Stamp-a-holics Rule

Sale-A-Brate!!!

2012-01-24T20:22:00.001-06:00

It's time to "Sale-A-Brate" at Stampin' Up! Here is a sample I made with some of the elements you get on the Sale-A-Bration CD for My Digital Studio. I had so much playing with all of the content... I really love the Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Papers!

Here are some samplers of the exclusive products you can earn during Sale-A-Bration:

You can choose a FREE item from the Sale-A-Bration offerings for every $50 of merchandise you order (before shipping & tax). Contact me today to get your goodies! You just can't beat FREE!!!

Free Digital Kit from Stampin' Up!!!

2012-01-05T20:59:00.000-06:00

Stampin' Up is celebrating having a 100,000 friends on Facebook by giving away a free digital download. The kit is a $14.95 value! You can take the survey and get the download through January 10, 2012 here: http://surveymonkey.com/s/100k

I've been playing around with this Day in the Life digital kit in Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio and made up a few samplers so you can see what comes in the kit. This first one features the 12 papers and some of the stamp brush kit:

More images from the stamp brush kit:

Here are some of the embellishments that come with the kit, too:

It's Coming Soon!!!

2012-01-04T09:58:00.001-06:00

Sale-a-Bration that is! Stampin' Up's annual event when you can earn FREE products will be January 24 through March 31, 2012 this year. Be sure and check back soon as I will be giving you a sneak peek of some of the goodies you can earn with each $50 you purchase. This is the flier I just created using Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio and the Sale-a-Bration content CD... a little something to whet your appetite!

Christmas ... MDS Style

2012-01-02T22:18:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd share some pictures from Christmas at my parents' house this year. I used Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio and the Savor the Season Ensemble. These papers and embellishements are so fun!

A Christmas Case

2011-12-31T21:30:00.001-06:00

I made two versions of the card pictured on page 45 of the 2011-2012 Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog featuring the stamp set Beautiful Season. This first version is just like the card in the catalog with one exception... no pearls as I needed to mail this card to Florida and wanted to keep it fairly flat.

This version of the card includes the pearls. I did emboss the base card layer using my Big Shot and the Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I think the embossing really made the card more elegant.

Stamps: Beautiful Season

Ink: Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizzaz, Soft Suede, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Pear Pizzaz, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Curly Label Punch, Big Shot, Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Stampin' Dimensionals, Blender Pen, Basic Pearls

Christmas Stockings Galore!

2011-12-31T21:19:00.000-06:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!! Better late than never, here are my Christmas cards for 2011. As you can see I made 5 versions of the same layout using the Stocking Builder Punch and Snow Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder from the Holiday Mini Catalog and the rectangular Designer Frame Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and the Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine from the 2011-2012 Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog.

Stamps: Stitched Stockings

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Cardstock: Whisper White, Soft Suede

Accessories: Big Shot, Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Snow Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Dazzling Details, Stocking Builder Punch

Stamps: Stitched Stockings

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Cardstock: Whisper White, Soft Suede

Accessories: Big Shot, Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Snow Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Mica Flakes, Crystal Effects, Stocking Builder Punch

Stamps: Stitched Stockings

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizzaz

Cardstock: Whisper White, Pear Pizzaz

Accessories: Big Shot, Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Snow Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Stocking Builder Punch

Stamps: Stitched Stockings

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Cardstock: Whisper White, Soft Suede

Stamps: Gift Givers

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede, Basic Black

Cardstock: Whisper White, Soft Suede

Accessories: Big Shot, Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Snow Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Stocking Builder Punch

So, which stocking is your favorite??? By the way, you only have until January 3, 2012 to purchase the Stocking Builder Punch as it will retire when the Holiday Mini Catalog ends!

Happy Turkey Day!

2011-11-24T06:11:00.001-06:00

This cute little Thanksgiving card uses the stamp set Gift Givers from the Holiday Mini. This stamp set is so versatile as it coordinates with several of Stampin' Up's punches and features several holidays. This little turkey image fits the Curly Label Punch, one of my personal favorites. I punched a piece of More Mustard cardstock and cut it in half to layer behind the Naturals Ivory layer. I used my bone folder to emboss the criss-cross pattern on a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" piece of Island Indigo cardstock folded in half. I used Linen Thread to accent the card, also.

Stamps: Gift Givers

Ink: Basic Black, Island Indigo, More Mustard, Poppy Parade, Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzaz, Pumpkin Pie

Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, More Mustard, Island Indigo

Accessories: Bone Folder, Curly Label Punch, Linen Thread, Needle, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Thanksgiving... Part 2

2011-11-23T23:54:00.001-06:00

Here is another Thanksgiving card I made using the Holiday Mini catalog stamp set Always Thankful. Since the image was of pears I thought I should use the In Color Pear Pizzazz. I really like this color combo... Pear Pizzaz with Soft Suede. I distressed the edges of both the Soft Suede and Naturals Ivory layers. However, I turned the distressed edges down toward the card base and attached with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Stamps: Always Thankful

Ink: Basic Black, More Mustard, Pear Pizzaz, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake

Cardstock: Pear Pizzaz, Soft Suede, Naturals Ivory

Accessories: Bone Folder, Blender Pen, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Thanksgiving... Part 3

2011-11-23T13:05:00.001-06:00

This Thanksgiving card again features the stamp set Always Thankful from the Holiday Mini catalog. I distressed the edges of the Naturals Ivory layer with my bone folder. I also used my bone folder to emboss the criss-cross pattern on the Soft Suede card base. I really like the added effect!

Stamps: Always Thankful

Ink: Basic Black, More Mustard, Basic Gray, Pear Pizzaz

Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, More Mustard, Soft Suede

Accessories: Bone Folder

Happy Thanksgiving...Part 1

2011-11-22T19:54:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Sorry I've been too busy to post lately... work has been keeping me swamped. Here is one of the cards I made for my aunts. The image is from the Holiday Mini stamp set Always Thankful. I like the color combination as the Rich Razzleberry really added a punch of color.

Stamps: Always Thankful

Ink: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Pear Pizzaz, Old Olive, Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight

Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Rich Razzleberry, More Mustard

Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch

Birdie on a Branch

2011-09-16T06:31:00.001-05:00

While this new stamp set is actually called Best of Everything, the little birdie image is my favorite! I was inspired by the sample on page 103 of the 2011-2012 Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog as well as cards I've seen made by many other demonstrators. I used touches of the new In Colors Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral to accent the Daffodil Delight birdie. I used the Mat Pack & Paper Piercer on the Lucky Limeade layer and the new Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder on the Soft Suede card base.

Stamps: Best of Everything

Ink: Soft Suede, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade

Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Soft Suede

Accessories: Mat Pack & Paper Piercer, Big Shot, Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sweet Ice Cream Cone Card #2

2011-09-15T06:17:00.001-05:00

Here is the other ice cream cone card I made. As you can see, the layout is identical to yesterday's card but I switched up a few of the elements. For this card I used Lucky Limeade as my card base and the new Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I love how these embossing folders in the Big Shot really add a LOT to a card! My scoops were punched out using the Cupcake Builder Punch and the new In Colors of Wisteria Wonder and Lucky Limeade this time. The chocolate chips were added courtesy of the Cupcake Builder Punch, as was the cherry on top. I like both cards and how just changing a couple of elements can yield such different results!

Stamps: Pennant Parade, Sweets for the Sweet

Ink: Crumb Cake, Wisteria Wonder

Cardstock: Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Poppy Parade

Accessories: Cupcake Builder Punch, Jewelry Tag Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Linen Thread, Mat Pack & Paper Piercer, Big Shot, Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Sweet Ice Cream Cone Card #1

2011-09-14T06:01:00.001-05:00

I was inspired to make an ice cream cone card after visiting a fellow demonstrator's blog last week (thanks Yapha!). Actually I ended up making two cards similar in design but with different color combinations. I'll be posting the other card tomorrow so be sure and check back to see that one!

