Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha

I love the wide stripes and circle focal point in Stampin’ Addicts Sketch Challenge #119.

I pulled out the Gnome Sweet Gnome set that I earned for free from Stampin’ Up. (Have I mentioned lately how much I love the perks that come with being a Demonstrator? Love it!!!) I also used my Watercolor Wonder Crayons. I haven’t used those in so long, I forgot how fabulous there are. I really love using them!

Stamps: Gnome Sweet Gnome
Ink: StazOn Jet Black
Paper: Wild Wasabi, Pacific Point, Rose Red, Whisper White, Beyond the Garden Designer Series Paper
Other: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, 2 1/2 inch Circle Punch, Perfect Pennants Bigz Die

I can’t wait to see what sketch challenge Paula posts next. They have been fabulous lately! I hope you will come join us over at Stampin’ Addicts and play along.

A friend at work just moved into a new house and asked me to make up some change of address cards for her, so I made a few different samples. Below is the card she decided on. (You can see the runner-up here.) Did you see all of those Christmas cards people made where the front of the card looked like a door with a wreath on it? I thought that would be a really fun one to adapt into a change of address card.

Stamps: Loads of Love Accessories
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Soft Suede
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Other: 1 3/4″ Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4″ Circle Punch, Gold Brad

This could be used as a “Congratulations on Your New Home” card as well, just by changing the sentiment. What else could you use a door for?

I am fortunate to work with a lot of amazing people and incredible teachers. One of them truly must be part leprechaun, and because of her we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at school like nothing I have ever seen. We start with bagpipes in the morning, move on to dancing jigs on the tables, and all of the kindergarten teachers’ feet turn green. Her birthday is tomorrow, so I wanted to make her a leprechaun birthday card. I pulled out my Gift Givers set from the Holiday Mini Catalog and used the great little leprechaun stamp.

Stamps: Gift Givers, Perfectly Penned
Ink: Stazon Jet Black, Garden Green, Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Blush Blossom, Chocolate Chip, Basic Grey, VersaMark
Paper: Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Brushed Gold, Whisper White, Regals Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack
Other: Champagne Glitter Glass, Gold Embossing Powder, 1 3/4″ Circle Punch, 2 3/8″ Scallop Circle Punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch

Today is the last day to order from the Holiday Mini Catalog, which means it is also the last day to order this adorable Gift Givers stamp set among others. Be sure to get the items you want before it is too late! Notice how they all match punches? I love that!

Going on vacation is great, but it’s also nice to come back home.  I missed my stamps while I was away! Luckily I had some time to play today, in between loads of laundry. I managed to make a card combining two challenges! This week’s Friday Mashup is to make a New Year’s card that sparkles. I decided to combine that with the SUO Challenge for this week, which is to get “punchy.” I had been wanting to make a New Year’s card, so this was the perfect opportunity. Until I realized that I don’t seem to have any Happy New Year stamps! So I used the numbers from the Look Who’s Turning stamp set, and punched them out with the Pennant Punch. (Note: I embossed first and then punched — much easier!) The numbers are all one stamp, so I used my VersaMarker to ink up just the one I wanted, then cleaned it well in between.

Stamps: Look Who’s Turning
Ink: VersaMark
Paper: Basic Black, Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Series Paper, Silver Glimmer Paper
Other: Petite Pennants Builder Punch, Silver Embossing Powder, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I don’t know if you can tell, but the background paper is flocked. It’s from the Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Series paper, which is almost too gorgeous to use! I hope that you will stop back tomorrow for the Stampin’ Addicts Occasions Mini Blog Hop. It’s going to be great!  Best wishes for a fabulous 2012!

One of my colleagues at work is having a baby girl, so I made up a pack of these cards as a gift. Didn’t they turn out super cute?

Stamps: Baby Bundle
Inks: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink
Papers: Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Accessories: 1 1/4″ Circle Punch, 1 3/8″ Circle Punch, 1 3/4″ Scallop Circle Punch, Pretty in Pink Dotted Scallop Ribbon, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Big Shot

I chose not to put any sentiment on them, so she could use them for any occasion she wanted.

One of my colleagues at work is having some pretty significant surgery over break, and I know a lot of people are pitching in to help her out. I figured in light of this that she might need some thank you notes. I asked her what her favorite colors were, and she told me jewel tones in blue, green, & purple. So I made her a pack of thank you notes based on that, four each of three designs.

