Creative Circle Design August 2017 Blog Hop - Birthday Blast!

In early July I received an invitation from Liz Holloway to join her amazing design team called the Creative Circle. This small international group of super talented stampers hosts a monthly "themed" blog hop where they featuring Stampin' Up! products.  I was deeply honoured by this invitation and quickly accepted the challenge.   Let me tell you I had butterflies for days!   

And now, I'm very excited to share this news with you and to invite you along on this fantastic blog hop which is entitled "Birthday Bash". The Creative Circle Blog Hop happens monthly on the first Thursday, so make sure to make a note of it in your calendar! 

Here's My Birthday Bash Project: 

I've made two projects to share with you today that I've been anxious to post.  While I was nervous going into this I had a lot of fun deciding what I would be making and which Stampin' Up! products I would be show casing. Both of my projects feature products from the "Color Theory Suite".

Project One:   Happy Birthday Z-Fold Card

I never get tired of Balloons, and today's project promises to have lots of them!  When I think of fun interactive cards the "Z-Fold" immediately comes to mind.  I originally made this card back in August 2016 for the Watercooler Wednesday challenge and you can see that card plus all the instructions by clicking here.

This card is made with a base of Dapper Denim card stock, Whisper White panels and the coordinating Dapper Denim Color Theory Designer Series Paper from the stack of the same name.   I loved this paper stack with it's paint chip colour variation on one side and wood grain paint crackle on the other.

The center balloons bobble around for a fun effect on pieces of acetate window sheet that I cut from the Color Theory Memories and More Card Pack.  How handy was that, I didn't have to go searching for any. 

Here you can see one of the acetate window sheets I used on the center of the card.  It says "happy", and I certainly was with the way this card turned out.  What fun!  There was a striped card in the Color Theory card pack that featured all the coordinating colors so I couldn't resist making a little banner from it using a retired die cut from the Celebrate Today Dies set. 

Supplies:
Stamp Sets:  One Wild Ride, Boys Will be Boys (happy birthday sentiment) (R)
Card Stock:  Berry Burst, Crushed Curry, Dapper Denim, Old Olive and Whisper White and Color Theory Designer Series Paper Pack
Inks:   Berry Burst, Crushed Curry, Dapper Denim, Old Olive, Crushed Curry Embossing Powder and Versa Mark Ink
Punches and Dies:  Bunch of Banners Dies, Small Star, Celebrate Today (R)
Other:  Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Mini Glue Dots, Tom Bow Glue, Gold Enamel Stars, White Gel Pen, Basic Rhinestones

In case you're wondering the back of this Z fold card has a Whisper White Panel for adding additional sentiments and writing space. 

Project Two: Perpetual Calendar Birthday Bash Book
Family and friends birthdays are so important to me, yet I must admit in this busy world, I'm sometimes apt to be late in getting out a card. So, for my second project I decided to design something I've been thinking about for some time, a Perpetual Calendar. It features a page for each month that I can record all those special dates for friends and family members. 

When I began this project I was planning on making something small, so  I purchased a chip board base from a big box store that measured 4" x 6".  However, during the process, different ideas evolved based on the template I used for the Perpetual Calendar, and so the finished project now measures 11 1/4" x 4 14".  Some of the pictures of the individual pages may be small because of this, and I apologize.  

I had to paint each of the six chip board panels with a mixture of Gesso and White Acrylic paint prior to embarking on this adventure.  I also had to use one of the panels as a template so I could enlarge and cut out panels for the cover and back pages of this calendar.  

Cover Supplies:
Stamp Set: Happy Birthday Gorgeous
Card Stock and Paper: Berry Burst, Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Whisper White and Dapper Denim card stock, Color Theory Card Stock Pack and Color Theory Designer Series Paper, 1 piece of Dapper Denim DSP from Eastern Palace Specialty DSP pack, 
Inks: Berry Burst, Old Olive, Crushed Curry and Dapper Denim
Dies and Punches: Happy Birthday Thinlets, Seasonal Layers, Stitched Shapes, Balloon Bouquet Punch, Celebrate Birthdays (R)
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Embossing Paste, Pattern Party Decorative Mask - Clouds, Palette Knives, Basic Rhinestones, Dimensionals, Tom Bow Adhesive and Tear N' Tape

Pages:
I printed out a template from a Pinterest site for the Perpetual Calendar.  My printer does not do card stock well, so my first hurdle was realizing I had to print it out on photo copy paper so they weren't very sturdy.  To remedy this I mounted each of the months on card stock.

 
I have grouped the months in twos so the calendars are mounted back to back on one chip board panel. They were mounted on card stock. I added a 4" by 4" holder at the bottom of these pages to hold the perpetual calendar page. it was mounted on three sides with Foam Adhesive Strips.The whole book is held together with binding rings and I have tied several ribbons in coordinating colours around them.
  
January:

The Color Theory Pack includes 52 double-sided 3" x 4"  cards, 2 each of 26 designs; 20 double-sided 4" x 6" cards, 2 each of 10 designs; 2 card stock sticker sheets; 4 printed acetate cards, 1 each 4" x 6"  and 3 each 3" x 4".  I used these pieces to assemble the decorations on each of the calendar pages. 

Here you can see the holder for the Perpetual Calendar Page.  I used a 1 3/4" punch to put a slot in the front so the calendars could be removed easily.  In future I will also house my mailing labels in these holders.

Note:  I found that when I opened and closed the Perpetual Calendar that the pages seemed to move around or fall out, so when I added the decorations at the top of the page I measured them carefully so that the bottom half of each design would slightly overlap the calendar and hold it in place.

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Badges and Banner Badges and Banners #141610, Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662 
Card Stock: Dapper Denim, Whisper White
Ink: Dapper Denim
Punches/Dies: Stitched Shapes (Squares) #145372, Seasonal Layers #143751
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones

February:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Badges and Banner Badges and Banners #141610, Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662 and Colourful Seasons #143726. 
Card Stock: Dapper Denim, Whisper White
Ink: Dapper Denim
Punches/Dies: Stitched Shapes (Ovals) #145372, Balloon Bouquet #140609 and Best Badge Punches #140633
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones 
 

March:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Butterfly Basics #137154
Card Stock: Berry Burst, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede
Ink: Berry Burst 
Punches/Dies: Stitched Shapes (Circles) #145372, Seasonal Layers Thinlet Dies #143751
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips

April:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662, Lift Me Up #14289
Card Stock: Berry Burst, Crushed Curry and Whisper White
Ink: Berry Burst
Punches/Dies: Stitched Shapes (Squares) #145372, Balloon Bouquet #140609
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Pearls, Sponge Dauber

May:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Colourful Seasons #143726
Card Stock: Berry Burst, Crushed CurryI
Ink: Berry Burst
Punches/Dies: Happy Birthday Thinlets Die #143700, Seasonal Layers Thinlets #143751
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones , Sponge Dauber
 
June:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662, Good Guy Greetings #137178
Card Stock: Berry Burst, Crushed Curry and Soft Suede
Ink: Soft Suede and Crushed Curry
Punches/Dies: Happy Birthday Thinlets Die #143700, Seasonal Layers Thinlets #143751
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Sponge Dauber

July:

 

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662
Card Stock: Old Olive, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Ink: Berry Burst
Punches/Dies: Itty Bitty Punch Pack Star (R), Balloon Bouquet Punch #140609, Stitches Shapes (Circles) #145372
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones , Sponge Dauber

August:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662, Balloon Celebrations (R)
Card Stock: Old Olive, Soft Suede, Whisper White 
Ink: Old Olive, Soft Suede
Punches/Dies: Seasonal Layers Thinlets #143751Balloon Bouquet Punch #140609, Stitches Shapes (Circles) #145372
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones , Sponge Dauber

September:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Number of Years #140653
Card Stock: Old Olive, Soft Suede, Whisper White and Crushed Curry
Ink: Soft Suede 
Punches/Dies: Stitches Shapes (Circles) #145372, Seasonal Layers #143751
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Sponge Dauber

October:

 

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662Card Stock: Old Olive, Soft Suede, Whisper White and Crushed Curry
Ink: Soft Suede 
Punches/Dies: Stitches Shapes (Circles) #145372, Balloon Bouquet #140609
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Sponge Dauber
 
November:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662Card Stock: Dapper Denim, Whisper White 
Ink: Dapper Denim
Punches/Dies: Stitches Shapes (Circles) #145372, Seasonal Layers #143751, Balloon Bouquet #140609, and Happy Birthday Thinlets #143700
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones Sponge Dauber

December:

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s): Date It(R), Carols of Christmas (NEW) #144804, Happy Birthday Gorgeous #143662
Card Stock: Dapper Denim, Whisper White 
Ink: Dapper Denim
Punches/Dies: 1/2" Circle Punch, Card Front Builder Punch (NEW), #144674
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Tear N' Tape, Foam Adhesive Strips, Basic Rhinestones Sponge Dauber,Wink of Stella.

Whew that was sure a long post.  I hope I didn't lose you along the way.  Now on to the next stop on our Creative Circle Tour.  You'll be visiting Liz Holloway who has an incredible project for you. 

Happy Stamping!

Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot

Watercooler Wednesday #WWC130 - Gail's Feminine "Anything Goes " Challenge

I don't know about your part of the country but where I live it's hot, hot, hot, and as we begin the month of August the long range forecast looks like more hot weather to come.  

Now I'm not complaining because in the Spring it seemed like it would never stop raining, but now a large portion of our Province (BC) is under extreme fire alert and evacuations so it's a scary time for many folks living here.  Today the sun is hidden in a smokey haze, so picture taking outside is not great. 

I have a lot of friends and family on my August birthday card list, so Gail's Feminine "Anything Goes" challenge will come in handy.  

Are you interested in playing along with us?  It's easy and fun.  Take the challenge, just make a card or project and link it to the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge site. This challenge is open from now until Monday August 7th, so there's plenty of time to post a card or project.  All the rules and how to's are on the side bar on the Watercooler Wednesday Home Page.

Here's My Card:

For this week's challenge I wanted to make an ultra feminine birthday card for my friend Lynda, and I wanted to try a drapery fold.  I looked on Pinterest for a template and found a post by Angie Leach of Too Cool Stampin, who made this drapery fold card back in 2016.  I loved the way the pleats showed just a hint of the background paper, and looked so soft and feminine. I used Angie's measurements for the drapery fold on my card but I've tweaked the rest of the card to make it my own. 

Supplies: 
Stamp Set: Beautiful Bouquet
Card Stock: Whisper White, Powder Pink, Silver Glimmer Paper
Ink: Sweet Sugar Plum, Powder Pink
Accessories: Big Shot, Paper Trimmer, Bouquet Bunch and Stitched Shapes Ovals Thinlet Dies, Mini Glue Dots, Tom Bow Glue, Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestones.

Details - 7 Steps:
1.  Card Base:  Cut the card base from Whisper White card stock to measure 8 1/2" x 5 1/2". Score at 4 1/4" and fold.
2.  First Layer:  Cut a piece of Powder Pink to measure 3 7/8" x 5 1/8". Adhere to card base with Dimensionals.
3.  Second Layer:  Cut a piece of Whisper White to measure 3 3/4" x 5".  Adhere to first layer with Tom Bow glue.
4.  Drapery Fold:  

• Cut a piece of designer series double sided paper to measure 8 3/4" x 3 1/2".  
• Decide which pattern you want on the outside before you score at 1 1/4", 1 3/4", 2 3/4", 3 1/4", 4 1/4", 4 3/4", 5 3/4", 6 1/4", 7 1/4", 7 3/4".
• Place the bottom of the 1 1/4" score line on the cutting line and the opposite top edge of the paper at the 1/2" point on your trimmer.  Cut a straight diagonal line between the two points.
• Alternately fold front and back on score lines to create the pleats.  Crease the pleats with a bone folder to get a sharp edge.  Tip rather than using Tear N' Tape or Tom Bow glue, I affixed Mini Glue Dots between the pleats to hold the pleats in place.  Put a strip of Tear N' Tape along the back top edge and adhere to the second layer.  I lined up the bottom of the longest pleat on the side and bottom of this layer and then firmly adhered this layer.  
• Cut a 1/4" x 3 3/4" piece of Powder Pink card stock and adhere this to the top edge of the Drapery folds.  Note:  You may have to use mini glue dots on the edge with the longest pleat.  

 

5. Sentiment:  Stamp the "Happy Birthday" sentiment from the Beautiful Bouquet stamp set on a scrap of Whisper White with Sweet Sugar Plum ink.  Stamp off the small floral image stamp in Powder Pink ink over the oval.  Cut out the stamped sentiment with the 2nd oval from the Stitched Shapes Oval Thinlets.  Using the next size of Oval cut out a Powder Pink one and attach it with Dimensionals in the center top of the card overlapping the drapery.  Adhere the sentiment oval with Dimensionals to the Powder Pink one.  

6. Card Front Details: To finish the card front, die cut a small flower in Powder Pink and a Glimmer Paper Silver leaf using the Bouquet Bunch thinlets.  Adhere to the bottom corner of the card and add Basic Rhinestones to the flower centers.

7.  The inside of the card has a 4" x 5 1/4" panel of Powder Pink.  I added a cluster of Whisper White flowers and Silver Glimmer leaves in the bottom right corner.   I chose not to add a sentiment  to the inside as I want to personalize this card for one of my girl friends.  

Sometimes it feels like I have more difficulty making a feminine card than a masculine one, and it becomes a real challenge for me. But, the stamping gods were with me today, because this card came together beautifully and I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.  All in all a pretty easy card that has a lot of WOW factor and a design that I know I'll be making again. 

Thanks for dropping by today.  If you haven't already visited the other Watercooler Wednesday Design Team members to check out their fabulous projects you can do so by clicking here.  Have fun and if you're so inclined I'd love to hear what you think of this card.  Have you made a Drapery Fold and if so was it easy?  Leave me a comment, I love having feed back, especially when I try something new.   

Happy Stamping
Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot

BONUS DAY COUPONS - AUGUST REDEMPTION

Did you place an order with me during the month of July?  If so now's the time to cash in your coupon(s).  That's right, from August 1st through 31st, you can redeem your Bonus Day Coupons when you place an order with me.  You should have received an email directly from Stampin' Up! with your special coupon code(s).

It's easy, just click here to see how to redeem your coupons.  If you have any additional questions just contact me directly.  

Bonus Days coupon codes can be redeemed for any product, excluding Starter Kits, Demonstrator Supply Items, and Paper Pumpkin subscriptions.   If you're thinking of subscribing to Paper Pumpkin, new prepaid subscription codes can be discounted with Bonus Days coupons. 
Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens Stampin Spot!

Early Release - Carols of Christmas Bundle

 

During the month of August, you will have early access to one of Stampin' Up!s top-trending bundles from the upcoming Holiday Catalog! Plus, this special early release comes during our Bonus Days promotion and if you have coupons you can use them.  Check out this flyer with all the details on Carols of Christmas in August!  WOW that's exciting news!

Here's Brandi from Stampin' Up!s home office to show you just how special this stamp set and die bundle really are. 

Remember this card from the Watercooler Wednesday challenge this past week.  Well it is just one of many cards that I'll be sharing with you over the coming weeks.  

WWC129 Watercooler Wednesday Challenge

Happy Stamping!

Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot