Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha

Another fun sketch from Chic Challenges this week! That big stripe down the middle holds so many possibilities.

A while ago I had pinned a super cute card ice cream cone card by Jill Franchett. This was just the perfect sketch for that huge tower of ice cream.

Stamps: A Word for You
Ink: Raspberry Ripple
Paper: Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Pack
Other: Petite Pennant Punch, Cupcake Punch, Square Lattice Embossing Folder

A Word for You is one of the stamp sets that is retiring on June 3rd, so be sure to pick it up before it is too late.

I love when I can combine a fun sketch with a great color challenge, and that is exactly what I did with this week’s Friday Mashup and Dynamic Duos challenges.

When I saw the Friday Mashup sketch, I just knew I had to make a gatefold card. It’s been a while since I made one, and they are just so easy with the Simply Scored! And the Pumpkin Pie and Bashful Blue, made me think of a Monarch butterfly winging its way across the sky on its long migration.

Stamps: Best of Butterflies, Itty Bitty Banners
Ink: StazOn Jet Black, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper
Other: Brights Brads, Basic Black 1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon, Bitty Banner Framelits, Simply Scored

Here is what the gatefold card looks like when it is open.

Don’t forget, Bashful Blue is one of the 10 colors retiring at the end of next month. If you want any products you should order them as soon as possible. Not Quite Navy cardstock is already sold out!

As part of Stampin’ Up’s 25-year anniversary celebration, they’re bringing back some of our favorite stamp images from the last quarter century and combining them into 12 sets, which will release-one set per month-during 2013. Even better, along with some great classic images, each “Best of” set will also include a never-before-seen image! The April stamp set features four favorite butterflies, plus a new one that fits in the new Elegant Butterfly Punch.

133345 Best of Butterflies $14.95

Some things to remember:

• All Best of stamp sets will include 3-5 images, including a never-before seen image, and will be priced at $14.95.
• While they are releasing just one Best of stamp set per month (with a new theme each month), all of the Best of sets will be available until March 31, 2014.
• A new flyer will be released every month for each new Best of set. (Click here for January, February, March, April )
• All Best of stamp sets are available in Clear-Mount only.

As a special incentive to collect the Best of stamps, they are including a collector’s card and a 25-year proof of purchase sticker with every Best of set. Collect six stickers, and send it in to redeem it for a FREE set of your choice valued up to $14.95! Free sets must be redeemed no later than April 30, 2014.

Can you tell how much I love sketch challenges? I really do! I find them the most inspiring and easy to use of any of the card making challenges out there. This week’s clean&simple sketch is no exception.

I love the new Comfort Cafe Designer Series Paper, and there is one design that is so lovely I thought it would be perfect for that large rectangle. It would be perfect for fall, but I just can’t wait that long to use it!

Stamps: Perfectly Penned
Ink: Midnight Muse
Paper: Pool Party, Midnight Muse, Cajun Craze, Summer Starfruit, Soft Suede, Comfort Cafe Designer Series Paper
Other: Beautiful Wings Embosslits, Basic Pearls

Can you believe June is just about over? The Hostess Special continues through the month of July, but the Sign Up special ends today!

I love the off-center circle on this week’s sketch from clean&simple stamping. The butterfly is a fabulous touch as well.

Of course I had to use the gorgeous Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper. I love the subtle butterflies throughout. I used one of the sentiments from the You’re My Type stamp. They are great with or without the typewriter!

Stamps: You’re My Type
Ink: Pool Party
Paper: Pool Party, Peach Parfait, Very Vanilla, Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper
Other: Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Scallop Circle #2 Die, 3″ Circle Die, Word Window Punch, Basic Pearls

Don’t forget, Sale-a-Bration ends in less than one week. And when it is over, this gorgeous Everyday Enchantment paper is gone. Make sure to get all that you need before that happens!

There are very few things better than waking up on a rainy Saturday morning and heading into the craft room to stamp! Especially when there is a new Stamping 411 sketch challenge!

I decided to use the Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper again, and built my card around that. You can’t buy this paper anywhere, but when Sale-a-Bration starts (in 3 days!!), you’ll be able to earn it for free! It’s so pretty! I haven’t shown my butterflies much love lately, but they go great with this paper.

Stamps: none (seriously? Wow!)
Ink: Poppy Parade, Soft Suede (both used for sponging edges)
Paper: Lucky Limeade, Soft Suede, Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Very Vanilla, Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper
Other: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions Folder, Basic Pearls, Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon, 3/4 inch circle punch, 1 inch circle punch

Now back to the craft room — I’ve got to get ready for the Stampin’ Addicts Sale-a-Bration blog hop next weekend!

The kids in in my after school class have been stamping with me for a few years now, and are ready to move beyond the basics. So for tomorrow’s class we are going to be focusing on Heat Embossing. (Which ties in perfectly with this week’s Pals Paper Arts challenge!) Below is one of the cards we are going to make. It uses the Baby Wipe Technique to stamp the butterflies, then the entire image is covered in VersaMark ink and then Iridescent Ice Embossing powder for the Dazzling Diamonds Technique. I think the girls will have a ton of fun with this one!

Stamps: Butterfly Patterns, Flight of the Butterfly
Ink: VersaMark, Pacific Point, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo
Paper: Pacific Point, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Other: Butterfly Punch, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Scallop Square Clear Bigz Die, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Plus they get to use the Big Shot to cut out their card base, so what could be bad?

Tuesday means ColourQ, and today’s colors are rich and vibrant!

It’s my off week, so I decided to make a card. I don’t have any Kiwi Kiss, so I used Old Olive instead. I have a really special sneak peek on this card for you. Tangerine Tango Embossing Powder!!! It’s coming in the new Summer Mini catalog next month! It will also be available in Wild Wasabi and Melon Mambo! How fun is that?

Stamps: Heard from the Heart
Ink: VersaMark, Crumb Cake
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango
Other: Tangerine Tango Embossing Powder, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Basic Pearls, White Gel Pen

Just so you know — the seam binding is not in the Summer Mini catalog, and we have no word that it will be carrying over. So if you like it, be sure and get what you need before the end of the month!

My very talented downline Samantha created a fabulous two-page 8″ x 8″ scrapbook layout for a swap that she was in on Stampin’ Addicts. She was kind enough to let me post it here, and I am excited to share it with you! (You can click on the photo for a closer look.)

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Eastern Blooms
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, So Saffron, Whisper White
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, So Saffron, Whisper White
Other: Old Olive 5/8″ Satin Ribbon, Butterfly Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Gorgeous! I love how she made her own patterned paper to match!

Here’s a second card I made at my friend Beth’s workshop. It uses a super easy but really cool looking technique! See how there is a blank space between the embossed dots? You run your card stock through the Big Shot twice, each time with just 1 1/4″ inches of it in the embossing folder. Doesn’t it look great?

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Marina Mist
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango
Other: Basic Rhinestone Jewel Elements, Butterfly Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Do you see how sparkly those rhinestones are? They are amazing! And a really good deal, too — 150 self adhesive rhinestones for $4.95! Thanks so much, Beth, for a great time and a cool new technique!