Thoughtful Branches {artful inspiration}

Like everyone else, I love all things Pinterest. I find so much inspiration on that site! For today's card, I did a search for "tree art" on there. I knew I wanted to use the tree die cut from the Thoughtful Branches bundle. (Only available until August 31, unless supplies run out before then) This is what I found today. I'm linking the original site to make sure I give the artist proper credit.

When I am going to use a painting for my inspiration, I'm always keeping in mind the stamp images I own and how I might possibly recreate or at least suggest the brush strokes of the original painting. For this project, I knew I could use the leaf canopy stamp from this set. 

I think it worked out well for a simple, yet striking card. The colorful portion of this card started out as Whisper White cardstock and measures 2.25 x 5.5 inches. 

Supply List:

The Thoughtful Branches bundle is only available until August 31, but if they run out before that day gets here, it will be too late to purchase it.  I have done several different samples with this bundle. Click here to see them. 

I would appreciate it more than you know, if you ordered anything you need from my online store available by clicking on the link above. If you haven't signed up for my blog updates, please do so now. I will be sending a message just before September 1 with reminders about the new holiday catalog. 

Want to earn free shipping during the month of August?? Simply place an order online with me using the hostess code above right for at least $50 before tax & shipping. (This is my promotion, not a Stampin' Up! promotion) Just after September 1, I will either mail you check or refund the shipping cost to your paypal account. Your choice. Be sure and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator. If you do that, I will not be able to see your contact information to reimburse you. 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Thoughtful Branches & More {Bite Me}

Kids, kids, kids...my brain is on overdrive at the moment. There are days that I just wake up with crazy ways/ideas to use my different stamps, dies & punches I own. This is the case many times. However, there is another way I get my creative juices flowing. All products Stampin' Up!

I wanted to make a vampire face this morning. The first thing I did was to google vampire clip art. After browsing through the clip art, I started seeing pieces & parts of the face that I had dies for. I thought an Old Olive pumpkin-y look might be fun, so this card is the result of those ideas and my internet browsing. 

The base of the pumpkin is from the Thoughtful Branches bundle, it is the leaf canopy. The stem is also from that die set. The eyes are from the new Christmas Pines bundle. It is a bow turned upside down! The fangs and nose are a trimmed down flag banner that is in the Balloon Framelits dies. I colored the hair with a Stampin' Up! Basic Black marker. 

The Thoughtful Branches bundle is only available until August 31, but if they run out before that day gets here, it will be too late anyway. I have done several different samples with that set. Click here to see them. 

The Christmas Pines bundle will be available September 1st from the new holiday catalog. 

The Balloon Framelits dies are available right now. 

Just remember that the Thoughtful Branches bundle is available until August 31 and you will be able to order the Christmas Pines bundle on September 1. The Balloon Framelits dies are available right now. I would appreciate it more than you know, if you ordered anything you need from my online store available by clicking on the link below. If you haven't signed up for my blog updates, please do so now. I will be sending a message just before September 1 with reminders about the new holiday catalog. 

I want to be your Stampin' Up! demonstrator, creative coach and inspiration. Want to earn free shipping during the month of August?? Simply place an order online with me using the hostess code above right for at least $50 before tax & shipping. (This is my promotion, not a Stampin' Up! promotion) Just after September 1, I will either mail you check or refund the shipping cost to your paypal account. Your choice. Be sure and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator. If you do that, I will not be able to see your contact information to reimburse you. 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Thoughtful Branches {Pineapple}

I'm having a blast with the limited time bundle from Stampin' Up! called Thoughtful Branches. It has really gotten me thinking outside box for some reason. It has such a great selection of stamp images and die shapes.

I woke up this morning with the idea of a somewhat stylized pineapple shape using the leaf canopy from the dies. I think it worked!

The top of the pineapple was made using one of the leaf dies from Botanical Builder Framelits. The "enjoy" came from the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits. I added Clear Wink of Stella to the word to make it sparkle a bit. I did a very light watercolor wash behind the pineapple with Bermuda Bay ink. The body of the pineapple is 2 of the leaf canopies. I glued them going opposite directions, so the base layer would show through. I stamped the yellowish layer with Soft Suede using the speckle stamp from Gorgeous Grunge. All in all, a very simple process! If you love the Thoughtful Branches bundle as much as I do, please do not delay in making your purchase. These will only be available through August 31 or until they are gone. See info below for how to get free shipping when you order it from me. 

