Many Heart Valentine

This is what happens when I find myself with LOTS of time to craft. :) I've always wanted to make some of the projects I see in my Stampin' Success magazine that involve a zillion little pieces all put together. But, honestly, I never have the time to both create the zillions of pieces & put them together. It was a super fun cahnge of pace! All the little hearts were made with the smallest part of the Heart to Heart Punch. I was able to keep the shape of a large heart by adhering them all to a punch made with the Simple Heart Punch. With a focal image as complex as this one, I really didn't want to distract with a busy card front. So, instead, I kept things simple with just the frame & sentiment. This project will appear in my Valentine's Class in January. Don't worry, I've already punched all the little hearts out for you! I thought we could all benefit from my time off. :)

Blossom Punch Butterfly

I love to look through the Stampin' Up catalogs not only to get a glimpse of all the fun new products coming our way, but also to get inspiration for new projects! When I saw the new Blossom Punch used to create a simple yet elegant butterfly, I couldn't wait to try it myself. I went back to my favorite image from the new Mixed Bunch set & punched it out with the Blossom Punch. Then, I trimmed off a couple of petals & curled the wings a bit to make the butterfly. The body for my little friend came from the left over bits after using my Lattice Die. I've saved them knowing that they would come in handy eventually! To color in my flowers, I took out my Aquapainter and just dabbed ink off the lid of my Elegant Eggplant ink pad. Did you check out the ribbon in my little bow? It's a pre-view of the great things to come in the 2012 Sale-a-Bration promotion! One benefit of being a demonstrator is that Sale-a-Bration started early for us! Jealous? There's no need, just ask me about how to join the team so you can take advantage of great promotions too!

Pig Post It Holder

Tee Hee! I had such fun making this one. Winter Break is a great time for me to just play up in my studio. I've been wanting to make a Post It holder from an acrylic frame for years. It's so simple!! I just cut some Flirtatious Designer Paper to fit the frame, stamped & cut out my piggy, used my new Framelits Dies to make my sentiment snappy, and added one of the specialty doilies. Then, on the outside, I added the pig's google eyes & button nose. Taking the back sheet off the Post It pad makes it able to stick to my frame. As a last minute detail, I added a bit of bling with some rhinestones. Fast, easy, and a super good time. I have to admit, I giggled while making this one. It just makes me smile! So, pop on over to the dollar store to get a little frame and start making your own. It's good for us to remember that we can make more than just cards with our paper crafting skills! I think I'll take this little guy to work, so he can make me smile day after day...

What do you do with Waffle Paper?

I'm not ashamed to admit that I pre-ordered the new White Waffle Paper primarily so I could figure out what the heck to do with waffle paper. I've never used it before and thought this would be a good opportunity to give it a try. I can't talk about products if I have no idea how to use them, right? So, I got my roll of waffle paper and got started. Here's what I came up with on my first attempt. I cut the waffle paper into a 3" strip and then folded it fan-style. Once I finished folding, I tied a bit of Baker's Twine around the center & opened it up. Ta dah! A no worries focal fan flower for the center of my card. Waffle paper is super thin & collapsible so it should go through the mail just fine. The center of this creation provided a chance to pre-view yet another super cool product from the new Occasions Mini Catalog: In Color Baker's Twine! This is the Island Indigo version. We'll be able to get all 5 of the latest In Colors as baker's twine with this new catalog. Sales start on Jan 4th and I'll have a baker's twine share to go along with my Satin Pleated Ribbon share soon. I'll get details to you ASAP. Meanwhile, keep checking back for more Occasions Mini pre-views!

Faith In Nature Framed Flower

Time for more previews! This card is a mix of old and new for me. The focal image is one I stamped & chalked months ago. Then I set it aside to create a card with at a later date. Little did I know it would be a MUCH later date! I'm glad I had it on hand though. It provided a great reason to create my first frame using the new Framelits Dies. This one is the Labels Collection and it appears along with a Hearts Collection in the new Occasions Mini Catalog. Check it out, they're super easy to use and go so nicely with the new Edgelits Dies too. I decided to use the bracket edge die on this card to complement the frame. It works beautifully. So much of what I pre-ordered from this new Mini Catalog is tools. There are new dies, punches, and folders. Don't worry, you'll get to see them all here & I'll teach you how to use them in classes too. Another fun addition in this catalog is the Pleated Satin Ribbon. Here, I've used the Pear Pizzazz version of the new ribbon. I love the extra texture this fancy ribbon brings to the project. I see a ribbon share in our near future! Stay tuned for even more pre-view projects. I'm excited for all these new toys, can you tell?

