Merry Christmas!!! A small gift and a card.

 Here's a pen and keychain I made for a fellow SU demo, Lisa, whom I have been swapping buddies with for a few months. We've had SO much fun together. This is simply and RSVP pen filled with retired DSP. The keychain/purse clip is made on a bookring for easy on/off. It's made from Styled Silver HodgePodge Hardware, Filigree Brads, Rhinestone Brad, and Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon! Crystal Effects holds everything together. The 'L' from Lovely Letters is stamped on acetate in JetBlack StazOn. So easy, just requires overnight drying while held in place with binder clips. The 'tassle' at the bottom is simply frayed ribbon;)

Here's the Christmas card I sent to her as well! It's a quick and easy one. The scallop rectangle uses the Scallop Trim Corner and Border punch, and while this takes some time to master, it's nice to be able to make these square or rectangle in any size you want. The lace trim is sewn on. The brad is non-SU, I found it in my stash, and it worked nicely:) I won't do the supply list below as usual, I am short on time, but this stamp set is Welcome Christmas, and I LOVE it! Also, the base is Crumb Cake and sprayed with the Color Spritzer with Choc Chip marker.

I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Christmas! I received from my hubby a Nikon DSLR D3000 camera with lens, super nice bag and all accessories. A Nook (I LOVE to read), and an Epson Stylus Photo 1400 Printer which prints up to 13x19 prints, PERFECT for 12x12 scrapbook pages! Perfect to use with MDS! My girls gave me a diamond/sapphire ring that is gorgeous, I love it so much! (We spoiled them as well!) I also got some Miche bags/sleeves from hubby (forgot that, and it's one of my fave gifts). My Mom and sis were extremely good to me as well! Pics should start getting more interesting on my blog now that I have an incredible camera to play with! There's a huge learning curve going from a PointnShoot to a DSLR, but I am picking it up nicely. And I have a friend who is a pro photographer who I am sure will help me, too! Merry Christmas and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!

A quick and simple Christmas gift...

 My hostess club met today and this is the project I designed for them this month. We made three cards, all the same, we just varied the colors within the Regal Collection. I LOVE that the SU collections work so well together, you don't have to stress about color combos! Here we used Elegant Eggplant, Cherry Cobbler, and Night of Navy. The base of the cards and the stamped block in the center is Sahara Sand, my new favorite neutral (well tied with Crumb Cake;). It's light and lends itself well to the Regal Collections deep, earthy, rich tones.

 And here is a close up of just the red card. For SU enthusiast (the best kind to be;), we used clear block 'D' inked with Sahara Sand to form the box in the center of the card. This technique adds great depth and interest, and is SO easy to do. Gone are the days of masking off these areas! Clear blocks are so versatile, I definitely use them for more than just clear stamps. We kept these cards very clean and open. I really like the feeling of simplicity and they match more personalities when giving as a gift.

And here is how we packaged them up. This is the Large Cello bag (SU, naturally) filled with 3 cards, and 3 envelopes, then excess folded back and ribbon and tag finish it off. I definitely think a set like this is going to be my teacher gifts this Christmas. Hope you all like it! We had fun making them, and I definitely think it's a nice gift for a party hostess, or someone that you like to give a gift to without really spending much! Supplies below. Thanks so much for stopping by! Remember to take a break this busy time of year, ink a stamp, and enjoy it all!

Happy Stampin',
Naomi

Sets: Welcome Christmas (on the tag...the family), Teeny Tiny Wishes, Holiday Wishes (retired), and Just Believe (flower)

Inks/Paper: Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand, Elegant Eggplant, Cherry Cobbler, Night of Navy

Accessories/Tools: Decorative Label Punch, Modern Label and Word Window punches, Sleigh Bells ribbon (retired), sponges, Dimensionals.

Christmas Reflection...

Greetings, friends!!! It's been a while since my last post. Life has certainly sped up around here lately. The new puppy, Allie (the last post is about her), is doing great. She's a wonderful puppy, time consuming, but we wouldn't know what to do without her! I actually have a few things to post. But, my stamp club meets tomorrow, and one of the gift sets I just completed is our project, so I cannot post it until after that. So, come back!

This card is 5x5" and uses one of my favorite simple techniques, called the Reflection technique. Basically, you stamp the image on the cardstock. I then stamp it again on the StampAMaJig sheet, invert it over the original image, and press the inked side down so I get an exact reflection of the stamp. It's so easy and I LOVE using it with water. These trees sit on a shoreline that is laced with freshly fallen snow! I need to go back and snow the treetops too, Oops! The sky and water are brayered, and I simply drew in water ripples with the White Signo Gel Pen. 2 way glue and Dazzling Diamonds were used for the snow. I used a Basic Rhinestone over the sentiment, and some Early Expresso Grosgrain finishes two of the edges.

Merry Christmas!
Naomi

---Early Expresso, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Not Quite Navy (edge sponging)

Blogosphere: Meet Allie...

