Cantaloupe Creations and Paper Pumpkin

Today we are having a flash sale for new Paper Pumpkin subscribers.  For only $5, you can get a kit in the mail that includes a stamp set, clear block, ink, and a project kit.  It's normally $19.95 plus tax.  I adore these kits and am committed to sending alternative ideas your way with each kit that we receive.  If you want to sign up, just visit https://www.paperpumpkin.com/en-us/sign-up/?demoid=80380 and enter promo code ONEDAY0717.  You will need to do this on June 30th to get the deal so stop reading and go sign up!

So either you kept reading or you are back from signing up.... Either way - thank you!

There is another perk of being my customer in Paper Pumpkin.  Subscribers usually get a card from me in the mail as well that they can use for inspiration or can send out into the world.  This month's card was using the One in a Melon set.  Designed to be a watermelon card with the Melon Mambo and Emerald Envy ink spots, I changed up the colors by using Peekaboo Peach and Soft Suede (the color in our April kit).  I love how it turned out!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Soft Suede, Peekaboo Peach, Very Vanilla
• Ink: Peekaboo Peach, Crumb Cake
• Stamp: One in a Melon (June 2017 Paper Pumpkin set)
• Big Shot: Cutting Mat, Magnetic Platform, Stitched Shapes Framelits
• Accessories: Vanilla Solid Twine, Triple Banner Punch, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Scissors, and Adhesive

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code CTYK499S when checking out.

Sign up for PAPER PUMPKIN!

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit! 

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

Subscribers can also have access to all my past project sheets!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

Fluttering through the Day

So I have taught today's card a few times this month, all the while apologizing that this framelit was retired because I couldn't find it in the catalog.  And then last night I was looking for a different number in the catalog and there are the Butterflies Thinlits right on page 215.  So I finally can share this card out into the world.  I love it and it showcases our AMAZING Pinewood Planks embossing folder perfectly!

Other perks of this card - it shows off our new Powder Pink color that is a great accent but still a little too light for saying stamping.  That's why I broke out the good ol' Crumb Cake for the saying.  The butterfly is attached to the card using adhesive and then I put the strip of Fresh Florals DSP on the card with adhesive so it would hold down the butterfly.  The saying is popped up with dimensionals.  I like reminding my customers to use their older stamp sets with the newest must haves and this card does that perfectly.

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Whisper White (5 x 1, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2), Crumb Cake (5 1/4 x 4), Powder Pink (5 1/2 x 4 1/4), Fresh Florals DSP Stack (1/2 x 6)
• Ink: Crumb Cake
• Stamps: Butterfly Basics
  Big Shot: Big Shot, Cutting Mat, Precision Plate, Butterflies Thinlits, Pinewood Planks Dynamic TIEF
• Accessories: Triple Banner Punch, Dimensionals, Adhesive

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code CTYK499S when checking out.

Sign up for PAPER PUMPKIN!

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

Subscribers can also have access to all my past project sheets!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

Enjoying Summer Piece by Piece

Over the summer, I like to create cards that are versatile for all sorts of event.  Be it baby shower, weddings, birthdays, or graduations, it's great to have some generic celebration cards on hand.

Today's project screams SUMMER to me.  It features our new Pick a Pattern Designer Series Paper, our newest Basic Polka Dot Embossing Folder, the prettiest Crushed Curry Mini Chevron Ribbon, and our Pieces and Patterns Stamp Set.

This card was inspired by this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

The best part, this modified layout would work with any of your favorite color combination and lets you utilize those 1" scraps that are left over when you create other projects! 

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Whisper White (8 1/2 x 5 1/2), Crushed Curry (4 x 3 1/2), Pick a Pattern DSP (4 x 1)
• Ink: Crushed Curry
• Stamps: Pieces and Patterns
• Big Shot: Polka Dot Basics TIEF, Cutting Mat and Platform
• Accessories: 15" Crushed Curry 3/8 Mini Chevron Ribbon, Delicate White Doilies, Adhesive, Scissors

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code CTYK499S when checking out.

Sign up for PAPER PUMPKIN!

