Lunch Box Lovin’

August 10, 2024August 9, 2024 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Today we’re rounding out our back-to-school card design series with a cute set of little notecards that a dear friend of mine once referred to as lunch box lovin’. As the name might imply, these notecards are intended to be slipped inside a lunch box to let your kiddo or special someone know that they are loved and on your mind. I mean, who doesn’t love to get an unexpected pick-me-up in the lunchbox?!

A few months ago, I showed the cute cards that can be made using the Stampin’ Up! kit called By Your Side. This adorable pet-themed kit, whick will make 8 cards, includes a whole array of cats and dogs and ultimately leaves you a number of extra four-legged friends to use later. And these extras serve as the starting point for today’s featured project.

This coming week is the start of school in our district, and it’s another year of middle school for the kiddo. No longer part of the new kids on campus but not the top of the heap either, it’s that awkward middle year. So needless to say, there are still plenty of nerves surrounding a new school year. And I thought it might be nice to slip the kiddo a little note in the lunch box a few times this week to help him get through the first week jitters.

Our lunch box lovin’ cards all feature one of the cute leftover critters from the By Your Side kit, along with a sentiment panel and a few other leftover elements. The notecards vary in size based on the pieces I had left and how they looked once I started laying things out. I chose a piece of cardstock to serve as the base for each notecard and selected colors that would be a good neutral backdrop for each. The back of each card is blank for a quick note.

Leftover kit elements or Memories & More packs are perfect for these types of quick and simple projects. Just plop and go in a sketch and you’ve instantly got completed projects to bring smiles to long faces!

And speaking of smiles, who’s looking forward to some Holiday Mini Catalog sneak peeks? Tune in next week as we start dreaming of fall colors and cooler weather!

Sketchy Fridays: Packed for Success

August 9, 2024August 8, 2024 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

How is it Friday already?! Anyone else feel this way? Our last week of summer has just flown by. We’ve shopped for school clothes and last-minute supplies, cleaned out the backpack and started fresh for the year, set next week’s lunch box menu, and squeezed in some random fun. What do you typically do with your kiddos for their last week of summer break?

For this week’s Sketchy Fridays, we’re taking a little detour from the Annual Catalog and, instead, are taking a page from my personal sketch book. Our sketch is a little unconventional, but then again, so is today’s card!

Today, we’re continuing our back-to-school theme, and I just love how this card design came out! I knew that I wanted to make a design that included a backpack, but I definitely didn’t have a backpack image in my current product stash. So I started looking at everything a little differently as I sorted through sets again. And that’s when I realized that I could use the sled die from Sophisticated Sled die set to make it happen. Let’s take a closer look!

Our card gets started with a base of Basic Black cardstock. I wanted the focal panel to look like a wall in a classroom. Although difficult to see here, the focal panel is a quarter sheet of black cardstock that has been trimmed slightly on each side and then raised with dimensionals. I used the Bright & Beautiful patterned papers to help me create this look with the bottom of the wall being the striped pattern. And then I wanted the top portion to look like a bulletin board, so the star pattern is serving as the decorative border around the bulletin board and our printed sentiment is the inspirational message from the teacher.

To create our backpack, we’ll start with a quarter sheet of Pretty Peacock cardstock and use the top portion of the sled die to cut our backpack. Be sure to save all of the negative space pieces to serve as backpack pockets, and we’ll trim any portion of the bottom of the sled off to keep the look of a backpack. Using the die itself, I traced around the outside of the portion I used to cut the backpack and then fussy cut on my trace marks to create a base to which I adhered all of my pieces. This also creates a more realistic look of a stuffed backpack. I used my glue pen to adhere the outline portion and then I used several layers of glue dots on each of the “pockets” to adhere them and give them the look of having items inside. Using the letter “i” from the Alphabet a La Mode die set, I cut the handle for the backpack and adhere it using tear & tape. I used the handle for the toolbox from the Trusty Toolbox die set to create the backpack straps. The backpack is adhered to the background with dimensionals. I added a few stars cut from silver foil with the Merriest Trees dies to finish off the design.

Isn’t this the most fun? Our inside sentiment says “reach for the stars” so everything ties together nicely. I just love how it turned out!

I hope you’ll tune in tomorrow where we’ll be making some Lunchbox Lovin’. You won’t want to miss it!

Products used in today’s card:
Basic Black, Basic White, Pretty Peacock, Crushed Curry cardstock
Bright & Beautiful, Silver foil DSP
Sophisticated Sled, Trusty Tools, Merriest Trees dies
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Product List

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[121045]

$11.50

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

$13.00

Pretty Peacock 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[150880]

$11.50

Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[131199]

$11.50

Bright & Beautiful 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[161449]

$12.50

Silver 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Foil Sheets

[163387]

$5.00

Sophisticated Sled Dies

[164133]

$35.00

Trusty Tools Dies

[162722]

$37.00

Merriest Trees Dies

[162047]

$37.00

Mini Glue Dots

[103683]

$7.25

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Tear & Tape Adhesive

[154031]

$7.00

Add All to Cart

Back to School

Color With Greatness

August 8, 2024August 6, 2024 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

This week, we’re putting on our creative hats to make back-to-school designs. Why do I need my creative hat? Well, for me personally, my current stash of products (as in, not retired products) doesn’t make it easy to stick to this week’s theme without a little ingenuity. And today, we’re combining the Trusty Tools set with Filled With Fun to create our desktop of color. Let’s see how we can make this one happen.

We get started with a card base of Crumb Cake cardstock. Our focal panel background consists of two layers of patterned paper — the bottom from Take to the Sky and the top from Nature’s Sweetness — and is cut to leave a very small border of the card base peeking around on each side. We cut a focal point out of the top layer of our background panel with the Spotlight on Nature dies and then adhere our two focal panels together with dimensionals. To create the storage box for our paint brushes, we use the wagon fencing from the Filled With Fun die set to cut Crumb Cake cardstock and then tuck the box in the center of the circle. Our paintbrushes are diecut using the Trusty Tools dies. The handles are cut from textured metallic gold while the bristles are cut from Smoky Slate. A dab of paint is stamped in primary colors on the end of each set of bristles. We tuck our paintbrushes into the storage box and adhere with several layers of dimensionals to give the look of multiple planes of view. Once again, I turned to my trusty printer to provide my custom sentiment and diecut it with the Everyday Essentials die using the extension method. The sentiment is adhered with dimensionals, as well. I added a few splatters of paint that were diecut from Real Red and Daffodil Delight cardstock using the Bright Skies dies. A few dollops of rhinestone jewels add just the right amount of sparkle across the card front to help the eye glide easily across the design.

Tomorrow we’ll be packing up some tools for success. I hope you’ll tag along and check it out!

Products used in today’s card:
Crumb Cake, Smoky Slate, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Basic White cardstock
Take to the Sky, Nature’s Sweetness, Gold textured metallic DSP
Trusty Tools, Filled with Fun, Bright Skies, Everyday Details, Spotlight on Nature dies
Trusty Tools stamps
Rhinestone jewels
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Product List

Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[120953]

$11.50

Smoky Slate 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[131202]

$11.50

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

$13.00

Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[102482]

$11.50

Daffodil Delight 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[119683]

$11.50

Take To The Sky 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[163436]

$12.50

Nature's Sweetness 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper

[162616]

$16.50

Textured Metallic 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper

[163772]

$8.50

Trusty Tools Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[163274]

$24.00

Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad

[147084]

$9.00

Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad

[147110]

$9.00

Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad

[147087]

$9.00

Trusty Tools Dies

[162722]

$37.00

Filled With Fun Dies

[163560]

$32.00

Spotlight On Nature Dies

[163580]

$35.00

Everyday Details Dies

[162864]

$34.00

Bright Skies Dies

[162793]

$34.00

Rhinestone Basic Jewels

[144220]

$6.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Tear & Tape Adhesive

[154031]

$7.00

Add All to Cart

Back to School

To a Sharp Year

August 7, 2024August 6, 2024 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome in to this wonderful Wednesday! We’re halfway through this week and about halfway through our back-to-school design series. I hope you’ve been enjoying things thus far. Today, we’re keeping things on the simple side with a design using the Trusty Tools stamps and dies. Let’s dive in and learn more about how this card comes together.

We get started with a card base of Cajun Craze cardstock. Our focal panel is a piece of white cardstock that has been cut down on either side to allow a border of our card base to shine through. Using the Trusty Tools stamps, I stamped a pencil on Crushed Curry cardstock and then diecut with the coordinating die. I colored the erasers with Stampin’ Blends to give a realistic look. Using the smaller heart die from the Friends for Life die set, I drew a heart in the center of the focal panel to serve as a guide while adhering the pencils to the focal panel. Once again, I’ve used my printer to print a sentiment that I created to fit the card theme. The sentiment, and its mat of Peach Pie glimmer paper, is diecut using the Friends for Life die set. A layer of dimensionals behind the sentiment gives it a nice rise above the busy focal panel. And we finish things off with a few shiny sequins.

Of the back-to-school designs thus far, this one is by far the one that has come together the quickest. This would be a super cute card to accompany a small gift to teachers on the first day, don’t you think?

I hope you’ll tune in tomorrow when we paint the halls with greatness!

Products used in today’s card:
Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Basic White cardstock
Peach Pie glimmer paper
Trusty Tools stamps & dies
Friends for Life dies
Stampin’ Blends
Shiny sequins
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Product List

Cajun Craze 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[119684]

$11.50

Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[131199]

$11.50

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

$13.00

2024–2026 In Color™ Glimmer 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper

[163771]

$11.00

Trusty Tools Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[163274]

$24.00

Trusty Tools Dies

[162722]

$37.00

Friends For Life Dies (English)

[163364]

$34.00

Jet Black Stāzon Ink Pad

[101406]

$10.50

Melon Mambo Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[153112]

$11.00

Adhesive Backed Shiny Sequins

[163484]

$7.50

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Tear & Tape Adhesive

[154031]

$7.00

Add All to Cart

Back to School

Welcome Back

August 6, 2024August 5, 2024 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

As we enjoy our last week of summer break here in our area of North Texas, I felt it was appropriate to have this week’s theme revolve around back to school designs. The fun and challenging thing about this particular theme is that I don’t actually have a ready supply of images or sentiments to easily work out designs. So this week is all about putting on the creativity hat.

Today, we’re heading to the garage to modify the Trucking Along truck into a school bus. Yep, that’s right. We’re splicing and dicing to lengthen our truck. So let’s talk about how this design comes together.

We get started with a base of Lost Lagoon cardstock. The background panel of our full focal panel is a quarter sheet of Pool Party cardstock. Our mountainous terrain in the background is a piece of Pretty Peacock that has been diecut using the long cloud die from the Bright Skies die set and cutting on an angle to give the look of a hill. Our trees are also diecut from Pretty Peacock with the Frosted Forest evergreen dies.

To make our school bus, we start with a stamped image of the truck from Trucking Along on Crushed Curry cardstock, which is then punched with the coordinating truck punch. I separated the cab from the bed with paper snips and then joined them back together with a small strip of Crushed Curry and filled in the outline with a black pen. Using the cab as a guide for the shape of the back of the bus, I traced and then cut a separate piece of Crushed Curry for the back of the bus. The lights and stop sign are all red iridescent discs. The bus is then adhered over our mountain with dimensionals to help it stand apart.

Our sentiment is another one that I set up in Word and printed on white cardstock with my printer. I used a larger cloud die from the Bright Skies dies to cut it out, along with a few smaller clouds to add behind. A spot of sunshine beams through in Crushed Curry compliments of the sun dies in the Bright Skies set. I finished things off with a hint of shine in the white sequins from the sequins trio.

What do you think? Did our chop shop bus fit the bill? Tomorrow we’re heading back to the drawing board, and I hope you’ll pop by!

Products used in today’s card:
Lost Lagoon, Pool Party, Pretty Peacock, Crushed Curry, Basic White cardstock
Trucking Along stamps & punch
Bright Skies, Frosted Forest dies
Iridescent discs, sequins trio
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Product List

Lost Lagoon 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[133679]

$11.50

Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[122924]

$11.50

Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[131199]

$11.50

Pretty Peacock 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[150880]

$11.50

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

$13.00

Trucking Along Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[162299]

$24.00

Trucking Along Builder Punch

[162305]

$24.00

Bright Skies Dies

[162793]

$34.00

Frosted Forest Dies

[164136]

$36.00

Jet Black Stāzon Ink Pad

[101406]

$10.50

Iridescent Adhesive Backed Discs

[161954]

$7.00

Adhesive Backed Sequins Trio

[161206]

$8.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Add All to Cart

Back to School

New Heights

August 5, 2024August 5, 2024 susanfoxbowenLeave a comment

Welcome back to a brand new week! I hope everyone enjoyed a restful weekend. We enjoyed watching more of the Olympic Games. Hard to pick a favorite event because we enjoy watching many of them. Have you been watching?

This week is our last week of summer break. School will be back in session on Monday and we’re still squeezing in all the end-of-summer fun. Break felt both short and long all at the same time! Did summer feel that way to you?

In honor of a new school year, this week’s design theme is back to school. And I must admit that I may have bitten off a little more than I can chew with this one. But I promised a week of using our products in surprising ways, didn’t I?! Well, I will certainly have to in order to work within our theme!

Today’s outside the box opportunity is solving a sentiment dilemma when you don’t have a stamp that fits the bill. How did I solve it? Well, let’s talk about our card and find out.

We get started with a base of Pool Party cardstock. After cutting a pice of white cardstock into quarter sheets, I used the Bright Skies dies to cut the two large clouds for the bottom of our front panel scene. Layers of dimensionals give the clouds are more realistic look against our Pool Party backdrop. I used my computer to set up a Word document sized to my quarter panel, sized up the space I would need to fill the medium cloud die, and printed my sentiment on the white cardstock. I then diecut the sentiment with the cloud die. I really wanted large font for the sentiment and that meant orienting my cloud in an unconventional way. But then, when you think about it, clouds come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so is there really a conventional orientation? *grin* Several layers of dimensionals allow the sentiment panel to rise above the rest of our scene.

For the balloons, I pulled out the Hot Air Balloon stamps and dies set. I really liked the patterns that the Bright and Beautiful designer paper pack had to offer and decided I would layer the balloon shaping stamps on top. I think it turned out pretty neat. Our balloon baskets are cut from gold foil specialty paper. Each balloon is adhered on a different layer to give lots of dimension to our scene and really reinforce the sentiment theme of rising to new heights.

One of the fun things about challenging ourselves with various themes or ideas is that we don’t always have everything we think we need to pull it off. But with a little creative thinking and using tools that we maybe don’t turn to as often in a certain medium, like the printer in this case, we can usually make it work with beautiful results.

Tomorrow, we’ll be trucking along to school. I hope you’ll tune in to see what that’s all about!

Products used in today’s card:
Pool Party, Basic White cardstock
Bright & Beautiful, gold foil DSP
Hot Air Balloon stamps & dies
Bright Skies dies
Rainbow dots
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Product List

Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[122924]

$11.50

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

$13.00

Bright & Beautiful 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[161449]

$12.50