Embossed Mixed Bunch... A Preview

This card is one of my all time favorites! The photo did a pretty good job of capturing it, but it's even better in person. It used to be that I would have ideas for cards bouncing in my head all the time. Lately, that hasn't been the case. So, it was super exciting when this one started to haunt me the other night. It's even more exciting when the idea in my head turns out in real life! I experimented a bit with this one. It was so nice to have the luxury of time to fiddle with it. I ended up going embossing crazy with a little sponging added in too. The stamped images come from the Mixed Bunch set in the brand new Occasions Mini Catalog as does the Blossom Punch. Don't worry, you won't have to wait much longer to get your hands on the great new products. The Occasions Mini Catalog sales period starts Jan 4th! For my Blossom layer, I embossed the image using Versamark & Clear Embossing Powder. Then, I sponged & brayered Early Espresso ink over the top. Finally, I just used a paper towel to take the ink off the embossed image. It turned out great! None of my brads had quite the same shine as the gold embossing powder. So, to get that effect, I took one of my silver brads (I have a TON of those) and coated the top with my Gold Smooch Accent Ink. For good measure, I dry set the Smooch using my embossing tool. It was out already, so I may as well put it to good use! No doubt you'll be seeing this little beauty at my classes this month.

Merry Christmas from Mom & I

Okay, so it's the first time I've published "contraband" on my blog. By that, of course, I mean non-Stampin' Up items. However, I couldn't resist. My mom and I made these little beauties while I was visiting over Thanksgiving. I thought I would share it with you especially since I didn't actually get my own cards out! Oooops! There's always next year... sigh! We had a great time making this simple but ever so cute little card together. And isn't that what crafting is all about? Punching 120 of the little snowflakes from Glimmer Paper may have been a little painful (I sure came to really appreciate our SU punches!!) but well worth it. Notice the Stocking Punch had to play a major role. I'm still bummed that it won't be around after this catalog ends. :( I hope this finds you all enjoying the season in whatever way you celebrate. Keep a little bit of the magic from this time with you all year and remember to Believe...

It's All About the Details

Getting ready for your Christmas or Christmas Eve gatherings? Do you have everything ready? I know we often get caught up in the stress of getting our holiday get togethers actually together and forget to have fun while doing it. Add a little fun to your prep work and a great detail to your table by creating this simple project. Just take a scrap of designer paper (mine was two inches wide by three inches long) and a binder clip. Adhere the paper, add a bow, and you're done. They make great place card holders or an easy way to label the food on a buffet. I use mine to give folks a way to identify their cookies at our annual cookie exchange. I've also seen folks use them as photo holders. If you use a non-holiday designer paper, then you can give them as little gifts holding photos. Folks can have them out year round! I'm sure you can come up with tons of ideas to use this little trick. I hope you will & that you remember to add a little fun to your holiday preparations! Make merry!!

A Little Snowman for a Snowy Day

I wasn't going to post this little guy, but with the foot of snow outside this morning he just had to make an appearance. We made him at our team Xmas party (thanks again, Cindy!) and then I added his sign & attached him to the cool long cello envelopes from the Holiday Mini catalog. Of course, we also filled those cello even lopes with M & M's at my class this month. A little extra holiday chocolate is always welcome. The tiny little mini brads make him completely collapsible. Fun huh? Where did his arms come from? The Simple Snowflake Punch! However, I struggle with that punch. Does anyone else find it super hard to use? Worth it for those perfect little arms though. Hope this finds you warm and snug!

Stocking Punch Baby Bootie

I know, I know... it's just days before Christmas and this is so bot a Christmas card. I do have a good reason to insert a baby card in the midst of my Christmas projects though. Yesterday Stampin' Up told us that the wonderful Stocking Punch from the Holiday Mini Catalog will not be in the new catalog some summer. It's gone for good after Jan 3rd. Well, one of the things I love about this little punch is that it can be used for more than just Christmas cards. I've used it for gift tags and the like, but I hadn't had the chance to make anything totally non-Christmas with it yet. I had to make the card while I still could! So, out came my Stocking Punch to make this super cute little baby bootie. Wouldn't it make a great congrats card or a super fun baby announcement? I even made my own little pom-pom out of bakers twine. Aren't you proud? If you've been thinking about how much you like the punch, but were going to wait to get one to use for next Christmas, please don't wait! It will be gone after the Holiday Mini Catalog sales period ends & I know I'm still holding on to mine even though it will be retired!

Christmas Collage Matchbox

Time for more fun with the big dies for the Big Shot. This time I made a Christmas matchbox perfect for wrapping a pair of earrings or other small gift. It's too bad that that Early Espresso stamping on the Bravo Burgundy doesn't show up as well in this photo as in person. The Christmas Collage stamp provides a great background/wrapping paper. It covers the whole piece of Bravo Burgundy so that it appears as designer paper. Fun and easy...just what crafts need to be as the holidays approach & time becomes more and more scarce. It's hard to believe we just have a few more days until Christmas! The snow here yesterday helped out a bit, but there is still much to do. Not to panic though, I've decided that what gets done is great and the rest will be okay too. I think sometimes we get so attached to the idea of perfection that we forget to appreciate and enjoy what we're doing. So, remember to take some time today and just enjoy!

