Hello stampers and happy Monday to you. Today’s card is from Barb Gourlay and it uses the stamp set Waterfront as well as a retired castle stamp of unknown vintage. Barb always surprises and delights with a card that has a very personal detail added to it. I love it!!
Waterfront with Castle Card
Let’s take a look at Barb’s beautiful creation. She did something very simple but very spectacular with the Stitched Nested Label dies. Very impressive! Barb added the castle in the background because I had just spent a weekend in Rudesheim in Germany looking at castles. If you ever get to chance to travel there, I highly recommend it.
From what I can tell, Barb used two Stitched Nested Label dies and cut out an opening and a frame. The frame is popped up with mini dimensionals. Needless to say, Barb did all her stamping before the cutting. Here is a closeup so you can see the detail.
It’s All in the Details
Do you see how Barb placed the dock die so that the bird is sticking out over the edge This little detail really makes the card stand out. There are also three strategically placed rhinestones on the card. Try to use an odd number when you are using accessories, it is more pleasing to the eye. Thank you Barb for this stunning card. Here is a blog post that I did with the Waterfront stamp set quite a while ago, but it is always nice to get more ideas for a stamp set.
Chatham, Ontario
Barb comes from Chatham, Ontario which has also been my hometown for the last 32 years. This creative and talented woman is also on my team and she is a retired nurse, mom and grandma. Chatham is home to Retrofest and RM Autos which is famous world wide for their classic car restorations and auctions. The owners of RM have invested in revititalizing the downtown by restoring some of our old buildings. The Retrosuites is a boutique hotel which they own and it has themed rooms and a fantastic restaurant called The Chilled Cork.
Doesn’t Chatham look pretty? My Airbnb is booked until the end of October but after that it will be available. I am strongly considering also offering a bed and breakfast in my home specially geared to card makers. Here is the link to learn more about Chatham.
Thanks!
Thanks for joining me on my blog today and also to Barb and everyone else who has sent me happy mail in Holland. It makes my heart sing!! On Wednesday I will share more photos from my Dutch adventures. Don’t forget that if you place an online order in August, I will send you a FREE paper sampler from the Holiday catalogue. You must use the current host code AGR97TCJ to qualify for the free gift If you placed an order in July, this is a reminder to use your bonus bucks coupons this month. If you need help, please let me know. I hope you have a super day.
Hello stampers and happy Wednesday. Have you noticed these days that it truly is the little things that make a difference? I find that when I am in a funk it is time for me to get into nature and be still. To commune with God and soak in His peace. When you slow down and rest, when you breathe deeply you also become more aware of your surroundings. All of a sudden you will see things that you didn’t see before. The buds opening on the trees, a tiny white-breasted nuthatch flitting from tree to tree. Here are some pictures that I took on my recent walk in town.
Spring Dutch Door Card
My leisurely walk through nature restored my soul. At one point I laid on the ground with my binoculars looking up at the great horned owl perched on a branch way above me. I saw it move across the branch and tilt its head down to peer at me to discern my intent. She was keeping a watchful eye on her improvised nest a few trees away and she wanted to make sure that I wasn’t a threat. When I got up, there were leaves caught in my hair but that’s ok. It was good to feel like a kid again. I sat down on a culvert in the shade and was able to see lots of bird activity. This inspired my spring card.
If you would like to know how to make this card you can check out this blog post or watch the video below.
Fancy Fold Card Contest
I am super excited because the first cards for this contest have arrived. Instead of waiting till they all come in, I will blog about them as they arrive. Stay tuned for the first card by Ina Eisen on Friday. How appropriate! Ina was the one who inspired this card and her Dino Days card will be a treat for all of you. If you want to participate in this contest, please send me a card by May 31 to Jackie Bultje, 81 Delaware Ave, Chatham, Ontario N7L 2W3. You will be entered into a contest to win the Little Ladybug stamp set.
Ornate Garden Suite
Stampin’Up! has released this beautiful new suite and I have told you nothing at all about it. I feel really badly about that because it is full of beautiful things that you might want to have. Truth is, with this Corona virus pandemic I have been super focused on helping families with my #kitsforkids. Please watch this video as it really shows how beautiful the products are. I even forgot to provide a link below in the product supply list, so you can just click here if you want to order it.
Here is an image that shows you a little more. The cards I have seen online with this suite are beautiful and I have heard nothing but good things about it. It might be the perfect #covidbuster for you.
If you click on this link you can go crazy and order whatever your heart desires. Shipping is faster than Amazon!!
Have a super day and thanks for dropping by. Stay safe. Be patient. Be kind.
Hello stampers! Do you ever have a product that you keep reaching for? Stitched Nested Labels might just become one of those.I know it has been for me. These lovely dies are perfect for adding a distinctive focal point to your card. They are big enough to stamp an image on as well as a sentiment. Stitched Nested Labels are also part of the Free as Bird bundle, so it is a win win situation don’t you think?
Two of the cards use the Stitched Nested Labels, but they all use Free as a Bird which is one of my favourite stamp sets and suites in the catalog. Have you seen the gorgeous paper that coordinates with this set? Oh my!! So many possibilities. These dies are really wonderful to use, much easier than our earlier stitched dies. I don’t know if it is just me, but the other stitched dies are really hard to get out and some of my people are afraid of tearing their cardstock when doing so. The Stitched Nested Labels pop out really easily and cut perfectly as well, so I consider them a good investment.
This is a close up of the first card so that you can see the great coordination of the in colour designer series paper. You can also see the lovely stitching in the Stitched Nested Dies here. No fussy, time-consuming poking here, you just run the die through a die cutting machine and it comes out like this! I used the largest die here and I used a scrap of white. Here is a picture so you can see how it is done.
This pool party card uses tone on tone stamping in the background and it also uses the second largest die from the Stitched Nested Labels. The bottom piece of patterned paper measures 4 1/4″ by 2 3/4″. Do you notice that the flowers on the stamped image perfectly match the patterned paper? I love using the designer series paper as inspiration for colouring.
So Thankful For My Team
Actually I didn’t make these cards at all, my team member Alison Reid did. What a blessing to me! Alison brought a box full of cards that she had made in the last month to our team party on Wednesday night. Her timing was perfect as I had just found out that my Pap was in the hospital and was planning to go visit him first thing Thursday morning. That meant I had no time to design cards for my coffee and a card class. Thankfully I had taken pictures of Alison’s cards and decided to use the three she had made using the Stitched Nested Labels. I sent the pictures to my other team member Yvonne Macfadyen who then made the cards and prepped them for my class. I am so blessed to have such a great team. These two have been on my team for ten years now and we were actually celebrating that on Wednesday night. One of the things that many team members shared that night and then later on our team page was how thankful they all were for the meaningful friendships formed through Stampin’Up!
This last card doesn’t use the Stitched Nested Label dies, but it does use the Swirly Frames stamp set and the layering circles dies. When you look at the crumb cake circle it makes you think that a stitched die was used, but that is actually the stamp. I got this stamp set at a Prize Patrol at an OnStage event. OnStage is a local Stampin’Up! event that used to happen twice a year and Prize Patrol is when a select group of people win a prize. We are given wristbands or stickers with different colours and when a certain colour is announced, then those people win a prize. It’s a lot of fun. I may have overlooked this stamp set in the catalog, but it is one of those great foundational stamps that can really make a big difference in your card making. The rectangle in the background is also from this set.
This card actually has a lot going on in it. Alison cased this card straight from the catalog. You can see it on page 117. I actually like Alison’s card better. She used the Subtle embossing folder on the so saffron background rather than the stamped image in the catalog. The flowers and the leaves are fussy cut. You can join me at my weekly Facebook live video on Tuesday night at 7pm EST when I will be making these cards and sharing any tips and tricks we learn at class.
Starter Kit Opportunity
Thanks for joining me. I appreciate you ever so much. If you live in Canada and want more excitement in your life, you may wish to consider joining my team. Whether you only want your own discount or you want to build a stamping empire, the starter kit is the golden ticket. Click here or message me if you need help. And yes, you can add pre-order items from the holiday catalog to your starter kit!! Until the end of August the starter kit can be totally customized with up to $205 worth of products in it as well as a Paper Pumpkin kit, 8 annual catalogs, 8 holiday catalogs and 50 order forms. You pay only $135. Wow! What are you waiting for?
