Three stamped card sets

Over the weekend I had a wonderful time relaxing, crafting and visiting with friends and family at The Meadows Craft Retreat. I have several blog posts planned about the weekend, but I'm going to start with three card sets I made. I should mention that the week or so leading up to the retreat was crazy with work responsibilities, and I didn't have time to prep anything for the retreat. The night before we left I was so stressed and exhausted that I was on the verge of not even wanting to go. So when it came time to do all my packing on Thursday morning, I didn't know what stamping supplies to bring.

I had to make some quick choices, so I pulled out a pack of the white note cards and envelopes from Stampin' Up!^® and decided I would focus on making card sets. I selected a few all-occasion stamp sets; two packs of Designer Series Paper (DSP); some coordinating ink, card stock and embellishments;  markers; and a few punches. With those items and some other necessary tools, like my paper cutter and adhesive, I was able to make three card sets: one eight-card set and two six-card sets. (To keep this post from getting too long, I'll just include the supplies and a few details about each set. If you would like more info, leave a comment and I will respond as soon as I can.)

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Patterned Occasions
Paper: Whisper White card stock, Summer Smooches DSP, Whisper White Note Cards and Envelopes
Ink: Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Real Red markers
Accessories: Rhinestones, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Dimensionals

This is definitely my favorite of the three card sets. I love the color combination and the clean and simple layout. And I didn't use many supplies -- basically white card stock, one pack of DSP, one stamp set and a few markers -- so it would be easy to recreate on a limited budget or if you need a quick handmade gift. Each of the DSP strips is 1/2" wide, and the layer with the focal image is 2" wide and 2-1/4" tall. (For the cards with the elephant image, I rotated the card stock so it is 2-1/4" wide and 2" tall.)

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: You're My Type
Card stock: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade, Tangerine Tango, Island Indigo; Whisper White Note Cards and Envelopes
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade, Tangerine Tango, Island Indigo, Jet Black StazOn
Accessories: Petite Curly Label punch, Basic Black 1/8" taffeta ribbon, paper-piercing tool and mat, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, Dimensionals

This is the eight-card set and includes two of each of the four cards shown above. I wanted to make something that was clean and simple, less flowery and more on the masculine (or at least gender-neutral) side. I wasn't sure how the typewriter image would look stamped in colors -- I've always just used black -- but my friend Lisa talked me into it. I have to say I'm glad that she did because I think they're pretty fun.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Distressed Dots, For the Birds
Paper: Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo, Real Red card stock; Summer Smooches DSP, DSP Patterns Stack - Brights Collection; Whisper White Note Cards and Envelopes
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Chocolate Chip, Going Gray, Basic Black
Accessories: Bitty Buttons, white crochet thread (DMC), 2-1/2" circle punch, 7/8" scallop circle punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), paper-piercing tool and mat, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

For this card set, I also stamped the Distressed Dots background on the envelope flaps, so they coordinate with the cards. I did the paper piercing around the focal image from the inside of the card, so the holes are raised up. To create the flowers I punched out 7/8" scallop circles, snipped between each pair of scallops, glued a small circle of coordinating DSP in the center and added a Bitty Button tied with crochet thread.

I had a lot of fun making these three card sets, and I hope you enjoyed seeing them. Stayed tuned for more retreat-related blog posts this week. Thanks for stopping by!