Convention Swap Posts: Day Five

Sorry I've been dragging my heels on getting this next set of swap cards posted, but I've been dealing with an upper respiratory tract infection, that hit me shortly after returning from convention.  And quite frankly it knocked the wind out of my sails.  I've been very dragged out and tired, so resting a lot and not getting much accomplished.  I keep persevering a bit each day though and I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.  

In other words, I'm almost getting to the bottom of the swaps I'd like to share with you.  I hope you're still with me and enjoying the tour.  I know I've discovered a lot by really looking at how these cards were made.  So here we go with card number Forty Six:

Card Forty-six:  Marie Costanza created this cute card using the new Giggle Greetings set on pg 29 of the catalogue.   This cute 4-stamp set has a funny greeting for several occasions.  Marie has made her card base from Whisper White card stock and layered it with Pacific Point DSP.  Gorgeous paper.  She has stamped the little dog in basic black ink and coloured it with markers.  It's been popped up on dimensionals and added to a piece of Pacific Point card stock that's been punched out with the 2 1/2" Circle punch.  For finishing touches she added a set of google eyes (which are retired) and a bow made with the 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon in Basic Gray. Great card!

Card Forty-Seven:  Love this "hero" card in in it's bold Night of Navy, Real Red, Whisper White and Burnt Brown Sugar, stars theme.  It was created by Monica Bradford.  The stamp set used is "Simply Stars" on page 124 of the catalogue.  There are only 4 stars in this set but she has been able to effectively stamp them on her background so that it looks like a field of them.  The other really nice touches that Monica has added were the two banners in Real Red and Night of Navy.  They were cut out with the Hearts a Flutter Framelit Dies on page 187.  She's also cut out and added one star in  Silver Glimmer Paper and mounted it with dimensionals.  The "brave" sentiment which is stamped on Whisper White and punched out with the decorative label punch comes from the "Words of Courage" stamp set on page 42.  Great card Monica, thanks for sharing!   

Card Forty-Eight:  Bertina Maloy created this stunning card using the Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder and a tag from the Chalk Talk stamp set on page 12 of the catalogue. Her card base is Basic Black card stock followed by a layer of Basic Gray.  To achieve the beautiful backround effect on the next card layer she did a Faux Patina technique starting with Whisper White Card Stock then inking up her embossing folder with Smokey Slate and Wisteria Wonder Inks.  Very effective!  The Chalk Talk tag was cut from basic black card stock using the Chalk Talk Framelits. Did you know you can purchase the Chalk Talk stamp set and matching framelits as a bundle and save 15% of their original price?  Click here for details - it comes in wood or clear mount.  Bertina embossed the tag with silver embossing powder, but she wasn't finished yet.  To complete the tag she stamped the sentiment "For You" (also from Chalk Talk) in Basic Black ink onto Wisteria Wonder, punched it out with the 1/14" circle punch and then glued it to the center of the tag. She added Crystal Effects for a glossy finish.  Two basic rhinestones and a piece of White Taffeta ribbon complete this card.  Well done Bertina!

Card Forty-Nine:  My next New Catalogue Swap Card comes from Gale Hansen of Fort Deposit, MD.  She has created a unique and fun baby card with the Sweetest Gift stamp set on page 57 of the catalogue.  She added  Gingham Garden DSP to Whisper White card stock as the base for her card.  Her next layer actually opens as the card.  To create this fun layer she cut a piece of Melon Mambo card stock into a strip measuring 3 1/4" x 8 and then scoring it at the center.  It was adhered to the card base with the fold sitting at the center top of the card. She punched out a large scallop circle with the 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch from the top flap of this card and stamped the sentiment "thank you for the sweet gift" in melon mambo ink.   A 3 x 4" piece of Whisper White card stock was cut for the inside. Gale has done an absolutely amazing job of colouring and stamping this inner card piece and also the stork that's adhered to the outside.  She's sponged the most perfect clouds and added the sentiment "congratulations to you and your new little one" to this piece.  To complete the card she's added a white taffeta ribbon and bow.  These next pictures will give a bit more insight into this wonderful card any new parent would be thrilled to receive.  Gale you're simply amazing!   

  

Card Fifty: This next card, an original design by Tricia Miller was created for the New Catalogue Card Swap using the Sweetly Framed Hostess Stamp set shown on page 205 of the catalogue.  If you've ever wondered what you can do with "itty bitty" stamps like the ones in this set, Tricia's card is a great example.  Tricia used Whisper White card stock for her card base followed by a 3 3/4" x 5" piece of Strawberry Slush card stock.  For the top layer she embossed a 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" piece of Whisper White with the Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder.   Starting in the second row of the embossed tiles, she has stamped the heart image in Strawberry Slush ink on every second row.  The sentiment was also stamped in Strawberry Slush and then punched out with the Decorative Label punch and then added to the card with dimensionals.  The finishing touch on the label was the addition of the tiniest of the Basic Pearl Jewels.  Awesome Tricia, luv your clean and simple card!