Holly Berry Bag

Sometimes it's the little presents that make a big impression. This little bag made out of a half sheet of Holly Berry Designer Paper is perfect for holding just a couple of treats & for bringing a big smile to a special someone. At class, we filled them with two shortbread cookies stamped with the snowflake Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamp. Using these new stamps is super easy and fun! Be careful though, I attempted to use them with a ready-made roll of sugar cookies and that didn't work at all. As my cookies baked the snowflake slowly disappeared. I've been told you can stamp these ready-made cookies just as you take them out of the oven, but haven't had a chance to try that yet. I do know that the shortbread cookie recipe that comes with the Sweet Pressed Stamps works great! It's a simple way to add an extra touch to a heartfelt gift. Right now there are stamps for Halloween, Winter, & Valentines and soon there will be even more! What a great way to combine baking & stamping, especially since they're dishwasher safe to make clean up a cinch!

Thanks, Cindy!/ Owl Punch Turned Penguin

My dear upline, Cindy, held a holiday team party just a couple of weeks ago. It was a great time to get everyone together and craft. We made a couple excellent make and takes that inspired me to have a Christmas Crafts class after all. This little guy is simply too cute. I've made a penguin from the Owl Punch before, but I love the idea of adding a little extra show with the Peppermint Bark square. The package for the candy acts like designer paper. Do you recognise the little guy's beak? It's one of the flower centers from my Triple Layer Punch. Clever, huh? Of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone. I added the little "merry" tag as well as the button/jingle bell combo. Ever since I saw the tiny little bells in the Holiday Mini catalog I feel like no winter project is complete without at least one! Tonight we'll make this little fellow along with other projects perfect for gifting. I can't wait & I'm so excited to be back to blogging. Winter break will be a great chance for me to create a back log of projects to share with you. Just two more school days left...

Not Just for Xmas/ Mojo Monday #215

I find myself feeling a bit frustrated when I look at the number of holiday stamp sets & toys I have. They're all wonderful, but I hate that I can only use them for a few months out of the year. To make it all better, I like to find different ways of using them in non-holiday projects. There are TONS of ways to use our Ornament Punch for example. Well, this card uses two typically holiday products in a very non holiday way. First off is the Holly Berry Bouquet designer paper. One of the reasons I was attracted to it in the Holiday Mini Catalog was because several of the "B Sides" of the paper are floral--- a far cry from most Christmas paper. I don't know about you, but I often don't use up all my Holiday Mini paper before Christmas is over. Then, I'm sort of stuck with it. Sometimes I can add a little red & white to my Valentines projects, bit it's often a stretch. Not so with Holly Berry Bouquet! The second product featured in this card is actually the Northern Flurries Embossing Folder. Can you see where I used it? Look closely. The wonderful little flowers near the sentiment were a happy accident I discovered when trying to make small snowflakes for my last card. If you punch out the center of the small snowflakes on Northern Flurries using the Scallop Circle Punch Pack punch, you get these charming little guys. Whew, now my snowflake folder isn't just for the winter months! Maybe we can make this card next month as a sort of New Year's card. The sentiment works & it's great to be reminded of how versatile our holiday toys really are!

Not Your Typical Christmas Card/ Color Throwdown #167

I can always count on the folks at the Color Throwdown to provide inspiration. This week's colors (Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Pretty in Pink, & Riding hood Red) make for a fun Christmas card! I've been wanting to ink up the cute little snowman from the Button Buddies set and this color combo seemed playful enough for him. Of course, it doesn't show well, but I added an extra bit of sparkle by spraying my Pool Party background with Shimmer Mist before adding the Rhinestones. This card would be a quick and easy one to mass produce for a long Xmas card list. The Tag Punch for the sentiment & Northern Flurries Folder for the background keep everything fast & simple. Add a few Rhinestones for bling & round some corners to create a finished appearance. Time is always scarce this time of year, so I'll take all the short cuts I can get!

Gift Bag Time!

This project is an example of my "creative opportunity" or "happy accident" style of crafting. First I put together these lovely little pannels using my Easy Events stamp set. I layered them with Always Artichoke & even wrapped a little bit of Real Red ribbon around them to finish things off. Heck, I went so far as to attach a Mini Jingle bell. And THEN I decided to try to fit them all on a card front. Ooops! That wasn't happening. They were way too big. :) So, I decided it was high time to create a holiday gift bag. Ah, a perfect fit afterall. I just didn't know what project I was working on at the time! See, I'm called the "Accidental Stamper" for a reason!

Stocking Mojo/ Mojo Monday #214

I've been looking forward to making this card for days! I knew the last project for my upcoming "Wintry Mix" class needed to use both the Stocking Punch and Holly Berry Bouquet paper, but I wasn't certain what it would look like. Then, I checked in with Mojo Monday this morning and saw a perfect sketch! There's a whole lot of texture going on here. I stamped both the Wild Wasabi background & the So Saffron circle first & then ran them through the Big Shot using different folders. Next, I decided that the designer paper needed a little something too. So I ran it through as well. After all the texture was added, I knew it was time to take out my sponges and get to work. I love the effect the sponging has on paper. I'm especially fond of what it did to the already distressed Designer Series Paper. Great fun. Finally, I added the little flower & rhinestone (colored in with a Sharpie). At first I thought a little bow was needed, but that really wasn't working with this card. Thanks again, Mojo Monday, for getting my wheels turning first thing on a Monday morning!

