A Stampers Paradise

2011 Christmas Cards

2011-12-18T10:32:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends! It's once again been a while since I have posted. I haven't been crafting as much lately and am really trying to get back to it. So, I made myself make my Christmas cards again this year, though I had almost talked myself out of it. 10 minutes into the process I was so glad I decided to do it! I am not me without creating! It felt great, I am definitely moving things around in my time to fit crafting back in!

This year I cut back the number of cards I mailed. I waited a little late to start...they just mailed this past week! To keep them simple, I designed a very clean and uncluttered layout. The base of this card is my beloved Cherry Cobbler. I embossed the Baja Breeze layer with the Northern Flurry folder from SU! It looks so elegant, and took just seconds. A short piece of Cherry Cobbler ribbon wrapped around that layer added just enough decoration.

I used the New Silver Glitter paper and the Scallop Border punch to line the side of the card. Dasher is stamped in Crumb Cake, the edges of that piece sponged. Added Clear Rhinestones to his antlers, and it's done. The inside is decorated pretty much the same. The Silver Glitter paper on the top is the piece leftover after running it through the punch for the front scallop piece...I was about to throw them away when this hit me! The Baja Breeze swirls on the inside sentiment are the antlers of the deer (Dasher) stamp being used in a different way.

So, I am back. It feels great! I can't wait to post more! I am working on Teacher Gifts this weekend, so I will get those posted when they are done!

Merry Christmas!!!

The Theme is Summer Picnic...

2011-08-24T21:41:00.000-04:00

Hey, friends! I am playing with a new swap group on Yahoo called JustCards. I love it! The theme for one of the swaps last month was Summer Picnic. I do not know why, but this theme freaked me out. I stressed about it for days. I don't have many summery sets, and certainly nothing that screams 'picnic'. After wrestling with the idea of weaving red and white ribbon to create a blanket and punching out a sun and ants...Ding...lightbulb! I remembered this old SU set called Ladybug Picnic. I hadn't used it in years, it is a set my kids use in their crafts. Well, I pulled it right out and this card was made in minutes! It's clean and simple, but it works. The grass is Old Olive DSP cut along the top and roughed up a bit. The sky is done on a small layer instead of the background and I love the simpicity that lends to this design. I went down the side with a few matching buttons. The ants are stamped in Jet Black Staz-On and colored with SU Markers. It was fun...I don't know why I was so stressed! Hope ya'll like it!

Sorry about the low quality pic...it was shot at midnight as soon as the glue dried:)

All supplies are SU!

It's been a while...I am still alive;)

2011-08-10T23:13:00.001-04:00

Sorry friends! I have been crafting a lot less lately, but my poor blog has been completely neglected. I am trying to get back on track. I recently started a new business, so I had to put some of my stamping aside for a couple months. This card was a fun one to make! It was a sketch for a swap group I play in. If you like making and swapping cards, you should really check out JustCards on yahoo! It's a great group! I cut out the three circles, did the faux suede technique, then balled them up and smoothed them back out. They're layered to created a fun, textured flower. The white background is speckled with blue ink using the Color Spritzer tool from SU! A little tear in one corner, and she's done! I have many more projects to blog, so I hope you guys haven't given up on me;) Supplies are all SU!

Happy Stampin'!

It's a HeAtWaVe!

2011-05-27T21:18:00.000-04:00

Whew ya'll. It's hot in NC this week! Temps in the 90's with horrible humidity! This month's theme for a month long swap I play in is 'SUMMER', so every Monday, I mail a summer themed card to my assigned partner for the month. Here are two that I have sent to her! The first card was SO MUCH FUN! Nothing but punches used to create this fun flamingo! I saw a card VERY similar on a demo site, and tweaked it a little, and it's one of my favorites! The flamingo is made completely out of the 2-Step Bird Punch! It's all in the details....the sand is sprayed, everything is sponged, the water is crimped, the birds are doodled. It took a while, but it was worth it! I will be making a couple more! These would be fun summer birthday cards!

This one is a whole lot more simple. It uses Awash with Flowers stamp set, and the sentiment is printed using My Digital Studio from SU, which amazingly...my new printer produces the exact SU colors! Bonus!!!!

Hope you guys like these! Supplies are all SU, like always! I will see you soon!

Happy Stampin'

A couple recent Masculine Swaps....

2011-05-23T15:04:00.000-04:00

I have been a little absent from my blogging lately and I apologize! But...I HAVE been stamping away! These are two masculine cards that I made for a month long swap last month. I sent 4, but really liked these two! The top card uses my all-time favorite, and go-to masculine set...Lovely As A Tree. This card features the thumping technique and I love how it looks like a tree in Fall! A bit (well...a LOT) of twine finish this card off!

This card was made using River Rock DSP, stamped with VersaMark, clear heat embossed, then heavily sponged for the scene. You only vaguely see the striped detailing in the background. Effective for adding depth with my usual massive amounts of layers;) I left it sentiment-free, as it's a great all-occasion 'man card' and I thought she could add one later.

Hope you like these! If you want more detailed instructions, just contact me! I will be catching up here. On to other news....I am now a Miche Representative and will be focusing much of my stamping time to this new business venture! I am THRILLED to be able to offer such an amazing product line...I just might post some pics here soon;) No worries...I will always stamp!

Gettin' Sketchy with it...

2011-04-17T21:33:00.000-04:00

I have been making this size card for a while now, and it's probably my favorite size! They are perfect to hold money, gift certificates and notes folded up inside. It measures 4"x8" and has a 2" pocket inside. I start with an 8" x 10" sheet of cardstock and score the long side at 2" and 6". This gives you three sections, and the short one gets glued in the corners to make the pocket. So easy! I used Early Edition DSP by SU as the background paper on this card. I LOVE this paper! This particular sheet happens to be an encyclopedia type page all about Cherry Blossoms, facts and info about them, what they represent, where they grow, etc. It was so fitting for the image! The black 1/2 pearls in the bottom right corner are SU Basic Pearls colored a few times with a Black Sharpie. I never need more than one coat for other colors, but black is really purple, so it takes a few times to get it dark. I LOVE coloring on both the Pearls and the Rhinestones! The shape in the left is a Labels Die from Nestabilities. It's cut, then embossing and sponged in the center, leaving the outside ridge uninked. Love it!

Here's a shot of the inside. I added a pull out message card inside the pocket and stamped the corners to match. Another strip of DSP finishes off the inside. This worn look is just small tears in the paper (and roughing up all edges), and folding them a little, then sponging them heavily with River Rock ink.

This is the sketch I designed for a fun group I swap with. I design these monthly for the group, and still enjoy it very much. I thought for a while that blog design would be my new addiction, but nope, it's sketches! I do all my sketches exclusively in My Digital Studio.

***Most supplies are SU!***

Stamp: Embrace Life

Paper: Basic Black, Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla & First Edition DSP

Ink: Basic Black, River Rock, Pink Pirouette, Rose Red

A fancy little flourish card...

2011-04-10T20:36:00.000-04:00

This weekend I have really been getting caught up on the crafting 'To Do List'. This is one of the cards I made last night. It's for a special friend, and I mail it tomorrow, so I hope she doesn't see this before then;) We have had a lot going on in my little family lately, and I haven't been taking any time for myself. It feels really nice to devote some time to doing what I love...stamping and sharing it with all of you! Here's a little about this card.

The base is Certainly Celery. I haven't used this color in a while, and I forgot how much I like it! When it's paired with other colors, it tends to get 'lost' since it is so subtle. However, on its' own against neutrals...it's beautiful! I'll definitely be reaching for it more often! The background is Whisper White run through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper Textures Embossing Folder, then brayed over the raised portions with Early Expresso ink. The Certainly Celery ribbon goes around that and over the smaller Certainly Celery layer. And that beautiful flourish stamp is called 'Fine Flourish' and I got it FREE by spending so much during SAB this year....shhhhh! I had never really noticed it before. Now that I have it...WOW! It's inexpensive and it's gorgeous! The green stone in the center is one of our Basic Rhinestones colored with a green Sharpie before putting it on the card. That's it...Voila!

I just love when such a simple card comes together like this! I hope the special friend I made it for will love it!

Until next time....Happy Stampin'!

BuStEd!!!

2011-04-04T19:13:00.000-04:00

I have been called out by a great friend for letting my blog get so far behind....OUCH! She was RIGHT! So...you aren't getting my usual picture quality and I haven't had time to edit the pics or watermark them...but here they are!!! I really HAVE been stamping...just not updating my poor blog regularly...LOL! Below is a card I designed for my club last month. The tulip is made with the Owl Punch, and some ovals. Isn't it great?

And here's a really simple one I threw together for a swap! Super quick!

Here's another swappie! I used the Inlaid Embossing technique for the striped background. The lantern is made by running a circle through the crimper...you know the tool collecting dust that you haven't thought about it eons! Pull it out! These lanterns are so much fun!

So...(ahem...KELLI) I have been stamping;) I am REALLY behind on my online life, but for once my real life is just about in order. LOL! I will be back regularly....promise (the pinky kind).

Till next time....Happy Stampin'

Flowers For You...

2011-03-01T15:43:00.000-05:00

Here's a card I designed and my club made this past weekend. It's a fun card to make! AND, it only takes ONE stamp, which is FREE when you earn it through SAB! I usually stay away from such bright layers, but hey, it's warming up a little and I am willing Spring to move in! In the end, I loved the simple, bright color combo. I paired Pumpkin Pie with Daffodil Delight, and Whisper White. The white layer is run through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Impressions Folder. The large yellow scallop is cut with Scallop Circles #2. I cut this big, beautiful flower out of the Greenhouse Gala DSP, and loved the effect! The scallop in the top corner is one stamp, stamped once in Pumpkin Pie, and punched with the Scallop Circle. Then, I inked the same stamp in Daffodil Delight, used a Blender Pen to remove the ink from the flower center and stem, and used markers to add color to those areas. I then punched the center portion out with the 1 3/8" circle Punch, and popped it up over the scallop with a Dimensional. It's finished off by setting three Pumpkin Pie brads in the bottom corner using the Mat Pack. I hope you all like it! I LOVE when DSP has more uses, big bold designs (like this flower) are amazing cut out and used as focal points! NEVER be afraid to hack your paper up...great things sometimes happen;)

Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Greenhouse Gala DSP
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight Stampin' Pads, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers, White Signo Gel Pen
Stamps: Punch Bunch (SAB)
Punches: Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle
Big Shot - Square Lattice Folder, Scallop Circles #2
Accessories: Pumpkin Pie Brads (Brights Collection), Mat Pack, Dimensionals, Blender Pen

***Note::: The FOR YOU on the small scallop was done on my next card and club cards in Pumpkin Pie. We removed the Daffodil Delight ink with a blender pen and colored the words with a Pumpkin Pie marker. It made it stand out SO much more, and made the card look amazing. I didn't have one of those on hand to use in the picture.

A Blast-y Sketch!

2011-02-27T18:55:00.000-05:00

Here's a card I made for a sketch challenge. It's for a swap group, and I do the sketch designs for the group. When I designed the sketch, I had a flowery card in mind. Needless to say, when I sat down with the sketch, I ended up with something completely different! I really like this fun, bright card! It would make a GREAT birthday card for a little boy (or a grown-up boy;). I hope you guys like it, too. All supplies are SU (except the ribbon, no clue who makes it). I will do a supply list at the end of the post. Below is the sketch, and I would love to have you use it!

Paper: Greenhouse Gala DSP, Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White Cardstock
Ink: Basic Black Stampin' Pad, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Baja Breeze Stampin' Write Markers
Stamps: Pun Fun
Accessories: Corner Rounder Punch, Big Shot, Stars Die, Dot Impressions Folder, Dimensionals, Ribbon

Sketch is designed in My Digital Studio

Love Bug Valentine!

2011-02-13T21:08:00.000-05:00

Here's the card I made for my hubby for V-Day!!! I LOVE it! I saw a card in a gallery with a VW Bug made with punches and added to it. I created the landscape with a retired pack of DSP from last years SAB. I have tons of it left and am really trying to use it up. I wish the picture really showed the hood of the car better, but I waited until nighttime to shoot it. There's a lot of little details added to this card, and it was SO much fun. I LOVE Punch Art and do it all the time, but this was the most fun I have had with punches in a while!

As a teen, I was addicted to VW Beetles. I bought my first one with my own money when I was 15. My Dad and I worked on it together. When I graduated from High School in 99, my Dad surprised me by driving up to my cookout/party in the most beautiful shiny white 72' bug!!! Fully restored to be exact as it was new, perfect condition and ran like a dream. There's no more uncomfortable car in the summer, so we installed a fan in the floor and I loved this car for years! I just recently sold it, *sigh*. I haven't driven it since I had kids, so it sat for 6 years. I miss her very much. My hubby (whom I didn't know till I was 18) grew up driving bugs, too. So, I thought this card would be perfect!

The list of punches is long, and I may accidentally leave one or two out, but here's my best shot without my notes:

Word Window
Horizontal Slot
Modern Label
1 3/8" Circle
3/4" Circle
1/2" Circle
2 x 1 3/8" Oval
1 3/4" x 7/8" Oval
1 3/8" x 5/8" Oval

And the top body part of the car is a 2 3/4" circle from a cutting system.

Zig Zag Birthday!

2011-02-05T21:18:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,
Please forgive me for my tardiness in posting! My blog has been so neglected! I hope you're still visiting! Things have been a little hectic lately, I just noticed I didn't even take the time to watermark this picture. I will work at returning to my regularly blogging self ASAP!

Here's a super simple card I made for my hubby for his birthday last month. The blues aren't quite right in the pic since I am taking this inside at night, but you get the point, it makes IRL! If you look closely at the background paper, you will see it doesn't perfectly line up. I cut it into tiny strips and layered it on Whisper White cardstock, slightly overlapping each piece. I love how it slightly breaks up the design and adds tons of dimension to the card! It reminds me a little of siding on a house, but more busy...LOL! The # and 1 were created in MDS and printed, cut out, and popped up on dimensionals. The only other embellishment are the 3 black brads up the left side, which were placed using the Mat Pack. Easy Peasy!

NO STAMPS or INK (aside from printer ink from my Epson 1400 Stylus)
Greenhouse Gala DSP
Real Red and Whisper White CS
My Digital Studio
Stampin' Dimensionals
SU Black Brads

I ♥ YOU Valentine!

2011-01-20T13:22:00.000-05:00

Here is a No-Stamping Valentine's card I made for a swap consisting of super talented SU Demos! It's not often that I create a card without ever inking a stamp, so this is kind of a big deal;) The clouds, balloon and sentiment are rub-ons called Love Impressions. They are AWESOME! The DSP is the Whisper White pattern (with light gray words) from the Neutrals DSP Stack. All around the DSP, curving with the pink circle, I used a Mat Pack and Paper Piercer to pierce the edges. I work quicker without the guide, so I pierce free hand, using a ruler to keep me in line, but not for spacing. This only took a few seconds. If you're scared of a mistake, I suggest the Guide that comes with the Mat Pack. I use it for brad placement, and when I need a strip of exactly spaced pierces. I lived on the edge for this one;)

Supplies:
Paper, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Real Red cardstock. Pink Pirouette Textured CS, Neutrals DSP, Red Glimmer Paper
Ink: NONE
Punches: Small Heart, Eyelet Border, Modern Label
Accessories: Love Impressions Rub-Ons, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, 1/4" Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, SNAIL, Dimensionals

Hope you like it and will visit soon for more!

Two Sketches...

2011-01-13T21:47:00.000-05:00

Above is my December Sketch and the card I made from it. All of my sketches are done in MDS, and I really enjoy designing them! I create them as a monthly challenge for a Yahoo Group I play and swap with. The card I made turned out very masculine, and had I not had to send it to my partner, my hubby would have gotten it for his birthday a couple days ago;) I will be blogging his really cool card tomorrow. I am not listing supplies for this post. Most are SU, but the pattern paper and texture green in this one is not, it's American Crafts and DCWV.

And here is my January Sketch and the card I created using it as my guide. Bella Rose remaines my favorite DSP, and as much as I want to hoard it and never let it go, I LOVE using it on cards. The coral/green textured CS is DCWV, everything else is SU. I have resolved this year to use up or give away the stuff I don't use, so I am trying to at least use up some of the papers.

I hope you like these cards! I will be back tomorrow with my hubbys birthday card with a cool technique I stumbled upon on my own, though it's really to simple to call it a technique;) Till next time...Happy Stampin'!

Digi Snowman - Winter Wishes

2011-01-13T09:31:00.000-05:00

Here is a fun card I made for a Winter Snowman swap. It's not a Christmas card, and that is usually all I make for winter, so this was a lot of fun. I didn't feel like using any of my snowmen stamps, and was in the mood for Punch Art;) However, my craft area was so messy (couldn't be...LOL!) that I didn't want to clean it up just to make a huge mess, which is what always happens when I get punchy! So...I sat down in my pj's (the only way to craft) and pulled up My Digital Studio. Punch Art in MDS is much tougher than IRL, but I finally was pleased with it! His body is circle punches, his arms are from a bird stamp set, they are bird legs. His buttons are brads, and his nose is a heart stretched out long and thin. His hat is an upside down birthday present stamp. So, this is completely digital, no stamping at all. I trimmed the cardfront and attached to Night of Navy cardstock, and created the inside piece to match. What is so cool is that I now have this project saved in MDS and can print it anytime! Whoohooo!

It's a digital thing, you might not understand;)

2011-01-11T10:58:00.000-05:00

Every year after Thanksgiving, my Mom sets up an elaborate little Christmas Village. It's a tradition that has become very special to her over the past several years. I don't know why I have never before thought to take pictures of it for her. This year, I think partly because I got a DSLR for Christmas, I decided to get some good pictures of this tradition that our whole family has come to enjoy. I turned the pictures into a 2 page spread, 8 1/2 x 11. I don't know if I will put them in some sort of folder or frame them for her to hang at Christmas. I am printing them today, and I cannot wait to give these to her! I know she is going to love them, and it will be very meaningful to her!

Supplies:
Pictures
Me Digital Studio
...that's it!

The Occasions Mini is HERE!

2011-01-05T18:17:00.000-05:00

It's HERE!!! The New Occasions Mini catalog is here and ready to go!!! I know you will love the products in here as much as I do!!! Where to start? There's so many awesome things in here. Embossing Folders, GLITTER PAPER, great stamp sets, new ribbons! Oh my!!! Below are some helpful links, check them out! As always you can order from my WEBSITE.

Click to see the Occassions Mini
Occasions Mini Stampin' Supplies
Occasions Mini Spanish Sets

Happy Stampin' Friends!

Love You Much

2011-01-02T23:02:00.000-05:00

First of all...LOVING my brand new Nikon D3000 from the wonderful hubby for Christmas. I have a LONG way to go to really learn to use this camera, but I actually took this shot with all manual settings, so I am learning, slowly but surely.

I am a member of an awesome SU Demo group for demos who live in the great state of North Carolina, and we do lots of swaps. For the month of January, I get to send one card every Monday to a fellow demo. It's called Monday Mailers, and it's a lot of fun. The theme for this month is Valentines, red and pink. So, I am trying to keep the theme while using some traditional and some non-traditional stamps for this theme. This one is non-traditional, in that I didn't use hearts, etc. The deets are below, I hope you like it, it was a lot of fun to make, and I hope Martinette will love it!

Stamps: Friends 24-7, Well-Scripted

Paper: Naturals White, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette

Wide Oval Punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Vintage Wallpaper Texture Folder, Big Shot

Basic Pearls, Dimensionals, Tombow Multi, SNAIL

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

2010-12-25T17:57:00.001-05:00

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...