Here’s a look at each one separately.

Stamps: Perfect Punches
Ink: Pacific Point, Pear Pizzazz
Paper: Pacific Point, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Brights Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack
Other: Pear Pizzazz Poly Ribbon, 1″ Square Punch, Top Note Bigz Die, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Scallop Oval Punch, Punch windows Mover & Shapers Die, Big Shot

Stamps: Perfect Punches
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Elegant Eggplant
Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, Regals Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack
Other: Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon, Top Note Bigz Die, Scallop Oval Punch, Punch Windows Mover & Shapers Die, Big Shot

Stamps: Perfect Punches
Ink: Night of Navy, Garden Green
Paper: Garden Green, Night of Navy, Whisper White, Regals Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack
Other: Night of Navy Satin Ribbon, Top Note Bigz Die, Scallop Oval Punch, Punch Windows Mover & Shapers Die, Big Shot

The Night of Navy Satin Ribbon is retired, but you might want to keep an eye on the Clearance Rack. Retired ribbon has been showing up often.

I had so much fun making my punch art dreidel yesterday, that I decided to try a punch art Menorah for the Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge!

Ever since I saw the little candle as part of the Create a Cupcake punch, I knew it would be awesome to use for Hanukkah. To complete my Menorah, I also used half a strip from the Word Window punch, and half a 1″ circle. I put a dap of Dazzling Details on each candle flame for a touch of sparkle.

Stamps: Delightful Dozen
Ink: Night of Navy
Paper: Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, Brushed Silver, Whisper White, Brights Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack, Regals Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack
Other: Cupcake Punch, Word Window Punch, 1″ Circle Punch, Modern Label Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Night of Navy 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon, Dazzling Details

This was a fun little menorah to make. I think it is the first punch art that I’ve come up with on my own.

When I showed Eve the Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps, she was super excited about making cookies for her teachers. So we came home from school on Tuesday and got to work! The Cookie Stamps come with two recipes, but we used the Trader Joe’s Sugar Cookie Mix that we happened to have on hand. After mixing the dough, we rolled them into 1 1/2 inch balls, placed them on the cookie sheet, and then pressed down with the stamp.

Eve loved doing this, and rolled them all and then stamped them all herself. (She’s not actually that tall, she’s standing on a step stool…)

Here are the finished cookies. They came out not only yummy but cute!

Next on the list was packaging. I put a half dozen cookies into one of our large cello bags, and tied the top with Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding. I’m really pleased though, with how the tags turned out!

Stamps: Perfect Punches
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive
Paper: Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Silver Glimmer Paper
Other: 1 1/4″ Circle Punch, 1 3/4″ Scallop Circle Punch, Snowflake #2 Die, Big Shot, Large Cello Bag, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamp

In addition to the snowflake, this pack of the cookie stamps has a heart and a Jack-o-lantern face. Good news, there will be another set in the Occasions Mini catalog with a bunny, a flower, and a shamrock.

Yesterday I showed you the card I made at work for a friend having a baby boy. Today I have one to show you for another friend at work who is having a baby girl. It worked just perfectly with this week’s Pals Paper Arts Challenge, which is to use pearls. I put tiny pearls in each of the scallops, and a larger one on the baby carriage.

Stamps: Baby Bundle
Ink: StazOn Jet Black, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive
Paper: Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Pawsitively Prints (retired)
Other: Old Olive Satin Ribbon, Basic Pearls, 2 1/2″ Circle Punch, 3″ Circle Bigz Die, Scallop Circles #2 Die, Big Shot

The Designer Series Paper has been retired  for a while, but it was on the Clearance Rack for quite a while. Be sure to check there every so often. The deals are amazing! And don’t forget, the Online Extravaganza is going on until Wednesday!

I loved the Stampin’ Addicts Sketch Challenge 115 so much, I had to make a second card using it! This was for one of Eve’s teachers who is having a baby boy.

Stamps: Bear Hugs
Inks: StazOn Jet Black, Soft Suede, Pool Party
Papers: Pool Party, Soft Suede, Spice Cake Designer Series Paper, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Perfect Pennants Bigz Die, 1 3/4 Circle Punch, Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon

I can see myself using this sketch a lot. Thanks so much, Paula!