Updates

I am working on cards for swaps and for my first design team. For today, I will be sharing Stampin' Up! news. I will be back tomorrow to share more about the design team, and I will have new cards to share later this week.

Today is the final day to get 2 FREE stamp sets with your Stampin' Up! starter kit for only $99. Jennifer put together a sample kit, and I love seeing the value in the starter kit. For more information, click here, and you can click on the photos below for a larger view.

While supplies last - Stampin' Up! added items to the Clearance Rack. The Texture Boutique machine for only $14.99 caught my attention. I love adding an embossed layer to my cards. I will be posting a card on Friday with lots of embossing.

There are also new Weekly Deals. You can shop online anytime at http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/default.aspx.

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Birthday Wishes

It's my birthday! I don't know if I will do any crafting today, but I am excited to spend the day with my family. Are you following me on Instagram? I will probably post some pictures there from our excursion.

I have a quick and easy birthday card to share using the Build a Birthday stamp set and Cherry on Top washi tape. As a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, I had the opportunity to pre-order these products before the catalog was released. They were the first items on my wish list, and I am still happy with these products.

Tip: Use your washi tape or designer series paper to choose great color combinations. The colors are listed in the catalog, so keep yours handy while you craft. I love the combination of Pool Party and Watermelon Wonder!

Suplies Used:
Whisper White, Watermelon Wonder, & Pool Party card stock
Build a Birthday stamp set
Cherry on Top washi tape
Crushed Curry ink pad
2015-2017 In Color markers

Do you have a wish list of Stampin' Up! products? You will receive 2 FREE stamp sets if you join Stampin' Up! by 6/30/15. Click here to customize your starter kit for $99.

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Together Forever

I was inspired by the current TGIF Challenge, so I got to work this morning on a new card for my husband.

Last fall, For All Things became one of my favorite stamp sets when it came out in the 2014 Holiday catalog. I am happy to see that Stampin' Up! is keep the set around in the 2015-2016 Annual catalog. The set can be used all year even though it looks like more of a fall stamp set, and I wanted to use it for this card.

I wanted blues to be the center of my color combination, so I decided to use Soft Sky, Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, and a pop of Cherry Cobbler for the card.

Tip: Take some time to use a craft supply that you have not used in a while. I forgot how many fun dies are included in the Circle Card Thinlits die set. The small dies in this set can work on a variety of cards and projects.

Supplies Used:
Circle Card Thinlit Dies
Circles Framelits
Big Shot
Soft Sky, Whisper White, Hello Honey, & Cherry Cobbler card stock
Soft Sky, Lost Lagoon, and Hello Honey inks
Gorgeous Grunge and For All Things stamp sets

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Something Old, Something New

Since Stampin' Up! released a new catalog at the beginning of the month, I have been mixing my old and new craft supplies. I was really excited to see the Watercolor Thank You stamp continue into the 2015-2016 annual catalog, and I recently added Flowering Flourishes to my stamp collection. I also used some of the new Watermelon Wonder card stock and Cherry on Top washi tape to complete this card. I made this card in time to give it to my son's teacher at the end the of the school year.

Tip: Since washi tape is somewhat transparent, I adhered the strips of tape to white card stock before adding it to my card.

Supplies Used:
Watercolor Thank You stamp
Flowering Flourishes stamp set
Watermelon Wonder & Whisper White card stock
Versamark & Crushed Curry inks
Oval Framelits & Big Shot
Cherry on Top Washi Tape

Ready for your craft break to make some cards or cute treat bags? Place your order online by 6/29/15 for these great sale items.

Father's Day

I hope they everyone had an enjoyable Father's Day! I made yummy blueberry waffles for breakfast, FaceTimed with my parents, and went out to dinner with my husband and son.

Earlier in the week, I mailed out Father's Day cards. I paired the Hello You Thinlits Dies with the Crazy About You stamp set for the cards. These continue to be be some of my favorite products. With just the stamp set alone you can create at least a dozen different kinds of cards!

Tips: This stamp set works great with ink pads or the brush tip on the Stampin' Write markers. For the clear mount and photopolymer versions of the stamp set, you will need clear blocks d, g, & h.

