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I'm at a crafting retreat this weekend.  Wahoo!!  I brought some project kits bought that I never took the time to put together.  So far, one kit is done.  Just got done making a card and now doing this post.  There are three other projects to hopefully complete.  I also saw a new way of blending colors using brushes.  I bought the brushes and anxious to see how it goes together.  That will be for tomorrow.  

Lovely Lipstick. Talk about pink.  Love it as a cardstock color, not as a lipstick.  That would scare me.

I guess you could say this card is one of panels.  The bottom panel is from an In-Color DSP pack.  Unfortunately, this particular pattern has been retired, but there is another pack that is current.  It's the same colors, just diffrerent patterns.  

When making these cards,  I actually ran out of the patterned paper.  Seriously, I only needed 3 cards!  So, I substituted an embossed piece of cardstock instead.  Take a look at the two.  For the embossed cardstock, I used the Hammered Metal embossing folder.  Which would you prefer?  

For the tulips, they are stamped in Memento Black and colored with Granny Apple Green light Stampin' Blend and Lovely Lipstick Dark Stampin' Blend.  What's nice about just coloring with the Stampin' Blends is that they don't show any lines where the color is overlapping.  Those lines drive me crazy!!  I like a nice smooth finish.  

The Happy Birthday is from the Sending You Thoughts Stamp Set.  It was a FREE set from the SAB catalog with a $50 order.  Who doesn't love a free stamp set?  Not me!

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

Winds Of Change Cling Stamp Set	Sending You Thoughts Cling Stamp Set (English)	Lovely Lipstick 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	In Color 2018–2020 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Lovely Lipstick Classic Stampin' Pad	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Lovely Lipstick Dark Stampin' Blends Marker	Granny Apple Green Light Stampin' Blends Marker
Stitched Rectangle Dies	Hammered Metal 3D Embossing Folder	Lovely Lipstick 1/8" (3.2 Mm) Grosgrain Ribbon	Stampin' Dimensionals

Hope you haven't forgotten about the SAB Coordination Product Release that starts February 4th.  

For five stamp sets that are currently in the SAB catalog, there will be dies available for purchase.  SWEET!  I can't wait for the birthday cake dies!  Sure beats fussy cutting the cake and flowers.

There is one pack of paper that is also included.  It's the Pleased As Punch DSP.  It actually coordinates with three different products.  Talk about a great buy for your money.  They are: 

• Small Blooms Punch (SAB)
• Heart Punch Pack (Spring Mini Catalog)
• Builder Umbrella Punch (Spring Mini Catalog)

The colors in the pack are:

• Balmy Blue
• Basic Gray
• Blushing Bride
• Calypso Coral
• Coastal Cabana
• Crushed Curry
• Daffodil Delight
• Granny Apple Green
• Highland Heather
• Night of Navy
• Old Olive
• Petal Pink
• Pool Party
• Whisper White

I don't think I've seen a pack of paper that has included that many colors.  It will be a fabulous buy. 

All the products are while supplies last, so don't wait if you really want something.  Previously, these products have sold out pretty quickly, so don't wait.  My order is going in tonight so I will definately have time to play with it before club comes around.  

Let me know if you have any quesstions!

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

I wish I could say no to people.  The person in the floral department at work was overloaded and asked me to help.  YIKES!  Guess I shouldn't have mentioned that I used to help my great-aunt in the floral shop where she worked.  But that was 30+ years ago!  Asking for trouble it what I thought.  So, I helped take some cut flowers and arrange them in a vase.  They didn't turn out too bad.  My bow around the vase even looked good.  I have a feeling she will be asking for more help with Valentine's day coming.  

Unfortunately, I needed a sympathy card today.  I went on Pinterest for inspiration and married two cards together.  

Recognize this leaf image?  It's been a while since I used Rooted in Nature.  It's hard to remember some of the older stamp sets with all the new ones that keep coming out.  

