Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Convention 2013

Stampin' Up!'s Convention is nearly here!  I am so excited to attend my very first convention.  This year should hold many surprises as it is SU!'s 25th anniversary.  I am anticipating learning new techniques and seeing some sneak peeks of upcoming treats in store for the year.  I still need to pack, so this post will be short and sweet but I wanted to post my swap card.  Instead of writing the recipe on the back of the card, I just posted my blog address and people can check out the details below.

I knew summer was going to be busy so I did not make general swaps like I did for Baltimore Regionals.  I did, however, join a vintage swap.  The swap only requires 12 cards but each one has to have a vintage feel.  I love vintage style cards, AND I struggled a bit coming up with this design!  So many new catalog items are similar to older items I already own (I guess this happens when you've been a stamper for so long) and I didn't want to spend too much on a stamp set I wouldn't use frequently.

Here's what I came up with:

The card was simple to make, but still has the "wow" factor of 3-dimensions. I was glad to have the chance to play around with the new colors!  The base of the card is the new Smoky Slate (it is a bit washed out in the photo).  Next, I ran a 3 inch piece of the new In Color, Pistachio Pudding, through the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder with the Big Shot.  I layered that with a piece of the Ruffle Stretch Trim Ribbon (I LOVE this ribbon!!).  I stamped the Million and One greeting in Blushing Bride on Very Vanilla cardstock and cut it using the window frame framelit.  I used the paper piercing tool and then the Festive Paper Piercing Pack on the pierce mat to poke the holes all the way around the shape, giving it texture.  The flowers were created using 5 punches from the new Pansy punch onto Blushing Bride cardstock. I sprayed the petals with water and crinkled them to give them more of a vintage look and feel.  I topped the card off by adding a Very Vintage Designer button with a bow made from Early Espresso Baker's Twine.  

... And that's my card for Convention!  Hopefully it will be well received by this vintage-loving bunch!  When I return, I'll post some pictures from Convention here.