Card Fifty-One:  My next card by Mary Lonneman of Benson, MN features multiple layers that have been stamped with the Morning Meadow Hostess Stamp set on page 203 of the catalogue.  Mary's card base is in Very Vanilla card stock followed by a layer of Coastal Cabana that's been embossed with a non-Stampin' Up! embossing folder.  Mary has layered up the card using the Deco Labels, Label Collection and Apothecary Accents framelits.  Each piece was stamped with an element from the Morning Meadow stamp set.  Basic Rhinestone Jewels were added to the Thank You label and for the little bird which was punched out with the Bird Builder Punch.  Thanks Mary for a great card!

Card Fifty-Two:   Gail Deans from Gaylor MI created this exciting layered card which is as lovely on the inside as it is on the outer layer.  Beautiful!  First of all the vibrant bold colors she has mixed just give you a lift.  The card base is in Gumball Green followed by a layer of Pacific Point that's been texturized with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder.  I love how she's added her leaves and butterflies on the face of the card using the Little Leaves Sizzlits and Beautiful Wings Embosslits, this was a nice touch and ties in with the center flower.  She cut a large circle from the card's top layers using the 2 1/2" Circle Punch revealing the awesome layered flower on the inside. The Five Way Flower single stamp was the ideal choice for this card.  She's stamped the flower in Pumpkin Pie and Melon Mambo inks on Whisper White card stock several times to create the four flower layers, and then used an assortment of co-ordinating punches to easily cut out her layers.  The co-ordinating punches for this set are - the 2 3/8", 1 3/4", 1 1/4" and 7/8"  Scallop Circle punches.  You can also cut out the very center with the Itty Bitty Shapers Punch. Each layer of the flower is stacked using dimensionals and the final layer has a Pacific Point brad in the center. A banner in Pacific Point was stamped in Whisper White ink with a "thinking of you" sentiment.   Thanks Gail for a terrific and inspiring card!  

 

 This picture shows the inside of the card and the sentiment.

Card Fifty-Three: Julie Link's masculine gate fold card is truly inspiring. She starts with a Basic Black card base that measures 4" x 11".  This piece was scored at 2 6/8" and 5 1/2". A 2/12" x 4" piece of Basic Gray card stock was embossed first with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder and then again with the Honeycomb Embossing Folder for the front fold of the card.  She repeated this process for the inside of the card using a  5 1/4" x 4" piece Basic Gray. Before adhering this layer she added three  1/8" Mini Silver Brads to the bottom right hand side of the card.  The moose image from the Walk in the Wild Stamp set was stamped in Basic Black onto Smokey Slate card stock and then cut out with a 2 1/2" circle punch.  Her next layers in Basic Black and Gray and a matching Smokey Slate layer on the inside of the card were cut out with the Window Frames Collection framelits.  Wow a simple but absolutely stunning card.  Thanks again Julie!

 

 This picture shows the card when it is flattened out. 

Card Fifty-Four: This next card front I received in a hallway trade with Cheryl Welch from Toledo Illinois.  Cheryl used a piece of Daffodil Delight for her card base and topped it with a Tea Lacy Paper Doily that was sponged with Daffodil Delight ink.  A 3 1/4" x 4 1/4" layer of Night of Navy card stock that was embossed with the Flower Garden Embossing Folder was then added.  Cheryl stamped the butterfly images from  the Backyard Basics Stamp set on page 79 in Night of Navy onto three different fine patterned pieces from the Gingham Garden Designer Paper series.  She cut out the butterflies using the Backyard Basics Framelits, which are offered as a bundle with a 15% discount.  The sentiment dream from the "Loving Thoughts " stamp set and the scroll frame from Four Frames were stamped on Naturals Ivory Card Stock in Night of Navy ink and then this piece was punched out with the Decorative Label punch.  A small Basic Pearl jewel was added to the center top of the sentiment for a nice finishing touch.  Thanks Cheryl this is a great card.

Card Fifty-Five: Rene Brown, Heritage Stampers Williamsburg VA created this next simple card using the Kind & Cozy stamp set on page 82 of the catalogue.  This set makes you think of grandma's house and warm apple pie and is a perfect match-up with the Gingham Garden DSP and the Gingham Jumbo Wheel!  Rene started with a base of Whisper White cut 4 1/4 x 11 and folded at the top.  A layer of Night of Navy measuring 4 1/4" x 5 1/4 follows.  The next layer of Whisper White was embossed with the Stripes Embossing folder.  The large circle image was stamped in Night of Navy and punched out with a 2 1/2" Circle Punch.  The thinking of you sentiment was stamped on a piece of Whisper White in Pear Pizzazz and Primrose Petals ink and then cut out with the Decorative Labels punch and layered on the large circle with dimensionals.  A small bow in 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon in Primrose Petals completes this lovely card.  Thanks Rene, and so nice running into you again at Convention and having an opportunity to share. 

Card Fifty-Six:  I fell in love with this "blessing" card by Andrea Lee from Sachse, Texas.  She writes on the back of her card "Enabling you to bless others through paper crafting.  I hope this sample will help you to be a blessing to others with your notes of kindness."  Wow, how delightful!  This card truly is a blessing!  It was created using stamped images from the Gingham Wheel, Flower Shop, Polka Dot Pieces and Remembering Your Birthday Stamp sets.  The bottom card layer is in  Basic Black that's been embossed on the card front portion with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  A strip created with the Gingham Wheel in Basic Black was then adhered along with a crisp Whisper White scallop edge that was embossed with the Delicate Designs embossing folder.  This great combination of layers was pulled together with a piece of the 3/8" Strawberry Slush Ruffle Stretch Ribbon.  To complete the front of the card three flowers from the Flower Shop Stamp set were stamped in Strawberry Slush ink and then punched out with the coordinating Pansy Punch.  The beautiful leaves were punched out of Gumball Green card stock using the Little Leaves Sizzlits.

As if the outside of this card wasn't gorgeous enough, check out the inside.  I told you.  It's equally stunning as the cover!  For the liner Andrea cut a piece of Whisper White card stock to 3 3/4" x 5 1/4"  and stamped the flowers from the Flower Shop stamp set in Strawberry Slush and the leaves from the Polka Dot Pieces stamp set in Gumball Green.  Perfect!  The verse stamped in Basic Black ink is just right for this card.  Andrea many thanks for blessing us with this beautiful card!  Loving it!

Card Fifty-Seven: Kayla Foster the creator of my next featured card which really inspired me with its soft colour combination and clean and simple look. The card base is a 4 1/4 x 11" piece of Whisper White card stock that's been stamped close to the bottom and top of the card face with the line image stamp from Gorgeous Grunge.  What a great choice for a contrast stamp. For her main image and sentiment stamps Kayla chose the "Too Kind" stamp set on page 71. This seven piece stamp set is classified as two-step because it has stamps that can be stamped over top of each other to give depth.  In this card Kayla used Crisp Cantaloupe and Calypso Coral for her light and dark flower colors and Wild Wasabi for the stems. She stamped the images on a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square of Whisper White card stock and then mounted this square on a 3 1/2 x 3 1/2" piece of Crisp Cantaloupe that has been embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing folder. The top and bottom ends of this larger square have a perfect row of scallops in Calypso Coral card stock.  The scallops were punched out with the Scallop Edge Border Punch.  Before mounting the large square to the card face with dimensionals, a 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon in Wild Wasabi was tied on this piece. The sentiment was stamped in Calypso Coral onto Whisper White and then punched out with a 1 3/4" circle punch.  This piece was added to a scallop circle in punched out in Calypso Coral. A small basic pearl adorns this sentiment.  I can't thank you enough Kayla for your great card!  Love it!

Card Fifty-Eight:  This card will appeal to all you vintage lovers out there.  The stamping on this card made by Marga Martinez,  was done with the Shopping Around Jumbo Wheel shown on page 98.  She used Soft Suded card stock for her card base.  To create the first layer she stamped across the bottom of the Very Vanilla card stock in Soft Suede ink with the Jumbo Wheel and then embossed it with the Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder.  Marga cut out a tag in Crumb Cake using the Chalk Talk Framelits and then added a smaller tag in Soft Suede that was also embossed with the same embossing folder.  To this piece she added a 1 1/2" by 1 1/2" piece of Very Vanilla card stock that was stamped with the Suffragettes image in Soft Suede.  Another nice touch is the small rosette, created with the Buttons and Blossoms Simply Pressed Clay Molds and Pressed Clay.  If you haven't tired this yet, it's a must do!  Marga coloured the blossom in Crumb Cake ink.  The beautiful bow was tied with a piece of 3/8" Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon.

Card Fifty-Nine: Here's a sweet little birthday wishes card made by Bobbi Kincel.  Bobbi created a card base with a single piece of Pistachio Pudding card stock that measures 4 1/4 x 5 1/2, and then took a 5" x 7 1/2" piece of Naturals Ivory card stock scored it at the center and mounted it on the Pistachio Pudding base.  Prior to mounting this piece to the base she stamped the grid from the Off the Grid background stamp in Crumb Cake ink and added the little fly image from the Postage Collection Hostess set. Then Bobbi got extra creative by adding a super shabby chic frame and banner complete with ruffled ribbon to this fun card front.  The frame shape was embossed with the oval shaped embossing folder from Designer Frames.  The oval shape in the center coordinates with the Extra Large Oval Punch, and you guessed it, Bobbi used this punch to remove the center card stock, and tore around the outer rim of the oval to achieve a shabby chic look.  The oval was sponged with Pistachio Pudding ink and a small piece of Strawberry Slush 3/8" Stretch Ruffle Trim was added to the top edge of the oval along with a tiny flower punched out with the Itty Bitty punch - how cute! The dressed up frame was then mounted to the card front with dimensionals.  For the banner piece Bobbi stamped the happy birthday sentiment from the Simply Sketched Hostess set onto Natural Ivory cardstock and mounted it on Strawberry Slush card stock. The banner points are cut so perfectly on both pieces that I'm assuming she used a square punch to dothis.  There's also a small piece of the ruffled ribbon attached to the end of the banner to tie everything together.    And that's it folks another perfectly delightful card!  Thanks Bobbi for sharing.  I know I'm going to be CASing this one.  

Card Sixty: This beautiful and serene Trefoil Cross Sympathy Card has the perfect pairing of Pear Pizzazz, Elegant Eggplant and Whisper White card stocks and inks.  It was created by Germaine C. Meilach, from Rotonda Florida.  It was this Germaine's first trip to Convention and I had been hoping to run into her after making contact on Late Night Stampers, however as luck would have it we were strangers in passing.  By that I mean we actually managed to trade swap cards in the New Card Catalogue Swap, but in the rush and excitement of swapping didn't actually connect.  Too bad.    Germaine stamped the Trefoil cross in Versa Mark and then in Elegant Eggplant ink before setting the image with Clear Embossing Powder.  It has a beautiful glossy look.  For her background she chose the swirl design from Everything Eleanor and her sentiment comes from the Thoughts and Prayers stamp on page 92.  Germaine also added a strip of the new Pear Pizzazz Chevron Stripe Ribbon which is becoming so popular.  Beautiful card Germaine.  Thanks so much!

Card Sixty-One:  The final card in this post is a "KISS" (keep it simple stamping) card made by Sandi Hurford.  What I like about this card is that it is not the standard A2 birthday card size.  Instead, Sandi chose to do her swap cards on Stampin' Up! Notecards and points out what a great value these note cards are. There are twenty 5 x 3 1/2" Whisper White cards per package with matching 5 1/8" x 3 5/8" envelopes for just $7.50 and they mail at no extra charge.  Great tip Sandi and great card!  

The stamp set that Sandi used is "Sketched Birthday" eight-piece set on page 13 of the catalogue. This set which is available in English and Spanish, also coordinates with the 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, Apothecary Accent and Bitty Banner Framelits.  I really like the way Sandi singled out different elements of the set like the hat, balloon and cake for her card front.  These are stamped in Staz On Black ink on Whisper White and she punched out the images with a  1 1/4" circle punch before mounting them with dimensionals on pieces of Basic Black that were punched out with the 1 3/8" Circle punch. I also like the way she didn't center each punched image, rather she captured them from an angle and then added a little piece of bling to each piece.  There is a basic rhinestone on the candle, a basic pearl on the hat and dabs of dazzling details on the balloon.  Finally I think the Honeycomb embossed card front is the perfect backdrop for these cute little images as it continues that clean crisp look. 

The inside of Sandi's card is nicely finished as well.  She's mounted the center circles from the Happy Birthday Cupcake image onto a basic black scalloped circle and added a basic rhinestone to the cupcake!  Voila!  Well done Sandi and thanks for sharing your talents. 

Thin Lit Dies Just Released and Life Just Got Easier!

Would you love to create movement or flip flop cards but you don't know how to go about cutting them out or you just don't want the hassle?  I've got news that will change your mind.  Thanks to Stampin' Up!, movement card creating just got a whole lot easier and you're going to love it!  And I can show you how!

I should know how difficult it can be, because I just recently demonstrated this flip card in my Masculine Card Class.  

This WOW factor card was a fun challenge for both my students and myself, but it could have been so much easier.  For one thing, it took a bit longer to demonstrate as I had to work closely with each member of the class on the scoring and placement of the framelit die, and making sure nothing moved during the process of creating the flip window.  

Now I know why they call it a WOW card! It's because it was a scary process both for me and my students, and at the end we all went "wow". Honestly, who'd want to ruin such a big chunk of card stock if the framelit die shifted  ............. not me!  Anyway the long and short of it is that doing it the old way was fun, but the whole process was really slow in a class.  And, even though I really loved this card and thought about making  a similar one for a swap card at Convention, the thought of duplicating all the steps over and over again, simply intimidated me.

Okay so what's changed and why am I excited now?  Simply this.  During Convention we saw the most awesome demonstration of a new product called "THINLIT CARD DIES".   What made it even super duper exciting is that right after Shelli demonstrated this new technique, I won the Label Card Thinlits Die during at Prize Patrol!!!!!! Dancing up and down here!

There are some products you just have to see in action before you realize how much you need them, right? This is one of them!   

These new card dies come with extra die pieces that have versatile designs, so you can use them on other projects, not just flip cards. (The Circle Card Thinlits Die comes with 10 total pieces; the Label Card Thinlits Die comes with nine total pieces.)  Great value-especially to create an interactive card!  So check out this video and then I'll give you some more details. 

Available August 1, 2013

These impressive "flip" cards will make perfect invitations, Christmas or All Occasion cards.  The main shape in the cards (circle and label) can work with a lot of Stampin' Up!s stamp images so you can create tons of different kinds cards using many different stamp sets. Here are just a few suggestions to get you started:

Label Card Thinlits Die (item 133479):

• Happy Day Stamp Set (item 130294 W item 130297 C)

Circle Card Thinlits Die (item 133480) - $40.95

• Worth the Wait Stamp (item 131094 W)

• Five-Way Flower Stamp (item 131088 W)

Both card dies pair well with:

• Oh, Hello Stamp Set (item 131931 W item 130733 C)
• Yippee-Skippee! Stamp Set (item 131341 W item 131344 C) 
• Really Good Greetings Stamp Set (item 130330 W item 130333 C) 
• Regarding Dahlias Stamp Set (item 130324 W item 130327 C)

These dies also work well with our new magnetic platform (item 130658) so you can place the dies exactly where you want them!

Want more information or to see a demonstration, "try" before you buy?  Then just call or email me on my web contact page to to arrange a time.  

Convention Swap Post: Day Four

Are you ready for some more fantastic swap cards?  

I just can't believe how many wonderful cards I traded for and I only participated in one swap.

So without further a-do, here are some more great cards! 

Card Thirty-Four:  This amazing wedding card was created by my downline Ethel DeTemple, who attended Convention with me this year. Ethel is an awesome and talented Demonstrator and crafter who lives in Surrey, British Columbia. If you're looking for a Demonstrator in the Surrey area, simply type Ethel's name into the Demonstrator Locator area on Stampin' Up!  You won't regret it!  The stamp set Ethel used on this card is the "This Day Forward" stamp set from page 114 of the catalogue.  This 6-piece set has the vintage love bird and small butterfly images as well as four beautifully scripted sentiments that make this set  perfect for wedding or anniversary cards.  Ethel use Whisper White card stock for her card base and then mounted a 4 x 5 1/4" piece of Pool Party that she embossed with the Fancy Fans Embossing Folder.  The Love Bird image has been stamped in Versa Mark Ink and them embossed with Pool Party Embossing Powder. To finish off this card Ethel added a medium size Basic Rhinestone Jewel between the birds and a beautiful little bow made with the Pool Party 1/2" seam binding ribbon finishes off the front of the card.    Loved this card Ethel and loved swapping with you in the New Card Catalogue Swap!

Card Thirty-Five: Paula Mann created this really great Bon Voyage card using the Around the World stamp set from page 48 of the catalogue.  I love the way she used several of the elements from the 9-piece stamp set to make this card have a feeling of movement and fun.  This 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" card made with a Crumb Cake card base is folded at the top.  Her first layer is a piece of Midnight Muse card stock which has been embossed with the Chevron Embossing Folder.   Her next layer is a piece of 4" x 2 1/2" Very Vanilla card stock which she's ripped across the bottom edge and punched the top corners away with the 1/2" circle punch.   She's also either splattered Crumb Cake ink across this piece or stamped it with the splatter stamp from Gorgeous Grunge for a very effective look.  I luv the way she's used Gumball Green, Strawberry Slush and Baked Brown Sugar inks when stamping the accessories.  Nice combination of elements.  Finally I like the cute little bow Paula's tied with Linen Thread to link the two banners at the top right hand corner of the card.  Very fresh ideas on this card, thanks Paula! 

Card Thirty-Six:  Annie Medigovich created this card front using a combination of DSP papers for her banners.I believe the black gingham banner was stamped using the Gingham Wheel (don't quote me on that), at any rate a very nice combination.  Annie stamped the coffee cup and sentiment from the Kind & Cozy stamp set on page 82 of the catalogue.  How cute is this?  With a little layering and some basic rhinestones, this is an awesome card.  Thanks Annie! 

Card Thirty-Seven:  Designed by Connie Tumm of Stamp Art Squared.  Connie chose the Polka Dot Pieces stamp set on page 85 of the catalogue for her New Card Catalogue Swap card.  I'm so glad she did, because what an awesome card!  I'm loving everything about this 6-piece stamp set which includes all the cute images Connie has used and to make it super simple, these stamps coordinate with the Bird Builder Punch, Elegant Butterfly, 3/4 circle, 1 1/4" and 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punches. The Gingham Garden DSP that Connie cut into 1 1/4" squares is perfect for showcasing the various images she chose.  Another thing I like about this card is the way she has layered Burnt Brown Sugar card stock for her card base and then matched that with another layer in the same colour.  The addition of sponging around the small squares and the top layer of this card adds a lot of depth to this card.  Thanks so much Connie, just love it!

Card Thirty-Eight:  If you love circles and medallions then you're going to love this next card designed  by Cindy Castleman.  Cindy started with a card base of Naturals Ivory and then layered it with Crumb Cake and a piece of So Saffron card stock that was embossed with the Honeycomb Embossing Folder.  What a nice combination. For her element layers and inks Cindy chose Night of Navy, Crisp Cranberry, So Saffron, and Primrose Petals card stocks lending a soft but coordinated look to the card. A beautiful strip of the new Denim Jean Ribbon tied with a Linen Thread bow completes the picture.  The stamp sets used for this card are the Happy Flowers Hostess set on page 202 and the Itty Bitty Banners stamp set on page 30.  These little banners are so easy to cut out using the Itty Bitty Framelits Dies on page 187.    Great choices all the way around, thanks Cindy. 
 

Card Thirty-Nine: This WOW card was designed by Serena Marsh another member of our small Canadian contingent.  Serena is a remarkable stamper who has lots of fresh ideas and is an adventuresome stamper.  If you're looking for a wonderful demo in the Burnaby, BC area, then contact Serena, she's your gal.  Serena's card was one of my favourites in terms of a simple but WOW card.  She used Bermuda Bay card stock for her base and then added a 2 3/4" x 5 1/2" strip of Whisper White  across the center.  Serena stamped the single wood mount stamp called "Fishing Around" on this piece and then cut it out with the 1 3/4" circle punch so she could add a Circle Treat Cup. You guessed it instant fish bowl!  Serena actually filled these little Circle Treat Cups with water so it looks like the little gold fish are floating. Unfortunately airplane travel and customs weren't so kind to these cards so a few of them suffered from water damage.  Some stampers have suggested that using a clear gel like Dippety Doo would probably have worked as well without the leakage problem. Whatever, it worked for me! She did a nice job of colouring the little gold fish and with markers.  Serena also added the birthday sentiment from the Label Love stamp set.  This awesome 7-piece set is available in English, Spanish and French and coordinates with the Artisan Label Punch sold on page 181.  Thanks Serena for joining us on our journey and making it such a fun and memorable week.  Can't wait until we can get together and stamp!   

Card Forty:  Here's another awesome birthday card using the "Fishing Around" stamp.  This one designed by Cindy Carroll also uses the "Remembering Your Birthday" set on page 16 of the catelogue.  If you have lots of birthdays in your life, then this 8-piece sentiment only stamp set may be just the ticket for you.  It's available in English, French and German. Cindy's card base is the new Coastal Cabana card stock that was embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. I like the way she only embossed 3/4 of the card face and left room for the sentiment at the base of the card.  I also like the way she mounted her fish bowl on a piece of Melon Mambo that's been cut out with the second of the Window Frames Collection dies.  This piece was embossed using the Fancy Fan embossing folder.  The additional special touches were the small strip of Daffodil Delight paper from the Quatrefancy Specialty DSP.  This is topped with a piece of the 3/8" Ruffled Stretch Trim in Coastal Cabana. Cindy has done a simply awesome job of colouring her little fishbowl with aqua painters and then adding a clear glaze with Crystal Effects.  I also like the way she added the Champagne Glass Stampin Glitter to the treasure chest...........deluxe detail!  What a delightful card Cindy thanks for sharing!

Card Forty-One:  Designed by Linda Elliott of McKinney Texas this boldly coloured card is very hip and with the times!  She's combined Melon Mambo, Whisper White and Basic Black card stock for a very urban look.  The chevron background was created using the Positively Chevron background stamp inked in basic black. It measures 4 1/2" x 5 3/4".  Linda used Whisper White Craft (stamped off) to stamp the tag from the Chalk Talk Stamp set and then cut it out with the Chalk Talk framelits,  which can be purchased as a bundle for a 15% discount savings. Linda's card also features some basic rhinestones jewels that are cleverly placed on the card and a strip of 5/8" Whisper White Organza Ribbon.    The inside of Linda's wonderful card features a piece of Melon Mambo stamped in Whisper White Ink and the Positively Chevron background stamp.  A 1" half circle was punched out at the top center of this piece so a gift card can be inserted.   Very cute!  Thanks Linda for sharing. 

Card Forty-Two: I love the card designed by my friend Debby Evoy from Abbotsford, BC, it's gorgeous.  Debbie also attended conference with Ethel and I and was such a wonderful addition to our group.  Funny and vivacious, this gal really knows her stampin' stuff!  If you're looking for a fun and energetic stamping demo in the Abbotsford, British Columbia area, look up Debby in the Demo locator.  Tell her I sent you her way, you won't regret it!   The stamp set Debby chose for her New Card Catalogue Swap is the Six-Sided Sampler on page 125 of the catelogue.  This awesome 11-piece stamp set can be bundled with the coordinating Hexagon punch for an additional savings of 15%......... such a great deal!  Debby's awesome card starts with a base of Burnt Brown Sugar followed by a layer of Pool Party.  Next comes a layer of Early Espresso that has been embossed with the Honeycomb Embossing Folder.  A banner in Calypso Coral is centered across the card  and to this Debby has centered a beautiful lacey doilies in Pool Party.  The doily was die cut using the Delicate Doilies Sizzlits L* set on page 188.  The hexagons and sentiment were stamped in Early Espresso Ink.  What an awesome card Debby.  Thanks so much!  You're the best. 

Card Forty-Three: This lovely card front was made with a base of Midnight Muse and a layer of Gumball Green card stock.  The sentiment from the Blessings from Heaven stamp set was stamped in Midnight Muse ink.  This beautiful 6-piece set has both friendship and sympathy sentiments included.  The small medallions are from an equally great stamp set called A Round Array.  This 8-piece set coordinates with the 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch and is available in English, Spanish and French. Extra detail was added to this card by scoring it in 1/4" intervals above and below the medallions.  This was a well designed card, but unfortunately because it comes unsigned I'm unable to give thanks for it.

Card Forty-Four: Betsy Crider created this fun card using the You're My Hero stamp set on page 51 of the catalogue. This is a great set for first responders and all the cute little guys in your life.  The card base is in Night of Navy that has a layer of Basic Grey embossed with the Houndstooth Embossing Folder.   I love how Betsy stamped off the police car three times in Basic Gray ink and coloured in the star and flashing light with markers.  For her final image she's added silver mini brads to the tire hubs and a cute basic rhinestone which she's coloured red for the flashing light on top of the police car.  Too cute!  I also love the piece of Cherry Cobbler Chevron ribbon she's added below the stamped images.  This card is as cute inside as it is outside and she's repeated the Police car image with the happy birthday sentiment from this set.  Well done Betsy!

Card Forty- Five:  This beautiful card was designed by my good friend Joni Metras from Charlton MA.  Check out Joni's wonderful blog, Joni In the Spotlight  which has so many great card samples on it, and if you live in the Charlton area you might want to think about making this gal your demo because she's simply terrific!  Tell her I sent you!   For this clean and simple card Joni used a Whisper White card stock base, topped with a layer of Melon Mambo and a coordinating piece of the new Gingham Garden DSP.  She stamped "smile" on the bottom of the DSP base and the Medallion from the "Happy Day" stamp set in Melon Mambo Ink on Natural Ivory card stock.  For the medallion center she used one of the large buttons from the beautiful  Vintage Faceted Designer Series buttons on page 169 of the catalogue, and then she mounted this piece onto Melon Mambo.  Both the Naturals and Melon Mambo pieces were cut out with the Window Frames Collection dies. This set of 6-layering dies offers perfect placement for your layers and can be paired up with the Festive Paper-Piercing Pack to add an additional glam touch, as Joni has done.  Awesome card girlfriend.  Thanks so much for sharing it! 

Well that's it for today's series of Convention Swap Cards.  I hope you've enjoyed them.  Drop by and leave me a comment I'd appreciate it! 

Convention Swap Posts Day Two:

It's Day Two of my posting and here's the next round of swap cards I'd like to share with you starting with card # 12:

Card Twelve:  Here's another beautiful card done with the "Wetlands" stamp set.  This one is by Geri Grinstead of Augusta Georgia.  The colouring of the shore birds is exquisite.  I love Geri's choice of card stock too.  The Cajun Craze and Daffodil Delight are blend beautifully for the background on this card.  And how about those banners? She used the square punch to achieve those perfect points. Geri punched out the oval with the Ovals Collection Framelit Dies.   Thanks Geri for swapping with me, I luv this card!

Card Thirteen:  On Wednesday night we met two nice gals, Jan and Diane from Colorado Springs while we were waiting for our table at the Olive Garden.  I happened to run into them again on Saturday in the lunch area at the convention center and luckily for me was able to exchange a card with Jan Lambert. Isn't this a beauty?  I wish you could see this in real life because the Silver Glimmer Paper and the Dazzling details on the flower just bring it to life.  Jan stamped the flowers from the "Flower Shop" stamp set on page 94 of the catalogue in Daffodil onto Whisper White cardstock. She then stamped a single flower in Cherry Cobbler onto Daffodil Delight cardstock and punched it out with the coordinating Pansy Punch.  The final detail about this card that really makes it, is the fan shaped embossing on the Cherry Cobbler cardstock .  Wow is it every lovely!  This effect was achieved with the Delicate Designs Embossing folders for card edges and the Big Shot, and it's just stunning!  Thanks Jan and hope to run into you and Diane again.

Card Fourteen:  This is another "no name" card so I can't give credit to anyone, but I wanted you to see what a lovely card this is.  Someone went to a lot of work fussy cutting the beautiful shells from the "By The Seashore" stamp set on Crumb Cake and Baked Brown Sugar card stocks for a great monochromatic effect. I also like the way the first layer of cardstock was embossed with the Square Lattice Textured Embossing Folder, as it gives the feeling of sand under the shells.  Nicely done! 

Card Fifteen:  This absolutely stunning card was created by Cheryl Lefore from La Quinta, California.  Cheryl, who won the Stampin' Up! Artisan Award in 2011, does absolutely amazing card work.  Everything is so precisely placed and her colour coordination always impresses me. This card is no exception.  She has used Strawberry Slush and Crisp Cantaloupe card stocks for the card base and first layer and then topped that with a layer of Whisper White card stock that was coloured with the Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder and Strawberry Slush and Crisp Cantaloupe inks. The three perfectly placed pansies on this birthday card are from the 6 piece Flower Shop stamp set and are punched out with the coordinating Pansy Punch.  They look beautiful in Strawberry Slush ink with Crisp Cantaloupe centers that are popped up on dimensionals.  Cheryl added leaf clusters from the Stippled Blossoms stamp set that are stamped in Pistachio Pudding one of the new Incolours.  A Tea Lace Paper Doily was sponged with Crisp Cantaloupe ink and is tucked beneath the flowers and the Whisper White label cut with one of the Labels Collection Framelit dies.  The label has been paper pierced around the edges with the Festive Paper Piercing Pack.  The birthday sentiment from the Remembering Your Birthday stamp set on page 16 of the catalogue is stamped in Crisp Cantaloupe and the You on the small banner is stamped in Strawberry Slush.   Cheryl I`m absolutely thrilled that I was able to meet up with you again at Convention, albeit for a very short visit.  Look forward to seeing you this fall in LaQuinta and taking another of your amazing classes.  See you then!

Card Sixteen:  I was thrilled to get this gorgeous card made by Patti Hargrove in the New Card Swap.  Patti used the Fabulous is What You Are from the Million and One stamp set for the sentiment.  I love how she has added basic rhinestones to the flourishes on the word Fabulous and then mounted the sentiment piece to Island Indigo card stock.  It gives the card a very sophisticated and rich look.  She`s also created an awesome background by repeatedly stamping the large flower image from Betsy`s Blossoms on page 87, in Island Indigo Ink onto Whisper White card stock.  This is a very effective background.  Thanks Patti, I luv your card!

Card Seventeen:  Julie Coyle has created a really fun friendship card using the Cycle Celebration 6 piece stamp set on page 10 of the catalogue to stamp the wonderful antique bicycle and sentiment.  Her base card is Summer Starfruit to which she has added a layer of Raspberry Ripple card stock.  This is topped with a strip of Birthday Basics DSP and Whisper White card stock that has been embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing folder. Julie used a strip of Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon to separate the DSP and Whisper White sections of the card.  Another really cool feature of this card is the little banners or flags stamped with the words "Wheely" and "Sweet Friend".  Julie used markers in Raspberry Ripple and Bermuda Bay to stamp these images.  Finally, she's added a small piece of 1/8" Bermuda Bay Taffeta Ribbon to the little flag pole for extra pizzazz!   Amazing card Julie, I luv it and so do my friends! Thanks for sharing.

Card Eighteen:   I love getting post cards in the mail from exotic places.  This post card was no exception. It has a whole lot of stamping on it and is simply stunning.  The card was created by Susan Timchuck of Wilkes-Barre, PA.  Susan's card base is in Baked Brown Sugar cardstock.  What a yummy color and I love that name!  She stamped the image from the Post Card background stamp onto Very Vanilla Cardstock and then stamped the bicycle image from the Postage Due stamp set over that image.  Susan used Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding and Starfruit markers on this stamp.  She also stamped a portion of the En Francais background stamp onto the post card in Baked Brown Sugar Ink.  Wow that looks fantastic.  Other elements she added were a butterfly punched out with the Elegant Butterfly Punch, the date stamped with the Remember rotary stamp that coordinates with the This and That date products,  and a small paper clip from the Hung Up Cute Clips set.  Thanks so much Susan for such an exciting card!  Well done.

Card Nineteen:  Trisha Sheehan of Mukwonago, WI created this fun birthday card using the Birthday Cake single stamp on page 16 of the catalogue.  This is a great stamp for $10.95.  Susan made a tag from Whisper White card stock and stamped the cake image in Midnight Muse on this piece.  She has a strip of Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine tied in a bow at the top of the tag.  The card base is in Wild Wasabi card stock and the face of the card was embossed with the Chevron Embossing Textures folder.  The sentiment "Carbs, Schmarbs! {Eat the Cake} is from the Yippee Skippee stamp set on page 37.  This was another FREE stamp set we received at convention so it was nice to see a sample of the sentiments on this card.  Thanks Trisha great birthday card!

Card Twenty:  This very pretty Basic Gray, Basic Black and Daffodil Delight card created by  Deb Andrews is such an awesome friend card. Deb has used the Butterfly Collection Wheel in Basic Gray ink on her Basic Gray layer.  A 2 x 3" piece of Whisper White card stock was stamped with the s En Francais background stamp in Basic Gray.  This is topped by a butterfly stamped in Basic Gray on Daffodil Delight with the Papilion Potpourri on page 90, and cut out with the Elegant Butterfly Punch.  The Yellow border strips are made with the Scallop Trim Border punch.   Great card.

I hope you'll leave a comment regarding this cards.  Thanks for visiting!