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

Subscribers can also have access to all my past project sheets!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

Two Types of Ink - Rejected Writers Take the Stage

Welcome to my weekly installment of Two Types of Ink, where I explore the books I'm reading and the crafting they inspire.

Today's book is called Rejected Writers Take the Stage by Suzanne Kelman.  Before I review this book, I have to tell you that if you really like eccentric women and think a roadtrip with your craziest friends at an older age would be entertaining, you must read the first installment of this series, The Rejected Writers Book Club.  It's funny and heartwarming and good.

Then, once you have fallen in love with these quirky characters, you will be overjoyed to have Doris and company back in your life.  Because as crazy as these women are, they are even more loyal.  This time, when their friend Annie faces losing her family farm, only Doris could come up with a plan crazy enough to save the day.  I have one word for you: musical.

These women act with as much enthusiasm and skill as they write so there is a lot of opportunities for laughter in this novel.  I also love how this group epitomizes the modern village that women rely on.  They hold each other up, they hold each other accountable, they support, they laugh, they cry, they explain.  And they do it with gusto at all hours of the day and night.  The women and men in this novel are well developed, memorable, and witty.  A very enjoyable read to kick off the summer season!

As for the card inspired by this crew, some of the inspiration is direct.  I used the Pinewood Planks embossing folder (a must have for all us Big Shot owners) as it reminded me of the stage.  I focused on the Delightful Daisy designer paper and punch since Flora works in a flower shop and she's a central figure in this book.  And, honestly, this card was designed with my crafting village of animated and amazing women in mind.  I wanted to do something for them -- that's why this one is For You, just as the women in Southlea Bay are all pitching in for Annie.

Supplies:

• Cardstock/DSP:  Calypso Coral, Whisper White, Delightful Daisy DSP
• Ink: Tranquil Tide
• Stamps: Tabs for Everything
• Big Shot: Cutting Mats, Magnetic Platform, Stitched Shapes Framelits
• Accessories: Daisy Punch, Whisper White Ribbon, White Baker's Twine, 1/2 Circle Punch, Dimensionals, Adhesive, and Scissors

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code CTYK499S when checking out.

Sign up for PAPER PUMPKIN!

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

Subscribers can also have access to all my past project sheets!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

Ink Block and Punching

Today's card is for a workshop I'm teaching tonight.  I love the papers in the Birthday Memories Designer Paper pack because they are bright and work for both genders.  For this card, I used the sayings from Tabs for Everything to pick the sentiment as it is the perfect size for these types of scrap cards.

But because the card was so quick, I wanted to have a little bit of "wow" to it and that's where the ink and block come in.  Just ink up a small C block with ink and stamp on Whisper White.  Let it dry and then punch out your balloon from it.  You get a great look with an interesting texture in no time at all!

Wouldn't this be great for flowers or other punches???

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Birthday Memories DSP (2 @ 4 x 1), Whisper White (8 1/2 x 5 1/2, 4 1/4 x 2 3/4), Crumb Cake (5 1/4 x 4)
• Ink: Pacific Point
• Stamps: Tabs for Everything
• Big Shot: Cutting Mats & Platform, Stitched Shapes Framelits
• Accessories: Linen Thread, Balloons Bouquet Punch, Glue Dot, Adhesive, Dimensionals
  

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code CTYK499S when checking out.

Sign up for PAPER PUMPKIN!

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

Subscribers can also have access to all my past project sheets!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

Thinking of You with Daisies

I've always loved daisies.  Nothing makes a person feel better quicker than a view of these delightful flowers.  Today's card is a great way to use paper and ribbon scraps in a fun new way. 

Layer the strips of Delightful Daisy DSP on the 5 1/4 x 4 piece of Night of Navy leaving 1/8" around the outer edges.  These strips of paper are 1 x 3 3/4.  Mount on the folded Whisper White card base.  Then stamp the saying on a piece of Whisper White (3 x 2).  The Crushed Curry Mini Chevron Ribbon is adhered to a 3 1/4 x 2 1/4 piece of Whisper White and tied off with a piece a White Baker's Twine.  Then the saying is mounted up with dimensionals.  I'm using this for my "get better" and "thinking of you" cards and hope my customers like making them as much as I did!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Whisper White (8 1/2 x 5 1/2, 3 1/4 x 2 1/4, 3 x 2), Night of Navy (5 1/4 x 4), Delightful Daisies DSP (5 @ 3 3/4 x 1)
• Ink: Night of Navy
• Stamps: Just Add Text
• Accessories: 10" Mini Chevron Crushed Curry Ribbon, 10" Whisper White Twine, Dimensionals, Scissors, Adhesive

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code XWR3T6SJ when checking out.