Hi everyone! I am a little behind updating my blog. Oh, I have new projects to blog, just no time. I will get it caught up this week! Last Friday, we adopted a beautiful puppy named Allie. She is about 16 weeks old, weighing about 18 pounds, she's probably going to be a big dog! She's a lab/boxer mix, and as loving, adorable, and goofy as they come! The kids LOVE her and Allie is doing great with them. Other than trying to chew their toys every chance she gets, she's doing so well inside! This picture isn't the greatest, she's a live wire, and it's hard to get her to sit down. We'll be taking her and the kids outside to the giant leaf pile my husband raked yesterday, hopefully I can get a great pic then! Allie LOVES it outside, so my online time is about gone with all of her walks. But, when it's really cold out, she walks out, does her biz, and runs back in. So, with winter on our feet, maybe I will get some time back. Thanks for stopping by! Projects and more Allie to come!

Super cute baby card:)

My husbands nephew (I guess mine too, though he's only a couple years younger than me) and his wife are having their baby shower today in celebration of the upcoming arrival of their first child, a girl they will name Brooklyn. It's a Halloween baby shower, which is a little different, but I decided to make my card pure baby, minus any Halloween. I hope they like it. I saw a sample of a card on a demo forum by Stephanie Sullivan, and she got the baby punch idea from Ellen Kemper. So, there's plenty of credit to go around for the idea for this precious baby! I chose a color palette of Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, and Pink Pirouette. It's soft, yet modern and feminine and works well for this card, I hope;) I ran some Pink cardstock through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder to get some texture, then punched 3/4" circles from that and adhered to the base. I will list all supplies below, as well as a separate supply list for just creating the baby. One you have the pieces, it's obvious how to put it together. It's not often I get to make baby cards, so I had a lot of fun with this one!

Supplies:
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes (inked with marker, each word one at a time stacked)
Ink: Blush Blossom, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Blush Blossom, So Saffron, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White cardstock and Bella Rose DSP (retired)
Tools: Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, Crop O Dile, 1/4", 1/2", 3/4", 1", 1 1/4" Circle punches, Designer Label punch, Word Window and Heart to Heart punch.
Accessories: Sheer Pink ribbon, So Saffron Grosgrain, Styled Silver HPH, Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots, SNAIL, Tombow Multi Adhesive, Signo Gel Pen

Baby Punches:
Body = 1 1/4" Circle
Diaper = 1 1/4" Circle (put back in punch and a partial circle taken out of one side
Leg = Heart to Heart punch
Arm = Word Window Punch (put back in half length and repunched, OR cut in half, hiding cut)
Hair = 1/2" Circle punch, with 1/4" punched on one side
Eyes = 1/4" Circle x 2...colored on bottom half with Chocolate Chip marker
Cheeks = Rounded pencil eraser dipped in ink pad
Pacifier = Crop O Dile hole on CS, overpunched with 1/4" circle for paci handle, punched piece from Crop O Dile punch is paci.

* Sponging lightly around each body piece before adhering adds depth to the finished baby.

Happy Stampin' and Happy Halloween everyone!

Santa's Sleigh...

 As unbelievable as it is, Christmas is really sneaking up on us this year! Stores are already shelving Christmas goodies, and I have yet to begin my 'mass produced' family card that will go to our family list. I know, I better get on it! I did get in the spirit a little bit for one of the projects that my Hostess Club made this month! I created (saw a basic sample online) this sleigh from the Top Note Die from SU'! I just cut, freehand, the swoop, and it made a perfect sleigh! The runner and legs are Brushed Silver CS, and the legs are cut with the Scribbles & Swirls Sizzlet, with the Big Shot for SU!. We used some scrap DSP, Ski Slope and cut different size packages to fill the sleigh with. This is a wonderful card for using up those scraps!!! The bows are made with the Beary Girl Essentials Sizzlet. Just goes to show, the Build A Bear line can be used for many things! I created a tiny wreath to decorate the sleigh with the tiny scallop from Itty Bitty Punch pack and the 1/4" Circle punch. Made tiny berries with the pen tip of my Real Red marker. The white background is spritzed with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch and shows up VERY well when the light hits it, the pic below shows some of that. Hope you like it!

Supplies:
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Old Olive, Baja Breeze, Real Red, Whisper White CS - Ski Slope DSP
Ink: Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad and Stampin' Write Marker
Tools: Big Shot, Top Note Die, Beary Girls Sizzlet, Scribbles/Swirls Sizzlet; Work Window, Modern Label, 1/4" Circle, Itty Bitty Punch Pack
Accessories: Dimensionals, SNAIL, Mini Glue Dots, Tombow Multi, Silver Cording, Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz

Eek You're Sweet!!!

Who doesn't love Halloween goodies? This is one of the three projects I designed for my Hostess Club this month. I LOVE using the Sweet Treat cups, and for just $2.95/dozen, they are very affordable to use on your projects! We created a little 'door' behind the candy and the EEK tag pulls up to open the candy area. We had a lot of fun making these and this is what I am giving to my girls before we head out to Trick or Treat. I won't make them smell my feet, but I will give them something good to eat :) Below is a picture of the candy area empty with the tag up so you can see how the door works.

