Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Friends 24-7

I'm digging this black and white thing... It's so crisp and elegant. And, yes, I did use my Friends 24-7 set - it was just screaming to be inked up again. :)

The sketch for this card is Fall-to-Layout #52, from the Clean & Simple blog. I love the texture on this card, which comes from the Finial Press embossing folder, which I ran through my Big Shot. Here is a detail shot of the embossing:

Hope you have a great Wednesday! :) I'll be busy later today getting my cards planned out for my stamp-a-stack this weekend, and I'm hoping to get another challenge done. We'll see what time (and kids) allows...

Stamps: Friends 24-7
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Curly Label punch, Large Oval punch, Hodgepodge Hardware, Basic Black grosgrain ribbon

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

All My Love

I LOVE this card! I have been anxious to use this set, as I just received it a couple of weeks ago and finally got it assembled yesterday. I think this damask image is so elegant... I made this card for this week's Clean and Simple challenge on Splitcoast, which is a sketch challenge.

I don't know if this ever happens to anyone else, but sometimes I get a picture of a card in my head and I get really excited about it. I can't wait to put the card together and see how it comes out in real life. Now, sometimes, the card doesn't turn out *quite* like I planned and I have to redesign it or [gasp] start over. This card came out exactly like I envisioned it - yippee! :)

I kept things super simple and used some of my new goodies, including my Friends 24-7 set, Groom Specialty Paper and Whisper White Satin Ribbon. I like this set so much, I may need to use it again today. :)

Stamps: Friends 24-7
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Groom Specialty Paper
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Chit Chat rub-ons, Whisper White Satin Ribbon

Monday, July 27, 2009

Deal of the Week - Heart to Heart Punch

Looking for a great deal? How 'bout this...

From July 27-31, the Heart to Heart Punch is available for $10.99, more that 30% off the regular price of $15.95! Visit my demo web site to place your order. :)

Christmas in July Stamp Camp

What a fun weekend I had! Lots of stamping on Saturday and family time on Sunday, plus the weather was pretty nice, too. Can't ask for much more than that!

I wanted to share our projects from our Christmas in July Stamp Camp. The first picture shows the projects that I demonstrated. I made the little gift box o' tags, which is a project also featured in SU!'s 2009-10 Idea Book. I found a template for the box on the demonstrator web site and modified it just slightly to make cutting and scoring a bit easier.

The tags are made with the Christmas Punch hostess set and I really like this combination of colors - Real Red, Old Olive, Brocade Blue, and Soft Suede. And get a load of that Real Red polka dot grosgrain ribbon. Love it! :)
The card I demonstrated is case'd from one I saw on Splitcoast by jentimko. I really liked her layout and I modified just a bit, and added the scarf to Dasher's neck. I like this card because it looks complicated, but it's really not - just a lot of layers. You still get that "WOW!" factor, though.

These are the other projects we made at the stamp camp. The card and ornament on the left were demonstrated by Rachel Durtschi and the projects on the right were demonstrated by Karla Anders. They are too fun! :)

Everyone agreed that making Christmas cards in July is a fabulous idea - low stress and you feel like you are getting a jump start on your holiday season.

Here's the recipe for my projects:
Stamps: Christmas Punch, Dasher, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Brocade Blue, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Real Red, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Merry Moments dsp
Accessories: Curly Label punch, 1 1/4" square punch, Scallop Square punch, Tag punch, Scallop Oval punch, Window Sheets-Medium, Real Red polka dot grosgrain ribbon, gold brads, Modern Label punch, Real Red grosgrain ribbon

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Robot Birthday

A fun birthday card from my last Stamp-A-Stack. I love this Lots of Bots set - it is perfect for cards for those lovable nerds in your life (hee hee)!

Stamps: Lots of Bots
Paper: Basic Gray, Bermuda Bay, Real Red, Whisper White
Ink: Black Staz-On, Bermuda Bay, Real Red
Accessories: Real Red wide grosgrain ribbon, Bermuda Bay polka dot grosgrain ribbon, Big Shot, Top Note die, Aqua Painter, Oval punch

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Blossom Party

I'm combining two challenges with this card - this week's CAS challenge, which is to use turquoise, orange and yellow on a card, and Fall-to-Layout #51. I'm having LOTS of fun playing with all of my new goodies. I can't wait to break into some more of my new dies and stamps, but this is a busy week, so we'll see how much time I have to play.

