Stampin with Tea 'N Me

2012-01-24T08:13:00.002-07:00

This card features some of the wonderful new products in the Occasions mini catalog. Be sure to contact me if you want to get the catalog .... or come to one of my classes where these cards are featured.

Don't forget - Sale-a-bration starts today. You can get a free item from the catalog with each $50 that you spend. Don't miss this great opportunity.

Jolly Versatile Blogger Award

2011-12-20T12:33:00.001-07:00

The greeting on this card describes how I feel today . . . JOLLY! I'm tickled because I was given the Versatile Blogger Award by Wendy Hawkinson and want to thank her for the honor. You can see her amazing creations on her blog called "got rubber will stamp".

Today you can see her lovely card for the color challenge using Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Always Artichoke and Crumb Cake. Love the combination.

The rules for the Versatile Blogger Award:

Send it along to 15 bloggers and let them know they have been awarded this blog award.
While 15 seems like a lot of blogs, I had a very hard time choosing just 15. There are so many I enjoy visiting. But here is the list I selected. I know you will enjoy visiting each one of these blogs - each one has something to spark you imagination and inspire your creativity.

Christina Bagne at - http://www.gettincrafty.com/

Jan Faring at - http://www.jansstampingcreations.com/

Kris at - http://stampingwithkris.com/

Nancy Dawson at - http://creativewishes.blogspot.com/

Monika Davis at - http://monikastamp.wordpress.com/

Sage Kimble at - http://stampingmadly.typepad.com/stamping-madly/

Robin Messenheimer at - http://robinscraftroom.com/

Chera Wiest at - http://greetingsbychera.blogspot.com/

Lynn Starzyl at - http://www.starzlstamps.com/stamping_with_lynn/

Maria Pobre at - http://www.stampingwithmia.com/

Barb Mullikin at - http://www.barbstamps.com/my_weblog/

Melissa Stout at - http://www.stampdoc.typepad.com/

Laura Zaraza at - http://laurazstamps.com/

Erin Gonzales at - http://www.handstampedstyle.com/

Tami White at - http://stampwithtami.com/blog/

Another requirement: Share 7 things about yourself.

First, I am a wife and mother and love this part of my life. Without these jobs, I think I would be lost. My husband is very supportive of my crazy creative bent and never complains when I am lost in the stamp room for hours. My daughters are just the best and I love being close to both of them. I will rejoice every day that we can see each other.

I am a grandmother of 3 Super Grandchildren - I mean these children are just the absolute best. (of course, if you are a grandparent you will think I am wrong ....but I understand that). Ethan is 7, Averie is 4 and Edey is almost 3. What a blessing these children are to me.

I love Stampin' Up! products and I love using them to make cards and all sorts of fun projects - enough said .... everyone knows what I mean.

I can spend hours blog hopping - there are so many fabulous blogs and ideas.

I just discovered "pinterest" - and once you discover it, you will understand what a terrible thing that is. If I am not blog hopping - then I may just be pinning!

Coffee and Chocolate are the main staples of my life but I really like most food. In fact, I simply love to eat and enjoy trying different foods.

I am not a good cook - which amazes me because I love to eat. But I think God may have forgotten to give the the '"basic cooking gene" when he put me together. So, I live to eat out and love to talk my husband into cooking!

There you have it - I hope you will come back often. Enjoy the links back to Wendy (thanks by the way) and be sure to visit my nominations for the Versatile Blogger Award!

Happy Stamping

Lovely as a Tree

2011-12-17T10:18:00.002-07:00

It's hard to see in this picture, but this card has a very delightful sparkle. The snowflake from Serene Snowflakes creates a background of twinkly lights. I stamped in Versamark, then sprinkled the card with Heat and Stick powder. After shaking off the excess, I heated the powder just long enough to melt it. Then I sprinkled Iridescent Ice over the top and shook off the excess. By heating again, the Iridescent Ice was stuck to the card.

This Card makes a lovely birthday card but you could turn it into a Christmas card too.

Supplies

Paper
Night of Navy card stock
Old Olive card stock
Whisper White card stock

Ink
Old Olive classic ink pad
Always Artichoke Stampin' Write Marker

Bashful Blue classic ink pad

Stamp Set

Lovely as a Tree

Teeny Tiny Wishes

Serene Snowflakes

Accessories

Heat & Stick Powder

Iridescent Ice Powder

Heat Gun

Modern Label punch

Sponge

Happy Stamping

2011-12-09T13:22:00.001-07:00

There's still time, but don't wait. Use my Stampin' Up! wish list to let your friends and family know what you want from Santa. They can contact me and I'll help them pick the perfect gift for you - I even offer free wrapping - download my list and instructions HERE.

Then sit back and create this darling card - I borrowed the Grinch from Chris Twing at For Love of Paper Don't you just love him?? I'm sure you have on person in your life that this card will suit perfectly.

And for the inside of the card, I was inspired by Kirsteen Gill at CreateinwithKirsteen. She had a darling card with Santa going down the chimney. I couldn't resist adding that to my Grinch card.

And for fun, I typed the perfect greetings for my card and punched them with Stampin' Up! punches to add that special touch.

If you want directions, you can download them here. You will need a pattern fro the feet, hat and mouth. You can download that here.

Happy Stamping

Make your own Christmas Tags

2011-12-05T09:58:00.001-07:00

I have a selection of Christmas tags that will suit all your packages. You can easily change the colors to match your wrapping paper - no problem. If you are ready to really be green, use brown packing paper that comes in the Stampin' Up!© boxes or the white packing paper that was used to wrap up those breakable items you purchased at the department store for wrapping paper. You will be so happy with the results.

I found that several items in my tool box that I have used frequently this holiday season:

The Peek-a-Boo Frames die - #124587

Stocking Builder Punch - #124095

Heat & Stick Powder and Iridescent Ice - #100625 & 101930

Glimmer Paper - Red 121790 and Silver 124005

Dazzling Details #124117

1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon - Wild Wasabi 125059, Cherry Cobbler 125056

Amazing Gifts to please everyone!

Happy Stamping

On Line Extravaganza

2011-11-29T10:54:00.001-07:00

Today and Tomorrow will be your last chance to get this great calendar template and stamp set at a discount. Want to see more - check out the OnLine Extravaganza Sale here.

This is just one example - there are tons of specials including stamp sets, embellishments and digital downloads (seen below).

Year to Remember 2012 Calendar Template (127619)

I was pleased with the stamp brush set that include threewonderful graphic designs shown in the first page below. Then, of course, youget 12 calendar pages and stamp sets to mark the special dates of the year.This set also includes great numbers and names of the months. I am going tohave fun with this one.

Bargello Patterns

2011-11-28T14:07:00.001-07:00

Love this idea - creating a graphic design for the background on a card. I have see so many variations of this idea and I wanted to try my own.

For this card, I used the striped pattern from Spice Cake Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up!® I cut a strip approximately 2 1/2 inches wide and 5 1/2 inches long and I made sure that the stripe would be running parallel with the bottom of the card. If I had cut the paper in the other direction, you would not have see the bargello pattern.

After cutting the strip, I used the Stampin' Up! table top cutter to cut the strip into smaller strips approx 1/2 inch wide. Then I glued the strips on to the card front with Snail Adhesive. I made sure the at the pattern did NOT line up across the page - this created the bargello look. I continued gluing in a random pattern - moving the strips up and then working them down the other side.

I stamped the vase with the Button Buddy stamp set on Whisper White card stock, using the Stampin' Write markers to color the stamp. I matted the vase image with Old Olive card stock and attached it to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals®. The greeting is stamped on Whisper White card stock using just the greeting part of the stamp from the stamp set "Ain't Love Grand". I attached this to the card with Snail adhesive and topped it with a button attached with a mini glue dot.

Try your own! Pick up any of these supplies from my Stampin' Up! website HERE.

Happy Stamping!

do something FUN today

2011-11-22T11:31:00.001-07:00

And everyday!

Try making this darling card.

Directions

1 full sheet of Real Red card stock folded in half and cut with the holiday Stocking die. Place the fold of the paper just inside the cutting edge of the heel and cuff of the stocking so you will have a folded shape. Then cover the fold with your patterned paper.

Cut the cuff, toe and heel from patterned paper. Stamp with White Craft ink and heat emboss the greeting. Tie on a bow and some bells - easy and FUN.

Supplies

Real Red card stock (102482)

Letters to Santa designer series paper for toe, heel and cuff (122349)

Marina Mist 5/8"satin ribbon for bow

Mini Jingle Bells (124116)

White Craft ink (101731)

Heard from the Heart (111644)

Heat Tool (100005)

White Embossing Powder (109132)

Big Shot (113439)

Holiday Stocking Bigz L Die (124098)

You can purchase all of these Stampin' Up! supplies from me at this link

MY Stampin' Up! Store

Happy Stamping

Celebrate digital Scrapbooking Day - Today

2011-11-04T12:17:00.002-06:00

You can get free digital content at mydigitalstudio.net. All that's required is to sign in (you can use google, yahoo or facebook ) and complete a brief survey - then you can get 4 great files for free.

This is one file that you can get - a template called Neutral Delightful Day. I just added a picture and a few words in the journal box and my scrapbook page was ready. A stunning and fun way to "get it done"! The file comes with Delightful Digital Tape embellishments and one 8" x 8" scrapbook template. But its very easy to change the template - take out some elements and add your own. You will create a new look each time you do.

Go over to mydigitalstudio.net to get more information and your free downloads.

2011-10-31T21:00:00.001-06:00

Stamping with bleach is something I have tried before. It's a lot of fun and has some great results. But this year at convention, I heard that the demonstrators learned to add Smooch Spritz to the bleach pad and the results were awesome. So I had to try my own.

I experimented with several card stocks and with both the Gold Glow Smooch and the Silver Foil Smooch. I got quite a few different looks depending on the stamp set as well.

The top set is done with Silver Foil. The bottom set is done with Gold Glow. Notice that some show more sparkle than others. You should continue to spray the Smooch on the bleach as is looses it's concentration quickly.

One thing to be sure when you try this is to use a light touch when you stamp. Pressing too hard causes the bleach to spread out more and you get a "fat" image. My best advice is to give it a try yourself and just have fun.

Fold the paper towel and put it in a plastic or glass container. Pour a capful of bleach onto the paper towel. Spay with Smooch Spritz. Then ink the stamp with the bleach/smooch solution and stamp. Give the image a little time to bleach out the paper.

The card above uses Gold Glow Smooch Spritz with Old Olive card stock and the Serene Snowflakes (115438) stamp set. I used this for the background for the 'Tidings of Comfort and Joy" stamp from Word Play (120308). I stamped the snowflakes on Whisper white card stock in Old Olive classic ink and embossed that piece with the Big Shot and Hounds Tooth embossing folder (123134).

I topped the card with a Real Red Satin Bow (117286) and mittens from Stitched Felt (124108). So....Cute!

Have fun and happy stamping.

Free Digital Downloads

2011-10-30T13:44:00.002-06:00

Who doesn't want something for free? Then you've come to the right place. On November 4 through the 7th, you will be able to download these digital graphics for free! There are free stamp sets, free templates, free designer papers and free embellishments in 4 separate files for MDS or if you haven't purchased MDS but use another digital scrapbooking software, there will be files compatible with them too. This is just one example of what you will receive ....just in time for the holidays.

Why you may ask? Well we want to celebrate National Digital Scrapbooking Day. Keep you eyes open and come back often. I will post more examples of what you will recieve and I'll have a link to the downloads on November 4th.

Stampin' Up! Kraft Gift Boxes - the Perfect Size

2011-10-29T17:09:00.000-06:00

These Kraft Gift boxes from Stampin' Up! are the perfect reason to give a gift - something spooky or something lovely. Either way you will love working with these boxes. You can decorate them any way you want. They are quick and simple to assemble. These are the perfect size for your special cookie recipe. Each box will hold 3 or 4 good sized cookies - and the person who receives this gift will be so tickled - it's twice as personal!

Supplies:

Kraft Gift Boxes 124106 (4 for $2.95)

Top box - I used Spooky Bingo Bits (123946 - clear, 123944 wood) stamp set. I stamped on Whisper White card stock and punched the images with the 1" Square punch (124094). Then I backed them with 1 3/8" squares punched in different colors (119877) and placed them on a Scallop Square that was cut with the Big Shot (113439) and the Scallop Square Die (115950). I stamped the spiders around the edges with Out on a Limb (123840) stamp set. The fastener is done with buttons attached with large glue dots and an "ouchless" rubber band (both non Stampin' Up! products). Then I filled it with great shortbread cookies done with the cookie press (125152) --- YUM!

Bottom Box: Two 8 " x 2" strips of patterned paper from Beau Chateau (122357) are wrapped around the box. They overlap a bit at the corners and are attached with Snail Adhesive. The top is decorated with a 2 7/8" square of the same patterned paper matted with a 3" square of Basic Black (121045) on top of a 3 1/4" square of Bashful Blue (105120). I created a flower with the Fancy Flower Punch (118073) with a center from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch (118309) and then with a Rhinestone Jewel center (119246). The ribbon is Victoria 5/8" Crochet Trim (118481)

National Scrapbooking Day is Coming

2011-10-26T11:48:00.000-06:00

Stay tuned - National Scrapbooking day is coming and Stampin' Up! is ready to celebrate with you. Between November 4 and November 7 you will be able to download 4 free digital designs for My Digital Studio. The graphic above is an example of just one of the free digital files you will get- it's Called Delight in the Day.

Be sure to come back for more highlights in the next few days and I will share more samples with you and tell you how easy it will be for your get these free digital downloads. Here is a better view just one of the free templates - an 11 x 8.5 album two page layout.

A Fun Technique with the Stripes Embossing Folder

2011-10-23T08:39:00.000-06:00

This is a darling stamp set called Forest Festivities, and just perfect for this plaid background - a technique shared by Lee Conrey. To make the plaid, brayer the stripes embossing folder with Wild Wasabi classic ink . Then place Whisper White card stock inside the folder and run the card stock through the Big Shot. This will give you a green stripe on the card stock.

After cleaning both the embossing folder and the brayer, brayer with Cherry Cobbler classic ink. Place the card stock inside the folder - but turn it 90 degrees so the lines will cross. Then run the card stock through the Big Shot.

The result is Plaid Gingham! Lots of work cleaning between the steps, but really worth it.

Supplies

Stamp Set: Forrest Festivities (123797 wood, 123799 clear)

Paper: Cherry Cobbler (119685), Wild Wasabi (108641), Whisper White (100730), Crumb Cake (120953)

Ink: Basic Black classic stamp pad (101179), Watercolor Pencils for watercoloring (101879)

Accessories: Brayer (102395), Brads - Brights collection (119740), Piercing Tool (116631), Cherry Cobbler Quilted Satin Ribbon (124105), Blender Pen (1028045) Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder (117335), Stripes Embossing folder (123128), Big Shot (113439)

Gift Givers & Shaker Frames

2011-10-19T11:58:00.003-06:00

I am having lots of fun with Shaker Frames . . . and here's one more. The darling little image is from a great stamp set in the holiday mini called Gift Givers. All of the images in this stamp set match punches - a must have for those of us who love punches. I'll be posting more ideas for this set later.

The shaker frames are easy to use. This card uses the 2nd largest frame which is a match for the 1 3/8" circle punch. I stamped the image on Whisper White and used Watercolor Wonder Crayons to color the image. Then I attached the frame (which is self adhesive) and sprinkled Red Stampin' Glitter inside the frame. Then remove the protective tape from the top of the Shaker Frame and cover it with a 1 3/8" circle of Window Sheet. The scallop around the edge is created by punching a circle with the 1 3/8" punch in Poppy Parade card stock. Then center the 1 3/4" scallop circle punch around the outside of the circle and punch out the scallop.

Supplies

Stamp sets: Gift Givers (123772 wood, 123774 clear), Short & Sweet (115060 wood)

Paper: Whisper White (100730) & Poppy Parade (119794) card stock, Patterns Designer Series Paper -Certainly Celery (117152)

Ink & colors: Basic Black Classic ink pad ( 101179), Poppy Parade Classic ink pad (119782), Brights Watercolor Wonder Crayons (119804)

Accessories: Blender Pen (102845), Fine Galaxy Stampin' Glitter -Red (114286), Window Sheets (114323), Shaker Frames (124155)

Punches: 1 3/8" Circle Punch (119860), 1 3/4" Scallop Circle (119854)

Hope you were inspired to create today!

2011-10-17T09:31:00.000-06:00

You will want to see all the other CRAFTY Picks on Tiffany Bauer's blog.

Shaker Frames by Stampin' Up!

2011-10-16T18:17:00.000-06:00

Time out for just a touch of Christmas. . . which isn't really that far away, is it?

Stampin' Up!® has introduced two new products: Mica Flakes and Shaker Frames. I had fun using both of them on this card. The Shaker Frames are wonderfully easy to use and add a darling flavor to any card or scrapbook page. the Mica Flakes can be adhered to your project so quickly and easily - just lay down a strip of Snail Adhesive and then sprinkle the flakes onto the strip. Shake the loose ones off and there you go. Here's a picture of the bottle. You recieve a generous supply with this purchase.

To make the shaker window, stamp your background image (in this case a Christmas Tree ornament) on card stock and then place the shaker frame around the image. Fill the frame with tiny buttons, punched shapes, mica flakes (as I did) or glitter. HUM . . . I bet there are a ton more ideas. Cut a piece of Medium Window Sheet to match the opening of the shaker frame (use the outside edge of the frame as your measure) and place it over the frame. Since the Shaker Frames are self adhesive,you don't need to use glue or Snail Adhesive on them. For This card, used a Scallop circle to decorate the perimeter of the opening.

Supplies:

Stamp sets: Delightful Decorations (116517 wood), Tiny Tags (118091 wood, 118592 clear)

Card stock: Cherry Cobbler(119685), Marina Mist (119682) Letters to Santa (122349), Whisper White (100730)

Accessories: Mica Flakes (124115), Shaker Frames (124155), 1 3/8" Circle Punch (119860), 1 3/4" Scallop circle Punch (119854), 3/4" Circle Punch (119873), Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon (119257)

Hope you find some ideas to get your creativity going today!

Halloween, Kids and Boo Bingo

2011-10-13T11:02:00.002-06:00

My Grandchildren just love this game. We called it BOO Bingo. It's perfect for their age group (4 through 7) and it's perfect for Halloween Parties. Stampin' Up! has everything I needed for this project.

I printed the bingo card with My Digital Studio on Whisper White Card stock. I printed two per 8 1/2 x 11 piece of card stock (5 1/4" wide by 6 1/4" tall). You can also use the background stamp to make the bingo cards. The stamp is approximately 4 1/2" wide by 5 3/4" tall so your cards will be a bit smaller.

I used the Spooky Bingo Bits stamp set to but you can use any group of stamps you want - just pick at least 24 of them.

Now the fun comes in. Let your children help you stamp the images in the squares in different Halloween Colors. Have them stamp once on each card and once on a piece of Whisper White. Make sure they use different squares on each card. For Example, the witch's hat should be in a different square on each card. You may want to limit participation in this part to 2 or 3 children per adult so you can supervise.

Punch out the images on the Whisper White card stock with the 1 1/4" circle punch. Use Snail Adhesive to attach them to circles of various colors punch out with the 1 3/8" punch. You're ready to play. We used buttons as markers. Other things you could use would be dry beans or M&M's (yum). We placed all the punched out images face down and one person drew the images. Everyone marked their image with a button. As soon as someone got a straight line they yelled BOO!

AND - you can make these for every occasion. Just vary the colors and stamp sets a bit. HAVE FUN!

Supplies:

My Digital Studio (118108 or 124483)

Bingo Card Digital Download (122182)

Whisper White card stock (100730)

Spooky Bingo Bits stamp Set (123944 - wood or 123946 clear)

1 1/4" circle punch (119861)

1 3/8" circle punch (119860)

Variety of ink colors and card stock scraps

Hope you are inspired to create today!

Flirtatious Designer Series Paper

2011-10-11T10:46:00.002-06:00

A few days ago I posted a set of refrigerator magnets made with Spice Cake Designer Series Papers. This set is made with Flirtatious. I love the bright colors. the magnets are very easy to make. I have details on how to make the magnets here.

The only difference between this set and the previous set is how I attached the magnet to the back of the button. See my notes below for more details.

Check out this set - just right for those Christmas shopping lists - these magnets make great gifts for teachers, coworkers, delivery people, babysitters and more.

I don't have a die that has the right size of a circle for cutting the magnet for the back of the button. Since punches don't go through magnet sheets, I did my circle by hand. I traced the button on the magnet sheet with permanent marker and hand cut the circles just a bit smaller than the outline. Since magnet sheets are self adhesive, it was easy to attach them to the back of the button.