Color Throwdown #166: Love Birds

Never fear, there are more Christmas projects to come. However, I wanted to take a little break today to do the Color Throwdown challenge. As part of my return to the wonderful world of stamping, I want to get back into my challenge routine! As soon as I saw the colors for this week were Crumb Cake, Old Olive, and Baja Breeze I thought of the little love birds from Easy Events. There aren't any weddings going on in my world for a bit, so I thought they would make a lovely old time Valentine instead. There's nothing too fancy here although I did use stamps from several sets. It was fun just to play around to see what would work together. I also thought it was a great time to bring out my Victorian Crochet Trim to accent my little birds. We'll enjoy these feathered friends today while the sun still shines & return to wintry thoughts with the snow that's predicted for tomorrow!

M is for Merry

I know Thanksgiving hasn't happened yet, but in the stamping world you can't wait until after Thanksgiving to start your Christmas cards. If you do, they'll never get done on time! Trust me on this one--- I've tried. :) So, I hold myself to a different standard than the rest of the world. Granted, they've already begun to play holiday music in some stores. Sigh.

This little card is super fun and simple. I tried to spice things up with a different textures for the lights and background, but simple really worked best. You should see how much the Silver Glimmer Paper sparkles! My little lights come from the Stocking Accents die. I'm using the same shape on another project (to be posted soon) as tiny ornaments, but thought they made perfect little lights too. I can't wait to see what folks do with this card at my Wintry Mix classes this month!

Rubber Duck Punch Art Fun

Whew! Sorry I've been gone so long. Our fabulous trip to the Sea of Cortez was followed with a very busy time filled with unexpected developments including a new job for me. I start it next week & hope life will find some sort of "normal" eventually. :) Meanwhile, I haven't stamped at all for WEEKS. That's simply no good. So, today I finally decided to break my stamper's block by creating a birthday card for a friend of mine. She's a huge fan of rubber ducks. In fact, I've even baked her a rubber duck cake. How could I not create a card to go with that cake?

That's why I decided to transform the XL Bird Punch into a ducky. Such fun! After I had the card assembled, I decided the big duck needed a little friend & so I punched out one wing from the XL Bird Punch & combined it with a candle flame from the Cupcake punch. Isn't he a little cutie?

My bubbles all sparkle thanks to a quick spritz of Shimmer Mist (Shimmer Paint mixed with rubbing alcohol) and I used the edge of my ink pad to outline them all. For the inside, I inked up the little duck from Easy Events & left off his hat, umbrella, & sentiment. He's perfect inside! I hope my friend likes her ducks as much as I do!!

Paper Daisy Sympathy/ Color Throwdown # 160

I was excited to see the opportunity presented by the folks over at The Color Throwdown this morning. You see, I tend to get stuck in a bit of a seasonal rut. So, I expected to break out more pumpkin and fall stamps today--- following my recent seasonal trend. However, there's just no way to make the color combo of Regal Rose, Early Espresso, & Very Vanilla work with leaves or pumpkins! That was great because I means I got to do something totally different. That's where this sympathy card came from. I've been wanting to use the Paper Daisies that came with one of my Convention projects for months now & this seemed the time to do it. In order to soften the Regal Rose a bit on this card I sponged it all with Early Espresso ink. In fact, I sponged darn near everything on this card! That trend wasn't stopped at all. :) For the background, I also added extra texture with the Color Spritzer tool & a trip through the Big Shot with the Finial Press folder. I find myself spending more time and attention to my backgrounds than my "featured" images lately. Perhaps yet another trend for me?

Spice Cake Mojo/ Mojo Monday #207

The ladies over at Mojo Monday took a couple of well deserved weeks off & I've had so little time for stamping lately, that creating for this sketch felt totally fun and new! I changed things up a bit, but so needed the starting point that the sketch provided. Looking at it yesterday, I knew that I wanted to feature the Spice Cake designer paper in my large rectangles, but had no idea where to take things from there. So, I just started prowling through my stamps. Then I realized that my Warmest Wishes hostess set from the new Holiday Mini has never seen ink! I couldn't let that last. :) All of us were given this set as one of several +one perks at convention in July. Now, it's finally the right time of year to use it. The leaf wreath from this set is so lovely & fits perfectly in the 2 1/2 " Circle Punch. Then, the you can easily punch out the center with the help of a 1 1/4" Circle punch & a post-it. Perhaps you're smarter than me & remember to punch out the center first. Then you don't even need the post-it note trick! The oak leaves from the wreath called out for the super cute acorn from Gently Falling. I was just talking with folks at class on Sunday about how much I love this little stamp. It's one of the main reasons I love the set so much! The folks at class will also attest to the fact that I've gone a bit sponging crazy. Don't be surprised to see at least one sponge in each bin at class from here on out. You see that I sponged most of the pieces on this card with Soft Suede. It was an important touch to the wreath and the sentiment. Otherwise they just really looked incomplete. I hope you are enjoying the start of fall. I plan on taking this day away from substitute teaching to focus on stamping. It's already off to a great start!

Well Worn Monogram

This is the last card for today's Fall Theme Class. Granted, it's not super fallesque, but it does use the right pallet of colors. I found the idea for the basic layout while cruising around Stampin' Connection (it's sort of like Facebook for just SU demos & just about stamping...one more perk of being a demo!). I love the combination of this pattern from the Well Worn DSP along with the image from Best Friends Forever & the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder. The three work so well together. Then I decided to take the vintage look a step further & added Log Cabin Smooch Spritz. Fun! I was stuck about what to put as my central image though. I wanted to keep the vintage/elegant feel so my Black Satin Ribbon was a must. While looking through my stamp sets to find just the right thing to feature, I saw my Occasions Alphabet set. Perfect! I didn't need any of the super cute quips for this card, but inking just the letter means that it's a great monogram set too! My very fist monogram card! It always feels good to try something new...at least in stamping. :)

The CASE of my Favorite Swap

Can you tell I've been reading too many mystery books lately? Well, this isn't a detective type "case". Nope, instead it's a case of Copy And Share Everything. :) At convention I got a bunch of wonderful swaps, but my very favorite provides the inspiration for this card. Unfortunately, the creator didn't put her name on the back so I'm not even sure who to thank for this lovely card! I'm pretty sure she was the lovely demo in front of me while we waited in line for Memento Mall. I send out my heartfelt thanks!

It's such a fun, yet simple card. Just stamp the grass from Inspired by Nature & then cut up the image into the little rectangles. I think the sponging around the edges really makes the whole thing pop. That sponging is continued on the ovals that make up our little pumpkin. Add a tiny bit of Old Olive ribbon to the ovals & you have a classic fall addition to any card. I simply couldn't resist getting out my Quilted Satin Ribbon for its first use on this card. You're going to love it in both Cherry Cobbler & Early Espresso. It's a winner for sure. :)

You just need to see this one in person...

I know that sort of defeats the whole purpose of a blog, but really it looks much better in person! It seems like forever since I've made a card and so I just started to play around with my Faith in Nature stamp set this morning. I'll create a few cards out of the chalked creations I made a bit later. For now though, the embossed leaf image will create an excellent addition to my Fall classes this month. Stamping the background wheel with Cajun Craze & then sponging the edges with Chocolate Chip created a sort of bronze effect on the background piece. The sponged edge of the Brushed Gold piece really makes it pop too. Then, the Chocolate Chip satin ribbon seals the deal with a rich finishing touch. Can you tell, I really like how this one turned out? I hope many of you can check it out in person at our next class. In fact, you'll be able to make one of your own!

Nothing is Safe from my Big Shot

I can't even remember where I saw or heard that you can texturize felt in an embossing folder if you just spray it with starch first. Perhaps at convention? Where ever I heard about it, that was the inspiration for my Holiday Mini swap card. There are sixteen of us participating this swap so I'll get lots of practice at making this little gem. I started off using my typical fall pallet: More Mustard, Bravo Burgundy, Cajun Craze and the like. That just felt too dark for this one though. So I lighted things up by using Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, & So Saffron instead. The leaves from Gently Falling are great 2 Step stamps and even include the little maple tree helicopters! That's my favorite bit about the set, so I had to include one on the card. I was even dedicated enough to cut it out. :) There is gold Smooch on there too, but hard to see in the photo. I think it will be more clear on some of my others for swap. A couple of times I got a little carried away. :) Now, I just have to finish the rest!

Button Snail Birthday

At long last, here's the final card for today's Birthday Card Theme Class. Goodness knows I need plenty of belated birthday cards. You would think with as many cards as I make that I could get them out to people on time! It often doesn't happen though. For some reason the post office just seems so far away. :) Now I'll have this little number on hand...just in case. The Button Buddies set makes it so fun to put together a quick and easy little card like this one. It's instantly made that little bit extra cute with the addition of a button. Perhaps quick & easy is even more important when you need to send off a belated card. Remember: Better late than never!

Nuggets Cake

This one is a CASE from Convention. Of course, I changed things up a bit. In fact, looking back at photos from Salt Lake, I'm pretty sure I even changed the candy I used. Mine are Hershey's Nuggets just wrapped with a little DSP. One inch strips work great! The cake stand was super simple to make thanks to the Lace Ribbon Border Punch & the Large Oval Punch. You cut both in half so it's fast and easy to make two of this card at one time.

This isn't a card to put through the mail, but would be great to give in person or put inside a gift bag. I attached the little chocolates using removable glue dots, so they can just pop off and make an extra birthday treat. I loved how the tag punch from Happiest Birthday Wishes went with my little cake, but didn't really want a tag on this card. So, I just colored it in with markers & left off the tag frame. One more project ready for the Birthday Theme Class on Sunday. That leaves just one more to go...

Not So Seriously Birthday

When I got my first look at the 2011-2012 SU catalog, one set really caught my eye. It's called Not So Seriously and it just cracked me up. Truly a stand out among all the offerings, it has a great sense of humor. I've been itching to use it and thought my Birthday Theme Class would be incomplete without it.