To make an ice cream cone card, you just need the Pennant Parade stamp set for the cone (which you could even punch out using the coordinating Pennant Builder Punch if you wanted to) and the Cupcake Builder Punch for the scoops and cherry. For this particular card I added some sprinkles to the Blushing Bride scoop using the Stampin' Write Marker of the same color. I always love the color combination of Soft Suede and any "pink". I wanted to add a little message at the bottom of the card and found the word "sweet" in the new stamp set, Sweets for the Sweet. I was thrilled to discover that it fit perfectly in the Jewelry Tag Punch, too!

Stamps: Pennant Parade, Sweets for the Sweet

Ink: Poppy Parade, Crumb Cake, Blushing Bride

Cardstock: Blushing Bride, Soft Suede, Whisper White

Accessories: Linen Thread, Ticket Corner Punch, Jewelry Tag Punch, Mat Pack & Paper Piercer, Big Shot, Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Cupcake Builder Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sending Love Your Way

2011-09-13T05:39:00.001-05:00

Ain't Love Grand is a stamp set that went on my wish list immediately upon seeing it in the new 2011-2012 Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog. This is one of the new sets that can be purchased with hostess dollars when you have a qualifying order. I love the versatility of the images in this set. I used a couple of other new items on this card as well. I embossed the Crumb Cake card base with the new Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder in my Big Shot. I thought the card still needed a little something at the bottom but didn't want to add a lot of bulk. I cut my pieces of Whisper White 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon and criss-crossed them, then added a Poppy Parade Small Heart Punch in the center. I added some sparkle with the new Dazzling Details from the Holiday Mini Catalog. Dazzling Details is a type of glitter glue that also adds dimension to a project.

Stamps: Ain't Love Grand

Ink: Poppy Parade, Basic Black, Crumb Cake

Cardstock: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade

Accessories: Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Eyelet Border Punch, Small Heart Punch, 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon, Dazzling Details

Thinking of You

2011-09-12T07:20:00.001-05:00

I have loved this bench image from the stamp set Have a Seat since it debuted last year. However, I felt that something needed to be sitting on the bench rather than leaving it empty. Afterall, I wanted this to be a "Thinking of You" card. I went in search of an image that would be the correct proportion to place on the bench. At first I thought about putting just the card image from the Tote-ally Tess stamp set on the bench. Then inspiration hit! Why not place the bag with a card sticking out of the top on the corner of the bench! I could easily see myself putting my own bag in this exact spot if I had such a bench in my home. I embellished the bag with the small flower image included in that stamp set and used a strand of the Early Espresso Baker's Twine to tie around the handle of the bag. I used the butterfly image from the Itty Bitty Bits stamp set to embellish the small card. As you can see I used the new In Colors of Pool Party and Calypso Coral on this card and really like how well they "Popped" when paired with Soft Suede.

Here's a close-up of the bench with the bag and card:

Stamps: Have a Seat, Tote-ally Tess, Itty Bitty Bits

Ink: Soft Suede, Calypso Coral, Island Indigo

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Naturals Ivory

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Calypso Coral 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon, , Early Espresso Baker's Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

4 YOU

2011-09-11T17:20:00.000-05:00

Today I'm featuring the new Petite Pennants Builder Punch from Stampin' Up. I paired two of the new In Colors on this card: Pool Party and Wisteria Wonder. I made this card the size to fit into a business size envelope. I wanted to make it appear that the pennants were on a flag pole of sorts with a message the recipient can read from top to bottom. I used letters from the new Occasions Alphabet and the number "4" from a stamp in the set Tiny Tags. Here is a close-up view of the message:

Stamps: Pennant Parade, Occasions Alphabet, Tiny Tags

Ink: Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder, Island Indigo

Cardstock: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder

Accessories: Petite Pennants Builder Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Small Oval Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, White Baker's Twine, Pool Party 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon, Mat Pack & Paper Piercer, Stampin' Dimensionals

The Gift Ensemble

2011-09-09T07:26:00.001-05:00

As promised, here is a picture of the whole "Welcome" gift ensemble that I made for my new colleague:

I figured that paper and chocolate were a great combination to say "Welcome!" Of course I had to decorate a gift bag to coordinate with the gifts and card. Since Stampin' Up doesn't have an apple punch, I decided to use various sizes of circle punches to embellish the gift bag along with an image of that cute little worm again.

Stamps: First Day

Ink: Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzaz, Basic Black

Cardstock: Whisper White, Pear Pizzaz, Poppy Parade

Accessories: 1/4" Circle Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (Circle), 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch

I hope I made my new colleague's first day a little easier as she learns her way around.

A Welcome Gift

2011-09-08T07:08:00.002-05:00

I wanted to add something else to the card and chocolate I gave my new co-worker so I refurbished a paper cube... everyone needs paper, right? The first picture shows the "before" image... a perfectly fine patriotic paper cube that I found in my stash of "things to alter some day and give as a gift". (I'm sure all paper crafters have a box of goodies like that!)

I took some Whisper White cardstock and cut it to fit around the paper cube. I stamped it with images from the First Day set and same In Colors to match the card I made the other day. Here is a close-up of one of the sides. There's that cute little worm again!

After I had stamped the images, I adhered the Whisper White pieces to the paper cube using sticky strip as I wanted a strong bond for this project. I wrote a personal note on the top piece of paper, too.

Stamps: First Day

Ink: Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzaz, Basic Black

Cardstock: Whisper White

Accessories: Paper Cube, Sticky Strip

Come back tomorrow to see the complete gift ensemble and gift bad I presented it all in!

Gotta Have Chocolate!

2011-09-07T09:00:00.001-05:00

I figure that a first day at a new job would go smoother if chocolate was available, so I dressed up some Hershey nuggets in these cute little wrappers using my new stamp set It's a Wrap Occasions from the new 2011-2012 Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog. Since I chose the apple image and wanted the candy to coordinate with the card I made yesterday, I again used the In Color Poppy Parade. Don't they look yummy!?!

Stamps: It's a Wrap Occasions

Ink: Poppy Parade

Cardstock: Whisper White

Be sure and come back tomorrow to see what else I created as part of the "Welcome" gift for my new co-worker!

Welcome!

2011-09-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

You may recall that last week I showed you a card I made for my co-worker who was leaving our school? Well, the new gal who is replacing her started today, so I wanted to make a card to welcome her. I dug through my retired stamps and found the First Day set from last year's summer mini catalog. I just love this little worm reading a book! I used the In Colors of Poppy Parade and Pear Pizzaz to make this card bright and cheery, accenting it with matching glitter brads. I also took this opportunity to play with the new Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and my Big Shot. All I can say is "WOW"... I think I am going to be using this embossing folder a LOT as I love the depth it gave to the cardstock. I also attempted to print "SPEECH" on the cover of the book, as that is our field of expertise. I hope she likes it!

Stamps: First Day

Ink: Basic Black, Pear Pizzaz, Poppy Parade

Cardstock: Whisper White, Pear Pizzaz, Poppy Parade

Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, 1/16" Circle Punch, In Color Glitter Brads, Big Shot, Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals

Come back tomorrow to see what else I created to go with the card!

Faith in Nature

2011-09-05T07:31:00.001-05:00

Faith in Nature is a Hostess Set I got last month. I like the look of images and print combined as well as the inspirational quote that comes with this set. I decided to feature the pear image, sponging it with Pear Pizzaz of course. I tore the edges of the Naturals Ivory and Early Espresso layers to distress them. I didn't add any other embellishments to this card as I didn't think it needed any ... I wanted to keep it simple, like nature.

Stamps: Faith in Nature

Ink: Pear Pizzaz, Early Espresso

Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Pear Pizzaz, Early Espresso

Accessories: Stampiin' Sponges

It's a Wrap 4 You

2011-09-04T07:22:00.001-05:00

This is the little gift I whipped up to go with the card I showed you yesterday. I had gotten both sets of the candy wraps and have been itching to try them out and this was a perfect opportunity. The dark chocolate Hershey nuggets are concealed below the "4 You" image from the It's a Wrap Holidays stamp set in the new Holiday Mini Catalog (click on the link to the right to view it now). I decided to use the new 2011-2013 In Colors since they coordinate so well and offer a bright and cheery pallet.

Stamps: It's a Wrap Holidays

Ink: Island Indigo, Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade

Cardstock: Whisper White

Miss You Already

2011-09-03T07:04:00.001-05:00

I made this card for a co-worker whose last day was Thursday. I wanted to do something special to let her know how much I was going to miss working with her. It's always a bonus when a co-worker turns out to be such a good friend!

For this card I used the Up, Up, and Away stamp set and some of the In Colors. After I stamped the birds and clouds on the Whisper White layer I sponged Lucky Limeade at the bottom of the card to represent grass and Pool Party on the top of the card to represent the sky. I popped up the balloon with a Stampin' Dimensional. I used the technique of "kissing" on the balloon. That's where you ink up a solid image then place a print stamp on top of that to remove some of the ink and like magic the pattern remains. Here is a close up of the balloon so you can see the pattern a little better. It is from the large print image in the Clearly For You stamp set.

Stamps: Up, Up, and Away, Clearly for You

Ink: Concord Crush, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Basic Gray, Wisteria Wonder, Soft Suede, Island Indigo

Cardstock: Whisper White, Concord Crush, Pool Party

Accessories: Basic Rhinestone, Stampin' Dimensionals, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Stampin' Sponges

Smiles

2011-09-02T07:51:00.001-05:00

Making all of these pinwheels in all of these cool colors certainly brought a smile to my face! Today I used Lucky Limeade, Peach Parfait, and Rich Razzleberry to make my pinwheels. I found that if you make a mistake, such as stamping the stick crooked, you can strategically place the pinwheel at a certain angle so no one will notice! You can also cover a "boo-boo" by placing a piece of ribbon on your card. These tricks come in handy when you run out of sides of the cardstock to stamp on...LOL! I inked the word I wanted to use on the stamp from the Petite Pairs stamp set using my Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Write Marker and then used the same marker to outline the small oval after I punched it out. I think the extra touch of color makes the sentiment "PoP"!

Stamps: Sweets for the Sweet, Petite Pairs

Ink: Lucky Limeade, Peach Parfait, Rich Razzleberry

Cardstock: Whisper White, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Lucky Limeade 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon, Small Oval Punch, Basic Rhinestone, Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Pinwheels on a Fence

2011-09-01T08:39:00.001-05:00

Just for fun... today I used the new 2011-2013 In Colors of Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder, and Island Indigo for my pinwheels. I placed them atop a fence made by using the Jewelry Tag Punch with Crumb Cake cardstock. I also sponged Crumb Cake classic ink around the edges of each punched tag to give it some depth. Today the "sun" image was made using the Cupcake Builder Punch on Daffodil Delight.

Stamps: Sweets for the Sweet

Ink: Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder, Island Indigo, Crumb Cake

Cardstock: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Jewelry Tag Punch, Cupcake Builder Punch, Basic Rhinestones, Stampin' Sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sweet Pinwheels in the Grass

2011-08-31T08:27:00.001-05:00

Just for fun... these pinwheels are spinning in some homemade grass and bright with the 2010-2012 In Colors of Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzaz, and Concord Crush. Aren't they cute?! These adorable images are from the stamp set Sweets for the Sweet. I added the sentiment up in the corner in Daffodil Delight to give the impression of a sun shining down. A little bling in the form of a basic rhinestone is in the center of each pinwheel, as if it is what is holding the pinwheel together.

Stamps: Sweets for the Sweet

Ink: Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzaz, Concord Crush

Cardstock: Whisper White, Pear Pizzaz, Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Basic Rhinestones, Curly Label Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips

Up, Up, & Away

2011-08-30T05:02:00.001-05:00

This card was inspired by Mindy's card here. When I saw her card I knew that I just had to have the Up, Up, & Away stamp set! I made this card to fit into a business-sized envelope so that the balloons would have plenty of sky to fly in. I wanted to use bright colors so this would be a happy, cheerful card for the recipient. I think it turned out pretty cute!

Stamps: Up, Up, & Away, Pennant Parade

Ink: Baja Breeze, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Basic Black, Soft Suede

Cardstock: Whisper White, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise

Accessories: Linen Thread, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, 1/16" Circle Punch, Stampin' Sponge, Signo White Gel Pen

Turtle & Co.

2011-08-29T08:26:00.001-05:00

My cousin has been through a lot in the past two years. She has valiantly been battling an aggressive type of cancer and most recently had an accident on her bicycle in which she fractured her pelvis. I wanted to make her a card that would cheer her up despite all that she is going through right now and thought that this little fellow might do the trick.

As you can see, I copied the basic idea for Mr. Turtle's predicament from the sample on page 16 in the new 2011-2012 Stampin' Up Idea Book and Catalog. However, I didn't want a bunch of flowers on this card, so I made it more of a clean and simple layout. I used bits of bright colors on top of the neutral Crumb Cake background which I had stamped using the Sandy Speckles standard wheel. The Scallop Edge Border Punch was used on layers of Tempting Turquoise and Tangerine Tango to mimic waves at the beach.

Just a reminder that the stamp set Turtle & Co. is an exclusive stamp set designed by Stampin' Up to help raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities? For every Turtle & Co. stamp set purchased, Stampin' Up will donate $3 to RMHC!

Stamps: Turtle & Co., Sandy Speckles Wheel

Ink: Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black, Tangerine Tango, Crumb Cake

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise

Accessories: 1/4" Circle Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch, 1/8" Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Delightful Strength and Hope

2011-08-28T16:25:00.000-05:00

Here is the first card I made with the Strength and Hope stamp set I just received from Stampin' Up. There are only a few days left to get this exclusive stamp set for yourself as the Strength and Hope promotion that Stampin' Up is sponsoring ends on August 31! Remember that Stampin' Up will donate $2 from the purchase of each Strength and Hope stamp set and/or digital download to further breast cancer research.

Since some of my loved ones are struggling with other types of cancer, I decided to make the butterfly image "yellow" on my card (more specifically Daffodil Delight). I had seen a card made by Shelley which inspired me. As you can see, I changed up the design and colors a bit on my version, although I kept the "yellow" butterfly as the main focal point. I love this color combination of Soft Suede and Daffodil Delight as it seems so warm and soothing.

Stamps: Strength and Hope

Ink: Daffodil Delight, More Mustard, Early Espresso, Soft Suede

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White

Accessories: Daffodil Delight 1/8" Taffetta Ribbon, Neutrals Brads, Modern Label Punch, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Strength and Hope

2011-08-20T21:43:00.001-05:00

Last night I purchased and downloaded some new goodies for My Digital Studio and started playing with them. I thought I would share some of the new downloads with you in this reminder of the Strength and Hope promotion that Stampin' Up is sponsoring until the end of the month. Stampin' Up will donate $2 from the purchase of each Strength and Hope stamp set and/or digital download to further breast cancer research. I love how this company supports and promotes good causes! To view the images included in the Strength and Hope sets click on the button to the right.

I love the Flag Punch digital download. I'm hoping that Stampin' Up will make a flag punch to use with paper one of these days, too!