Supplies:

Stamps: Sweet Centers

Paper: Basic Black, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White Cardstock

Tools: 1 3/8" Circle, 1 3/4" Circle Punches

Accessories: Sticky Strip, Sweet Treat Cups

A quick and easy one here...

I made this card for a fellow SU Demo here in NC that I am swapping with all Fall. We send each other one card per week, well, she does;) I stay a week behind and end up sending her two at a time. I am trying to do better! She didn't like this embossing folder, Elegant Lines, and I found that so surprising since it is one of my favorites. So, I have been bombarding her with samples and pictures using this folder. She likes it now...Mission Accomplished...LOL! She and I have never met, but have so much in common! I hope she likes this card. It's simple and clean, but I think it kind of pops regardless! It's super easy to duplicate, so if you like it, feel free to CASE!

Supplies:
Stamps: Whimsical Words (SAB 2009 - retired)
Paper: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Rich Razzleberry CS
Ink: Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad
Tools: Wide Oval Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Big Shot for SU!, Elegant Lines Embossing Folder
Accessories: Rich Razzleberry Satin Ribbon, Dimensionals, SU Anywhere Glue Stick (I had run out of SNAIL...that will never happen again, though our Glue Sticks are phenomenal!)

A Sketchy Christmas...

 I have been a little behind in updating my blog. Sorry guys! I have been stamping like crazy, so I do have lots to post now;) Here's a Christmas card I made last week. I am trying to use up a lot of my retired papers, so this card uses Ski Slope DSP, which is retired, but my favorite ever Christmas paper. I also use a retired stamp set, Scandinavian Season, which I really love! The corners, and tree have a red gemstone that didn't show up well in the picture.

And below is the sketch I designed for one of my online groups to use for an October Challenge. I flipped the sketch on it's side for this card. It's such a clean and easy sketch, you could do so much with it. Feel free to play with it!

Supplies:

Paper: Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip cardstock - Ski Slope DSP

Ink: Old Olive

Punches: Corner Rounder, Photo Corner, Scallop Edge

Accessories: Red gems (Hero Arts), Clear gems

Sketch Designed in MDS

My Dear Friend...Fall

While browsing a SU Demo forum I ran across a gorgeous card by my fellow SU Demo, Karen Leveille. I changed a few things, but it's very obviously a CASE of her card. I usually almost never CASE, but her card really caught my eye this morning! I made this in minutes, it was really easy! Making your own background paper is quick, fun, and made to match exactly what you need! I just randomly stamped leaves and acorns from SU's Autumn Harvest. Added a nice sentiment, created a gorgeous bow, and made a little leaf tag. I did do some paper piercing along the bottom of the green layer, which adds a little interest. We are in the midst of my favorite season, and it's hard for me not to create Fall projects right now! Supplies are all SU, and listed below. Thanks so much for visiting me!

Cardstock: Whisper White, Old Olive, Early Expresso
Ink: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Early Expresso
Stamps: All Holidays, Autumn Leaves
Punches/Tools: 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1/16" handheld, Ticket Corner Punch, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer
Accessories: Old Olive brad, crochet thread, 5/8" Early Expresso Grosgrain, Dimensionals, Sticky Strip
                   

Some new blog designs for a friend...

Here's the samples I just sent to a good friend of mine who LOVES ladybugs for her blog design. I am definitely more drawn to the first sample, but I wonder which one everyone else likes better? Let me know! Backgrounds and header created in MDS. Once she picks the one she likes best, she'll have a great new blog design, and it will be custom to her! For a fee, I will soon be offering headers, backgrounds, as well as matching buttons made to order!

Cherry Mist Christmas...

                         

Here's a Christmas card I made last night, actually I made two of them. For swaps, I am finding it's so much quicker to make 2 of the same card at once. I really ended up liking this one, even though it's very different from what I usually make. I started by running a piece of Whisper White CS through the Big Shot with the Pretty Petals Embossing folder. I then inked up my brayer with Cherry Cobbler ink, and covered the raised images with ink. I LOVE this simple but effective technique. You get the raised texture and color. If you have never tried it, you really should pull out your brayer and give it a go!

Thanks for stopping by!

Paper: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler CS

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Silver Shimmer Paint

Punches: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, Eyelet Border, Ornament

Accessories: Big Shot, Pretty Petals folder, Marina Mist ribbon, Daubers, Filigree Brad, Brayer, Glue Dots, SNAIL, Dimensionals 

Here's my NEW blog design!!!

I've been working on my Fall blog design all morning. If you stopped by during the process, I am sure you saw quite a mess of mismatched banners, buttons and background. But, lo and behold, I was finally able to finish it! I created (as always) the entire blog design using SU's digital software called My Digital Studio (I refer to it as MDS). I paired Crumb Cake with Cherry Cobbler, and a touch of Early Expresso. I loved the colors, and went from there. I decided to keep it clean and simple with little embellishments. I had fun making this one! If you are interested in a blog background and header done just for you, feel free to leave your email address. If you have MDS, I can link you to instructions/tips. If you don't, I would explore designing for you. Hope you like it! I think I may make the header a tad bigger, but besides that, I'm lovin' it!

