Wedding/Love Birds Easel

Today's project was inspired by a request for "fun folds" in classes. So, I went to Splitcoast Stampers in search of something different & found a great tutorial on how to make easel cards. This way your card can become a display piece after it's read. I often struggle with wedding cards because of the formality of it all, but think that the Boho Blooms background stamp & our new Scallop Trim edge punch give these little birds just the right amount of class. The edge punch is one you can earn free during Sale-A-Bration. Visit my SU website for more details.

Asian Artistry 2

I warned you that you would see these images again! This time I paired up Asian Artistry with another hostess set, Kind & Caring Thoughts, & borrowed a sentiment from Razzle Dazzle. If you find yourself as into these great hostess sets as I am, contact me to set up your own stamping get together. Sale-a-Bration is the best time to host a workshop since the hostess benefits are great & all of your guests can also benefit. Everyone enjoys qualifying for free stuff! If your schedule is simply too crazy to host an event, we can always put together a catalog party. Then you can still take advantage of the great opportunities without adding anything to your schedule.

Asian Artistry 1

Sorry I am running late this morning so I'll have to keep things short. I started playing around with the Asian Artistry hostess set last night & know there will have to be a series of cards using these images. There are just too many possibilities for me to settle on one! Of course, my camera wasn't entirely sure what to do with the glittery embossed wings...hence the new photo angle. Happy Friday!

Pun Fun Valentine

Is it a little scary that my project for today inspired my choice of outfit this morning? Perhaps it is a sign of stamping obsession, but I'm okay with that. My favorite part of this little project is that it holds one of the Ghiradelli chocolate squares I enjoy so much. Combining stamping with chocolate is always a good thing! My little skunk friend comes from the Pun Fun set while the circles are provided by Pick-a-Petal. I think pairing this little cutie with Melon Mambo gives him just the pizazz he needed.

Basket & Blooms

I have been waiting to play with this new toy for a while now. I think it's pretty exciting to be able to make 3D projects with my Big Shot...especially since it's so easy! I made this little basket this morning with my Basket & Blooms die & was impressed at the ease with which it came together. The die also includes a tag for your basket & a few other embellishments (in addition to the flowers shown here). Before assembly I added a few flowers from Simply Said to give the basket a little personality. I think these would be great as favors for parties/showers, as little Valentines full of candy, or mini Easter Baskets. In fact, I'm so pleased with the result that I think "Basket & Bloom" workshops would be great fun. Contact me today to host one of your own!

Kim's Project Turned Card

This card is almost cheating in the creativity category, but it does help illustrate one of my class mantras. We have several: "there are two sides to every piece of paper", "there are no accidents, only creative opportunities" , "there is no wrong...only different". This card is one of the creative opportunities I found when I was completely incapable of putting together one of the excellent make-and-take projects from my group's Christmas party. I took all the bits home & changed a project into a card. All it needed was a discard of the parts I already ruined (oops) & the addition of a card back with Very Vintage background. Thanks, Kim! See I did make it work after all...just in a different way.

Mojo Monday 123

Ah, the Mojo Monday ladies have done it again! Thanks for offering both a square & circle design this morning. I'm still without the ability to make a big circle, but I have great fun with squares. This sketch also included the use of buttons which gave me an excuse to use one of my best Big Shot investments. The fact that I can use this die to make whatever color buttons I need at a given moment & do so in several shapes always makes me smile. Definitely the best $4.95 investment I can think of! I'm thinking that this one will make an appearance in classes next month.

Leaf Lines St. Patrick's Day

Perhaps it is a bit early for the wearing of the green, but I like to get a head start! I think it could easily make the switch to a "good luck" card if you aren't all that into St. Patrick's day. My lucky clover came from the Leaf Lines set & my background was provided by the ever versatile Itty Bitty Backgrounds (one of the sets available for FREE through Sale-A-Bration). This card started out as simple layers, but when I discovered how well the little clover fits in the Designer Label Punch I couldn't resist adding a window & a bit of Hodgepodge Hardware.

Holiday Best Valentine

One more Valentine project to add to the collection. :) I've been struggling with the Valentine stamp from the excellent level one hostess set, Holiday Best & today I was finally able to make it work for me. The secret is in using markers...I was able to separate the two sentiments & not use the flowers that surround "Valentine". Much better! My Valentine class folks are going to get to use the Heart to Heart punch a good deal this class, but the results are hard to resist. Add in some Cottage wall designer paper & the Perfect Polka Dots folder to finish the job. I adhered my dots upside down so that they are more of dimples than dots, and decided that I like the effect. This one will also make the cut to join the Valentine Kit from the Long Distance Stamper Store.

Simply Said Valentine

Sorry my post is so late today! This is another sample from my Valentines class. Thanks to Sharon for the inspiration of the color pallet! I always get new ideas from teaching class. It's great to learn as much as I teach. Remember that you can order kits from my January class or the Valentines class from the Long Distance Stamper on the right side of this blog. If you have already ordered your kit, I will send out my first batch Tuesday. Start checking your mail boxes!

