*

Sketch Challenge

2012-01-16T23:41:00.003-07:00

I played along with the January sketch challenge over at Authentique. I really like their Free Bird papers. This is my favorite line. I just love the blues and oranges they just say "boy" to me.

I have to say that I took these pictures because Elliott is such a mischief maker. This time he was turning on and off the power to the computer with the switch on the power strip. Ugh! Got a shot of him in action and then put him in time out. Probably not the best parenting. I just needed proof!

HUGE Stamp Sale

2011-08-30T08:08:00.093-06:00

***I am removing some of the stamps that sell as I receive payment so that it is easier to see what is still available.

$12 Stamp Sets

Sketches---------------------Summer by the Sea

Flora and Fauna---------------------Office Accoutrement

$10 Stamp Sets

See with the Heart---------------Simply Said

Lively Little Ones----------------Love You Much

$8 Stamp Sets

On the Line------------True Friend

All God's Children-------------------Christmas Punch

$7 Stamp Sets

Wings of Friendship

Fresh Cuts---------------------On A Pedestal

$6 Stamp Sets

It's the Thought---------------Because I Care

Botanical Blooms-----------------------Calendar

$5 Stamp Sets

"P" -----------------Perennial Favorites

Furnished with Love

Cute As a Bug-------------------Flowers of Gratitude

All I Have Seen ----------------------------- Bud Basics

$4 Stamp Sets

Gently Falling ----------------Whimsical Numbers

Calendar Cues

Burst into Bloom---------------------Send a Celebration

$3 Clear Stamps each package

$2 each pack Embossing folders

The large embossing folder on the end is sold.

50 cents Stamps (each)

***The duck stamp set is $2 for the whole thing. Ducky set is sold

Just a little somethin' I started last year...

2011-08-24T19:57:00.002-06:00

Here's an afghan that I started last fall. I think I will pick it back up now that the kids are back in school. I always get the urge to start crocheting or knitting a project in the fall/ winter. When I saw this pattern for this giant granny square afghan I just had to make it.

Stamping with Bleach

2011-08-09T12:08:00.008-06:00

My friend Misty reminded me of the time we experimented with stamping with bleach. There are several approaches to do this but one of my favorite is what I did on this page.

First you brayer your background color onto a piece of white cardstock. I like the whisper white card stock that Stampin' Up makes because it's buffered which means it has a very smooth surface. I chose one of the new In Colors: Island Indigo. It's a nice deep blue with some green tones. The stamp I chose is called Ornate Blossom. It works good for this technique because it is a bold stamp, very few fine lines that could bleed too much.

The next step will be to have some sort of non-reactive tray with a folded paper towel to make a little bleach puddle on. Make sure to work in a well ventilated area and protect your surfaces.

You'll need enough bleach on the paper towel to be damp without being dripping wet. When you stamp your image on the paper it removes the ink that was brayered on. Depending on the ink you use there is a lot of variation, which I love. After you are done stamping remember to rinse your stamp with water then clean it with a conditioning spray such as the SU Stampin Mist.

Here is a close up on one of the places I stamped. What I love is the color variations you get from the chemical reaction. The ink surrounding the image changes a little bit turns a little more blue. FYI: after the bleach dries it becomes inert so it won't damage your scrapbook pages over time. Just make sure you let it dry completely before placing anything else on your page. The drying process can be sped up with a heat gun at least 10"in away from the page so it doesn't get too hot.

Another close up of the final page. I hope this inspires you to try this fun technique!

Supplies:
Ink: Island Indigo (SU)
Card stock: Whisper White, Melon Mambo (SU)
Chipboard: Basic Gray painted with acrylic paints & sponged with Champagne Mist shimmer paint (SU)
Stickers: Glitz and Glitter
Journal Spot: My Mind's Eye

2011-08-06T09:40:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite digi pages I've made lately. Banners are "in" right now so when the flag punch came out I had to download it immediately! I remember taking these pictures, it doesn't seem so long ago but my baby in this picture is now a five year old in Kindergarten!

One little detail on this page I will point out is the ribbon loops on the journal spot. I used one of the taffeta ribbon bows and pulled it in as a picture by going through the Program Files>My Digital Studio>Components>Elements. Then the program allows you to crop the image the same way you would crop a picture.

Ribbon Share

2011-08-04T08:34:00.003-06:00

I just love all of the new yummy ribbons in the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog! I wanted all of them as soon as I laid eyes on the gorgeous textures. So I put together this share so that you can get a sampler of all of them. All orders and payments due by August 31st 2011.

Wish Big Card

2011-08-01T18:15:00.003-06:00

I almost never make Birthday specific cards. I don't really know why I skip over that occasion. I mean what kind of cards should I stock up on the most, right? Anyway for my last workshop my hostess requested that I showcase the new Pennant punch in the new catalog.

I started with this color palate: Pool Party, More Mustard and Whisper White
The background piece is wheeled on with Pool Party ink with the Very Vintage Jumbo wheel. The inserts in the pennant is textured with the textile embossing folder and the Perfect Polka dots folder. I also used the Beautiful Wings embosslet. Stamp Set: Word Play Other supplies: Linen Thread, white embossing folder, 5/8" organza ribbon & basic pearls

Butterflies Aplenty

2011-07-29T12:00:00.000-06:00

I wanted to make a really quick but fun card for another Convention swap. It is a reworked version of a card in the new Idea Book & Catalog. This is one of the things about the IBC is that it is a great resource for inspiration. If you need an idea for a card there is nothing wrong with looking to the catalog for inspiration. Why reinvent the bicycle?

I forgot that I still had some of my first edition paper in my file drawer and I printed out some 8.5 x 11 pages from MDS. But that is OK. I have more for later. I stitched the background paper onto the card front with my sewing machine since this is a simple card it was worth adding that extra detail. Next, I punched my butterfly shapes using the Butterfly punch and gave them dimension with stampin' dimensionals. Last, I stamped the sentiment with Curly Cute. I'm glad I bought this set! It is so cute. Anyway since it was a clear mount set it was a cinch to stamp it perfectly onto a 3/4" piece of whisper white cardstock and then to create a perfect ribbon cut on each side I used my pennant punch to cut the V shape out of each side.