Sign up for PAPER PUMPKIN!

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

Subscribers can also have access to all my past project sheets!

JUNE HOSTESS SPECIAL

During the month of June, you can get $35 extra in free merchandise with a $350 party or order.  Contact me today if you are interested in being a host during June!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

Paper Pumpkin Samples - One in a Melon

I love Paper Pumpkin.  I love the surprise since I have only had one kit in the last two years that I haven't jumped at making!  I hear a lot people talking about whether it's too basic for them and I think that is one reason I like it so much.  If I'm a newer stamper or if I'm in a hurry, I can always look to the products in the kit for a quick solution to my crafting needs.  But it's also a challenge.  I like to sit down with the kit and maybe one additional embellishment and ink color and just see what happens when it's the focal point of my crafting.

This month's kit screamed summer.  Personally, I was happy to see that we didn't have a 4th of July kit which only works for once a year. This kit will work for a burst of summer and any occasion because baby showers, birthdays, anniversaries, thank yous - all of these occasions are sweet!

The kit itself came with a 7 piece stamp set called One in a Melon.  Paper Pumpkin comes with exclusive stamp sets that work well with the rest of our products and with other stamp sets.  It also came with two ink spots - Emerald Envy and Melon Mambo.  Paper Pumpkin helps build your crafting supplies in a manageable form through these little reinkable stamp pads.  I love that they are portable and my daughter loves that she can stamp with them too!  The kit had supplies to make 4 bags (5 1/2 x 4 x 2) and 6 mailable notecards (3 1/2 x 5).

Here are the samples that were designed for the kit and have instructions.  I cannot wait to put gift cards or little treats in my bags for friends.  A set of notecards in this bag would make a nice gift, wouldn't it?

Here are a few alternate ideas that I came up with quickly. My subscribers get a project sheet from me with detailed instructions and can also come to my house to assemble their kits and use any of my punches or frames to complete the cards.

To make these, I cut up one of the bags.  I started by cutting off the bottom at the first score line to give me the 5 1/2 x 4 piece.  Then I cut along the other score lines to get the pieces for the rest of the cards.  Never be afraid to cut up the 3D items if they aren't your cup of tea - they have great patterns on them.  And the notecards can also be cut up to give you strips of designer prints to use on your projects.

For this one, I punched the flower out of the yellow banner where it would be covered and the circle out of the watermelon paper where it would be covered as well.  I layered them on a tag and used the leaves to cover the hole.

This card uses our multi-purpose glue and the tissue paper from the kit.  I always suggest to my customers that they buy notecards and envelopes to use with their Paper Pumpkin kits so they can always make cards even if it's a 3D kit.  The watermelon fits perfectly into the largest Stitched Shapes circle framelit.

I hope you enjoyed the samples and look forward to posting another wave of projects from this kit soon!

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code XWR3T6SJ when checking out.

Sign up for PAPER PUMPKIN!

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

Subscribers can also have access to all my past project sheets!

JUNE HOSTESS SPECIAL

During the month of June, you can get $35 extra in free merchandise with a $350 party or order.  Contact me today if you are interested in being a host during June!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

Bursting with Love

Yesterday I posted about my creative block with Berry Burst.  Today is my 14th anniversary and my husband is still the best partner around.  He's a great dad, a best friend, my personal comedian, and still gives hugs that make the outside world disappear.  He is the love of my life and I'm so happy that we get to celebrate every day together!

This card was inspired by him and for him.  It was a big deal getting him to say "I love you" even if I told him all the time. But he would say "831" which meant "8 letters, 3 words, 1 meaning."  And I'm the wordy one? 