Back to School with MDS

2011-08-03T22:06:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that August is here already! August means it is almost time to go back to school. My school starts August 15th. Even though I am not ready for summer vacation to be over just yet, it will be good to see my students again. I used Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio to create this layout using a "Back to School" theme. I played around with trying to color in the stamped images for the first time (on the owl and crayons). I used the punches to accomplish this feat. This owl looks like he's wide awake and ready to go to school... something I'll be struggling with on the 15th when the alarm clock goes off at 5:30 am!

A Slice of Peach Parfait

2011-07-31T06:11:00.000-05:00

This little card is approximately 4" square and is packed with lots of little elements! The card base is Peach Parfait, embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder in the Big Shot. At the bottom of the card front is a strip of Peach Parfait Patterns Deisgner Series Paper and a strip of Pear Pizzaz punched with the Lace Ribbon Border Punch adhered to a strip of Whisper White cardstock. The focal image is from the A Slice of Life stamp set. (It was a hostess set from the 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog which means that it is no longer available.) I used the Blender Pen to color in the coffee cups and punched it out with the 1 3/4" Circle Punch. I wanted a layer of Pear Pizzaz to mount this on but nothing I could get my hands on was fitting right so I improvised with an idea that I've seen on other card samples. I punched a bunch of 1/2" circles and adhered them around the 1 3/4" circle. The large punched Whisper White circle that is behind the focal image was an experiment I made earlier in the day. It started as a 2 1/2" circle. Then I took one of the Itty Bitty Shapes Punches and punched out a border around the large circle. I used the 1/16" Circle Punch to punch between the Itty Bitty Shapes. If you look closely you'll notice this specific shape is in the DSP and the Lace Ribbon Border Punch, also. I think this card turned out really cute and light-hearted!

Stamps: A Slice of Life

Ink: Basic Black, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzaz, Daffodil Delight, Peach Parfait

Cardstock: Whisper White, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzaz, Peach Parfait Patterns Designer Series Paper

Accessories: 1/16" Circle Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Lace Ribbon Border Punch, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals

Birds En Francias

2011-07-30T06:46:00.002-05:00

This is a 3" x 6" card, made by folding a 6" x 6" piece of Soft Suede cardstock in half. I used the En Francias background stamp on the card base rather than using an embossing folder this time. The background stamps really add a "PoP" to a card I think. I wanted to use my new Postage Stamp Punch and these little chatty birds from the stamp set Clearly For You fit perfectly. I layered them on a Marina Mist Scallop Square. I love this color combination! I also like how easy it is to do cross-stitch on the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch and I'm so happy that Stampin' Up now sells Baker's Twine to do that stitching with! I mean I love the Linen Thread but sometimes I just want to use a different color. Anyway, I used the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch twice, once in Whisper White (cut in half and adhered to the card base) and again in Marina Mist (the cross-stitched layer on top). I used the same trick with the sentiment and the Small Oval Punch (i.e. - cut the Soft Suede punched piece in half and layered it behind the Whisper White punched piece).

I think these little birds turned out so cute!!!

Stamps: Clearly For You, En Francias

Ink: Soft Suede, Marina Mist

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Marina Mist, Whisper White

Accessories: Small Oval Punch, Scallop Square Punch, Postage Stamp Punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Sponge, White Baker's Twine, Needle

Pacific Etchings

2011-07-29T06:52:00.001-05:00

I wanted to make a card using the Artistic Etchings stamp set and I had a scrap piece of Pacific Point that was already embossed using the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder . So, I decided to use some shades of "blue" instead of "red" for this card. I have found that I really like the monochromatic/dynamic duo look of Pacific Point paired with Baja Breeze. I ruffled the Baja Breeze Seam Binding, a look that is so awesome. I thought that the small butterfly image from the Clearly For You stamp set would make a nice accent without adding the bulk of a bow or knot. Then I had to dress up the little fellow with some tiny Basic Pearls. It's pretty cool how the embossing folder kind of mimiced the design in the medallion image that I stamped for the background on the Crumb Cake card base. Don't you just love how Stampin' Up's products are so coordinated!?!

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, Clearly For You

Ink: Pacific Poing, Basic Black, Garden Green

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Naturals White

Accessories: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Small Oval Punch, Basic Pearls, Baja Breeze Seam Binding, Glue Dots

Sympathy with Style

2011-07-28T06:23:00.001-05:00

I needed to make a sympathy card for a friend this week. Her grandmother passed away. In my book, grandmas are very special people. After 13 years I still miss my own grandma. We spent a lot of special times together over the years.

For this card I chose the stamp set Elements of Style. These roses remind me of a flower that a grandmother would like. I colored the image using my Blender Pen with Rose Red and Old Olive. The Rose Red cardstock base was embossed using the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and accented with a Rich Razzleberry strip that I punched using the Lace Ribbon Border Punch. Afterall, the doily-look of this punch reminds me of "days gone by" and doilies were popular back when my own grandma was young. I ruffled some Always Artichoke Seam Binding and layered it along the left side of the card. The sentiment in the ovals came from the Thanks for Caring stamp set from a previous mini catalog (unfortunately that stamp set is no longer available).

Stamps: Elements of Style, Thanks for Caring

Ink: Rose Red, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Early Espresso

Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Rose Red, Rich Razzleberry

Accessories: Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, Lace Ribbon Border Punch, Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Always Artichoke Seam Binding, Brights (Old Olive) Brad, Blender Pen, Stampin' Sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals, Glue Dots

Just Believe... Kicked Up a Notch

2011-07-27T06:29:00.001-05:00

I was blog surfing last night to get some ideas and was reminded of this card we made at the 2010 Stampin' Up Convention:

So, I used the 2 1/2" Circle Punch to make my template and sponged lines of color on Whisper White cardstock, specifically Pear Pizzaz, Peach Parfait, and Poppy Parade. Then I stamped the same image from the Just Believe stamp set with Basic Black in the circle of blended colors and ran the piece through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder to add some depth. I really like how it turned out! I stamped the sentiment with Pear Pizzaz and punched it out using the Curly Label Punch, sponging the edges. I mounted this on a Poppy Parade Modern Label Punched piece that I paper pierced. I dug out my favorite punch of all time, the Ticket Corner Punch, to trim the corners of the large Poppy Parade layer. I think this card looks like a beautiful sunset full of inspiration.

Stamps: Just Believe

Ink: Basic Black, Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzaz

Cardstock: Whisper White, Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzaz

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Modern Label Punch, Curly Label Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Stampin' Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals

Itty Bitty Full Heart

2011-07-26T18:29:00.000-05:00

This card was inspired by a sample on page 143 of the 2011-2012 Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog. First I stamped images from the Itty Bitty Bits stamp set in various In Colors and punched them out using the Itty Bitty Shapes Punches. Then I covered a piece of Whisper White punched out using the Full Heart Punch with Snail adhesive and applied the Itty Bitty Bits, overlapping them a bit. I used my Crimper on a piece of Island Indigo and punched some Pear Pizzaz with the Doily Triple Layer Punch. Then I assembled these pieces with a Bitty Button tied on with some Linen Thread and layered it all on a Blushing Bride cardstock base. I think it makes a nice "girly" card!

Stamps: Clearly For You, Itty Bitty Bits

Ink: Island Indigo, Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzaz, Calypso Coral, Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade, Blushing Bride

Cardstock: Pear Pizzaz, Blushing Bride, Island Indigo, Whisper White

Accessories: Crimper, Itty Bitty Button, Linen Thread, Doily Triple Layer Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punches, Full Heart Punch

Purples and Pearls

2011-07-25T07:41:00.001-05:00

Have you noticed all of the pennants and flags featured in the samples in the 2011-2012 Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog? Well, I decided to try my hand at making a card with the notched pennant accent. I am loving the color combo of Concord Crush and Wisteria Wonder, accented with Lucky Limeade! Once I had picked out the color scheme and stamp images, I knew that the card background needed something special to do the pennant and tag justice. So I got out my Big Shot and chose the Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. Can you hear me "Oooooh" and "Aaaaah" as I looked at the result!?! I had seen others add the Basic Pearls to the small circle impressions. I couldn't believe how easy these embellishments were to work with and they really added the "PoP" I was looking for!