Convention Swap: Christmas Card

2011-07-07T16:07:00.006-06:00

I started coloring these last night so I could send this swap out with my friend that is going to the Stampin' Up Convention next week. I wish I could make it but I have a one year old at home that is a little too young to leave for that long. Anyhow I stayed up until 1:30 AM coloring. I actually tried to go to bed earlier but couldn't shut down my mind. So I got back up and finished the job. I used a faux watercolor technique that I saw described by Karen Barber. I've been wanting to try this out so I came up with this card. Here's the palate that I used:

Stamp: Greeting Card Kids
Girl jacket and Hat: Regal Rose, Melon Mambo, Rose Red, Cherry Cobbler
Tights: Bashful blue w/ blender pen
Scarf: Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze, Island Indigo
Face: Blush Blossom, Blushing Bride
Tree: Certainly Celery, Lucky Limeade, Old Olive
Box: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip

I did a color wash around the image with Bashful blue & my blender pen. Highlights were added with the White Uniball Signo pen.

Card base is Baja Breeze, Ribbon is Rose Red binding Ribbon, Designer Paper is Paisley Petals. The matte is stamped with Four Frames in black and punched with the Decorative Label punch out of Cherry Cobbler cardstock. I cut the label in half and adhered it on each side of the image.

I had fun making this, I hope you like it!

The Unvailing of the New 2011-2012 Catalog!

2011-07-01T10:51:00.004-06:00

I'm so excited for everyone to see the new products in this catalog. Sometimes I get so used to having to keep the new catalog a "secret" that I almost forget to show it on July 1st! I love the samples in this year's catalog. I'm sure all of you will too! Click on the catalog on the left sidebar to view it now. And click here if you need to pick up some of the new products.

Matching Game

2011-05-09T08:37:00.002-06:00

In September my friends and I organized a preschool group for our kids. When it was my week we were covering foods and I decided to put together a matching game for them. It was really fun to see what different fruits and vegetables I could come up with using the punches in MDS. After the designs were complete, I printed out two pages and then printed a DSP on the back side. The girls loved it.

How about a little digital water coloring?

2011-04-25T21:27:00.004-06:00

Whoever it was that figured out this method of coloring in MDS deserves a prize because I think I wouldn't like MDS quite as much without being able to color in lined images.

1. Position your image in the place you want it on your page. In this example I used the flower from Cottage Garden

2. Next find a punch that will best fill the open area of your image. I used the narrow oval and then changed the shape until it fit. Remember if you are going for a watercolor look you don't need to be perfect.

3. Choose the button that fills the punch with paper. Select any paper it doesn't matter -- we aren't really going to use it.

4. After the punch is filled with paper double click on the punch shape you just filled with paper. This allows you to see where the punch is "punching" on your sheet of DSP. Use your mouse to drag the paper until there is no more paper showing in your punch shape. Now your punch shape is invisible.

5. Now we want to create a drop shadow for your invisible piece of paper. Click on Drop shadow. Change the color of your drop shadow to be whatever color you want to color in with. I also change my blur to Medium and Opacity to about 60% depending on the color and my background. It's easy to change.

6. If you have a symmetrical shape like this flower, you can take the shape you've already created and copy and paste it over and over. Something to consider before going on to the next step is once you've arranged the colored in part of your flower and you are going to make more like it is to select all of the petals and center if you have one by holding down the SHIFT key while you click with your mouse and group all of these layers. Then copy and paste as many as you need. Big time saver!

7. Last step, Click on the outline image and rightclick and choose to bring it to the front.

I love this technique!

Here's one more example of a more complicated coloring project. This is from Pedaling Past
This was a lot more complicated to color in so I saved it as a JPG so I could import it as a picture instead of having to color it again. Here is the project that I used it on:

These are some tags that I made for an upcoming Quick Card class. Here are my samples for the class:

Thanks for looking!

State Fair Punch Art

2011-04-22T11:44:00.004-06:00

I don't usually go for a cutesy style but my kids really like it. This page was really calling for another tractor. So I decided to build one -- out of punches at least. This mostly consists of the rounded rectangle punch. The nice thing about punch art is that you can layer punches and all of the pieces that are the same color blend in with each other so it appears as one cohesive unit. When I finished making the smaller wheel I held shift down and selected all of the pieces and grouped them. Once they are grouped I can copy the grouped object and paste and make an additional wheel that I can resize. It saves a lot of time. The buckets are also made with punches and I also colored in the kids from All in the Family with punches.

When you want to color in a digital stamped image like these kids with a bold look follow these steps:

1. pull the image onto your page and get it positioned and sized the way you want it

2. find the appropriate punch shapes that will fill in the areas you want colored. You may have to overlap images to make this work. Don't forget that if you need duplicates of the same shape save time by copying and pasting.

3. Once you have covered the area that you want to be filled with color, select the stamped image and right click on it, choose Bring to Front.

Hope that helps anyone that wants to be in the know!

Going way back

2011-04-21T10:56:00.002-06:00

I've taken such a long hiatus on my blog that I don't even think my friends check my blog anymore. LOL But here is another page with my son was just a little guy. He's 10 now. It's been fun doing these pictures from so long ago because I start feeling sentimental about my kids. I almost think I'm nicer to them. Ian was so hard at this age because he was so adventurous that I was constantly having to know exactly where he was. These days he's either on a computer, in his room, or playing some kind of game.

Cubscouting Page

2011-04-20T09:29:00.003-06:00

I've been doing my catch up scrapbook pages in My Digital Studio. One of the nice parts of the program is if your in a complete funk you can just use one of the templates and alter it from there. This page started from a template shown below.

I just used the smaller photo boxes as a place holder and replaced them with elements. Then I put my title in place of the upper text box. You can use any font that is in your computer for the text boxes, so I have beefed up my font library on both of my computers.

I'm really loving using MDS even if I still prefer traditional scrapbooking. I don't think I will completely switch over. But it will give me the opportunity to catch up some time this century!

Hostess Promotion!

2010-08-02T14:29:00.003-06:00

I'm done adjusting from having a baby and now I'm ready to get stamping!

In the month of August there's a great hostess promotion going on and I want to make sure everybody has the chance to book a workshop if they want to take advantage of it. All you have to do is have a workshop that totals at least $350 before tax and shipping and you will receive an extra $25 to spend on merchandise on top of the normal $40. That's $65!!

Also, I want everybody to be aware that there are some items that qualify for the tax free weekend coming up August 6-8 (that's this weekend!) and I will be placing an order. I am going to send out a detailed email listing the items that qualify. If there's something you want contact me right away so I can place the order while it's still tax free. Don't wait until Sunday night!! So make your list check it twice and email or call me. Orders are not limited to tax free items, so there's something you have from the new catalog or last minute from the Summer Mini catalog feel free to order them at the same time.

Stay tuned for more information on a fall stamp camp in October!

Help Make a difference

2010-01-21T11:29:00.004-07:00

Stampin Up has a wonderful history of helping out when there is a natural disaster. From now until February 28th $2 of every sale of the "I {Heart} Hearts" stamp set will be donated to the American Red Cross. Click here for more information.

I {Heart} Hearts clear mount $18.95 block D recommended
I {Heart} Hearts wood mount $26.95

Contact me or visit my web store to purchase the set right now. Remember that this purchase still qualifies towards the Sale-A-Bration promotion.

Sunny Days Scrapbook page

2010-01-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

I just love this picture. I think this one is going in the Poppy hall of fame. The irony of her wearing this shirt yet having a tear roll down her cheek because I refused to let her go into the living room with her chocolate milk. We were having a stand off. Anyway, call me callous but this picture makes me smile every time I see it.

12 x 12 page produced in MDS. I think this is one of my better pages so far with the program so that's why it earned a post on the blog.

Better than Chocolate

2010-01-15T09:59:00.002-07:00

Here's a quick Valentine's day card I threw together with some of my scraps left over from my Christmas class and workshops from last month. The piece that I punched with the new scallop trim punch was originally the exact size of the chocolate chip piece behind it. I used one of the papers from the Sending Love specialty paper from the Occasions Mini catalog. The flowers are actually embossed and glittery but that never shows up in photos. Too bad.

By the way I am really liking the new punch designs.

Card stock: Chocolate Chip, Naturals Ivory, Real Red and Sending Love specialty paper
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Real Red stamp n' write marker
Stamps: Fox and Friends, Love Bandit
Punch: Scallop Trim, small heart

Write Stuff Card

2010-01-14T20:12:00.002-07:00

I was just working on more stuff in MDS and came up with this card from the Write Stuff kit that is now available. It really is easy just to throw a card together with all of the different embellishments that are available in the program. There are a few new downloads available now including textured card stock and an awesome kit called Sweet Pea that has gorgeous papers. I have the actual papers here at home and I love them. I haven't really had time to dig them out and use them yet but that is high on my list for tomorrow. I will have a Valentines card for you tomorrow after I take a picture in the daylight.

Matryoshka, Oh my!

2010-01-08T09:06:00.005-07:00

In honor of the new Occasions Mini catalog I thought it would be appropriate to post the first card I made with my pre-order from last month. Sadly, I wasn't able to delve into the treasure until last week because of the Holidays but hope to make up for it soon. When I saw this color combination that Tessa used on Splitcoast I love it. So here's my take on Kraft, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede and Bermuda Bay.

I stamped the My Matryoshka dolls on glossy white card stock with Stazon black ink. I colored them in with a combination of the Stamp n write markers and blender pens in the larger areas for more shading. I punched the hole for the slider with the wide oval punch. I used the new clear mount version of the stamp set and loved how well they worked. It was great being able to line up the border that I stamped on the Kraft cardstock. (Although, I have to say that I didn't keep my best card for myself, I made 24 of these for a swap. In hindsight I could have taken a picture of one of the better cards beforehand.) The sentiment is from the Well Scripted stamp set in the Occasions Mini Catalog as well, stamped in Whisper White craft ink.

I hope to get more actual stamping done soon, however I promised myself I could once I cleaned up my kitchen island that has been taken over from all the scraps from my Christmas card class and my workshops from last month. If only I had more energy! Or time!

Leadership Swap

2009-12-21T16:50:00.002-07:00

I thought that a quick way to come up with some swaps for Leadership in Phoenix is to make a card in MDS. I've been trying to spend a little time when I have it experimenting with the program. I really need to do all of the training that SU has provided still but so far I like it. I especially like being able to come up with ideas before I buy supplies.

I've been MIA for a while on the blog scene because in July I found out I was pregnant. So now I am on baby number 4. I get morning sickness for a long time and it started going away in November but then I got pretty busy with all of my pre-Christmas workshops and classes. Hopefully I will get some pictures of some of those projects soon so I can share them. Oh and also my experiments with the new Sale-a-bration sets and Occasions mini sets too. I couldn't control myself when I did my pre-order. Ta-ta for now!

Deal of the Week #5

2009-07-27T15:37:00.001-06:00

Here's the final deal of the week. If you've been eying this punch, this is a great time to get it!

Period	Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Special Price
July 27, 10 AM (MT) through July 31, 6:50 PM (MT) via phone or 11:50 PM (MT) via OEX or Online Ordering	113694	187	Heart to Heart punch	$15.95	$10.99

Summer Fun Deal of the Week #4

2009-07-20T15:17:00.002-06:00

This is such a great deal if you've been eying the Hodgepodge Hardware. Shop directly with me ericabass.stampinup.net

Period	Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Special Price
July 20, 10 AM (MT) through July 27, 9:50 AM (MT)	112454	178	Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware	$29.95	$18.99

Deal of the Week #3

2009-07-13T13:02:00.002-06:00

As usual click here ericabass.stampinup.net to shop directly from me for instant gratification.

Period	Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Special Price
July 13, 10 AM (MT) through July 20, 9:50 AM (MT)	109112	179	Square Fire Rhinestone brads	$10.95	$6.99

Revised July 2nd Stamps for Sale

2009-07-06T09:45:00.016-06:00

**The New stuff is mixed in with the other stuff I posted in June, but I did reorganize it so hopefully it is easier to look at.**
I've been cleaning out my craft room and cabinet and decided it's time to make room for more stamps. I hope you have some spare change because this is a super sale! Everything is marked 50% below catalog prices so they will move fast. I will have another installment after July 1st. But don't wait until then.

I will take cash of course, checks from those I know, and Paypal too. Just email me at ericalynbass(at)gmail(dot)com if you are interested in any of the items.

As for shipping I will ship everything together assuming you buy more than one item and charge for the lowest cost to ship that item. All items will be shipped First Class unless Flat rate Priority mail is cheaper.

If something in marked U it means it is unmounted.

I am going to rearrange everything by price.