I want to be your Stampin' Up! demonstrator, creative coach and inspiration. Want to earn free shipping this month?? Simply place an order online with me using the hostess code above right for at least $50 before tax & shipping. (This is my promotion, not a Stampin' Up! promotion) Just after September 1, I will either mail you check or refund the shipping cost to your paypal account. Your choice. Be sure and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator. If you do that, I will not be able to see your contact information. 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Thoughtful Branches {Gypsy Wagon}

If you didn't happen to see my blog post yesterday, click here to see how I used the leaf canopy die from the limited time Thoughtful Branches bundle to make a very fall looking pumpkin. In an effort to continue to think outside the box with this amazing die/stamp combo, my first thought was a Cinderella coach made with the pumpkin idea. However, every since I saw an actual gypsy caravan a few years ago, I am completely enamored with the beautiful colors and artwork on the wagons. There were 3 of them in a line going down the side of the highway in front of the office I used to work at. So...one thing lead to another. The Cinderalla coach idea transformed in to making what I hope looks like a little gypsy wagon. 

I have used various stamps and dies to make this project. Everything is Stampin' Up! except for the tiny bead I used for the door handle. In addition to the Thoughtful Branches bundle, I used dies from Swirly Scribbles thinlits for the wheels. Dies from the lovely Umbrella Weather framelits  were used for other various pieces of the wagon. Can you pick them out? I used a small die from the Layering Ovals Framelits to cut the door. I also embossed the door with the Woodgrain textured embossing folder. I had a blast making this project and I hope you have enjoyed it! If you love the Thoughtful Branches bundle as much as I do, please do not delay in making your purchase. These will only be available through August 31 or until they are gone. See info below for how to get free shipping when you order it from me. 

I want to be your Stampin' Up! demonstrator, creative coach and inspiration. Want to earn free shipping this month?? Simply place an order online with me using the hostess code above right for at least $50 before tax & shipping. (This is my promotion, not a Stampin' Up! promotion) Just after September 1, I will either mail you check or refund the shipping cost to your paypal account. Your choice. Be sure and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator. If you do that, I will not be able to see your contact information. 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Pals August 2016 Blog Hop: Cut It Out

Welcome to the Pals Blog Hop for August 2016.  We are thankful you stopped by to take a look at our new 2016 Blog Hop monthly themes.  This month we are featuring projects using our favorite Stampin’ Up! cutting tools. There are so many wonderful punches, framelits and edgelits available that help make papercrafting more detailed and fun! We hope to provide you with lots of ideas and that you enjoy our creations.

You may just be starting the Blog Hop or may have come from the previous link from the Line-up on the Pals Blog Hop listing shown below.  The full lineup will help you move along from blog to blog so you may see all the projects.

I'm including 2 projects, both using a central design element from the Stampin' Up! Thoughtful Branches bundle. The leaf canopy die cut turned upside down makes a wonderful pumpkin! I know it is a bit early to think about fall, but I couldn't resist. 


**Edited on 9/6/16**  Many of you have asked specifics regarding stamps used for the background of my pumpkin card. Due to lack of time (long work hours at my day job and some last minute stamping the night before the blog hop), I had failed to list them in the original post. I apologize. All products are Stampin' Up!

The somewhat grungey look at the corners was achieved using the splatter stamp from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and the kind of splatter-y stamp from Touches of Texture. I used Pumpkin Pie & Early Espresso inks for the splatters. The leafy vine is one of the stamps from Thoughts & Prayers and I used Old Olive ink. The Gorgeous Grunge splatter stamp was used on the pumpkin to give it some added interest and on the banner with the word Friend stamped on it. 

Doesn't Bermuda Bay make a wonderful summer time color? So cool and refreshing. 

Thanks for visiting. To continue with the hop, please refer to the Blog Hop Line-up below. We hope to see you on next month’s Pals Blog Hop! 

1. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
2. Rae Harper Burnet at Wild West Paper Arts
3. Wendy Klein at Doggone Delightful Stampin'
4. Jeanie Stark at Just Stampin'
5. Kim Jolley at Stampin' Artfully
6. Michelle Gleeson at StampinMojo
7. Pamela Sadler at Stampin Pink Rose
8. Jennifer Michalski at Stamping Serenity
9. Patti MacLeith at Papercrafts by Patti
10. Lynn Tague at Beyond Beaches & Blessings
11. Brian King at Stamp with Brian
12. Amy Hoptay at Craft Carnivore
13. Debra Simonis at Deb's Stampin' Grounds
14. Jackie Diediker at Stampin Jackie
15. Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
16. Karen Zaring Browning at Stamp With Me KZB
17. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
18. Katy McGloin at Just Fun Stamping
19. Pam Dotts at Clearly Southern Stampin'
20. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin'
21. Debbie Mageed at Secret Stamper
22. Becky Volpp at Inkblossomwithbecky
23. Peggy Noe at Pretty Paper Cards
24. Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine

Do you have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator? If not, I would love to be your source for these amazing products and hopefully give you a good dose of inspiration from time to time. This is not just a hobby for me, it is a passion! 

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Penned & Painted

There are several reasons why I love the Penned & Painted stamp set that made its first appearance in the latest annual catalog from Stampin' Up! One of the main reasons is that even though it is a two step stamping set, it is one of those that has elements that just stand on their own quite beautifully. The other thing I like about it is that you don't really have to worry too much about how you line up the images. For me, this set screams what I like to call a haphazard or artsy style, etc. All products Stampin' Up!

Don't you just love the bold sentiment from the Layering Love set? I used Watermelon Wonder Classic ink to stamp the lightest flower image, Real Red Classic ink for the darker image, Daffodil Delight Classic ink for the center and Basic Black Archival ink for the flower outline. I think the polka dot matching paper from the Brights Designer Series Paper Stack really completed this card. 

Supply list:

As a reminder, the limited time Stampin' Up! Thoughtful Branches bundle will only be available through 8/31/16 or while supplies last! Don't miss out on this amazing group of products that has so much to offer. 

I have made several projects using this bundle. Click on the photos below to take you to the original blog posts for more details.  

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Thoughtful Branches {Masculine}

I never have a problem coming up with images to make a card for a female. However, making one that has more of a masculine feel has always been a challenge for me. This is just one of the many reasons I LOVE the new Thoughtful Branches stamp set & dies that will be available to order on August 2. All products Stampin' Up!

This card was very simple to put together. I stamped the triple tree image on watercolor paper, then did a light wash of water over it, extending it down to give the sentiment a background of color. Then I masked the sentiment area and stamped the image again to give it a bit more definition of the branches. I stamped the sentiment with Tuxedo Black Memento ink. I layered that piece on to some Old Olive cardstock and wrapped Basic Black Bakers Twine around it. Instead of tying it, I used the Handheld Stapler to attach it to the cardstock. I stamped the triple tree image several times on a Whisper White cardstock base and added the splatter using my favorite image from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set. The strip of Designers Series Paper is one side of a piece from the Pop of Pink DSP. 

Supply list:

Bonus Days are almost over...until July 31st, for every $50 you spend on Stampin' Up! products, you'll receive a $5 Bonus Days coupon that you can use towards a purchase between August 2nd-31st! Buy now, save later! 

Do you have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator? If not, I would love to be your source for these amazing products and hopefully give you a good dose of inspiration from time to time. This is not just a hobby for me, it is a passion! 

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Thoughtful Branches {Framed}

Are you excited about August 2nd getting here? You should be! That is the day the new Stampin' Up! stamps with matching dies called Thoughtful Branches will be available for purchase by the general public.  

Several months ago, I had purchased a few plain wooden frames from one of the big box stores for $1 a piece. I painted this one with inexpensive white paint for this project. The rest is pretty self-explanatory and I've listed the supplies under the photo. Once you have the layout and your colors chosen, this is actually a very quick project. What a great gift to give someone to show you appreciate them!

Supply list:

Bonus Days are almost over...until July 31st, for every $50 you spend on Stampin' Up! products, you'll receive a $5 Bonus Days coupon that you can use towards a purchase between August 2nd-31st! Buy now, save later! 

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

GDP 045: Thoughtful Branches

I'm playing along with the Global Design Project this week. It is a color challenge. I also thought I would use this opportunity to post another sample from the Thoughtful Branches stamp set. Unless otherwise noted, all products Stampin' Up!

These were such fun colors to work with! I almost went with a Christmas (in July) card, but thought I would save that for later. 

For this sample, I simply used the leaf canopy stamp to emboss watercolor paper with White Stampin' Emboss Powder. I did a simple color wash on top of the embossed image with Melon Mambo ink and my Aqua Painters. Stamped the sentiment and added Black Metallic Thread and some random sequins from my stash before layering it up and using double Stampin' Dimensionals to really give it some depth. 

Isn't this a great set? Don't forget...this set will be available during the month of August only, starting August 2. I expect this set (and the matching dies) to sell out quickly and may only be ordered while supplies last. 

From July 7th-31st, for every $50 you spend on Stampin' Up! products, you'll receive a $5 Bonus Days coupon that you can use towards a purchase between August 2nd-31st! Buy now, save later! 

Do you have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator? If not, I would love to be your source for these amazing products and hopefully give you a good dose of inspiration from time to time. This is not just a hobby for me, it is a passion! 

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Thoughtful Branches: Sneak Peek

This is a sneak peek into an amazing stamp with matching die set that will be available next month. The set is incredibly versatile and gorgeous! All products Stampin' Up!

I watercolored the top layer of the flower, then cut a second layer from Cherry Cobbler cardstock to go beneath to give the flower some depth. I colored Pearl Basics with Wink of Stella Gold and flicked some on the flower also. I distressed the sequins by heating them up with my heat tool. (I'm in love with how they look)

I will be posting more samples in the coming week. There are so many things to love about this set. Don't forget...this set will be available during the month of August only, starting August 2. I expect this set to sell out and can only be ordered while supplies last. 

From July 7th-31st, for every $50 you spend on Stampin' Up! products, you'll receive a $5 Bonus Days coupon that you can use towards a purchase between August 2nd-31st! Buy now, save later! 

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim