An Oldie but a Goodie – The Paper Players 363

by Shannon Jaramillo // September 25, 2017 // 5 Comments

There are so many wonderful new stamps out there but when I saw someone letting go of this beauty from 2003, I couldn’t pass it up. New is great but I encourage you to look through your stash and pull out a stamp that hasn’t seen ink in awhile and see if it doesn’t make you happy that you kept it all these years!

Measurements:

Card Base 4 1/2″ x 11″, scored at 5 1/2″
Next Layer 4″ x 5 1/4″
DSP Layer 3 3/4″ x 5″
Larger Block Base 2 3/4″ x 4 1/2″
Larger Block DSP 2 1/2″ x 4 1/4″
Smaller Block Base 2 1/4″ x 3 1/4″
Smaller Block Image Layer 2″ x 3″

Details:

I made some Halloween purchases from Stampin’ Up! last year and then never made any cards so this year I just pulled out last year’s Halloween Night DSP. I love the combinations of patterns, colors and images in this DSP pack. Don’t the Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black just pop?
I stamped my sweet image from the Halloween Smiles stamp set, circa 2003, in Versafine Onyx Black ink. I had been told years ago that it was a favorite ink of stampers but was too stubborn to try it out. Well, ladies and gentlemen, this ink is DIVINE!! It stamped all my images, even brand new never-inked-up photopolymer stamps, perfectly. See the bats, spider and pumpkin faces on my envelope? No MISTI used. Just brand new photopolymer stamps on blocks and they stamped the complete image perfectly, as well as perfectly crisp and bright. I have a new favorite!

Again, the crispness of the images! I so amazed!! And sorry I was a doubting Thomas for so long!
This adorable Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black Baker’s Twine is also from last year’s Stampin’ Up! holiday catalog, as is the ‘happy halloween’ sentiment and all of the images stamped on the envelope. They are all from the retired Spooky Fun stamp set. It’s a set with classic halloween images so I know I will keep it and use it…hopefully someday for grand babies!

How sweet is this sentiment from the Halloween Smiles stamp set? And it pairs perfectly with this smiling bat from the Spooky Fun stamp set. It’s not often you see a smiling bat! 🙂

Today’s layout is courtesy of Nance of The Paper Players design team. Such a fun clean sketch…thanks Nance!

If you are in the US, I hope you are enjoying your first days of Fall! Fall here in Southern California means windy and hot, and today did not disappoint! I was determined to leave the window open in spite of the wind, and spent more time than I should have chasing elements around my desk and whisking them off the floor! lol

Blessings!

Supplies:

Card Stock: Basic Black and Pumpkin Pie by Stampin’ Up!; Stamper’s Select White by Papertrey Ink

Pattern Paper: Halloween Night (retired) by Stampin’ Up!

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black

Stamps: Halloween Smiles (retired) and Spooky Fun (retired) by Stampin’ Up!

Dies: Envelope Liner Die (retired) by Stampin’ Up!

Tools: MISTI by My Sweet Petunia (for the sentiment)

Embellishments: Basic Black/Pumpkin Pie (retired) Baker’s Twine by Stampin’ Up!

Other: Medium Whisper White Envelope by Stampin’ Up!

It’s the BEST Time of the Year – Freshly Made Sketches 306

by Shannon Jaramillo // September 22, 2017 // 2 Comments

I’ve been on a roll with fall cards and colors, and will go BACK to fall cards and colors, but I wanted to take a moment to remind us all that there are only 13 Fridays before Christmas! Eek! So if I only make one Christmas card a week from here on out, I will only have 13 made. That will NOT do at all…what is on YOUR to-do list? Anything yet?

Measurements:

Card Base 4 1/2″ x 11″, scored at 5 1/2″
Next layer 4″ x 5 1/4″
Top layer (DSP) 2 1/2″ (cut at 1 1/2″) x 4 1/2

Details:

I wasn’t sure about black as a Christmas card but have to say that after using this fabulous paper, I’m a convert! Basic Black and Old Olive look stunning together…very classy.

I kept very close to the sketch with this card, simply changing out the rectangle on the left hand side for the Christmas Tree from Santa’s Sleigh. I stamped the tree in Tuxedo Black right onto a simple pattern from the Merry Little Christmas DSP pack, and then die cut the tree with the coordinating die.
The tree is popped up off of the simple black star pattern DSP, also from the Merry Little Christmas DSP pack, and next to it is a sweet sentiment from the Christmas in the Making stamp set. I stamped the sentiment in Tuxedo Black and then again in Versamark and then heat set clear embossing powder on it to make the sentiment really pop.

Simple Black Baker’s Twine looped around the card and tied in a pretty bow give the card a nice balance of the three elements. Old Olive Enamel Dots are the perfect finishing touch!
I purposely kept all of the design elements clean, no layers or extras. This would be a good card to mass produce.
And isn’t the plaid pattern I used for the envelope liner fabulous?!? It’s so pretty, it’s hard to cut into!

I kept the inside simple as well with just a simple sentiment from the Snowflake Sentiments stamp set stamped in Tuxedo Black. The set also as this A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E little swirl which I stamped in Old Olive. I used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to get the placement I wanted.

Thank you to the Freshly Made Sketches design team for another outstanding and inspirational sketch! Without it this card would never have been born!

And remember, only THIRTEEN more Fridays until Christmas!!! 🙂

Supplies:

Card Stock: Stamper’s Select White by Papertrey Ink

Pattern Paper: Merry Little Christmas by Stampin’ Up!

Ink: Old Olive by Stampin’ Up! and Tuxedo Black by Memento

Stamps: Santa’s Sleigh, Christmas in the Making and Snowflake Sentiments by Stampin’ Up!

Dies: Santa’s Sleigh, Layering Circles and Envelope Liner Die (retired) by Stampin’ Up!

Tools: Big Shot, Heat Tool, Clear Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig by Stampin’ Up!; MISTI by My Sweet Petunia

Embellishments: Old Olive Enamel Dots and Basic Black Baker’s Twine by Stampin’ Up!

Other: Medium Whisper White Envelope by Stampin’ Up!

So Thankful – CAS(E) This Sketch $239

by Shannon Jaramillo // September 20, 2017 // 1 Comment

I made this card this past weekend and then was sick and didn’t get the post completed so I’m squeaking in at the last minute for the CAS(E) this Sketch challenge for this week. I’m having so much fun with Fall themes this year! Here’s the sketch that was my inspiration:

Details:

It’s funny that I almost didn’t purchase the fall DSP from Stampin’ Up! called Painted Autumn this year. I’m glad I did because I’m loving the way the patterns play off of each other. For this card, I didn’t add any base layers under the DSP, I just let the patterns shine.
One of my all time favorite stamps sets is Vintage Leaves by Stampin’ Up!. I just love the illustration of the leaves. I love this leaf particularly (although I have no idea what tree it’s from…Maple?) and stamped it in Early Espresso ink and die cut it with the coordinating framelits.
The ‘thankful’ die is by Catherine Pooler and came in one of her Stamps of Approval kits. It’s perfect here in Early Espresso. I die cut two of the word dies and layered them one on top of the other for a bit of added depth.

A double looped Linen Twine bow and a single sweet Early Espresso button (retired) finish this clean and simple card.
I accidentally pulled out the wrong card stock for this card so it’s Rustic White instead of Vintage Cream, but I think it works better, I believe some ‘accidents’ happen for a reason! 🙂

Thank you so much for stopping by to see my post and I hope you are inspired to check out the CAS(E) this Sketch challenge…they have fun designs to work with, week after week!

Blessings to you!

Supplies:

Card Stock: Rustic White by Papertrey Ink

Pattern Paper: Painted Autumn by Stampin’ Up!

Ink: Early Espresso by Stampin’ Up!

Stamps: Vintage Leaves by Stampin’ Up!

Dies: Leaflets Framelits and Envelope Liner Die (retired) by Stampin’ Up!

Tools: Big Shot by Stampin’ Up!

Embellishments: Linen Thread and Button (retired) by Stampin’ Up!

Other: Medium Whisper White Envelope by Stampin’ Up!

Fall is in the Air – Stamp, Ink, Paper #116 & The Paper Players 362

by Shannon Jaramillo // September 17, 2017 // 7 Comments

Saturday was a beautiful day here in Southern California with temperatures in the 70’s and a nice crisp feel in the air. I stopped by the local Home Goods store and picked up some fall decor and did a little decorating around the house which translated in to fall cards as well, lol.