Stamps: Clearly For You

Ink: Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder

Cardstock: Concord Crush, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Naturals White

Accessories: Big Shot, Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Decorative Label Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch, 5/8" Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Basic Pearls, Stampin' Sponge

I think I'll probably send this card to my aunt in Florida for her birthday next month. She loves "purple" and the bird image on the tag looks like he would live down there.

Ornamental Fish

2011-07-24T07:19:00.001-05:00

I have seen many other demonstrators use the Ornament Punch to make fish but this is the first time I have attempted this myself. I CASEd Sandy Hancock's fish from this card. While Sandy's card was just adorable, I wanted my fish to be swimming in water made out of the new In Color Pool Party. I added some bubbles to their pool with the Circle Circus stamp set and used my Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder to add more texture. I mounted the fish pool on Island Indigo and used my Crop-o-dile to add the embossed dots across the bottom. A little 1/8" Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon covers the border where the dynamic duo colors meet. I think these little fellows turned out cute!

Stamps: Delightful Decorations, Circle Circus

Ink: Pool Party, Pumpkin Pie

Cardstock: Island Indigo, Pool Party, Pumpkin Pie, Confetti White

Accessories: Ornament Punch, 5-Petal Flower Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, 1/2" Circle Punch, 1/8" Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon, Crop-o-dile, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Glue Dots

Monochromatic Turtles

2011-07-23T07:07:00.001-05:00

Here is my attempt at making a monochromatic card using the dynamic duo Pear Pizzaz and Garden Green. I used the Pear Pizzaz Patterns Designer Series Paper with the circles to mimic the spots on the turtles' backs. I accented the card with some paper piercing, Linen Thread, and a little Jewelry Tag Punch message.

Stamps: Fox & Friends, Tiny Tags

Ink: Garden Green, Rich Razzleberry

Cardstock: Garden Green, Pear Pizzaz, Pear Pizzaz Patterns Designer Series Paper, Confetti White

Accessories: Mat Pack, Linen Thread, Jewelry Tag Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch

With Owl My Heart

2011-07-22T07:53:00.001-05:00

This card features another cool punch that I haven't used very much: Owl Builder. I dressed the little fellow up in a Poppy Parade Patterns Designer Series Paper vest. Poppy Parade is one of the In Colors introduced last year and I haven't actually played with it before. I like how this color "PoPs" when paired with the various neutrals.

Stamps: With All My Heart, Woodgrain

Ink: Poppy Parade, Soft Suede

Cardstock: Confetti White, Poppy Parade, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede

Accessories: Owl Builder Punch, Small Heart Punch, Heart to Heart Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Extra Large Oval Punch, Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon

Sweetheart Love Note

2011-07-21T07:41:00.001-05:00

This is a 3 x 3" "Love Note" card that I made for a friend. In editing the photo I found that it came out nice and bright, but the Fancy Flower Punch looks more like Tangerine Tango than Peach Parfait. See the little lacy flower-like punches on the petals of the flower? Those were cut out of the Lace Ribbon Border Punch which I punched out of Concord Crush. I like how versatile this new punch is!

Stamps: Sweetheart, Tiny Tags

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Pear Pizzaz

Cardstock: Pear Pizzaz, Confetti White, Concord Crush, Peach Parfait

Accessories: Fancy Flower Punch, Lace Ribbon Border Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, 1/16" Circle Punch, Jewelry Tag Punch, Big Shot, Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Stampin' Sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sweetheart Thanks

2011-07-20T16:41:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to make myself use more of my punches and stamp sets that have been collecting dust. This card features the stamp sets Sweetheart and With All My Heart. I went a little monochromatic with the two-tone flower, using Peach Parfait and Tangerine Tango. I think the Glimmer Brad sets it off, too. Do you see the cross-stitch along the left edge that I did with Linen Thread? Well, it was a good idea at the time but was trickier than I thought it would be due to a particular needle and holes that were too small. Good thing that this card is for a special friend as I don't think I'll be adding the cross-stitch detail to another card for quite a while... my thumb still hurts from the sewing! Ouch!

Stamps: Sweetheart, With All My Heart

Ink: Pear Pizzaz, Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzaz, Peach Parfait, Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise, Confetti White

Accessories: Linen Thread, Glitter Brad, 1/16" Circle Punch, Round Tab Punch, Fancy Flower Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Mat Pack, Needle, Stampin' Dimensionals

Hello Teacups

2011-07-17T06:49:00.001-05:00

This is a card I made with last year's In Colors from Stampin' Up. I think the Tiny Teacup stamp is so cute! Remember these In Colors are available for one more year!

Stamps: Tiny Teacup

Ink: Pear Pizzaz, Concord Crush, Peach Parfait

Cardstock: Pear Pizzaz, Concord Crush, Peach Parfait, Naturals Ivory

Accessories: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Going to the Chapel... Part 2

2011-07-15T22:21:00.000-05:00

I used some of the pictures that my dad took at my cousin's wedding to make a couple more layouts with Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio. This program is so much fun!

The first layout features the bride & groom coming out of the church after the wedding to a crowd blowing bubbles at them:

This next layout features some pictures of the family. I managed to escape having my own picture taken but my dad and I did capture some of our relatives unaware.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures of my cousin's wedding and some ideas for using My Digital Studio! I sure had fun sharing them with you!

Going to the Chapel...

2011-07-11T22:21:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday I attended the wedding of my cousin Lisa. I took my camera along to try and capture some of the memories. Then I got to work playing with Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio. I used Wisteria Wonder and Concord Crush as "Purple" was the focus color in the wedding. I used the Presto Patterns Overlays on this first layout with digital Antique Brads as accents.

I used the Vintage Overlays on the second layout. Now that I know how to use the overlays I think they look soooo cool! Lisa was a beautiful bride!

I experimented a little with this last layout. I used one of the digital images from the Bliss stamp set on a Whisper White background, then added Concord Crush on top but used the opacity button to lighten it and saw the pattern appear from below. Isn't this neat!?! Now you might notice that this picture has a cool effect and is kind of blurry. Well, when your pictures don't come out clear you improvise. I used my digital editing software to add the special effects to the picture before importing it into MDS. Now I think it looks like I altered this picture on purpose.

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the magic that can be created with the My Digital Studio software that Stampin' Up offers! Let me know if you have any questions about it!

Sweet Postage

2011-07-11T07:42:00.001-05:00

I wanted to use my new Postage Stamp Punch and the coordinating stamp set Pretty Postage and came up with this card. One punch led to another as I layered the postage image. I think the Petal Card Double Punch made a nice layer, too. When deciding what to use on the background of the Naturals White card I thought of one of my favorites, the grass image from Inspired by Nature. I also used my bone folder to distress the strip of Crumb Cake cardstock and the Lucky Limeade petal punch piece.

Stamps: Pretty Postage, Inspired by Nature

Ink: Lucky Limeade, Concord Crush

Cardstock: Naturals White, Lucky Limeade, Concord Crush, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Scallop Square Punch, Postage Stamp Punch, Petal Card Double Punch, Bone Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, Watercolor Pencils

Button, Button

2011-07-09T07:30:00.001-05:00

I've started playing with the new In Colors from Stampin' Up and they are FUN!!! This card features Calypso Coral on the top half and a strip of Lucky Limeade across the middle. I used all five new In Colors for the buttons on the bottom half of the card. The cross-stitching was easy enough when I used the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch as it makes the holes for you!