2010-12-11T17:22:00.000-05:00

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...

2010-12-10T12:52:00.000-05:00

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...

2010-11-21T08:03:00.000-05:00

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:)

2010-10-31T11:22:00.000-04:00

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...

2010-10-25T17:07:00.001-04:00

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!!!

2010-10-24T11:32:00.001-04:00

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...

2010-10-23T11:17:00.000-04:00

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...

2010-10-19T10:04:00.000-04:00

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

2010-10-07T10:37:00.000-04:00

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...

2010-09-21T12:30:00.000-04:00

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...

2010-09-20T11:27:00.000-04:00

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!!!

2010-09-19T12:19:00.005-04:00

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...

2010-09-17T23:59:00.000-04:00

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!
*
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....

2010-09-15T05:30:00.000-04:00

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!
*
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...

2010-09-13T10:15:00.004-04:00

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...

2010-09-07T09:11:00.004-04:00

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...

2010-09-03T19:46:00.002-04:00

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 =)

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.

2010-08-28T22:58:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-08-24T12:01:00.003-04:00

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???

2010-08-18T14:25:00.003-04:00

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!!!

2010-08-13T12:10:00.004-04:00

(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!
*

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.

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.

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

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...

2010-08-12T10:12:00.002-04:00

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...

2010-08-09T10:57:00.004-04:00

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...

2010-08-03T10:10:00.004-04:00

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)

2010-07-18T22:17:00.005-04:00

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!

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!

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!

2010-07-17T19:54:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-07-17T19:41:00.002-04:00

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.

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...

2010-07-12T01:25:00.000-04:00

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....

2010-07-10T21:10:00.002-04:00

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!

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!!!

2010-07-03T21:02:00.002-04:00

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:)

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!

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!

Team Edward at Eclipse!!!

2010-06-30T10:42:00.003-04:00

This is the gang (plus the middle ones hubby...she's a newlywed...hahaha) who went to see Eclipse at midnight last night! My sister, Emily is on left, I am on the right, and our friend since High School, Danielle is in the middle. Danielle printed the iron on transfers, and we all got together to make our shirts before leaving for the Premiere! The shirts say "Team Edward...I run with vampires". I don't know how many of my blog followers are Twilight Saga nuts, but I am, big time! If you can't tell already, I am die hard Team Edward, though I respect Jacob for his love and commitment to Bella and his tolerance of his enemy for her happiness. It truly is a beautiful love story. Whether you are Team Jacob or Team Edward, if you saw the movie last night, you know how great it was! There was a lot of info in that book, I almost wish they had split it into two movies. The fight scenes were shorter than I would have liked. All in all, it was wonderful. I am already itching to go see it AGAIN! And then buy it of course when released on DVD. So, we had the shirts, I also made this....

This is a pic of the canvas tote bag I made to take with me instead of a pocketbook. It's 13x13 and will be great for carrying around for just about anything. The letters are silver glitter transfers, they don't show up well against the black in the picture. So, the front says 'Team Edward' with a couple of hearts, and the back says 'Jacob Who?', the question mark didn't get done yet, I will do that later with stud transfers. I like how it turned out with just an iron!!! So, this isn't a stamping post, but I rarely post things that are not, so I hope you will bear with me. GO TEAM EDWARD!!!

Because I Care....

2010-06-24T21:39:00.002-04:00

This is a brand new set coming in the 2010-2011 IBC from SU! It's a Level 1 Hostess set called 'Because I Care'. I LOVE it! Here, I used an Always Artichoke base, Elegant Eggplant for the layer, and the stamped image is on Whisper White. Scallop Trim Border and Corner add a nice touch, and make it look like more than the quick card it really is. I used SU markers to color the stamped image and sentiment. I stamped the envelope to match to use it for a 'Card with Matching Envie' swap I had to send out this week. I got really attached to this one, almost kept it and made another for the swap:) Check out the next pic to see the top view....

One of the things I love most about this new set, aside from the fact that it is beautiful, is there is a single bloom image that you can stamp several times, trim and pop up on little pieces of Dimensionals. This really gives the flowers a realistic look! You can see I also matted and scalloped the edges of the inside matting. I also stamped a matching flower image lightly by stamping off once first.

I am smitten with this new Hostess Set. The new catalog is SO GREAT! I will definitely be using a lot of new goodies in the very near future. I am a little behind on posting on my blog as well as cruising my Blog Groups. Hang with me everyone. I will be catching up some tonight, some tomorrow. We had a water leak in our freezer, and our hardwood floors are ruined in the kitchen and breakfast nook. The floors in those two rooms and the dining room will have to be cut up, not all of it, just a big portion. New floor has to be laid, all 3 rooms, plus the foyer sanded, stained and resealed with all new moldings installed. We have had LOUD, HUGE drying equipment in the kitchen for over a week. It was 100 degrees here in NC today, and our house would not cool lower than 87!!! The drying equipment shoots out HOT air, and our AC hasn't shut off in a week, not once! So, on the home front, things have gotten hectic and I had to set crafting aside for the last week. I am glad to be back, and hopefully will have a good report on my floors soon! A little more drying, and they are ready to be replaced!

Graduation and a Sock Monkey!

2010-06-04T22:00:00.002-04:00

My little girl graduated Preschool yesterday! I knew that her cap was going to be red, if I had known the ribbons would be yellow, I would have matched the monkeys:) I have NO graduation sets (although I had her graduation and a niece and nephew graduating High School next week), and I was stumped as far as her card goes. If you have followed me for a while, you know my DH and I made homemade Sock Monkeys for our girls, and they love them. So, I pulled him out. I made the cap using square punches (partial punches) and a brad and silver cording. It's popped on a dimensional...here's a close up for the flag and cap...

The flag is also in Sock Monkey stamp set, I stamped it on the white, and again on red. I cut the flag out of the red and attached with glue dots. We use the YMCA Preschool, so that's what I put on the flag. I really like how the hat turned out, and Chloe was amazed that his hat looked just like hers. Also, the rough coloring is intentional! I don't want you to think I cannot color. Sock monkeys perfectly blended are so odd, it's not how they look IRL, so it's not how mine looks. This look is also fast and easy!

And here is a pic of Chloe receiving her 'diploma' from her Assistant Teacher. The lighting was terrible in the gym, I am hoping some of the others came out better, if not I will be fixing them all before they are usable. I can't believe she is off to Kindergarten this Fall. Where has this time gone? And my baby is only 2 yrs behind her and will likely go to Preschool this Fall to help with the adjustment of her 'Sissy', and BFF who lives next door going to K at the same time.

MDS---playing with my blog again:)

2010-05-30T12:35:00.001-04:00

If any of you stopped by earlier today, you would have seen the multiple pictures with blank posts (similar to this pic). I created this background in MDS and the brand new header today! It took a while to get them to load properly, so I apologize if you stopped by during my 'construction' time. This pic shows the first draft of what I decided on. The brads on the white portion ended up hitting text, so I moved them to the outside on the DSP. This paper is Sweet Pea, and I LOVE it! My last background was Sweet Pea as well, just a calmer print. With Summer closing in on us, I wanted to brighten up my blog a bit. The sidebar tools will be done tonight use MDS accessories and punches. So, when I get it all done, let me know what you think. I am hooked on MDS, and I LOVE that I can now design my own blog!

April Showers Bring May Flowers...

2010-05-27T23:43:00.003-04:00

These were made for an online swap group. We were to make a card relating to showers and one to flowers... Here's my shower card for April... The rainboot stamp is from Studio G...$1 bin at the box store a while back. I have no idea where the sentiment came from, I have had it at least 3-4 years. I cut an oval and attached some clear embossed Bermuda Bay cardstock for a wet looking puddle. I drew ripples (that's what they are supposed to be...LOL!) with my white gel pen. The boots are stamped and covered in Crystal Effects. I used my Bermuda Bay marker to make splashes, which are dotted with Crystal Effects. I LOVE this sentiment and was glad to discover it deep in a box in the garage:)

Bermuda Bay, Summer Sun, Whisper White, other than stamps...all materials are SU!

On to the May Flowers...

Now, this was a FUN card to make. This is NOT my original idea, though I wish I were this creative! I found a card very similar to this with this amazing flower idea on a SU Demo Forum. The lady who I was inspired by is LeAnn Gaff, who was inspired by Beth Prout. I believe in giving credit where credit is due, and these women did such a beautiful job that I had to try it out! The flower petals are the 3/4" circle punch, overpunched with the Large Oval. The stem is a segment of the Wide Oval, and the leaf is the 1" circle punch, segmented. The center of the flower is the largest flower from the Boho Blossoms punch, and in the center of that is a Filigree Designer Brad. The background is the NEW SU Impressions Folder called Square Lattice. I LOVE this new folder! Tons of punches used on this card, including the Modern Label, which frames the sentiment. I cannot wait to make more of these!

Cameo Coral, Summer Sun, Whisper White
Punches Galore :)
All SU on this card!

Elegant Anniversary

2010-05-24T17:03:00.005-04:00

Here is my Anniversary card for a swap. I like how it turned out, and it's really quick and simple. All supplies are SU! The more I use the Two Step Bird Punch, the more I really like it. The birds wings also make beautiful tulips. There will another blog post soon (tonight or tomorrow) with a card using that.

It's been a really crazy week here at my house. We've had days of rain and thunderstorms here in NC, and it affects my mood as well as makes the kids a little nuts with being stuck inside. I am hoping for some sunshine soon! I hope all of my followers are doing well! To the 'Inky Ones', I will be making my rounds visiting all of you over the next two days.

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: StazOn Jet Black, SU Going Gray
Paper: SU Glossy CS, Basic Black, Whisper White and Brushed Silver
Accessories: SU Bird Punch, Scallop Edge, Scallop Oval, Large Oval, Small Heart. Big Shot, and SU Texturz Plate (Damask), White Organza Ribbon.