Christmas Doors...

These were so much fun to make, and super easy to do more than one at a time! I sponged around the edge of the card to give the door some depth, and the edges of the door sections are heavily sponged on the edges to they look like they are actually raised. The doorknob is a Silver Brad, but it looked way to plain on the card by itself. So, I punched a Modern Label piece, and stuck it back in the punch to make it tiny. I think it's a great shape for this, and I have never seen it done, so it's a truly original idea, which are hard to come by these days! Doesn't mean noone else has ever thought of it, just that I have never seen it, so it's original to me. If you have this punch, give it a try!!! The wreaths are made from circle punches (1 inch circle, overpunched with 1 3/8 circle to make a ring), then the tiny scallop from Itty Bitty Punch Pack was punched a lot and layered on the ring with Tombow Multi. The bow is a SU Sizzlit, it's the Beary Girl Accessories from the Build A Bear line! Both of these had to be sent out for swaps, but I will be making MANY more of these. I think a saying for the inside would be 'From Our Front Door To Yours, We Wish You A Merry Christmas', or something along those lines! Hope you like it, and as always, on to the supply list!
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Sahara Sand Ink/CS, Real Red & Garden Green CS
PUNCHES...Modern Label, 1" & 1 3/8" Circle, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Curly Label
Beary Girl Accessories Sizzlet
Dimensionals, Tombow Multi, SNAIL
SUO!

A White Wedding Wish....

We had a wedding to attend this past Saturday for my husbands co-worker, and for whatever reason, I waited to make their card right before running out the door to the ceremony! I have made a very similar card in the past, but it wasn't embossed, and was rectangular instead of square, I like this one better=) I don't know anyone else getting married, so I won't need to make another wedding card for a while. I love making these! I always do wedding cards all white, it might be an excuse to avoid color combo exploration:) Their wedding was beautiful and I hope they liked the card!
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All Supplies SU!
Whisper White CS, Glossy White CS, Mulberry Paper, Brushed Silver CS
Encore Silver Ink
Teeny Tiny Wishes for the sentiment
Ornament Punch, Boho Blossoms, Word Window, Modern Label, 1 1/4 Circle
Elegant Lines Embossing Folder with the Big Shot for SU
White Organza Ribbon, Clear Rhinestone Brad

A card I made for my own sketch...

Here's a card I made this week for a sketch that I designed for an online swap group. I used some retired DSP called Bella Rose, which is still my favorite paper EVER! I used the set Just Believe as well as Well Scripted for the sentiment. This card is a mix of current and retired product, but everything is SU! This card could easily be recreated using current product only! I used Perfect Dots for the embossing folder, Top Note Die for the image, and also used the Wide Oval punch with two brown ovals behind it to frame it. This was a simple card, but I just love the result. Below is the sketch I designed. Feel free to use it in your creations, too! Thanks for stopping by!

Pink and Brown Christmas...

Hello, everyone! I am so glad you stopped by for a minute! Here's a Christmas card I made last night, I actually made this card twice, for two swaps. I LOVE the Greeting Card Kids stamp set, and have been itching to make a Christmas card with this adorable little girl. Notice instead of doing a detailed coloring, I only added a tiny bit of color to the image. I hoped to achieve an aged image look, so the coloring it barely there. I WISH my camera had cooperated! Batteries died and I did not have time to get new ones, these had to mail out this morning. The image is sprayed once close and once far with the new Vanilla Smooch Spritz from SU! It gives a sheen to the image, and the closer spray provided some small 'glops' of shine with look like falling snow when the light hits it! I wish I had gotten a chance to get a better picture. I really like the old, feminine feeling from this card, and such a different color scheme that traditional Christmas!

Supplies : SU only
Paper - Textured Pink Pirouette, Early Expresso, Whisper White
Stamps - All Holidays, Greeting Card Kids
Ink - Pink Pirouette, Early Expresso, Old Olive
Punches/Dies - Corner and Border Scallop Trim Punches, Rectangle Clearlit, CropODile
Accessories - Dimensionals (about 12 on this card), Chantilly Lace Trim, Blender Pens

Patterned Owl...

Well, so far, I have been making solid color owls with the new Owl Punch from SU! However, I just got in my new Greenhouse Gala DSP and decided the owl would look great patterned. Definitely not your everyday barn owl:) This card was made for 2 Fall swaps. One was for SU Demos in NC, so I could only use current SU product. So that card was minus the button and ribbon, which are both retired. This card is for another swap group. I loved making this! Hope you don't mind looking at it =)

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Supplies are all SU!

Baja Breeze Textured CS, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive CS, Greenhouse Gala DSP

NO stamps, NO ink (that's a big deal for me!)

Big Shot and dies: Scallop Circles #2, Little Leaves, Perfect Dots Embossing Folder

2-Step Owl Punch

Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Baja Breeze Corduroy buttons, Dimensionals

Some of this, a little of that...Original.