Stamps: Button Button, Tiny Tags

Ink: Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder

Cardstock: Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Naturals White, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Jewelry Tag Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Bitty Buttons, Linen Thread

Happy Birthday from Stampin' Up

2011-07-07T22:30:00.000-05:00

Speaking of My Digital Studio which I featured in my previous two posts, look at this cool MDS birthday card that Stampin' Up sent me last month! Another perk to being a Stampin' Up demonstrator is that you receive a card from the home office and an additional 15% off one item during your birthday month! Got to love those discounts!!!

$99 Starter Kit!!!

2011-07-06T06:48:00.001-05:00

Have you heard about the $99 Mini Starter Kit Promotion from Stampin' Up? During the month of July you can join the Stampin' Up family as a demonstrator and get all of the benefits that I enjoy for only $99! This kit contains over $180 worth of stamping products and business supplies! You might wonder what the benefits are to becoming a Stampin' Up demonstrator. Just a few of the perks are:

* 20% discount on every order

* See and purchase new Stampin' Up products first

* Subscription to the monthly Stampin' Success Magazine

* Access to project ideas on the demonstrator website

* Access to a community of Stampin' Up demonstrators

* Invitation to exclusive Stampin' Up events

* Incredible value of the starter kit

* Ability to start your own business if desired

When you become a Stampin' Up demonstrator you can continue to enjoy your hobby at a discount or even start your own business ... it's all up to you!

Stampin' Up's Statement of the Heart is:

"To love what we do and share what we love, as we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments . . . in this we make a difference!"

Contact me today for more information about joining my team!

New In Colors!

2011-07-05T11:24:00.001-05:00

It's a new Stampin' Up year with the release of the new 2011-2012 Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog. Along with new stamp offerings are 5 new In Colors to create with! I used My Digital Studio to introduce the new In Colors to you:

Speaking of My Digital Studio, Stampin' Up is offering a free template download:

For all the details, visit here.

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-01T07:49:00.001-05:00

This is my final 4th of July card using the Land of the Free stamp. Once again I made a faux button with the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack and accented it with some Cherry Cobbler/White Baker's Twine. I enjoyed challenging myself to make three different cards with the same stamp and some of the retiring punches.

Stamps: Land of the Free

Ink: Real Red, Pacific Point

Cardstock: Naturals White, Real Red, Pacific Point

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler/White Baker's Twine, Photo Corners Punch, Star Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (Circle), Stampin' Dimensionals

Land of the Free...Take 2

2011-06-30T06:55:00.001-05:00

This is another one of my 4th of July cards. I made a faux button with the small circle punch from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack. I think it really added something to the center of the Baker's Twine.

Stamps: Land of the Free

Ink: Real Red, Pacific Point

Cardstock: Real Red, Pacific Point, Naturals White

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler/White Baker's Twine, Photo Corner Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (Circle), Stampin' Dimensionals

Land of the Free...

2011-06-29T21:41:00.000-05:00

This is my first attempt at a 4th of July card. I wanted to use my new stamp Land of the Free from the Stampin' Up Summer Mini Catalog. I used my Stampin' Write markers to get the effect of two different colors on the stamps. The shooting star image is from the Sale-a-Bration set So Happy For You... it reminded me of fireworks.

Stamps: Land of the Free, So Happy For You

Ink: Real Red, Pacific Point

Cardstock: Naturals White, Real Red, Pacific Point

Accessories: Photo Corner Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Notably Ornate

2011-06-23T12:49:00.000-05:00

This is my attempt at Shabby Chic Stamping. I used several techniques to create this card: faux suede on the punched flowers; paper tearing and distressing on the main ledger image; ribbon ruffling with the seam binding. I also used some of the small images from the stamp set Clearly For You on the background of the card front. I love the color combo of Baja Breeze and Soft Suede, don't you?

Stamps: Notably Ornate, Clearly For You

Ink: Soft Suede, Baja Breeze

Cardstock: Confetti White, Soft Suede, Baja Breeze

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Modern Label Punch, Baja Breeze Seam Binding, Stampin' Sponge, Soft Subtles Brad, Bone Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals

Hello Pendant Park!

2011-06-23T12:35:00.000-05:00

This card features the stamp set Pendant Park from the 2010-2011 Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog. I've had this set for a while but hadn't gotten around to using it until today. I distressed the Soft Suede layer using my bone folder. I stamped the border on the strip of Pear Pizzaz that I had cut off of the front of the card and then attached it... that sure took off the pressure to make it perfectly straight as I could trim it on the paper trimmer if I goofed. After I stamped and punched the "Hello" sentiment, I scored and folded the edge of the oval under the Confetti White layer before attaching it. I also sponged some Pear Pizzaz along the bottom to give the impression of grass.

Stamps: Pendant Park

Ink: Pear Pizzaz, Soft Suede

Cardstock: Confetti White, Pear Pizzaz, Soft Suede, Peach Parfait

Accessories: 1 3/8" x 5/8" Oval Punch, Stampin' Sponge, Bone Folder

Thank You Friend

2011-06-18T11:01:00.000-05:00

I spent a couple of hours perfecting this beauty, a thank you card for my best friend. I think it turned out pretty good! Do you see something new on this card??? Yes, that is a new border punch from the upcoming 2011-2012 Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog! It is called the Lace Ribbon Punch and is really pretty! I added a bit of glitter with Dazzling Diamonds on the butterfly and small flowers, too.

Stamps: Simple Friendship

Ink: Pear Pizzaz, Concord Crush

Cardstock: Confetti Cream, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzaz, Designer Series Paper In Color

Accessories: 1 3/4" Circle Punch, 2 3/8" Scallop Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Lace Ribbon Punch, Silver Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Dazzling Diamonds

Thinking of You

2011-06-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a card featuring the retiring stamp set Blowing Kisses. I loved this bunny the first time I spied him in the Stampin' Up 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog last summer. Although this set is mainly a Valentines-themed set, I used it to make a "Thinking of You" card for my cousin. I think it will bring a smile to her face! I used the Decorative Label Punch for the Confetti White layer behind the Modern Label Punch and then trimmed it with my scissors. I sponged the sky with Baja Breeze around the bunny.

Stamps: Blowing Kisses, Confetti, So Happy For You

Ink: Real Red, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzaz, Soft Suede, Blushing Bride

Cardstock: Confetti White, Real Red, Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzaz, Baja Breeze

Accessories: Modern Label Punch, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Decorative Label Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sponge

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-18T09:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Father's Day Dad!!! Here is the card I made for my dad this year. The stamp set is from the Occasions Mini Catalog so it is now retired. Don't look too close or you'll notice my crooked stamping!

Stamps: Plane & Simple

Ink: Bravo Burgandy, Marina Mist

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Bravo Burgandy, Naturals Ivory

Accessories: Modern Label Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Linen Thread

Happy Birthday Dad!

2011-06-08T07:36:00.002-05:00

Here is the birthday card I made for my dad last week. He's 39 again! ;) You'll notice that I used some new items featured in the Summer Mini Catalog. I love the new Baker's Twine!!!

Stamps: The Open Sea

Ink: Early Espresso, Soft Suede

Cardstock: Early Espresso, Marina Mist

Accessories: 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Early Espresso/White Baker's Twine

Aviary ... a multitude of possibilities!

2011-06-07T07:16:00.002-05:00

I didn't think I liked or needed the stamp set Aviary from the Stampin' Up 2010 Idea Book & Catalog... that is until I saw all of the cute ideas people had come up with! Now I am finding that this stamp set lends itself to several different occasions, which makes it a very versatile set! Here is a "Thank You" card I made:

Stamps: Aviary, Nature Walk, So Happy for You

Ink: Baha Breeze, Early Espresso

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Naturals White, Baja Breeze, Early Espresso

Accessories: Baja Breeze Seam Binding, Curly Label Punch, 1 3/8" x 5/8" Oval Punch

And I found that this stamp set makes cute birthday cards, too!