Supplies Used:
Hello You Thinlits
Big Shot
Decorative Dots Embossing Folder
Crazy About You Stamp Set
Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, & Lost Lagoon Card Stock
Watercolor Paper
Pear Pizzazz, Crushed Curry, & Lost Lagoon Ink Pads
Paper Snips scissors

Supplies Used:
Hello You Thinlits
Big Shot
Crazy About You Stamp Set
Paper Snips scissors
Natural Chevron Ribbon
Lost Lagoon, Crumb Cake, & Whisper White Card Stock
(This designer series paper is retired, but you can find other paper in the Hello Honey color.)

What is the next greeting card that you plan to give/send someone?


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Throwdown

I've found challenge blogs a fun way to find inspiration and get myself creating, but this is the first time I went for an all-out "throwdown." I was intrigued by TGIF Challenge's first Monthly Throwdown.

I only own four items from the list, so I needed to use those four items. For some reason, I focused on the reinkers instead of just using my ink pads. Overall, I am more of a quick and simple card maker, but sometimes I like to try techniques and get messy. We could also use the following "pantry items":

Hmmm... what to do with my reinkers? I decided to paint my doily with some Blackberry Bliss ink in an aqua painter. Then I dyed my white baker's twine with some Blushing Bride ink and water. Finally I filled a spritzer bottle with the Blushing Bride Reinker, alcohol and water. I kept adding in drops of ink to achieve the right shade of pink. In almost seven years of stamping, I have not completely used an ink refill, so now I have more fun ideas to use this supply.

After some playing, here is my finished card:

Supplies Used:
Whisper White Card Stock
Blackberry Bliss & Blushing Bride Ink Refills
Aqua Painters
Stampin' Spritzer
Hello You Thinlits
Big Shot
Gold Foil Sheets
Tea Lace Paper Doilies
White Baker's Twine

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Handmade Gifts

Last week my son's kindergarten year wrapped up with lots of fun. We feel very fortunate that he had a wonderful teacher and that I had time to help out at his school. His teacher put together very thoughtful gifts for the parent helpers.

I received the gift after chaperoning the last field trip of the year and waited for my son to join me in the car to open it. He was so excited for me to see the gift! Alex and one of his classmate decorated the picture frame. At first he forgot to show me the other items in the gift bag.

This got me thinking about how special it is to give and receive handmade gifts. What handmade gifts have you given or received? I have made cards for people, and I have received beautiful quilts as gifts, which we still use. If you are looking for a starting point for some handmade gifts, you can check out the kits offered by Stampin' Up!. I am really excited about the Tin of Cards kit, and there will be a fun watercolor cards kit coming in July.

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In Color Masculine Card

Choosing colors plays a role in making a card more feminine, masculine, or neutral. When I started using the 2015-2017 In Colors, I knew that Tip Top Taupe and Delightful Dijon will be great for masculine cards. I also wanted to use some die cuts on a monochromatic background for a faux embossed look. This card came together quickly, and I sent it to a fellow member of the Fun 'n Crafty Stampers in May for our monthly card swap.

Tip: I used the Tip Top Taupe Stampin' Write Marker to only ink up park of my "birthday wishes" stamp from the Build a birthday set. Markers are a great way to customize your stamps.

Supplies Used:
Tip Top Taupe, Delightful Dijon, & Whisper White Card Stock
Big Shot
Hello You Thinlits
Extra Large Oval Punch
Decorative Dots Embossing Folder
Tip Top Taupe Marker
Build a Birthday Stamp Set

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Meatless Monday: CBLT

The first tomatoes are ripening from our garden.

I wanted a vegetarian BLT, and I made a batch of coconut bacon. The recipe is from Joyful Vegan, and I really like it. I do have to carefully watch these in the oven so they do not burn.

Here is my yummy "CBLT" made mostly with ingredients from the farmers' market and our garden.

Baking Break

Paper crafts are my main creative outlet, but I also enjoy baking and cooking. My plan for this blog is to focus on crafts, but it will be fun to share some other posts. These muffins are easy to make and taste great. I adapted the recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
4 ripe mashed bananas
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray or line a muffin tin.
2. Mash 4 ripe bananas and set aside.
3. Mix all of the dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips
4. Add in the wet ingredients and stir.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Fill each muffin spot about 3/4 full.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
8. Cool & Enjoy!

We are not big egg eaters, so I do not often have eggs in the house. I love baking with bananas since they are a binder and taste great. What have you baked recently?

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Color

With each new annual catalog, Stampin' Up! releases 5 new In Colors. The colors are available for 2 years and compliment the existing color collection offered. I love the new 2015-2017 In Colors!

One of the best values in the Stampin' Up! catalog is the bundle of In Color ink pads & card stock. I also love the 2014-2016 In Colors and will continue to create with them over the next year. What is your favorite 2015-2017 In Color? Please let me a comment blow.

Supplies Featured:
2015-2017 In Color Card Stock
2015-2017 In Color Stampin' Write Markers

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Kind Koala

I was so happy to see that the Kind Koala stamp carried over to the current Stampin' Up! annual catalog. I wanted to use this cute stamp again and decided to fussy cut the koala from some Crumb Cake card stock. I used a blender pen to add some Crumb Cake ink to the ears. The blender pen also allowed me to add Crushed Curry ink to the flower petals.

I originally intended to die cut a Crushed Curry oval to layer on my card until I realized that I am out of Crushed Curry card stock. Another easy way to add a pop of color is to ink the edges of your card stock with the Stamping Sponges.

I enjoyed making this card last month to enter into the first TGIF Challenge. I love the color combination of Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral and Pool Party! Using card sketches and challenges are a fun way to take a craft break and make a card.

Supplies Used:
Stamp: Kind Koala
Card stock: Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Whisper White, & Crumb Cake
Ink: Black Staz On, Crumb Cake, & Crushed Curry
Tools: Blender Pens, Big Shot, Oval Framelits, Polka Dot Embossing Folder, & Stamping Sponges
Accessories: Pool Party Baker's Twine (retired) & button (retired)

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Welcome!

Hello & welcome to Craft Break, a blog dedicated to helping busy people take some creative time for themselves. I have been paper crafting for over 10 years. This hobby is a wonderful creative outlet that can fit into a variety of schedules and budgets. I am an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, and I began scrapbooking in 2005 and making cards in 2008. This blog will feature handmade cards, fun paper crafting kits and projects, and Project Life.

Thank you for visiting my new blog!

Masculine Card with New Colors

I love the new 2015-2017 Stampin' Up! in colors. The Delightful Dijon and Tip Top Taupe are great for masculine cards. Plus, Tip Top Taupe makes a nice, neutral card base. I created this card for the Fun 'n Crafty Stampers monthly card swap. Jennifer Blomquist leads this group of stampers from all over the U.S. Our card swaps are optional, and they are one of my favorite ways to stay involved with the group.

Tip: I used a Stampin' Write Marker to ink of part of the "birthday wishes" stamp in the Build a Birthday stamp set. Markers are a great tool for customizing and stretching your stamps.

Supplies Used:
Big Shot
Hello You Thinly Dies
In Color Card Stock
Whisper White Card Stock
In Color Markers
Build a Birthday Stamp Set
Extra-Large Oval Punch
Decorative Dots Embossing Folder

If you are interested in building a stash of quality, coordinating craft supplies and being part of a fun craft group, then you should consider joining Stampin' Up! in June. You can build a business or do this as a hobby. The starter kit (for $99) offers your choice of $125 in product, free shipping, and 2 free stamp sets in June. You can learn more here or contact me for more information.

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June Blog Hop

Welcome to the June Fun n' Crafty Stampers Blog Hop! We are sharing some NEW Stampin' Up! products with some of our returning favorites. I have two cards to share today.

First up, I have a picture of the newest Stampin' Up! catalog, which is my favorite in my 6+ years as a customer and now demonstrator with this company. From stamps to inks to kits to Project Life, there is a variety of wonderful crafting products and ideas in these pages.

Stampin' Up! is known for color coordination, and it is fun to see the new set of "in colors" each year. I adore these new colors and played with my Stampin' Write Markers recently to make this sign.

This first card I made features a new stamp set (Build a Birthday) and new washi tape (Cherry on Top).

The Build a Birthday stamp set is a lot of fun to use, especially with washi tape. This card came together quickly and I like mixing the Watermelon Wonder and Pool Party card stock.

For the second card, I used some of my favorite returning stamps.

I was really excited to see the Watercolor Thank You continue into the next annual catalog, and I recently added Flowering Flourishes to my collection. I also used some of the new Watermelon Wonder card stock and Cherry on Top washi tape.

Don't miss the other stops on the hop & thank you for visiting my blog!

Fun & Crafty Blog Hop

Jennifer B. of Northwest Stamper

Tobe B. of The Craft Sea

Susan S. of Stampin' By The SF Bay

Pam W. of Stinky Tofu

Sara G. of 1200 Some Miles