Cottage Wall Mojo 123

2010-05-17T19:16:00.002-04:00

The swap group I am always talking about does sketch swaps monthly. For the first time, we just used one from Mojo Monday (link in my sidebar). It's a great site for inspiration and I print the sketches each month and keep them in a book. You will never run out of ideas, Mojo Monday is my lifesaver! So, this one goes back to the Jan Sketch Book at Mojo, sketch 123. I chose ROUND. Rich Razz, Whisper White and Old Olive are the only cardstocks I used. DSP is Cottage Wall, stamp set is Vintage Vogue from this past SAB. Faux jumbo brads using the 1/4" circle and Crystal Effects. Flower is Boho Blossom, and the new 3-pack Bitty Shapes flower punch. White Signo Gel Pen in the scallops. I hope the recipient likes it. Now, I need to make an extra for myself! The sketch pictures are below! This card is SUO!

House Mouse Mystery Card...

2010-05-05T15:11:00.003-04:00

I have been talking a lot lately about the online swap group I am ejnoying being part of. Well, this month, one of the swap themes was a Mystery Card Kit. Basically, you send components that could be used to create a card to your partner, and they make a card out of your kit, using only what you sent. It was FUN! Being a SU Demo, I am always the one planning and cutting cards, it was a super treat to get one sent to me! I did cut down all the layers, and ran the main image through the Big Shot with the Bigz Clear Scallop Square die. I LOVE that die, it's so easy to center things with it! I pierced each scallop, and watercolored the image. Here's a close-up of the image...

I colored this adorable House Mouse image using WaterColor Wonder Crayons and my trusty Blender Pen. The mouse is Close to Cocoa, Blush Blossom, and Pretty In Pink. The flower is Mellow Moss, Pale Plum and Perfect Plum. The shading is Sahara Sand. I really enjoyed coloring this!

My friend who sent me this also included a scrap with this sentiment stamped on it. The front was full, so I stuck it on the inside.

So, I have no idea where the ribbon, flowers, paper, etc is from. The die and coloring supplies are SU as that's about all I use. Thanks Meg for sending me such a fun Mystery Card Kit!!!

Teacher Appreciation Gift...

2010-05-05T14:59:00.004-04:00

My oldest daughter is in Preschool and has the most wonderful teachers! So, for Teacher Appreciation Day, I whipped them each up a small Thank You gift. (Both were the same, just different letters on the front). The box is made with the Scallop Envelope Die from SU, it's basically two of them glued together with sides added. Easy. Below are pictures of the notecards I filled these with, and I also included envelopes. I hope they liked them today! I also cooked dinner for each of them, which I am sure they will appreciate!

And, here are the notecards I stuck in the box. They're quick and easy, and time was of the essence this week!

To the gift bags, I tied this card that I made for them as well.

These are some amazing women, I am glad that God graced my daughters life with them this year.

Close To Bermuda Birthday

2010-05-01T08:55:00.003-04:00

Here's a quick card I threw together last night for my club hostess meeting today. I am not a Close To Cocoa fan at all, but am trying to use up some of the colors that are leaving. And, I did like how it turned out with Bermuda Bay! I found a very similar card on a Demo site, and loved the layout. She had ribbon under the circle pieces and a bow tied on the side. Lo and behold, I don't have enough Bermuda Bay ribbon left to do this for as many cards as I needed to prep. So, I dug around and found my Bermuda Bay DSP, and cut strips of the Polka Dot design page. Not the same as ribbon, no, but in a pinch, it will do. I made the bow tie style ribbon piece by folding a 4" piece in to the center on both ends, adhering with a small dot of Tombow, then wrapping a 1 3/8" piece around the center, adhering in the back with another drop of Tombow. All in all, I like this card, and was happy I found a quick substitute for the ribbon! I hope my club enjoys making it later today.

Stamps: Circle Circus, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper/Ink: Bermuda Bay DSP and CS, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Signo Gel Pen
Punches: Modern Label, Word Window, 1 1/4 and 1 3/8" Circles, Scallop Edge

Have a great weekend everyone! I am anxious for my stamping buddies to get here, I have had a rough week, and there company always lifts my spirits!

A Sketch Challenge gone CrAzY!

2010-04-28T21:18:00.002-04:00

I am so in love with the group I swap with online! I didn't think I would have time for it, and it's been a struggle, but I am having so much fun! This card is for a swap, the theme is a sketch. Basically, it's a strip behind the main panel, and one in front with a circle shape on the front panel. Well, the card got so awful busy that I cut the main panel and used just a band of ribbon. It helped, but I am still thinking this card is just too much. Is it just me?

I just got Bouquet Bunch in, and love it! It will be available in May in the New Summer Mini catalog. It's a wonderful set, I do believe I will reach for it often. I stuck with some current In Colors for this one, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo (glad those two are hanging around to become part of SU's regular line up!), and Crushed Curry. I added some Razzleberry Lemonade DSP (the homemade button uses that as well). The flower and pot are watercolored, and popped up, the pot on dots, the flowers on Dimensionals. I framed this with Large Ovals, the centers punched with the Small Oval, and DSP behind that. I was hoping for a flower effect, it came out looking like some sort of science prop...neuron or something...school's been a while...LOL!

All being said, I don't hate it, but it's certainly not my favorite either. I hope the recipient likes it, that's all that matters!

Sometimes you just don't need color...

2010-04-27T19:05:00.003-04:00

Ahhh...was this ever a hard one!!! I have only done a handful of all-white cards before. And, I actually enjoy it. However, this one is for a swap group, and the theme was White Only. Easy peasy, right? WRONG! I thought I had a full pack of Whisper White CS, I DID NOT! OOPS! I am COMPLETELY out! I had to scour my scrap piles and drawers to come up with enough white pieces to make the flower, and luckily found a wide strip in a card kit I had leftover from a workshop! The base is Glossy White CS, and I have also used White Mulberry Paper. This is completely inkless, although I was tempted to white emboss something on the base. I now have a few inches of white paper, and do not know if I can wait till Sat to order more at the club meeting. Anyway, I love the way this turned out. Sadly, I have to mail it out to my swap partner. Which is unfortunate as I have a wedding to attend on Sun, and can only think how perfect this would be! Maybe, just maybe I can dig around for a few more precious pieces!

Supplies are SUO! Whisper White, Glossy White, and White Mulberry Paper
Ornament Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Petals A Plenty Embossing Folder, Whisper White Organza Ribbon, and Dimensionals under the flower.

===For a little texture the flower petals have veins drawn in the with the end of my Bone Folder. They are also slightly curled. I have no idea how this will fare in the mail, so I am taking a few minutes longer to enjoy it before it hits an envelope. I hope the recipient loves it as much as I do!

April Stamp Club Class...

2010-04-11T08:31:00.003-04:00

For April's Hostess Club Meeting, I decided to go ahead and focus on a gift set that would work well for Mother's Day gifts next month. After tossing out many ideas, I settled on a bath set. What Mom doesn't need a nice, quiet bath? The candle holder includes a PartyLite tealight, and is wrapped with Rich Razz ribbon, and a scallop circle with initial. We had a few women use DSP scraps in the circle to give it as teacher gifts, etc. Great idea! The jar is a Starbucks Frap bottle, and is covered in CS and DSP, the lid is wrapped with white ribbon, and decorated the same as the front of the candle holder. We made Faux Suede Roses, using the Smooshed Flowers technique. They turned out lovely, and I think that was everyone's favorite part of the class! The jar is filled with Green Tea bath salts, which are wonderful! I kept the card simple using the Scallop Square Clear Die for the BS. Some Orchid Opulence CS, and Scallop Sq punches of DSP, we then added a sentiment (again, a few used a different one) to the Wide Oval, and finished off with the bird and branch from the 2-Step Bird Punch.

Complete project (aside from glass items) are SU only! There is also a white lunchbag altered into a gift bag to match the set! This was such a fun class, I think 'set' classes are my fave. And using the same products the whole time makes it easier to plan and clean up! Win, win!

---CS is Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White, and Old Olive
---DSP is Cottage Wall
---Stamps are Whimsical Words and Lovely Letters
---Ink is Rich Razzleberry, and a White Signo Gel Pen
---Accessories are a few Circle Punches, Scallop Circle, Scallop Square, Wide Oval, 2-Step Bird. Also a Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, R.R. Ribbon, Silver Brad.

Kids Easter Projects...

2010-04-03T22:18:00.002-04:00

True to form, I am running behind☺ Easter morning is just hours away, and I finally finished these cards for my two little girls. SORRY for the bad pics...I JUST finished these and prefer to take pics in daylight. These cards were so much fun to make! We have already attended a couple egg hunts this year, and my girls are all about that. So, I decided to make Easter Eggs on their cards. The sky is sponged with Bashful Blue using a few scraps of DSP punched with the Scallop Circle as a stencil. Eggs are Wide Oval, in various Bold Bright inks. Paper is all Bold Brights as well. The sentiment is from Well Scripted.

These are the gift bags I made for my neice and my neighbors little girl, who is BFF to both of my girls☺ These are white lunch bags from Target and I promise they are super cute IRL! I stamped the chick and bunny from Eggcoutrements in YoYo Yellow and Lovely Lilac, then used the Hugs Notes in Glassine Envies to hold the tags. These are filled with punch balloons, Easter pencils, Peeps (YUM!) and a Hershey's Marshmallow Egg.

These are both extremely simple and low-key but I wanted to share what I did for the kids. I cannot wait to see my girls get up, dig through the baskets, put on their dresses and go to church!

I hope everyone will take time to remember that Easter has a real meaning. Let's celebrate what it's about!

He is not here, He is Risen....Luke 24:6...AMEN!

SCS Double Challenge!