Stamps: Aviary

Ink: Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzaz

Cardstock: Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzaz, Confetti White, Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper

Accessories: Pear Pizzaz Seam Binding, 3/4" x 15/16" Oval Punch

Stamps: Aviary

Ink: Basic Black, Marina Mist

Cardstock: Naturals White, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist

Accessories: 1/8" Basic Black Taffeta Ribbon, Scallop Trim Corner Punch

Sweet Baby

2011-06-06T06:02:00.002-05:00

Here is a card that I made for a co-worker's baby shower. She is going to have a little girl. Congratulations Lauryl! Unfortunately this stamp set retired with the Occasions Mini Catalog.

Stamps: A Slice of Life

Ink: Basic Black

Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Concord Crush, Marina Mist, Naturals White

Accessories: 1/8" Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon, Bitty Buttons, 1/4" Circle Punch (retired), Scallop Edge Border Punch, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Watercolor Pencils, Aqua Painter

Spring Birthday Cards

2011-06-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of birthday cards I made this past spring. The first card was for my mom's birthday in March. I really like how it turned out using the designer series paper, Vintage Flower Adornments, and ruffled seam binding.

Stamps: Bliss (SAB)

Ink: Baja Breeze

Cardstock: Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper, Naturals White

Accessories: Designer Label Punch, Crumb Cake Seam Binding, Vintage Flower Adornment

The next birthday card was for one of my cousins:

Stamps: Punch Bunch (SAB)

Ink: Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzaz Stampin' Write Markers

Cardstock: Confetti White, Pear Pizzaz, Peach Parfait

Accessories: Scallop Edge Border Punch, 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch

With Sympathy

2011-06-04T21:15:00.000-05:00

Here is a simple sympathy card that I made with the stamp set Thanks for Caring from the Occasions Mini Catalog. I used Marina Mist ink on Naturals White and Marina Mist cardstock. I like how it turned out.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

2011-06-04T21:02:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share the anniversary card that I made for my parents last week. They were married 52 years on May 30th! I knew when I got this stamp set that I was going to use it to make a card just for them. Unfortunately this stamp set has retired as it was a hostess set from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

Stamps: Northern Hearts, Something to Celebrate

Ink: Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Write Markers

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler, Naturals White

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Pinking Hearts Corner and Border Punches

Happy Mother's Day... a little late

2011-06-04T20:53:00.002-05:00

Ok, I think I'm almost caught up on the spring holidays. Here are two cards I made for Mother's Day. First up is my mom's card:

Stamps: Punch Potpourri, Bliss

Ink: Marina Mist

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Confetti White

Accessories: Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Full Heart Punch, 2 step Bird Punch

This is the card that I made for my aunt:

Stamps: Punch Potpourri, Bliss

Ink: Marina Mist

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Confetti White

Accessories: 1/8" Marina Mist Taffeta Ribbon, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch

Happy Easter... a little late

2011-06-04T20:42:00.001-05:00

Still catching up on this past spring's holiday creations. Next up is Easter. As you can see I used my favorite stamp set that was available in the Occasions Mini Catalog: Easter Blossoms. I really like how these cards turned out and the different colors really popped I think.

Ink: Concord Crush, Early Espresso

Cardstock: Concord Crush, Crumb Cake, Confetti White

Accessories: Pear Pizzaz Seam Binding, Scallop Trim Border Punch

Ink: Peach Parfait, Early Espresso

Cardstock: Peach Parfait, Crumb Cake, Confetti White

Accessories: Tangerine Tango Striped Ribbon (retired), Scallop Trim Border Punch

Ink: Pear Pizzaz, Early Espresso

Cardstock: Pear Pizzaz, Crumb Cake, Confetti White

Accessories: Pear Pizzaz Seam Binding, Scallop Trim Border Punch

Ink: Baja Breeze, Early Espresso

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, Confetti White

Accessories: Baja Breeze Seam Binding, Scallop Trim Border Punch

Happy Valentine's Day... a little late

2011-06-04T20:24:00.001-05:00

Well, I know that I haven't posted in a while but didn't realize how long it had really been. So I have a lot to share with you to get myself caught up. First up is Valentine's Day. Sorry to say that the stamp set Valentine Defined that I used on all of these cards is no longer available as it was featured in the Stampin' Up Occasions Mini Catalog. However, the Itty Bitty Bits stamp set, ribbons (5/8" Whisper White Organza and 1/2" Pretty in Pink Grosgrain), papers (Pretty in Pink and Whisper White Cardstock, Brights and Subtles Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack), punches (Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Curly Label Punch, Full Heart Punch, 1 3/4" x 7/8" Oval Punch), and ink (Melon Mambo) are still available in the Stampin' Up 2010 Idea Book and Catalog.

Blog Background

2011-06-04T19:53:00.003-05:00

Blog Background

2011-02-02T13:18:00.002-06:00

Snow Business

2011-01-11T07:02:00.001-06:00

Here's my version of the punch snowman who appears to be looking up at the sky. The card base is Baja Breeze again with Naturals White. This was an easy card to make and has quite an effect.

Snowy Day

2011-01-09T19:02:00.000-06:00

They're predicting more snow in the area the next couple of days so I made another snowy card with Baja Breeze and Naturals White featuring the snowman image from the Holiday Mini.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2011-01-03T06:36:00.001-06:00

Although our snow has all melted here, this little bunny is so cute that I just had to make a card with him. He is from the stamp set Merry Crittermas and the saying is from Bright Christmas. I thought the combination would make a nice "Thank You" card for after Christmas.

The marina mist ribbon is woven through the slits created by the spiral punch. The "snow" dots on the top and bottom of the baja breeze card base were made with the white gel pen.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T01:03:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year to you all!!! I've created a page using My Digital Studio from Stampin' Up just for you!

Christmas ... revisited

2010-12-31T18:36:00.000-06:00

Here is the Christmas card I gave my parents:

And here is my version of Angie's cocoa treat box as originally seen here:

I made 20 of these little guys using the advent calendar kit from Stampin' Up. Inside each one was a packet of cocoa, marshmallows (a.k.a. "Freeze Dried Snowballs"), and a mini candy cane. I think they turned out cute!

Christmas Greetings

2010-12-24T08:28:00.001-06:00

I like how this turned out. I love the little girl image from Greeting Card Kids! I watercolored using Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Basic Gray, and Soft Suede. The Christmas Collage makes a beautiful background on Always Artichoke. I like the vintage look of this card!

Frosty's Visit

2010-12-23T08:21:00.000-06:00

Frosty has come to visit via the Jolly Old St. Nick stamp set from the Holiday Mini Catalog. I used Stampin' Write Markers to color in Frosty's image: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Pumpkin Pie. I used the Northern Flurry embossing folder and my Big Shot to get the snowflake image on the Baja Breeze cardstock. As you can see, I had trouble deciding where to place Frosty so I have 2 versions of this card. Which one do you like best?

Critter Raccoons

2010-12-21T07:58:00.001-06:00

This layout is similar to the picture in the Holiday Mini for this stamp set. It took me several tries but I think I finally achieved a good color combination for the little raccoons. Once again I mounted the image on the embossed real red card.

Critter Beaver

2010-12-19T07:53:00.001-06:00

Merry Crittermas once again with the beaver image featured today. Isn't he a cute little fellow?! I watercolored the image using the colored pencils and blender pen. Another simple but cute critter card for Christmas!

