SNSS April Digi Stamp Release & SNSDC50

**Be sure to read to the end of this post to find out how to save 40% on your order from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!!**

This week we're mixing it up a bit for our Sweet `n Sassy Digi Challenge .  The Digi Challenge DT are bringing you a fun Blog Hop to show off our April Digi Stamp Release!!

While you're hopping, be sure to leave a comment on each blog along the way because one of the ladies is a mystery blogger and she will be picking a random winner from the comments on her blog post to win a very special prize.  What is the prize?  I'm so glad you asked!  It's the WHOLE April Digi Release!!  The winner will be announced on the Sweet `n Sassy Digi Challenge Blog next Friday, April 27th.  

This week's challenge is to make it old.  We were to use distress/sponge techniques to make our project look old or vintage.  My card has lots of sponging on it but I'm not sure I captured "old."  Ah well, I did try.  :)

I got to play with the Opal Owl digi stamp.  I think she's adorable and just perfect for paper piecing.  I explained a little last week how I paper piece digi stamps.  In the next few days, I'll have a more complete tutorial with pictures ready for you.

I used several embossing folders in my Cuttlebug to add texture to the tree and grass. I have to thank my "design assistant" (aka my husband *grin*) for his suggestion of using a tree, for the "hill" of grass and the suggestion of using a small owl on the inside.  Gotta give credit where credit is due. After running the tree top, tree trunk, and grass thru the embossing folders, I sponged them with ink to brink out the embossing.  I used the ink pad directly on the paper on the hill before running it thru my embossing folder.  Yes, the tree does go off the top and side of the card a bit. However, I know I'm not sending this thru the mail in a regular envelope so it's all good.

This is a gate-fold card. You can find a tutorial on how to make them over on SCS.  A card like this just *has* to have interior decorating.  Here's how I finished the inside of my card.

Supplies:

Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific, Recollections, Bazzill

Patterned Paper:  Basic Grey (Oxford - green paper), KaiserCraft (Chanteuse)

Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Stamps (Opal Owl, Enjoy the View)

Ink:   Memento (Bamboo Leaves, Rich Cocoa), ColorBox Fluid Chalk (Chestnut Roan)

Embellishments/Tools:  Baker's Twine (The Twinery - Cappuccino, Honeydew, Cotton Candy), Spellbinders (Standard Circles - Lg & SM, Eyelet Circles), Cuttlebug Embossing Folders (Distressed Stripes, Victoria, Bird Call), Crystal Effects, Signo Opagque White pen, Sakura Clear Star Pen, SU Stampin' Write Pen (Closer to Cocoa), Copic marker (100 - Black),Martha Stewart Border Punch (used for grass)

I'm entering this card in the following challnges:

Terrifically Thrilling Thursday - Show Us What You Got (Anything Goes)

Stamptacular Sunday #159 - Freebie Week (Anything Goes) 

Paper Sundaes #166 - Anything Goes 

Craft Your Passion #106 - Die Cuts & Punches 

Papertake Weekly - A Stitch in Time (real or faux stitching) 

Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge (PWC202) - A card for a girl 

Paper Pretties Monday Challenge (PPMC35) - Embossing - dry or wet
Crafty Friends Challenge #2 - Two or more diecuts

 

Please remember to use only digital images for the challenge. Each card you enter in the challenge will get you one entry to be eligible to win three digis of your choice. You don't have to use a SNSS image but if you do you'll receive an extra entry. When uploading to online galleries, please use keyword SNSDC50.

I have one last thing to tell you before you head off to the DT blogs to see more of the new April Digi Stamp releases....

Now head off to the DT blogs to see Make It Old creations...

Carol Longacre

Ceal Pritchett

Harriet Skelly

Makiko Jones

Margo Smith

Stephanie Serrano

Stephanie Wright - That's Me!!

Wendy Jordan

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you'll come back soon.

Clearsnap Giveaway

Clearsnap is having a great giveaway celebrating reaching 3700 "likes" on Facebook.  You can read all the details on what you can win and how to enter by reading their blog post here.

