Let's Get Hopping: Small Stamps

Welcome! You just arrived from Nina McMillan's blog... if not, be sure to hop on through so you don't miss it... you'll be glad you did! I'm honored to be a part of a blog hop with such talented artists!

This month's theme for the Let's Get Hopping Blog Hop is Small Stamps. Have you ever thought pretty cards need a large focal point to be interesting? I used to... and it certainly makes cardmaking easier, but small stamps can pack a big punch! Okay... pun intended, since the set I'm using has a coordinating punch.

I decided to do another sneak peek from the 2018 Occasions catalog (I seriously think this catalog may be one of my favorites). At November's OnStage (convention for Stampin' Up! demonstrators), we created this project using product from the Tutti Frutti suite. I'm not usually one who goes for "fruit" sets because I just don't know how to use them, but this bundle is adorable! Tiny fruit... you can't get much cuter than that!

What I like about the Fruit Basket stamp set is the tops and bottoms of the fruit are separate, which makes it super easy to have different colors and not have to break out the markers.

Another thing I like about this set is I get to break my stash of scraps. Even the smallest scraps get used to make strawberries and are perfect for the sweet sentiment.

Did you know Stampin' Up!'s archival ink stamps on plastic? It does take a while to dry (I don't recommend using a heat tool to speed up the drying process) so patience is a must. And did you know Stampin' Blends color on plastic?? It's hard to see the Pool Party color on the bowl, but it's there... I ended up using the dark Pool Party (instead of the light pictured below) because I wanted a subtle tint to the fruit bowl - but the light PP was too subtle. LOL!

Mini dimensionals are perfect for mini fruit! My tip... put the dimensional under the stem, then use a glue dot on the bottom of the strawberry - it gives the illusion that the strawberries are plump!

And now... the finished project!

What do you think? Sweet, huh? Looking at the list of supplies below, it seems I used so much to create the simple card, but truly... you could create this card with what you have at home and just add the Fruit Basket stamp set and Itty Bitty Fruit Punch Pack.

Now let's hop on over to Verity Biddlecombe and see what small stamps she's used!

Thanks for hopping by!

Fruit Basket Photopolymer Bundle [145977] $35.00	Fruit Basket Photopolymer Stamp Set [145833] $16.00	Itty Bitty Fruit Punch Pack [145657] $23.00	Tutti-Frutti 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [145606] $10.00	Wood Textures Designer Series Paper Stack [144177] $10.00
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.00	Window Sheets [142314] $5.00	Pool Party Dark Stampin' Blends Marker [144594] $4.50	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $7.00	Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad [141396] $6.50
Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [126949] $6.50	Clear Block A [118487] $4.00	Clear Block H [118490] $8.50	Banner Triple Punch [138292] $23.00	Stampin' Trimmer [126889] $30.00
Paper Snips Scissors [103579] $10.00	Fast Fuse Adhesive [129026] $10.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Mini Stampin' Dimensionals [144108] $4.00	Glue Dots [103683] $5.25

Keeping it Simple for Let's Get Hopping Blog Hop

Welcome to the Let's Get Hopping Round 3 Hop! You've just arrived  from Tanya Rees's Blog. Yep... another project I need to CASE!

The theme of this hop is Back to Basics, which means stamps, ink, and paper... no fancy tools. That's right! No Big Shot, no Framelits or embossing folders. Just the most basic cardmaking elements. Simple cards are difficult for me... perhaps it's because I always think cards need lots of elements to be beautiful. But that's just not true. I can do this!

This is another sneak peek from the upcoming Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog called Lovely Wishes. The adorable Billie Moan from Rambling Rose Studio presented this set at OnStage (our convention for demonstrators) earlier this month. Please check out her blog to see more creations with this set - she is so talented!

One of the things I like about this whimsical set is that it's photopolymer... which means I can line up stamps on one clear block easily (I used the large block F for two stamps), then line up the solid image stamps over the line images that were already stamped.

Using Markers lets you use multiple colors on one image. I used Garden Green and Lemon Lime Twist for the leaves. And the spots that weren't covered by the stamp? I used the marker to color that in, too. Easy-peasy!

 And how cool that the Stampin' Blends actually color our Basic Jewel Pearls??? I used the light and dark Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry Blends to emulate the colors of the flowers and petals on my card. Pretty close, huh?

I almost left the card as is - without the colored pearls, but felt that it needed a little something. Still simple, but the pearls just added another bit of texture. What did I say at the beginning of the is blog post? Yep... I guess I still struggle with less is more. LOL!

If you've read my previous blog posts, I do believe I said I need to put ribbon on just about every card. Still simple, but ribbon adds that finishing touch. What do you think? Which card do you prefer?

I appreciate you stopping by! If you started in the middle of the hop, then click the next button below to see what Verity Biddlecombe has created!

Wishing you... a very lovely day!

Garden Green 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock	Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock	Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock	Painted Autumn Designer Series Paper	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad
2017-2019 In Color Stampin' Write Markers	Regals Stampin' Write Markers	Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad	Pearl Basic Jewels	Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack	Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack
Fresh Fig 1/2" Finely Woven Ribbon	Clear Block F	Stampin' Trimmer	Paper Snips Scissors	SNAIL Permanent Adhesive	Stampin' Dimensionals