To create the ruffle for the Christmas set, I used snail adhesive along the edge of the ribbon. Then, I gathered the ruffle around the back edge. It's very easy once you get going. And easy to pull out a bad spot and redo it. I placed the magnet on the back next and then used hot glue for a permanent hold.

***Supplies for Both***

Spice Cake Designer buttons (124113)

Magnet Sheets (119816)

1 1/4" circle punch (119861)

***Top set****

Flirtatious Specialty Designer Series Paper (122360)

Brights Flower Brads (119734)

Neutrals Flower Brads (119730)

****Bottom Set***

Letters to Santa Designer Series Paper (122349)

Cherry Cobbler Quilted Satin Ribbon (124105)

Chocolate Chip Scallop Dots Ribbon (124142)

Have fun getting crafty!

Stampin' Up!'s Spice Cake Product Suite

2011-10-08T13:45:00.000-06:00

I had so much fun using the Spice Cake Designer buttons and paper to create a refrigerator magnet set. The colors are so unique - who "wooda thot" that I would just love this combination: Pool Party, More Mustard, Soft Suede and Pear Pizzazz? But I do!

OH and did I mention that I used the Big shot for both of these projects? Did you know that you can get a free BIG SHOT if you sign up as a demonstrator this month. (more information here)

I think you will have a lot of fun with this suite too - the colors and patterns are lovely. The suite is a winning combination with the Gently falling stamp set. These leaves are so perfect for this paper and amazingly with these colors too. I used the Simply Scored to make the diamond pattern in the background. Love my Simply Scored (122334)!

To Make the Magnets:
Spice Cake Designer Buttons (124113), Magnet Sheets (119816), Spice Cake Designer Series Paper (124003), Filigree Designer Brads (112577), Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon (122975), Scallop Dots Ribbon (124142). 1 1/4" circle punch (119861), Scallop circle #2 Die (113469), Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets (120805) Big Shot (113439).

Back a 1 1/2" square of designer series paper with the multipurpose adhesive sheet. Punch out a circle with the 1 1/4" circle punch. Peel off the backing paper and adhere the circle to the center of the button.

Back a 2" square of designer series paper with the magnet sheet. Cut out the scallop with the Big Shot and the Scallop Circle #2 Die. (Use the smaller of the two scallop circles on the die). Attach the button to the scallop with Snail Adhesive or Multipurpose Adhesive sheet.

Decorate as you like. To attach the brads, I cut off the prongs with wire cutters and glued them with hot glue (but Crystal Effects would work if you have time to allow it to dry). I used Mini Glue Dots to attach the bows.

Hope you found an idea or two that will inpire your crativity today.

"Happinessis a journey, not a destination....dance like no one's watching."

Night Owl Designer Kit

2011-10-07T13:44:00.002-06:00

Something a bit different today....a scrapbook page made with My Digital Studio.

This page features 4 of my favorite people of course and the template that is included with the Night Owl Digital Kit that you can purchase from Stampin' UP! (122174 $7.95). This kit includes 12 new designer series papers, a stamp brush set and a designer template. The templates are easy to modify and make a great spring board to your own creation.

If you want to know more about Stampin' Up!'s digital crafting software, contact me or head on over to My Digital Studio.net for lots of fun and information.

2011-10-05T16:43:00.003-06:00

The Kraft Boxes offered in the Stampin' Up!® Mini Catalog are a perfect size for so many different uses. My prizes for the best Halloween costumes will be these craft boxes, filled with cookies made with my darling cookie press (see below for more about this). The cookies fit perfectly and they will be a perfect choice.

I used the "Spooky Bingo Bits" stamp set to decorate the top. And a favorite from the Mini Catalog is "Out on a Limb" - this set has those darling spiders and bats - so cute. I created a fastener with the buttons and an "ouchless hair band" - just for fun. The box lid fits perfectly and will not flop open.

But the boxes can really be used for a lot of different holidays and occasions. Here is one done up in Beau Chateau paper (one of my favorites) with a vintage flower to decorate the top. The flower is very simple to make with the Fancy Flower Punch and a bit of lovely Victoria Crochet Trim.

I will be saving this for a very special gift.

And - if you want to have a perfect gift, fill it with cookies make with the new cookie press.

Hope you find some inspiration here today.

Halloween Spooky Fun

2011-10-04T17:55:00.001-06:00

I love to make Halloween cards and I think Stampin' Up! has some really fun stamp sets and papers to work with. I especially love the little cellophane bags - 1 inch wide and 8 " long. I put black licorice, pencils and candy in mine - love the bags.

Then - I just had to add some of the Dazzling Details to my card - I love how it works. The dazzle is in the glue - just a quick squeeze on the important places and you're done. It works great. But be sure to leave plenty of time for it to dry.

I used the Spooky Bingo Bits stamp set for the card. And Lucky Limeade is the BEST color in the world for Halloween.

The Candy Wrapper makes a Super Cute treat for a fellow worker or neighbor - just to let them know you are a freind. It's decorated with Wicked Cool stamp set.

Tomorrow, I'll add a few more ideas for products from the new mini catalog - take a peek at this great selection - click on my sidebar for the catalog.

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter on the side bar (add your name to my mailing list) 'cause my letter will tell you how to do the White Crayon resist technique.

October Opens BIG

2011-10-01T09:38:00.000-06:00

There are so many great things to tell you about for October. I'm really excited to tell you about all three.

First, you can join my Stampin' Up! team and get a free big shot or $100 in free product when you do. WOW!
Second, you can get a free stamp set when you buy 2 Simply sent kits - that's a super deal.
Third, you can order Stampin' UP!'s new Cookie Press which you will just love when making your holiday cookies.

Click on the links on my side bar to find more information or contact me.

I am having so much fun trying new techniques. I must say, I am spending too much time having fun and not enough time posting here. So I will try to do better this month.

I will be sending out my October newsletter in the next few days and I'll be explaining the technique that I used in this card. It's called Crayon Resist. Its very simple and fun. There are so many ways to to use it and I think you'll be delighted with the results. Sign up for my newsletter if you're interested in getting the scoop.

Colors: Wisteria Wonder, Concord Crush and Whisper White.
Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Accessories: White Satin Ribbon, Corner Rounder Punch, Big Shot and Designer Frames Embossing Folders set, Watercolor Wonder crayons

Hope you are inspired to create something today.

Medallion Weaths - They're all the rage!

2011-09-12T19:16:00.001-06:00

You are probably seeing these little fan flowers everywhere. And, they have a lot of different names: rosettes, fan flowers, medallions or lollies. But whatever you call them - they are tons of fun to make - once you know the secret that is.

Why this rush to make medallions you ask. Well - Stampin' Up!® just released a new product called the Simply Scored® and the medallions are a very fun way to show how great this tool is. And I will say, I love my Simply Scored.

Now - how do you make these cute little things? Well, I have put the basic directions at the bottom of the blog - you can jump down there to read them I you don't already know. But I have heard lots of questions about what kind of paper, what size of medallion, what kind of scoring? Are there other ways to glue them? I wanted to report my findings here.

This is my wreath. I have used such a variety of sizes and types of paper that I will share with you here.

The base is made from the cardboard that is included in a package of Designer Series paper. Using a compass, I drew a 9" circle on the cardboard. Then I drew a 5 1/2" circle inside of this and cut out my wreath with scissors. I made two of these and glued them together to improve the sturdiness of the wreath.

I cut the strips of paper at 1", 1 1/2", 1 3/4" and 2". They make medallions of 2", 3", 3 1/2" and 4". You see how they look stacked up (picture at top) and laying along side each other here.

To make a medallion with a 2" strip, I needed to glue two 12" strips together. I used Snail Adhesive® for this job - it worked great. For the 1" wide strip I only needed one 12" strip. Although you can glue two strips together on any size diameter, the larger the diameter, more likely you will need more than 12" long strips. I used two strip for all the strips that were 1 3/4" wide or 2" in diameter.

You can see in this selection how much "fuller" the bottom two medallions appear than the top ones. This is because they are made with 24" long strips.

Another difference in the medallions, is how close together you place the score lines.

With these 3 medallions standing on their side, you can easily see the difference in the scoring. The first medallion is scored every 1/2". The middle one is scored every 1/4" and the one on the right is done ever 3/8". AND - that would have been much tougher with any other scoring tool. But with the markers on the Simply Scored, it was a breeze.

Finally, the Designer Series Paper is so much easier to use. If you use card stock, be sure try the wider score marks - like every 3/8" for example. That makes is much easier to fold and crease well.

Hot glue was the only thing that worked well for me. I tried using snail, sticky strip and multipurpose adhesive. Nothing worked very well. Hot glue was quick and easy. I didn't try Crystal Effects. I am sure it would have worked but it is too slow to dry.

I attached the bow with florist wire. Hope you are inspired to create someting of your own! Have fun.

Click here for the basic directions:

Besides the Simply Scored, you will need a circle punch and a hot glue gun. For starters, cut your patterned paper (or card stock) at least 12" long and 1" wide. Lay the paper on the Simply Scored and score every 1/2 inch. Then, turn the paper over and score between the score marks at every 1/4 inch. Fold the paper back and forth, line a fan, creasing it completely as you go. Then attach the ends together with snail. Cut out two 3/4" circles of coordinating card stock and set them where you can reach them.

Press in the middle so your "fan" will lay flat. This takes a bit of practice but will start to be very easy once you repeat it a few times. Lay your fan on a piece of scratch paper. Press it flat and squeeze it together so the hole middle gets very small. Place a generous dab of hot glue on the middle of the medallion and then top it with one of the 3/4" circles. Hold firmly until the glue sets.

Turn the medallion over and repeat this process with the second 3/4" circle. Wallah - your medallion is done. VERY SIMPLE, no?

Final Tea Time Card Set Pictures

2011-09-07T16:22:00.000-06:00

These cards done with the Tea Time Simply Scrappin' Kit were just so fun and easy. You only need 1/2 a package to make all 8 cards. I added a few additional items such as one and a half sheets of plain card stock, pearls, buttons and stamped images.

I would love to share the instructions for these cards with you. Just leave a comment on my blog and I will e-mail them to you.

Hope my posts helped you get inspired. Have fun stamping!

More Tea Time cards

2011-09-03T16:00:00.002-06:00

Here are a few more of the cards I created with 1/2 of a package of Tea Time Simply Scrappin' Kit. A set of these cards would make a wonderful gift for your BFF or your MIL or any other combination of letters that you can think of (like SSS -- super special sister).

The cards are quick and easy and you have lots left over for a scrapbook page and a few more cards.

Split a pack with a friend and spend the afternoon designing your own set of cards.

I'll post more later - be sure to come back.

Here's a peak at one of the techniques (faux linen) that I have included in my next newsletter. Hurry and sign up on my sidebar if you want to find out to create this card.

Happy Stamping!

Hostess Club Birthday Books

2011-09-01T08:02:00.001-06:00

Happy September everyone - remember that the Holiday Mini s"is open for business" starting today. You can download your copy on my side bar.

The Hostess Club did birthday books on Saturday. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures from everyone. But you can see some of the great books we made. Michelle's is above and Juli's is below. If you want to see more about the birthday book - click here.

The group had fun - they are so creative and now the project will be to fill our books with cards for every occasion. We'll be the MOST organized and prepared ladies that you have met!

Ladies - send me your pictures - I would love to post them here.

Happy Stamping

Tea Time Takes the Cake

2011-08-28T11:49:00.000-06:00

Everyone on the East Coast is in my thoughts and prayers. I hope this storm passes with no damage to you, your loved ones or your property and that you are up and stamping in no time!

These two cards were created with the Tea Time Simply Scrappin' kit. I love the kit and the colors. I created 8 cards using just half the kit and I'll be posting them over the next few days.

If you like to scrapbook, you will love these kits for scrapbooking. The papers are wonderful and versatile and the die cuts take all your pages up a notch. But if you like both scrapbooking and card making, you will see that its very easy to use these kits to make great cards.

Follow along with me over the next few posts.

Beyond the Garden Calendar

2011-08-25T08:13:00.001-06:00

I always need a monthly calendar but can never find just the one I want. So I decided to make my own.

Stampin' Up! paper is so fun and easy to work with - I love how this turned out.

I used the Beau Chateau Side Notes to accent the front (the label) and several pages inside. These are wonderful additions to the catalog - be sure to check them out. (122379) They are an inexpensive way to add a unique design element to your card, scrapbook page or any project.

Here are some more pictures from the inside of my calendar.

Besides the Side Notes, I added some Designer Series Paper, a few stamped elements and some pounced flowers through out the book.

I created the calendar pages in MS Excel, printed on copy paper and pasted these into my book.

I added some lined paper to the end of my book for notes - and more lovely design elements.

The Designer Series Paper I chose is one of my favorites called Beyond the Garden. Hope you enjoy - happy stamping

More Layered Brayer

2011-08-22T18:22:00.001-06:00

Here's another example of Layered Brayer Technique. This time I used Delicate Doilies - a beautiful set. I used circles to mask the different levels of color. The colors are Certainly Celery, Old Olive and Always Artichoke. Want to know more about this technique? Sign up for my newsletter on my side bar.

Want to know more about Brayers - click these links

Brayer Tutorial

Double embossing with the Brayer

Rubberband Brayer Technique

Manhattan Floral in Pink

Hope you are inspired to try a few of these ideas.

Have fun Stamping

Lots of Crafting Going ON!

2011-08-21T18:00:00.000-06:00

I made this card as an example of the Layered Brayer technique. I really love this technique. I think it has so many possibilities. As you start working with it you will just keep thinks of new stamp sets, colors and shapes that you want to incorporate.

I am explaining this technique in my latest news letter. Be sure to sign up (on my side bar) if you want the tutorial.

Birthday Book

2011-08-16T14:39:00.000-06:00

This birthday book is made to hold cards that I make for special occasions for my friends. Inside I have a page and pocket for each month with a place to write my friends and family special dates. Then I can make the card and tuck it in the pocket - ready for that special occasion. You can use this book year after year. Take a peak inside.

This is the inside front cover - just decorated for fun

This is an example of a month with a pocket to hold the cards for that month.

Here are a few more shots:

To make the book I used:

2 pieces of Chipboard for the cover

6 sheets of Very Vanilla Card stock cut in half

2 sheets of coordinating solid color card stock

1 sheet of designer Series Paper

Modern Label punch - to make a tab that closes the out side edges of the card pocket

binding machine

A Perfect Gift Card

2011-08-11T13:00:00.001-06:00

I have seen many versions of this card and just couldn't resist making my own. This butterfly easel card makes a perfect gift card for weddings, anniversaries, showers and more. It's easy to make and you will have fun "dressing" it up with the proper amount of bling.

All you need is the Big Shot®, the Beautiful Butterflies Sizzix Die® (exclusive to Stampin' Up!®), your favorite embossing folder and your favorite Stampin' Up! card stock.

You need to cut out three of the largest butterflies with the die using the same color card stock, such as Pool Party which I used. Attach two butterflies together at the tips of the wings and crease so the card can open. Crease across the middle of the second (top) butterfly to create the easel fold. .Emboss the third large butterfly with an embossing folder. (I used another Stampin' Up! exclusive called Vintage Wallpaper®.) Attach the third butterfly on the bottom half of the second butterfly. The third butterfly can now stand up like an easel.

Cut one of the second largest butterflies in a contrasting color. I used Whisper White and stamped the floral images in pool party classic ink. This image comes from the stamp set called Vintage Vogue. This stamp set is a wonderful set that I use over and over.

Attach this butterfly to the front using Stampin' Dimensionals. You can decorate any way you like. Use a greeting tag or a punched shape (like the heart on my card) inside the card to provide a prop for your easel.

Create your own envelope with the NEW Simply Scored tool to be released by Stampin' Up on September 1 (I can hardly wait to show it to you). I embossed the envelope with Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder too and stamped the same floral on the flap. What a perfect wedding card!

2011-08-04T11:50:00.000-06:00

Designer Series Paper® is on sale at Stampin' Up!® this month - get one free with every 3 that you buy. that's a great deal!

This card uses Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper which works so well with a large variety of colors. I combined it with Pool Party, River Rock, Always Artichoke and Whisper White to create this card. The layout is so simple and it's quick to make.

I loved using the new Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch to create the flowers - Topped off with a Designer Printed brad (love those) and the Stamp Set called Strength & Hope. Stampin' Up! will donate $2 to Breast Cancer Research for every purchase of this stamp set or every purchase of the digital Strength & Hope file .

Don't miss out - the Designer Series Paper special and the Strength & Hope purchases are only available until August 31.

Happy stamping to all!

Tea Time Simply Scrappin'

2011-08-03T11:13:00.000-06:00

I love Tea Time Simply Scrappin'® Kit and, with the help of my talented friend Kathy, I designed 8 beautiful cards that you can use for many occasions. The set uses 1/2 of a kit, leaving you with the rest of the kit to make scrapbook pages, more cards or use for some of the exciting boxes, bags and flowers that are scattered throughout the catalog.

Stay tuned - I'll be posting more cards from this card set over the next couple of weeks.

I'll be giving a class on these cards in August. If you live in the Denver, CO area, contact me for more information.

Happy Stamping!

Make your own Board Game

2011-07-28T09:10:00.000-06:00

Want a great idea for a summer project - try making your own board game. I used Stampin' Up!® Designer Series Paper and my imagination to come up with a fun design and game rules. I used punch art to create game tokens .... a monkey, a fish, a lion and a turtle. Which one would you choose?

I covered the box and the board with coordinating papers. I made up this name - so original, right? But it was so much fun to work on. I think you could expand this idea for a lot of uses:

Teach your children numbers, colors, shapes and more
Celebrate a special occasion in the family - a family reunion or a significant anniversary
Give your children a fun project
Make a special gift and very unique for a friend
more.....

If you want to get the dimensions for my project and more detailed instructions, leave a comment and I'll post more tomorrow.

Happy Stamping!

Hostess Club and Button Buddies

2011-07-26T15:30:00.000-06:00

The hostess club didn't have any trouble getting inspired by the Button Buddies cards featured in the Stampin' Up! 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog® . Check out Stampin' Up!'s® ideas on page 71 then see what we came up with below! We had a wonderful fun and the creativity was really flowing!

Hollen

Michelle

Laura

Paula

Michelle

Hollen

Michelle

Laura

Paula

Hollen

Laura

Its time for you to have your own button buddies party! What a fun theme for your and your friends. You'll come up with some wonderful gift cards, tags and note cards while sharing some great conversation.

Happy Stampin

Old Stamp Set, New Look

2011-07-23T09:39:00.000-06:00

I love the stamp set, Totally Tool (113256) and although it's been around for a while, it is still fun to use! But, I added a new twist . . . the new Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing folder - unique to Stampin' Up!® .

The card was quick and simple to make and yet it still has a great look - the embossing takes it up a notch. And of course my favorite color, Cherry Cobbler, along with a bit of ribbon adds the finishing touch.

I must say that the Big Shot® has been one of my "go to" tools for card making and scrapbooking. I never fail to see just the perfect touch for a card or project when I dig out the Big Shot.

And here's a quick tip

When you first get your new die or embossing folder, try it out on a few types of scrap materials before you use it on your first project. Try different "sandwich" combinations and make note of what works best. Also, make note of the size of paper that you need. Jot these down on an self adhesive label and attach this to the die. You will never have to look up that information again.

Did you know?

Stampin' Up! puts the recommended sandwich for each type of die and embossing folder right in their catalog - so you don't have to look far if you forget what's needed. Also, when you are looking at the catalog, some of the dies and folders are Dark Green and some are light green - hum, why is that?

The Dark Green are unique to Stampin' Up!

Happy Stamping

2011-07-19T09:23:00.001-06:00

This stamp set is just the ticket! Such a cute set for any age and any purpose. I think I will use it often. I wanted to keep this card simple - just a bit of twine and a button and I have a perfect birthday card for any little boy on my list. (I Dig You # 122720 wood and 122722 clear)

I love the new Perfectly Placed Guides for the Clear-Mount blocks. You will too. The Guides are predesigned to fit five of the block sizes and there are two guides that can be customized to fit any of your blocks. There are straight, angled and curvy lines for just about any application you want. I used mine to line up the greeting on this card. (Perfectly Placed Guides # 121785)

If you have wood sets that you want to convert to clear mount - Stampin' Up! has the solution for you. Cling Foam - #124236. You get two 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of foam with one side adhesive and one side cling. You won't miss with this foam and Stampin' Up! quality.

I haven't converted any stamps yet but Clear Mount stamps are so wonderful - easy to use and great for storage - I think it's time for me to try converting a few stamp sets myself.

Happy stamping!

Paper Strawberries - SO CLEVER

2011-07-16T20:55:00.001-06:00

Everyone is wondering how to make these darling strawberries featured on page 99 of the Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog.

