Fun Night!

Hands down, my favourite part of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is being able to hang out with a great group of ladies and make some cards :) Last night, I had a few close friends and family come over and we made some 'last minute' Christmas cards. It's funny, it's not even December yet, and I think that making cards on November 29th is last minute!

I wanted to share one of the projects from last night, because I think it's just too cute! How are your Christmas cards coming along? :)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New  Year

punch, stamp, sponge, done! :)

The supplies I used for this card were:
Cardstock: Pool Party, Whisper White
Paper: Not Quite Navy DSP
Stamps: Punch Pals, Delightful Dozen
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Pool Party
Tools: Postage stamp punch

Until next time - Happy Stamping!!

-Tara

Sugar and Spice!

This week at the Friday Mashup we were challenged with using a very yummy colour palette: aqua, chocolate and white! And, if we so dared, mash that up with a Christmas theme. I decided to take a break from Christmas with this challenge, and used the awesome colour combination to make a clean and simple birthday card using one of my favourite stamps: the Triple Treat Flower.

I love those bold lines, and how about all the coordinating punches?! Use the Fancy Flower, 5-Petal Flower, or circle punch to separate the layers and mix up colours!

Happy Birthday Wishes

(FM34)

For this card, I wanted to keep it simple!
1. Embrace the white space!: The white space in a card (or, the space without patterns/images), can be as striking as the focal point! It helps keep the card looking clean, and can really draw attention to the 'main attraction'. I resisted the urge to sponge, versamark, and slap on patterned paper... Something that's really hard for me! Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper is so gorgeous, I usually look for every excuse to use it! Since I didn't want to use DSP in the main body of the card, I used it as an accent for the stamped image - a tiny hint of Spice Cake in the middle of  the Triple Treat Flower.

2. Be bold!: Using colours that really contrast each other help make the card pop - it gives the illusion of depth and dimension. I like to use stamp sets with very bold and heavy lines when the rest of the card is clean and simple! It gives the card some weight, like having a light and fluffy mousse cake with a nice cookie crumb crust ;)

 

The supplies I used for this card were:
Cardstock: Pool Party, Early Espresso, Whisper White
Paper: Spice Cake DSP
Stamps: Triple Treat Flower, Petite Pairs
Ink: Early Espresso
Tools: Fancy Flower punch

Until next time - Happy Stamping :)

-Tara

Let's go Regal!!

Wow, has it really been almost a week since I updated my blog?! Sick little kiddos and lots of prep going on in this house these days :) I just finished making 50 Thank You cards for my sister-in-law's friends baby shower! Anyways, back to making single cards for me!

This week over at the Play Date Cafe they have some gorgeous colours to work with - and I mean gorgeous! I love the Regals colour family - the jewel tons and rich colours are so very 'me'. I would have made a great Queen... ;) So, when I saw the palette over at the Play Date Cafe, I immediately thought of Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard and Cajun Craze (at least, that's how I interpreted them!)

I tried my hand at a new technique with this challenge as well. My mother is a quilter, and a fantastic one at that. She's made some gorgeous quilts over the years. The Bargello technique is taken from an old quilting technique, and I'm not sure why I never thought of trying it with paper instead of fabric!

For Everything you are to me

 (PDCC108)

For this card, I wanted to try a new technique!
1. Borrow from other types of crafts!: So many types of crafts can serve as inspiration - Quilting, Macrame, knitting, drawing, quilling, etc - Quilting is all about colour selection and design, which is very similar to cardmaking! Or how about those gorgeous Nordic sweaters your grandma used to knit you? ;) Or try creating an accent on your card using some inventive quilling shapes! The inspiration around us in the crafting world can be overwhelming... But in a good way! :)

2. Get your markers out!: With this colour combination, I wanted to use a More Mustard colour ribbon, but didn't have one on hand. I did, however, have a More Mustard marker! I coloured my white satin ribbon with my More Mustard marker to match my card. Maybe it turned out a little "More Gold" than "More Mustard", but that just adds to the "Regal" charm of it all! To give the feel of tassels, I frayed the ends of the ribbon a bit.