Critter Squirrel

2010-12-17T07:47:00.001-06:00

This is another image from Merry Crittermas, the squirrel. I used Stampin' Write Markers to color in this image: Baja Breeze, Real Red, and Cajun Craze. The large scallop was punched from Baja Breeze and paper pierced then layered onto Cherry Cobbler. I used the polka dot embossing folder in the Big Shot for the card background again.

Critter Kitty

2010-12-15T07:40:00.001-06:00

Merry Crittermas is the stamp set this little kitty comes from in the Holiday Mini catalog. I made it for the kitty lovers I know. I watercolored with colored pencils and the blender pen and then mounted the image on real red cardstsock I ran through the Big Shot with the polka dot embossing folder. The corners were punched with the ticket corner punch. A simple card!

Birthday Bakery

2010-12-12T19:37:00.001-06:00

Here is a birthday card I made from the hostess set Birthday Bakery accented with Real Red and Chocolate Chip.

Thanksgiving Part 3

2010-11-23T08:23:00.000-06:00

This card is actually the first one I designed using the Day of Gratitude stamp set from the Holiday mini catalog. I used the very vanilla seam binding and made this one into a gatefold card. I hope you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Part 2

2010-11-22T08:20:00.000-06:00

This is a pocket card I created for one of my Thanksgiving cards. I used the very vanilla seam binding as a ribbon behind the medallion image from Day of Gratitude. I love the look of the punched edges on the card that pulls out of the pocket.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-21T08:15:00.001-06:00

This is the first of 3 different Thanksgiving cards I made using the new stamp set Day of Gratitude. As you may be able to see in the close-up I ran the card front through the Big Shot with the embossing folder after I had stamped the background images. I accented the medallion image with a brad and layered old olive ribbon behind it. Cajun craze is my main color of choice.

French Foliage... Take 2

2010-11-20T08:11:00.001-06:00

Here is my second entry using the new French Foliage stamp set from the Holiday Mini catalog. I love the leaf prints and how beautiful they look when stamped in the various colors: cajun craze, more mustard, rich razzleberry.

French Foliage

2010-11-18T20:11:00.000-06:00

Fall is here... swirling leaves dancing along the ground in the crisp air! Below is one card I made using the new stamp set French Foliage from the Holiday mini catalog. Come back tomorrow to see another look I created with this beautiful new set.

Happy Birthday Kerry!

2010-11-02T05:17:00.001-05:00

Election day is my cousin Kerry's birthday so I made this card for her. She has 2 cats for pets so I knew she'd like this image from the hostess level 2 stamp set Long Fellows. The color scheme I used was crumb cake, daffodil delight, and chocolate chip. The background image is from the stamp set Itty Bitty Bits. I used my bone folder to distress the edges of the daffodil delight layer.

Witch's Hat Treat

2010-10-30T08:51:00.001-05:00

I saw this idea on Jackie Topa's blog and tried to make my own version. This treat container features the black waffle paper, raven lace trim, and glitter brads from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

Happy Halloween...stepped up versions

2010-10-29T09:36:00.001-05:00

Today I've used the Halloween image from the stamp set "Greeting Card Kids" for my cards. The first card features raven lace across one corner of the rich razzleberry layered image. I watercolored the image using my blender pen and inks. I thought this version was the best for mailing.

The next card is very similar and again thin on layers for mailing. This time I used concord crush instead of rich razzleberry.

The final version is stepped up and is for hand delivery. I've used the new glitter brads and several layers.

So, which one is your favorite???

Got Treats?

2010-10-28T08:44:00.002-05:00

Here is another Halloween card I made featuring the Got Treats stamp set. I used the decorative tag punch to frame the "Got Treats" pumpkin image and the bitty bat punch to accent. As you can see I used the Big Shot and spider web embossing folder on the pumpkin pie card front.

Witch Way?

2010-10-27T09:29:00.001-05:00

This card again features the Fang-tastic stamp set from the Holiday Mini Catalog. I watercolored the images using the blender pen and the inks rich razzleberry and basic gray. The stars and buckle were done using the daffodil delight Stampin' Write marker. To make the little tag sticking out I used the new decorative label punch. It's hard to see but I embossed the black cardstock with the spider web embossing folder and the Big Shot. I think this one turned out cute, too!

Mini Halloween Greetings

2010-10-26T17:17:00.000-05:00

Two posts in one day! Can you believe it?! I've spent the day making these mini Halloween cards for co-workers. I took a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" piece of basic black cardstock and embossed it with the spider web embossing folder and the Big Shot before folding it in half. I used the bitty bat punch behind the sides of the designer label and curly label punches to frame the image from the Got Treats stamp set.

Fang-tastic

2010-10-26T09:29:00.003-05:00

This is one of my Halloween cards made from the Fang-tastic stamp set in the Holiday Mini Catalog. I've also used the spider web embossing folder and bitty bat punch as well. The colors are basic black, old olive, rich razzleberry, and naturals ivory. I watercolored the vampire image using the blender pen with basic gray and rich razzleberry.

Trick or Treat

2010-10-24T21:22:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been gone for so long! I've got a bonanza of Halloween treats to share with you this week though. First up are treat bags I made using the fancy favor box and the Wicked Fun Specialty Designer Series Paper. I also used the 1 1/4" circle punch for the moon and the Bitty Bat punch as an accent.

Make and Take 2

2010-08-14T08:01:00.001-05:00

This is another make and take card from the Stampin' Up convention. Isn't the circle of blended colors beautiful?! We created that by using a circle template and sponging color onto the Whisper White card.

Supplies

Stamps: Just Believe

Cardstock: Whisper White

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzaz, Peach Parfait, Early Espresso

Accessories: Stamping Sponges, Circles #2 Originals Die, Big Shot

Make and Take 1

2010-08-13T12:01:00.000-05:00

Today I'm sharing one of the make and take cards I made at the Stampin' Up convention last month. I love the combination of Pretty in Pink and Soft Suede. The new stamp set Paisley Prints is so cute. It will be featured in the new Holiday Mini Catalog.

Supplies

Stamps: Paisley Prints, So Many Thanks

Cardstock: Pear Pizzaz, Pretty in Pink, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Peach Parfait

Ink: VersaMark, Early Espresso Stampin' Write Marker

Accessories: Linen Thread, Pearl Basic Jewels, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Full Heart Punch, Jewelry Tag Punch, Mat Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, Stampin' Dimensionals

Using Fabric

2010-08-11T07:47:00.000-05:00

Have you heard the buzz??? In the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog that starts on September 1st Stampin' Up will be offering fabric that matches their exclusive line of papers and stamps!!!!! How exciting is that?!?! I wanted to share some ideas for using the fabric and give you a sneak peak at the designs so read on...

Make a goodie bag:

Make a stocking:

Make a ribbon for a Christmas present:

Accent a photo album or scrapbook:

Use a scrap as ribbon as an accent a card:

Or to make a butterfly accent with the Big Shot:

Make a ribbon rose bow for a box:

Make an ornament:

Make a tree topper:

These are only a few of the awesome ideas I learned for using fabric in your crafting. Contact me today for more information!

It's All About Color...

2010-08-10T08:52:00.001-05:00

Here are some more pictures from the annual Stampin' Up convention featuring a variety of their exclusive colors:

Pictures from Riverton

2010-08-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

I want to share some more photos from my trip to the home office of Stampin' Up in Riverton, Utah. They have an area to tour that includes rooms decorated using various Stampin' Up products. Below is a picture of a table decorated for a party:

Here is a close-up of the table setting:

They also featured the exclusive Stampin' Up stencils on a wall, each accented with a frame:

Stampin' Up's Decor Elements have been used on the cork board behind the desk to make the calendar and to label the pots in this picture:

Come back tomorrow to see some gorgeous pictures focusing on color!