2010-03-30T21:35:00.002-04:00

I feel like I am FINALLY back in the crafting game! I have been stamping more in the last month than ever! I am so glad to be back full force! This card is for TWO SCS Challenges...CC264, which is a color challenge to use Bermuda Bay, Basic Gray and So Saffron. I won't lie, it scared me to death, I still don't know how it looks ok together! Second challenge was CAS60 which was a sketch this week. It ALMOST qualifies for a third challenge, TLC266, which is Inside Out and is to decorate the inside of your card to match the outside. But, I didn't get a chance to finish the inside just yet...maybe tomorrow. I have Easter and 5 b-days this month, so I better worry about the inside of this card later!☺

Paper: CS:Bermuda Bay, Basic Gray, So Saffron, Whisper White
DSP: So Saffron (before pattern changes) and Bermuda Bay
Stamps: The More The Merrier, Good Neighbors, Vintage Labels
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Basic Gray, So Saffron
Accessories: Dimensionals, Scallop Circle Punch, Curly Label Punch, Bermuda Bay Polka Dot Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Styled Silver HodgePodge Hardware

SUO!!! Hope you all like it! After covering up a terrible mistake, I think I finally like it! The colors aren't a new fave combo for me by any means, but I was glad to be able to do it! I better get busy on the projects on my To Do List and stop making pretties just for fun!

Circle Circus...

2010-03-27T15:18:00.003-04:00

Here's yet another card for the swap group I now LOVE being in! This card was a sketch challenge, which was basically a strip across the middle, three circles on the left, and three lines of sentiment in the bottom right. It was an extremely simple sketch, so I kept the card simple and clean to match the lines of the sketch. I did a little paper piercing under the sentiment, which adds just a little to the plain base. I love this one! I hope the the recipient enjoys my swap!

Stamps: Circle Circus, Whimsical Words (SAB)
Paper: Kraft, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry
Accessoris: SU Circle Punches, Dots Embossing Folder (with the SU Big Shot), Mat Pack, Paper Piercer

SUO!

Easter Cupcakes...

2010-03-25T22:45:00.003-04:00

I have really been crafting a lot lately, and have done well with updating my blog! I have another card coming tomorrow, but for today, I wanted to share the cupcakes I made for my oldest daughter's Preschool Easter Party tomorrow. I volunteered to bring 2 dz cupcakes, and decided to make them festive! It's yellow cake, with whipped cream icing, topped with coconut dyed green and 3 little jelly beans on top. Chloe LOVES them, she cannot wait for her class to see them☺. I stamped the bunny from Easter Eggcoutrements stamp set (sp...no catty in front of me) and punched them out, there are two on each toothpick held on with Glue Dots. The girls stuck these in the cupcakes! I have been SO good not to eat one!

Wings on a Card Swap...

2010-03-23T18:15:00.003-04:00

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Here's another card I made today (the vintage was made this afternoon, too). It is for the same swap group, for a swap themed Wings On A Card. I have really used so many butterflies lately that I thought it would be fun to use the 2-Step Bird Punch from SU for this card! The Vanilla background is embossed with the Big Shot. I do not like the So Saffron background behind the bird, at all, but once I decided it needed more vanilla it was already put together. I LOVE this punch!

Brocade Blue, So Saffron, Very Vanilla
2-Step Bird Punch, 1, 1 1/4, 1 3/8" Circle Punches, and Scallop Circle
Friends 24/7 Stamp Set
Mat Pack used for the sewing down the side
--SUO

Vintage Medallion...

2010-03-23T15:30:00.003-04:00

I am thoroughly enjoying being part of a swap group now! The theme of this swap is All About Vintage. Those of you who follow me regularly may immediately realize that this is not my normal style! I went WAY off the beaten path to create this vintage beauty (if I do say so myself...LOL). I haven't mailed this yet (I have a feeling I won't be one of those who can wait), so if the recipient sees it early, I hope she likes it! So, when I think vintage I always think of sepia type brown tones, and either light blue or light pink with it. Everyone has a different take on vintage, and apparantely this is mine. I started by running Very Vanilla through the Big Shot with a Damask texture plate (it shows IRL!!!), then stamping the Medallion in VersaMark and clear embossing. Followed by brayering Creamy Caramel over the entire thing. Then heavily sponged the edges in Chocolate Chip (after abusing the edges with my bone folder☺). A little spritz of stamp cleaner on a sponge and it cleaned the Medallion back off with no problem! Layered on some patterned paper by Provo Craft (I am working on my stash!), torn and wrinkled in the bottom edge. Layered on Pink Pirouette with the bottom edge sponged in Creamy Caramel. All stuck to a Kraft base! The flower is the Scallop Circle with Bella Rose DSP, sponged with Creamy Caramel. I actually punched two and glued them back to back...I didn't want the bold red pattern on the other side messing up this card. Sprayed with water and balled up constantly until the paper was very weak. An old sewing stash button and crochet thread finish the flower. The ribbon is OLD Pretty In Pink, sponged with Creamy Caramel so it doesn't look so bright.

I have never done an all out vintage (this much anyway) card. What do you think? Did I achieve actually making it look old?

Saturday Morning Stampin'!

2010-03-20T10:44:00.003-04:00

Ahhhh....finally, just 2 hours before we have to leave for a birthday party, I got the birthday girls card all done! I LOVE Bermuda Bay and Melon Mambo and really wanted to use them together only adding white. Generally, for a kids card, I wouldn't do anything like this, but this is what hit me! The flower is the Ornament Punch, the leaves are the 5-Petal Flower punch, center of flower is the biggest from Boho Blossoms punch. The flower petals were run through the Big Shot with the SU Dots Folder. A Clear Rhinestone Brad finishes the flower off with a little sparkle. Sentiment is from Heard from the Heart, and colored with In Color Markers for the two tone. LOVE this ribbon, it's Polka Dot Grosgrain. I added just a little fancy with the Scallop Trim Border Punch along the bottom edges. The inside is white with all corners done with the Scallop Trim Corner...didn't remember to take a pic until I had already written in the card (with a Melon Mambo marker of course☺). I hope she likes her card!

I am finally starting to make some headway catching up on my blog. 'Inky Ones'....I will make rounds tonight. I can't wait to visit you all!

If you're in the South like me, enjoy this beautiful weather this weekend!

Happy Stampin'!

Just for TYLER!

2010-03-20T08:56:00.005-04:00

Greetings, friends!!! I am really trying to catch up on my personal blogging, and also with the bloggers group. Bear with me, I am almost there!!! I have been working on several projects lately, and will get them up one at a time. This one I just finished last night. A friend of mine asked me to make wall letters for her son, Tyler (obviously...LOL!). I had made her daughters a year ago or so and she really liked them. I was honored when she asked me to do her sons, too! We actually went shopping for her to pick out her own papers, then she pretty much told me to do what I wanted, but she didn't want them the same or all completely covered. I caved slightly on the 'L'. I had to cover that one! Each pawprint on the 'L' is coated with Crystal Effects, which looks awesome. Looks like fresh, wet, pawprints! I used a lot of circle punches, Puzzle Sizzlets, and Word Window / Modern Label punches. In theory, these are simple, but I truly did struggle, as I always do with blue. I enjoyed them, and I love the finished product, I hope my friend does too! I am giving them to her today! And below are the letters I made her daughter about a year ago...

(sorry, pic is really washed out, click to make it larger to see details.)

It's a Swap Thing...

2010-03-10T21:10:00.004-05:00

So, I recently joined a group run by a wonderful friend of mine. The group is a mix of all kinds of stampers who participate in themed swaps. I thought it would be fun to give it a try, as I have never been much of a swapper. I have signed up for several different swaps, and one of them was to make a card using only Black, White and Purple. I hope my 'loose' interpretation of purple is ok. But this card just screamed for Rich Razzleberry, and who am I to deny a card what it wants?

There's a lot on this card that you cannot really see in the pic. The Razz oval is run lightly through a texture plate, and there's tons of sparkle on this card. I used some corners cut with the Big Shot using a set of Sizzlets called Architectual Elements. The flowers are from Embrace Life, two stamped on Razzleberry Lemonade DSP, and the middle one on Watercolor Paper. The middle one is colored with reinker and AquaPainter, blended much lighter in the center. Stickles are on all flowers, and it's showing gold in the pic, but it's truly Diamond Stickles. My Signo Gel Pen got a great workout on this card, and I love how that turned out! A new pen made all the difference, my old one was gloppy.

I hope you all like it. This is one of my faves in a while, and I haven't mailed it yet. I don't think the recipient checks my blog☺ Well, I hope not...LOL!

***Aside from the Sizzlets set and the Stickles, this card is SUO!

March Club Projects...

2010-03-06T22:14:00.004-05:00

This month for my hostess club, I created some fun Easter projects. These were so much fun to make, and each one is really simple! We made a gate fold card with the Kisses notes and Well Scripted stamp set, both from the Occasions Mini. The little basket in the front is made with DSP strips, that's it! The larger basket in the back is actually a 6x6 piece of CS, scored at 2" all the way around, then snipped on two sides at the middle section, as if cutting to fold a box. Then, instead of folding the sides all the way up, you angle them. This one is held together with brads, and a nice flower made with a few punches and a Clear Rhinestone brad decorate the front!

---The best part is the Reeses Eggs inside the baskets...I ate quite a few while filling these! They started out a little more filled, I LOVE Reeses!

I am finally ahead of the game on making things for Easter! We've had a really busy couple of weeks here, and I am just glad to have still had time to stamp at all. (Though it happens around midnight...)

We are really ready for Spring to make its grand entrance, and these colors certainly feel springy to me! Hope you like my Easter projects. My wonderful club members seemed to.

CS is all Soft Subtles...DSP is all Tea Party

DIY Flowers....

2010-02-11T19:44:00.005-05:00

These are the projects I created for my monthly hostess club to make at our Feb meeting. They went over really well, and all of them are very easy to do! We focused on making our own embellishments this month. We also made buttons, I will get a pic of those up later. Making your own flowers if fun, much less expensive than buying them, and you can be sure they will match your project!

This Valentine is made from Real Red cardstock, run throught the Big Shot with the Scallop Circle 1 die. Whisper White is stamped with a heart from I (Heart) Hearts. Sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, punched with Word Window, glued to Modern Label, and popped on Dimensionals. Rose is made from Real Red Grosgrain (1/2") and the leaves are Garden Green, with Big Shot and Little Leaves Die.

This one is Faux Suede. I LOVE this technique! Who knew simply breaking fibers and peeling apart your cardstock would give you such a soft, beautiful piece, perfect for making flowers! Colors are Green Galore, Melon Mambo, Whisper White. White is punched with NEW Scallop Trim Corner punch. Leaves and flower are 1 1/4 and 1 3/8" circle punches. Finished with a Clear Rhinestone brad.

This flower is made from 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, in this flower, I used So Saffron. It's sewn together down one side of the length, then tied off tightly, giving you a flower that just needs a little fluffing! I enjoy making these! The center is a Build A Brad with Cottage Wall DSP in the center.

I hope you all enjoy these!!! I have really gotten hooked on making 3D items lately, whether it's decor, boxes, embellishments. I will get the buttons uploaded soon! Happy Stamping, until next time!

Chloe's Handmade Valentine's

2010-02-11T19:33:00.003-05:00

This is my 5 yr old, Chloe, and her 3 yr old sister, Tara. Not sure what's up with Chloe's goofy grin! These are the Valentine's we sat and made tonight for her Preschool class party tomorrow. We used two images from Pun Fun, and some DCVW cardstock (I think that's what it's called, I only use SU, and let the kids use the other stuff). We stamped the images, and she colored them with SU Color Pencils. I scored and punched holes in these to hold the suckers she picked to give to her friends. Her sister separated the colored ones into piles for me to finish cutting out. We had a lot of fun making these, and I think they are cuter than anything storebought...plus it was a great experience. Below are some more pics!

The boys are getting blue with the Rocket stamp, and the girls are getting pink with the Skunk stamp (that my daughter insists is a squirrel, hence they are brown). The Skunk says 'I stink you're sweet', and the Rocket says 'You're a Blast'. I thought these were perfect for Preschool Valentine's.

The close up. I will be reading her the comments, so if you like what she did, drop a comment for me to share with her. I think she did a good job, and she's only 5!

Blog Makeover...

2010-02-09T08:22:00.002-05:00

Hey, everyone!!! I will be back to checking all of your blogs this week. I wanted to let everyone know that I FINALLY got my blog customized with my own creations using My Digital Studio. The background is Designer Paper, Ribbon, and Flowers from the Sweet Pea digi kit from SU, as is the Header, adding punches and buttons from Button Latte. This was much harder than I thought it would be, but that was because I don't have any photo editting software loaded at the moment, whew, never do it without that! I hope you like the look. I am happy with it. Now that I know how to do it, I will get it just how I want it, and will probably decorate it with MDS often!

Just For You, Neighbor!

2010-01-14T08:09:00.002-05:00

I am LOVIN' the NEW SaleABration (SAB) brochure! I sat down to play with some of the items I preordered, and came up with this bright and cheerful card! Here in NC, we are experiencing COLD like we don't usually have (in the teens) and I just need a bit of Summer, so I chose some bright colors! This little house set is so cute! It comes with 3 houses, 3 different roofs, a few trees, and a cloud (which also makes nice bushes between the houses). I am going with the Clear Mount option from now on, so that is what this set is, but it is also available in Wood Mount. I stamped these using the In Colors, and punched with the 1 1/4" square, and layered on 1 3/8" squares. I LOVE the new DSP from SAB to go with this set, it's called Welcome Neighbor!

Here's a close shot of the ribbon, my hardware, and the paper! I really like this one, these colors will be sorely missed when they head out! I fall in love with the In Colors every time, though!

CS -- Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Whisper White

Ink -- Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, and Whisper White Craft

DSP -- Welcome Neighbor (SAB)

Punches -- 1 1/4", 1 3/8" Square, Scallop Edge, Scallop Circle

Accessories -- Styled Silver HodgePodge Hardware, Bermuda Bay ribbon

Beautiful Wings...

2010-01-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

This was a really quick card, it took 5 minutes or less to throw together! I simply folded some Kraft cardstock, and glued a black layer in the center. Then I ran some of the In Colors through my Big Shot with the NEW Beautiful Wings Embosslit and stick those on some Whisper White cardstock. I added a loop of matching In Color, Polka Dot ribbon behind the coordinating butterfly and stuck that layer over the black with Dimensionals. Stamped (friend to friend) in Basic Black and pierced the corners using the Mat Pack and a Paper Piercer.

CS -- Kraft, Whisper White, Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay.
Ink -- Basic Black
Stamps -- Teeny Tiny Wishes
Accessories -- Big Shot, Embosslit, Ribbon, Mat Pack/Piercer

This card (like most) are SUO. Sorry about the dark pic, I tend to remember to take pics at night, when lighting is horrible. As part of my New Years Resolution, I will work on that!

See you all soon! Happy Stampin'!

One more Paper Bow!

2010-01-11T10:15:00.000-05:00

I cannot remember the name of this retired paper, but it's beautiful. It made a great bow! I will try to get back to cards, and off these bows ASAP ☺

Happy Stampin'

My January Club Projects....

2010-01-10T23:01:00.004-05:00

Hey, friends! It's great to be back in the blogging loop! The holidays were wonderful, and I enjoyed them immensely, but am glad to be back to the routine of everyday life! My Jan hostess club theme was 'Be My Valentine'. I generally focus on a Holiday coming up the next month so my club members have time to plan and order for it. This card is our 'Man' card for Valentine's Day! I used the NEW set from the Occasions Mini, called I (Heart) Hearts. I am the proud new owner of ALL the SU Clear Blocks and am blown away by their beauty and quality! So, I have this set in the Clear Mount. This is a wonderful heart set! The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

CS--Real Red, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Ink -- Read Red, Soft Suede
Punches -- Modern Label, Word Window, 1/4" Circle, 1 1/4" Square
Stamps -- I (Heart) Hearts, Teeny Tiny Wishes

I like including a 3D item, gift, or package idea at each meeting. This month we did paper bows made of out Designer Series Paper. They were a huge hit! They are easy to make, and seeing how you can make 24 large ones out of a $9.95 pack of DSP, you can't even buy NICE bows for that price at the store! This tutorial is on SCS. However, it is only for the large size. I created the small size by switching from 6x12 paper to 3x6, and making my cuts at 1/2" instead of 1". It worked well, but is a little harder to hold together before using the brads. I cannot wait to make more of these! This particular DSP is retired, it is called Bella Rose.

And this little one was lots of fun! These are the NEW Hugs Notes from the Occasions Mini. The Whisper White CS is already cut into the scalloped rectangle! They sell in packs of 20 for $4.95! What a deal! I think I will buy extra packs to use as focal points on card fronts when I am too lazy to pull out my Big Shot ☺ The vase is the Ornament Punch, with the bottom point cut off.

CS -- Real Red, Hug Notes, DSP from a retired Hostess Pack, Whisper White

Ink -- Read Red, Garden Green (marker)

Stamps -- I (Heart) Hearts

Punches -- Ornament, Heart to Heart

-- Dimensional -- under the checkered heart

I hope you all enjoy these! I loved making them, and my club seemed to really enjoy these projects! I love Valentine's Day!

My Christmas Girls...

2010-01-03T21:00:00.001-05:00

I keep meaning to get this up and share a pic of my girls with all my blogging friends. Tara, 3, on left, Chloe, 5, on right, dressed for a Preshool Christmas party. We had a great holiday season and hope that each of you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Washer Pendant Necklaces...

2010-01-02T23:51:00.004-05:00

These AMAZING necklaces were a Technique featured on Splitcoaststampers. These are made with Steel washers from the hardware store. I have made several different sizes and find that larger ones are more eye catching and elegant, whereas the smaller sizes are great for casual. This one is made with a 2" washer, it is just under 2" in diameter. I LOVE making these. This one was made for my SIL for Christmas, I loved it so much, I made 4 just like it for other gifts, and of course, one for me! The B/W paper is from my stash, no idea the origin or brand. Sorry! The red gemstones are from Hero Arts. I started by tracing the washer shape and center hole onto the backside of the paper, then cut it with paper snips. I used Aleens tacky glue to adhere the paper to the washer. That set almost instantly. Then I set the gemstones, and sanded all of the edges for a finished look. The entire front of the washer is covered in a very thick coat of Crystal Effects, which I had to force myself to patiently wait almost a day for it to dry well. I created the necklace with black leather cording and a jewelry clasp. This is definitely my favorite!

As much as I love the first one, I love this one, too! This one is much smaller, it's about 1 3/8" in diameter. I didn't have to cut this one at all! The outside circle is the 1 3/8" circle punch, and the inside is 1/2" punch! Needless to say, this size is much easier and quicker to make. I searched through my DSP stash and found this pattern in the Fall Flowers pack a couple catalogs back. I prefer sweat suits and jeans/long t's in the winter, so I wanted a casual necklace for my favorite grey sweats! My green leather cording matches the paper perfectly! This one you could wear all the time, I really like it! This one is MINE!

Unfortunately, most of my other pendants got boxed and wrapped before I took pictures. I made over 10 for Christmas, but no worries, more will be made soon, and I promise to take pictures! I plan to make keychains, and ceiling fan pulls for the girls rooms as well!

Torn Paper Frame and a Gift Box...

2010-01-02T23:38:00.002-05:00

Every year I throw a Christmas Party for my Hostess Club. We do a drawing in Oct to get our Secret Sister, and we have to make them a homemade gift AND buy them a certain amount of SU items from their wish list and package them with SU products. This is by far my favorite event of the year! This year, I made a frame for my Secret Sister, Amy. I took a plain, unfinished wood $1 frame from a craft store, painted it front and back with white acrylic paint. I then tore several different patterns from the Ski Slope DSP pack. I used Mod Podge to adhere those all over the frame. I then applied another layer of Mod Podge over the top to seal it. I used Baja Breeze textured CS for the insert. I ran Old Olive and Real Red CS through my Big Shot with the Petals A Plenty folder, then punched them with the Ornament punch, as well as a Chocolate Chip piece with a Merry & Bright rub-on. Red and green are stuck on with Glue Dots, Chocolate is popped up on dimensionals. Silver cording finishes these off. I cannot stand empty frames and always fill them before giving. This can be a decoration, or you can put a holiday photo in it.