So this card is all about him and all those I Love Yous.  He should be giving it to me since the inside says "Get the Message?" which adds just enough sarcasm.  But I'll get my electronic flowers and he'll get my art.

As for details, the card is done on Shimmery White cardstock and has a Berry Burst wash with the aquapainter.  The bottle and messages are stamped in black ink and cut out.  I cut the seam from the Berry Burst crinkled seam binding ribbon and shredded it into a pile of 3 inch strings.  Then I balled it up and attached it to the paper with just a tiny bit of adhesive.  The bottle is layered on the card with dimensionals.

Supplies:

• Cardstock/DSP: Berry Burst, Shimmery White
• Ink: Berry Burst
• Stamp Set: Message in a Bottle
• Accessories: Aquapainter, Basic Rhinestones, Berry Burst 5/8 Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon, Basics Pack 1 Washi Tape, Dimensionals, Adhesive, Scissors

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code XWR3T6SJ when checking out.

Sign up for PAPER PUMPKIN!

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

JUNE HOSTESS SPECIAL

During the month of June, you can get $35 extra in free merchandise with a $350 party or order.  Contact me today if you are interested in being a host during June!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

Bursting my Creative Block

We are currently in process of getting our house painted.  The first step was finding the contractor and the next was finding the colors we wanted.  I went to Sherman Williams and was overwhelmed by all the options.  Sometimes you just want a white, you know?

In this case, I've been soul searching for a card featuring Berry Burst for my June workshops.  Even if it has a Color Theory strip that reminds me of those pesky paint swatches, it didn't eliminate the stress of trying to design a card!  So when I opened my mailbox and saw my Stampin' Success, our demonstrator magazine, I was hopeful.  And I found just what I needed on page 19.  I knew how to put together all my supplies!

And this card was born!

Supplies:

• Cardstock/DSP: Color Theory DSP Stack, Whisper White, Berry Burst
• Ink: Berry Burst
• Stamp Set: Window Shopping
• Big Shot: Big Shot, Cutting Mats and Platform, Polka Dot Basics TIEF
• Accessories: 5/8 Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon, Whisper White Solid Baker's Twine, Dimensional, Adhesive, and Scissors

Hope you like it!

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code XWR3T6SJ when checking out.

Sign up for PAPER PUMPKIN!

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

JUNE HOSTESS SPECIAL

During the month of June, you can get $35 extra in free merchandise with a $350 party or order.  Contact me today if you are interested in being a host during June!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

The Magic of Trolls

Recently I was asked to create a few cards for guests at a Troll-inspired birthday party to make.  I turned to my 6 year old for inspiration since she's a Trolls fanatic.  She told me it's all about rainbows and Poppy and glitter if I couldn't make songs that literally sing!  While I worked on my projects, my 6 year old daughter also created on her own ideas.  She felt watercoloring was the way to go as well.

She did a good job, didn't she?  She used the Cool Treats stamp set and punches.  She loves the Berry Burst color and picks up everything I drop before it even has a chance to hit the floor! 

As for mine, I remembered that kids (and adults) like washi tape, punches, bling, and artistic freedom.  My first pass were these two projects featuring new products and the You're Delightful Hostess set from the new catalog.

The first card has a piece of watercolor paper colored with the watercolor pencils.  I put two strips of the Pick a Pattern washi tape on the Whisper White card base.  Then I added the watercolored paper to the card using adhesive.  The saying is stamped in Archival Black and layered on Basic Black and added to the card using dimensionals.

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Watercolor Paper
• Ink: Archival Black
• Stamp Set: You're Delightful
• Accessories: Watercolor Pencils, Aquapainter, Pick a Pattern Washi Tape, Dimensional, Adhesive 

The second card was inspired by Poppy's hair and headband.  The flower punch is retired but looked the most like the flowers on the headband and are up on our new mini dimensionals.  I also used the new Polka Dot Basics embossing folder on the Melon Mambo and lined the bottom using Basics Pack 1 Washi Tape.

