Vibrant Vases in Highland Heather

by Shannon Jaramillo // January 9, 2019 // 9 Comments

Hello Friends and Happy Hump Day to You!! I whipped up this little card last night after having let the color combination sit on my craft table for almost a week! When moving into a new house or redecorating a room, I like to tell my husband that I have to let the walls “talk” to me before I can hang anything up. Do you do that too? It’s the same with this color combination, it had to percolate a little!

Measurements:

Highland Heather Card Base 4 1/4″ x 11″ scored at 5 1/2″
Balmy Blue Stitched Layer 3 3/4″ x 5 1/8″
Gray Granite Stitched Layer 3 3/8″ x 4 3/4″
Gingham Gala Stitched Circle Layer 2 7/8″
Stamped White Card Stock 2 1/4″ x 3 1/2″

Details:

I knew when I sat down to create that I wanted to use the new Vibrant Vases stamp set and the Gingham Gala 6″ x 6″ DSP, both of which are in the new Occasions Catalog and are available now. And purple was a foregone conclusion as it is my favorite color. I don’t decorate with it or wear it, but when choosing plants or flowers, I always seem to pick purple!! Definitely a child of the 80’s and influenced by Prince, lol
I stamped the vase and flower posy in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink because I knew I wanted to color it in with Stampin’ Blends. I used both Light and Dark Highland Heather to color and shade the flowers, then Light and Dark Old Olive for the leaves, and then I added Light and Dark Balmy Blue to the mix for the vase. Note: This set does have coordinated stamps to color the flower and vase outline, I just wanted to play with my markers 🙂

I used my Gorgeous Grape Stampin’ Write Marker to add a bit of detail to the flower centers, as well as a bit of Wink of Stella.
I’m really enjoying playing with all of Stampin’ Up’s stitched dies, they add such a nice touch, but this card can easily be made without them (I’ve provided the measurements above) and would still look beautiful.
I just played around with the colors and layers to come up with my layout and couldn’t decide if I should use Balmy Blue or Highland Heather ribbon, so…used both!! These adorable ribbons are available as a free gift with any $50 purchase. The Organdy Ribbon Combo Pack includes 5 spools of ribbon: Balmy Blue, Daffodil Delight, Grapefruit Grove, Highland Heather and Lemon Lime Twist.
Retired Old Olive Glittery Enamel Dots add a nice detail (love them) and after sleeping overnight, I came back in and added the Old Olive Banner die cut with a banner die from the just retired Farmhouse Framelits Dies. I trimmed the banner in half and then trimmed quite a bit off to leave just a bit peeking out.

The interior is quite simple today, just a trio of Mary’s tulips to brighten it up!

For those who don’t “know” who “Mary” is, she is Mary Fish, my Stampin’ Up! up-line, mentor, and friend. For reaching the $1,000,000 sales goal, she was invited to participate and influence the creation of a stamp set, which is Varied Vases in the Annual Catalog. It coordinates with the Vase Builder Punch as well as this new set from the Occasions Catalog, Vibrant Vases. The tulip is her signature logo so I can never see one without thinking of her 🙂

Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing a prelude to Spring with my card today!

Blessings to You!

Supplies (all Stampin’ Up! unless otherwise noted):

Card Stock: Balmy Blue, Gray Granite, Highland Heather and Old Olive; and Stamper’s Select White by Papertrey Ink

DSP: Gingham Gala 6″ x 6″

Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento

Stamps: Vibrant Vases

Dies: Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies, Rectangle Stitched Framelits Dies; Farmhouse Framelits Dies (retired)

Tools: Big Shot; Stampin’ Blends; Gorgeous Grape Stampin’ Write Marker

Embellishments: Organdy Ribbon Combo Pack (SAB Freebie); Glitter Enamel Dots (retired); Wink of Stella

Other: Whisper White Envelope

Wishing You Well in the New Year

by Shannon Jaramillo // January 1, 2019 // 5 Comments

Hello and Happy New Year!! I hope the new year is everything you wish it to be!! As I’m sure you can relate to if you are reading this, I love shopping for craft supplies. I ALSO love organizing those crafting supplies (!), but I feel that last year I dedicated too much time to those other two pursuits and not enough time to the actual creation of projects snd certainly not enough time sending out handmade kindness so here’s to a new year and a new focus!!

Measurements:

Night of Navy Card Base 4 1/4″ x 11″ scored at 5 1/2″
DSP Layer 4″ x 5 1/4″
Smaller Night of Navy Layer 2 3/4″ x 4 1/8″
Stamped White Card Stock 2 5/8″ x 4″

Details:

Today’s project is a direct CASE of a card designed by a UK demonstrator, Sam Hammond. I thought this card was drop dead gorgeous and had to sit down and re-create it immediately.
In Sam’s photo, the card stock looked to me to be the new Blueberry Bushel, but, is in fact Night of Navy, picking up on the colors from the also drop dead gorgeous Frosted Floral Designer DSP. I LOVE that she used a holiday design for a non-holiday card!

This delightful bouquet and bow are from the Wishing You Well stamp set in the 2018 Holiday catalog. You can still purchase it through tomorrow January 2, 2019, so if you haven’t snapped this one up, you still have time!! It’s a fabulous year round stamp set! And that bow!!!!! It is not a two-step stamp, it stamps JUST like that on the first try!
The shimmery dots are actually from my retired Enamel Dots collection. They started out as a different color (pale yellow I believe) and I colored them with my Night of Navy Stampin’ Blends! How cool is that!!

A peek at the inside and the envelope – quick, easy and gorgeous!! (I’ve used that word a lot today with this card, lol) What a great card to have on hand!!

The benefits of CASEing other designer’s work are three-fold for me. One, I get to make a card without any design work just because it’s gorgeous and it gives me a mental break. Two, I try things that I wouldn’t normally do and that helps to increase my skill level as a card maker. And three, because often times, CASEing someone else’s work sparks my own creativity! That is what happened with this card and I will share what it inspired with my next post.

Until then, stay warm, happy and healthy in this squeaky new year!

Blessings,

Supplies (all Stampin’ Up! unless otherwise noted):

Card Stock: Night of Navy and Stamper’s Select White by Papertrey Ink

DSP: Frosted Floral Specialty

Ink: Night of Navy and Mossy Meadow

Stamps: Wishing You Well

Dies: None

Tools: Stampin’ Trimmer

Embellishments: Glitter Enamel Dots, retired

Other: Whisper White Envelope

Humble & Kind

by Shannon Jaramillo // July 11, 2018 // 3 Comments

Hello my stamping friends! I’m back today with another sampling of goodies from The Good Life collection. Today’s card is actually a Frankenstein card, meaning it was made from cast offs of other projects that didn’t turn out the way I wanted them to! The sentiment I’m using here turned out to be too big for my original idea, so I rearranged my thoughts and used this week’s team challenge sketch to make the sentiment a focal point!

Measurements:

Raspberry Berry Card Base 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″, scored at 4 1/4″
Rustic Rose Card Stock Layer 3 1/4″ x 3 3/4″
Pattern Paper Background Layer 3″ x 3 1/2″
Raspberry Berry Card Stock Layer 2 3/4″ x 3 1/4″
Rustic Rose Card Stock Layer 4″ x 3″
Whip Cream Layer 3 3/4″ x 2 3/4″

Details:

I love how layers of color really turn up the volume on an otherwise pretty simplistic card. If you look closely at the Whip Cream rectangle, it is frames by Rustic Rose and Raspberry Berry on the left side, but as you slide over to the right side of that layer you can see that I ended the Raspberry Berry layer right where it butts up against the card base. Doing this creates an optical illusion and keeps the top layer highlighted perfectly.

Being creative is easy when you have access to such beautiful stamps! I adore all of the images in this set but just had to focus on the wonderful font of the ‘Home Sweet Home’ sentiment. I think it evokes our fondest memories of home, even if they didn’t involve rolling fields, barns or farm animals! I stamped the sentiment with Black Licorice ink and then die cut it with the Journey Circles dies.

I popped my sentiment up and added the beautiful Detailed Foliage die cut in Rustic Rose to help frame the sentiment and just HAD to add a messy bow! I then went a little wild with these yummy sequins from the new Sunrise Mix sequins, aren’t they pretty and they match the Raspberry Berry card stock so well!

The sketch called for a small banner in the upper right hand corner so I snipped it out of a piece of the same lovely floral pattern from the Good Life pattern paper pack that I used in the background. But it was too plain compared to my fussy bow and sequins, so I dressed it up with this amazing Clear Blooms Accent! It’s a curved, not flat, bloom button and is the real deal! I’m not usually a fan of accents that require extra postage, but this card can be a hand delivered kind of card, enclosed in a hand crafted Envelo-Box – which is a die that FSJ sells to create an envelope that has depth to it. I’m obviously going to need to order it! lol
But really, it’s a sweet sentiment and all, but what kind of card is this?? Yes, I can hear you thinking that, so let me show me show you what kind of card that sentiment would work on:

Yep, love and friendship. What a great way to show that someone special that they have a special piece of your heart.

Here’s the sketch challenge photo that inspired today’s card! What a fun inspiration it is and I actually think I played along with this sketch challenge when it was used the first time over at Sweet Sunday!