$3.00 Wheels

Batik wheel

$6.00 Sets

Burst Into Bloom__________Alphabits

$6.50 Sets

Much Appreciated

$8.00 sets

Genuine Articles___________Send a Celebration

$8.50 Sets

Polkadots and Paisleys________Furnished With Love

Whimsical Numbers_________Word by Word Background

Canvas Background________Holidays and Wishes

$9.00 Sets

Bud Basics

$10 sets

Love it

$11.50 Sets

Beautiful Batik___________Merry, Merry

Double Line Doodles

$14.50 Sets

Looks Like Spring

$20.00 Sets

Everyday Flexible Phrases_-__Short Order Alphabet

Check book Covers 2 in a package $3.00

Deal of the Week

2009-07-05T16:39:00.004-06:00

This week's deal runs from July 1st to July 5th

Every week during the month of July, Stampin' Up! will offer one discounted product as a "Deal of the Week." No limits and no minimum purchase required. For instant gratification order from me directly on my Demonstrator website: ericabass.stampinup.net

CURRENT DEAL OF THE WEEK

Item #	Description	Special Price
112091	Scallop Edge punch	$10.99

Taking a break from the stamp sale

2009-06-27T17:33:00.002-06:00

I love this line of papers from Colorbök called Friendly Forrest. Of course I bought everything before it was clearanced but I just love the images. So here is a page that I thought went really well with the theme of the picture. It was taken at a children's museum in Bettendorf IA while visiting with my in laws. Poppy really liked the projected pond that you could hop on lilly pads that actually moved. The title was made with the Cricut Sans Serif Solutions cartridge.

Last Chance!!

2009-06-01T13:22:00.003-06:00

Click the links to see the lists
Last chance stamp sets are now posted! All stamps can be ordered until June 30th, 2009.
Last chance Decor Elements are now 25%off

I'm posting the last chance Accessories List on my blog but in order to get them right away order from me on my Stampin up website ericabass.stampinup.net. These will go fast. After you click on my link click on the Shop Now button in the upper right corner.

The list shown below is for your information only - it does not reflect the current availability!

Item #	Product Description	Price	Discount	Sale Price	Availability
112735	RUB ONS HIDDEN GARDEN	10.95	0.5	5.48	Available
112970	LO MEJOR DE TODO	19.95	0.5	9.98	Available
105143	DAYS TO REMEMBER 6X6 FR	9.95	0.5	4.98	Available
113888	RUB ONS MANY OCCASIONS	10.95	0.5	5.48	Available
109044	PUNCH SNOW BLOSSOM	10.95	0.5	5.48	Available
111364	RIBBON POLY TWILL SO SAFFRON 7/8"	8.95	0.5	4.48	Available
106961	STAZON REFILL WHITE	4.95	0.5	2.48	Available
114341	COURDUROY BUTTONS PACIFIC POINT	9.95	0.5	4.98	Available
114316	RIBBON ORIGINALS PIG TAILS	13.95	0.5	6.98	Available
111414	RUB ONS HIDDEN GARDEN	10.95	0.5	5.48	Available
114351	DESIGNER HARDWARE HOORAY	4.95	0.5	2.48	Available
114338	COURDUROY BUTTONS KIWI KISS	9.95	0.5	4.98	Available
114019	ACCENTS & ELEMENTS FLEURETTES	9.95	0.5	4.98	Available
114317	RIBBON ORIGINALS DRESS UP	12.95	0.5	6.48	Available
102875	HEMP TWINE RED	2.95	0.5	1.48	Available
101259	HEMP TWINE BLACK	2.95	0.5	1.48	Available
113979	ACCENTS & ELEMENTS CANVAS CUTS	7.95	0.5	3.98	Available
114350	DESIGNER HARDWARE SOHO	4.95	0.5	2.48	Available
111363	RIBBON GROSGRAIN PINK PIROUETTE 1 1/4"	7.95	0.25	5.96	Available
111365	RIBBON TAFFETA RIDING HOOD RED	6.95	0.25	5.21	Available
111847	RIBBON DOUBLE STITICHED BAJA BREEZE 1"	8.95	0.25	6.71	Available
111371	RIBBON GROSGRAIN STRIPED TANGERINE TANGO 5/8"	9.95	0.25	7.46	Available
111373	RIBBON GROSGRAIN STRIPED PINK PIROUETTE 5/8"	9.95	0.25	7.46	Available
111372	RIBBON GROSGRIAN STRIPED KIWI KISS 5/8"	9.95	0.25	7.46	Available
113884	RUB ONS FASHION DISTRICT	10.95	0.25	8.21	Available
114318	RIBBON ORIGINALS VALET	12.95	0.25	9.71	Available
111374	RIBBON GROSGRAIN STRIPED RIDING HOOD RED 5/8"	9.95	0.25	7.46	Available
111370	RIBBON GROSGRAIN STRIPED PACIFIC POINT 5/8"	9.95	0.25	7.46	Available
111415	RUB ONS GREATEST MOMENTS	10.95	0.25	8.21	Available
113887	RUB ONS BRIGHT DELIGHTS	11.95	0.25	8.96	Available
111416	RUB ONS CHATEAU BELLA	10.95	0.25	8.21	Available
111338	NOTES TEXTURED LOVE ASSORTMENT II	12.95	0.25	9.71	Available
111879	RIBBON SATIN KIWI KISS VERY VANILLA	7.95	0.25	5.96	Available
111277	RUB ONS A PERFECT DAY	10.95	0.25	8.21	Available
110730	DIE CUTS POCKETS & PIECES	8.95	0.25	6.71	Available
107272	PUNCH KEY TAG	15.95	0.25	11.96	Available
113980	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER CANDY LANE	9.95	0.25	7.46	Available
111375	RIBBON GROSGRAIN STRIPED BAJA BREEZE 5/8"	9.95	0.25	7.46	Available
112010	DIE CUTS BLOOMS AGAIN	8.95	0.25	6.71	Available
113991	TASTE OF TEXTILES	9.95	0.25	7.46	Available
101399	STIPPLE BRUSHES	6.95	0.25	5.21	Available
112092	BUTTON BOUQUET	7.95	0.25	5.96	Available
112139	NOTES CAROUSEL II	11.95	0.25	8.96	Available
111336	NOTES SCALLOP II	11.95	0.25	8.96	Available
111840	CLASSIC STAMPIN INK REFILL PACIFIC POINT	2.95			Available
111841	CLASSIC STAMPIN INK REFILL TANGEIRNE TANGO	2.95			Available
111843	CLASSIC STAMPIN INK REFILL PINK PIROUETTE	2.95			Available
111839	CLASSIC STAMPIN INK REFILL RIDING HOOD RED	2.95			Available
111842	CLASSIC STAMPIN INK REFILL KIWI KISS	2.95			Available
112161	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PATTERNS KIWI KISS	9.95			Available
112042	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER URBAN GARDEN	9.95			Available
112156	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PATTERNS PINK PIROUETTE	9.95			Available
112150	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PATTERNS PACIFIC POINT	9.95			Available
112153	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PATTERNS TANGERINE TANGO	9.95			Available
111844	CLASSIC STAMPIN INK REFILL BAJA BREEZE	2.95			Available
111836	CLASSIC STAMPIN PAD RIDINGHOOD RED	5.95			Available
111838	CLASSIC STAMPIN PAD PINK PIROUETTE	5.95			Available
113966	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE	9.95			Available
109123	STAMPIN WRITE JOURNALER BASIC BROWN	3.25			Available
113981	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER BELLA BIRDS	9.95			Available
112157	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PATTERNS BAJA BREEZE	9.95			Out of Stock
113975	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER RASPBERRY TART	9.95			Available
114037	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER SPECIALTY SWEET SLUMBER	11.95			Available
113978	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER URBAN OASIS	9.95			Available
112041	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER BELLA ROSE	9.95			Available
112468	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER SWEET ALWAYS	9.95			Available
111834	CLASSIC STAMPIN PAD TANGERINE TANGO	5.95			Available
114039	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER SPECIALTY ROCKABILLY	11.95			Available
108590	CARD STOCK NATURALS ASST 12X12	8.95			Available
111337	NOTES GIFT ASSORTMENT II	9.95			Available
112471	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER RAINBOW SHERBET	9.95			Out of Stock
112464	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER MANCHESTER	9.95			Available
112006	ACCENTS & ELEMENTS FLOWER FUSION II	14.95			Available
111837	CLASSIC STAMPIN PAD PACIFIC POINT	5.95			Available
112461	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER WASHINGTON APPLE	9.95			Available
113993	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER SPECIALTY PARISIAN BREEZE	11.95			Available
112155	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PATTERNS RIDING HOOD RED	9.95			Available
111353	CARD STOCK KIWI KISS 8-1/2 X 11	5.5			Available
111348	CARD STOCK RIDING HOOD RED 8-1/2 X 11	5.5			Available
112172	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN ROCK A BYE BOY	19.95			Out of stock
100900	GIFT SACKS WHITE	2.95			Available
114605	SIMPLY SENT CARD KIT MORE THOUGHTS	42.95			Out of stock
102264	COLUZZLE STARTER KIT	19.95			Available
111346	CARD STOCK IN COLOR 12 X 12	8.95			Available
111835	CLASSIC STAMPIN PAD KIWI KISS	5.95			Available
111350	CARD STOCK PACIFIC POINT 8-1/2 X 11	5.5			Available
105668	TATTOO KIT I	13.95			Out of stock
111349	CARD STOCK TANGERINE TANGO 8-1/2 X 11	5.5			Available
109231	SIMPLY SENT CARD KIT SENDING HAPPY THOUGHTS	54.95			Available
111351	CARD STOCK PINK PIROUETTE 8-1/2 X 11	5.5			Available
112165	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN ROCK A BYE GIRL	19.95			Out of stock
113950	DIE CUTS BUILD-A-FAIRYTALE	8.95			Available
111345	CARD STOCK TEXTURED IN COLOR 12 X 12	11.95			Available
105669	TATTOO KIT II	13.95			Out of stock
111833	CLASSIC STAMPIN PAD BAJA BREEZE	5.95			Available
113936	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN HOPPY MEMORIES	19.95			Available
111347	CARD STOCK IN COLOR 8-1/2 X 11	7.95			Available
107288	ENVELOPE WHISPER WHITE EXTRA LARGE	5.5			Available
104310	CRAFTERS TOOL KIT	39.95			Available
111352	CARD STOCK BAJA BREEZE 8-12 X 11	5.5			Available
113943	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN 2 SWEET	19.95			Available
113925	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN SWEET NOTHINGS	19.95			Available
112179	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN LOVE STORIES	19.95			Available
113911	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN SUNSHINE GARDEN	19.95			Out of stock
112054	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN BEST EVER	19.95			Available
111253	Blooms & Bulbs	6.5			Available
109684	Doodle	8.5			Available
111257	Happy, Happy Birthday	8.5			Available
109692	Love	6.5			Available
109568	My ABCs	6.5			Available
109682	Perfectly Pretty	6.5			Available
109687	See You Around	8.5			Available
109683	So Swirly	8.5			Available
111260	Something Fishy	8.5			Available
111262	Stems & Silhouettes	8.5			Available
105516	Watercolor Joy	6.5			Available

Birthday Page

2009-05-29T05:35:00.000-06:00

I have to apologize for the strange angles on my pages. I took the pictures of these pages in a stack and some of the edges bent a little during the process. Oh well, you get the idea right?

We were on the road for Poppy's birthday this year. She got to blow out candles twice but I only have pictures of this one time. I think this is the quickest I've ever gotten a birthday done for the scrapbook. My favorite element on this page is the tag with party printed on it. I love the huge grommet. I actually bought the tags on clearance at Target. They are party invitations. I just thought I could use them for something. I filled out the invitation for my journaling and it pulls out from behind the picture.

Another note - I don't usually like cutting out pictures free hand like I did with the cake but the rest of the picture was just unnecessary and in the way.

On my way out

2009-05-27T08:45:00.003-06:00

As I head out for a weekend excursion I thought it would be appropriate to post something from our last trip. The kids told me that we can't call this trip a "road trip" because we are only driving for 4 hours. They said in order for it to be a "road trip" it has to be far away like Connecticut. So here is a two page layout from Connecticut. We went to a beach in Stamford Ct which is a town near where my sister Alyssa lives. Her town doesn't have any beachfront so I thought it would be cool for the kids to check it out while we were on the east coast. It was about 50 degrees but it was sunny.

These pages are a little experimental. I used one of the masks from Tim Holtz and I think for one thing this design is a little too detailed to use the negative image as the mask. At least for me. I used a glimmer mist with the mask. Then I thought why not mirror the title with the leftover cut out and spray it on the other side. Looking back I might start wondering what the heck was I thinking? I also stamped some birds with a new VersaMark stamp pad that has shimmer in it but it didn't show up as well as I hoped. In future I might stamp the bird with a matching ink color and then use a stamp a ma jig to stamp the sheen over it.

Sisters

2009-05-22T05:00:00.000-06:00

I knew I needed a picture of me and my sister Alyssa in my scrapbook Sometimes we focus on getting our children's events done and none of the things that are very personal to ourselves. I love my sister(s). Alyssa and I are very close in age. My poor mom had us 18 months apart. We were playmates all growing up, frenemies at times when we were teens (mostly friends) and best friends as grown ups. I love going to visit her in all the different places she's lived. Unfortunately when she lived in Switzerland I couldn't afford that ticket. This particular picture is us in Central Park.

Details:
paper by My Mind's eye,
Stamps: Flashy Floral by Inkadinkado, and Tree by Imaginisce (stamped in VersaMark on the label)
Inks: Rose red and VersaMark

Catching up

2009-05-21T09:49:00.008-06:00

I'm catching up on some scrapbooking. It is National Scrapbooking month after all. I will have quite a few to post for the next little while. This one I got done when I got together with my friend Monica. We try to get together every couple of months. It is nice to have someone to ask the questions about your layout that your husbands either pretend to answer "yeah that looks good" when they really didn't look.

When I was printing pictures I made sure to get some for my son Ian's scrapbook. He was complaining that there wasn't very much in his. I think the reason is that

a) at this particular time I was trying to do catch up scrapbooking from when he was a baby
b) that I was just barely getting into scrapbooking when he was little
c) when he was a baby digital cameras were also babies and I don't have many digital copies of stuff when he was little.

So I'm doing my best to make sure I get more done for him. Especially since my memory isn't the best. I've gotta get this info recorded!

Details:
Paper: Old Olive, Buckaroo Blue, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst, Regal Rose
Ink: craft white, Pretty in Pink, Lavender Lace, Signo White gel pen
Accessories: Scallop Circle's #2 die for Big Shot, Cricut cartride Sans Serif, chipboard flowers

2009-05-19T05:00:00.000-06:00

I've been working on a different kind of project this month. My kids are needing new bedding and insead of buying a cheap quilt from X store I decided that I would make something that they could use for a long time. It was too much fun picking out the fabrics for the particular quilt I have in mind. I'm using this free quilt pattern that I got at Hancock's website. It's pretty easy to cut out with a rotary blade. I am just going to be working on it intermittently so I'll post when I get further on. I have enough leftover that I think that I will make another quilt for my other daughter when I'm done with this one.

Gone Fishin'

2009-05-16T14:57:00.003-06:00

I went to my upline's shoe box swap this week and I finally stamped a card. I've been working on some jewelry for my etsy shop and I just haven't stamped. I have to say I came home with some cool cards.

I can say that I actually scrapbooked for a whole day and finished 9 layouts. I will take some pictures to share soon.

This card is a total case from Krista Fox on splitcoast. I really wanted to use this set and just needed some inspiration because my mind in on jewelry mode. I just loved the use of the scallop edge punch for the waves mask. I found it easier to stamp the fish first then place the mask and sponge the top row of waves, then offset the mask and sponge the next layer of waves. After that I ran over the water area with my Aquapainter to give a more watery effect and fill in around the fish.

Supplies:
Stamp Set: Just Beachy (Occasions Mini Catalog)
Card Stock: SU! Tempting Turquoise, Pacific Point, Whisper White, Summer Sun
Ink: Stazon black, Pacific Point, Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Summer Sun, More Mustard
Accessories: Scallop edge punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" punch, stampin sponge, aquapainter

I'm back!

2009-04-19T13:00:00.001-06:00

It's been a very long time since my last post. I'm sorry but I was gone for 2 1/2 weeks and am finally getting my act together and our family back in a routine. While on our trip we were able to take the kids to NYC. This is me and my sister at Central park Zoo. Notice that she is sporting one of the felt brooches I made for the jewelry show. I had a lot of fun meeting my customers from last October's show.
This is a picture of my two older kids and my sister's two older kids at the zoo as well.

Hopefully I will feel ready to scrapbook or craft in some sort of way soon.

b*eden Jewlery New stuff

2009-03-18T09:49:00.034-06:00

This is going to be a rough post just for everyone to get an idea of what will be available. I am still working on more necklaces so check back later to make sure you've seen everything.

If you want something special I will be bring some raw materials out with me so maybe we can work something out in the couple of days I'm there. For an idea of my older stuff here is the link http://stampingstarlette.blogspot.com/2008/10/beden-gallery.html.

brooches:

bracelets:

earrings:

rings:

necklaces:

Stinkin' Sweet

2009-03-02T08:43:00.003-07:00

This skunk is probably my favorite part of this stamp set. Regionals was fun. We had half-day regionals here and I was surprised at how much smaller of an event it was. It looked like we had 100-150 people there. No wonder why it sold out so quickly! It was really fun and the presenters worked really hard and did a good job. I was amazed at how just two people from Stampin' Up ran the whole thing and some of the demonstrators from the area assisted them. Monica scored me a seat at their table, Shannon and Donna are so nice.

My table mates: Dona, Me, Monica, Dora and Shannon

Birthday Fun

2009-02-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

When watercoloring this bird I always think of it as blue. I don't know why, but I think of it as a robin. The layers on this card were very simple I just used the Scallops #2 die for the blue and green layers and then I punched a flower from the Boho Blossoms punch for a little pop of the Tangerine. These are more swaps for Regionals this Saturday.

Supplies:
Stamp Set: Pun Fun
Ink: Stazon black, Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango
Card Stock: Kraft, Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, Confetti White
Accessories: Cuttle bug, Sizzix for SU Scallops #2 die, dinmensionals

Love You a Latte

2009-02-23T07:55:00.002-07:00

I had a bunch of these frames left over from another set of card fronts and I kept them promising myself that I would create the next set using them. Sometimes that makes coming up with the idea harder. I actually didn't intend to use this image with this color since I didn't use Lavendar Lace in the image but when I put it on top of the Lavandar card stock it just popped.

I made these swaps for Regionals that are coming up this weekend. It's nice to get a new batch of samples for my customers to see. I love going to Regionals because it's short enough that the energy isn't sapped out of you by the end of the day.

I have been creating the last couple of weeks but my husband had someone else's computer hooked up instead of mine while he was fixing it. I just didn't have access to every thing I needed to post. I will have more ideas posted soon.

Supplies:
Stamp Set: Pun Fun, Build a Flower
Ink: VersaMark, Stazon Black, Creamy Caramel, Bashful Blue, Cameo Coral
Card Stock: Whisper White, Confetti White, Lavendar Lace, Basic Black
Accessories: Dimensionals, Aqua Painter

Sweet Stems Card

2009-02-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

Something quick and simple. I think the more I look at it though I would probably stamp the flowers straight across the front. The DP is a scrap from Candy Lane and the base is textured Kiwi Kiss. I know I've used this color a lot but part of the reason is I happen to have a lot on hand. Funny how that happens.

If anyone has been watching American Idol (we've followed it since it started) I am pretty mad at a couple of choices the judges made last night. I'm horrible with names but the black guy who got his cheek pierced and is friends with the music teacher who's wife died (made it through), why did he get cut?? He sounded current and sang better than some that made it. Next is that really annoying girl with the crazy giggle. Are you kidding me. I personally think that she only got through because people know who she is and everyone wants to see her get cut. I am glad that Norman Gentle made it through because he is so funny. Really can't wait to see what happens there. So there's my little rant!

Happy Valentines Day!

Love You

2009-02-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

A simple page I made with my Cricut. I used my three heart punch for the hearts on the sides. It comes in so handy. Chocolate chip textured card stock, Confetti white and textured Real Red cardstock. Easy peasy.

Last night I had this dream that I was cast as Wendy in Peter Pan the play. Well I had never been notified about any of the rehearsals and I show up on opening night very frustrated and ready to recite lines that don't know. I remember being mad at the director. Funny though, I don't think that someone playing Wendy should have a large bosom. Maybe I was just a teen in the play.

Cabin pages

2009-01-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of those trips where you can pare the pictures down to about 15 favorites. So I had to come up with some multi picture pages. I still have a few to go for this batch but I felt like I got a good amount done. You can see that I used my heart punch again. Also on the first page I had some scraps trimmed off of my top note die and I think that looks pretty cool. I used some of my In color paper from last year here: wild wasabi and buckaroo blue. I hope everyone else is getting some scrapbooking done as well.

Bringin' Back Baroque

2009-01-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Monica and I got together and did a few cards together. This is one she came up with for us to make. I love the combination of Saffron and Chocolate. I still love Baroque Motifs. This stamp set is so versatile. One tip I do have for you with this card is for the small flowers on the top right is to stamp the center flower first and then stamp the other two afterward. I also think I could have stamped those particular flowers a little more to the edge. I didn't hate the final product enough to redo the whole card though.

Zoo Page

2009-01-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting the chance to play around with my Cricut I got for Christmas. Now my goal is to go through the pictures I've printed the last six months and get them on paper. I actually used three cartridges on this page. I used the George for the solid heart and the word Zoo Then I used Opposites Attract for the word Animals and the @. The swirly heart was from the Indie Art solutions cartridge. The small hearts are from SU! It's a new punch we have that punches three hearts at a time. You can get it in the Love You Much bundle that is available on sale right now. Look Here for the flier. The sale ends January 31st. In future posts you can tell I really like this punch. I think I used it on every scrapbook page I did on Friday. I was able to get four done. The funny thing is I was sitting there scrapbooking when I should be preparing to move a large piece of furniture instead. Sigh.

Project 365

2009-01-24T09:51:00.010-07:00

I decided to start the project 365 this year. My good friend Misty suggested it to me and I mulled it over and decided that it would be quite the challenge. If you're interested in more information on this you can check out Becky Higgens blog. The basic idea is to take one picture every day for a year and journal about it. Becky Higgens has a free download that has some really cool journaling cards and some ideas about what other people are doing with their own projects. Here are some of the pictures I took for this week:

MondayPoppy soothes herself by playing with her hair. She also plays with my hair when I'm around and at times it drives me crazy. The other funny thing about this is I put a pair of Weston's socks on her to see what she would do. She insisted on sleeping with them.

TuesdayI spent my whole day at shopping malls around town. They were doing that settlement with the cosmetics companies. I cashed in on some free products (I do spend my share of money at these counters) and found some princess shoes on sale at the Disney store for the girls. Poppy had had enough by the time I was through. Too bad I forgot to put a stroller in my car.

WednesdayWhat can I say? Weston and I are totally hooked on this show. Tonight was the season premier of the 5th season.

ThursdayGenevieve made the cutest letter j's on her homework. I think they are almost done with Letter People. She has made a lot of progress since they started at the beginning of the school year. I really don't have to supervise her doing this kind of homework.

Friday
Poppy was in dire need of a haircut. I guess it was really that she needed to have her bangs trimmed. This is the before and after shots. I know it's time when she has to stop what she's doing and move her hair out of her face. I swear her hair grows so fast!

My Rainbow is . . .blog thing

2009-01-24T09:48:00.001-07:00

Your rainbow is strongly shaded violet and red.

What is says about you: You are a passionate person. You appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. You get bored easily and want friends who will keep up with you. You are patient and will keep trying to understand something until you've mastered it.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

New Catalogs. Yes!!

2009-01-19T22:08:00.002-07:00

If you can't wait to get a physical copy of the Spring Summer Stampin' Up catalog, look no further! There are links to the PDFs on my side bar for you to download them. Make sure you look at the newest additions to the Decor elements line too, there is a lot of goodies to check out.

If you're new to Stampin' Up you can shop through me on my Demonstrator Business Website. Click Here or there is a link on my side bar as well.

Back in the Groove

2009-01-14T13:48:00.002-07:00

I got together with my friend Monica on Monday. We were trying to get over the post-Christmas slump of non creating. I think it actually worked. I feel like I might even want to scrapbook some of the piles of pictures I printed back in October.

This particular card is a CASE from the fall winter catalog but it features on of the new sets from the Spring Summer collection. I would tell you what page it is one but I don't know where I put that catalog. I just flipped the card so it would be vertical. One of the things I liked about this card was the monochromatic look with the little pop of teal. I also like the little layers that overflow out of the circle.

PS
I am trying to be patient while I wait for UPS to deliver my box of catalogs!!

Supplies:
Stamps: Sweet Stems
Card Stock: Very vanilla, kiwi kiss textured, taken with teal
Ink: Taken with teal, black, Pumpkin pie, and kiwi kiss
Accessories: kiwi kiss satin ribbon, dimensionals, and Scallop circle punch, 1 3/8" square punch, 1 3/8" circle punch and aqua painter

The cake

2009-01-08T11:46:00.008-07:00

Here it is! I enjoyed the decorating part of the cake the most I think. I made the butterflies out of royal icing a couple of days befor the wedding after finally getting the approval of the idea from Hillery. Instead of using traditional fondant I used the marshmallow recipe. I got a few comments from people that it did taste better. I'm not much of a frosting eater, I find it still too sweet but it does taste better.

Picture from top left an action shot of me putting the final touches on the cake, The finished product, the front corner view, the topper and a close up on the butterflies.

I used the 5/8" wide old olive grosgrain ribbon (SU) around the base of the cake layers. It's probably hard to tell in the pictures but I dusted some green shimmer powder around the main layers of the cake.

Back

2009-01-03T19:39:00.002-07:00

I know it's been a long time since my last post. I have a good excuse. I made a wedding cake last week and now I'm in recovery mode. By Monday all of my visiting relatives will be home and I will be back creating new projects. Honestly the cake took a lot out of me. I will post pictures Monday of the cake so you can see the fruit of my labor. Phew!