I love this layout - very simple, and full of possibilities. Here you can see a close-up of the flower embellishment, which I made using the new Blossom Party Originals Die (a SU! exclusive die).

I sponged a little Crushed Curry ink around the edges of the largest flower, and layered the Pumpkin Pie and Bermuda Bay flowers on top. I added a button from the Playground collection of Designer Buttons. I like the look of the Thoroughly Modern dsp with the Top Note die. What a fun, tropical card, eh?

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie
Ink: Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note die, Blossom Party die, Modern label punch, Playground Designer Buttons

Deal of the Week #4


Deal of the Week: Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware
Oooooh! Who doesn't love a little hardware - especially when it's on sale! Get the Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware for just $18.99 (over 30% off the regular price of $29.95)—only July 20-26!

Visit my demo website to place your order. :)

Friday, July 17, 2009

CAS Christmas

Here's a super quick, CAS Christmas card using the new Christmas Punch level 2 hostess set. We made this at last Saturday's Stamp-A-Stack. I was inspired by this card by goodlicorice on Splitcoast.

I'm so glad it's Friday! We have a pretty quiet weekend planned and I'm looking forward to some time with my family (and hopefully some stamping time, too!). Have a great weekend!

Stamps: Christmas Punch
Paper: Kraft, Whisper White, Brocade Blue
Ink: Whisper White craft, Brocade Blue
Accessories: Curly Label punch, 3/4" circle punch, silver brad, Brocade Blue wide grosgrain ribbon

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Razzleberry Purse Photo Album

Here'a a little peek at one of my upcoming classes! We will be making this Razzleberry Purse Photo Album at the Rhapsody Art Gallery in Verona later this month. I found a tutorial on how to make this purse on Janine Tinklenberg's blog. She made a beautiful purse using Carousel Notes and their coordinating envelopes, and I modified her instructions to make the purse with cardstock.

This is what it looks like on the inside. I love the way this turned out! These pictures from Enavi's latest portraits were a perfect fit with the Razzleberry Lemonade dsp.



Interested in attending my class? See my calendar on the right for more details.

Have a super Wednesday! :)

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Mini Starter Kit


From July 15 — August 31, you can join the Stampin' Up! family for as little as $85 with the Mini Starter Kit. Some of the benefits of becoming a demo include:
* Fabulous discounts on stampin' and scrappin' supplies!
* Access to tons of ideas, patterns and templates ONLY available on the SU! demo web site.
* Opportunity to attend downline meetings where we make make-n-takes and talk stampin' shop.
* Seeing all the new stuff first!
* Did I mention the fabulous discount?

If you are interested in joining my team as an SU! demonstrator, e-mail me for more information. :)

Monday, July 13, 2009

Simply Soft Suede

I'm playing along with this week's Clean and Simple challenge on Splitcoast - yeah! I haven't had a chance to do the last couple of challenges, so I'm thankful that I had a little time tonight to put this card together.

This week's challenge is to choose a piece of artwork from art.com for inspiration. I just have to say - what a cool web site this is! I immediately gravitated to the abstract prints, especially the ones with circles of one kind or another. I finally chose this print by Karen Lorena Parker called Aqua Lily Pads. I followed the layout of the print, but stuck with all brown tones, and I couldn't resist using the new Cirlce Circus stamp set. I love the sepia look of this card - all those browns together make for a warm, "chocolaty" feel. It would also make a great masculine card!

Well, today did not go quite as planned for me. My little guy has strep and was running a fever of 104.1 this afternoon. That was enough to put my worry cells into overdrive! He's on his meds now and should be on the mend soon - I have to say that I am SO thankful that it was not the flu, as the Urgent Care doc first suspected. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little less exciting for us! :)

Stamps: Circle Circus, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Ink: Soft Suede, Close to Cocoa, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: 1" circle punch, corner rounder, Mat Pack, paper piercer, hemp twine, sponge (for shading)

Deal of the Week: Square Fire Rhinestone Brads


Deal of the Week: Square Fire Rhinestone Brads
Add sparkle to your projects with our Square Fire Rhinestone brads. From July 13–19, they're just $6.99—over 30% off the regular price of $10.95! Visit my demo web site or e-mail me to place your order.



I'll be back later today with a card to share - see you then! :)

Friday, July 10, 2009

Razzleberry Thanks

Happy Friday, everyone! It's kind of gray and gloomy today, but we can certainly use the rain. Here's a little card I put together the other day, using some of the new Razzleberry Lemonade dsp.