The fold on this card is a little fancy so that you can see most of the "inside" while you look at the card front. Then, if you open the card, you can see that the fabulous gift is masking a bit of a sassy sentiment inside. Fun, huh? I think we'll have a hoot with this one at class.

Paisley Petals Mojo/ Mojo Monday #204

Talk about being a bit behind schedule! I usually like to create a Mojo Monday card first thing Monday morning to get my week started. Not this time around. Here it is, Saturday mid-morning and I finally have one to share.

The layout for this week's sketch seemed a great opportunity to use some of the Paisley Petals designer paper that I absolutely love. I'm also still coming up with designs for my birthday theme class at the end of the month. So I decided that my circle image had to be this elegant one from Happiest Birthday Wishes. My very favorite hostess set & favorite DSP all lined up in this card! I stamped the image in three colors and then punched each one out to create the layers you see here.

I gave the Bravo Burgundy background just a bit of texture with the Fancy Fan Letterpress Plate and used the leaves from the XL Bird Punch to create my corner accent. No longer having the Photo Corners Punch really made me think outside the box to fit the sketch. As a finishing touch, I added little accents with my Dazzling Details glitter glue. It's such a great addition to the catalog! I think you'll be seeing lots more of it used here. :)

Birthday Present Window/ Color Throwdown #155

This was just way too much fun to make! I'm getting ready for my birthday card theme class at the end of the month. My plan is to feature at least one stamp from the Happiest Birthday Wishes hostess set in each card. There are so many to choose from that it shouldn't be hard. For this card I took a look over at the Color Throwdown for this week: Early Espresso, Rose Red, Barely Banana, & Kiwi Kiss. Since the last two colors are retired, I substituted So Saffron & Lucky Limeade. I've been playing with all the seam binding I bought for the ribbon share & having a blast. Isn't this bow with the crinkled ends super fun? I'll show you how to make it in class--- it's fast & easy! My favorite part of the card is it's little sneak peak. I used the Peekaboo Frames die from the Holiday mini to make my little door/window. Now the card is like two in one! You can open up the Rose Red flap to reveal a little sentiment & tiny present inside & then there is a larger sentiment & stamped gifts inside the card. The three worked so well together that I just couldn't resist!

Punch Art Fairy

Yesterday I was stuck. It was my niece's fourth birthday and I had no idea what to do for her card. She's having a fairy princess themed party today, but I don't own a single fairy or princess stamp. What's a girl to do except consult the punch art goddesses out there? So, I did what any resourceful stamper would do and did a google search. She's a case of double CASE (Copy and Share Everything). I found her on Amanda Mertz's blog and it looks like Amanda found the idea from Ellen Kemper. Thanks for the inspiration, ladies! In the true spirit of CASE-ing, I modified my little fairy to fit my style. I also gave her a bit of bling thanks to a couple of sneak peak products from the Holiday Mini Catalog. Her wings are outlined with Dazzling Details glitter glue & her shoes and wand center are made out of silver Glimmer Paper. Fun! The Dazzling Details is like no glitter glue I've ever used. It is so easy to put on a precise location because of the skinny tip & after about a month of no use (I was lucky enough to get some at Convention), it wasn't clogged at all. I just opened it up and started to use it. Here's a breakdown of the punches/embosslits I used in case you are also in need of a quick and fun fairy: Face- Ornament Punch, Ears- XL Bird Punch, Hair- Large Ovals, Wings- Blossom Petals Builder, Arms/Legs/Neck/Shoes- Word Window Punch, Dress- Scallop Oval Punch & Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Wand- Lace Ribbon Boarder Punch & 1/4" Circle Punch with Cupcake Punch for the handle.

Birthday Roses/ Color Throwdown #154

I don't think we'll be making this guy at classes any time soon, but I may show you how to make these super fun tiny roses. Each one is made from the outline that you create with the Blossom Triple Layer Punch. Just snip it in one place & then wrap it around something round and skinny. I used my Paper Piercer for most of them, but then had the great idea to use the end of my tweezers. That worked even better! It's a hand delivered type of card for sure. I don't think the little 3D roses would like the journey via USPS.

Sorry that my photo quality isn't quite up to snuff. I tried to use a different camera tonight & I don't think I have all the settings worked out quite yet. Perhaps a little more experimentation is in order. :)

Thanks to the folks over a the Color Throwdown for this color combo: Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight, So Saffron, & Old Olive. Don't they work well together?

Button Buddies Flower Tent

Last one! This is the fifth project for the Buttons, Ribbon, & Paper Oh My classes. Simple and cute. It shows off two of the new In Colors: Pool Party & Island Indigo as well as the new Ruffled Ribbon that I fell in love with at Convention. Never fear, I have a ribbon share available for this one too. :) The little flower button is part of the Brights button assortment. The fun part for class will be that all the colors of the flower will work great on this card. That way there are plenty of buttons to go around. Since the card is so nice and cheery, it could work well as a "get well" or just a friendly little "hello". We haven't made a tent card in class since the Build a Roo Valentine and I thought it was time to switch things up a bit. An easel & tent card all in the same class, do you think we can handle it? It just struck me that this is the THIRD card for this class that uses Bakers Twine. I guess that's another thing I discovered at Convention, huh? It's just so versatile for adding a little accent! I can't wait for classes. :) The first one is in Longmont tomorrow--- such fun we will have!