The ‘At Home with You’ stamp set has a darling pot of sunflowers that has been calling to me so I pulled it out and colored it with my Shin-Han alcohol markers. I then die cut it with the coordinating die, popped it up on Stampin’ Dimensionals on a Very Vanilla card base and stamped a sweet sentiment from the ‘One Big Meaning’ stamp set in Early Expresso. This darling pattern from the Painted Autumn DSP is a great compliment to my coloring, and the linen bow the finishing touch!

It’s seems like I’m not the only one feeling “Fallish” – Fall challenges are also in the air this week so I’m playing along with both the Stamp, Ink, Paper Clean and Simple Fall challenge as well as The Paper Players Clean and Simple Harvest Challenge (LOVE their inspiration photo!):

Thank you for stopping by! I’d love to know if you’ve been inspired by the changing seasons too 🙂

Supplies:

At Home With You Photopolymer Bundle – 145351

Price: $50.25

At Home With You Photopolymer Stamp Set – 143681

Price: $26.00

One Big Meaning Clear-Mount Stamp Set – 139420

Price: $19.00

Painted Autumn Designer Series Paper – 144613

Price: $11.00

Very Vanilla 8-1/2″ X 11″ Thick Cardstock – 144237

Price: $7.00

Big Shot – 143263

Price: $110.00

At Home Framelits Dies – 143727

Price: $30.00

Stampin’ Trimmer – 126889

Price: $30.00

Linen Thread – 104199

Price: $4.50

Snail Adhesive – 104332

Price: $7.00

Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals – 144108

Price: $4.00

Supply List

Clean and Modern Country for Inspired by All the Little Things

by Shannon Jaramillo // September 16, 2017 // 7 Comments

I am thrilled to share some news with you that I’ve been keeping under my hat for a few weeks now. Nance Lempinen-Leedy, design team member for the challenge blog “Inspired by All the Little Things“ has invited me to be a guest designer for this week’s challenge!! I am SO honored and tickled to be considered and couldn’t say “yes” fast enough!

Doesn’t the name itself “Inspired by All the Little Things” just contour up lots of pleasant images in your head? It sure does for me and when I saw the inspiration photo, I just had to sigh in delight…

Isn’t the inspiration photo wonderful?? I focused first on the Mason jars, then the colors, then the flowers, and then finally saw the wood texture in the background. I took the photo quite literally at first but as I pondered it, my inspiration shifted from what I actually saw to the overall feeling the photo gave me, which was a fresh clean take on country. And not your grandma’s country either but rather, Joanna Gaines’ kinda country!! And this is where that inspiration led me…

Details:

I picked up the wood texture with my background paper from the Wood Textures DSP Stack. I layered it on the card and also covered my envelope flap in it. It looks a lot darker in the photo than it is in real life.
I carried with the flowers theme with a tripled layered daisy using the new Daisy Punch. It’s very easy to create – just punch three daisies and adhere them together with glue dots! The large daisy was adhered to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals for added depth.

I loved the vivid blue in the inspiration photo so I chose Pacific Point as my blue. It’s a very vivid hue of blue so I used it sparingly – stamping splatters on the background using the Timeless Textures stamp set and one single retired Pacific Point button as my “wow” factor.
Gold on my cards can be tough for me so I again kept it simple with looped Gold Metallic Thread wrapped behind the daisy and a prettily embossed sentiment from the Dragonfly Dreams stamp set. And just the tiniest bit of shine from the gold metallic thread wrapped through the button hole!

And there you have it, my clean and modern take on a country inspiration. I can see this as the foundation for my dream kitchen…lots of light, bright white cabinets with the wood floors, a big white country table set for breakfast with a big white milk pitcher filled with white daisies…yes, all that from a card, lol.

And I can’t wait to see how the inspiration photo inspires you!!

I hope you are inspired to check out this amazing challenge blog “Inspired by All the Little Things” and visit each of the very talented designers and then I hope to see you in the gallery as well! There is also a short bio on me if you care to take a peek!

Blessings!

Supplies: