Libby Fens, Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Libby Fens offering original and creative paper crafting projects. I host monthly Card Buffets, specialty classes and weekly inspiration for card making.

Duet Banner Punch

Create with Connie and Mary Saturday Blog Hop – My Funny Valentine

· 2 Comments

Welcome to our Create with Connie and Mary Saturday blog hop!

Our theme this week features a Funny Valentine.

And, why not create a funny Valentine! These can be such fun!

I decided to go with a whimsical card –

libbystamps, Stampin' Up!, Nine Lives, Be Mine Stitched Framelits, All My Love DSP, Cat Punch, Duet banner Punch, CCMC

I used the Cat Punch and the All My Love Designer Series Paper to punch out cats in three different patterns.

I randomly placed the cats on the card front. Once I got the placement I liked, I adhered them. They were all hanging off the card, so I trimmed them with the paper trimmer.

I found the perfect Valentine appropriate sentiment from the new Nine Lives stamp set!

This was the inspiration for this card –

My little blued eyed, Kitty Kitty!

As you can see, just have fun with your stamp supplies! Thanks for stopping by today!

Go forward to check out the funny Valentines from Debbie Henderson, and back to Mary Brown. I can’t wait to see them myself!

Stampin’ Up Supplies –

  • Stamp Set – Nine Lives
  • Framelits – Be Mine
  • Card Stock – Whisper White
  • Ink – Lovely Lipstick
  • DSP – All My Love
  • Punches – Cat, Duet Banner

Create with Connie and Mary Saturday Blog Hop – Winter Flowers

· Leave a Comment

Welcome to our Create with Connie and Mary Saturday blog hop!

Our theme this week features a winter flower.

My favorite winter flower is a poinsettia. Naturally, I’ll make a card using one of those!

libbystamps, Stampin' Up!, Stylish Christmas, Buffalo Check, Duet Banner Punch, CCMC

Isn’t this gorgeous?

The Buffalo Check is so popular these days! It made a great starting point.

The beautiful poinsettias came from the stamp set, Stylish Christmas. It can be found in the regular catalog. And, yes, I stamped the flowers and fussy cut them out. Same with the leaves.

I sentiment was stamped then punched using the Duet Punch. I scored it two times on both sides of the sentiment. I folded it so it would look 3-d. It adds a nice touch.

I love the traditional colors in this card! I look forward to mailing it out! What do you think of it?

Check out the other Christmas flowers from Debbie Henderson, and (back) Mary Brown. I know they’ll have some great

Stampin’ Up Supplies –

  • Stamp Set – Stylish Christmas, Buffalo Check
  • Card Stock – Poppy Parade, Call Me Clover, Whisper White
  • Ink – Black Memento, Poppy Parade, Call Me Clover
  • Punches – Duet Banner
  • Other –

Hello Stylish Stems

· Leave a Comment

I’m quite busy in planning cards for my March Card Buffet this upcoming weekend. Whew! Time flies!

Took some time out to design a card for Try Stamping on Tuesday. We have a cool sketch to follow this time around –

Challenge #313. Optional Theme : Beautiful Flowers

I had a card in mind just by looking at the sketch! Something fun and springlike –

libbystamps, stampin up, Any Occasion, Stylish Stems Framelits, Duet Banner Punch, Inside The Lines DSP, Sale-a-Bration 2017, SAB, Occasions 2017, TSOT#313

Isn’t this great? I love it because it’s a little different from what is all over the interweb.

Of course, this is a favorite color combo of mine……

Notice the lovely background DSP? It’s FREE. Yes, free! Spend $50 from Stampin Up and you can select this as your free item because it’s Sale-a-Bration.

libbystamps, stampin up, Any Occasion, Stylish Stems Framelits, Duet Banner Punch, Inside The Lines DSP, Sale-a-Bration 2017, SAB, Occasions 2017, TSOT#313

These die cut flowers really add some nice POP to this card! Both flower shapes come in the set.

Hard to tell in the picture, but I adhered just the round center to the black flower back. Either way, still a lovely card! I think it will be on the Card Buffet this weekend!

Comments are always appreciated.

Check out what the other design team members created and play along with us! We’re on Facebook too!

Happy Stampin’
Libby

Celebrate Your Day

· 2 Comments

Happy Thursday everyone!

I have a special card I created for Create with Connie and Mary Thursday challenges!

Here is the color challenge –

ccmc442

A wonderful set of colors to create with!

This card was special because it did double duty this week. For one, it was on this months Card Buffet, and of course, it was designed for the color challenge to inspire you!

libbystamps, stampin up, CCMC442, Duet Banner Punch, Celebrations Duo EF, Party Animal DSP, Happy Celebrations

Isn’t this a great card?

libbystamps, stampin up, CCMC442, Duet Banner Punch, Celebrations Duo EF, Party Animal DSP, Happy Celebrations

It’s so fun! It’d be a great masculine for young or old!

libbystamps, stampin up, CCMC442, Duet Banner Punch, Celebrations Duo EF, Party Animal DSP, Happy Celebrations

The de-bossed image is quite cool. It’s refreshing from some of the other embossing folders we have.

I featured the other folder in the set on the Buffet too. Both were very popular choices this past weekend. This is together, on the same page, in the new Occasions Mini catalog. It’s one of my favorites!

TIP : When using this folder, or the one that says, HAPPY, before running it through the Big Shot, spritz the card stock with half alcohol and half (distilled) water to soften the paper and dry quickly after the embossing. I noticed if not, creases can form in odd places in your card stock.

I hope my card inspired you! Please leave me a comment before heading over to Create with Connie and Mary to see what the other design team created using these colors. Play along with us!

Card challenges are a great way to get your creative juices going! So get to creatin’!!!

Supplies –

  • Stamp Set – Happy Celebrations
  • Big Shot – Celebrations Duo EF
  • Punches – Duet Banner
  • Card Stock – Pacific Point, Whisper White
  • DSP – Party Animal
  • Ink – Crushed Curry, Pacific Point
  • Other – Emerald Envy Baker’s Twine
Happy Stampin’
Libby

Mummy, Trick or Treat

· Leave a Comment

Now. Halloween. That’s a holiday I’m totally down with this October 25th!

(That’s a reference to Mondays post, lol!)

At the Card Buffet this past weekend, one of the choices were these adorable earrings that you’ve seen all over the interweb –

libbystamps, stampin up, Cookie Cutter Halloween, Cookie Cutter Builder Punch, Duet Banner Punch, Halloween Night Specialty DSP, shrinky dink earrings

cute, Cute, CUTE!!!!!!!

Ans, so easy!! I created this nifty little packaging from some retired Stampin’ Up cello bags! Adorable. Just adorable.

libbystamps, stampin up, Cookie Cutter Halloween, Cookie Cutter Builder Punch, Duet Banner Punch, Halloween Night Specialty DSP, shrinky dink earrings

The earrings poked right through the card stock.

I loved to ‘ear’ what you think!!! Ha-Ha!

Happy Stampin’
Libby

Mousey Monthly SWAP

· 4 Comments

Today I have an adorable card share. It’s for my monthly mail out swap.

I decided to also design it around a challenge too. We can always use the inspiration!

I really liked what Paper Craft Crew challenged us with. The layout that caught my eye –

Welcome to the Paper Craft Crew Card Sketch Challenge 207 (PCC207) hosted by Pam Staples, SunnyGirlScraps. #papercraftcrew #challengeblog #cardsketch Play along at www.papercraftcrew.com

Interesting , I thought. I already knew the element I wanted to use, a mouse. This just seemed appropriate.

libbystamps, stampin up, PCC207, Thoughtful Banners, Layering Squares Framelits, Duet Banner Punch, Fox Builder Punch, mouse

You think so?

Their sketch reminded me of a piece of cheese on a cracker. And, what goes better than a cracker with cheese?

A Mouse!

libbystamps, stampin up, PCC207, Thoughtful Banners, Layering Squares Framelits, Duet Banner Punch, Fox Builder Punch, mouse

It just made for a fun card!

And, lots of work too! Because I was making 12, I did omit the tail and the cute little hands. But, hey, why not? It’s still just as adorable!

The finishing touch at the top was created with leftover cheese punch pieces. And, some silver baker’s twine from an old Paper Pumpkin kit. It tied everything together, literally!

So, what you think? I love reading your comments about my creations!

Happy Stampin’
Libby

Missing You for CCMC413

· 5 Comments

It’s Thursday and time for a Create with Connie and Mary sketch challenge!

This week, we’re going with a layout instead of a color –

CCMC413

This is quite simple when you look at it. However, creating with it for was a ‘challenge’ as the name implies.

After a few attempts and scraped cards, I went with this simple execution –

libbystamps, stampin up, Thoughtful Banners, Playful Palette DSP, Duet Banner Punch, CCMC413

I was rather pleased if I do say so myself!

I guess I’m missing my Boston and LA girls…….it happens. And, luckily there is a stamp for it.

I just received this stamp and punch bundle. It’s really a great set of words!

libbystamps, stampin up, Thoughtful Banners, Playful Palette DSP, Duet Banner Punch, CCMC413

Initially, the focal point was on the card base. I felt it needed a little oomph. So, I added another layer of Very Vanilla and raised it with dimensionals.

libbystamps, stampin up, Thoughtful Banners, Playful Palette DSP, Duet Banner Punch, CCMC413

I also decided to pop up the focal point too. It’s all it needed!

Sometimes when we make cards we have to tweak them until we get just the right balance of dimension. Here, I did it. So, I stopped.

For you, looking at the sketch, you like it? Are you drawn to it? If so, then please create a card and play along with us over at Create with Connie and Mary! You can also see all the other Design team creation too!

I’d love to read your thoughts on my clean and simple take on this layout this week.

Supplies used –

  • Stamps – Thoughtful Banners (N)
  • DSP – Playful Palette DSP (N)
  • Punches – Duet Banner (N)
  • Card Stock – Very vanilla
  • Ink – Flirty Flamingo (N), Sweet Sugarplum (N)
Happy Stampin’
Libby

Give us your email to have updates and articles delivered directly to your inbox. You may opt out at any time.