 

The supplies I used for this card were:
Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Paper: Regals DSP - More Mustard, Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze
Stamps: Petite Pairs
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard marker
Embellishments: Whisper White Satin Ribbon - coloured More Mustard
Tools: Decorative Label punch

Off to find my crown and sit in my velvet chair...

Until next time - Happy Stamping! :)

-Tara

Push your supplies to the max!

It's been a lazy Sunday in the (Murphy)Bourgoin household today (typing that reminds me that I really need to get on to changing my name official...). If someone has a little extra "get up and go" they can lend me, I'd be ever so grateful ;)


On a lazy, rainy Sunday, what would be better than creating a card or two? Think about it. I'll wait. NOTHING! Nothing is better than making a card or two - except if one of those cards is made with your three year old!

First, my entry into the Pals Paper Arts challenge. It feels like it's been forever sinced I've played along there, and I just couldn't resist their awesome, clean sketch. And thanks to the wonderful tutorial by Mary Fish, I was able to add something new to my card - a scrunched up strip of ribbon. Yummy.

Mr. & Mrs. 

(PPA120)

For this card, I wanted to push the products to the max!

1. Punch it out. Again, and again, and again!:
The 1 3/4" Scallop Punch is so versatile. You can cut it up, crumple it up, punch it up, and it still has more life! I punched out 5 scallop circles from the Bravo Burgundy DSP and layered them (3 of one side, 2 of the other) to make this flower. A little manipulating, sponging and (eek) squishing, you can create a a gorgeous 3D accent for your card. The centre of the flower is a little knot of satin ribbon!


2. Don't be afraid to PULL!:
As I mentioned, this tutorial from Mary Fish reminds us to never stop thinking about ways to get the most out of your supplies. There are so many great things you can do with ribbon, but I love this messy, yet controlled, look. Watch the video and try it on your next card - you will be so happy you did :) Use this technique with the 5/8" Satin Ribbon - any colour that matches your project!


The supplies I used for this card were:
Cardstock: River Rock, Pink Pirouette
Paper: Bravo Burgundy DSP
Stamps: Aviary, Petite Pairs
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Pink Pirouette
Embellishments: Whisper White Satin Ribbon
Tools: Dotted Scallop Border punch, Corner Rounder

Until next time - Happy Stamping :)

-Tara

P.S. This was the fun I had with my boy :) He did such a great job and did most of the work himself. He makes a mama proud!!

For his grandma, that lives a couple provinces away. I helped him tie the bow, align the papers and stamp the baskets on the balloon. But I think he did a pretty great job!!

Everything's coming up rosettes!!

I've been fascinated by rosettes lately, but I've yet to try my hand at them. Lucky for me, this week over at the Friday Mashup, they challenged us to make a card using these clever little flowers. Honestly, there are some things out there that really fascinate me. Knitting, for instance - can you imagine the kind of brain someone must have to look at a piece of string and two sticks and say "ya, I can totally make that into a wearable garment".


Rosettes is on my list of "who came up with this stuff?!". Glad someone did though, because they are delightful. Along with the rosette challenge, FM also challenged us to use the sketch over there at the right. Lovely, no?!


And, as if I wasn't challenged enough, I threw in a colour challenge from the ColourQ :) Crumb Cake (yum), Pear Pizzaz, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry (double yum), and white. So, please read on to see my entry into both those challenges!

With all that inspiration at hand, I got to creating - an enjoyable (as always) 30 minutes in my little craft corner!

 Thank You

(FM33)

(CQC111)

For this card, I wanted to create something fun with a lot of colour!
1. Push the boundaries!: When I saw the colour challenge at ColourQ, I thought to myself "how am I ever going to fit Pumpkin Pie into this combination?". Turns out it was easy. Just a few splashes here and there really turned this into something special and unexpected. Participating in challenges like this is a great way to do something you wouldn't normally do, and use colour combination you wouldn't even think of!

