NC Demo Sale-a-Bration January Blog Hop

Creative minds have been at work here in North Carolina!  Welcome to our monthly Blog Hop. I hope you are getting lots of inspiration from the NC demos blog hop today.  Our theme this month is Sale-a-Bration, which means a FREE project for every $50 purchase from Stampin' Up.

I am sure as a paper crafter, you are probably aware of the popular new craze called adult coloring books.  The book publishing geniuses really hit the mark when they started offering coloring books for grown-ups.  A lot of us didn't even know how much we secretly missed them!   Not only is coloring super relaxing and fun, but it also takes us back to simpler times - when all we had to worry about was making sure we put our toys away.  As a child, coloring and paper dolls were my favorite things!  I didn't play with baby dolls or do sports, but give me a coloring book and I was happy.  It was so fun to get a new pack of crayons and try out all the colors - especially if you got the super big package!!  Fast forward to our new Sale-a-Bration catalog and guess what?!  Yes, a designer paper just begging to be colored.  It is Stampin' Up's! answer to this fun, out-of-the-blue craze.  The Inside the Lines Designer Series Paper leaves you with the opportunity to make the colors of each paper your own.  Think of all the ways you can use this paper!

I have chosen to highlight the Inside the Lines DSP for my projects.  There are so many choices when it comes to using this DSP.  Hopefully, you will enjoy what I have done with them.

I'm excited to share these cards with you.  Each card is colored using a different tool such as:  sponging, watercoloring, markers, and sponge daubers.  Each method provides a different look to the paper.  While the cards are different from each other, they are simple to make with only a few additional layers and embellishments.

For the first card, I cut a 3" x 5 1/4" strip of DSP and colored it using Stampin' Up markers.  I used the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits to cut the white card stock (4" x 5 1/4").  The middle piece was adhered on top of the DSP which was then adhered to my white card.  The two pieces on the left and right were popped up with dimensionals.  I stamped the sentiment from Thoughtful Banners and punched it out with the Duet Banner Punch.  The final step was to sprinkle silver sequins all over the card.

 My next method of coloring was with Copic Alcohol Markers.  I cut a flower out of the DSP and used the Watercolor Pencils to color the flower.  I popped the flower up with dimensionals.  I used my Two Way Glue Pen on the flower and sprinkled it with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.  The sentiments are all from Thoughtful Banners and each one is popped up.  Can't wait to send this to my daughter!

My next card is watercolored using the ink from the Peekaboo Peach and Wild Wasabi ink pads and my aqua pen.  As long as you don't get your aqua pen too wet, the paper won't buckle.  I did use a SU marker for the darker orange (Tangerine Tango).   The sentiment (from Layering Love) is stamped on a piece of Peekaboo Peach cut out with the Stitched Shapes Framelit.

For my next card, I only used a small strip of the DSP (2" x 4") which was colored with Copic markers.  I used a lot of glue dots to hold down the pleated Sweet Sugarplum ribbon.  (You can find this ribbon on page 21 of the Occasions catalog.  It is the Succulent Garden Combo Pack.)   The sentiment is from Heartfelt Sympathy (pg 51 of annual catalog.)

For this card, I used the wonderful Watercolor Pencils found in the Occasions Catalog.  Sales for these pencils have exceeded Stampin' Up's forecast and are continuing to sell strong.  Because of the cost incurred in back orders, Stampin' Up has made the decision to place the pencils in not-orderable status as of last Thursday (1/26).  The estimated availability for them is Feb. 13.

I scribbled the pencils on the paper and then used my Wink of Stella to blend the colors.  You could also use an aqua pen (but not real wet) or a blender pen.  I have tried all three but I think I prefer the Wink of Stella (clear)!

My final card is super simple.  I used a sponge dauber and just daubed the Sweet Sugarplum ink randomly on some of the flowers.  I colored the leaves with the Watercolor Pencil also, blending it with my blender pen.  The circle is die cut from Stitched Shapes framelit.  I also die cut the flower from the Sunshine Wishes framelits.  This is a great set of framelits to have - check it out on page 194 of the annual catalog.  Not only do you get this flower but also the little butterfly, a heart and four sentiments (hope, love, congrats and sunshine).

I hope you enjoyed my take on the Inside the Lines Designer Paper and you are inspired to create your own cards using this paper.

Hop on along now to the next stop on the Blog Hop -

Tamra Davis -

Jo Anne Hewins

Michelle Irinyl

Tracie Evans Langley

Sharon Maranich   (you are here)

Laurie Meier

Serene Serenity DSP

These are the other cards we made this month at Stamp Club.

This first one was super simple! (I actually CASEd the idea from Stamp with Brian who CASEd it from someone else!)  I used a piece of DSP from the Serene Serenity pack.  This paper is filled with gorgeous inspirational pieces on one side and the other side has abstract patterns that are great for backgrounds.  I paired the DSP with Delightful Dijon and it matched perfectly.  The card itself is Tip Top Taupe - a color I have not used very much.  The sentiment uses Thoughtful Banners (a must have!) punched out with the Duet Banner Punch (both borrowed from my sister but on my "must have" list.)

This next card served double duty this month.  It was my swap card for Allison's monthly meeting as well as a card for my club ladies to make.  It showcases all the new In Colors.  I made a template with the Starburst Thinlit and sponged the color onto the white card.  The flowers are from Crazy About You and Flower Patch and punched out with the corresponding punch (Flower Medallion) and die (Flower Fair thinlits.)   The sentiment is Hello You Thinlits.  And for the finishing touch, I added a bit of silver metallic thread under the flower.

Hope your weekend was a good one.  We drove over to Reed Gold Mine on Saturday.  I didn't strike it rich though!  In fact, I didn't even pan for gold!  Reed Gold Mine was the first place gold was discovered in the U.S.  They were putting on an American Revolution reenactment that I though Sonny would enjoy.  It was ok but something to do on a Saturday!  Sunday we spent most of the day on the lake "chilling."  Ashley is house hunting in Hawaii.  She has discovered that her money will not go too far there in the housing market.  She spent most of Friday with a realtor looking at homes and was pretty disillusioned that evening.  She only saw one condo that she would even consider.  They are all pretty old, small and very expensive - like 2 bedrooms for $600,000+.  Sunday she went out on her own visiting a few open houses and found one condo that she really liked - again pretty small for the money, but that's the price she'll have to pay for living in Hawaii I think.  At least it made her feel better - that there are a few nice places for sale there.  The problem is the nice ones go almost as soon as they hit the market so you are going to have to be in the right place at the right time.  The one she found yesterday will have 2 weekends for open house before they will even start to take offers.  I so wish I could be there to house hunt with her.  I love to do that plus I have been with her every place she moved to look for houses.