Where Have I Been??

 

Hello Friends,

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian Friends! I trust that, like here in Ontario, the weather was fine & that you were able to enjoy the Autumn season. I, for one am feeling truly grateful!

It's hard to believe that it has been TEN months since I last appeared here on my blog. For those of you who visited & found me strangely silent I thought that an explanation was in order.

About a year ago medical testing indicated that I had a mass in my heart. In December 2021 it was found to be a tumour & was removed successfully on December 23. Unfortunately I sufferred a stroke on Christmas day & have been working very hard to adapt & adjust to my new normal since then. I have been blessed with tremendous support from family & friends & a fabulous team of medical professionals. I have made a good recovery but unfortunately the reaining deficit is my vision. Again, with great help from occupational therapists & Vision Loss Rehab I am adapting & crafting once again. It is great to be back sharing cards & techniques & "Zooming" (is that even a word??) with my crafty friends.

Things are going well & I even played a bit of golf this summer! However, typing & blogging are still a bit difficult so my posts may not be too regular. I hope that you will stay in touch with me on Facebook (Arlene's Uptown Stamping) as quick posts & pics are easier for me.

Check in HERE to use my online store & keep up with all the goings-on at Uptown Stamping & Stampin' Up! Contact me any time for assistance or just to share. I love hearing from you & seeing your work.

Your cards & messages have meant the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers,

Arlene

Masks for the Win!

 This is such a busy time of year - especially for cardmakers. Sharing all the wonderful designs floating around in your head & getting them into the mail on time while cooking, shopping & prepping for the holiday seems a huge task. So if you're running a bit behind or just don't care to get caught up in the mayhem, how about New Years cards? 

It's a win-win. No mailing deadlines, no confusion over holidays celebrated, just a wish to welcome a new year & a fresh start.

These cards were created using the Decorative Masks from the Annual catty. The mask was placed over Basic Black cardstock. Then I swiped the VersaMark ink pad across the mask in a stripe-like pattern. After removing the mask, I added silver embossing powder. The ink stripes with embossing were repeated two more times using gold & copper embossing powder for a shimmery metallic pattern! 

The "Cheers" sentiment from the Heartfelt Wishes stamp set was heat embossed on a narrow strip of cardstock & embossed in silver. Some metallic twine adds the final festive touch.

Using a different mask & a more random pattern, the same technique was applied to this card.

The Gold Shimmer Ribbon was frayed out (thank you Zahra Premji) to create golden wisps tied with silver twine.

Both cards are embellished with Champagne Rhinestones - perfect for New Years don't you think?

If you love to share the joy of cardmaking, why wait for a traditional occasion? Send a card for New Years. to say Hello or just for fun. This really is a win-win!

Cheers,

Arlene

Peaceful Christmas

 The October Paper Pumpkin kit is stunning! I do take issue with the title of the kit only because, if you have young kiddos, Christmas can be anything but peaceful. Alas our kiddos, (and even the g'kids) are all grown now so we are back to peaceful.

The kit comes with ink in a rich green, Shaded Spruce,  a stamp set with elegant trees & snowflakes, and sentiments in a great font. The card bases are beautiful images of snow laden forests & can be easily cut down to create many more cards. 

By adding Basic White card bases, Silver Foil mats & Real Red accents I was able to create sixteen cards - and I'm not finished yet!

Using the versatile Basic Border Dies to cut out the edge of one of the card bases, I added a vellum strip stamped and heat embossed with the snowflake stamp to the inside of the card. I think this is my favourite design -  although I do love the crisp green and white cards as well.

The vellum die-cuts included in the kit are lovely on the dark Shaded Spruce checked mats. Some White Glittered Organdy Ribbon adds a subtle accent with the vellum.

Next month's kit continues with a holiday theme so be sure to sign up before November 10th!

Come join the group of Paper Pumpkin subscribers & enjoy free classes, pdf's & lots of laughs.

Check it out  HERE in my online store.

Happy Crafting,

Arlene

Fall Fun

 

The September Paper Pumpkin kit is full of Autumn fun! As Canadians we get to celebrate Thanksgiving at the most colourful time of year so the stamp set from the kit is just perfect. The cute treat holders, shaped like pumpkins & apples are perfect for a Thanksgiving table (for us Canucks) or for Halloween treats (for our American friends). It comes in a box that even provides a wheelbarrow!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at my daughter's home so the g'sons & girsfriends all got a treat!

The stamp set from the kit was awesome. It has some stylized leaf images along with some small sentiments - perfect for some clean & simple cards.