That’s all for today folks! I hope you are inspired to pull out your stamps and inks and maybe create your own unique interpretation of this sketch! Or maybe to do some shopping…lol! Speaking of shopping, I want to let you all know that catalogs went out in the mail today so if you requested one and received an email stating that a package was coming but you didn’t know what it was, now you do! I have two people who requested catalogs but didn’t leave me their address or respond to my emails. Please let me know if you are still interested!

If you are interested in receiving a clog of all the yummy FSJ products, please email me to order yours for only $6, which goes toward the cost of shipping the catalog to you. Hurry, the sooner you order, the sooner you can be inspired!

Life is Beautiful – Sneak Peek of New Products!

by Shannon Jaramillo // June 29, 2018 // 7 Comments

W.O.W. What do you think of my sneak peek of the A-M-A-Z-I-N-G new stamp set Life is Beautiful as well as the F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S new pattern paper Good Life Prints? Both of these products are part of The Good Life suite of products available in the 2018-19 FSJ (Fun Stampers Journey) annual catalog, which will go live this Sunday, July 1, 2018! Do you love what you see? I picked up a bundle of products from the suite at convention this last week and knew that I had to sit down and play with them just as soon as I could!! The rest of the suite is equally amazing and I can’t wait to get it all! I may never play with anything else again!! The rest of the papers in this paper pack are all so beautiful too!! (can you tell I’m excited?!?)

Measurements:

Huckleberry Fusion Card Base 4 1/2″ x 11″, scored at 5 1/2″
Tin Pail Card Stock Layer 4″ x 5 1/4″
Pattern Paper Background Layer 3 3/8″ x 5″
Huckleberry Fusion Layer 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″
Tin Pail Card Stock Layer 2 1/4″ x 4 1/4″
Pattern Paper Layer 2″ x 4″
Huckleberry Fusion Layer 2 1/4″ x 3 1/2″
Tin Pail Card Stock Layer 2″ x 3 1/4″
Whip Cream Stamped Image Layer 1 3/4″ x 3″

Details:

One of the big announcements at convention was the introduction of 6 new colors to the FSJ color palette. All six colors are warm and earthy and are designed to coordinate with The Good Life Suite. In fact, I have two words to sum up the new colors and the entire suite of products – Joanna Gaines. Yep. Absolutely brilliant. I will share all of the colors in a future post, but the one I used here for my layering is the perfect shade of light gray and is called Tin Pail. The name is PERFECT for the color!!
The blue in the checked pattern is probably actually another new color called Chambray Shirt, I don’t actually know yet because the list of coordinating colors has been released yet, but when I paired the checked paper and the Chambray Shirt card stock, the card stock wasn’t quite deep enough to balance out the blue check, so I went slightly darker with Huckleberry Fusion card stock and think it’s a stunning combination.

I used the Journey Color Burst Colored Pencils to color in this delightful image of flowers in an old-fashioned milk bottle. For the flowers petals I used pencils 31 and 32, for the flower center I used pencil 15 (which is Summer Days) and for the milk jug I used shades of grey with pencils 29 and 47. I used the color burst blender to blend the color just a smidge but really liked the edgy look of the original layers of color.
Both the vase of flowers and the sentiment were stamped in Black Licorice Fusion Ink and the the sentiment was die cut with its’ coordinating die and popped up with foam squares.

Once I had the sentiment all cozied up with my natural twine bow, I used a fine paint brush and added just a touch of Journey Glaze to the sentiment to help it pop and add shine. I’ve never used Journey Glaze, or anything like it before, so I was very cautious about how much I used. I also added a drop of Summer Days ink to the flower centers and then added a drop of Journey Glaze to them as well. They sparkle so prettily!!
The button? I don’t have a big collection of embellishments (yet) so I just pulled this little wood button out of my old scrapbooking stash ad adhered it with a glue dot. The bow just needed a little somethin’ somethin’ 🙂

I have to thank the very wonderfully talented team at The Paper Players for the sketch inspiration for this card. I love a simple layout every day of the week! I’m also sneaking in just under the wire, lol!

REMEMBER, if you would like to receive the NEW and AWESOME 2018-19 Fun Stampers Journey catalog, please email me with your address information! If you contact me by June 30th, I will send the catalog to you AT NO COST TO YOU. On July 1st, I will still be sending the catalogs free, but will be collecting a shipping charge of just $7.00.

PLEASE tell me what you think of these new products! Are you in love?!? I can’t wait to hear from you all!

Supplies: (All Fun Stampers Journey products unless noted differently below)

Card Stock: Huckleberry Fusion, Whip Cream and Tin Pail (available on July 1st)

Printed Paper: Good Life Prints (available on Jul 1st)

Ink: Black Licorice

Stamps: Life is Beautiful (available on Jul 1st)

Dies: Life is Beautiful (available on Jul 1st)

Tools: Journey Glaze, Journey Blooms Paper Trimmer

Embellishments: Journey Twine Natural

Other: None

FSJ Convention 2018 was the “Beary Best”!

by Shannon Jaramillo // June 25, 2018 // 4 Comments

Oh my goodness!! Isn’t this ‘beary’ little guy the cutest?!? I have SO much to share with you all after my long weekend at the FSJ (Fun Stampers Journey) convention, but first, I wanted to share my swap card for the ‘Inking the Way’ team card swap. This little guy is an ‘ATS’ stamp called ‘Beary Best’ and he is retiring June 30th so if you love him too, make sure to place an order right away as he is only available while supplies last!! And he is on SALE!!! ‘Beary Best‘, just the stamp, is only $5.37!! And ‘Beary Best‘, the bundle (stamp and coordinating die!) is only $10.47!! What amazing value!!

Are you interested in purchasing other stamps and dies at amazing prices? Who wouldn’t be, right?!? Then check out the FSJ Retirement Party (after you finish this post of course :))!!

Measurements:

Card Base 4 1/2″ x 11″, scored at 5 1/2″
Stamped Image Layer 3″ x 5 1/2″
Printed Paper Layer 1″ x 5″

Details:

Would you like a way to use up those scraps of darling pattern paper that we all hoard…I mean have? This layout packs a TON of pattern paper punch and uses only two 1″ x 5 1/2″ pieces of pattern paper!!
Assembly is SO easy! I attached both the bear stamp and the sentiment stamp to the ‘F’ block. The grid lines on the block and indexing (stamp image) on the stamp, make getting things lined up straight a BREEZE!! Then I inked this both stamps up with Hazelnut Blend Fusion Ink and stamped him on Buttercream card stock!
I cut thin strips of color coordinating card stock, applied adhesive and attached them to both sides of my stamped image layer. One done, I adhered everything to the card base!
I added two Journey Sequins Bloom Time sequins in the lower right hand corner for a bit of pop and then balanced them out with a hand snipped banner of pattern paper and a teeny tiny bow of Journey Natural Thread!

I added a bit of the Through the Years pattern paper to my photo so you can get a better idea of the overall design…it’s gorgeous in Butter Cream, Banana Cream, Summer Days, Pool Play, Beach Breeze, Lemon Grass and Fresh Forest.

Now….CONVENTION. Oh my goodness! FSJ (Fun Stampers Journey) KNOCKED it out of the park at Convention!! Honestly, LOOK at ALL the goodies that were included in the price of Convention!

Just look at all the STUFF!!! The natural canvas tote in the upper left was the bag given to us at registration. It contained THREE full size stamp sets, 1 ATS size stamp set, the black and white checked planner you see to the left (complete with a full compliment of calendar pages in it) as well as the convention pin and a pin announcing this was my first convention. You can see those attached to my lanyard (also included in the bag). The REST: a $600 party host set for staying at the convention hotel, 2 ATS stamps, the mini envelope die, a full spool of Lemon Drop satin ribbon, a pen and stickers for our amaze machines with the new logo on them, a darling take out box, another fold away tote which came with the new annual catalog in it, the 2018-19 Annual Catalog (SPIRAL BOUND!!!!!) and a commenorative wood mounted Convention 2018 stamp set! OH! And the Holiday mini catalog!!! (eek!)

Whew!! That’s a TON of STUFF, right?? I’ve been to stamping conventions before but they pale in comparison to the way we were treated. And that’s just the stuff. We also were treated to THREE days of general session with SO many new products and tips and techniques and SIX breakout classes!! I learned SO MUCH!! And FOOD!!! I will share photos of the food in the posts to come, just let me say here that we did not go hungry! No boxed meals happening with FSJ!!

Oh! And the opportunity to shop in the Journey store and purchase SO many bundles and a la carte items from the new catalog!! And we got to take them home with us!! And we were able to purchase them with our coach discount and a 10% convention discount!!

Are you on overload yet? lol, I am. I am SO inspired by the wonderful FSJ crew and all of their hard work producing a GORGEOUS 334 page color catalog FULL of amazing projects to inspire!! Would you like one????? You’re like “You’re Kidding” right?? Of course you want one!! Just shoot me an email and as soon as I receive the catalogs, I will ship them out to you!

Thank you so much for visiting my little blog and I hope to see you back! Don’t forget to subscribe so you can get peeks of amazing FSJ product delivered right to your in box!

Supplies: (All Fun Stampers Journey products unless noted differently below)

Card Stock: Buttercream, Summer Days, Lemon Grass, and Fresh Forest

Printed Paper: Through the Year

Ink: Hazelnut Blend

Stamps: Beary Best

Dies: None

Tools: Journey Blooms Paper Trimmer

Embellishments: Journey Sequins Bloom Time and Journey Thread Natural

Other: None