Amy had 3 ink pads on her Wish List, and those were within our 'budget', so I created a box for them. I started by stacking the 3 ink pads on top of each other, then measuring height, width and length. I added 1/4" all the way around for a nice lip on the box, then scored along the box measurements to make the bottom. I then used the same dimensions for the lid, altering slightly for the edges. I punched the top with the Scallop Edge border punch all the way around and stamped it with the Medallion background stamp before folding. CS is Kiwi Kiss and RidingHood Red (trying to use up retired colors!). I tied some RHR Tafetta Ribbon around the box, then punched the flower with the 5Petal Flower after running it through the Bis Shot with a CB folder. Brad is Making Memories, all other supplies are SU. I tied on a Scallop Oval with Red Twine to put her name on it, so she can easily remove it and reuse the box.

She seemed very happy with her gifts, and I really enjoyed making them!

Medallion Christmas...

2010-01-02T21:22:00.005-05:00

I have said it before (many times ☺) and I will say it again, the Medallion background is my most favorite stamp set of all time! I sat down with my printed sketches from Mojo Monday (link in the sidebar) and really liked the sketch from Feb 23 of 09. I knew I wanted to make a card with many layers, and continue to try to use up the many unopened packs of Ski Slope DSP I bought last year before it retired. I am very happy with this one, it's my favorite card this year (at least mass produced cards, immediate family gets one of a kind).

Here is a pic of several of them all together. I love using just a portion of the Medallion image. I find it much easier to use when I am not using the entire image.

Supplies:

Kraft, and Whisper White Cardstock

Old Olive and Real Red ink

Ski Slope DSP

Sleigh Bells Ribbon

Ornament Punch

Sentiment is from All Holidays

Silver Cording

This card is SUO.

Punch Templates!!!

2010-01-02T21:14:00.004-05:00

I made 10 of these for my hostess club for our Christmas Party gifts!!! It is a punch of EVERY SU punch currently available, except for corners, slits, etc. I still need to do those, but feel they are irrelevant as far as needed them for sizing, etc. I cut a sheet of white cardstock into quarters, leaving them 8.5 inches long, and they ended up being 2.75 inches wide. It took 6 strips for each one. I saw many templates online for printing them punching, but wasn't happy with placement, etc. So, I did sit down and write them out by hand. I had them laminated professionally for a good heat seal and heavy laminating paper as these would be handled often. I punched each one with the Crop O Dile in the top corner (all 6 sheets laminated at ONCE!), and put them on a book ring! I LOVE these! They are sturdy and you can lay them right over the stamp itself or the catalog picture to see what you need! They took a few nights to get done, but for sanity sake, I didn't want to marathon these, so I did them slowly. I am really happy with the finished product, and the ladies seemed to like them!

Think Tink!

2009-12-07T23:01:00.003-05:00

Sadly, I just realized that I never posted the card I made my oldest daughter for her birthday this past Sept! I did post her little sisters card (their birthdays are 3 days apart) so I don't know how this got forgotten. It's nothing too special, but I wanted to be fair and post both of their cards, especially as they love to see my blog:) I don't even know who makes these supplies, the green textured cardstock is from a stack I got ages ago, the flower and epoxy sticker were in a bag a friend gave me. However, I again did a search for line art (like with my Ariel card for my younger daughter), and added a personalized birthday message to that. Tink is colored with Sharpies, and her wings are 2 Way Glue and Dazzling Diamonds. The pom poms on her shoes are Stickles, and her eyes and lips are coated with Crystal Effects. I just wanted to share her card!

And this is the brithday girl posing with her card! She's my prissy one, always in the crown!

3D Ornament...

2009-12-07T22:48:00.002-05:00

You know those times when you sit down to stamp and can't think of a single thing to make? I hope I am not the only one who has those...LOL! All I knew was that I wanted the card uncluttered and featuring a 3D Ornament. So, I pulled out my Ski Slope DSP from last year (SO thankful I bought 3 packs of it, it is my all time favorite!), and punched 8 Ornaments. They all got folded in 1/2, glued back to back, then added to a scrap cardstock Ornament for sturdiness. Then, I was stumped. I had nothing...no ideas, nothing. I went through my scrap drawer, and found the previously scalloped Old Olive strip, as well as the Petals A Plenty embossed Chocolate Chip scrap. I decided to cut some Real Red to mat between them, and that was it! The flower on the Baja Breeze base is from a retired Christmas set, and actually was colored with the VersaMarker, and stamped onto the card as it had a circle image around it. I finished it with Merry Christmas in Chocolate Chip in the bottom right corner. It's plain and simple, but when doing all different Christmas cards, that's what I was going for!!! I do have some more elaborate cards to post tomorrow, I hope that will make up for these last two simple ones.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!! I am enjoying crackling fires, a fresh Christmas tree and nighttime Christmas movies with my little girls. I hope you are all enjoying this special season as well!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-12-07T22:36:00.002-05:00

I am LOVIN' the Delightful Decorations stamp set and the Ornament Punch so much this Holiday Season. Almost all of my Christmas cards are made using these this year! This one is a color combo I haven't use before, and I LOVE it now! I chose to pair Real Red, Whisper White and Soft Suede for this one. This is one of the cards I created for my Nov Hostess Club meeting. I 'accidentally' discovered that I really like the Top Note Die in more than one color. It's always the blunders that teach you something new! I ran the beautiful White Organza ribbon under the Top Note, and the red ornaments are stuck on with Glue Dots, the suede one is popped up on Dimensionals. The Silver Elastic cording is going fast, I use it on everything! It works beautifully for 'hanging' these ornaments. I finished off the JOY ornament with a small Clear Rhinestone brad. This is an easy card, very quick to make and I think it packs a big WOW for it's simplicity!

***To the ladies in the Blog Group...please forgive me for my recent absence! I will get to your blogs this week, I PROMISE! We have had a busy month, a death in the family, a huge pay cut, and we haven't shopped for one single Christmas gift yet. It's been one of those months...I am finally starting to catch up, and can't wait to visit all of you. And, over this week, I will catch my blog up as well. Many of my recent projects have been for my Club Christmas Party, which was Sat, and I can't wait to post pics of those now that the party is over!***

Jelly Belly Halloween...

2009-10-19T22:07:00.003-04:00

Here's the Halloween card I planned for my hostess club for our Oct meeting. Everyone liked it, and it's fun and easy to make! Jelly Bellys are probably my all-time favorite candy, and to me there is no other jellybean, I happily pay $7/pound, no questions asked for my beloved JB's, luckily I don't eat sweets often! Here I chose Wild Blackberry, the color is a deep purple that is almost black and it really compliments this card! To make this card easier to make, we filled the cups, then stuck them to acetate, and then trimmed the edges. Once that's in place with a little glue, it's easy to set your layers. Took me a while to figure that out, but it's a great trick!

For this card, I chose an odd color combo, Basic Black, Green Galore, and Lovely Lilac. Most people do orange, but it just seemed played out to me this year, I wanted purple, and somewhere it works! We used the Sweet Centers stamp set, 1 3/4" punch, and the Sweet Treat Cups from SU for this card. To add a little edging, we punched the purple layer with the Spiral punch, and those openings worked perfectly for running our black ribbon through for the X. The Happy Halloween is from All Holidays, and punched with the Modern Label punch. We took our purple scrap (from the tearing) and punched 1/4" holes and stuck those on with Glue Dots. I will be making many more of these! I just hate that you have to tear the card to get to the goods, but you know for JB's, I believe I would tear it in a hot minute...LOL!

Give Thanks Nugget Box...

2009-10-19T21:57:00.004-04:00

These are the Nugget Boxes I planned for my hostess club for Oct's meeting. Everyone loved making them, they are lots of fun. I prescored everything for them, which was a lot of work, but saved a LOT of time at the meeting. Below is the pic of the box open and you can see the Nuggets. Of course, being me, the candies had to match, so the Nuggets are the Almond Nuggets in the gold wrappers, silver would have been tacky here...LOL! We sponged and stamped on Avery address labels and wrapped the candies in those. I also like using DSP, but in my hostess club, I love to show how you can create things with what you already have around you.

We used the Autumn Harvest set for the Nugget wrappers, and sponged them with Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango. The DSP is Razzleberry Lemonade, the CS is Crushed Curry, ribbon is Dusty Durango. We used the Give Thanks acorn stamp from The More The Merrier Level 3 Hostess Set. These are SO easy, and they make wonderful Thank You gifts, hostess gifts, etc.

***Please forgive the blurry pics. I am having camera trouble, have no idea what's wrong with it, it's just not focusing, I may have to go back to my plain old digital until I figure it out. Thanks for bearing with me!

My Etsy Store...

2009-10-09T21:05:00.002-04:00

I have no idea how well this will go for me, but I have decided to open an Etsy store. Many of the cards on my blog may show up there, so if it's something you might like to call you own, you know where to find me...LOL! It's in the beginning stages now, but I am hoping to have it done and stocked next week! There is one card up now to check everything and I think it's all ready to go! Check it out!

www.inked4you.etsy.com

A Soft Suede Sunset...

