Paradise Palms for May Swaps, Sweet Songbirds Catalog Launch
Hello Stamping Friends,
Let’s take a moment to remember those who gave their lives for their country!
Jo Brooks sent a swap card that is so perfect for the day:
The little red star is attached to the left and fits inside the blue star creating an awesome hinge. Opening up the stars, Jo has inserted ‘A Soldier’s Poem’:
May we honor their sacrifice by protecting our freedoms as best we can!
Jo’s card uses many Stampin’ Up! Dies– Celebrate You, Basic Borders, Cross of Hope, Scalloped Contours, and Stitched Stars. What a great card for Memorial Day! Thank you, Jo!
I have so much to share I hardly know where to start. Grab a cuppa and settle in for some wonderful inspiration from my group of swappers and the projects at the catalog launch.
You had better hurry! You have so much to share.
Catalog Launch Fun
Stampin’ Up!’s new annual catalog made its debut May 3rd and it was so hard to decide what to showcase. I love birds and wasn’t sure about the Sweet Songbirds stamp set until I saw a card made by Sue Vine of Miss Pinks Craft Spot with the bird in the air so I went with that idea and voila:
There are two different sets of eyes- open or closed- and two different feet -standing or walking- and a punch to punch out our little songbird! Laura Mellinger of laurasworksofgheart.blogspot.com designed the little nest which was perfect for a party favor!
I used the Tea Boutique Cards and Envelopes with strips of the new Tahitian Tide, Parakeet Party and Sweet Sorbet card stock adhered to the white side which I made the front. The clouds are from the Give It A Whirl Dies! The clouds have stitched edges for a fun look and there are hearts and circles and rectangles, a must for your collection, even if you never make a whirly card like I did here.
All the attendees got to see the new In Colors up close and personal as they made their color chart:
Sweet Songbird In Flight Recipe
–Sweet Songbirds stamp set, Songbird Builder Punch
-Base, Tea Boutique Cards and Envelopes
-Basic White, 2 3/4″ X 4″; stamp the songbird and then punch out. Stamp and punch an extra belly to make the larger wing. Helpful Hint: Punch the songbird out of scrap to make a template for positioning the stamps on the Stamparatus. Save your template with the stamp set.
-Side Strips X2, 5 1/2″ X 3/8″ in one color for the songbird and one color to match your choice of card
-Basic White scraps, various sizes to die cut clouds with the Whirly Dies
-Baker’s Twine, 12″ and 3 Opal Round embellishments (There is Baker’s Twine to match the In Colors)
-Inks, Memento Black, Soft Suede, Old Olive, Tahitian Tide, Crushed Curry, Sweet Sorbet (Poppy Parade)
Sweet Songbird Favors
-Nest box, Soft Suede, 3X3, score at 1″ and 2″ on both sides, cut from one score line to the other on opposite sides
-Nest, Soft Suede, 2 1/2 X 3, stamp two nests and fussy cut
-Bird, Tahitian Tide 2 X 2 1/4, punch – no stamping, Basic White scrap for belly, Daffodil Delight scrap for beak
-Sign, Basic White, 2 X 2, stamp the post full strength and then the rectangle after stamping off (2nd generation) so the greeting stamps nicely over top, stamp the notes in memento black and fussy cut
May Swaps
I chose the Paradise Palms stamp set and Palm Dies on a background of New Horizons Designer Series Paper (retiring June 30) with a Pale Papaya Base and Basic Black accents. The greeting and birds are from the retired Beautiful Moments stamp set. The coconuts are from the Pebbles Enamel Shapes . I added the setting sun and sponged a bit of extra colors in the sky.
I made a vertical book fold with the same palm tree design and a different piece from the same DSP for the inside of the card that looks like a beach with sea foam just coming in!