2. Look for inspiration everywhere!: The "Have a Seat" set is one of my absolute favourites. It reminds me of my grandparents house with all their old, mismatched chairs. When I started reminiscing about their house, memories of all the things I loved started coming to the surface - one of those was their garden. Both my grandparents took care of the gardens, and they were always so beautiful. That plays a part in choosing both the patterned paper (Pocketful of Posies) and the burst of floral from around the bench.


The supplies I used for this card were:
Cardstock: Pear Pizzaz, Rich Razzleberry, Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Pocketful of Posies DSP
Stamps: Have a Seat, Short & Sweet, Tiny Tags
Ink: Crumb Cake, Rich Razzleberry
Embellishments: Whisper White Satin Ribbon
Tools: Dotted Scallop Border punch

Hope you enjoyed visiting today! I certainly enjoyed creating.

Until next time - Happy stamping! :)

-Tara

For My Wonderful Mother

There's never a 'wrong' time to send a card to your mother to remind her she's wonderful :) I wanted to make her a clean, simple and classy looking card. I played along with the Play Date Cafe Challenge this week to make a card using black and white, and a splash of orange.

 For My Wonderful Mother

  (PDCC107)

For this card, I wanted to keep it clean an simple, with a splash of colour!
1. Layer it!: For my splash of colour, I wanted to incorporate the Calypso Coral into the Triple Treat Flower, so I first inked up the stamp in the Calypso Coral, and punched it out using the Fancy Flower punch. I think inked up the Triple Treat Flower again using Basic Black. I don't currently own the 5-Petal Flower punch, which would be perfect for this, so I cut out the smaller flower and popped it up on dimensionals! A pop of colour and depth all at once!

2. Add a watermark background!: I had a lot of 'white' space to fill (well, black in this case!), but I didn't want to put any paper or colour on it - so I inked up my Triple Treat Flower stamp with versamark and scattered it around the card front. It's subtle, but in the right light, adds a nice little touch.

The supplies I used for this card were:
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black
Stamps: Triple Treat Flower, Delightful Dozen
Ink: Basic Black, Calypso Coral, Whisper White (Craft), VersaMark
Embellishments: Whisper White Satin ribbon
Tools: Fancy Flower punch

Until next time, happy stamping :)

-Tara

Flirtatious

It's early November, and in the cardmaking world, Christmas has been in full-swing for quite some time! Sometimes though, it's nice to take a break. Thank you to the Friday Mashup! team for encouraging us all to do that ;)

Our family is going to a birthday party today for 3 women. So, this challenge couldn't have come at a better time!

1. Make a project featuring "A Girly Theme"
2. Or make a project using "Your Favourite Technique"
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a "Girly project using your favourite technique".

I mashed it up this week with a little Rock'n'Roll flirtation ;)

Happy Birthday

(FM32)

For this card, I wanted to make it as girly as possible as well as incorporating my favourite technique!
1. Flirtatious Suite: I know I just used the Delicate Doily set last week to make a Thank You card, but it just doesn't get any more 'girly' than that set and the coordinating paper - Flirtatious. If you're looking for a really fun feminine card, and you're not afraid of bright colours, this is the paper and stamp set for you ;)

2. Rock 'n' Roll: Once of my favourite techniques, even though it's an oldie, is the "Rock N Roll" tehcnique. And it's almost as if the Delicate Doily set was MADE for rockin'! First, stamp your image in a lighter coloured ink (in this case, I chose Melon Mambo), then, 'roll' your stamp in the darker coloured ink (I used Wisteria Wonder). The edges of your stamp will pick up the new colour, and the middle will retain the first. I used this technique on the doily, and then punched it out using the Doily Triple Layer punch.

The supplies I used for this card were:
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Paper: Flirtatious DSP
Stamps: Delicate Doilies, Delightful Dozen
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Melon Mambo
Embellishments: Wisteria Wonder Ruffled Ribbon
Tools: Fancy Flower punch, Doily Triple Layer punch

Maybe I'll put the Delicate Doilies away for a bit... But it will be hard!

Thank you for visiting! Until next time, happy stamping :)

-Tara

Sending Many Thanks

A "Thank You" card is one of my favourite kind of cards to make. Generally speaking, I find people to be very grateful (at least the ones in my life!), and a 'thank you' is always verbally exchanged for any gifts, gestures or help that's given - but the written thank you is less common. At least the non-electronic ones anyway. This, of course, is excluding wedding and shower thank you notes, which I still always  receive in the mail :)

This week's Friday Mashup was all about gratitude.
1. Make a project featuring "Heat Embossing"
2. Make a "Thank you" project
3. Mash it up and create a Thank You project using heat embossing

I chose to simply create a thank you project, sans heat embossing ;)

Sending Many Thanks

(FM31)

For this card, I wanted to make it fun and easy-going!
1. Make your own Designer Series Paper! I used the Delicate Doilies stamp set and three different colour inks to create a patterned paper that I could use with the colours I knew I wanted for the background and ribbon. Stampin' Up! does an excellent job of coordinating papers, inks and stamp sets, but sometimes it's fun to create your own combinations that fit your personal style!

2. Make it messy! Who says you need clean lines and crisp paper? ;) Rip, tear, moisten, and crumple a piece of DSP to add texture, visual interest, and depth to your card! It makes the card a little more playful and spontaneous!

The supplies I used for this card were:
Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Paper: More Mustard DSP
Stamps: Delicate Doilies, Petite Pairs
Ink: Island Indigo, Melon Mambo, More Mustard
Embellishments: Island Indigo Ruffled Ribbon
Tools: Postage Stamp punch, Sandy Speckles wheel


Until next time, happy stamping! :)

For you, baby!

This was one of those cards that doesn't have a planned recipient - however, I know that it's only a matter of time :)

This week's colours at the Play Date Cafe challenge were so sweet: grey, pink, yellow. They screamed baby card! Unfortunately, the photo didn't pick up the Pirouette Pink all that well.

Welcome, Baby

(PDCC106)

For this card, I wanted to keep it soft and curvy
1. Make your own edge border! I wanted to have a big, chubby scalloped border for this card to mimic the shape of the birdcage. I punched out the Fancy Flower punch from Pink Pirouette and snipped off the petals to make the border.

2. Cut it out! Add some dimension and depth by stamping an image directly onto the card base, and then cutting out another stamped image to pop up on dimensionals.

The supplies I used for this card were:
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron
Stamps: Aviary, Petite Pairs
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Whisper White (craft) 
Embellishments: 5/8" Whisper White Satin Ribbon 
Tools: Fancy Flower punch, Large Scallop oval punch, Large Oval punch, 3/16" Corner punch

Happy Sunday, everyone - Until next time, happy stamping :)

-Tara

Here for you

This week for Pals Paper Arts challenge, I kept it simple again! I love monochromatic cards - and I especially love them when they are brown.

One of the many things I love about Stampin' Up! is how easy it is to coordinate. While still maintaining creative license, you can create a seamless, congruent card thanks to their endless attention to detail.

I needed a clean, simple, masculine card for someone who is going through a hard time.

I'm Here For You

(PPA118)

For this card, I needed to to be sincere and masculine.
1. It's all in the colour! Looking for masculine Designer Series Paper? Look no further than the Well Worn series. I adore this paper for a vintage look, or for masculine cards. It's earthy tones makes it perfect for a natural, neutral card.

2. Frame it! For this card, I used the Decorative Label punch as a frame. Although it wasn't framing anything in particular, it really draws your eye to the DSP and doesn't distract from the sentiment. 

The supplies I used for this card were:
Cardstock: River Rock (108640),  Soft Suede (115318),
Paper: Well Worn Designer Series Paper (122359)
Stamps: Petite Pairs (W122495, C122497)
Ink: Early Espresso (119670)
Tools: Decorative Label punch (120907), 3/16" Corner punch (119871), Dimensionals (104430)

Hope to see you soon - Until next time, happy stamping :)

-Tara