Here's my version. You will need the big shot and the Flower Folds die.
Cut out the second to smallest flower with Real Red Card stock and run it through the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder.

Cut out two adjoining petals and then fold the flower inward to shape the straw berry. Use snail to attach the end petals together, overlapping each other.

Punch the top of the strawberry with the 5 petal flower punch out of Old Olive card stock. Punch the center with a 1/16" circle and thread with a piece of Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon. Attach the petals of the Old Olive Five Petal flower to the tops of the "Strawberry flower" with mini glue dots - use several.

The process requires a bit of patience but the strawberries look so cute!

Happy Stamping

PS - I found another demonstrator who makes these strawberries a bit differently - and I think they might be a bit easier too! check it out at Sharri C's blog Papercrafts Love Affair

All About Texture

2011-07-16T10:06:00.001-06:00

This card was fun to make - and my focus was to emphasize texture. To create the medallion with the Letter H, I embossed a piece of cardboard with Versamark and Gold Embossing powder. I repeated the process three times to get a good layer of melted embossing powder or "glaze". When I completed the last layer, I quickly pressed the stamp set into the still warm embossing "glaze" and removed it carefully. The stamp set left the impression in the "glaze".

I used the Crimping Tool to crimp another piece of card board and brushed Tea Stain ink over the to of the ridges. The Tea Stain ink is from the Distressing Essentials Kit (#118762).

I added a layer of embossed vellum, matching the embossed leaves with the same embossed image below.

I used two stamp sets: Strength & Hope (#118100 wood, 123660 clear) and Nature Walk (#121925 wood, #121997 clear). The colors I used were Pear Pizzazz, Kraft and Bravo Burgundy (picked up in the patterned paper from Botanical Gazette which is retired).

All supplies are Stampin' Up!®
Happy Stampin!

2011-07-12T16:47:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about a clever lady, Mary Lecuyer, who made a wonderful pin with the beveled picture frame. You can see that post here. Mary inspired me to try some jewelry of my own. And this is what I came up with. I love Black and Red and was very tickled with this look. The idea for a neclace was inspired by fellow demonstrator Patty Bennett.

The frame is very easy to work with. I laced Black Satin ribbon through the slots and placed my stamped image on the back of the frame, attaching it with dots of Tombow glue. I used a bit of snail to fasten the ends of the ribbon together on the back. I placed another looped piece of ribbon on the back, with a bit sticking up over the top. This was used to thread the pendant on Black Cord. I put another piece of decorative paper on the back and attached everything securely a hot glue gun. Very personalized and fun to wear!

Here are some more pictures of more items of jewelry that I made - almost all Stampin' Up!® products. Think of all the fun you an your daughter, sister, BFF or all of you could have with any of these projects.

Charms made with Shrink Plastic, Stamps, Classic Ink and our punches. Inspired, again, by Patty Bennett. Here's her blog: pattystamps.com

Two Pendants made with Sculpty Clay. I stamped the clay (Circle Circus for the first and Eastern Blooms for the second). Then I cut the pendants out with a jar lid (or you can buy cookie cutters in the craft store for just this application). I poked a hole in the top with the Paper Piercer. I added a bit of "shinny topping" with the Shimmer Paint. The clay is already colored. This ideas was inspired by a competitor - I have to thank her for sharing.

I stamped my image on card stock, and cut it down to fit the frame from the Hodge Podge Hardware Kit. (Unfortunately these are retired now - but hopefully you will have a few left). I attached the paper to the frame in the corners with Mini Glue Dots and then filled the frame with Crystal Effects. Try to just squeeze it in slowly and let it spread. If you move it around with a toothpick or similar, you will smear the image and the finish won't be as smooth. I dropped in a few pearls for fun. This necklace was inspired by Erika Martin, another very talented lady. You can find her at stampinmama.com.

Happy Stamping - or should I say - happy crafting!

2011-07-09T11:18:00.001-06:00

Love, love, love the new colors released on 7-1 by Stampin' Up!® this month. Hope you will take time to check out the 2011-2013 In Colors. They are so refreshing. You can download the new catalog on my side bar.

This card is done with Pool Party (aqua), Island Indigo (darker blue) and Calypso Coral. I used Vintage Vogue for the flowers (#117690 wood or #118598 clear), Confetti for the backgrounds (#116960 - wood or #120465 clear) and Short and Sweet (#115060 wood) for the greeting.

This card is simple to create. Cut the whisper white card stock 3.75" x 5" and then divide it into four different sized panels. Stamp a background pattern on each panel. You can use a different pattern like I did or you can use the same one on each panel. I used a delightful set called Confetti . But many stamp sets offer great background stamps - just look at Button, Button or Circle Circus. These two sets could be perfect.

After cutting your panels and stamping them, attach them to a background piece of card stock cut 4" x 5.25". Wrap the panels with a ribbon and decorate with any array of flowers. Or, you might want hearts or birds and a bird cage . . . possibilities are endless.

My flowers were matted with contrasting colored flowers cut with the Fancy Flower Punch (#118073). Then I dotted the centers with just a drop of Tombow glue and glitter from the Fine Supernova collection (#114287).

You will have lots of fun with this card template. If you send me copies of your creations, I will add them here for others to enjoy.

Just for fun - I have included a copy of a card that I made with this template several years ago and notice - the colors, although different are similar. This card was made with the 2007 In Colors. Remember Groovy Guava, Blue Bayou and Soft Sky? This same collection gave us River Rock (yes - now one of the color collections) and Purely Pomegranate - yummy - loved that color.

Happy Stamping!

Exciting Promotion for July

2011-07-07T10:04:00.000-06:00

Stampin' Up!® never fails to amaze me - they are offering a $99 starter kit for new demonstrators this month. How wonderful to be able to start your new business with such a minimal investment. There is also a bonus Keepsake Box kit (a $40 value) included for free. But hurry - this only lasts for this month.

Click Here To learn More

New Catalog, New Colors, New Stamps . . . Here we come

2011-07-01T10:20:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited about the new catalog and all the new products. I'm ready to take out a loan to buy it all but .... reality is, I will have a long wish list. I hope I'll be able to add a few new things as I go.

If you are starting on your wish list, you can download a wish list right here - keep track of your favorite items and cross them off as you go. Or give me your wish list and tell the people on your gift list to just contact me - I'll even gift wrap the items for them. You can click on the links in my side bar to see the new catalog and the Stampin' Supplies link is right below. I hope you have time to enjoy.

This card is made with the new set of In Colors - Lucky Limeade and Pool Party. I included Blushing Bride from the 2010-2012 In Color group and used a new stamp set called Pennant Parade. The patterned paper is from the new patterns called Just Add Cake. Of course, I used the new Petite Pennants Builder punch. The Pennant sticks are wooden skewers that I cut to size and attached with Snail adhesive - it worked great!

Hope you enjoy! Happy stamping

Sorry to See them Go

2011-06-26T09:40:00.000-06:00

There are many retiring Stampin' Up!® stamp sets that I am going to miss. A Sense of Time (#113804) is just one. I combined Sense of Time (pictured below) and Artistic Etchings (#118517) to make this card. I think they work so well together. The colors I used are Riding Hood Red, Chocolate chip and Basic Black. I incorporated a bit of Designer Series Paper left over from Elegant Soiree (#117163). All of these papers are retiring too.

I just stamped and cut out the key and attached the Antique Tag to give the key added dimension.

Here's a tip that was shared by my friend, Donna in Wisconsin. When you spend a lot of time on a card and create one of a kind piece of art, you friends are so delighted to receive your card. Instead of signing your card, try adding your notes and signature on a slip of paper and enclose this darling poem with your card. That way - your card becomes a gift!

I didn't sign this card before

I sent it off to you.

Instead,it holds my warmest

thoughts,invisible but true.

So,if you find you need to

brighten someone's day,

take this card and sign it and

send it on it's way.

Happy Stamping!

Something for You and the Kids

2011-06-23T10:44:00.001-06:00

The hostess club recently made these darling games. It was fun for us and the kids are having lots of fun playing with our creations.

Hollen, our creative genius, came up with the idea. We painted one side of 1" circle discs made of wood with acrylic paint and then stamped a design on them. This was the "back" of our game pieces. Then we dug out all the stamp sets we could find that had small stamp images and away we went. We made two of each image and "WA LA" - we had a memory game for the little ones. And - our older kids decided that they enjoyed making these games - so there you are.....a fun project for the young ones and the old ones.

Can't do better than a bit of fun entertainment for everyone! Thanks Hollen for the idea.

A bit of technical information for everyone:

The wooden disks were made by my Husband - a dowel and a saw. For best results, you need good hard wood.

I tried using Stampin' Up! classic and craft inks to color the disks. The classic ink worked great BUT I figured it would be a bit expensive so we switched to paint.

For Stamping, we used classic ink - the acrylic paint did not give a clear image, and craft ink did not show up. Darker classic inks worked great!

Drying time - 15 min at most (at least here in our dry climate).

Double Embossing

2011-06-20T17:49:00.000-06:00

Stampin' Up! shared this wonderful technique with Demonstrators this month and I just had to try it. I love the results. I hope you enjoy.

I used the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and NewsPrint Designer Series Paper. I used the brayer to ink the inside of the folder with Versamark ink and I embossed the paper with the Big Shot. Then I sprinkled the paper with black embossing powder, flicked off the excess powder and heat embossed the paper. It became the focal point for my card.

When using this technique, brayer the ink only on one side of the paper. You can try using either side - you will get very different results. And, you will probably love both.

Tip - if you want to learn more about the Brayer, check out this posting

The flower I used for this card is made with two flowers of Cherry Cobbler card stock punched with the Fancy Flower Punch. I crumpled up each flower into a ball. Then I unrolled the flower and peeled it apart. I got two flowers - one side had a "suede" feel to it. I really scrunched the flowers in the center and glued them together with Tombow two way glue. The flower was dry in just minutes.

For an even more distressed look, you can try spritzing the flowers with water before you wrinkle them up. Then let them dry before peeling apart.

The card base is Very Vanilla and it is embossed with the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder and the Big Shot. The layers of paper are from Love Letter Designer Series Paper, Embroidery Lace and Black Satin Ribbon.

Stenciling with Big Shot® Dies

2011-06-20T10:02:00.000-06:00

The Sizzix Bigz L® Fun Flowers die, which is exclusive to Stampin' Up!® can be used in so many ways. I loved making the flowers from this die and continue to see wonderful flowers on cards. But the negative paper that is left after punching the flowers can be used as a stencil and even more wonderful ideas start to be generated.

I had a lot of fun making this paper that I used as a background for the card. After laying the stencil on the card stock, I picked up ink on a sponge and used circular motion to to spread the ink on the paper inside the flower outline. Here are a few tips for you.

· Start at the edge and pull the sponge into the middle of the flower pattern. This will prevent you from getting ink under the stencil.

· Hold the edge of the stencil firmly so it won't slip as you sponge.

· Since the flowers are cut close together, be careful not to smear the color into the flower that is next to the one you are working on.

I used So Saffron, Not Quite Navy and Tempting Turquoise to make the flowers. I matted the paper on Not Quite Navy card stock and the card is So Saffron card stock.

I used the Signo Gel pen and a More Mustard Stampin' Write marker to make the flower centers. I gently outlined just a few flowers with the Sahara Sand Stampin' Write marker. I hope you have fun trying stenciling. You can use almost any die cut image. For example, try the Beautiful Butterflies die (also a Stampin' Up! exclusive die).

Thanks to Mary

2011-06-09T18:36:00.000-06:00

I recently participated in a blog tour and left notes on some of the other blogger pages to tell them what great projects they were posting. Without even realizing it, I was entered in and WON some Blog candy! It was a delightful surprise.

Mary Lecuyer in Mesa Arizona sent me this terrific piece of jewelry.

The Pin in made with the Beveled Window Pane embellishments and the Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper. This wonderful paper will be available for sale starting July 1 - you will find it is a terrific splash of color and design - you will love using it. She also used the Four Frames stamp set - - - another new set that will be available on July 1. The stamped frame is punched out with the Designer Label punch.There are small Rhinestone Jewels on the edge and the ribbon is Baja Breeze Seam Binding.

Mary attached a piece of card stock and a pin to the back. I'll be wearing this pin a lot - love the colors and her design.

And a wonderful card - hand made of course. Don't you love it?

Here's the link to Mary's blog - hop on over to see what wonderful items she is posting today.

Dog and Pony Show

Stampin' Up!® Releases Last Chance Lists

2011-06-01T17:59:00.001-06:00

It's that time again! There is just one month before Stampin' Up! unveils the next catalog and the retired stamp and accessories list has been published. OH MY - - - I am always to sorry to say good bye to my favorites. AND --- then I'm so excited to see the new stamps, colors and accessories. You will not be disappointed.

If you had a favorite Stamp Set, Sizzix Die, Ribbon, Designer Series Paper etc... that you have been debating about - this may be your LAST Chance. You can see the "Last Chance" lists here

Last Chance Lists

Retiring Stamp Sets will be available until June 30. Retiring Accessories and Definitely Decorative items will only be available while supplies last. Some of the Accessories and Definitely Decorative items are on Sale - you can see a list of items for sale - just click on the LAST Chance Lists link above.

Gift Ideas

2011-05-28T12:59:00.000-06:00

We always need ideas for gifts. This is one that I think will always be a welcome gift for a friend, teacher, or relative -- - - - A Stationery Portfolio. I used a Stampin' Up! file folder to make a unique, personalized folder for note cards, then I filled it with simple notes that I hand stamped. Now my friend had a handy way to keep her note cards close by and ready whenever she needed to send a quick note.

The folder I used for the stationery portfolio was last years model. If you want to try this idea, you can order the file folders in this year's design called Play Date - item #117170

Think what darling portfolios these will make!

Besides hand made cards, I included some hand made envelopes to match. There are so many fun ways to personalize the envelopes. You can stamp on the envelope to match the card as I did with these.

Or you can include a stamped or patterned paper liner as I did with these envelopes. The first is stamped on vellum which makes a wonderful liner for the inside of your card. The second is Designer Series Paper Called Celebrations.

You can also make an envelope from patterned paper such as this one.

Making your own cards is simple and fun and the results are stupendous. If you want to mail this envelope, you can use a plain sticky label that you purchase from the stationery supply store for a place to put the address.

Who wouldn't be excited to open such an envelope? Have fun creating the finishing touches for your own hand made cards!

Happy Stamping

Brayer Tutorial

2011-05-25T11:20:00.000-06:00

Oh My - what a silly mistake! I sent my newsletter out today and I realized that the link to my tutorial was not working. SO HERE IS The Working LINK.

Hopefully my readers will check my Blog or e-mail me if they want to get a copy. The picture above is just one of the examples that I show. I am planning on including at least one tutorial in my newsletter each month. This month, because of my silly mistake, I'm going to share that same tutorial with my blog readers. But, be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get the next one.

Feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me if you can't access this tutorial. It's a real learning process for me!

Happy Stampin'

Fabulous Florets - Marvelous colors!

2011-05-21T16:51:00.000-06:00

I simply love the new stamp set called Fabulous Florets and the coordinating paper called Beyond the Garden. Stampin' Up! has added three new embossing powders in Wild Wasabi, melon Mambo and Tangerine Tango. These colors are so wonderful together. I just can't resist using them with this set.

The greeting is from another fabulous new set called Strength and hope.

You can make this card very simply. Use a Whisper White card stock for the base (8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half) and attach the a piece of series paper that has been trimmed to 5 1/2" x 3 3/4". Cover the seam between the two with a "ribbon" punched out of Wild Wasabi card stock with the Pinking Hearts border punch. The ribbon should be 5 1/2" long.

Create the flower plaque using a technique called MASKING. Stamp the top solid flower in versamark ink on a piece of Whisper White card stock that is cut 3" x 3". Emboss with the Tangerine Tango embossing powder. Stamp the flower again on a piece of scrap paper and cut it out. Use a bit of Dotto (re-positionable adhesive) to make the back of the flower sticky. Then attach the scrap flower over the top of the embossed flower. This will keep the stamping of the other flowers from leaving ink on top of the solid flower.

Use versamark ink to stamp large outline flower on the left of the solid flower, overlapping slightly as show. Repeat this same step on the right side. When you remove the scrap flower, the outline flowers will look like they are "behind" the solid flower. Heat emboss these with Wild Wasabi Embossing powder.

Attach the flower plaque to a matte of Wild Wasabi card stock cut 3 1/4" x 3 1/4". Attach this to the card front with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Stamp and emboss one more solid flower on a scrap of whisper White card stock. Cut it out and attach it to the flower plaque on the bottom left so that this overlaps slightly.

Have fun creating.

Father's Day is coming

2011-05-18T15:20:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the SUDSOL Blog Tour. I loved all the projects - could have spent hours looking at everyone's wonderful creations. And - I love the fact that these ladies all share with the SUDSOL group. If you are a demonstrator, be sure try out the free trial to see what I'm talking about. You can click here to get to the link. Just tell them I sent you.

This Card was so fun to make. The stamp Set, Word Play, is perfect for this card. And I used the new Postage Stamp punch to highlight the ends of my greeting. The background is gives a great effect. You will love to try some of these techniques on your own cards too. The colors used here are River Rock, Bravo Burgundy and Pear Pizzazz. Great for Dad's don't you think?

The back ground in the middle of the card is done with a brayer and rubber bands, a trick I learned from a friend, Kathy Sills. It's a fun and versatile way to add some pattern to your cards.

Remove the rubber rubber roller from the brayer (it pops out) and wrap it with card board (like the backing that comes with the Sizzix dies or the Designer series paper - being green here). The size of the cardboard needs to be 4" by 3 3/4". This will help to protect the rubber surface. Then wrap the cardboard with rubber bands. Ink up the rubber bands and run them across the card stock. Ink and roll until you have the density of pattern that you like. Then turn your paper side ways and roll again to get the "plaid" look.
There are many variations to this idea that I want to share with you. I will do a tutorial and send it out with my news letter. Don't miss it - be sure to sign up for my newsletter.
To get the words DAD - I used the Lovely Letters Alphabet stamp set (115030). Then I punched them with the 1 1/4" circle punch. I matted these on a circle punched with the 1 3/8" circle punch - a perfect layer. To string them up, I needed a hole punch that was just a bit smaller than the crop-o-dile. A HA! The two step owl does the trick.

The letters are strung with the new Baker's Twine (from the Summer Mini - #123125). This twine is soft and easy to work with - you'll love using it.

Now your turn - get busy creating!

SUDSOL BLOG TOUR on May 17th

2011-05-16T20:00:00.054-06:00

Here are a few items featuring the products from Stampin' Up!s Summer Mini Catalog ... we hope you have fun on the tour and end up with tons of great ideas.

One item that caught my fancy was the Pretty Postage stamp set (123095) and the Postage Stamp Punch (122344). I think this set is ideal for creating quick but stunning cards. Here are a few ideas I came up with:

I used a wonderful embossing technique that I learned from my fellow Demonstrators on SUDSOL to make this card. I brayered the inside of the Square Lattice Embossing folder with Crumb Cake classic ink and embossed a piece of very vanilla card stock. The ink for the embossing folder was applied to the indentations on the pattern, giving it a wonderful look.

The colors used are Peach Parfait, Very Vanilla. Crumb Cake, Wild Wasabi (for the embossing on thanks), and Early Espresso card stock and 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (119961). I used the Square Lattice Embossing Folder (119976), the Big Shot (113439) and a Brayer (102395) to create the pattern on the background piece.

This card also uses the Pretty Postage Stamp Set and the Postage Stamp Punch but the look is entirely different. This is a 3" x 3" card that fits perfectly in the Mini Square Envelopes (107309). The Cherry Cobbler card stock base is embossed with the Big Shot (113439) and the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder (120175).

I used Stampin' Write Markers in Cherry Cobbler(119681) and Old Olive (100079) to color the stamp. I stamped on Whisper White Card stock and punched it out with the Postage Stamp Punch. Having the punch is so fast and easy - no worry about lining the image up perfectly. The Stamped image is backed with Old Olive card stock and a Scallop Square from the Scallop Squares Duo die. This makes a perfect layer. I added some Stampin' Dimensionals to give the scallop some dimension (104430).

To decorate the envelope to match, I used the Stampin' Write markers to color the stamp again but this time I did not color the outline. This makes a perfect set. Imagine giving your friends a gift adorned with this perfect card. They will love it!

Another item that caught my eye was the Flower Garden Textured Impression Embossing Folder (123113). I simply could not resist this wonderful folder. I envisioned so many quick and simple cards and - sure enough. It's a great addition to my craft room.

I sponged the raised image with a bit of So Saffron classic ink and Frost White Shimmer Paint (116854) . . . a favorite embellishment of mine. The greeting is done with the Happy Greetings stamp set (123331) - its just perfect for so many occasions. I used a small dob of shimmer paint and Baja Breeze classic ink to create my own shimmery ink. I dabbed this on the stamp and stamped on Whisper White Card stock. I punched the image out with the Decorative Label punch ( 120907 - a favorite of everyone).

Did you know that the Decorative Label punch, although not found in any catalog, is still available. These are called carry over items and you should contact your demonstrator if you want a list of these carryover products.

I finished the card with Baja Breeze Taffeta Ribbon - another carryover item - 122331. I created a back drop for the floral impression with a rectangle of Beyond the Garden Designer Series Paper (122342). You will absolutely love this paper.

If you are a demonstrator, be sure to take advantage of the SUDSOL free trial membership. You will find these and many more ideas on SUDSOL. But it's not just for creative ideas. This online group is a wonderful resource for all aspects of your business. Be sure to click here to sign up for a free 2 week trial and to explore all the wonderful resources available

A Special Birthday Card Designed for ME

2011-05-15T23:14:00.000-06:00

This is just like the birthday card I received from Stampin' Up!® in April for my birthday. I loved the design and wanted to create my own. AND I did - using My Digital Studio®. I think it's a simple but sensational card. I Added the embossing on the top of the card using the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing folder and my Big Shot®.

The design in My Digital Studio uses the candles from the Party Hearty Stamp Brush Set and the greeting "celebrate you"from the "A Little Birthday Cheer" Stamp Brush Set. The words, Happy Birthday are done with a text box using 36 pt Script MT Bold from Windows Font files. The colors I used were Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Baja Breeze, Old Olive, Elegant Eggplant (for the candles) and Old Olive for the Happy Birthday. The Celebrate You is Brilliant Blue. All of these elements are included with the basic software, except the font files. My Digital Studio used the fonts installed on your computer.

I printed the card on Whisper White Card Stock on my personal printer. My layout has two cards to a sheet of paper. I only printed the front and back. Then cut the two cards apart and folded them in half. To finish the cards, I added some stamping inside and some embossing on the front, along with a Rhinestone Jewel.

This shows the inside of the card

To do the embossing on just the top of the card is simple. Place just the top of the card inside the folder, leaving the printed part hanging off the side. Place the embossing folder on the platform between two cutting pads. Feed the platform into the Big shot with the bottom of the card, which is hanging over the edge of the embossing folder, going into the Big Shot first. Roll the platform into the Big Shot just up to the crease in the card then reverse the handle and back the platform out. You will have just the top part of your card embossed.

Book Mark Card

2011-05-09T14:57:00.000-06:00

A removable bookmark creates the centerpiece for each of these cards. The bookmarks feature a splash of color and the bold flower on each one has been created with either the Fun Flower Die or the Daisies #2 die or a combination of both. I also used the Top Note die to create the backdrop for the bookmark centerpiece.

I used the Word Window punch to create a slot for the book mark to slip into. I only used adhesive on the sides of the Top Note shape so the bookmark would not get "hung up" by the adhesive. I stamped on the Top Note as well as the bookmark so the card would not look "bare" after the bookmark is removed.

The bookmark has magnet sheets attached to the inside so it will cling to the page when you use it for a bookmark. The colors for the cards and bookmarks came from the hostess gift designer series paper called "Designer Series Pack In-Color" which is a great collection of patterns in the 5 current In-Colors. You can earn this book of 6"x6" paper when you host a workshop with $150 or more in sales.

Favors for the Tea Party

2011-05-07T13:57:00.000-06:00

The girls had so much fun at the tea party . . . they were just darling. For favors, I made little purses and barrettes for each girl and my daughter filled them with candy jewelry. It was a four-year-old's dream.

To make the purses, I used a strip of card stock cut 3" by 12". It was scored at 4" and 8" to make the folds at both corners. This formed the bottom and sides of the purse. then I covered two coasters with matching paper (4" x 4"). I attached this to the bottom and side piece, attached a handle with brads and decorated with butterflies and Rhinestone Jewels.

The barrettes were very simple. I cut a strip of Springtime Vintage Designer fabric 2" by 9", folded it in half lengthwise and hand stitched along the edge with a gather stitch. I gathered the material up to form a tight circle and stitched the ends together with a hem stitch. Then I sewed a 1" circle of felt to the back along with a Big Designer Buttons in a coordinating color to the front. I slipped the barrette through a slit in the felt and secured the flower a bit more with hot glue.

The Designer Fabrics, which were featured in the Occasions Mini Catalog, are still available for sale as "carry over items". To see a list of carry over products, click here.

Spring is for Birthdays in Our Family

2011-05-06T17:36:00.001-06:00

Of course a tea party would be the best way to celebrate a 4th birthday. And these tea cups made great party invitations. The girls had a great time drinking tea and having their nails painted - OH yes, along with their dolls. How elegant.

To make the invitations, I used a pattern and traced the cups on the folded card stock and cut them out by hand. The pattern was perfect for a standard size card. Then I added pleated Seam Binding ribbon, Rhinestone jewels, Dazzling Diamonds, bows and Satin Rosettes . . . . . . and more. Stampin' Up! has a never ending selection to choose from. And each tea cup was different.

Click here to download the teacup pattern if you want to make a tea cup card for your darling girl.

My Digital Studio - Quick but WOW

2011-05-03T11:50:00.001-06:00

I thought making invitations for my grandson was a daunting task until I tried it in My Digital Studio. I didn't have to spend a ton of hours either and that was a definite plus. I designed the front and inside of the invitation and exported them to JPEG files. I added them to a Word Doc file so I could print them easily. I printed the front on photo paper and the inside was printed on plain typing paper. After folding the Not quite Navy Card stock for the base of the card, all I had to do was paste the card front and inside to the card stock with Snail Adhesive. They were ready to go.

My Digital Studio® by Stampin' Up!® is really a great tool for so many things. You will love making cards, scrapbook pages, invitations, and making your own designer paper for you hand made projects .... just to name a few. And, Stampin' Up! has a new print product included called a Swatch Book. What a fun idea for a graduation memento.

Don't have any ideas - finding it hard to get creative? Just head on over to mydigitalstudio.net As they say, you will be AMAZED at the super ideas.

Stampin' Up! brings out new downloads almost every Tuesday. Be sure to check out the newest catalog of downloads under the Resources tab. Plus - you can always click on my side bar for the newest rendition.

Keep on Stampin'

Mother's Day Ideas

2011-05-01T17:07:00.000-06:00

Mother's Day will be here before you know it. There is one thing I think almost any mother would love . . . a Simply Adorned Locket with had stamped inserts that you create just for her.

Each chain and locket comes with a gift box, perfect for the occasion. This example is the largest locket #116799. You can have fun decorating the box too. The best part of the simply Adorned jewelry is the fact that you can make it suit the person and it can be an expression of your own style. I have a lot of fun with mine. I used a tiny bit of Designer Series Paper, Pearl Jewels and Broad sheet Alphabet Stamp Set for this insert.

I created so many inserts for my necklace but when I wanted to change the insert, it was hard to see my selection so I created a storage case. You can do this too.

I cut across the closed end of 5 Small Flat Cellophane Bags (item #103104). I laid the 5 bags together and folded them in half and and stapled the folded edges together. I cut a piece of designer Series Paper 3 3/4" by 6". I scored along the long side at 2 3/4" and 5 1/2" and folded on the score lines to create a "wallet". I attached the folded bags to the inside of the designer series paper wallet with Sticky Tape.

For the closure, I punched a Decorative Label from co-ordinating paper and attached a bow and a bow and a Vintage Flower Adornment. Unfortunately, these darling flowers have retired, but you could easily replace this with the Florette (item number 115604) or a any decorative brad. I placed Velcro dots on the inside to fasten my Wallet Shut.

If your mom is someone who likes to create, give her some tools to make her own stamped delights. Each locket comes with a template to help you get the right size insert. Great stamp sets include Try Tiny Tags (118091)

or Charming (116519) for some great ideas.

Scrapbooking Month Specials

2011-05-01T11:00:00.002-06:00

Don't miss this special - go to my Stampin' Up!® Website (click here) for more details. And don't forget that a new mini catalog has been released. Get your PDF copy from my side bar. MORE exciting new ideas are coming your way.

More From the Same

2011-04-26T16:34:00.000-06:00

This card uses yesterday's template but it has a touch of whimsy. I love the stamp set called Touch of Kindness - perfect for so many things. You will be able to purchase this set from the new Mini which arrives May 1.

Stamp Set: Touch of Kindness

Colors: Not Quite Navy, So Saffron, Mellon Mambo and Pretty in Pink

Sweet Stitches Designer Series Paper - this is you last chance to purchase this absolutely darling paper - it will retire on April 30

Accessories: Taffeta Ribbon, Scallop Circle Punch, Pinking Hearts Border.

More fun using the same template but featuring the Strength and Hope Stamp Set. This set will be available for sale with the new Mini Catalog beginning on May 1 and Stampin' Up! will be donating $2 from the purchase of this set to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This is a stamp set you will love to use

Stamp Set: Strength & Hope

Colors: Sahara Sand, Soft Suede, Wild Wasabi

Paisley Prints Designer Series Paper - 4-30 is your last chance to order this wonderful paper until July 1 when it will return with the new annual catalog.

Accessories: 1 1/4" circle punch and 1 3/8" circle punch

Yesterday, I challenged you to use the same template to create your own card. The samples above show more ideas using this basic template. These cards can be as simple or as elaborate as you want them to be - your time is the only limit there are.

If you have any more samples, send them to me and I'll post them here.

Easter Card that works in many ways

2011-04-25T13:40:00.000-06:00

This stamp set is so cute and very versatile. I think you can use this card for a multiple of occasions. It would make a darling birthday card to a friend. Or send it to someone special to just say "I'm thinking of you". The layout of the card is also very versatile. You can replace the Chicky with a lovely flower (if you want a pretty or sophisticated card) or a darling animal if you want something cute. It's also a very quick card to make.

Give it a try. Send me pictures of your cards and I'll post them there.

Come back tomorrow to see what ideas we have come up with.

Stamp Set: A Good Egg
Colors: Marina Mist, Rose Red, Chocolate Chip, Springtime Vintage designer Series Paper
Accessories: Scallop Edge Trim Punch, Seam Binding ribbon, Mini Vintage Tags

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T10:42:00.000-06:00

Two bunnies visited my work shop today. Hope you enjoy.