Hey, friends! I have had so many fall cards to make over the past few weeks for swaps. I couldn't be happier, because that must mean Fall is on the way! I am done with heat, I am ready for rich colors dripping from trees, the hum of happiness in the air, and homemade stews simmering on the stove. I didn't do a traditional 'Fall' card with an autumn saying, or for a Fall holiday. I went with my feelings about fall, the colors, the comfort. What I ended up with is vintage in style, fall in color, and original in application. I, quite by accident, discovered a new technique that I love:)

We all know how to clear emboss an image, then sponge/brayer over it, then place the image face down on a few paper towels and use an iron on high heat to remove the embossing. Right? It's nothing new. But, it covers the embossed area, allows you to fill around it, then allows the embossing to be removed, leaving smooth paper. It's cool, I have been doing it forever. But, usually after I sponge all around the image, I will lightly mist a paper towel with Stampin Mist and buff the ink off of the embossed areas. No reason, I just always do. Well, tonight I did not. I left the ink on, and went straight to ironing the embossing off. What is left is really neat. Some of the ink pulled back onto the image after ironing. It's great! I won't always do it, but it's a different look. For those who can't tell what I am yakking about (don't worry, happens all the time), click on the first picture and look at the white areas. They should be solid white. This time, they're not. I will be making this mistake more often! I love the look.

Since I went off on a talking spell there (again, happens all the time), I will end this post here. I just want to point out the detail pic below and how much taking time to properly 'age' papers really makes the vintage feel work. K...that's all, like I promised! Supplies listed below...

Finished size: 5"x5"

Supplies: All from SU!
Stamps: Medallion, Define Your Life
Paper: Early Expresso, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Ink: Early Expresso, Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, VersaMark
Punches: Wide Oval, Modern Label, Word Window
Accessories: Chantilly Crochet Trim, Square Rhinestone Brad (Fire), Clear EP, Sponges, Dimensionals, Stick Strip --- Household Iron

Life is like a bowl of cherries!

This post is a before and after kind of deal. I made this card for an Alphabet Swap for an online swap group. Obviously, we are on the letter 'C'. After struggling with many ideas: coffee, cats, cute, etc, I finally decided on 'Cherries'. Here is the finished card. I made this card last night, it was ready to mail. Then this morning it was bothering me...something just wasn't right, so I 'finished' it this morning. I don't always include the letter on my card, but this card seemed to need something in the bottom. Let me know if you think it's better after I finished it or before. This card uses SU new color, Cherry Cobbler paired with Old Olive. The cherry stamp is from Tart & Tangy, stamped with VersaMark and embossed with Clear Embossing Powder. It made a cute background without having DSP in these colors. The bowl, cherries, stems, and white plate they are sitting on are all made from SU punches. The cherries were punched out of Cherry Cobbler CS that I embossed a big square for shininess before punching. I used the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch that I just got, too! And below is the 'before' picture that I decided was too plain.

Supply List:
Cardstock: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive
Ink: VersaMark pad, Old Olive Marker, Signo White Gel Pen
Stamps: Tart & Tangy
Punches: 1/2" Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, 1 3/4" Circle, Small Oval, Scallop Circle, 2-Step Bird, Dotted Scallop Ribbon
Dies: Big Shot with Scallops #2, Perfect Dots Embossing Folder, and Wingo Zingo Alphabet Die (by Sizzix)
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Mat Pack, Dimensionals, and Glue Dots

Hoo Loves You???

Hey, everyone!!! I made this card for a Fall swap, I actually made two of these for two separate Fall swaps. I usually do reds, browns, and oranges for Fall. But, Soft Suede and Rich Razzleberry felt Fall-ish to me this time! I think most of us think of owls at Fall, and I definitely wanted to use my brand new 2 Step Owl Punch! Isn't it AWESOME??? I am a punch addict, and this one is a new fave!

So many elements go into making a card work. Colors, textures, layers, focal points, embellishments, and many more. This card makes full use of many of those, whereas I generally keep things a little simpler.

I started with the Rich Razzleberry base as a rectangle A2 card. I decided it needed some UMPH, so I ran it through the Big Shot with SU's Scalloped Square Bigz Clear die! Perfect. I used a Signo Gel Pen (also sold by SU), to make dots on each scallop so the base didn't seem plain and forgotten. The layers are Whisper White and Soft Suede. The Whisper White layer is also run though the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Embossing folder. The Razzleberry part of the owls is also embossed with the same folder. Pulling those textures together makes so much difference. The owl punch includes the tiny heart I put on their chests. The edges of the owls are sponged, and the base of the eyes is run across the ink pad.

I then simply ran ribbon and taped it to the front and back of the layer (saves so much ribbon as opposed to bulky bows that don't mail well anyway!), and used a heart Bitty Button tied with crochet thread around it. The stamp is from Cute by the Inch, a new Level 2 Hostess Set. It's on a 1" white square, layered on Rich Razzleberry punched with SU's Scallop Square and popped up over the ribbon on Dimensionals. For the image, I used SU markers to color the word LOVE with Rich Razzleberry and the rest with Soft Suede.

I know it seems I went into way more detail for this post than I usually do, and you're right, I did. Lately, I have had a lot of messages asking how I put something together, or how I obtained a specific effect, or to share my tips for layering and tying things together. For cards with more detail, I will make an effort to go into more detail for those who want to know. If you have more questions, please feel free to contact me through my profile, or leave a comment here!

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you like my take on a Fall card!

*Owl see you next time!*

You're A Blast!!!

(Click on picture to enlarge for detail.) Ahhh...I had SO much fun making this one. It's my first Tent Card, and I learned a lot! I made many mistakes, but next time I make one, I will know! I couldn't get a good side shot, and I tried a zillion times:) The is a standard A2 card, however instead of being open at the bottom, it's actually attached to the back with a step/valley accordian piece to give the card a sturdy base, and depth. Messages would be attached to the back. This card could have been so much more, but I realized a lot of things too late. I will be making more!
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The inside of the card is the 'sky' background for the rockets trip! It's SPONGED (can you believe it? LOL!), then the sun/moon is heavily sponged, and twisted to get the haze around it. I used Itty Bitty Backgrounds for the stars. I ran some scrap paper through the Big Shot with Stars #2 die, and detached the sentiment from the rocket image. The rocket is not tied or jump ringed like the other tent cards I have seen. I wanted the actual illusion of flying, so it's attached with acetate.

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I also used some Styled Silver HPH, retired Silver Cording. There's Crystal Effects on the lights and window of the rocket, which didn't show in the pic. All the stars also have a touch of CE on the tips.

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Colors: Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie

Stamps: Pun Fun, Itty Bitty Backgrounds

Dies/Punches: Stars #2, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Word Window Punch

Accessories: Sponges, HPH, Cording, Crystal Effects

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As usual...SUO. I can't wait to try another one and post for you to see that I can do this better...I think:)

A little more sponging, and more to believe in...

So, the sponging kick continues! This is another card I made for my Aug club meeting. The sponging is done using a piece of paper as a mask, and a 1 3/8" circle punched out of it. We kept it light by using Sahara Sand CS, and Sahara Sand ink for the sponging. The only other color is Rich Razzleberry for the ink, and the yummy Satin ribbon! I love the simplicity of the design, and one layer cards are a challenge for me, so I love trying to make them. I think this would make a really nice sympathy card, or even encouragement through a hard time.

Stamp set is Just Believe
Ink is Sahara Sand - Rich Razzleberry
Sponging, masking

Blogger notes: To the "Inky Ones", I caught up last night making my rounds to visit all of you.

Happy Stampin'!

Something to Believe in...

I am on a Fall kick lately! If you can't tell, I am way past done with summer! I cling to the belief that Fall can't be too far off:) This card features a beautiful new set from SU, Just Believe. I used this card for my August club meeting, and used it for a Fall swap as well. The new color, Cajun Craze, is really growing on me! Kind of Really Rust meets Dusty Durango, it's the perfect fall color. It's simply paired here with a Basic Black base and layer, and sponging with More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie and Cajun Craze. I used these rusty colors to create a fall sunset. The flower is stamped with Jet Black StazOn. I love the deepness of this black! I also ran the Cajun Craze layer through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder.

This is such a simple card, and could easily be changed up using different colors. I want to try it with an Early Expresso base, Marina Mist background and sponging with Bashful Blue, Marina Mist and maybe Not Quite Navy. I am stuck on sponging lately, which makes it easy not to spend money on manicures:)

Hope you all like it!

Happy Stampin'!

Scenic Halloween...

First of all, NO, I am not ahead on making cards for any holiday:) This card was made for a month long Fall themed swap among a group of SU Demos. Each Monday of the entire month, I will make and send a Fall themed card to my partner. Here's my first one. I really grew to like this one, and had a time hard putting it in an envelope.

The little girl image is new from SU, the set is called Greeting Card Kids, and all the images are just as cute! I can see me getting a lot of use out of this one! I started by stamping the image on Watercolor Paper with Jet Black Stazon (my first choice for watercoloring). I then stamped it on copy paper, and cut it out closely to make a mask. Once the mask was in place, I used the tree line stamp from Lovely As A Tree, and stamped that in Early Expresso. I punched a 1 3/8" circle out of copy paper, and masked the moon. Then I sponged the sky and ground, then removed the circle and used the negative to sponge the moon. There are two Early Expresso ribbon loops under the layers, and the sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

Creating scenes with masking and multiple stamps is one of my favorite things to do. This wasn't a quick card, the coloring alone took me quite a while (and I still ended up with a little bleeding on one of her arms), but I love the end result. I was a little behind on stamping, and it was great just to sit and create this!