Black & White and Red All Over

What's black & white and red all over? A zebra with a sunburn. Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm very excited to share this card with you today. It's one of my very favorites from the "Buttons, Ribbon, Paper Oh My" classes that start this week. It looks even more striking in person, but my photography skills (and my camera's low battery) weren't totally up to the challenge this morning. It's super simple but still has lots of panache! The card is a compilation of left over Make & Take bits from one of my convention projects. I decided to decorate my Card Keeper using Spice Cake rather than the Timeless Portrait provided at convention. That left me with some bits to tinker with & you know I can't have anything go to waste! I'll have to admit, I wasn't drawn to the Timeless Portrait paper at first, but I just didn't look at it right. All I saw at first were silhouettes & clocks and I missed the bold red, black, and blue patterns. Silly me! Making the flower for this one was my favorite part. I took six of the largest petals from the Blossom Petals punch & one Fancy Flower punch and spritzed them with water. Once they were wet, I crunched them up into little balls, uncrunched them, and let them dry. I adhered the individual petals to a small circle to keep them together & added the flower on top. Doesn't it create a great effect? Of course, the flower still needed a center. Hmmmm... time for one more trick learned at convention. Out came my Lace Ribbon Boarder Punch and my 1" Circle punch. When used together, you get this great little detailed circle. Add a pearl, some satin ribbon, and a hounds tooth background to complete the card. Love it. Playing with scraps can be such fun!

Flirtatious Doily/ Mojo Monday 203

I set myself a bunch of challenges this morning. I wanted to do Mojo Monday since I haven't in a very long time. Also wanted to make sure I included one of the laser cut doilies from the Flirtatious Specialty Paper AND and wanted to use some scallop polka dot ribbon. That was a bunch to squeeze into one card, but I gave it a try!

I had to modify the sketch a bit to make things work,but Mojo Monday provided the inspiration. As for colors, I wanted to be careful that what ever combination I picked could work with either the Melon Mambo doilies or the Pumpkin Pie doilies equally well. That way, if I run out of Melon Mambo pieces for class, the Pumpkin Pie bits work just as well. So Saffron with Marina Mist should work great for either. At least that's the hope!

Color Throwdown #153

Aren't these colors fun together? The ladies over at The Color Throwdown put together yet another great pallet this week: Whisper White, Old Olive, Pool Party, & Crumb Cake. I've been wanting to make a "custom ink pad" card to demonstrate at an upcoming workshop & thought this would be a great chance. All you need are re-inkers & a baby wipe. It's so simple! Just dot your "ink pad" with the different colors and you can create your very own designer paper. You get a unique result each time. (Hint: I find that you need to clean the stamp between each inking otherwise all the colors start to blend.) I think this one will be a crowd pleaser for even experienced stampers.

I was busy yesterday designing cards for my "Buttons, Paper, Ribbon Oh My!" classes and I can't wait to share them all with you. It's great fun to have time to spend crafting again!

Project Sneak Peak

I'm not in the habit of making projects, but I hope to do many more of them. In fact, I think it would be great fun to have project classes in addition to my card classes. This will be my first attempt! It's a bit of a pre-view because it uses all sorts of goodies from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The base for this project is the new Stampin' Card Keeper. It's a box perfectly sized for storing your handmade cards & even comes with six dividers to keep you organized. Also, it includes patterns for covering the whole box (or bits like I did) using designer paper or designer fabric. The fun little hardware on the box front is also included. My plan is to fill these little boxes with cards & give them as Christmas gifts!

I had such fun decorating my box with The Spice Cake designer fabric & designer paper. How did I make those excellent little flowers? Great question--- by using my brand new Simply Scored! This toy is Stampin' Up's answer to all our scoring needs. I can't wait to share how easy it is to use with all of you. Never fear, you'll see it at class soon & you can order your very own starting September 1st. Look for my example box at classes this month & let me know if you would like to sign up for or host a Card Keeper Class.

Time to get a bit fancy

I've been a little heavy on the cute & a bit light on the pretty lately, so I decided to make a little bit of a switch for today's card. It's another for my "Buttons, Paper, & Ribbon Oh My" classes and it features both Baja Breeze Seam Binding as well as Paisley Petals designer series paper. Thinking about DSP in August is super important because SU is offering a buy 3 get one FREE sale this month. Make sure to include Paisley Petals on your DSP wish list. It's simply lovely.

This card also let me play with a few new toys. The elegant background is thanks to one of my new Texturz Plates & a little Pear Pizzazz ink. My other new toy let's this card become super versatile: the Occasions Alphabet. With sentiments ranging from "I is for ick, sorry your sick" to "N is for newlywed enjoy the having & the holding" you can find something to fit every occasion just as the name implies.

One thing that doesn't show as well as I would like is the Shimmer Mist I used on the velum layer of the little butterfly. You'll have to check it out in person to get the full effect!

Mini Clothespins!!

