My nephew is expecting his second son any day, any hour. His wife is going to the doctor tomorrow and they may find themselves with a new addition to the family before they return home . . . who knows! All I know is I cannot wait to meet Reed when he chooses to make his debut. Reed also has a big brother, Jack, who is 5 years old and is quite anxious for everything to happen.

While I've been waiting to hear, I made this card. When I saw this stamp in the current Stampin' Up! catalog, I just knew I had to have it, especially since I love the new layering stamps which this is. It's not a fancy card because they're not fussy people.

On 110# white card stock, I stamped the first layering stamp with London Fog using my MISTI stamp positioner. Changing stamps to the second laying stamp, I stamped with Gray Flannel. The 3rd layering stamp was inked with Summer Sky and repeated the inking and stamping 3 times. I used the first layering stamp of the bow with Summer Sky; and for the second layering stamp, I inked with Bahama Breeze. I used a watercolor brush and the Bahama Breeze ink pad to brush on a string of ribbon at both ends of the bow around the ear's neck/shoulder area. The pads of the paws and eyes were colored with the Clean Color Real Brush Markers in Beige, Dark Oatmeal and Dark Brown. I went over the brown colors with a wet watercolor brush and soaked up the water and bits of color with a clean paper towel; I did this several times until I felt the color was softened enough. The sentiment was stamped with Summer Sky; I re-inked and stamped 4 times to make sure this light color held its own without adding another color.

The background panel was embossed with a brick embossing folder. I used the Soft Finish 85# card stock cut to 4-1/8" x 5-3/8". Using the Distress Ink Tool, I added color to the embossed panel with Antique Linen. That soft finish card stock worked beautifully and added a little subtle texture; I had used a 110# piece of white card stock earlier and the color was flat, even over the dry embossing.

The stamped panel was cut with a scalloped edge rectangle layering die set from Spellbinders; I used the largest die for the stamped panel and the next largest die for the fun foam adhered to the back of it. I edged the die cut panel with Old Paper Distress ink. Light blue sequins were randomly placed and adhered with Glossy Accents.

Stampin' Up! Stamp 12 piece Ensemble Stamp Set "Baby Bear" & Textured Expressions "Brick Wall"

Spellbinders' Scalloped Rectangle Small Nestabilities' Etched Die Set S4-131

IMAGINE Crafts' Memento Dye Ink by Tsukineko in London Fog; Gray Flannel; Summer Sky; Bahama Breeze

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Antique Linen & Old Paper; Distress Ink Tool; Sm. Round Foam Pads

Kuretake's Zig Clan Color Real Brush Markers in Beige 072, Dark Oatmeal 066, and Dark Brown 062 Pretty Pink Posh Sequins "Springtime Mix"

Ranger's Glossy Accents

Fun Foam in white

Conqueror 118# Cover Card Stock in Diamond White (A2 base card)

core' dinations' Heavyweight 110# solid dyed core card stock in white (stamped panel)

Elizabeth Craft Designs' Soft Finish 85# card stock (embossed base panel)

I think variations of this little bear will be my new "standard" new baby card design. It is quite adorable.

On the Magenta blog, Bianca van Noort made a binder to hold her Magenta cling mount stamps. The binder cover is gorgeous! She used two of the new Nuance colors.

Go to this link to see Bianca's posting on the Magenta blog:

http://www.magentastyle.com/2016/07/binder-to-store-my-stamps-cartable-pour.html

On the Penny Black blog, Patti Kehl has been asked to be a Guest Designer. I love these miniature card designs she came up with; they're perfect for that special little note and look very easy to make and duplicate.

Click on this link to Patti's post on the Penny Black blog:

https://pennyblackinc.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/welcome-patti-guest-designer/

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you'll give any one of today's ideas a try.

#StampinUp #Spellbinders #IMAGINECrafts #Tsukineko #MementoDyeInks #Ranger #TimHoltzDistressInks #ElizabethCraftDesigns #PrettyPinkPosh #MISTIStampPositioner #MagentaStyle #BiancavanNoort #Nuance #NuanceWatercolor #PennyBlackStamps #PattiKehl