Little Valentine

Whew! Everything is all packed up for class in Lakewood & it's time to get on the road. Today's card is a mini-note. Just big enough (3 x 3 card front) to accompany a gift or as a quick note. It's also not my best attempt at photography, but I hope you'll forgive me just this once! I was inspired by all the fun heart patterned paper in the Sale-a-Bration Welcome Neighbor pack. Remember, for every $50 you spend on SU products during SAB you earn free products. Visit my website today to place your order.

Sweet Treat Heart

I thought it was high time for me to put our new heart shaped Sweet Treat Cups to good use. We'll be using them in our Valentine class this Sunday & at Lakewood classes this Thursday. All you need is our Full Heart Punch to make this simple & tasty Valentine. They would make great little gifts for school or office!

Country Morning Flowers

Yesterday I became inspired by the Country Morning set & especially with the potential of the milk bottle vases. The Glassy Glaze embossing enamel really brings them to life. My Versamark pen let me pick which areas I wanted to emboss & then I used it again as the base for my pastels to stick to when I shaded in the flowers. The Build-a-Brad let me put just a bit of focus on to the daisy flowers. I think these last two cards really have me in the spring type mood. Too bad I know we're not finished with snow quite yet!

Mojo Monday 122

This is what I love about Mondays: thanks to the ladies at Mojo Monday I never know what to expect. I had no idea I would be making an Easter card this morning. Granted, I didn't stick quite to the letter of the sketch, but I think I kept the spirit. Any project that inspires me to break out my Stampin' Pastels & experiment is a good project in my book. And, of course, I enjoyed using new toys as well. In case you don't recognise the designer paper, it's from the Welcome Neighbor Sale-A-Bration pack. Our little chick friend comes from Country Morning a great level one hostess set. Contact me to host an event during SAB to earn even more hostess benefits & perhaps this little chick too.

Birthday Bliss Square

Today's card adventure would have been much easier if I was able to mount anything square this morning! Thanks to Jeff for "straightening" me out. This is my first candidate for the February Birthday theme class. Of course, it uses another one of the sets I was able to get for free thanks to Sale-A-Bration. I think you'll be seeing a lot of Birthday Bliss as I determine which cards will be best for that theme class. Never fear, the Birthday class kits will also be available in the Long Distance Stamper Store once the class gets closer.

Lovely as a Tree Paper Towel Sky

This sympathy card is my experiment with a sky technique I learned (thanks Marge!) using a torn paper towel & sponges. I wondered if the effect would create as layered a sky in shades of gray as it does in shades of blue or sunset colors. I find that this winter night scene makes me almost want to put on a hat & scarf. It also convinces me that I will never run out of new things to do with the very first stamp set I ever purchased from Stampin' Up. Lovely as a Tree contains unlimited possibilities.

Wow Flowers Thank You

I've been using my Movers & Shapers Die a lot lately & have created quite a stack of little Curly Label shaped pieces as "scrap". Not wanting to let anything go to waste, I've saved them all to use in another project. Here is my first attempt at using the left over pieces as a back layer for the Curly Label punch. It's also my first use of our flower brads. It just fit so nicely that I couldn't resist!

C is for Cat

I told you I have lots of new toys to play with thanks to Sale-A-Bration. Here is another example-- C is for Cat is the name of the set. It is one of many sets from the main catalog that are also available free through Sale-A-Bration. I owe some of the detail work on this card to my husband & I do like to give credit where credit is due. :) He wanted to know what the cat was looking at & if I had some sort of butterfly that would work. Of course, that made me think of the new Beautiful Wings Embosslit. Thanks, Jeff! I'm off for another day of young mind molding. Happy Stamping!

Pick-a-Petal Get Well

I'll have to admit that this one is not my original creation. Forgive me, but I did at least give him a "face lift" (no pun intended). I made this card at my upline's class a while back (thanks Cindy!) & thought this time of sniffles & flu was a great time to bring him back. My new version uses our new Perfect Polka Dots Impressions folder, so now his dots have dimensions. That then required me to do a little switch-up on words. A remodel if not a redesign...

Okay, I must be off to teach young minds the wonders of the scientific method. I promise an Andrea original for tomorrow.

Hello Again

This morning's post was hard for me because I had so many decisions to make! Yesterday my "stock up" order arrived & with it came a bunch of new toys I got free thanks to Sale-A-Bration. So, I had to pick and choose which ones to use. I settled on the Hello Again stamp set & the fun Welcome Neighbor designer paper. You are sure to see more of my Sale-A-Bration goodies as time goes by. Visit my SU website for info on how you too can earn free products!

Mojo Monday 121

A big "thank you" to the folks at Mojo Monday! I've been wanting to make a card with my cute little bug friends, but couldn't come up with one that really worked. I think the sketch for today is a good fit, so thanks again. The Love Bug set is a level one hostess set; one you could qualify for if you join my stamp club. Contact me for more details. Oh, and this card will also be part of my Valentines theme class. Remember if you can't make it to classes you can take advantage of my Long Distance Stamper Store to buy your kit for all the class projects. I know that Spadix will be even more excited to receive the Valentines kit now that he's seen the love bugs!!

Thoroughly Modern Daisies

Good news: the studio is almost all back together, so I could actually find my supplies this morning. Today's card is another sneak peak for January classes (which start this Thursday). Remember, if you live far away, you don't have to miss out on class projects. Just click on the Long Distance Stamper Store on the right of my blog. You can buy kits for all my class projects. There are so many options with Daisies Die & Buttons Die, that it took me forever to decide how many layers, what colors, etc. It's fun to have too much to play with rather than not enough!

Tall Tales Circles

Whew! After much work, the floor in my studio is almost complete. Soon, I'll be able to put everything back in place & be back in business. So, today's project is an example of what one can do with the few toys I could easily find amongst the chaos. The Tall Tales paper coordinates so nicely with the critters from Animal Stories. I just couldn't resist. Our double sided paper also made it so I only had to find one piece...a real advantage when you are remodeling!

Kinda & Caring Thoughts Silver Emboss

Sorry for the delay in today's post! My computer decided to be cranky this morning & then I had to go work a couple of my non-stamping jobs. Completely over-rated, but needed none the less. My project again features the Very Vintage Wheel from the Occasions Mini-Catalog. Can you tell how taken I am with this new toy? Cross your fingers for tomorrow's post...right now we're replacing the flooring in my stamping studio & all of my supplies are spread throughout three rooms & the hall. Here's hoping I can toss something together to share!

Swap Card

I warned you that the Very Vintage wheel would appear again! This is my swap contribution for the Occasions Mini-Catalog. It will also be one of the cards featured in this month's classes. Speaking of which...I've created a new option for folks who visit the Accidental Stamper, but live too far away to attend classes. Card kits are available for each of my classes via my new Google Checkout store (it's located on the left side of my blog). Each card kit will include the cards stamped, punched, & ready for assembly. It will also include detailed instructions with dimensions & supply lists along with envelopes for each card. Kits will ship out after the scheduled class dates. There are two options for each kit-- USA & international. The only difference will be the price of postage. All kits will be sent out via priority mail. If you order both the regular class kit & the themed class kit for a month, you will only be charged shipping for one kit. Please contact me if you have any questions about this new option.

Flower Masks

Today's project was inspired by one of the Mojo Monday postings I looked at last week using the five petal punch as a mask. I thought it was a great idea & combined it with sponging as well as my very favorite product from the new mini-catalog-- the Very Vintage wheel. I have found that it makes an excellent background & am now using it constantly! Tomorrow I'll share my swap card with you which uses this great wheel along with another of my favorites from this new catalog.

Right now though, I'm going to bundle up & prepare for the sub zero temps we're expecting tonight!

Tart & Tangy Cherries

Welcome to Sale-A-Bration time! I wanted to celebrate its start by featuring one of my favorite sets (Tart & Tangy) that is now available FREE with any $50 purchase. Not only are there excellent new sets available only for Sale-B-Bration but there are also over 75 sets from the current catalog that qualify for SAB! Contact me today to place your qualifying order & start collecting your free items. Or, sign up to host a stamping event & find out how to qualify for more free goodies that way!

I spent all morning teaching preschool kids about the five senses so it seemed like an extra good time to focus on a card that makes me think of food. Oh, and the cherries are embossed to add an extra bit of touch too!

Okay, so no Mojo Monday for me today. The sketch for today involved another big circle or two & I promised myself I wouldn't attempt another one of those until after I get a Circle Scissor. Instead, I thought I would pass along my creation from last night. I've been wanting to make a card in this "window" format for a while now & thought the Embrace Life leaves would be a good candidate. Remember, Sale-a-bration starts tomorrow! Look forward to examples from sets available for free along with new items from the new Mini Catalog!!

Whimsical Words 6

Okay, last card for this series. That's not to say that the Whimsical Words set won't appear again. I'm sure it will. Today I've paired it up with an old favorite-- Loads of Love. This little truck always makes me smile! My Color Spritzer Tool & a little bit of Hodgepodge Hardware finish off the details on this one. Look forward to it in January classes. I know it will make an appearance in the Longmont Valentine Theme class & it may make its way to Lakewood too. Be sure to let me know if you want to make one of my blog cards at class. I'm happy to take requests. Check my calendar for upcoming class dates.

Whimsical Words 5

Still more Whimsical Words! This time I wanted to experiment with the Thoroughly Modern designer paper color pallet. I think the paper has a lot of possibilities for a variety of occasions. In fact, I used a bit on Whimsical Words 3--- a card with a very different feel than this cutie. The buttons Big Shot die added just the extra touch this card needed. I find it lovely to be able to create "buttons" of any color whenever I want them!

Whimsical Words 4

Happy New Year!! Welcome to 2010. I'm very excited about the fresh start of the new year & all of my plans for stamping fun in 2010. Stay tuned for more on that...
Today's project is a continuation of my Whimsical Words theme. Can you tell how taken I am with this Sale-a-Bration set? I also got to use the new polka dots embossing folder. I'm so pleased that SU has come out with a line of these folders. They are easy to use and create such a dramatic effect. Happy stamping in the new year!