Shimmer Butterflies from Scrap

Ah, we've reached the end of my creations from January's Quarterly Quarter party. This one doesn't photograph as well as I would like, so you're going to have to trust me on it. The whole card base is sprayed with gold Smooch Spritz which makes it all shimmer. Unfortunately, all that really shows up here are the larger blobs. In reality, it brings out the shimmer from the brushed gold circle behind the heart. The whole focal image is from my jar of unused bits. I did add texture to the Always Artichoke circle, but everything else is straight from the left overs bin. :) I almost decided against pairing the So Saffron heart with the Brushed Gold circle, but some of the other ladies convinced me that it is a good match. It's ever so nice to have other opinions when your designing a project! My husband does the best he can, but I think even he grows weary of me asking if "this looks okay".

Punch Potpourri Color Challenge/ Curtain Call #71

Today I decided to have fun with some of my level one hostess sets. I grabbed some color inspiration from the Curtain Call Color Challenge. Their colors for this week are: Crumb Cake, So Saffron, Cherry Cobbler, & More Mustard. A very fun group that I don't usually mix together. It's always fun to give a new combo a try! They are a super rich group when placed together. I think my natural inclination is to add a bit of Night of Navy to this group, so I really had to restrain myself from adding that one. It's been forever since I used my XL Bird Punch & I've missed it a bit. So, out he came. I've never even inked the flower image from Punch Potpourri which made that a must this time around! I love the way in which sentiments that just don't quite fit in my Word Window Punch work perfectly inside the Modern Label Punch. Some times I use that one as just a back ground layer & other times it's great all on its own! The elegance of the "thank you" from Because I care makes it a favorite of mine, but I found I didn't use it as much as I could have because it didn't fit my punch. That was until I got the Modern Label of course. I'm such a punch addict! The little circles with the rhinestones add just enough glitz to my sentiment so it stands out well on its own without having to use any Whisper White to make it pop. All in all a fun card for a Friday!

Mojo Monday 172

Welcome to 2011! It's excellent to start the year off with a sketch from the ladies over at Mojo Monday. My goal for today was to use some of my very favorite colors to create a card for my Hearts Theme class that could work for any occasion. So, here are Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, and So Saffron together in a heart card for all seasons. I thought about using Daffodil Delight in this one, but it was a bit too much. So Saffron really mutes the other colors to create a softer feel. I used my Color Spritzer Tool to add a little extra flare to the Wild Wasabi and Marina Mist cardstock pieces. I just love that toy, but find that it's not the favorite for everyone. You'll have to play with it at class to decide if it's right for you. It spices up the basic cardstock pieces without making too much of a jumble. I tried embossing them with the same folder as the back ground first. YIKES! Not a good plan! :) This one is a retirement card simply because that sentiment shows just how versatile a card it is. It could work just as nicely as a Valentine, sympathy, birthday, or get well card. Take your pick because Teeny Tiny Wishes has all those options!

House Warming

Last night was the house warming party for the person who can be credited with starting me on my stamping path. A few years ago she invited me to a party at her home & I decided to go even though "it's not my thing". Little did I know that before long it would very much be my thing! I think she still gets a kick out of the fact that her very non-crafty friend is now a demonstrator for SU and crafting has become a huge part of my life. It just goes to show how one small moment can make such a huge difference and that it's so important to just try new things. You never know where they will lead you. This little guy is just a 3x3 card designed to attach to a wine bottle. That's why I punched a hole in the top corner. Thread a little ribbon though and you're all set. I think the bird house needed a little more decoration near the top, but I couldn't decide on just the right stamp. Maybe next time it will come to me!

Love Helps PCC

The ladies over at PPC picked another great color combo for this week: Pink Pirouette, Perfect Plum, and So Saffron. Lots of great possibilities! This was another little happy accident of mine. I knew all week that I wanted to make a card for this challenge that centered on the heart stamp from "Punch Potpourri", but when I made the punched hearts with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, I just knew I needed to use the bird image instead. So, a quick switch of focus ended up here!

Alphabet Hello

Making kid cards is such fun! I was inspired by the appearance of alphabet stamps in two of my new hostess sets: Cute by the Inch & Punch Potpourri.

Right now, I'm in the midst of a training program through Stampin' Up. It's just one more way I'm focusing on stamping as my summer job comes to a close. To make that a success, I need a little help from you.

As part of this program I am supposed to share my "stampin' story" with at least three people. So I thought here would be a great place! Please leave a comment so I know I've reached at least three of you. :)

Accidental Stamper is the name of my blog because it so fits the way I got started. I attended one party (gasp it was of a competitor!) as a favor to my friend. Since I had no interest in card making or scrap booking & I was the least crafty person alive, I wasn't really looking forward to the event. At that event, I started to see the possibilities of paper crafting and the fact that I COULD do this. Needless to say, I was hooked! The next Monday, a friend of mine who I volunteered with brought a handmade card for us all to sign. I asked her about it and she introduced me to the world of Stampin' Up, the woman who would later become my upline, and started me on a path that I love!

One more part of this training requires me to book a workshop between now and August 17th. Anyone out there ready to host a stampin' adventure & earn great hostess sets like the ones I used today? Contact me & we can set you up!