Look at the background the leaf is stamped on.  I took the trunk image by stamping off in Soft Sea Foam.  Cut out the square with Stitched Shapes dies.  Then, stamp the leaf on the trunk image. I love the look!  It was like making my own DSP.  The key was to stamp off.  When I stamped using Soft Sea Foam, it was way too dark.  Shocked me! It alwasy seemed such a light color.   The stamping off gave the perfect shade I wanted.  

The leaves were stamped in Mossy Meadow.  The sentiment was also.  It is from a retired stamp set I found in my stash.  I wanted just a single row of words and this was perfect.  Sorry.  I try very hard not to use retired products, but in this case, I didn't have anything else that fit the occasion.

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

Rooted In Nature Clear-Mount Bundle	Soft Sea Foam 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Soft Sea Foam Classic Stampin' Pad
Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad	Stitched Shapes Dies	Very Vanilla 3/8" (1 Cm) Scalloped Lace Trim	Stampin' Dimensionals

The new Occassions Mini Catalog has been live for almost 4 weeks now.  Where has that time gone?  Can you guess what the top 5 selling products are?

Peaceful Poppies Suite Bundle (English)

Honey Bee Bundle

Painted Poppies Bundle

Heartfelt Bundle (English)

So Sentimental Bundle (English)

We can't forget about SAB!  Here are the best selling SAB products.  

Golden Honey Specialty Designer Series Paper

Lily Impressions Designer Series Paper

Isn't it just crazy?  Would you have guessed any of these would be the best sellers?  Not me!  Anything with the honey bees I actaully expected to see on this list.  I've seen soo many of them on the internet.  They are super cute and tempt me so very much.  I'm ashamed to say that I don't own any one of these products.  

What surprised me was this stamp set wasn't on the list.  People seem to be loving it, but who knows how far down the list it was.  We might never know.

For the base I sponged Pool Party and Crumb Cake.  I inked my sponges, started right off the paper and sponged back and forth.  By starting off the paper, you don't get that initial sponge imprint that we all hate.  Just keep adding more ink and sponging until you get the darkness that you like.  It is super easy to do. 

The meerkats and cactus are colored with watercolor pencils and blender pens.  I'm sure you've noticed I've been using them quite a bit lately.  But the stamps are so beautiful when they are colored, I can't help myself!  

The ribbon is actually retired.  Sorry about that, but it was in Pool Party and looked pretty perfect.  I liked hiding the line where the two base colors came together.  See what ribbon you have and use it.  Or leave it off.  

Don't look at the meerkats for this sentiment.  It's from the Itty Bitty Birthday Stamp Set. When in doubt, resort to that set.  

Click on the picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper 

Product List

The Gang's All Meer Cling Stamp Set (English)	Itty Bitty Birthdays Cling Stamp Set	Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad	Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Watercolor Pencils	Blender Pens
Layering Circles Dies	Stamping Sponges	Paper Snips	Stampin' Dimensionals

It seemed like Megan's . Christmas break was never going to end.  But today it did.  She had to return to LaCrosse and classes start tomorrow.  She and her roommate were up at the same time.  I was kind of glad they were following each other because she had a really bad headache.  I even went to Kwik Trip to get a soda for her.  That's my secret for a bad headache.  Soda sometimes is better than Advil.  I'm not a soda drinker at all, but when the headache is severe enough, I crave one.  

I was very thankful she got back to school with no problems.  

I've had this cow image stamped for quite some time, but never completed a card with it.  I figured I better use her before she retires.

The circle of flowers does look scary, but it's not too bad.  First stamp the cow in the center.  Then with a pencil, lightly draw a circle with the cow in the middle.  Stamp the flowers around the circle.  I would start with the top and bottom.  Then the left and right sides.  Finally, center a set between the stamped images.  Erase the pencil mark at the end.  

The cow is colored with watercolor pencils and blender pens.  She was super easy to color.  

The sentiment is from Happy Birthday to You set.  It's FREE from the SAB catalog.  I stamped it with Versamark and embossed with the white embossing powder.  It fit perfectly in the space, like it was meant to be.  

The ribbon just added another feminine touch.  There was just enough sparkle for the cow.  