Here are a couple of alternative designs using the stamp set & the sheet of die-cuts. By adding some Very Vanilla & basic White cardstock I have some seasonal thank-you cards!

I'm anxiously awaiting my October kit - always a fave. This will give me a start on my Christmas cards so I can't wait. 

Thanks for visiting today. Let me know if I can help in any way!

Cheers,

Arlene

Loving the Nature's Harvest Bundle

 I love the colours of Autumn & I love the fall flowers lingering in the gardens during this Indian Summer. In my neighbourhood the coneflowers are still hanging on & although the new hybrids come in some new colours I used the Blends that I have to "hybridize" my own. 

Here's a Calypso Coral variety!

With a Mossy Meadow card base, I added a layer of Dandy Garden DSP (retired) that provided that perfect late summer backdrop. I coloured the image, stamped in Memento Black ink, with Calypso Coral & Old Olive Blends, highlighting the centre with a touch of Bronze. After die-cutting with the matching dies, I adhered the flowers to a Basic White tag for an exclamation point. The Tailor Made Tags Dies aren't just for tags. The large stitched tag adds a focal point to the card, don't you think? Some Linen Thread & a simple "thank-you" in a classy font adds the perfect sentiment.

Sometimes the gorgeous imagery just speaks for itself.

The Black & White image is perfect on the checked DSP from the Pattern Party DSP. A sparkly knot of Black Organdy ribbon & some black sequins are perfect with the line drawings.

The Nature's Harvest stamp set is a beauty. I love that it comes with matching dies so that I can scatter flowers everywhere! Use your Blends to colour & match things up with coordinating DSP.

Copy nature or create your own palette. Just don't forget to share!

Cheers,

Arlene

Hope in a Box

 The August Paper Pumpkin kit, the Hope Box, is stunning. The colours are wonderful, especially my fave, Blackberry Bliss, & the stamp set included has butterfly images & sentiments of hope & encouragement.

There are enough materials to create nine cards plus embellishments & ribbon to decorate the box. The cards made as per the instructions are lovely but my challenge every month is to create & share alternatives using all the pretty extras provided.

                             

This card uses the stunning die-cut mounted on a card base as the focal point. I snipped the pre-stamped sentiment in half so that the words continue on the inside.

A few butterflies stamped over the textured stamp finish off the inside.

For the next card I used the back of the large die-cut as a mask to create a brushed background. After using the Blending Brushes & shades of Soft Succulent, Melon Mambo & So Saffron brushed onto a Basic White card base, I added a layer of Vellum cardstock to soften the look. This provided a lovely backdrop for my die-cut butterflies. I added a touch of Wink of Stella to the wee creatures to add a little sparkle. The sentiment is a favourite of mine from the Ornate Thanks stamp set - perfect for any greeting or occasion.

The grand collection of stamps, embellishments, ribbon & die-cuts provided materials for at least five more designs just by adding some black or white cardstock to the mix. 

Some heat embossed white butterflies highlight the water-coloured mat from the kit.

With inspiration from Rachel Tessman, I mounted the die-cut butterfly onto a black base for a bit of drama.

Refills are available for this kit so you could make a set of these beauties & gift them in the pretty box provided. Shop HERE.

Subscribing with me as your demonstrator comes with loads of perks! Free classes & tutorials are provided every month as a member of my PP Peeps gang. Be sure to subscribe before September 10 to get the fun Autumn kit for September. Subscribe in my online store under PAPER PUMPKIN. Here's a sneak peak at the September box of fun.

With one more month to go for Sale-A-Bration, you could earn a free SAB product with a 3 month Paper Pumpkin subscription. Free classes + free stuff - what's not to love?

Cheers,

Arlene

Hydrangea Heaven

 My favourite flower is the hydrangea. And while the big blue & pink hybrids are the show stoppers these days, I still love the reliable white Annabelle variety. They go from creamy white to soft green as the summer progresses & bloom consistently for weeks.

I tried to create the same effect with my Hydrangea Haven stamp set.

After stamping the image from the Hydrangea Haven stamp set in Pear Pizzazz, I added subtle touches of Soft Seafoam on the petals with my Blends marker. I then painted the whole flower top with Wink of Stella for some subtle creamy shimmer. The flower was die-cut with the matching dies, then popped up on a vellum mat embossed using the Timeless Type 3D Embossing Folder. The card base is Soft Seafoam, highlighting the tint on my bloom.

It's fun to get inspiration from things around us, and even better that we can create a message to share. 

Leave a comment below & let me know what inspires you.

Cheers,

Arlene