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise
• Ink: Melon Mambo
• Stamp Set: You're Delightful
• Big Shot: Big Shot, Cutting Mat and Platform, Polka Dot Basics TIEF
• Accessories: Itty Bitty Punch Pack (retired), Basic Rhinestones, Basics Pack 1 Washi Tape, Mini Dimensionals, Adhesive

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code XWR3T6SJ when checking out.

Sign up for PAPER PUMPKIN!

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

JUNE HOSTESS SPECIAL

During the month of June, you can get $35 extra in free merchandise with a $350 party or order.  Contact me today if you are interested in being a host during June!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

Two Types of Ink - The Lost Letter

It's Monday again and I'm racing against the storm to see if I can get my blog post out before the power goes back out. 

Today's I'll be featuring a beautiful book called The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor.  This book comes out on 6/13/2017 and is a true reading pleasure.  I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and  also received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. As always, all opinions are my own.

THE LOST LETTER is a WWII historical fiction novel told from the perspective of a stamp maker in Austria in 1938 and the daughter of a stamp collector in 1989.   It centers around an unopened letter with a unique stamp but turns into so much more!  Well written characters and a flowing narrative told between both time periods lend to a great reading experience.  Cantor also captures the  heartbreak of the time beautifully in a place that hasn't starred in too many WWII novels (at least that I've read!)  This book kept me up until 2am to finish just so I could exhale.  While the stamp collector is always looking for a "gem", the readers get their own by reading this novel.  A good read for any historical fiction buffs out there or those that just want to engross themselves in a book for a while. 

Because the book centers around a stamp with an edelweiss in it, I wanted to focus my creativity energy there.  However, I don't have any stamps of that flower.  The more I looked at it, the most random the petals and the centers seemed.  So I decided to make my own.  This is the photo I used for inspiration.

My card was harder than I expected.  Deliberately random is not my forte but it made me appreciate the secret message from the book and the skill it took to engrave it.  I punched two daisies and cut some petals off and others just cut down.  I chose to watercolor the background and the grass because this book made me cry - both with the story it told and the overall tragedy of that time.  But I hid the word "hope" in the sky because that seemed like a central theme of this book - even if it would seem the hardest feeling to have in that world.  Whether you like the way the card turned out or not (I'm still on the fence), you will love this book!

Supplies:

• Cardstock/DSP: Watercolor Paper, Garden Green cardstock, Soft Sky cardstock, Whisper White cardstock
• Ink: Soft Sky, Garden Green
• Stamps: Tranquil Tulips, Watercolor Words
• Accessories: Gold Faceted Gems, Silver Faceted Gems, Garden Green Satin Ribbon, Dimensionals, Scissors, Adhesive, and Aquapainter

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code XWR3T6SJ when checking out.

Sign up for PAPER PUMPKIN!

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

JUNE HOSTESS SPECIAL

During the month of June, you can get $35 extra in free merchandise with a $350 party or order.  Contact me today if you are interested in being a host during June!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

A Change of Scenery

After a busy day of swim lessons and potty training, this momma is excited to sit down for a few minutes and take a break!  Today's card is one for my upcoming camp and I'm really excited for how it came out!  I was inspired by a trip we took last weekend for my mom's birthday.  We went wine tasting and I thought the company and the scenery was wonderful. 

I am also a blogger that still reads other blogs and I was really excited to read about Kimberly Van Diepen using a Blender Pen to water color on Crumb Cake cardstock.  So I tried it out on this card and it was amazing even though I didn't use other ink colors like Kimberly did.  I just used the Blender Pen to shade the ink on the mountains and then a chalk marker to color in the clouds and the building.

I've been holding onto this set because it doesn't have any words in it so I wasn't sure how to use it for cards.  However, this time, I used the stamp set out of our new Soft Saying Card Kit.  We tend to buy these kits and then forget to use the stamp sets that come with them.  I wanted a card that could be used for male or female and also one that could be used for different occasions, so I chose to use the "I think you are wonderful" on the front and the Happy Birthday on the inside.