2009-09-28T11:48:00.004-04:00

This card was sent to my Uncle who shares my birthday on Sept 26th. This was made in minutes, I was in a huge hurry, but I still love how it turned out! The base is Soft Suede, and I used Naturals White CS for the Top Note Die. The corners are the Curly Label punch lined up in the Photo Corner punch, although in hindsight, you can't see the centers, and it would have saved a ton of time to just cut the Curly Labels in half. Oh well, you live and learn, right? The treeline is from Lovely As a Tree, and the background is brayered in 3 colors (Bordering Blue, Crushed Curry, and Old Olive) with sponging over it in places, and the sunset is sponged in Crushed Curry and a tiny bit of Really Rust. I used a Gel Pen for the corners and edge of the Top Note, and stamped the sentiment from Heard From The Heart in Soft Suede. Finished this off with some Soft Suede Polka Dot Grosgrain ribbon, and called it done.

Birthday Wishes from Under The Sea...

2009-09-14T21:54:00.003-04:00

My youngest daughter turned 3 today!!! She is an Ariel fanatic, she just loves that mermaid, so I decided to make her an Ariel birthday card. Of course, I don't have any Ariel stamps, so I had to think. I GOOGLED 'Ariel Line Art' (cause if you google Ariel images, or Ariel clip art it's all in color), and adjusted the size down until it was small enough for my card front. I printed it on cardstock, and colored it in. This card is SO simple, I probably shouldn't blog it here, but it goes to show you don't have to go all out to make a nice card! I knew that Tara would want to keep this in her room and play with it, so I did not want any embellishments on it that would come off.

This is not the best pic, I remembered to snap it right before giving it to Tara, so there was no time! However, the bubbles have Crystal Effects on them, as do Ariel's eyes. The coloring is actually a lot more detailed than the picture shows. This image was colored with Sharpies 36 Color Collection! Her hair has NO lines at all, I was amazed, it took some time to color, as I don't have the fine point Sharpies, but this looks great for what I used. Frosted Lace Stickles were used on her tail.

And here is the best picture by FAR!!! My little angel SO excited to have an Ariel birthday card!

CS is SU and DCVW White Core

Ink is Sharpie, and a couple SU markers

Image is digital and I can email to you upon request.

Big Shot was used with a bubble texture plate on the green.

Sorry for the bad pics and quick post. This week is just starting, we still have Chloe's birthday at home, a small family party for both kids, a friend's kids birthday party Friday, beach trip to pack for this weekend, I am on preschool snack duty all week, and the house is getting dirty, it's freaking me out. I am a neat freak who loves to clean, so needless to say, no more stamping till I catch up on cleaning!

My Homemade Sock Monkey (if you laugh, I will hit you with him!)

2009-09-14T21:43:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, my husband and I recently spent a couple nights quietly together making sock monkeys from a kit to give our little girls for their birthdays. Our youngest girl, Tara, turned 3 today, and Chloe turns 5 on Thursday, but we gave both of them one today. This is the monkey I made! No, he isn't the prettiest thing (or even close to it) that I have ever seen, but the light in those girls eyes when we handed them over was priceless! This one went to the 5 year old, and she named him Banana Head (so original, huh?). Jim and I had a great time. They each turned out differently as I varied from the pattern a little bit as I wanted big, round monkey ears, and the kit pattern was for flatter ones. We also chose different buttons for the eyes. We can't help but laugh when we look at these guys! The girls just got them today, and they seem to be a hit! It's from the heart, and that's most important. Of course he was set aside to open real presents, but was picked back up and loved! I have included a full body shot, and then his close up with the vest I added buttons to! He's too skinny, kind of ugly, and a pain to make, but SO worth it to watch 2 little angels enjoy them!

Sock Monkey Double Challenge! MOJO102 / CC232

2009-08-31T22:38:00.005-04:00

I am HOOKED on the Mojo Monday Sketches! I just finished #101 last night, the new one posted today, and so I just finished #102! I have posted the sketch below so you can see it! Check out Mojo Monday for yourself! I also made this for last weeks SCS Tues Color Challenge, CC232 (a little behind, but I wanted to use this combo tonight!), to use Close To Cocoa, Taken With Teal and Very Vanilla.

I LOVE this Sock Monkey from SU so much. I have heard people on forums knock him, all I can say is, they must not own him! He's adorable, and oh so much fun! I usually paper piece or color him, but today he said he felt like being Vanilla!

Stamps: Sock Monkey
Paper: CS...Close To Cocoa, Taken With Teal, Very Vanilla
Ink: CTC, TWT
Punches: Scallop Edge, Scallop Square, Photo Corner, Boho Blossom, 1", 3/4", and 1/4" Circles
Accessories: Sponges, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Styled Vanilla HPH, Very Vanilla Ribbon, Paper Piercer, Cuttlebug Folder....BESIDES the Cuttlebug Folder, this card is once again SUO!

I hope you all enjoy it! It was the most fun to make, I truly had a good time. Now to get ready for bed! I think I will leave the mess I made for another day :)

Mojo Monday 101 Sketch Challenge...

2009-08-30T22:39:00.003-04:00

Look Ma, no stamps!!!!! This card is for the Mojo Monday Sketch, week 101. Check out THIS site to see all the Mojo Monday challenges. I really love this card, probably because I am addicted to green olives out of the jar! I am trying to use up some old DSP, and both of these papers are from Bella Rose, I used Kiwi Kiss and Riding Hood Red Textured Cardstock for the base, olive, and red strip. I can't cut straight to save my life, so I used the edge of the Photo Corner punch to 'V' the end, worked perfectly! I ran the white rectangle through the Big Shot with a Cuttelbug folder, besides that folder this card is SUO. I used the Word Window punch to punch out my 'Olive You' sentiment that is handwritten with a Chocolate Chip marker. Three Square Fire Rhinestone brads in the top right corner finished this card off!

Hope you all like it, and I hope some of you will jump into the Mojo Monday challenges! I just recently discovered them, and love it!

Life has been really busy here lately! I have my library committee things to do, getting my oldest daughter ready for preschool in two weeks, my husband has been on call for 3 straight weeks, and it has been a test of my patience to say the least. I am eager for Fall!!! Summer is a busy time of year for all of us, and with NC heat and almost constant humidity, I am DONE with Summer!!!

Recent Blog Awards...

2009-08-29T10:27:00.002-04:00

From Siobhan...
From Siobhan...
From Sarah...

I have been meaning to get these put up here. There are a few more floating around out there that I will get up ASAP, and pass them on all at one time...Thanks ladies!

Every Good and Perfect Gift...

2009-08-27T22:14:00.005-04:00

A girl I have known since childhood is pregnant with her first child. She just had her shower, which unfortunately I could not attend. This is her card. She did not wish to find out the gender of this child, so I was torn!!! I have never made a card for a woman who was pregnant without knowing whether the child was a boy or girl. It was quite the challenge for me!!! I saw this amazing quilt technique over at SCS, and wanted to give it a try, so I figured a baby card would be the perfect opportunity! The DSP is from a retired hostess Prints Pack, and is Bashful Blue and Pretty In Pink. I also used Bashful Blue cardstock, along with Whisper White. The sentiment is from a long ago SU set called God Bless. I framed (cut and embossed) it with a Nestie called Labels One. The pink edges are the Photo Corner Punch. I dressed this card up with some paper piercing (I thought it went well with the quilting), Whisper White Organza from SU, and Pearls by Mark Richards. The quilting took a little while, but the outcome is beautiful! I hope she likes it, and will forgive my being late, as usual!

Decor Elements Catalog Inspiration...

2009-08-26T22:54:00.007-04:00

I recently challenged my customers to create a card using the Decor Elements catalog (on the left) as their inspiration. Inspiration comes differently to every person, so I really look forward to seeing what they all come up with! This catalog cover is so beautiful, there is tons of inspiration to reach out and grab you! The main inspiration points to me are pretty obvious, the framed butterflies on the wall and the pillow with the pretty button on the bed.

Colors are Bermuda Bay, Green Galore, and Yoyo Yellow. Bermuda Bay ribbon and DSP. Many punches here. The small butterflies are the smallest flower from the Boho Blossoms punch, with two petals cut off in a 'v', and the big butterfly is the 5 Petal Flower punch, with one petal cut off in a 'v'. So many new punches ideas are coming to me right now! Several other punches, all SU, were used. I will be happy to answer any questions about what I used, but due to the late hour, won't list it all out like I normally do. Which do you like best? The first card or the second?

Bella Rose Tri-Fold Shutter...

2009-08-17T13:31:00.010-04:00

Well, I gave this Tri-Fold Shutter card another try. This one still took a while, but not as long as my Christmas one I posted earlier. I like this one a lot! This card is so thick that I cannot get a picture of it closed without me holding it together, so please pardon my hand in the pic below.

My Big Shot really got a workout on this card! I used several dies on here, SU Little Leaves, SU Birds & Blooms, SU Top Note Die, Architectural Elements. The only stamp set used is Friends 24-7 and the word WISH from Small Script. DSP is Bella Rose, Cardstock is Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette (textured), Kiwi Kiss (textured), a touch of Chocolate Chip and Whisper White. All buttons are SU from Button Bouquet (retired), flowers are Kaiser and unknown. Pearl is Mark Richards, and red crystal is from Hero Arts.

I need to buy a Scor-Pal, then this fold would be easier. Hope you like this one!

I stepped out of my comfort zone...

2009-08-13T09:44:00.002-04:00

This card is nothing of my normal style, but I love how it turned out. I decided when I sat down last night that I wanted to try something I have never done before. This is the busiest card I have ever made, with a lot of patterns and colors. I made this for a little girl who turns 4 this weekend, and I hope she likes it!!! All of the bling on this card is from a package my friend, Siobhan sent to me. I have no idea of the brand, as the entire packages are in Japanese, but I like using them!

Cardstock: SU Orchid Opulence, Gable Green, Whisper White

Pattern Paper: K&Company Specialty

Punches: SU 1/2, 3/4" circles, Photo Corners, Scallop Edge

Creative Memories Cutting System, Big Shot with Wingo Zingo Alphabet

Ink: SU Basic Gray, various SU Markers

Stamps: SU All Scallops, and cupcakes are from Studio G

I think that's about it, I am trying to use up hoarded embellishments, and paper!!!