A Paper Pumpkin Thing Blog Hop, Hugs from Shelli

Hi Crafty Friends!

I'm sorry to have been missing a bit in Blog Land. It's been busy! Remember that you can always find me on Facebook (The Crafty Yogi) or Instagram (audra monk). But I am excited to share today! It's A Paper Pumpkin Thing Blog Hop time. AND, we are sharing alternate ideas using the May kit, which I like to call the Shelli kit.

All of the supplies in the kit are lovely and the cards as designed are super sweet. But one of the best things about Paper Pumpkin kits are the stamp sets. I use the stamps all the time. I used the sweet little flower stamp for some really pretty scrapbook pages.

My husband and I went down to Washington DC to see the cherry blossoms. It's a bit crazy, but we've lived in the DC area for 30 plus years, but we've never made a visit when the blossoms are in bloom. They were so beautiful! If you haven't been, you should totally put it on your bucket list. 

Here's a closer look:

Here's what the pages look like without pictures, can't you just see your own Springy pictures on these pages? Remember, please, please, please, print some pictures, don't leave them trapped on your phone. If you make some scrapbook pages, it's easy to just add pictures.

I also made a card to share.

This card uses our very new In Color of Pretty Peacock. It's such a pretty color. (You'll definitely want to order some when our new catalog goes live on June 4.)

Our Paper Pumpkin kits are so fun and so useful. Coming up in June is another super cute kit, that is great for sharing a little note with friends, family, and even strangers.

If you don't have a demonstrator and you want more info, just ask!

For more inspiration with the Shelli kit, click on the names below. 

Stay Crafty!

Audra

ICS Blog Hop, Cards for Dads, Geared Up Garage Bundle

Hi Crafty Friends!

Welcome to this month's ICS Blog Hop. This month we're sharing projects great for Dads. grads, brides, and babies. I am sharing cards great for Dads or the other men in your life.

I host a Just Cards class each month at my home. This month we are doing masculine cards so I thought these cards would be perfect to share for this blog hop.

We make two of each card design. I featured the Geared Up Garage suite for two of the projects. We're not really car people in my family, except for my oldest son. He has graduated from college and is in his first year of his first grown up job. He likes cars and has been learning from the internet how to fix them. In fact at this moment, we have his 1980 El Camino (non-running) taking up space in our garage as he lives in an apartment and has no where else to store it. So I had to get this suite to play with.

It's such a fun set, and there is great Designer Series paper as well as embellishments. 

Let's take a look at my more elaborate card first.

For the card front background, I used a new to me technique that I learned at the Maryland Stampers group event back in February. It's the faux denim technique.  This is a piece of Balmy Blue card stock that I dragged the Night of Navy ink pad across. Super cool and super easy to do. Did you notice the cool stitched shape behind the car? It's from a new set of dies, called Stitched Nested Labels, coming in our 2019-2020 catalog. I think this is such a fun card, it could be used for Father's Day or a birthday.

I love all the dimension and the cute little Classic Garage Metal Elements.

My next project is quick and easy. It lets the Classic Garage DSP be the star of the show.

I just love layers of paper! I used the 2" Punch and the Starburst Punch to highlight the sentiments.

I think the Classic Garage Suite is really great. And lots of it is carrying over to our new catalog. However if you like to save a little money, I'd buy the bundle now (save 10%) because this savings is only offered on a bundles first showing. And I'd definitely get the DSP if you have a car lover in your family.

My last set of cards does not use the Classic Garage Suite, but they are so cool, I've got to share pics of them too.

This is will be a play with our ink kind of class! I used our Sponge Brayers to make the layers of ink behind the cute cactus stamp. The stamp set is called Flowering Dessert and it's retiring June 3. I wanted to challenge myself to make a masculine card that was not blue, green, or gray. I saw a similar card on Pinterest by All Things Stampy, a demo from the UK. The colors are Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, and Calypso Coral.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you are inspired to make some masculine cards.

For more inspiration, click HERE or the next arrow below to go to Terri's blog.

 Questions and comments are welcome! Need a demo or a catalog, contact me.

Stay Crafty!

Audra

A Crafting Celebration with a Crafty Sampler

Hi Crafty Friends!

I love crafting and I love sharing crafting with friends. This past Friday was my Sale-A-Bration Celebratrion. It's a super fun event where I celebrate my team and some special customers who earn the event during Stampin' Up's Sale-A-Bration special. 

