Thanks a Latte

I believe I have mentioned before that I fell in love with the July's Paper Pumpkin stamp set. If you missed that post, let me say it again...I love July's Paper Pumpkin stamp set. That tea/coffee cup stole my heart and I just could not stop using it. 

This cute envelope-looking thing is actually a gift card holder made with the Gift Card Envelope & Trims Thinlits. Wouldn't this be perfect to give someone a gift card to a super expensive coffee shop? 

Stampin' Tips:

• Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Very Vanilla, Tempting Turquoise
• Papers: Bohemian DSP, Silver Glimmer Paper
• Cut a 1-1/4" x 6-1/2" strip of Very Vanilla to serve as your belly band. Cut a 1" x 6-1/2" strip of DSP to adhere to the Very Vanilla strip. 
• Punch out four stars from Silver Glimmer Paper. Adhere two stars to the ends of the baker's twine, sandwiching the twine between the stars. 
• Don't adhere any of the flaps. Allow the belly band to hold everything together. 
• Use the little swoop image from the Work of Art stamp set to add a little bit of Tempting Turquoise color to the cup. If the color is too dark, stamp off (stamp once on a scrap piece of paper and then on your cup). 

Are you still on the fence about joining Paper Pumpkin? May I suggest taking advantage of the Half Off promotion. Visit My Paper Pumpkin website and use the code HALFOFF to join Paper Pumpkin before September 10, 2015 and get 50% off the first two months! After that, keep the creativity coming for only $19.95 + tax per month (shipping included). 

Happy Stampin' 

Carmelita 

CASEing the Catalog: Fright Night

CASE - Copy and Share Everything. A great way to be inspired and compliment those other crafters whom you copy. 

This year for my Stamp Club I decided that we are going to CASE the catalog. The Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog is a great place to start for inspiration if you are having trouble getting started. The catalog is full of replicable projects that are easy and simple using the great products Stampin' Up! offers. In some cases there are QR codes that you can use to watch videos on how to make certain projects. 

This card is CASEd from a cute card on page 44 of the Annual Catalog. The card in the catalog uses the Amazing Birthday stamp set and Confetti Celebration DSP. Believe it or not, but the Halloween card also uses the Confetti Celebration. I was so excited when I noticed the Tangelo Twist and black papers in the pack and how great they look together. When I look at the Confetti Celebration set I think more about birthday cards. I love how it offers a little versatility. 

Stampin' Tips for Halloween Card:

• Color Scheme: Tangelo Twise, Basic Black, Basic Grey, Crushed Curry, Whisper White
• Stamp Sets: Project Life Holiday Cheer, Amazing Birthday
• Accessories: Basic Black 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, Confetti Celebration DSP, Banners Framelits
• Cut out a banner using the Banners Framelits. Stamp the "Surprise" greeting in Crushed Curry on Whisper White and then use the 1-1/4" punch to punch out the greeting. 
• Stamp the "Fright Night" greeting in Whisper White Craft Ink on a piece of scrap Basic Black card stock. Use the Banner framelits to cut out the greeting. Place the banner over the "Surprise" words using a Stampin' Dimensional. 

Happy Stampin' 

~Cita 

Thanks in Pink and Black

One of my favorite things to do when making quick and simple cards is to use the Whisper White Notecards and Envelopes (131527, $5.95). This pack comes with 20 envelopes sized 5" x 3-1/2" already scored and ready to be designed. I don't know what it is, but I absolutely love this size of card. I make most of my simple cards using these cards, and I tend to love to use DSP as backgrounds instead of shying away from using so much as a background. It's weird. I tend to hoard DSP. Do you have this problem too?

Stampin' Tips: 

• Color Scheme: Basic Black, Whisper White, Strawberry Slush, and Coastal Cabana 
• Stamp Set: A Million and One
• Accessories: Modern Medley DSP, In Color Boutique Details 
• Don't be shy to use your DSP as background. One 12x12 sheet of DSP can go a long way with the notecards. 
• Use a glue dot to adhere the In Color Boutique Details embellishment.