The top note bunny bag uses the Fancy Favor Die and the Top Note Die and, of course, the Big Note. If you would like to have the punch directions for these two bunnies, or the bunny telescoping card I posted earlier, you will find pdf files for them at the following links

Telescoping Bunny Card
Pink Bunny basket
Bunny Top Note basket

Bunny Fun with Punches and Dies

2011-04-09T10:50:00.002-06:00

Stampin' Up! punches and Sizzix dies (many of them exclusive to Stampin' Up!) take center stage in my creation again. I have been having bunches of fun creating bunnies and here's one idea.

This is a telescoping circles card that I learned from Barb Mullikin. She has a great tutorial that you can see here. I fell in love with the idea of the card and it seemed that this format would work fabulously with bunnies.

This is a picture of the card when it is open. I borrowed all of the punch art ideas from various other demonstrators who are genius at creating these adorable creatures.

.......And this is the end....

Let me know what you think. I have more Easter ideas to follow.

Fun Flowers - One more reason to own the Big Shot

2011-04-04T16:37:00.001-06:00

I use my big shot more and more often. I find so many ways to embellish a card with the wonderful dies and embossing folders. The Fun Flower die is a great flower that you will use over and over. Here are a few cards to get the ideas rolling. The cards feature the Love Letters Designer Series Paper and Presto Patterns and the Brocade Motifs stamp set.

If you would like to have the directions to make these cards, click here.

Spring is Blossoming

2011-04-02T16:58:00.000-06:00

For so many of us around the nation, we have doubts about the arrival of spring when we look out the window. But try looking at these beautiful new products from Stampin' Up! and you will just cheer right up. Yummy designs and a great stamp set that co-ordinates with the Designer Label punch. Get your sneak peed products today.

Simple Stenciling Creates a Fabulous effect!

2011-03-18T17:39:00.002-06:00

It's very easy to create a great effect with a simple stencil. Use your Big Shot® and a Sizzix® die to cut out a shape. Lay the shape aside and keep the outline for your stencil. I used the Ovals die for mine. Because the die cuts 3 ovals at once, the outline piece was a bit difficult to use, so I taped a small piece across the corner.

Then I laid the stencil on my card and sponged Marina Mist classic ink on Sahara Sand card stock, using a circular motion. I repeated applications until I had the depth of color that I wanted. Some people will call this the REVERSE MASKING technique.

After creating an oval of Marina Mist on my card, I stamped over the oval with the greeting in Night of Navy classic ink. I used the stamp set called Thanks for Caring. the greeting has a lovely scroll work over the top and bottom. I did not want to use this part of the stamp so I used the OMITTING technique. With a Stampin' Write® marker, I carefully colored the portion of the stamp that I wanted, "omitting" the rest of the rubber image.

I stamped the butterfly and flowers on the front of the card in Night of Navy classic ink. Then I stamped the same images on Very Vanilla card stock, colored them with Stampin' Write markers in marina Mist and So Saffron. I cut them out and attached them to card with Stampin' Dimensionals® to spotlight these two images.

I finished the card off by applying the Sahara Sand piece to a card of Marina Mist.

This stamp set is available in the Stampin' Up!® Occasions Mini® Catalog. You will be able to order this set until April 30. And Sale-A-Bration® is going on right now until the end of March. If you spend $50 in product purchases, you can get free product from the Sale-A-Bration catalog. You have until the end of the month to take advantage of this great deal.

Get your Sale-A-Bration catalog here

See some wonderful ideas using Sale-A-Bration products on my blog here

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Order the supplies to make this card along and 60+ more cards and get a free item from the Sale-A-Bration catalog

Thanks for Caring Stamp set - wood mount 121901 $19.95

Assorted 8 1/2 x 11 Neutrals Card Stock (20 sheets) 119704 $6.95

Assorted 8 1/2 x 11 Subtals Card Stock (20 Sheets) 119707 $6.95

Marina Mist Classic Stampin' Pad 119668 $5.95

Night of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad 102977 $5.95

So Saffron Stampin' Write Marker 119679 $3.50

Night of Navy Stampin' Write Marker 100069 $3.50

Total $52.75

Pick out one free item from the Sale-A-Bration Catalog

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Stampin' Up! Great Products for the Season!

2011-03-16T18:21:00.000-06:00

The paper the colors and the stamp set all say SPRING. I made this a sympathy card because I have so few but I can see a wonderful mother's Day card or a birthday card for you favorite sister.

The Patterned Paper and the stamp set are from the Spring Mini Catalog. Be sure to check out all the wonderful products in this catalog. I just fell in love with the paper called Springtime Vintage. It goes perfectly with the Baby Blossoms stamp set that I used for the frame and flowers around the greeting. The greeting came from Teeny Tiny Wishes set.

I embossed the card front with the Big Shot and the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing folder. Then I gently sponged the top of the embossing with white craft ink to bring out the highlights and give the pattern some variety.

The Teeny Tiny Wishes set is one that I use over and over - it has every greeting and they are in beautiful scripts that fit with the sentiment. You can't miss with that stamp set for greetings.

The paper I used is Perfect Plum, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla. These coordinate beautifully with the paper, Springtime Vintage. The scalloped edge on the patterned paper is done with the Scallop Trim Border punch - a Stampin' Up! exclusive.

Fun Idea for Kids

2011-02-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of fun with my Stampin' Up!® products - love to make cards and boxes and scrapbook pages and all kinds of delightful things. But recently my grandson said that I was a really good artist. I was pretty tickled that he called me that. Then he went on to say "My art teacher is really good too but not as good as you because you know how to make fun things." Well, of course I will be even more challenged to find more fun things to make with him. I think he is a brilliant 6 year old, don't you?

This is one of the "fun things" I made with him recently.

We used the Ornament Punch and the Celebrations Designer Series Paper to make these fish. We sandwiched a bit of the Magnet Sheet (sold by Stampin' Up! item number 119816) between the two punched shapes and attached a "googlie" eye to each side. Then we turned it into a fun fishing game by adding numbers to one side. The horseshoe magnet was attached to a stick and the kids went fishing for NUMBER 1 (or number 12 or which ever you choose). You can make this game more fun by turning it into math problems. Have them catch 2 fish and add them together to see who gets the highest number.

Note: - the ornament punch is on back order but should be available for purchase soon. Since it is one of our most popular punches, I hope to see it available quickly.

My Digital Studio Downloads

2011-02-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Stampin' Up! released more digital downloads on the 15th and the 22nd. You will really love the calendar stamp sets - no more trying to line up the letters and numbers on those calendar pages. You can use these digital downloads with My Digital Studio crafting software by Stampin' Up! or any digital scrapbooking software that uses .jpg or .png files.

Easter Blossoms Stamp Brush Set 124436 $3.95

Pedaling Past Stamp Brush Set 124558 $3.95

Cottage Garden Stamp Brush Set 124559 $3.95

Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper 124560 $4.95

Calendar Numbers Stamp Brush Set 124554 $7.95

If you want to see all of the digital files click here.
More Mustard Patterns Designer Series Paper 124421 $1.95

Bravo Burgundy Patterns Designer Series Paper 124422 $1.95

Ridinghood Red Patterns Designer Series Paper 124423 $1.95

Elegant Eggplant Patterns Designer Series Paper 124424 $1.95

Night of Navy Patterns Designer Series Paper 124425 $1.95

Not Quite Navy Patterns Designer Series Paper 124426 $1.95

Calendar Alphabet Stamp Brush Set 124553 $9.95

Full Calendar Stamp Brush Set 124555 $5.95

Sunny Garden Designer Series Paper 124544 $4.95

Beautiful Butterfly Shapes 124412 $0.95

Polystitched Ribbon 124433 $3.95

Nursery Designer Series Paper 124561 $4.95

Nursery Embellishments 124562 $5.95

Thanks for Caring 124438 $3.95

You're a Gem 124435 $3.95

What a hoot

2011-02-21T11:19:00.002-07:00

I have more Sale-a-Bration® products to share today. Just can't say enough how much I like these colors and stamps.

This is a 4 x 4 card in Marina Mist. The largest circle is 2 1/2 inch in Early Espresso. Then I used the largest scallop punch, a 1 3/4" punch and the 1" punch in the center. The center stamp and the owl stamp is from Punch Bunch and the paper is Ice Cream Parlor - both from the Sale-A-Bration catalog. Although you can cut out the owl, the Two Step Owl Punch makes it so easy to do that you will love having this tool. There are lots of fun things to do with the owl punch and the punch bunch stamp.

The background paper is also from Ice Cream Parlor trimmed with the Scallop Edge Punch and adorned with a "ribbon" of Melon Mambo paper punched out with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch.

For the inside of my card I am adding a touch from My Digital Studio® and the digital content CD that is one of the choices in the Sale-a-Bration catalog.

Stampin' Up!® has such a wonderful selection of tools and there is no end to the fabulous things you can create.

Time is Precious

2011-02-19T22:35:00.001-07:00

I never have a conversation with anyone but what we mention how precious our time is and how amazed we are that it has slipped by us. And, this is often the reason that we don't get those scrapbook and card projects completed . . . lack of time.

But here are two wonderful cards that are quick and simple. You might even be able to fit this card into your busy schedule. the template is fantastic and you can change the colors or the sentiments a bit to suit many people and occasions.

The first card is done with a touch of Ice Cream Parlor Designer Series Paper® . I added a bit of a stem and two flowers from the Stamp Set, Sweet Summer. The greeting is done with Punch Pals stamp set in Melon Mambo classic ink. All of these items can be found in Stampin' Up!'s® Sale-a-bration Catalog®.

The white mat is embossed with polka dots, set out on a basic black mat and attached to a Whisper White Card. I used the with the Big Shot® and the Perfect Polka dots embossing folder to get the polka dots. I used the Square Scallop punch to punch out the greeting. The best part - this card only took 10 minutes.

Same sentiments - changed the colors a bit and I have a great card for a guy. The embossing is done with the Square Lattice Embossing folder. I wrapped the white mat with black satin ribbon and I topped the greeting with punched shapes from the Build a Cupcake punch. Again - 10 minutes.

The embossing folders are $7.95 each and are to be used with the Big Shot but they are also compatible with other die cutting machines. The Square Lattice and Perfect Polka Dots are exclusive to Stampin' Up! and these two folders seem to be all around favorites. They provide texture and interest to your card and are neutral enough that they can be used with many styles of cards.

The items from the sale-a-bration catalog are free with the purchase of $50 or more from the catalog. What a bargain! Be sure to take advantage of the Sale-a-bration benefits.