Hawaii Ink Blog Hop

I am a member of Hawaii Ink, a group of about 90 Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. I am so excited to be invited to participate in my first ever blog hop.  We are sharing with you some ideas from the new 2013 - 2014  Catalog.

You have just come from Lisa's blog,  http://lisacurcio.blogspot.com, who is my upline.  Don't worry if you are just starting on the hop because you can complete the hop no matter where you start.

I was so happy to see Swallowtail in the catalog.  It is a large background stamp so the base of my  card measures 5 1/2  by  5 1/2.  I wanted to try the faux cloisonné  technique, you know like the old time jewelry of the same name.  I thought the butterfly would be perfect to stamp on designer paper.  I inked the stamp with Versamark and stamped onto a Calypso Coral piece from Epic Day This and That.  I sprinkled with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder.  I love heating it and watching the  powder magically turn gold. 

 

I cut around the butterfly and adhered it with Stampin' Dimensionals, to Coastal Cabana cardstock. Then I attached the panel to a Bermuda Bay base.   Hopefully the close up pictures give you an idea of how the gold shines.  If you click on any picture you can see them even closer.

Starting Tuesday of next week,  I will be featuring some more of the techniques and designer paper that I have shown you today.  You won't want to miss the last post of the series which will happen sometime the following week.

Next on the hop is my friend Whitney, http://whitney69.blogspot.com, who does amazing work. I was happy to see my blog between the two people who have taught me so much about stamping.  They both provided me with emotional support during a rough time in my life.  Stamping is so much more than a craft, it is friendship as well.

If you get lost on the tour here is a list of all us participating.

Brooke Doerfler http://brookestamps.wordpress.com

Emily Abad   http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/ucdesigns/blog

Jen Timko http://stampinonthefly.com

Jo Anne Waterhouse  http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/getcardedbyjoanne/blog

Lisa Curcio http://lisacurcio.blogspot.com

Sue Gilroy http://www.kilroykrafts.blogspot.com

Whitney Richardson http://whitney69.blogspot.com

 

Scotland 2013

 

Jim and I have just returned from a trip to Scotland.  This is the only picture I am going to put on the blog because they take up too much space.  If you want to see a few more pictures they are on Jim's Facebook page.  The highlight of the trip for me was finding my great great grandparent's grave.  I used the thank you cards I posted previously for the group to put in the tips for our bus driver and tour guide.

Musical Thanks

I needed a thank you card with music on it  and thought the shadow box technique would be a good choice.  The card was to give to our tour guides and bus driver on our trip.  More about the trip soon.

Birthday Peacock

Here is the peacock again used with different colors and for a different occasion.

Happy Father's Day

Yeah, I know it says Happy Birthday because that is the way I used the card.  But I think it would make a nice father's day card too.  My dad did not fish, in fact he didn't eat it either.  When Jim's dad moved to North Carolina he didn't fish but he went out with the guys getting scallops. 

Sunflowers

The first Stampin' Up! stamp that I bought was Serene Sunflower.  It was retired a long time ago but I don't think I will ever get rid of it.  So many girls in the family me included love sunflowers.  I have made so many different cards using this set.

Summer Fun

I love this vintage looking stamp set that I got free during Stampin Up's SAB.  I never had a bike like this one but I sure rode lots of ferris wheels and other kinds of bikes.

X is For.......

This is the card I sent my brother for his birthday.  He is a professional percussionist and mallet work is his specialty.  I saw this on splitcoast awhile ago and thought of him of course.  So I have been saving the idea to do.  Then I made him the card I will post in a few days except changed it to birthday forgetting this idea completely.  But I had to do another music card and found this one again.  So glad I hadn't already sent the fish card.

Graduation Time

May and June is high school graduation time.  Congrats to all the grads including my nephew Jack.

Forever Young

 

I was suppose to be a part of a blog hop which didn't seem to get going in time.  But since I already had my card done I am posting it anyway  I learned how to use my brayer at a class I took from Michele Zindorf so I used one of her cards for inspiration to make this one.  Everything on this card but the black paper and  ink along with the white pen will be retiring soon.  I hate to admit this, I have had this stamp set for awhile and this is the first it has seen ink.

Make New Friends, Keep the Old

Once a year a new Stampin Up! catalog comes out.  When it does we say goodbye to some of our favorites.  But there is no reason to think it can't be used anymore.  I keep just about everything.  The barely banana paper retired three years ago and look how nice it looks with the now retiring regal rose.  The greeting and matching  punch are new.  The punch and stamp set I used on the flower are retiring.

Green Greetings

I saw a card very similar to this one on splitcoast and decide to re-produce it.  I made some changes to the greeting and punches but I kept the green theme.  I think it needs a bow but too late now I am not going to change it.  Adding bows always makes it harder to fit in the envelope anyway.

Get Well Butterflies

It  is amazing what a different color paper on a base does to a card.  The card on the left uses a retired shade of Stampin Up purple while the one on the right uses melon mambo.  The butterflies include those colors along with old olive, turquoise and pumpkin.  It is a nice bright summer card.

Happy Mother's Day

I hope all of my SIL, nieces, and friends have a happy mother's day.  Some of the nieces, I think it is three of them are pregnant.  Two of them will be first time mothers.

May is for Mothers

 

I only make a few mother's day cards so my friends can have some to send to their children.  I try to make most of them generic enough that after they see them I can replace the greeting so that I can use the card for another occasion.  I sure wish I had a mother or MIL to send a card to.  Enjoy your moms while you can.  I am so glad I was able to spend time with my mom before it was too late but we always want more time.

 

 

Bright Butterflies

Although this card has a Mother's Day greeting on it, the greeting could easily be changed to fit many occasions.  I saw a card similar to this one on splitcoast and since I love making butterfly cards decided I need to make one like it.  I think maybe I should have added some ribbon across the top of the lace border.  Maybe next time.

MGM in Las Vegas

We just got back from a short trip to Las Vegas where we got married 36 years ago.  Wow has it changed in those years.  We stayed at the MGM where there is a lion statue in the lobby and outside in front of the hotel as well.  Here is my punch art lion gift tag which was inspired by Jackie Topa, the lioness of punch art.  http://jackietopa.typepad.com/addicted_to_stamping/

Proud Peacock

I wish I would have had this stamp set when one of our nieces got married.  The theme of her wedding was peacocks.  You may remember seeing the peacock wedding invitation frame that Jim made.

Wedding Invitation

As part of wedding gifts that we give,  Jim tries to frame the invitation in some way. This is what we came up with for our most recent family wedding.  If you look at the second picture you will see where we got the inspiration for the card and frame.

Feel Better

Jim recently had a sore throat which turned into a cold.  So that reminded me I had this vintage looking get well card that I need to post.  I used four different stamps sets to make this card.  I hope I don't get sick too.