I'm afraid that sometimes my mind is just a little too literal. The tiny little clothespins from the new catalog will look great on all sorts of projects. However, as soon as I saw them, I just had to make a clothesline. What better to put on a clothesline than a little onesie? My classes this month follow the theme of Buttons, Paper, Ribbon: Oh My! So, I want to feature lots of the new accessories. Now I've got two of them covered, the Flirtatious Specialty Paper & the Mini Clothespins. I also got to use my Bakers Twine to create the little clothesline. Such fun! At first I attached the twine using the little pins, but that didn't show them off quite as well. Attaching them via glue dots works better to show off their full shape. I think they're perfect for an easel card that's intended for display, don't you? There's still plenty of room to write on the part that gets hidden by the "stand", no worries! Hope to see you at classes this month so you too can play with our little clothespins. :)

Hip, Hip, & Hurray

I just couldn't help myself. Once I made one card with my little frog friend, I just needed to make one more. :) My plan was to create a few cards using the same bits of paper, so folks can have their pick of which cards to make at my Ronald McDonald House events without me having to cut a ton of random pieces.

If I had to do it all over again, I think that the little brad in the party hat is just a bit too big & I would leave it off. Other than that, they're just too stinking cute! I was able to pop little party hats on their heads with no problems thanks to the wonders of clear stamps. Cute, fun, & easy. You just can't go wrong with that combination!

Hello Froggie!

Darn near as cute as the pig, isn't he? This little fellow is going to help me with my "Stamping for a Cause" workshops. Each year SU creates one stamp set which benefits the Ronald McDonald House Charities. They're a great organization that helps out families with severely ill children by giving them a place to stay during treatment. This year, the RMDH set is a real winner: Turtle & Co. It's full of super cute little critters that put a smile on my face & I bet on yours too. For August & September, I'm asking folks to host a workshop that features these stamps. Everyone who attends will make a "make and take" as usual, but also has the chance to make extra cards to donate to the Ronald McDonald Houses. My goal is to make 100 cards to donate. I'm going to need your help! Please contact me if you would like to host one of these special workshops. I know we'll have a great time & brighten up the lives of others too! This card is perfect for folks who are new to stamping. The images are stamped in Versa Mark & then covered with chalks. Fast, fun, & easy--- my very favorite type of card. Of course, you could aways add google eyes if you needed to...

Color Throwdown #152

It's been a super long time since I've participated in the Color Throwdown. I miss that extra stretch I have to take when using colors that I would have never put together on my own. I guess that's why they call it a color "challenge". This week's choices were no exception: Rose Red, Mellon Mambo, Soft Suede, & River Rock. I NEVER use River Rock. In fact, all my colors have a file folder with full sheets & a paper protector with scraps. Most have a full pack with a few extra sheets & a whole bunch of scraps. However, when I took out my River Rock folder, all I found was a sheet and a half. Period. That shows you just how little attention I pay that color!

Since I have all sorts of new toys to play with, I started getting them out to see what would happen. My very favorite of the new hostess sets, Happiest Birthday Wishes, (it's HUGE) came out first. Then my Fancy Fan Letterpress Plate had to come out of its package too. I actually read the directions on that one, aren't you proud? I just kept fiddling until I came up with something that works. All my Soft Suede bits found their way through my crimper while the River Rock pieces were treated with my Color Spritzer tool. A few scrap buttons & I was finished! Now, I have the rest of my new toys to experiment with...stay tuned...

Some Pig

Okay, what's not to love about this priceless little porker? I saw the Button Buddies set in the new catalog & knew right away that I just loved this little guy. Then, I got a bacon dip swap with him on it at convention & fell in love all over again. Of course I couldn't resist adding some google eyes in addition to the great button nose. The very best part about my little pig? He came to me for FREE! Yet another benefit of being a SU demonstrator. I had the chance to participate in a focus group for SU while at convention and they gave me a set of my choice as a thank you! You can join the SU team for just $99 during July. Let me know ASAP so we can get you signed up before this great deal goes away on Sunday. There are so many benefits that you can enjoy while also getting 20% off all things SU.

I was super lucky that my Button Buddies arrived the same day as my new Brights Buttons. That way I could make sure my paper & button matched perfectly. Where did I get the little colored rhinestones? Just add Sharpie to our normal ones! My pig clearly called out for bling; he's got style. :)

Triple Treat Flower Swap

This weekend I spent a whole bunch of time in my studio while my husband was away. Most of it was spent reorganizing, but I decided to treat myself to a little creative time too. I'm part of a group of SU demonstrators that participate in a new catalog swap. It's a great way to get new ideas for new products! This will be my contribution. It highlights my favorite of the new a la carte stamps: Triple Treat Flower. This great little stamp fits not one, not two, but three of our punches. That makes you able to create great layered effects! I had lots of fun with it here to make the focal image & much of the background. I also went distressing crazy. After stamping the background with the Triple Treat Flower & a fun border from Borderlines, I then ran it through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice Folder. I sponged both my Lace Ribbon punched piece & the So Saffron circle. Torn & distressed edges finished the effect. I hope the other demos in my group like this one as much as I do!