Horizontal Paradise Palms Recipe
- Base, Pale Papaya, 8 1/2 X 5 1/2, score at 4 1/4
- Layer, Basic Black, 5 3/8 X 3 3/8; 1/16 reveal top and sides
- Top Layer, New Horizons DSP, 5 1/4 X 3 1/4
- Designer Strip, Basic Black, 3/4 X 5 1/2, die cut with Palms Die and center 1/8″ up from bottom and 1/8″ from black layer
- Palm Tree, Basic Black, 2 5/8 X 3 3/8, die cut with Palms Dies
- Greeting and birds, Memento Black Ink; stamp set – Collect Beautiful Moments
- Sun, use a sponge dauber to make a circle in Crushed Curry with a little extra sponged in the sky
- Embellish with Pebbles Enamel Shapes for coconuts and 3 In Color gems on DSP
- Inside Layer, Basic Black, 2 5/8 X 5 3/8
- Inside Top, New Horizons DSP, 2 1/2 X 5 1/4
- Inside Greeting, Memento Black, Paradise Palms Stamp set
Vertical Book Fold Paradise Palms Recipe
- Base, Pale Papaya, 8 1/2 X 5 1/2, score at 4 1/4; Turn 180 degrees and score at 3 3/8″ and 3 3/8 + 1/16, (7/16) for a decorative extra score line
- Layer (X2), Basic Black, 3 1/8 X 5 1/2, this will be flush with top and bottom with 1/16 reveal right and left
- DSP Top Layer (X2), New Horizons, 3 X 5 1/2; Hint: with 3″ in width you can make two from a 6 X 6 which is the goal if you are making multiples. Obviously, a different DSP used for inside.
- Designer Strip, Basic Black, 3/4 X 5 1/2, die cut with Palms Die and center 3/16″ from side and 3/16″ from black layer
- Palm Tree, Basic Black, 2 5/8 X 3 3/8, die cut with Palms Dies
- Grass, Basic Black, 3 1/2 X 1
- Greeting and birds, Memento Black Ink, Stamp set – Collect Beautiful Moments
- Sun, use a sponge dauber to make a circle in Crushed Curry with a little extra sponged in the sky
- Embellish with Pebbles Enamel Shapes for coconuts
- Inside Greeting, Memento Black, Paradise Palms Stamp set
Do you crafters really measure to the 1/16 of an inch?
Well, Sal, we often just eyeball the placement but that doesn’t make for very good instructions.
Let’s look at the swaps from the rest of the group. We saw Jo Brooks’ swap up top so now let’s look at Sharon’s swap using a tea cup very similar to our new tea cup in the Tea Boutique Suite. She uses three layers for the butterfly- a Fresh Freesia base, a Blushing Bride die cut and then tops her butterfly with a vellum die cut and a unique oval gem.
Heather used the Flowering Fields DSP (retiring June 30) and a greeting from the Flowering Tulips stamp set in beautifully layered circles on a gold foil circle. The base is Poppy Parade and she used a corner rounder punch on opposing sides of the DSP for a unique look.
Ann’s swap used embossed strips of the new In Colors on a Crumb Cake base and the greeting from Biggest Wish stamped in Parakeet Party with the ‘happy’ stamped over in Starry Sky. The ribbon is the 1/8″ Metallic Woven ribbon in Orchid Oasis
Lucille Kearin used the DSP with butterflies (retired) and a fun ‘hi’ Die. She embellished with white ribbon and Paper Studio Flowers.
Joy’s card uses the new Nature’s Prints stamp set and Natural Prints Dies. She used the Gray Granite side of the Sun Prints DSP, the Layering Circles Dies, a doily and beautiful gems. You would love the sparkly Wink of Stella she used on the branch but the camera didn’t capture the sparkle. Her gems really sparkled!
You must see the other card she made using the Nature’s Prints Dies! I love the shape of the greeting and had to go look up the dies since I hadn’t even noticed that die. She used the new Fern 3D embossing folder on a base of Starry Sky and then sponged the top lightly with white craft stampin’ ink.
Lori Moore made a slimline card on a white base with Design A Daydream DSP for her first layer and then a layer of embossed Basic White, a layer of Blackberry Bliss with the top layer of Basic White stamped with the Art Gallery stamp set flower in Berry Burst and Rich Razzleberry. The leaves and ribbon are Soft Succulent. The greeting is from the Floral Gallery Dies.
Wow, you will have lots of samples to show at your next party!
So true! Thank you everyone for participating in our monthly swaps!
Hopefully, I will have some cards from the May Paper Pumpkin to show you soon.
Now, now, Sal, be kind! Though you make a good point and I think I even missed the April swaps.
Thank you for spending some time with me!
SAL, Sharing A Lot of inspiration
Karen