PALS Blog Hop: Time to Sale-A-Brate!

Welcome to the Pals’ February blog hop. We’re so glad you’re here because it’s “Time to Sale-A-Brate”! Our Design Team created projects using Sale-A-Bration items to inspire you. You may be starting the hop here or coming from a previous Pal’s blog. Either way, you’ve come to the right place. You’ll find the the full line-up below to help you move, or “hop” along from Pal to Pal.

Hello, everyone! I am so excited to be participating in my first blog hop, and I am so grateful you’ve made it all the way to the last stop in this line up! I wanted to make it definitely worth your while, so make sure to read to the end of this post for a bonus project!

I have been paper crafting for the last 15 years or so, and I have my mom to thank for the hobby. 🙂 I remember helping her make her Christmas cards one year and thinking at first that it was an awful lot of work… before quickly realizing how wonderful it was to give something you made to others to brighten their day! Since then, I have loved being able to share handmade kindness with people through the cards I make. It seems like such a little gesture, but I have seen it bring so much joy to people that I am now hooked on the hobby! I hope my cards today will help encourage your own creativity!

I am excited to share the Home to Roost stamp set in today’s post! It is probably the best Sale-A-Bration stamp set that I have ever seen Stampin’ Up offer, in my opinion. It is so versatile, and I have already seen so many beautiful cards made with it.

I wanted to feature a design that would demonstrate that a lot of time and a lot of skillful coloring isn’t necessary to make a card you can be proud of. There are so many other examples out there of these beautifully colored roosters, but I thought I would try featuring just the lovely image as it is. I also wanted to support the #simplestamping movement and give you a card that doesn’t take a lot of time or a lot of supplies to make… a perfect project for newbie stampers and seasoned crafters alike!

My first card uses just one stamp set, one ink color, two colors of paper, and a small strip of copper foil paper as an embellishment.

I started by cutting my panels to size for an A2 card, and running one of the Very Vanilla panels through my Big Shot with the Tin Tile embossing folder. I stamped the rooster image in Soft Suede ink, and the wheat image in the same color for the inside panel. I also stamped the sentiment on a leftover scrap of Very Vanilla that I had in my stash. I like to be resourceful!

Speaking of resourceful, there are so many awesome gadgets out there for the paper crafting community, but most of us can’t afford to have them all! So I often make do with what I have, like using my scissors to make the banner panel. Simply use a ruler (I strongly recommend picking up an economical plastic T-ruler – I use mine constantly!) and marking where you want the center of your banner to fall. Then simply take your favorite pair of scissors and cut from the corner of the bottom of your panel to the pencil mark you made. Be careful not to close your scissors all the way at that center point, as you risk denting your cardstock… just readjust your scissors as you go and you’ll get the hang of it in no time!

With relatively simple designs, it’s important to add detail and interest in the simplest of ways, like nice crisp folds, clean and straight lines, and my favorite… dimension! Using Stampin Dimensionals, I popped the Tin Tile panel up off of the Tranquil Tide base, and did the same with both the rooster panel and the sentiment. Simple dimension really adds a lot of interest with minimal effort and supplies. It is one of my most favorite ways to add a special touch to a card!

Speaking of adding special touches, finishing the inside of your card always brings a wow factor as well. I kept it simple here also and just stamped the wheat image off first on a scrap piece of paper before stamping on my panel as I didn’t want it to be lighter in intensity to leave ample space for writing inside the card.

And now for a bonus card!

For my second card, I wanted to show a unique and unexpected way to use the Home to Roost stamp set! Like I said, there are many examples out there already showcasing the lovely rooster image from the set, but truly there is another image in the set that I think needs an equal amount of love! This card is another clean and simple design that can be made in a very short amount of time with very few supplies.

I used Stampin Dimensionals again for visual interest to pop the Soft Sea Foam panel up off the background, as well as running my Wink of Stella Glitter Brush on the Buffalo Check-stamped panel for visual impact. This literally came together in less than 10 minutes… probably could have been done in five but I’m not always the quickest when I craft! Ha! :0)

Stamps: Home to Roost (Stampin’ Up), Buffalo Check (2nd card)
Ink: Soft Suede (1st card), Crumb Cake, Soft Sea Foam (2nd card)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Tranquil Tide (1st card), Whisper White, Soft Sea Foam, Crumb Cake (2nd card )
Paper Size: A2
Technique: Embossing, clean and simple, dimension
Accessories: Tin Tile embossing folder, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Wink of Stella Glitter Brush

More inspiration awaits! Use the Blog Hop Line-up below to visit the rest of this month’s Design Team. My fellow Pals are excited to show you what they’ve created! Don’t forget to show us some love by commenting on our creations. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 13, 2019 when our Hoppin’ Pals share their “Spring Has Sprung” projects. Don’t miss the fun!

Blog Hop Line-up:

Thank you again so much for finding your way to my blog in today’s blog hop! I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit and come back again soon! Please stop by again later this week for another card based off my rooster card design from above, featuring the Occasions catalog stamp set “Let It Ride!”

Blessings to you and yours,

Chrissy