Take Time...Enjoy the View - SNSDC49

This week's challenge at the Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Challenge Blog is as Cute as a Bug & Button.  Yep, you need to use a bug and at least one button on your project.  Like a lot of folks, bugs are usually not something I'm overly fond of but the bugs in the Sweet 'n Sassy Store are so cute you can't help but smile when you see them!

My card uses the Toadstool Digital Stamp.  This stamp is fun to color and, at $0.99, is a bargain!  I used the sentiment from the Enjoy the View Digital Stamp Set.  My card sketch came from Mojo Monday (MOJO236).   I colored the image with my copics and then went over the spots and the caterpillar with a glaze pen.  The round buttons are threaded with baker's twine.  The little snail is actually a button.  It had a shank on the back that I snipped off with wire cutters.  Each button is held on with a glue dot.  I used a brown fine point marker for faux stitching.  I die cut the border with a Spellbinders border die.

                                         __________________________________________

Printing on Patterned Paper Tutorial

If you are new to digis, you may wonder how I got the sentiment on the patterned paper without wasting a whole sheet.  Here's my method for printing a digi stamp on patterned paper -- whether it's a sentiment or if I'm paper piecing.  I print my sentiment/image on regular copy paper first.  Then I cut a piece of patterned paper bigger than the image and apply adhesive to the wrong side on just the edge of the paper that will go into the printer first.  {All printers are different but for me this is the top edge.}  Then I adhere the piece of patterned paper over my image on the copy paper.  I try to make sure that the adhesive is above where the image will print.  I then run the copy paper back thru the printer.  By adhering the edge that goes into the printer first, I've never had a problem with jams.  If I'm paper piecing I always print one image on cardstock.  Then after cutting out the pieces from my patterned paper, I glue them to the cardstock image.

For the sentiment on this card, I had a patterned paper strip cut about the size I needed.  I then held the copy paper with the sentiment printed on it and my patterned paper up to the light to know where to position the patterned paper.

Give it a try.  With a little practice, this opens up a whole knew world when using digi stamps.

                                          __________________________________________

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Recollections (kraft), Georgia Pacific (white for image)
Patterned Paper:  Basic Grey (Picadilly) 
Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy (Toadstool, Enjoy the View)
Tools/Embellishments:  Ribbon (Morex Corp), Baker's Twine (The Twinery), SU Stampin' Write (Close to Cocoa), Spellbinders (Big Scalloped Border Petites), Sakura Glaze pen

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Mojo Monday (MOJO236) {sketch}
Paper Sundaes #115  {Sundae bar - use two of the following: kraft, die cuts, lace, and/or charms.  I used a die cut border and kraft cardstock}
Paper Pretties Monday Challenge (PPMC34) {use 3 or more layers}
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge (PWC201) {Use 2 or more designer papers}
Really Reasonable Ribbon #45 {Buttons & Bows}
Going Grey with Scrap-Creations {Spring}


Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you'll play along with us this week.

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

I want to share one more card I made for my husband for Resurrection Sunday.  As you probably know, my husband and I work for a music company (he's a bi-vocational pastor), he's a pianist and we just generally like music.  So, I went with music paper, a music embossing folder for the inside of my tent card and a favorite hymn title as my sentiment.

I really enjoyed the tent card I made several weeks ago, so I decided to make another one.  I kept the card pretty simple so that the focus would be on the empty cross.  I'm so thankful for what the Lord did for us on the cross and that He paid our sin debt once and for all.  Hallelujah!  What a Saviour!!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Recollections, Georgia Pacific
Patterned Paper:  Paper Studio
Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy (Old Rugged Cross digital stamp), computer generated sentiment
Tools:  Spellbinders (Eyelet Circles, Standard Circles), Cuttlebug embossing folder (Allegro), ColorBox fluid Chalk (chestnut roan), Copics, CM square punch (used to make banner)

I'm entering this card in this week's Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #134 to make a joy-ful card or one that celebrates something.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Beary Special Easter - SNSDC48

It seems like forever since I've posted.  Thanks for all the kind comments, get-well wishes, and most of all, for your prayers.  I am feeling a lot better and am almost back to full-strength.  The Lord is so good.

