SEEDS OF TODAY

I'd like to share a lovely quote with you, one that I think keeps well with the theme and intent of my blog, Paper Seedlings.

To help you plant the seeds for your future flowers, I have a way to make it a little more fun: Linda's Stamp-In 50/50 chart.

(I'm sorry the numbered section of the chart is covered up. I tried to take a photo of it without covering it, but it was possible to read personal information on the spaces that have been filled. So, to protect participants' privacy, I covered them up.) 

The boxes are numbered 1-50. When all the spaces are filled, there will be a drawing, and the winner will receive a $50 shopping spree through Stampin' Up! from me! The boxes are almost half filled. So it won't be just too long before someone has a $50 shopping spree to enjoy!

To get your name on one (or more) of the boxes, with every $50 order you place through me (before shipping and tax), you will let me know your preference for box number, and I will enter you in. The other way you can get your name in there is to host a workshop through me. A book party even qualifies.That way, if the party comes to a minimum of $150, you will also enjoy hostess benefits!

So, for every $50+ order placed from Stampin' Up! online, I will contact you to get your choice of numbered spot. Of course, this goes for my local customers also! To order online, look to the right and simply click on one of the catalogs or the box for My Stampin' Up! Website.

Get those seeds planted so you can look forward to pretty flowers!

Smiles.

AUTUMN SPLENDOR EMBOSS RESIST

Using the emboss resist technique in conjunction with leaves makes for a wonderful autumn card.

Unfortunately, the two stamp sets I used in this sample have been retired. But Stampin' Up! has several other leaf and greeting sets that could be substituted if you don't own these particular sets.

To re-create a card similar to this one, following is the supply list:

Autumn Splendor Stamp Set (retired)

Holidays & Wishes Stamp Set (retired)

Not Quite Navy card stock

Cajun Craze card stock

Whisper White card stock

Cajun Craze ink

Not Quite Navy ink

More Mustard ink

VersaMark

Heat Tool

Pewter Embossing Powder

Embossing Buddy

Paper Snips

Stampin' Dimensionals

Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon (retired)

Decorative Label Punch

XL Oval Punch

Sponge Daubers

Instructions:

Rub Embossing Buddy well over 3.75" x 5" piece of Whisper White card stock. With VersaMark, stamp leaves randomly across the paper. (I started with the larger oak leaves and filled in with the smaller leaves.) Sprinkle Pewter Embossing Powder over the leaves, and heat to emboss.

Use Sponge Daubers to fill in the background with Cajun Craze, Not Quite Navy, and More Mustard inks. You can make these areas as light or as dark as you desire. But try to have some light and some dark for contrast.

On a scrap of Whisper White, stamp acorns and sentiment in VersaMark. Heat emboss these with the Pewter Embossing Powder. Use the More Mustard Sponge Dauber to color in the acorns. With Paper Snips, carefully cut out the acorns. Punch out the sentiment with the XL Oval Punch. With the Not Quite Navy Sponge Dauber, ink the edges of the oval. From a scrap of Cajun Craze, punch out a Decorative Label, and ink those edges also. Adhere these three pieces together. Set aside momentarily.

Wrap the ribbon around the finished leaf panel, and tie into a bow on the left side. Adhere the sentiment piece over the ribbon with a couple of Stampin' Dimensionals.

Adhere finished leaf panel to a piece of Cajun Craze measuring 5.25" x 4", then to card front, made from a 5.5" x 8.5" piece of Not Quite Navy, folded in half and scored well with the bone folder.

Happy Fall Y'all!!

Smiles

FALL WALK

I had the day off from work today, and it was a gorgeous fall day. So I decided to go for a walk. Of course, I had my camera with me.

In My Digital Studio, I put together a 12" x 12" scrapbook page featuring my favorites of the photos I took today. Using MDS made it quick and easy to preserve an exquisite fall day.

Copyright 2012 Linda Kilsdonk

My autumn gift to you. Enjoy!

Smiles.

COVER ORNAMENT

If you have seen the cover of the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog, you have probably done some major drooling over the luscious ornament featured there. If you haven't seen the catalog, this is what it looks like:

Anyway, I am so excited! Yesterday I actually made one! Here's what mine ended up looking like:

(I should have held mine at the same angle.)

I was lacking two of the essential supplies, so mine isn't as pretty as the cover photo. I didn't have the Stampin' Up! rosette maker or the gorgeous Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper. So I made my not-as-pretty rosette a different way, and from Old Olive card stock. I also didn't use glitter on mine. The finished ornament (or maybe decoration?) is about 6" in diameter. It is such a stunner.

If you're interested in making one of these beauties for yourself (or for everyone on your Christmas list!), following is the supplies list:

Ornament Keepsake Bundle (includes the Holiday Ornaments Framelits and the Ornament Keepsakes Stamp Set) (c: 129950; w: 129949)

Perfect Punches (c: 120516; w: 117022)

Very Vanilla Card Stock (101650)

Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper (126901)

Cherry Cobbler Ink (126966)

Old Olive Ink (126953)

Hot glue gun

Silicone Craft Sheet (127853)

Cherry Cobbler Scalloped Tulle Ribbon (127841)

Bone Folder (102300)

Linen Thread (104199)

Large Pearl Basic Jewels (125577)

Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons (127555)

Big Shot (113439)

Designer Rosette Bigz XL Die (125594)

1 3/8" Circle Punch (119860)

1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punch (119854)

There are lots of videos on how to create this ornament online, but the one I used, that I found to be very helpful, is this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjILOVnGtho&feature=plcp

To order any of the products you need to produce these ornaments, just click on one of the catalog boxes in the right column of my blog. Supplies come from both the big catalog and the Holiday Catalog.

If you do decide to create one of your own (or for lots of others!), I hope you enjoy the process. I did.

Smiles.

COLOR COMBO 1

Gulp. I just accepted my first challenge. On mydigitalstudio.net, they have thrown out a challenge for a specific color combination. Anyone accepting the challenge must use these colors in their My Digital Studio creation: Primrose Petals, Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight, Midnight Muse, and Whisper White.

Not being wild about this color combo, I decided to revisit Stacy's birthday card, and switch it up a bit.

Primrose Petals, Daffodil Delight, and Peach Parfait are perfect for balloon colors. Don't you agree? And adding a few touches of the Midnight Muse contributes a little more contrast and definition to the pastel-looking creation. Since I was not going to be mounting this onto a separate piece of card stock like I did in my previous card, I decided it could use a little bit of a party atmosphere, so I chose a Daffodil Delight and Whisper White Designer Series Paper from Nursery in MDS.

This is not a hybrid card like the Stacy's birthday card. Remember, I had added a three-dimensional look by cutting out two of the balloons and popping (popping balloons???) them up a bit with Stampin' Dimensionals, added glitter to the star and the striped balloon, and then mounted it on another piece of card stock. This one was solely created in My Digital Studio, and could either be printed on my home printer or ordered through the Printing Service provided by MDS. The creations that are printed professionally turn out AWESOME!

All in all, I'm pretty happy with the results of my first challenge.

Smiles.