Happy Stampin' 

~Cita 

Is that Christmas DSP?

Are you like me and buy a whole bunch of Christmas craft stuff with great intentions of making all sorts of wonderful Christmas presents for all your friends and family? However, life happens, and you only get a tenth of those projects done and have to pack up all that Christmas craft supply until at least next July? Well, if you bought the Winter Frost DSP from the Holiday Mini, don't pack that paper away. Here's a couple of ideas of how to use that paper for a non-holiday card. (BTW, this card is CASEd, but I can't find the original source. Thank you fellow stamper, whoever you are, for inspiring me). 

Stampin' Details:

• Color Scheme: Whisper White, Island Indigo, Pool Party 
• DSP: Winter Frost DSP
• Stamp sets: Hello Lovely
• Embellishments: Basic Rhinestones, Coastal Cabana 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim 
• Stamp the flourish on the side of a strip of Whisper White cardstock in Pool Party. Stamp a rectangular sentiment (I used two from the Hello Lovely stamp set) in Island Indigo. Cut out this sentiment and adhere in between the two flourishes with Stampin' Dimensionals. 
• Use glue dots to adhere the ruffle stretch trim ribbon to cardstock. 

I hope you have a wonderful new year filled with adventure and blessings!

Happy Stampin' 

~Cita 

Saying Goodbye to Raining Flowers

I've been having a fun time trying to use all the retiring stamp sets before I have to say goodbye. Some of these stamp sets I have only used once, such as the Raining Flowers stamp set. I kind of regret having shoved this set in the depths of the stamp shelf.

With Mother's Day on the horizon, I thought for once I would make my mommy a beautiful card to send to her for once. (I'm horrible at sending her cards). However, unfortunately, she will not be getting her card by Sunday because I need it for my Last Chance Card Buffet class. She has been notified of the situation and is agreeable to receiving her card late. My mommy is awesome. :-)

I CASEd this card from Mary Brown's I found on Pinterest. ( I love Pinterest). I changed up the colors and the layout quite a but, but I love how she used the flower from the Raining Flowers stamp set to make a beautiful background.

Stampin' Details:

• Color scheme: Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Perfect Plum, Chocolate Chip 
• Stamp Sets: Raining Flowers, Wonderful Mother, Wacky Wishes 
• Accessories: Designer Printed Brads, Decorative Label Punch, Circle punch from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pak. Stampin' Dimensionals
• To create the background, stamp the big flowers first in Wisteria Wonder. Then the little flowers in Lucky Limeade. Finally stamp the tulip outline in Chocolate Chip
• Stamp the little flower in Wisteria Wonder and use paper snips to cut out the flower. Use a paper piercer to pierce a hole in the middle of the flower to make inserting the Designer Printed Brad easier.  
• Stamp a greeting in Wisteria Wonder on Whisper White cardstock and then punch it out using the Decorative Label Punch. Remember, when punching out stamped images, stamp first and then punch out the image. 
• Punch out a piece of Perfect Plum cardstock using the Decorative Label punch . Cut the label in half and the adhere the pieces to the top and buttom of the Whisper White cardstock.

What's great about this card is that it's so easy to switch out the sentiment and make a different card, such as a birthday card, thank you card, or something else. I made about 20 of these things, with all different greetings. This card is a great one to case. Change up the color scheme! Change up the brad!

Happy Stampin'!

~Cita

Ladybug Ink Blog Hop: Retired Style

Hello! Welcome to May's edition of the Ladybug Ink Blog Hop. If you are just joining our hop, we are showcasing retiring stamps and accessories. It's a bittersweet time as we say goodbye to some of our beloved stamp sets and accessories, yet eagerly await the release of the new 2013-2014 Idea Book and Catalog that is filled with such amazing products that most of us soon forget all about the stuff we just said goodbye to.

Anyways, I'm having a hard time saying goodbye to the color Baja Breeze. It's one of my favorite colors and am I'm pretty sad that it is retiring (If you follow me on Twitter or like my Facebook page, you will see me lament in real-time). So, in honor of my beloved Baja Breeze, my card for this month's blog hop features this amazing color as well as the Bordering on Romance stamp set.

Stampin' Tips:

• Retiring items: Baja Breeze cardstock, Certainly Celery Stampin' Write marker, Regal Rose cardstock, Regal Rose Stampin' Write marker, Bordering on Romance stamp set, Parlor Prints background stamp
• Color scheme: Baja Breeze, Regal Rose, Basic Gray, Certainly Celery, Basic Gray 
• Other materials (not retiring): Blender pens, Modern Label punch, Fabulous Phrases stamp set, Basic Rhinestones, Stampin' Dimensionals, Black Staz-On Ink, 3/`6" Corner punch  
• Use the Parlor Prints stamp set and Baja Breeze ink to stamp the background. Remember, when using a big background stamp to lay the stamp upside down to ink it. 

• Stamp the three flower image from the Bordering on Romance stamp set using Staz On ink. Let it completely dry before using your Stampin' Write markers to outline the image. Finally, use blender pens to color the inside of the images. 
• Add rhinestones to the middle of each flowers to make it sparkle!
• Stamp a sentiment from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set (not retiring, thank God!) on Regal Rose (retiring). Use the Modern Label punch to punch it out and adhere it to your card using Stampin' Dimensionals. 

The good thing about retiring product is that it makes room for new stuff. I have to remind myself of this. I hate change, but I love surprises, and I think you will be pleased to see all the amazing product Stampin' Up! made room for. 2 weeks until the new catalog comes out!

Head on over the Cassie's blog to see what she has for your viewing pleasure. 

Happy Stampin' 

~Cita 

Ruth Norton http://ruthsstampingcorner.blogspot.com

Amber Wilson http://amberladybugink.blogspot.com/

Nichole Gonzales Jaramillo http://nicholesu.blogspot.com/

Kay Jantz http://ktmyldyandlife.blogspot.com/

Liz Kay http://www.kraftasticmrskay.blogspot.com/

You are here: Camelita Wasson http://carmenacita.blogspot.com/

Cassie Rogers http://lucyslovelies.blogspot.com/

Michelle Carrion http://www.ilovecrafttime.blogspot.com/

A Little Bag of Thanks

A few things I love: presents, cards, stamping, my downline, friends....

This cute little bag of note cards represents all those things I love. My downline, and dear friend, Amber gave me this set of cute note cards as a present this past Christmas. A few things struck me when I pulled these out of my gift bag. First, these cards are so cute and simple. Amber used the hostess Happy You stamp set on top World Spectacular DSP. She then colored the cute little mushrooms using Blender Pens.

The second thing that struck me is the joy I felt when I got a handmade present. Along with this cute set of handmade note cards, Amber gave me a jar of handmade hand scrub. I make cards and little presents on a weekly basis. I love giving them to people, but I think I sometimes forget just how much joy and meaning that a handmade gift brings to people. Because of this simple reminder, I made a New Year's goal in January to send or give something handmade to someone every week this year. I've skipped a few weeks, but so far, I've done a good job, and it feels good. :) You should try it.

So here's a challenge for you: make a card and send it (yes, use snail mail) to someone you care about, love, or are just thinking about. Your card doesn't have to be complicated. Simple goes a long way.

Happy Stampin',
~Cita

Show and Tell: Thank You Cards

I once had a goal that I would give everyone who gave me a present a handmade thank you card. In preparation for all the baby showers and blessings I started a massive effort to make as many thank you cards as I could before the baby arrived. I made quite a few; however, I did have to revert to store-bought cards as my time ran out before I was able to make everyone a hand-made card. What is worse, I have yet to deliver all these cards to these deserving people.

I wanted to share with you these fun thank you cards. Many of you know, Sybella's nursery theme is monkeys and butterflies, and I wanted continue with that theme with my thank you cards as much as I could. Hope you enjoy.