I invited everyone over for crafting, food, and fun.

We started the event off by making this super cute Crafting Sampler.

I tried out a new layout, and it really worked out well.

Measurements:

9 x 9 Whisper White

8 1/2 x 8 1/2 Basic Gray

8 1/4 x 8 1/4 Bermuda Bay

Long Rectangles:  DSP, 3/4 x 7 1/4 , Calypso Coral, 1 x 7 1/2, Basic Gray, 1 1/8 x 7 5/8

Squares: 3 Blushing Bride and 3 Crushed Curry, 2 x 2, Calypso Coral, 2 1/4 x 2 1/4, Basic Gray, 2 3/8 x 2 3/8

This sampler uses two very fun craft themed stamp sets, Crafting Forever (143995) which is in our current annual catalog and carrying over to next year's catalog, and It Starts With Art (149303), a new set which has an entire suite of coordinating products. This suite will be available when the new 1019-2020 annual catalog goes live on June 4.

I totally agree with this! A little crafting, a little yoga, and life is so good.

Don't you just love the embossing? This is a new folder called Button Button. It's so cute! There are also coordinating dies in the die set that cut out and emboss individual buttons. So fun! You'll definitely need to add this suite to your order when the catalog goes live.

I colored the cute ribbon spools with our Stampin' Blends.

This project is so cute in the 9 x 9 Belmont shadow box frames from Michael's. Watch your sales and coupons and you can usually get the frames for $10 or less. We thought it looked great framed in all the colors (black, white, dark wood, and grey wood) so it could match your craft area.

After the crafting, we had fun with snacks, as well as checking out new products and the new annual catalog. It's so fun gathering together with other crafters. I'd love for you to join my team anytime or earn the event during SAB.

Not pictured is the chocolate fondue and the chocolate cream dip one of my downline brought.

And with all good crafty gatherings, you send your guests off with a cute little party favor.

I made these succulents with a new punch, based off of some samples shared by another demo at the Charlotte On Stage event. Info on how to make these will be coming in the future.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!

If you don't have a demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. Need a catalog? Let me know. I'll be ordering them this week. For the most up to date info and lots of pictures of projects, follow me on Facebook (The Crafty Yogi) or Instagram (audra monk). 

Want to get my occasional email newsletters? Just ask.

Stay Crafty!

Audra

It's a Paper Pumpkin Thing Blog Hop, Sentimental Rose

Hi Crafty Friends!

Wow! Can I just say wow! This Paper Pumpkin kit is so wonderful. I love it!! A lot. I love the kit as designed and I think I could stamp and play with the main rose image forever. I'm excited to share my alternative projects with you on this blog hop.

This kit features a Distinktive stamp and let me tell you, it is lovely. 

I was so thrilled to get this kit (I actually don't mind seeing spoilers, it gets me more excited to get mine) that I did a Facebook Live unboxing video.

For my alternative projects, I made a card and a cute little 6x6 inch framed art piece.

Isn't this card the prettiest? I used So Saffron for the card base. The Whisper White card front is 4" x 5 1/4". I stamped the rose image in stamped off Gray Granite all over the paper trying not to overlap the images too much. The flower is stamped in Calypso Coral. I stamped it two times and fussy cut them out. From the second image I just cut out the center, curled the edges with my bone folder, and popped it up with a dimensional. The leaves are stamped in Mint Macron and I cut them out too.

I loved the Calypso Coral rose so much, I made it again but added an extra layer (there are three) for my frame project. The base of this project is 6" x 6" Basic Gray. It's fun to play with the layers. Here, we have Whisper White, 5" x 5" and 4" x 4". The Calypso Coral piece is 4 1/8" x 4 1/8". I used to smallest Stitched Shape square die to cut pieces from the typeset card front.

I love shadow box frames because you can add lots of dimension. You can add Dimensionals to any of the layers you want.

I think this project would make a great gift or it would be fun to keep for myself.

Next month's kit will be amazing too. It's specially designed with Shelli Gardner, co-founder of Stampin' Up. It features vintage nature inspiration. You'll want to subscribe https://www.paperpumpkin.com by May 10th. If you don't have a demo, I'd love for you to pick me.

For more inspiration with April's kit, click on the links below.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Stay Crafty!

Audra

Daisy Punch Wreath, Home Decor, SU Style Blog Hop

Hi Crafty Friends!

I'm so delighted with this lovely Daisy Wreath that I wanted to share it with you on the SU Style Home Decor Blog Hop.

So limber up your fingers and get out your Daisy Punch (143713) and some pretty DSP. I recommend the very cute Gingham Gala DSP (148554). The paper is on back order, but lots of packs are expected by the end of the week. And it's retiring, so you should probably order some, everyone needs a little gingham paper in their craft stash.

I used a 14" wreath from a craft store for my base. I also added some green raffia.

I punched two flowers for each completed flower. Next I sponged ink on the petals, then I curled the petals with my bone folder, alternating one up and one down.

For the centers, I punched a circle with our 1/2" circle punch (119869). 

I sponged this with the same color of ink too.

I attached the layers with glue dots.

I attached the flowers to the wreath with a glue gun. I pushed the centers into the hot glue a bit to anchor them to the wreath. I used 7 flowers of each color. 

I grouped them by color, but you could mix them up. I'm having this as a class on May 1 and I'm super excited to see what everyone's looks like.

 This is 70 daisies punched for 35 flowers! You'll need about a half a pack of the DSP to make that many. You could make more or less depending on what look you like.

I'm very happy with this wreath and I am looking forward to having it hang inside all spring.

If you have questions or comments, let me know.

If you need a demonstrator, let me know that too.

Looking for more home decor inspiration? Check out what the other hoppers have to share!

And as always, Stay Crafty!

Audra

Spring Love Framed Art Sampler featuring the Bird Ballad Suite

Hi Crafty Friends!

I am super excited to share this sampler as it features brand new products! I was asked to present at the Stampin' Up! On Stage event in Charlotte, NC. I'm really excited about sharing the new products with lots of Stampin' Up demos and with all my crafty friends. You are going to love this suite, the stamp set, the DSP, the embellishments. The in studio class will be on May 22nd.

I'll share the measurements and then we'll take a closer look at each block.

9" x 9" Whisper White

8 1/2" x 8 1/2" Petal Pink

8 1/4" x 8 1/4" Crumb Cake

Bottom right rectangle: 2 1/4" x 4 1/2" Balmy Blue and Laser Cut card front 

and 2 3/8" x 4 5/8" Petal Pink

Medium Rectangles: 2" x 4 1/2" Whisper White and Old Olive, 2 1/4" x 4 3/4" Balmy Blue, and 2 3/8" x 4 5/8" Petal Pink

Upper Left Square: 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" Balmy Blue and Laser Cut card front 

and 2 3/8" x 2 3/8" Petal Pink

Small Square: 2" x 2" Old Olive, 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" Balmy Blue, and 2 3/8" x 2 3/8" Petal Pink

Label Banner: Whisper White and Balmy Blue

Butterfly Gala, pearls, and Linen Thread

Free as a Bird stamp set, colored with Stampin' Blends (Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, and the background is colored lightly with Balmy Blue). The Petal Pink "frame is die cut with the new Nested Labels Die Cuts, I attached this with our Foam Strips. I stamped the image on the 2" x 4 1/2" piece of Whisper White and then stamped them again on a piece of scrap, colored them, and then fussy cut them out so that I could pop them up.

The flowers are from the Free as a Bird stamp set, colored with Stampin' Blends and fussy cut, The Old Olive square is embossed with the Falling Petals embossing folder. This is the new 3/8" Scalloped Lace Trim.

Isn't this the cutest bird ever? He's colored with Smokey Slate and Soft Suede. I added a piece of the lace trim and one of the new Bird Ballad Trinkets as well as a pearl.

I love this laser cut paper! Use just little dabs of Tombo to attach it to the Balmy Blue piece. The branch and blossoms are from the Colorful Seasons Dies, and the butterflies are from Butterfly Gala.

I die cut the letters in the DSP and then off set them with letters in Balmy Blue card stock. They're attached with our foam strips.

I really love how these projects add to my home decor. I hope that you have a fun time creating a sampler that you can display proudly in your home. If you have questions, let me know. I can be reached at audramonk@yahoo.com.

The new products will be available for ordering on June 3. Or join my team and order in May! Need a new 2019-2020 Annual Catalog? Let me know!

Stay Crafty!

Audra