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Crumb Cake (8 1/2 x 5 1/2, 4 x 2 3/4), Early Espresso (4 1/4 x 2 3/4), Whisper White (2 1/2 x 3/4)
• Ink: Early Espresso
• Stamps: Tuscan Vineyard, Soft Sayings (from Soft Sayings Card Kit - new)
• Big Shot: Big Shot, Cutting Mats, Magnetic Platform, Stitched Shapes Framelits
• Accessories: Chalk Marker, Linen Thread, Dimensionals, Dauber, Blender Pen, Adhesive, Scissors

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code XWR3T6SJ when checking out.

PAPER PUMPKIN SPECIAL

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

Sign up by June 10th as a new subscriber and get the June, July, and August kits for 25% off!  Just enter promo code STARTHERE when you sign up!

JUNE HOSTESS SPECIAL

During the month of June, you can get $35 extra in free merchandise with a $350 party or order.  Contact me today if you are interested in being a host during June!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy

Two Types of Ink - The Good Widow

Welcome to "Two Types of Ink" - a weekly feature that pairs up my two favorite hobbies: reading and crafting.  In this feature, I will post a book review for an upcoming or recently released novel with a project I made inspired by it.  Many of these books were provided to me by either Great Thoughts Great Readers (on Facebook), Netgalley, Penguin's First to Read program, or by the authors themselves.  The opinions in these reviews are all my own.  I believe we need as much art and creativity out in the world as possible and the written word is an art form that we should not neglect.  I hope you enjoy these weekly posts and welcome any feedback you have in the comments!

Today's project was inspired by the novel, A Good Widow, by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke.  I was lucky enough to read this book early as a member of an online review group.  This book is one that will keep you up at night just to finish it.  I love the way these two best friends write because there is always a little magic and a lot of "what if" that plays out in their novels.  While there is no direct magic in the plotline of this story, there is magic in how it's told.  The suspense in this novel slowly builds to where you are racing through the last pages to figure out exactly what happened and why.  I like the twist at the end.  While I believe I'd read anything these two write, I have to say I was happily surprised at how good they did with this genre and hope they explore it again.

This book was released on June 1st, 2017.  Take a look on Amazon and see if it's for you!  And check out their other amazing books, The Status of All Things and The Year We Turned Forty.

How did this suspense novel inspire this pretty card?  Oh, let me count the ways! 

First, the setting for this book is Hawaii and that reminds me of flowers and waves.  Second, the waves are black because this is a suspense novel (and they used them on the cover too!) I water-colored it because there are a lot of tears and water in this novel.  Finally, I used this specific saying because it's something all the characters would say to each other and once you read the novel, you'll know exactly why I chose it!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Watercolor Paper
• Ink: Basic Black
• Stamps: Just Add Text (new)
• Big Shot: Big Shot, Cutting Mats, Magnetic Platform, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Seaside TIEF, Rose Garden Thinlits
• Accessories: Glitter Enamel Dots (new), Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pen, 1/2 Circle Punch, Glue Dots, Scissors, and Adhesive

ONLINE HOSTESS CODE

To purchase these products, please visit my Online Store and use hostess code XWR3T6SJ when checking out.

PAPER PUMPKIN SPECIAL

Paper Pumpkin is creativity in a box.  It costs $19.95 plus tax and ships to your mailbox once a month.  It contains everything you need for your own creative escape.  Besides the instructions and pieces for the cards or project, it also contains ink and photopolymer stamps and usually the adhesive you need as well.  My subscribers will also get a project sheet with tips and additional ideas and instructions that they can make with the supplies in the kits and sometimes some supplemental supplies.  Sign up by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit!

You can sign up here: https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/?demoid=80380

Sign up by June 10th as a new subscriber and get the June, July, and August kits for 25% off!  Just enter promo code STARTHERE when you sign up!

JUNE HOSTESS SPECIAL

During the month of June, you can get $35 extra in free merchandise with a $350 party or order.  Contact me today if you are interested in being a host during June!

JOIN MY TEAM

If you are interested in joining out team and participating in monthly meetings with free make-n-take projects and outstanding company, contact me today or go here to sign up!  You can get $125 in free merchandise that you choose yourself for only $99 plus tax.  With the new 2017-2018 Annual Catalog, it's not hard at all to find stamps and accessories that you will want to play with. 

Contact me today for more information or sign up here: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stacymccain/jointhefun

  

Have a craftastic day,

Stacy