Geneva's Stamping Designs

It's HERE - the 2012-2013 IBC

Stampin' Up!'s NEW 2012-2013 Idea Book and Catalog is HERE!!!  Contact me for a copy of your own, but meanwhile, click on the picture to your right and see it in PDF format!

Also, check out the link on the left to see how a special deal for HOSTESS in June and July AND another to see details of the new starter kit!

It's VBS this week and of my three grandsons are staying with me.  It's going to be a BUSY week!  If I don't get back here and you need me, leave a message.  I check emails  on the go from the phone! lol (and if you leave a comment, Typepad sends me an email!)

Hope we all find the time to stamp this week!

Happy Stamping!

LAST DAY!

Today is the LAST DAY to order from the Stampin' Up! 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog!  It will still be a wonderful tool for ideas of projects and techniques, but MANY of the items are retiring as off tonight!!

If you want a NEW Stampin' Up! 2012-2013 Idea Book and Catalog, leave a comment and I'll get one to you!  Lots of FUN NEW ideas, stamps and accessories!  Better yet, schedule a workshop and be the first of YOUR friends to see the new products -- as well as some old faithfuls and some "restructured" old faithfuls!

Happy Stamping!

Last of the In Colors - Concord Grape

The last of the 2010-2012 In-Colors!  While I'm very glad that Stampin' Up! has extended the In-Colors to two years, instead of just one, Concord Grape is one color I REALLY hate to see go!  We still have Elegant Eggplant, and some say these are too similar, but while the difference is small, it's still a major difference in overall look.  I love them both.... and we still have Wisteria Wonder ( a 2011-2013 In-Color) for another year!

The card base is Whisper White card stock.  The stamp set is Baroque Motifs and it also is retiring this year.  It's a stamp set that I use often for backgrounds, in fact, we used it on my daughter's wedding invitations a few years ago.  I have not, however, used it as the main focus of a card like I did here, despite how much I like the form and swirls of this design!  It took this week's challenge from Stamping 411 to put this thought in my head!

Here's the challenge sketch:

When I saw this, and knew that Concord Crush was the color left to showcase, I decided to emboss the images from the Baroque Motif stamp set with White Embossing Powder and see how that looked.  I carefully cut the pieces as per the sample, but then decided I liked the Whisper White Organza Ribbon between the two instead of over the design.  What do you think?  Leave a comment and let me know.

TECHNIQUE TIP: When Embossing, ALWAYS use the Embossing Buddy on the card stock to be embossed FIRST!  Simply rub the Embossing Buddy all over the card stock and THEN use the  Versa-Mark or Ink and THEN apply the embossing powder.  If you don't, the powder often sticks to parts of the card stock where you don't want it; even clean hands have greasy fingerprints that the powder may stick to.  Below is an example of the first time I did this design, and didn't use the Embossing Buddy.  Do you see how there are little flakes next to some of the images?

Embossing is a fun technique that is really easy to do, but looks hard.  The Embossing Buddy helps the over-all look. You should give it a try!

RETIRING NOTE:  The Powder Pals Embossing Trays are retiring this year.  This set of two trays with a brush to help clean up are a convenient way to emboss and not get gritty powder on the work space!  BUt they'll be gone the end of the week, so don't wait!

I hope you've enjoyed your Memorial Day holiday and spent some time remembering the REAL reason for the holiday (it's not BBQ!)  Say a little Thank -You to all the service men and women who have served to keep us free (and BBQ-ing!)  If you're in Texas, don't forget to VOTE tomorrow!  Meanwhile.......

Happy Stamping!

 

Last of the In-Colors - Blushing Bride

Today's card uses the retiring In-Color, Blushing Bride as the base.  The next layer is a piece of the soon-to-be retired Flirtatious Designer Series Paper.  I put 2 rows of Blushing Bride Ribbon (retiring!), with the slanted cuts facing inward to resemble a pennant.  The flower is from the Friends Never Fade stamp set.  I stamped it in VersaMark ink and used Tango Tangerine Embossing Powder and the Heat Tool to emboss it.  Then I backed it with a narrow edge of Tango Tangerine card stock. 

A bow tied with the retiring Whisper White Satin Ribbon finishes this card off.  I attached it with several Mini Glue Dots.

This card has no sentiment for 2 reasons.  First, it fits the challenge for Stamping Queens this week and they did not add a sentiment.  Second, when I tried to add one, I felt it needed to be on the inside, and if I wait to stamp something when I KNOW what the card will be used for, that would be beter!  Here's the sketch from Stamping Queens:

This is one of the super fast cards to make.  Thank you Stamping Queens for sharing it this week!

Just a few more days to get items from this catalog!  Let me know (by leaving a comment) if you need a new catalog!

Happy Stamping!

Last of the In-Colors - Peach Parfait

Today's card base is Peach Parfait card stock, another color that I'll miss!  I will really miss the Beyond the Garden Designer Series Paper!  I love the color combination of Peach Parfait with Melon Mambo and Wild Wasabi!  When I saw the Sketch Friday Frenzy sketch challenge this week, I knew I wanted to use these colors with the also retiring Flight of the Butterfly stamp set. Since we have Embossing Powder in Melon Mambo and Wild Wasabi, it seemed only right to emboss these little butterflies before punching them out retiring Butterfly Punch. 

I looked in the Color Coach and used the "opposite" colors of Garden Green (with the Wild Wasabi Embossing Powder) and Pretty in Pink (with the Melon Mambo Embossing Powder).  The heat tool that is in the current catalog is retiring also.  I can't wait to see what the new one looks like!  I hope they have a new one!

For the Sentiment, I used the retiring Whisper White Craft Ink and White Embossing Powder.  I used Paper Snips to cut out the little butterfly and Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere the pieces to the card.  Mini Glue Dots hold the butterflies on.  I also used a strip of the retiring Whisper White Satin ribbon down the center to pull it all together.

Here's the Sketch Friday Frenzy sketch (I turned it on the end so the words could be read!)

Since their challenges last almost two weeks, you have PLENTY of time to play along!  I like the design of this, and may have to do another one the "real" way!  What do you think?  Leave a comment and let me know!  I always want to know what readers like or not.

Meanwhile......

Happy Stamping!

Last of the In-Colors - Poppy Parade

Today's card serves a few purposes:  It highlights Poppy Parade, the next 2010-2012 In-Color that's going away, it fits this week's Stamping 411 sketch design (if I turn it sideways!); it shows off SIX sets of retiring stamps - The Loads of Love and its accessory set and the All in the Family and its accessory sets; as well as both the C is for Cats (upper paw) and D is for Dogs stamp sets (lower paw!).... AND I used both sponging and water coloring techniques....AND.... it's in honor of my oldest daughter who is moving the end of this month (at least her "stuff" is! - Her boys are staying with us for a few more weeks!)  Love it when one thing covers so much!

Here's the card basics:  The base is Poppy Parade card stock.  The next layer is Crumb Cake card stock where I've used an already retired wheel that I don't recall the name of, but I think looks like tire tracks on the road! (I could have achieved the same look by drawing lines with my Early Expresso Stamp 'n Write Marker, but since I have the other, why work harder than necessary? - Just because something is "retired" doesn't mean it doesn't work!  It just means you can't buy it from Stampin' UP!)

The truck image, from Loads of Love stamp set is stamped using Jet Black Staz-ON ink and then I used watercolor pencils to color in the images and a Blender Pen to smooth them out.  The "furniture" (I KNOW she'll pack better than this!) is from the Loads of Love Accessory stamp set, while the girl in the window is from the All in the Family stamp set. The words are from the corresponding Loads of Love sets and the paw prints serve 2 purposes:  They have 3 dogs, who will be going with them and the High School mascot here involves paw prints in RED!  The little "do-dad" to the side is just that, a "do-dad."  I scrolled a tiny piece of scrap card stock and added a 1/8" Daffodil Delight ribbon that I had tied into a knot.

Just a personal note, the "grass" growing on the side of the road and begins to curve upward, is suppose to symbolize moving from the flat lands to the hills and mountain country!  I wish them well, but will probably be making several treks a year out to North Carolina -- those boys will change awfully quick!  Of course, they already know how to "skype!" so that's a good thing also!  I know they'll enjoy the new adventure!   I'd love to personally meet any followers who live on the road between Texas and North Carolina.  If you leave a comment - maybe we can work something out!  At least tell me the GOOD places to stop along the way! lol!

Meanwhile, here's the sketch from Stamping 411.  I turned it sideways to fit the truck.

  Hope you enjoyed this little insert into my personal life and today's card!  It's not too late to play along with them if you do it today!

Happy Stamping!

Last of the In-Colors - Pear Pizzaz

This started off as a card to fill Stamping Queens sketch challenge last week, but I didn't get if finished in time!  I also wanted to show retiring colors this week.  To mis-quote My Fair Lady, "I've grown a customed to their look."  The card base is Pear Pizzaz card stock.  When I first saw this color, I wondered why we needed another green, but it's become a "go-to" color for many projects.  I'll hate to say good-by!

The next layer is some So Saffron striped paper from the Just Eat Cake Designer Series Paper set that is retiring.  For the flower, I stamped the scallop shaped flower from the Flower Fest stamp set (retiring!) on Whisper White card stock 4 times using the Jet Black Staz-on ink.  I then used the Water Color pencils and the Blender Pen to color them each in.  On two of them, I colored outside the largest lines also so that when I punched them out with the Large Scallop Punch you still see the color shading.  The next one, I used my Paper Snips and trimmed around the next row of scallops and then left only the two inside sections of the fourth flower.  I then clipped all the scallops in a little further to make it easier to shape the petals up.

Then with the Large Scallop Punch, I punched out scallops of Concord Grape card stock (retiring) and Wisteria Wonder card stock; with the smaller Scallop Punch, I punched some Concord Grape card stock and some Pretty in Pink card stock. I also used the 1" circle punch to punch a piece of Wisteria Wonder, and then with the Paper Snips, I trimmed the edges to sort of look scalloped.  There is no definite shape, just eye-balling it.   I crumpled up  the circle and 2 smaller scallops to put between the layers of the stamped flowers to give the finished flower more texture.

I then used the piercing tool and mat and put a hole in the center of each of these pieces and put them all on a Glimmer Brad (retiring!) in this order, from top to bottom:  Smallest cut-out stamped/colored image, small Wisteria Wonder circle, next smallest stamped/colored image, small Concord Grape scallop, large stamped/colored image with scallops edges trimmed to design, small Pretty in Pink scallop (can't be seen, only used to separate), remaining stamped/colored image, Large Concord Grape Scallop and Large Wisteria Wonder Scallop. Fastening the brad as tight as possible helps to make the layers "pop."  I attached it to the card with a Stampin' Dimensional.

The sentiment comes from the retiring stamp set, Smarty Pants.  It's another one I'll miss, maybe because I tend to be a "smarty pants!" sometimes?  I stamped the same flower image on the corner using the retiring Blushing Bride Classic Ink and the sentiment with Concord Grape Classic Ink.  I then backed the Whisper White piece in Concord Grape, Pretty in Pink, and Wisteria Wonder card stock pieces and attached it to the DSpaper on the card.

That's it, the flower takes a little time, but not all that much and it's such a fun process!  The rest of the card is super quick and easy!

Don't forget to get your order in for any retiring product you may need!

Happy Stamping!

Baby Card

This is one of those cards that is COMPLETELY different from what I planned!  Last week's Sketch Frenzy Friday challenge was this:

I planned to use a retiring set with some nature images on it, use greens and browns but while I was thinking and planning it, my eye saw this Lovely Letters stamp set on the table where I work.  I looked at the 4 circles, my mind said B-A-B-Y - that's 4..... you need a baby shower gift card for the friend's who's having a baby girl....... and this is what came out!

Starting with the paper on the bottom:  This is from the Beau Chateau Designer Series Paper.  I had the Blushing Bride ribbon (retiring!).  I looked in my Color Coach and found that Regal Rose is the coordinating opposite of Blushing Bride.  Since Blushing Bride is an "in-Color," I looked up Regal Rose and found that Rose Red is the coordinating opposite on the other end! 

So.... the card base is Regal Rose card stock, with a little Rose Red Classic Ink sponged on the edges.  The letters were stamped on Very Vanilla card stock and punched out with the 1" circle punch.  The last 3 letters are backed with 1 1/4" circle punches while the first "B" is the middle flower from the Triple Flower Punch that is retiring this month.  These are all punched in Rose Red card stock.

The small flowers were punched from the Boho Blossom Punch with Rose Red ink sponged on the edges.  The Glimmer Brads in the center of the "flowers" are retiring also.

The Word Window Punch punched out the phrase from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and is backed by the Modern Label punch (none of these are retiring!)  To finish it off, one of those little butterfiles from the Beautiful Wings Emblossit die, cut with the Big Shot, flew out of the drawer.

So there you have it, my gift card for my friend who's having a baby this fall!  To my knowledge, her shower invitations haven't even been made yet!  LOVE being ahead of the game once in a while, don't you?  Leave a comment and let me know what you think!  I LOVE getting comments from my readers!

Happy Stamping!