This week's challenge at the Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Challenge Blog is to make an Easter card or project.  I chose to make some gifts for our daughter and some of her friends.

Due to some health issues, our daughter hasn't found a candy that agrees with her.  Since I couldn't send her the normal Easter treats, she said, "If you could find some dates, Mom, that would be awesome."  After a little searching, I found a store that carried them (apparently some stores consider them a seasonal item).

I wanted to cover up the label so I used the Easter Rhubarb Digital Stamp Set to make a dressed up label.  I used Spellbinders Label 4 (small and large), and some pretty papers to set off Rhubarb and the sentiment. Scor-tape works wonders when applying a flat label to a rounded object. 

Rhubarb is colored with Copics.  It's hard to see but all the eggs are colored with various glitter pens.

To package it up, I put a patterned paper circle on the lid, put it in a plastic treat bag and finished off the top with baker's twine and a tag.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific
Patterned Paper:  Jillibean Soup, MME
Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps (Rhubarb's Easter)
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders Labels Four (small and large), baker's twine (The Twinery), copics, Sakura Gelly Roll Pens, Scor-Tape, Cuttlebug,  SU tag punch, CM Fine Tip Journal Pen (black)

I usually send some treats for our daughter's roommates and friends.  I decided to make some sour cream containers and fill them with jelly beans.  {You can find a tutorial for making them on SCS here: Sour Cream Container.  You can see some other sour cream containers I've made in the posts here and here.}  Once again, my paper started out at 4" x 6" and I used my scor-buddy instead of a crimper for the ends.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific
Patterned Paper:  MME 
Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy (Easter Blessings Digital Stamp Set)
Tools/Embellishments: Spellbinders Circles (large & small), baker's twine (The Twinery), Scor-buddy

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific, AC Moore

Patterned Paper:  SEI
Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy (Easter Blessings Digital Stamp Set)
Tools/Embellishments: Spellbinders Circles & Lacey Circles, baker's twine (The Twinery), Scor-buddy

I used two different papers:  a plaid for our daughter's boyfriend and another guy friend that we've "adopted" as a nephew and a floral for the girls.  I used one of the sentiments from the Easter Blessings Digital Stamp Set on the tags and attached the tags with more baker's twine.

I've already heard from our daughter that they are a hit.  :)

Come play along with us this week.  Remember you must use a digi stamp.  While it doesn't have to be a Sweet 'n Sassy digi, Korin sure has a lot of fantastic ones in the store. 

Thanks for stopping by today!

In Case You Were Wondering

I won't be posting any cards for the next couple of weeks because I am recovering from some out-patient surgery.  In my absence, Jenny Flynn is the Guest Designer for the Say It With Scripture Challenge at the Sweet 'n Sassy Connection.  Be sure to stop by to see her beautiful cards and play along.

I'll be back soon.

Purr-fectly Wonderful Birthday - SNSDC43

The challenge this week at the Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Challenge Blog is right up my alley.  It's all about cats and dogs.  Since we are owned by 3 cats, of course, I had to choose a cat digi.  :)

I made a gate-fold card this time.  I found a neat tutorial on making a lacey "skirt" behind the image panel over on Beate John's blog in this post.  She also has an easy-to-follow tutorial for making a gate-fold card in the same post. I don't have the same die she used for her skirt so I used my eyelet circle die instead. Here's a side view of the image panel so that you can see the dimension. 

I stacked two of the smaller eyelet circles, cut in two different colors, on top of each other and slightly off-set the scallops to layer behind the sentiment panel. 

Supplies:
Cardstock:  DCWV (Robin), Georgia Pacific (white)
Patterned Paper:  BG (Out of Print)
Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy (Purr-fect Friend digi set)
Embellishments/Tools:  Ribbon (Michael's), Pearls (Recollections), Spellbinders (Eyelet Circles, Circles-lg & sm), SU Crystal Effects, Signo White Opaque pen (used on cat's nose), Copics

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Paper Sundae's #109 - Circles
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you'll play along with us this week.

Psalm 84:11

I'm using another of the new Clear Dollar Stamps February digi stamp releases today. The Light of His Love digi stamp set (by Deedee Anderson) has two images, five Scripture verses and one additional sentiment.

