new In Colors! Last year I made a gift set using Funky Four and the then new In Colors so I decided to remake it using the new colors. I love everything about this set except the little golf pencils! I am working on redoing the box so it holds a larger size. Here’s the one I did last year – 
And here’s what this years cards look like – 
As soon as I get the box designed I’ll share it with you!
Supplies
Stamp Sets – Funky Four, On Your Birthday
card stock – Pool Party (envelope), Whisper White
Ink – (from left to right) Island Indigo, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Pool Party
Etc – White satin ribbon
Waving Goodbye to Petal Pizzazz (sob!!) – 
Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Category: Sneak Peek
A Little Bit of Christmas
Here’s a card using the new Pennant Parade stamp set – available on July 1 – to make a Christmas card. I think I used a CPS sketch for this – but in a burst of cleaning I through out the note to myself! Sometimes I have to wonder about my brain! Back to the card – I love to do different color combos for Christmas. Last year I did this combo and thought I’d try t again…………
Really it’s Melon Mambo and Concord Crush. The picture looks kind of muted. It just doesn’t want to show off it’s colors today.
Supplies
Stamp Sets – Pennant Parade, Teeny Tiny Wishes
card stock – Melon Mambo, Concord Crush, Concord Crush DSP
Ink – Concord Crush, Versamark, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo
Etc – Petal o Plenty embossing folder, 2 1/2 circle punch, circle scissors, Concord Crush ribbon, Itty Bitty circle punch
Saying Goodbye to Sock Monkey (111550)
Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Growing Wisteria
I have really tried to get a pretty picture of this card but it just doesn’t want to photograph! So you’ll just have to trust me that this is prettier in real life than in this pic. Wisteria Wonder is one of the new In Colors that will be available on July 1. It’s beautiful combined with Elegant Eggplant! Take a look –
The medallion behind the flowers is from the new Pennant die. It matches the Scallop Trim Border punch. 
The green is Lucky Limeade – another new In Color!
Supplies
Stamp sets – On the Grow
card stock – Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Elegant Eggplant, watercolor paper
Ink – Jet Black Stazon, Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, Lucky Limeade, Always Artichoke, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake
Etc – Perfect Pennants Big Shot die, Scallop Trim Border punch, Square Lattice embossing folder, Circles #2 Big Shot die
Saying goodbye to Just Buzzin’ By – 
Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Hello and Goodbye
Let’s start with a “hello!” A sneak peek of something coming in July – Pennant Parade – and a sneak peek of the new In Colors being added this year. 
From left to right – Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Island Indigo. Cute pennant punch makes this easy to create – 
Gotta have bling!
And they are ready to go – 
Supplies
Stamp sets – Pennant Parade, On Your Birthday
card stock- Whisper White
Ink – Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Island Indigo
Etc – Pennant punch, 1/2 circle punch, jewels, floss. lots and lots of dimensionals!
Saying Goodbye to Graveyard Gala – 
Enjoy! Hugs, Fran
Fancy Peacock
I saw a sketch on Splitcoast that immediately made me think of the Sneak Peek set Proud Peacock. The sketch reminded me of a peacock tail!
Supplies
Stamp sets – Proud Peacock, Smarty Pants
card stock – Pumpkin Pie, Baja Breeze, Greenhouse Gala, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy, Pear Pizzazz
Stampin Write Markers – Baja Breeze, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Pear Pizzazz
Ink – Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy
Etc – Word Window, 2 1/2 circle, Modern Label,2-Step Bird punches, circle scissors, Daffodil Delight satin ribbon, Elegant Lines embossing folder, Itty Bitty flower punch, pearls
I used the rest of the Smarty Pants sentiment on the inside. It says “nobody is better qualified.” At first I thought this sketch would be too hard – now I love it! Try it! Enjoy – Hugs, Fran
Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch
Here’s a card I did for a Case challenge – case a sample from the demonstrator magazine Stampin’ Success. For this card I simply changed the colors and kept the layout. 
I used the Bold Blossoms stamp set (which is being carried over into the Summer mini) and the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch. This punch does three different images. You slide the lever to choose which one you want. Very fun!
I had the hardest time getting this placed the way I wanted and moved the flowers and oval around many times – until I just said “enough”” and let it go! Go figure!
Supplies
Stamp Set – Bold Blossoms
card stock – Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Bashful Blue, Always Artichoke
Ink – Pink Pirouette, Early Espresso
Etc – Early Espresso satin ribbon, pearls, Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch,1/4″circle punch, Wide Oval punch
We’ve been hanging out in the basement as huge lines of storms and tornadoes pass by outside! Stay safe and sound today!!
Enjoy – Hugs, Fran
A Father’s Day Idea
I don’t even have a Mother’s idea yet – but here’s one for Father’s Day! My father loves to travel and when I saw this double easel card on The Three Sisters site I pictured a card for him using The Open Sea. (See – I got the name right this time!)
The sentiment (from Best Dad Ever) and the anchor are embossed and the “stops” are staggered to hold the sides at different levels.
I almost printed “You Mean the World to Me” until I remembered that this sentiment is in Word Play! Perfect!
Supplies
Stamp Sets – The Open Sea, Best Dad Ever, Word Play
card stock – Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, Nautical Expedition DSP
Ink – Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy (Classic and Craft), Versamark
Etc – Antique brad, Vintage brass brad, Word Window punch, 1 3/8 and 1/4 inch circle punches, Bakers Twine, silver embossing powder, clear embossing powder
Enjoy – Hugs, Fran
Fabulous Florets
Today I’m headed to a wedding shower for a sweet young lady. When her invitation arrived, I was pleased to it was almost an exact match for the upcoming Fabulous Florets set in the Summer Mini! And she is using Melon Mambo and Basic Black as her colors – a girl after my own heart! Unfortunately you can’t see the pretty details on this card from my photo. I stamped the card on the beautiful Presto Designer Series paper – and it just doesn’t show up in the photo. 
And you’ll love this tidbit – I am completely out of Black satin ribbon so I removed the ribbon from her invitation to use on my card! It’s called “giving back!”
I really tried to get the photo to show the Presto paper – you will just have to believe me on this one.
Supplies
Stamp sets – Fabulous Florets, Teeny Tiny Wishes
card stock – Presto DSP, Basic Black, Melon Mambo
Ink – Melon Mambo, Pear Pizzazz, Basic Black
Etc – Word Window punch, Black satin ribbon shamelessly stolen from invitation
Note – I have been referring to The Open Sea as On the Sea in my sneak peek posts! Feel free to correct me when you see me doing crazy things like that! Enjoy – Hugs, Fran
Masculine Birthday
Masculine birthday cards seem to be harder than others – why is that? I guess it’s just harder if I don’t get to use flowers! I need several masculine birthday cards at the moment so I’m thrilled to have On the Sea to help me out! Here’s one – 
This card uses a 4 x 5.25 piece of the Newsprint DSP. I stamped the background image off to the side and then sponged the edge in Crumb Cake and then Early Espresso and then spritzed it with Basic Black. The Basic Black card stock strip was punched with the Spiral Border punch, distressed it and attached it to the side with some yummy Baker’s Twine tied around it. The Cherry Cobbler seam binding was a last minute addition – a little more color.
Happy Birthday is from Bring on the Cake (I’m mixing my minis!) For the inside of this card I added another piece of the Newsprint DSP – sponged but not spritzed. Now I can add my inside greeting and have lines to write on!
Supplies
Stamp sets – One the Sea, Bring on the Cake
card stock – Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Newsprint DSP
Ink – Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso
Etc – Cherry Cobbler Baker’s twine, Spiral punch, Cherry Cobbler seam binding, brass brads, spritzer
Now to get it in the mail! Enjoy – Hugs, Fran
Proud Peacock
When I was growing up, my grandparents had peacocks on our family farm. They are beautiful but very noisy birds! I can remember waking up to the sound of the peacocks screaming “help! help!” (That’s really what it sounds like!) And they start with the sun coming up! But when I saw this set – I just had to have it for the memories of my grandparents (not the peacocks!)
I paired this set up with a technique on Splitcoast – Ruffled Ribbon Border.
Look closely and you will see that I stamped the peacock twice and popped up his body (similar to the sail on my Sail Away post.) His beautiful tail is colored with Stampin’ Write Markers. 
Supplies
Stamp Sets – Proud Peacock, Fabulous Phrases
card stock – Not Quite Navy, Daffodil Delight, Greenhouse Gala DSP, Whisper White
Ink – Basic Black, Not Quite Navy
Stampin Write Markers- Bashful Blue, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight
Etc – Daffodil Delight ribbon, Scallop Trim punch, Word WIndow punch, 2 /2 circle punch, rhinestone brad, Elegant Lines embossing folder
“Fabulous” seemed like the best phrase for this peacock! Enjoy. Hugs, Fran