Click on picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

Over The Moon Cling Stamp Set	Happy Birthday To You Cling Stamp Set (English)	Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Watercolor Pencils	Blender Pens	White Stampin' Emboss Powder	Versamark Pad
Heat Tool (Us And Canada)	Black 5/8" (1.6 Cm) Glittered Organdy Ribbon	Shimmery Crystal Effects

My husband left yesterday for Dallas.  He has to work a show down there for work.  He was complaining it was cold and wet.  Guess it was raining.  My response...Would you prefer cold and snow?  Hmmmm.  He must have re-thought his text because he didn't reply back.  He gets back tomorrow, possibly to even more snow.  

Here comes my love of tulips again.  This time they are in Real Red.  LOVE THEM!  They came out great.  Who wouldn't love a Real Red tulip?  Not me. 

We made this card in club last week.  There was a lot of coloring going on here.  So, I offered other options for the tulips.  I thought Lovely Lipstick would be beautiful!  A nice hot pink tulip.  Two club people went with my other option...Rich Razzleberry.  I am so mad at myself for not taking a picture of their card.  Their cards did look great too! 

So, the tulips and grass are colored with the Stampin' Blends.  The windmill and sky are colored using watercolor pencils.  Never had I blended both mediums in one card, but they look good together.   

Did you notice there is another peice of Granny Apple Green on the front?  Just for some detail, I ripped the edges off the left side and the top.  Then, with my finger, I roughed up the edges so they weren't just laying flay, but somewhat curled up.  In the card recipe, I share the dimensions of the ripped piece and also the dimensions if you didn't want the ripped edges.

The sentiment is actually one long saying.  Stamp it on a scrap Whisper White that's 1/2 inch in depth and cut the ends and in between the words.  Add with mini dimensionals and it looks great against the sky.  

Next time I'm going to use Lovely Lipstick!

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

Winds Of Change Cling Stamp Set	Granny Apple Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Stamparatus
Real Red Dark Stampin' Blends	Real Red Light Stampin' Blends	Real Red Combo Pack Stampin' Blends	Granny Apple Green Light Stampin' Blends Marker	Old Olive Light Stampin' Blends Marker
Watercolor Pencils	Blender Pens	Paper Snips	Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

I was challenged to CASE a project fromo the SAB catalog.  Are you aware what CASE means?  Copy And Share Everything.  So, copy a project from the catalog and even put your own twist on it.

Challenge Accepted.

Unfortunately, I don't own every stamp set in the SAB catalog.  I have The Gang's All Meer and Happy Birthday to You.  Guess which one I chose?

No surprised are you?  Those meerkats won out.  At least the stamp set did.  Here is my card.

My card is colored with the watercolor pencils and blender pens.  I so wish my card would look as perfect as SU's!  So not fair.

It's a rather subdude color scheme.  The Calypso Coral really does give the card a nice little pop of color.  The card needed it.  

I've never been to the desert, but I always imagined the ground to be cracking with the heat and no moisture.  The Hammered Metal embossing folder is exactly what I have imaged.   I had to use it with the cacti.  Just sort of fit.

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

The Gang's All Meer Cling Stamp Set (English)	Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Sahara Sand 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Calypso Coral 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Versamark Pad	White Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool (Us And Canada)	Watercolor Pencils
Blender Pens	Stitched Nested Labels Dies	Hammered Metal 3D Embossing Folder	Stampin' Dimensionals	Linen Thread

Have you noticed the Power of Hope Bundle you can get FREE with a $100 purchase?  A new stamp set AND embossing folder!

This stamp set would be a challenge for me since it's not typically my style.  But, I do love the embossing folder!  It looks like crackled paper.  Wish I could get my hands on that!

Even though I'm not planning on purchasing this bundle, doesn't mean that I don't like using it.  At my demo meeting, someone had a card for the Make 'n Take with this bundle.  Yay!  I got to use the embossing folder!

My first thought was how was the design on the left side done?  It's the tree stamped several times.  Awesome idea!  I don't think I would have thought of that!  We sponged on the Crumb Cake to help bring out the detail of the embossing folder. 

If you need ideas for this stamp set, as always, go to Pinterest.  I'm sure there will be tons of idea.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper