tea-drinking stamper

Oh, the creativity that flowed because of retiring colors and stamp sets! Colors I never thought of putting together have proved to be perfect together. In all honesty, I never cared that much for the Tempting Turquoise or the Tangerine Tango and never ever thought of putting them together. Actually, what inspired the combination was not just the fact that they are being discontinued, but also a shawl pattern I saw in similar but more subdued colors. Chocolate Chip is replacing the tan in that shawl. I love butterflies and was so excited when this stamp set appeared in our catalog—and now it's on its way out! As I sit here looking at the card, I wish I had thought to use the Fluttering embossing folder on the strips.  Note: when using the Bold Butterfly Framelit to cut out the butterfly, wait to stamp your butterfly body in Chocolate Chip until after cutting it out.  You'll also want to curl your wings a little, using your bone folder. Products Used: Watercolor Wi...

Cool Treats is another of those stamp sets that I wish I had used more before it retired. Granted, it's not gone yet, not until the end of May when our annual catalog expires. I guess  I have too many stamp sets to use them as frequently as I should. Makes me think I should be more conservative in my purchases, but there are just so many great sets I think I must have! Once again, this card was influenced by outgoing colors: Peekaboo Peach, Tangerine Tango, and Chocolate Chip. The Crumb Cake used for the popsicle sticks is a staple in our color families.

When the Work of Art stamp set first appeared in our catalog, I wondered why anyone would ever want to purchase such a stamp set. But then I began to see all the clever things people came up with. I have posted a few other cards done with this stamp set and I've collected a number on my pinterest board. These two cards are ideas I found somewhere on-line. The first is abstract art, perhaps, or at least water color of some sort. My two granddaughters are dancing in a recital the first weekend of May and I plan to give them each one of these cards. Admittedly, the one I made while demonstrating at my stamp class has the bent arm placed closer to the "shoulder" than this one does. The retiring colors I used for this card are Perfect Plum and Elegant Eggplant. The skin is Blushing Bride and the hair is Crushed Curry.  This card is super simple and is probably a pretty close copy of the original I had seen since there can't be too many ways to accomplish the same ...

I really worked on using a number of retired colors for this great Hostess photopolymer stamp set. I have always loved tulips and recall when Stampin' Up! had another tulip set. Of course, I always tried to sell off my discontinued stamp sets but I am discovering there are some sets I wish I had kept. I think this is one of those! For all the time I have had this, I never really thought about the other flowers; I was always focused on the tulips. But I find that the more I look at this card, the more I love it and wish I had used it much more frequently. All the colors are retiring, except the Whisper White card stock, of course. Products Used: Tranquil Tulips photopolymer stamp set (22), 143767, Hostess only Rose Wonder photopolymer stamp set (14), 140697, $27.00 (Greeting) Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (40), 100730, $9.00 Rose Red -1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 102544, $8.00 Wisteria Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad, 126985, $6.50 Rose Red Clas...

Little did I know when I designed this card using outgoing In Colors, that the Flirty Flamingo would stay with us as a core color! Emerald Envy is leaving us, however. The Emerald Envy ribbon is from last year's catalog rather than the current one. I was also playing around with the new Stamparatus.  Although this stamp set comes with dies to cut out all the parts, I had thought it would be easier to simply stamp it. But I'm not sure I still think that. Products Used: Bike Ride photopolymer stamp set (24), 143716, $21.00 Beautiful Bouquet photopolymer stamp set (37), 143666, $27.00 Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (40), 100730, $9.00 Flirty Flamingo 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 141416, $8.00 Emerald Envy 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 141415, $8.00 Basic Gray Archival Stampin' Pad, 140932, $7.00 Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad, 131179, $6.50 Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Pad, 141397, $6.50 Emerald Envy Classic St...

I am so sad to see Birthday Blossoms stamp set go, as well as the Island Indigo and Soft Sky colors I used on this card. What I have discovered while preparing cards for my April stamp class with the need to use as many discontinued products as possible is the creativity it spurred. I've had this stamp set for a long time and I've used it a number of times, but never in this way. As I laid out all my discontinued stamp sets and papers and dies, things just started fitting together in new ways. How sad, now that these products are about to leave our catalog! Anyway, I love the way this card turned out. Products Used: Birthday Blossoms rubber stamp set (8), W 139167, $27.00; C 139471, $19.00* Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (40), 100730, $9.00 Island Indigo 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 122923, $8.00* Soft Sky -1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 131203, $8.00* Wild Wasabi 8-1/2" x 11" card stock (24), 108641, $8.00* Island Indigo C...

I fear I haven't used this great stamp set, Sweet Cupcake, as much as I should have because it is now retiring. I am so sorry to see it go. I recently designed this card using the Springtime Foils Specialty Designer Series Paper from the Sale-a-Bration flyer. I just love that paper! I had thought I would make it masculine by using the blues, but it still looks feminine to me. The card base is Marina Mist and the inks are, I believe, Soft Sky, Pool Party and Marina Mist. The cupcake paper is actually cut from a copper foil sheet, as are the word "wish" and the spirals across the bottom. The coordinating Cupcake Cutouts Framelits Dies, which include the words "sweet" and "wish", are retiring with the stamp set.