I've got a busy weekend on tap - my Stamp-A-Stack is tomorrow and I'll be stamping the afternoon away on Sunday with my Creative Consortium friends. I hope you have a fabulous weekend, too. :)

Stamps: Kind & Caring Thoughts
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Razzleberry Lemonade dsp
Ink: Melon Mambo
Accessories: Pretties Kit, corner rounder, Melon Mambo polka dot grosgrain ribbon, Large Oval punch, Scallop Oval punch, Wide Oval punch

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Kind & Caring Thoughts

I'm back, baby! :) I have finally crawled out from under pile upon pile of post-vacation laundry long enough to make a card. Wahoo!

I've been itching to play with all of my new goodies, and I'm loving this new hostess set, Kind & Caring Thoughts. It is just lovely! I inked up the floral images with my new In Color markers - yes, I did squeal with delight when I saw that SU! was offering the In Colors in markers. It's all about the little things, right?

I am so happy with how this card came out - I think we'll be making something like it at my Stamp-A-Stack this Saturday. This is such a warm and cozy color combo - Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and Soft Suede. I'm getting used to the new In Colors, and liking some of the new color combinations. I'll be back tomorrow with another card using this set. See you soon!

Stamps: Kind & Caring Thoughts, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Very Vanilla, Razzleberry Lemonade dsp
Ink: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede
Accessories: Mat Pack, paper piercer, Scallop Edge punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Scallop punch, Dusty Durango polka dot grosgrain ribbon

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Vacation at the Lake

Ahhhh... We had such a wonderful trip to northern Minnesota! We enjoyed beautiful weather and lots of fun with family. We just got back yesterday, so I'm hoping to get back into my stamping groove in the next couple of days, but I thought I would share a couple of my favorite pictures from our trip.

A beautiful sunset on the lake...

Enavi eating roasted marshmallows - yum! :)

Jevin with the catch of the day! *Wink*

Today is the last day to place your order for the Designer Paper and Accessories Share. See this post for all of the details and to submit your order. Have a fabulous day!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Designer Series Papers and Accessories Shares


Looking for a way to get your hands on the new designer paper, ribbon and accessories from the new SU! 2009-2010 Idea Book? These shares allow you to do just that! You can mix and match any of the elements below to take part. Also, if you would like more than 1 share, you can indicate this in your shopping cart.

I will be placing the order for these shares on Wednesday, July 8 and will ship your items to you via USPS. Shipping for all orders is a flat $5 fee, no matter how many shares you participate in! US orders only, please, and all payments are handled through PayPal. Leave a comment or e-mail me with any questions.

Designer Series Paper Shares
Designer Series Paper - Cost: $25
You will receive a 6”x6” piece of each of the Designer Series Papers in the catalog, excluding The Write Stuff and Storybook Specialty – 96 sheets in all (pgs. 160-163 in catalog).


Patterns Designer Series Paper Share - Cost: $22
You will receive a 6”x6” piece of each design for every color in the Patterns DSP, for a total of 84 sheets (p. 161 in catalog).


Specialty Paper Share - Cost: $8
You will receive one 12”x6” sheet of each design in the Bride, Groom and Bridesmaid Specialty Paper, for a total of 6 sheets (p. 158 in catalog).


Ribbons and Accessories Shares
New Ribbons - Cost: $50
You will receive the following (see p. 182-183):
• In Color Polka Dot Grosgrain – 3 yds of each color
• Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon – 2 yds of each color
• 1 ¼” Striped Grosgrain – 2 yds of each color
• ¾” Polka Dot Grosgrain (Real Red) – 4 yds
• 5/8” Satin Ribbon (White) – 3 yds
• Organza Ribbon (White) – 3 yds


Button Share - Cost: $25
You will receive the following (see p. 181):
• Designer Buttons – 7 buttons from each set, 21 total
• Corduroy Buttons – 2 each of 3 sizes, 6 per color, 30 total
• Clear Buttons – 2 each of 3 sizes, 6 total


Brads and Clips - Cost: $20
You will receive the following (see p. 179):
• Designer Brads – 2 each of each size per pattern and 2 of each color in Flower Assortment, 24 total
• Jumbo Brads - 2 each of 4 colors, 8 total
• Library Clips – 2 each of 3 colors, 6 total
• Mini Library Clips – 3 each of 4 colors, 12 total