Birthday Celebrations

Tuesday was my Mom's birthday.  She is now 83 years young and in pretty good health, other than some balance issues we're working on......exercise, anyone??? For a woman who has taken very good care of her body for the last 83 years, it amazes me that now that someone is telling her to exercise, she's reluctant!  Oh well!  I"ll just keep on doing it anyway!

For her birthday card, I played along with Stamping 411's sketch challenge this week.  I used the retiring Upsy Daisy stamp set, another of my favorites!  First, I cut a piece of Very Vanilla card stock and then I used a variety of sponges and ink colors to sponge in a setting (or rising!) sunset.  I started with the Daffodil Delight Classic Ink, swirling the sponge around to keep it kind of bright in one place.  Then I sponged it out a little.  I then just randomly sponged in various other Classic Inks; Blushing Bride (retiring 2010-2012 In-COlor!), Bashful Blue, a little Perfect Plum, some More Mustard until the piece was covered.  When sponging with multiple colors like this, be sure to use different sides of the sponge or different sponges.  You don't want to mix the colors on your ink pad!

Next I used the Not Quite Navy Classic Ink to stamp the image where I wanted it.  I then trimmed the piece to "fit" the image and used some of the excess to stamp the greeting.  I rounded the edges of this with a circle punch by just slipping in one edge, from the back side and then punching.  I'll do a video soon to show you how!

The paper is Just Eat Cake Designer Series Paper (retiring!).  The card base is Not Quite Navy card stock and I backed each of the other pieces with the same color.  I used the Crumb Cake 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (may be my only ribbon NOT retiring!) for the bow with a Filigree Brad (retiring!) and Glimmer Brad (some are retiring!) inserted in that over the knot of the bow.  I attached this with several glue dots - I hope it holds!

Here's the inside:

 I used the same sponging technique on the edges of this piece of Very Vanilla card stock.  Then I used an already retired stamp set called Happy Everything for the greeting, using Not Quite Navy Classic Ink.  For the "happy," I stamped the lower image first, then, without ever re-inking, the other two, creating the lighter shades of gray--- unh, I mean Not Quite Navy!  Then I added a small strip of the same polka dot paper that is on the bottom of the front to finish it off.

I'm typing this before she sees the card (love pre-posting!) so I hope she likes it!  Leave me a comment and let me know what YOU think!

Here's the Stamping 411 sketch:

You still have a little time to play along, so go get your stamps and have some fun!  It's raining here, so a perfect stamping day!

Happy Stamping!

D is for Dog

One of the things I like about sketch challenges is that fact that they make me think WITHIN the box!  I'll see a challenge and then I have to find the right set or DSP or ribbon or whatever it takes to fill the sketch design.  Such as it is with this week's Stamping Queens challenge.  Here's the challenge:

I'm also using retiring stamp sets of which this, D is for Dogs stamp set, is one.  Then suddenly this card came to me!  Without this challenge, I'm not sure I"d ever have put the dog in a circle, but he looks kind of majestic there!  So here's the "recipe."

The card base is Sahara Sand card stock cut at 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 and scored at 4 1/4.  I stamped the dog bone for the D is for Dogs stamp set around the outside edges with Early Expresso Classic Ink.  The next layer is Early Expresso card stock cut at 5 X3 3/4 inches.  Next is Sahara Sand again  cut at 4 1/2 X 3 1/4 with the footprint stamped randomly over it to create it's own background.

I stamped the dog with More Mustard Classic Ink on a 2 inch circle cut with the Circle Scissors Plus (this tool and the cutting mat are both retiring.  I hope there will be something to cut circles with!  Although it's kind of bulky, it does a great job when you just need a circle!) I backed it with TWO of the large Scallop Punches punched in Early Expresso card stock.  I sponged some Soft Suede Classic Ink around the edges to soften the white-ness.  The ribbon behind it is the Early Expresso ribbon that was in the Holiday Mini last fall and carried over till now.  I used 2 pieces butted up next to each other to create the wider look.

The "D is for Dogs" sentiment  stamped, sponged, punched and folded at the top finished off the challenge.  However, the card seemed to need something to balance it, so I added a little heart punched with the Small Heart Punch.

Here is the inside:

This sentiment is part of the stamp set also, and I thought the footprint set it off.  The rest of the card is blank, so I can use if for whatever I like.  All of my children have dogs, although a couple of more "dog lovers" than the rest.  Perhaps they'll get it one day!

How about you?  Whom would you send a card like this too?  For any particular occasion?

Whether or not you like dogs..... and the jury's still out where I'm concerned!....

Happy Stamping!