Hi There!

Hi There Everyone!

Welcome to my first blog post. I hope to keep in touch with all of my stamping friends and keep your heads filled with lots of new stamping ideas through this blog.

At this time of year, inspiration is right outside your front door or just a peek away right outside your window. Erie, Pennsylvania is alive with the colors of autumn leaves and bright blue skies. I love Stampin' Up! products, so it is rare that I will use any other.

I am sure that these cards have been inspired not only by the beautiful autumn leaves, but also by all of my great stamping friends out here in cyber-stamp land. I frequent many a stampin' blog and Splitcoast Stampers so please know that I appreciate the inspiration I have received from you and know that ideas that I may CASE (Copy And Share Everything) from you is a compliment to you and not common thievery. I would be happy if you CASE anything I post without asking my permission.

The True Friend stamp set offered in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Collection through November 30 is a fun and versatile set. I found some cool layouts I liked for this set out here in cyber-stamp land and put those ideas together with the Apple Cider Designer Series Double-Sided Paper from the same mini catty to make a set of three greeting cards. Also used for these cards are River Rock Cardstock(CS), Really Rust and Wild Wasabi CS.

For the first card I colored the flower image from True Friend direct to rubber with A Realy Rust Stampin' Write marker and the stem and leaves in Wild Wasabi by dipping a blender pen in refill ink since Stampin' Write markers are not offered in the In Colors. That is the cool thing about blender pens--they can be ANY color you like and sometimes, when blending, turn out to be colors you don't like.

Anyway, I then stamped the circle image from True Friend in Wild Wasabi and cut out just the center flower which I embellished with a blingy Ice Rhinestone Brad and popped that up using a Stampin' Dimensional for the center of the main flower image. I finished off the card by punching the corners of the focal image with the notched corner punch and adding some Double-Stitched Ribbon in River Rock. Phew...it sounds like a lot more work than it is really.

The card looks much better IRL, so I am going to have to work on improving my photography skills. I know that I would get a better photo if I would just remember to turn off the flash. ;-]

For this card, I stamped the large circle image in Really Rust and punched it out using the Scallop Circle punch. I did the thing with the blingy brad and Stampin' Dimensional for the center and added River Rock Double-Stitched ribbon which, by the way, matches nearly everything.

Again, this card looks so much better IRL. Unfortunately, the detail of the scalloped border is fuzzy. Using the paper piercer from the Crafters' Tool Kit and paper-piercing template from the Mat Pack I pierced along the entire scalloped border to create a faux lace look-or something of the sort.

Third & final card for this set of greeting cards is so fun to make and such a cute card to send your best bud. I used pretty much the same color scheme, except switched out Wild Wasabi for Always Artichoke and I used Thoroughly Thankful stamp set which is a great set for autumn and Thanksgiving. Above the flower image it says "thankful for you" and inside the card it says "at this time of counting blessings, you always come to mind". Isn't that the sweetest. I sent one to my friend, Maxine, & gave one to my boss, Steve, for Boss' Day.

This card is embellished with Very Vanilla Tafetta Ribbon tied to a photo hanger from the Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware kit.

Thanks for looking and Happy Stampin'! EdieB