Stamps:
Lovely As A Tree
Greeting Card Kids
Teeny Tiny Wishes

Inks:
Rich Razzleberry
Not Quite Navy
Daffodil Delight
Old Olive
Pumpking Pie
Blush Blossom

Paper:
Rich Razzleberry & Early Expresso CS
WaterColor Paper

Accessories:
Word Window Punch
Modern Label Punch
1 3/8" Circle Punch
AquaPainters
Early Expresso 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon

Hope you like it!!! I will have to make another for keepsies:) As usual, SUO!

Make Your Own DSP with Collage Stamping! (Tutorial)

This little beauty is another card I designed for my Hostess Club for our July meeting. It's another one of the 4x8 cards I just recently starting making with a 2" pocket inside. Aside from the ribbon, all product is current SU, the ribbon retired:( My other card using this fold was posted on 7/3, check it out if you didn't see it! What I love about this one, is I decided to make my own DSP! (SU's term...Designer Series Paper). I have stamped my own patterned paper before, but not as quickly or as easily as this. Keep reading!

Here's the inside of the card showing the pocket with the insert pulled out. I left my flowers colorless on the inside, but had some club members color theirs! It was pretty both ways. I love the way this DSP uses the colors I wanted, I didn't have to work around a pre-printed paper! Now, don't get me wrong, I love DSP as much as the next stamper, but sometimes I want it in exact colors, that's where this comes in!

This set is new to the 2010-2011 IBC, it's called Awash With Flowers, and I purchased it Clear Mount. The Block in the picture is 'E'. This set comes in two DVD boxes, one for the outlines, one for the solid images. I took the flowers from the outline case and arranged them on the clear block. I am showing the example on a 2.5x8" strip. This is quicker to do on a full sheet, then cut it down, I am thinking OSW!!! (One Sheet Wonder) Once you have the stamps arranged to your liking, ink them up all at once, here using Basic Gray), and stamp away! So quick! It's easy to continually stamp an exact pattern! No randomness unless you want it!

Once the paper is stamped, I then took each individual solid and inked the colors! I will definitely be making more of my own paper with this set! It would be wonderful to sit down and do a few sheets of Whisper White CS with the outlines and fill in with color when you were ready for it! Talk about a great use of the Clear Blocks and the stamp sets!

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I hope you'll all try out this method of Collage Stamping!!! It's fun, easy, and what better way to get the most bang for your buck!

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This card uses:

CS---Whisper White, Basic Gray, Melon Mambo and Daffodil Delight

Ink --- Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi and Marina Mist

Stamps---Awash With Flowers, clear block 'E', and A-D

Scallop Trim Border Punch, Melon Mambo Dotted Ribbon

SUO!

Pink and Brown are made for each other!

We all know pink and brown are beautiful together! Yes? Ok! It's true, there's just not too many other two color combos that can evoke such a feminine air, yet also lend themselves to vintage, shabby chic, and more! They are amazing! Like peas and carrots...LOL! However, until this month, the darkest brown we SU'ers had the option of was Chocolate Chip, and our lightest pink was Pretty in Pink. Now, those two are nice together, and I still love Chocolate Chip, just not as much as I used to:) Early Expresso is so rich, and much darker. I couldn't believe how amazing it looked with Pink Pirouette (a former In Color joining the SU family!). It's so decadent! I paired these colors with a Crumb Cake (formerly Kraft) base, and Very Vanilla for my neutral paper. I also used Very Vanilla HodgePodge Hardware, and ribbon.
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This is the new hostess set, Because I Care, which I have posted here before, and find myself reaching for often! This set is definitely a keeper! I stamped the image on the cardstock and also on copy paper. I trimmed closely around the flower on the copy paper and use the negative to layer over the flower, leaving the flower portion open and protecting the rest of the paper. Then I used daubers and Pink Pirouette ink to lightly color in the flower. I also stamped the small bloom image lightly all around the sentiment to add a little depth under the hardware frame.
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I designed this one last night for my club meeting today. I know...I was behind, our house has been ruined from floor damage...it's done now, but ate a whole month of our lives! I will post pics of the completed floors another day, after I have time to sweep:) All the ladies really seemed to like this card. I now have a new favorite pink/brown combo, and a sneaking suspicion I will use it often.
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Thanks for visiting!

Food for my stamping friends!

Today was my monthly stamp club meeting. Due to busy schedules and vacations, we had the lowest attendance ever! I missed the ladies who couldn't make it, and I am sure they missed us too! I hold a spot in my hostess club to have one good month of stocking supplies that I use in our projects. This month is my hostess month, so I had to make lunch! I love that my club members bring a small, light lunch for everyone. It's fun and I have acquired some good recipes! I made both of my dishes last night so I wouldn't be rushing this morning. The first pic is a cold Surimi Salad. It was fantastic!!! It's basically pasta shells, imitation crab meat (Surimi), fresh red and yellow peppers, fresh broc, grape tomatoes, green onion, hard grated parmesan, and a sauce made with parmesan cheese, italian dressing and mayo. Definitely my new fave salad for summer!

And since I was doing ok health wise on the lunch, I sprang a little on the desert! This is a layered Creamsicle. The pic isn't great, sorry! I didn't think to take a pic as soon as I pulled it out, so it started melting. Anyway, you get the idea. It was amazing! Creamsicles are my childhood favorite that to this day is still top of the list of summer treats for me! I mean, who doesn't love Creamsicles? This tastes EXACTLY like one on a much larger scale. It's made in a 9x5 loaf pan, then I inverted into a casserole dish.

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We had a great meeting, I will be posting our projects next! I love my friends, old and new that stamping has brought into my life! It's a pleasure to get to make lunch for them!

A Patriotic Birthday...

Here is a fun card I made for a Red, White and Blue swap in honor of the 4th of July. Due to some major water damage and our floors getting ripped up, I didn't get time to make it until after the 4th. But, I think it's something you could use most anytime. This card uses two brand new colors to the SU Color Collections...Cherry Cobbler and Marina Mist! They look really good together! I stamped the Medallion BG stamp in Cherry Cobbler on Whisper White CS. I then stamped a partial image in Marina Mist. I matted each on the opposite color. Added a sentiment from Whimsical Words, and punched it out with the Wide Oval punch, and finished the card with a star brad from the Styled Silver HPH in the center of the Medallion. I almost feel like it's missing something, but I decided to leave it as is. SUO!
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Supplies:
CS = Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist
Ink= Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist
Stamps= Medallion, Whimsical Words
Accessories= HPH, Wide Oval Punch
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I hope everyone is the blogosphere is doing well! I will be caught up on my blog groups and other online things ASAP! We have had some setbacks at home, to say the least. I am glad to be back in full swing! Stop by and visit again, and I will be visiting you, too!

Another Mystery Package....

I know I have posted before about the online swap group I take part in. I love it! We do monthly Mystery Swaps. The partners are random, and we send 'ingredients' to our partner so she can make a card with them and post a picture on our online forum for the rest of the group to see. It's fun, and it forces me to work with products and things I normally wouldn't. Here's the package I just received for July... Now, red is my fave color, so I thought this would be SO easy. But, I do not, ever, under any circumstance use stickers of any kind on my creations. So, that threw me for a loop. We do not have to use every single thing sent, and can add minimal items to it. I left out only the bow sticker. Here's what I came up with.

The card base was bigger than my standard fave size of A2, so I trimmed it down. Then it was too white for the other papers, so I sponged some Cherry Cobbler lightly around the edges. The red paper was too bright for the base then, so I covered it with torn and battered velleum. The papers were run through the Big Shot with the Top Note Die. I then cut strips and matched it up alternating the heart paper with the shimmery white paper. I punched the stamped image, and used stickers to adhere the vellum over it. I wrapped the whole card base in crochet thread before adhering the top layer. I like it. I wanted a vintage feel so the colors really needed muting. I didn't waste paper either, here's what I did with the die cut negative...

I framed the inside of the card where the sentiment and written message will go. Someone is definitely getting this for V-Day in 2011 :) Now, I just have to work on Christmas!

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Hope you all like it. Supplies are unknown as everything was sent to me. Dies and punches, as well as inks I added are SUO as always:)

Money for the Party Animal!!!

I sat down a couple nights ago with an idea! I have seen people make long cards (tall cards, however you look at it...LOL!), but I don't like to make them. However, I wanted one I could mail in a standard business envelope. They are cheap, and I had plenty around! This card measures 4"x8". There is a 2 inch pocket. So, I cut CS to 8x10. Left it 8" wide, and scored at 4 & 8 down the 10" side. That gave me two 4" parts for front and back, and a 2" pocket. The cute animals are from SU's Fox & Friends set. I really like how this turned out and I have never seen anyone use this exact fold, and it's SO simple! Keep going to see this pics of what makes it REALLY cool!

Above you see the card from the insert comes out, and is double sided. Keep going to see each side. The Happy Birthday sentiment is also SU, the set is All Holidays. And you gotta love how I am still using up paper from two years ago! This is Ski Slope DSP, but this particular pattern works well for birthdays, too!

And this is what you see when you pull out the insert. Nothing too fancy, just some lightly stamped animals. I know, I know, I am getting to what is actually cool about this card!

It holds money for your party animal!!!! I used the Slit Punch and some eyeballed measurements (who needs rulers?), to make it perfect for holding money in place. AND under the money is blank, with plenty of room for a message. I didn't have anything larger than a $1 for the pic, sorry. I am taking donations for $20's or $50's if anyone has one to spare:)

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Paper is Choc Chip, Real Red, Whisper White, Ski Slope DSP

Ink is: Choc Chip, Real Red, Old Olive, Baja Breeze

Stamps: Fox & Friends, All Holidays

Punches: Ticket Corner, Scalloped Edge, Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, Slit Punch

Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Buttons are SU except the brown one...but it's close in color, and all I had! So, it doesn't count...LOL!

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Ok. I will be out of town next week. My floors are FINALLY going to get cut up, replaced, and the other rooms sanded and stained. We will be visiting family and friend out of state. I will be sure to get a post or two on delay to post while I am gone!