Here is a closer view of the sentiment panel.  I wanted to layer the panel on some spellbinders and these Fancy Tags 3 seemed to work fairly well.  I added inking, flowers and a bow to finish off the panel.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Recollections
Patterned Paper:  BG (Oxford)
Stamps:  Clear Dollar Stamps (Light of His Love)
Ink:  SU (Creamy Caramel)
Embellishments/Tools:  Flowers (Prima), Pearls (Recollections), Ribbon (Hobby Lobby), Spellbinders (Fancy Tags 3, Big Scalloped Border Petites), Bow Easy

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Mojo Monday 230 - Sketch
Tuesday Throwdown #87 - Paper Tearing
Word Art Wednesday #17 - Use Scripture
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Scripture Thursday - Use Scripture

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you'll come back soon.

Be Still

I have a card with one of the new February digi stamp releases from Clear Dollar Stamps to share with you today, Psalm 46:11.  I used this week's CPS sketch #253 for the card design.

When you are in a time of great uncertainty, this verse is a great reminder to just be still and remember that the Lord has it all under control. 

One thing I really like about the Label 7 Spellbinder's die is that it can be bent to make it look more like a book, or in this case, Bible.  I inked the sentiment panel before removing it from the die.  The edges of all my papers were inked and I also emphasized the embossing on the circle with ink.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  DCWV (tan), Recollections (brown, cream)
Patterned Paper:  SU
Stamp:  Clear Dollar Stamps (Psalm 46:11)
Embellishments/Tools: Stampin Write pen (SU - Close to Cocoa), Flowers (Prima), Ribbon (Michael's), Pearls (Recollections), Cuttlebug EF (Victoris, D'Vine Swirls), Spellbinders (Labels 7, Eyelet Circles)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
CPS253 - Sketch
Word Art Wednesday #16 - use Scripture (their focus Scripture is Psalm 46:11 this week)
Scripture Thursday #17 - use Scripture
Catered Crop - Use red (the circle and flowers in the paper may look orange but they truly are red)
Simon Says Stamp - 3 papers (brown cardstock & 2 patterned papers)
Terrifically Thrilling Thursday - use 3 of something (3 papers, 3 flowers, 3 pearls in each corner)
Paper Pretties Wed. Challenge (PWC194) - use dies or punches
Sentimental Sunday #90 - sentiment is the focus

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you're having a great weekend.

Happy 1st Birthday - SNSDC42

This week we have an extra fun challenge at the Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Challenge Blog.  If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know I love fancy fold cards.  Well, this week's challenge is to make a tent card.  This was the first one I've made but it definitely won't be the last.  I'm hooked.  You can find a very easy to follow Tent Fold Card Tutorial over at SCS.

I love this adorable puppy from the Puppy Love digi set. I colored him with copics before fussy cutting him and adding him to the corner of my card with pop dots.  I used a glaze pen to make his nose look shiny & wet.

I used a spellbinders circle die to make some balloons for the opposite corner.  A sentiment from the Masculine Birthday Greetings digi set completed my bunch of balloons.  After knotting my baker's twine strings, I used a small glue dot behind the knot to keep them in place on the card.

I really like the way a tent card will stand up all by itself.  Since this card doesn't open, I will attach a circle journaling block to the back of the card to write the message for the recipient.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill (red), Georgia Pacific (white)
Patterned Paper:  Echo Park (Little Boy)
Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy (Puppy Love, Masculine Birthday Greetings digital stamp sets)
Embellishments/Tools:  Thickers (Smoothie-white), The Twinery Baker's Twine (maraschino, honeydew, denim, buttercream, mandarin), Saura glaze pen, Spellbinders (circle - large & small)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Paper Sundae #108 - Birthday card
Catered Crop - Use red
Going Grey with Scrap Creations (GGSC102) - Critter
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge (PWC194) - Use dies

I hope you'll join us this week and give one a try for yourself.  Don't forget to go by the blog and see what the tent cards the rest of the design team made.  You're in for a treat!

Thanks for stopping by today.