ICS Blog Hop Technique Time

It is the first Wednesday of the month! We all know what that means. It is time for me to Inspire, Create and Share some fabulous creations using Stampin' Up! products with a bunch of my Stampin' Up! friends!

This month we have a Technique Hop and I am showcasing the Shaker Card technique! We all know I love my shaker cards! If you follow my blog this is my second post today... It is also my second shaker card! What does that tell you?

Justin Krieger is responsible for the shaker card monster I am today.. it is true!! He took the time to show me how to create a shaker via one of our FaceTime chats. When I make a shaker I try to make it the feature of my card. The Merriest Wishes bundle is PERFECT for a shaker. I had seen a card with a similar idea but I knew I wanted to take it to a WHOLE other planet! 

This idea has been festering in my head ALL WEEKEND LONG... and it was a long weekend. First thing is first, I actually die cut the Softly Falling embossed Whisper White panel. The letters J and Y are from the Large Letters Framelits. I set them on the Magnetic Platform with the die from the Merry Tag Framelits set. I got them set just right by using a ruler to make sure that they were level. Once running them through the Big Shot I got down to business. Here is a common mistake when adhering your Window Sheets, don't use glue!! Glue hardens and once it hardens your window panel can separate. We don't want that! I like to use Tear & Tape. I simply run it along the openings/windows of my shaker. This can be tedious!! I then use my bone folder to make sure my Window Sheet is good and stuck! On this card I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to do the shaker bits. Each window had its own shaker area... so in other words there are 3 different shaker elements on this card. Foam Adhesive Strips.... YOU NEED THESE! They are better than foam mounting tape!! They are skinny strips with just the right thickness of foam to give you room to shake away! I usually try to get as close to the edge of all of windows! The Foam Adhesive strips are 2 sided much like a Stampin' Dimensional, so once I had my 3 shaker "wells" done, I started adding my Fancy Frost sequins! I also had some snow like stuff to mix in as well. This sequin mix is where my colors came from! Soft Sky and Sweet Sugar Plum make such a fun color combo for Christmas! I like to use something simple for the background of my shaker! The polka dot pattern from the Subtle DSP stack was spot on so I adhered it to the Foam Adhesive strips. Now that the shaker element was finished I just needed to get my Merry Tag adhered to the front! Isn't that ornament the cutest? I actually heat embossed silver twice to make it look like metal! The card front was adhered to the Soft Sky matte using the foam adhesive strips and then adhered to the Sweet Sugar Plum card base. I added a few sequins and a strand of the metallic thread to finish my card off! PHEW!!!! Are you tired or inspired?? If you have questions feel free to email me or hunt me down on Facebook!

Now for Megan Thompson! She has a spooky technique to show you!

Megan Thompson

ICS Blog Hop Girls Night Out

Hey there and Happy Wednesday evening to you all!! Welcome to this months Inspire, Create, Blog Hop!! If you came by way of Joni and are here for your first time Welcome!

This week we have a really fun theme "Girls Night Out"! I am sure at this point a few of us need one too! It is going to be so much fun to see to what all the ICS Hoppers have come up with! 

Now when I think "Girls Night Out" I was once a very rowdy girl! I used to frequent the local honky-tonks! I loved (actually still do) to dance!!! So I went with a really wild color combo of Melon Mambo, Basic Black and Whisper White! Hope you enjoy, here are the details...

The base of my card started with Melon Mambo Card stock. The Basic Black layer is embossed using the Boho Chic embossing folder. The zebra pattern is from the soon retiring Go Wild DSP Stack. The shaker I created using a Sizzix photo frame die using the heart pattern from the Everyday Chic DSP. I am so sad to see this paper retiring as this is the FIRST time I have been able to play with it! I colored random hearts using my Melon Mambo Stampin' Write marker! The "Cheers" sentiment was heat embossed twice with clear embossing powder! I set this aside and tied a quick little knot using the Melon Mambo cotton ribbon and adhered the shaker to the card. My final touch was the Silver sequin trim!! 

Thank You so much for stopping by! I can't wait for you to see what Jen has made for you! You can get there by clicking next!

Jen Guarino

Inspire Create Share Hop Giving Thanks

Hey there and welcome to another amazing ICS Blog Hop! I am so excited to be hopping this month! If you came my way by the AMAZING Diane Squires welcome! Diane does fabulous work and is a great mentor to any Stampin' Up! Demonstrator who is looking to make it a business! I have been so swamped with kids and my parental duties that are part of having all 3 kids in school! Finally, I am getting back into my creative groove!

This month's hop is "Giving Thanks". To be honest I am kind of Fall Carded out! Somehow though I still ended up with fall colors!

I couldn't wait to use my new Awesomely Artistic and Another Thank You sets that I got during our stamp sale! The card base is Cajun Craze with a lovely fall matte of Always Artichoke. The Very Vanilla I stamped the greenery first with Always Artichoke. The Linen looking stamp was used in Soft Suede. I then used Cajun Craze for the Dragon Fly! The "Thank You" sentiment was stamped with Versamark ink and then heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder. To finish this card off I tied a cute little Gold Metallic Twine at the top!

Thank You All so much for stopping by! I can't for you to see what Deb has made for you!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Deb Naylor

ICS Blog Hop Introducing the Holiday Catalog

Happy Wednesday Evening!! I am hopping tonight with some of my favorite Stampin' Up! Friends and we are going to Inspire, Create, and Share from the NEW Holiday Catalog!! Have you had a chance to look at it?? If not, you are sure missing out!!! Did you not just love Megan's creations? 

I couldn't wait to use my Sparkly Seasons Bundle.... I'll give you the details!

This card started with a standard A2 Base in Old Olive CS. Next was a quick layer of Cherry Cobbler CS. I then used the polka dot pattern DSP from the Merry Moments DSP pack. This paper is also available in a stack in the new Holiday Catalog.  I stamped the snow man using our new Basic Black Archival ink and used Mossy Meadow, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler and Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write Markers to color him. I then used the "Snow" stamp with Smoky Slate ink so you could visualize the snow. Now in the Sparkly seasons bundle you are going to find a circle framelit. This is the die I used to cut out the snowman circle.  I embellished the snow falling and the hill with some dazzling details for some sparkle! Then I layered this on to an Old Olive CS circle using our Circle Framelits. I had some Glimmer Paper scraps and made a quick little boarder using the Red and Dazzling Diamonds to do this. I also used the Red Glimmer paper for the sentiment "Snow" on the top left which is also from the Sparkly Seasons bundle.  I really thought I was done, but felt like it needed a little bit more. The wooden snowflakes were just the ticket...

I really hope you love my creation! I can't wait for you to see what Nichole has next!! Have a great evening!

Nichole Smith

ICS Blog Hop Butterflies Are Free

Hey there hope you all are having a good evening.  It was roasty toasty today with a high 98 degrees and I am off to Softball with the church group tonight I managed to NOT go to the pool today! The middle Tucker, Joshua had his friend over for some lunch... I managed to get some cleaning done and hope to have friends over on the 4th! Before all that, Mr Tucker and I are going out tomorrow night for our 10 Year Anniversary!! 

I am hopping with the ICS crew this evening! I would like to take a minute to thank Deb Naylor for adding me to this great hop! Wasn't Terri's creations completely adorbs?

This months theme is "Butterflies Are Free"! I love Butterflies... I think I have almost everything butterfly that we have offered! 

This great card started with a beautiful base of Tip Top Taupe. I then did a quick layer of Mint Macaron. The Very Vanilla layer is stamped with the Feel Goods stamped set using Versamark Ink and Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder. The small butterfly is from the Butterfly Basics set in the lovely Tip Top Taupe ink. I then took a scrap of the Tip Top Taupe that was embossed using the new Boho Chic embossing folder. I attached the Mint Macaron Dotted lace to the back using Sticky Strip (I still have a stash of it). Next I used Venetian Crochet Trim and Gold Metallic Bakers Twine across the embossed strip.  The butterflies were made using the Butterfly Thinlits in Mint Macaron. The smaller being stamped with Versamark and also heat embossed with the Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder. To finish this card off I used the new In Color Blossom Accents in Mint Macaron and Tip Top Taupe...

I hope you enjoyed my card! There is list of everything used at the bottom of my post!! Thank You all for stopping by! Next is Deb Naylor! She actually is the start of the hop! 

Have a great evening!

Deb Naylor-The Flying Stamper

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