, Vintage Faceted Buttons, Whites Baker's Twine, Mini Metallic Clothespins.

Thanks for stopping by today.  If you liked what you saw, please leave a little blog love in the comment section below and/or pin the projects to Pinterest.  Next stop on the tour is Yapha Mason's take on Hello Honey.  Her projects are always fabulous!  See you next time!

Freshly Made Sketches #128

I'll admit, I had this card sitting on my desk when I pulled up this weeks challenge from The Freshly Made Sketches blog.  It was almost too perfect.  This sketch by Rita Wright (fellow Stamp Crew Review stamper) is a go to card layout for me. 

So here is my interpretation of this sketch:

Colors: Strawberry Slush, Basic Black, Whisper White and Pink Pirouette.  Stamps: Sketched Birthday.  Punches: 1-1/4" Circle and 1-3/4" Scallop Circle.   Accessories: 2013-2015 In Color Designer Series Paper Stack, Basic Black 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Dazzling Details.

I love bright pink and black together.  I'm not really a girly, girl.  But these colors just pop.  And I've had a lot of fun playing with the Sketched Birthday set recently.  It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but after I colored the cupcake, I added a layer of Dazzling Details to the frosting.  And now I want a cupcake!

The Stamp Review Crew Blog Hop: Hello, Lovely

Welcome to another fabulous Stamp Review Crew Blog Hop.  This time we are featuring the set: Hello, Lovely.  Haven't all the projects just been amazing so far!  I feel so lucky to be hopping with this talented group of demonstrators from all over the country.

I may or may not have been cheating with this post.  Last summer, I got to be a display stamper for Convention and I never finished showing all of the projects I created for the display boards here on my blog.  So today, I get to show you three very different projects and I didn't even have to break a sweat to do it:

Colors: Midnight Muse, Cherry Cobbler, Soft Sky and Crushed Curry.  Stamps: You're Lovely.  Big Shot: Tasteful Trim XL Bigz, Alphabet Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Accessories: Candy Dots and Candy Dot Bases.

This is kind of a fun masculine Thank You card.  It's primary colors would make it great for a teacher too.  I love this little "Thank You, You're the Best" stamp.  Probably because I use that "you're the best" phrase a lot.

Colors: Crisp Cantaloupe, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, So Saffron.  Stamps: Hello, Lovely.  Big Shot: Apothecary Accents Framelits.  Punches: Decorative Label, Artisan Label and Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.  Accessories: Pear Pizzazz Chevron Ribbon, Baker's Twine, Candy Dots, and Window Sheets.

Hello, Lovely makes me think of something the English would say.  And that makes me think of Tea so I made a cute little box that holds some tea bags. 

Colors: Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Smoky Slate and Whisper White.  Stamps: Hello Lovely and Label Love.  Punches: Artisan Label, Blossom and 7/8" Scallop Circle.  Accessories:  2013-2015 In Color Designer Series Paper Stack, Coastal Cabana and Crisp Cantaloupe Ruffle Stretch Trim, In Color Boutique Details, Smoky Slate Embossing Powder.

I always struggle to get good pictures of scrapbook pages so you'll have to just assume that it looks a little better IRL than it does here. :)  This is my cute cousin Carol and her husband Dave at their beautiful wedding in Grafton, Utah (just outside of Zion National Park).  Here I used some of the accent images from the Hello, Lovely set to make border on the page and elements.  It's a very versatile set.  (And of course a Stamp-a-ma-jig was required to get them even sort of straight.)

I hope you've enjoyed this stop on our hop today. Feel free to become a blog or Facebook follower so you can see upcoming posts or even just leave a little love in the comment section. Enjoy!

Rita Wright

Kerry Willard Bray

Blog Roll

1. Heidi Baks  runningwscissorsstamper.blogspot.com
2. Adriana Benitez  escape2stamp.com
3. Tanya Boser   tinkerin-in-ink.blogspot.com
4. Jill Coleman  jillstamps.com/
5. Shana Gaff   stressfreestamping.blogspot.com
6. Holly Krautkremer  rubberredneck.typepad.com
7. Yapha Mason   yaphamason.com
8. Mary Rindal   maryrindal.com/  
9. Dawn Tidd   tiddbitsfromdawn.typepad.com
10. Betty Traciak kittystamp.blogspot.com
11. Kerry Willard Bray  kerrywillardbray.com
12. Paula Wright  paulastamps.blogspot.com/
13. Rita Wright  ritascreations.blogspot.com/

Last Chance for the Grab Your Greeting Promotion

June is rapidly coming to an end.  And that means the end of the Grab Your Greeting Promotion.  Three of the most popular greeting stamp sets are 25% off through June 30.  Here is a quick card featuring the Sassy Salutations set:

Colors: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, So Saffron and Crisp Cantaloupe.  Stamps: Sassy Salutations.  Big Shot: Blossom Party Originals, Oval Framelit Collection, and Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. Accessories: Note Cards, Large Rhinestone Jewels, Occasions Paper Piercing Pack.

This card features two of our new In Colors: Coastal Cabana and Crisp Cantaloupe.  These colors make such a fresh combination, but they always make me want ice cream. I also used the Note Cards that Stampin' Up! sells as a base for this card.  Did you know that Stampin' Up! revamped these for the new catalog and they now feature a thicker card stock for layering and embellishing?  Still a great value at $5.95 for 20 cards and envelopes.

But remember, only 2 more days to take advantage of the Grab Your Greeting promotion.  Click the Shop Now icon and get yours before it's two late!

Smoky Slate and the Eastern Elegance Suite

Wasn't the Stampin' Addict New Color Blog Hop fabulous?  So many fun new things to go along with the wonderful new colors.  If you missed it, the hop stops should all be deep linked together so you can still follow it along and see it all.

I promised today to share details on  one of my cards and also show you a bonus Smoky Slate project.  Both of these cards are from the Eastern Elegance Suite which includes among other things, the Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper, the Beautifully Baroque Bundle and the Coastal Cabana 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim.

Colors: Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Smoky Slate.  Stamps: Lovely Label.  Big Shot: Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder.  Punches: Elegant Butterfly, Bitty Butterfly, Modern Label, Artisan Label.  Accessories: Smoky Slate Embossing Powder, Rhinestone Jewels, and Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper.

 For the background layer on this card, I ran the Smoky Slate Card Stock through my Big Shot with the Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder.  Then I took a sponge and went over it with Smoky Slate Ink to make the texture really pop.  I also inked the edges of the Crushed Curry Card Base and the butterfly and the Modern Label punchy. A couple of Rhinestones round out the elegant feeling on this card.

Colors: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate and Basic Gray.  Stamps: Beautifully Baroque, Dictionary Background, Mosaic Madness and Sweet Essentials. Accessories: Coastal Cabana 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim, Basic Jewel Rhinestone

Here is another wedding card featuring Smoky Slate and the Eastern Elegance Suite.  But I have also included the new Dictionary Background Stamp. I love this stamp.  It's just perfect for adding a little interest to your card.  If you were a fan of the First Edition Designer Series Paper we used to have, then you will love this stamp too.  Then I stamped the Beautifully Baroque stamp over that in Coastal Cabana, one of our new In Colors.  I added a border from the Mosaic Madness stamp in Basic Gray to it as well.  Notice the new ruffle stretch trim on the side?  This stuff is so yummy!  I love it!

On Friday, I will be sharing the details of the box I made for the blog hop.  I will see you then!

New Simply Pressed Clay

One of the fun new things coming out in the next catalog is the Simply Pressed Clay and Molds.  I understand that there are other products on the market that are similar but I was not familiar with them so this is the first time I've had a chance to play with it.

The clay is silicon so it is light weight and spongy compared to Play Dough or modeling clay.  It can be died using our Ink Refills so it will match any of our current colors.  Last night, I decided to try it out and make some Coastal Cabana buttons and flowers and this morning I turned the flower into a project:

Colors: Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Calypso Coral.  Stamps: Flowering Flourishes and Amazing Family.  Big Shot: Large Scallop Edgelit.  Accessories: Simply Pressed Clay and Molds, Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack.

I'm going to send this card to my mom for Mother's Day.  Notice the new and returning colors here on my card: Bermuda Bay (old In Color returning), Coastal Cabana (new In Color) and Calypso Coral (current In Color that is staying with us).  These two stamp sets are also carrying over into the new catalog. 


I'm not suppose to show you pictures of products before the new catalog comes out, so I'll just explain what I did instead of show you.  First I put on a neoprene glove to keep my fingers from getting inky.  (I'm allergic to latex, but for those of you who aren't, that would work too).  Then I added a few drops of the Coastal Cabana Ink Refill and massaged it into the clay.  Next, I pressed it into the mold and put it in the freezer.  The freezer helps the clay firm up makes it easier to remove from the mold. The flower only took about 15 minutes.  I needed to leave the buttons in a little longer to make them easier to remove, closer to 30. When you take them out of the mold, they are still really soft and need to dry for several hours. Overnight worked well and they were ready for me to use this morning.

Today, I've featured something new here on my blog.  On Friday, it's time for a Stampin' Addicts blog hop to celebrate all the fabulous stamp sets that aren't carrying over to the new catalog.  Be sure to check back then.

Mosaic Madness Sneak Peek

As a perk for being a Senior Supervisor, every time a new preorder comes around, I get to purchase a select bundle of products at 40% off.  This time it was select products from the new Quatre Fancy Suite. I finally took some time yesterday to play with it and this is what I made:

Colors: Strawberry Slush, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight and Whisper White.  Stamps: Mosaic Madness, Really Good Greetings.  Big Shot: Modern Mosaic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Windows Collection Framelits. Punch: 2-1/2" Circle Punch.  Accessories: Quatrefancy Specialty Designer Series Paper, Rhinestone Jewels, Festive Paper Piercing Template, Versamark. 

To make this card, first I took a piece of Island Indigo Card Stock and ran it through the Big Shot with the new Mosaic Madness Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  But I wanted to add a little more depth to the paper so I grabbed my Versamark Stamp Pad and rubbed it over the top of the texture to make it pop out more.   Then I went back with the Mosaic Madness stamp set and stamped in the "middle" (well almost he middle in some cases) of the larger openings. 

There is a coordinating punch that goes with this suite, but I was a little disappointed that it doesn't fit inside the embossing folder impressions.  But it is still nice to have a suite of products that beautifully coordinate together.  It has to be my favorite thing about Stampin' Up!

I also used a new greeting set called Really Good Greetings here.  It's a great set with lots of fun greetings, some of them a little more sassy than this one.  But I love this sentiment because it is something I truly believe: everything will be OK even if we can't see what OK is yet.

Finally, the card needed some embellishments so I added the rhinestones.  I wanted to use a button or something but I didn't have any new ones and I haven't had time to play with the new clay that is coming out soon and make one to match.  Hopefully next week.  That will give you something to anticipate.

New 2013-2015 In Colors!

One of the perks of going to the Salt Lake Regionals was a chance to actually purchase a few sneak peeks from the upcoming catalog.  We were embargoed from sharing any pictures or information until April 24 when the catalog is made available to all demonstrators.  But that day is here so I can share!

One of the things I always look forward to is the new In Colors.  When word started trickling out a few weeks ago what they would be, I was not surprised.  I have been doing some clothes shopping lately and these new colors are definitely right on trend with what is in the stores right now.

I also appreciated fellow demonstrators who posted color comparisons on their blogs in the past.  This year, since I have the product in hand already, I get to share those with you.  I tried to pick 2-3 colors that Stampin' Up! enthusiasts would already know and then pair them up with the new colors so you can get an idea what they really look like.  Keep in mind, I did the best I could editing the pictures to the true tone, but computer monitors vary.  I hope this gives you an idea at least until you can get your hands on your own.  I have written the names of the colors underneath each of the punchie and the base color in the photos (behind the white) is the new in color too.  Click on any of the pictures to see them bigger.

The first is Baked Brown Sugar (middle).  It is the perfect blend of Soft Suede (left) and Crumb Cake (right).  And doesn't the name just sound yummy?  I also think this will be good for coloring ethnic skin tones.  Because we all know not everyone (including a couple of cuties at my house) are not Blush Blossom.

Next is Coastal Cabana (third from the left) .  If Stampin' Up! had a signature color this year, Coastal Cabana would be it.  It is featured heavily in the new catalog and on the convention literature.  I first saw it described as a darker Pool Party (far right).  But I think it is closer to a lighter version of Bermuda Bay (second from the left). It is a lot more green than Tempting Turquoise (far left).  Coincidentally, I have already bought a couple of shirts in this color this spring.

Crisp Cantaloupe is a great name for the next color (third from left).  I should have included Groovy Guava on this page but I would have had to dig pretty hard to find that old color in my stamp room.  If you liked that color, you will love this one too.  The recent color that it is closest is Peach Parfait (second from the left).  It is just a little lighter and a little more pink or coral than that it. It is a great companion color to Calypso Coral (far left).  I added Apricot Appeal (far right) to the chart even though it isn't all that close just so you can see how coral it really is.

Pistachio Pudding (far right) might just be my favorite of the bunch this year.  It isn't really all that close to anything Stampin' Up! has had before but I am showing it with (left to right) Sage Shadow, Certainly Celery and Gable Green.  Pistachio Pudding is very close to the color I painted my bedroom walls several years ago (and I liked it so much then, when we moved we painted our bedroom in our new house the exact same color).

And let's not forget Strawberry Slush (third from the left).  I am not a big fan of pinks in general, (I think I've mentioned that before).  But I don't *hate* this one (and that is high praise for a pink).  It is a lighter version of Melon Mambo (far left).  I originally heard this was close to Primrose Petals (second from the left), but as you can tell from the photo, it's much brighter and not as brown.  I threw in Regal Rose (far right) for a comparison as well.


I did not end up with the ink pads the other day, just the paper so when I started trying to make samples with them, it was a little like a limited supply challenge.  Now I remember what it is like not to have every color of ink at your disposal. I managed to make two cards:

Colors: Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe and Whisper White.  Stamps: Mixed Bunch.  Punch: Blossom.  Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Large Rhinestone Jewels, Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon.

The only thing new on this card is the colors.  Adriana Benitez from Escape2Stamp featured a card a week or so ago with white embossing powder on a pastel color and and I just loved it.  Very fresh looking. I just kept this simple since I didn't have a lot to work with. :)

Colors: Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Smoky Gray and Basic Black.  Stamps: Label Love, Mixed Bunch.  Big Shot: Chevron and Stripes Textured Embossing Folders, and Tasteful Trim Bigz XL.  Punches: Modern Label, Artisan Label, and Itty Bitty Punch Pack.  Accessories: Rhinestone Jewels.

 Notice the new stamp set, Label Love, that matches the new Artisan Label punch. It has other fun greetings in it as well.  Perfect for wedding, birthdays, babies, etc.  And when you bundle it with the punch, you can save a little $$ too. Always nice.  And I threw in the other brand new color: Smoky Slate.  Love this gray.  And of course, I made a little chart for it too:

Featured on the chart (from left to right) are Basic Gray, the old Going Gray and Smoky Slate.  Smoky Slate is close to the old Going Gray but a pinch smokier (hence the name).

I hope you have enjoyed this look at the new colors.  I know this was a long blog post and if you've hung with me this long today, you probably deserve some kind of medal.   I will be back to post a little later today with the retirement list information.