Snow Swirled Christmas Card

2008-12-17T09:47:00.003-07:00

Part of my prep for visiting my sister in Connecticut was bringing the supplies for her Christmas cards. I intended to finish them before going out but you know how things go. I only finished 10 out of 80.I had the card bases cut scored and circles punched. I also stamped the custom stamp on the inside and punched those as well. The custom stamp is from 3 designing women. Basically I didn't want to fly with the heavy punches. I brought all the embossing supplies and the stamps with me. She ended up helping me the night before I left to come home. Really we weren't procrastinating just that was the only open time to do it. The finished product is 3" x 6" and what I love about that size is you can get 4 cards out of a 12" x 12". Also I like that this size of card fits in a small office envelope.

Supplies:
Stamps: Snow Swirled and Headline Alphabet (retired) and custom stamp from 3 designing women
Ink: white craft ink
Accessories: 1"circle punch and scallop circle punch, white embossing powder

Christmas Card Class

2008-12-01T16:06:00.006-07:00

I did this class two weeks ago so my customers could get a head start on their cards this year. You may recognize some of the designs from the catalog or the mini. I decided to use the great resources available to me provided by Stampin' Up's publications this year. The For you card was an idea given to demonstrators in our monthly magazine.The Joy card was designed by a fellow demonstrator. The Scandinavian card was taken from the mini catalog. The Snowflake card was an adaptation from the idea book and catalog. Every one made 3 of each card. We had a lot of fun and I even got home before 11 PM!

Recipe book

2008-11-27T07:28:00.001-07:00

This is what I gave my sister for her wedding shower, a recipe book. By her request she wanted a compilation of all of the favorite recipes from siblings and other family.Target had some nice looking designs in 3 ring notebooks. So I just went with it.

Some of the little details on making the dividers: I had to extend the size of the dividers because the page protectors are so much longer than an 8.5 x 11 sheet of card stock. I took a 2 x 11 piece of card stock and scored it down the middle at the 1" point. After folding it over I glued it along the long side of my sheet of card stock with the Tombo multi glue. After it dried I punched the holes with an office 3 hole punch gizmo. The tabs were made with two 1 3/4" punched circles and I hand wrote the titles with the white uniball jell pen.

The wedding invitation

2008-11-24T23:39:00.002-07:00

For every family wedding for the last few years I've helped design the wedding invitation (if that's what the bride wants). This go round was my sister Hillery. She's getting married in December and we're ready to start sending them out.

When designing invitations remember how many you have to make. Then decide how much time you have to put into it. On the front the invitation has black embossed on black. That worked out really well. Since the colors were the same, it was more forgiving if you made a little mistake. We also made sure to use punches instead of having to cut out intricate shapes. One flaw in my design this time was the use of a background stamp. That was tricky because of the intricate design it was easy to get a doubled image, and it takes time to re-ink the stamp each time.

One cool little money saving trick is that the photo on the inside is 3 x 4 inches. We printed two photos on one 4 x 6 at costco and cut them in half.

Ornament made with the Tab Punch

2008-11-18T00:20:00.006-07:00

The last post was pretty long so I thought I'd show you how I made this little ornament on a different post. I was thinking about a way to use my punches to make a couple of ornaments for the different drawers on the advent calendar and this is what I came up with.

First, punch with the round tab punch. You don't need the piece that is being punched out rather you just want the negative image.
You want the part that looks like a bracket. (see above)Slide it back inside of the punch. Center the bracket part with the lower bracket of the punch.

If you look at the photo above there is a slight gap on each side of the bracket. I just made sure that the gaps were as even as possible.
This is the shape you end up with. You will have a little bit of an edge on each side but that is easily trimmed off with some sharp scissors. See the post below for the final product of the advent calendar.

Box Advent Calendar Tutorial

2008-11-17T23:58:00.010-07:00

If you're dying to get your hands on one of those box advent calendars by Karen Foster Designs but they're sold out everywhere you look here is a tutorial for you! Create this fun advent calendar in a day's work. (Or many days spread out.) If you do actually obtain one then lucky you skip ahead to the decorating!

I found these ugly little boxes at The Dollar Tree. I bought 12 of them for a total of 24 days.

First step I carefully lined up the boxes and glued them with Crystal Effects for a strong bond. Right now I am just gluing the vertical lines but I have them stacked together so I am sure they will fit for the next step. If you use Crystal Effects a few hours drying time is required. I just did this step before I went to bed. Also you may notice that I weighted the boxes with various items just for added pressure.

Gluing the horizontal lines now. Again another wait time. I just did it before I went shopping.

Now that everything is securely glued I painted the facing parts of the box. I also painted the edges of the drawers too. See the picture below.

After the paint is dry spray a clear varnish to help seal in the color.

While all of the drawers are out you can now cover the outside edges of the box. I used some of my leftover kraft wrapping paper but you will get less bubbles if you just cut card stock to size. Apply ModPodge to the outside of the box and then apply cut paper to the dimensions of the sides you are covering.

If you use a thin paper like I did the lid of the modpodge works really well to smooth out the bubbles.
This is my finished product. I found various Christmas themed brads. Made Poinsettias with paper punches and dimensional stickers. The one stamped image is from the Winter Post set in the current Mini catalog. Fill your drawers with candy or small ornaments to hang on a little tree. I was thinking a fun idea would be to fill the drawers with accessories or scrapbooking leftovers that you could challenge yourself to use every day leading up to Christmas... maybe.

Supplies:
mini 2 drawer boxes
Stamps: Winter Post
Card Stock: Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Kraft wrapping paper
Paint: Moroccan Red by Delta

Birthday LO

2008-11-10T22:19:00.005-07:00

Yeah another scrapbook page. I know, I know when will I make a card. Well, I've been busy putting together a Christmas Card class for next week and I have the ideas together but just not all of the supplies I need. In the meantime here is a LO that features my extremely photogenic Genevieve. She's gone through a phase where she wants to be girly but doesn't so her birthday theme turned into a Sponge Bob Square Pants theme. I just wasn't up to anything but a small family party this year so I busted out a Sponge Bob cake the Lazy way. I've gone crazy with this theme before and now it's make a cake, frost it, and find a character that I can put on top of the cake.

Here's the last Sponge Bob cake I did four years ago:

and I even made a pinata too:

I guess second kids get gypped.(pardon the expression!)

Quilt Give away for a good cause

2008-11-06T16:47:00.003-07:00

Consider looking at this blog today. This little baby was born with a heart defect and the family has to raise $450,000 upfront to get on the list for a heart transplant. Some things just make you count your blessings. A kindhearted friend is doing a quilt give away to help raise money for her friends. Even a small donation of even just a dollar will help. Just go to the link on her blog to see how you can help. Click here for more info.

Baby Yoga

2008-11-06T16:23:00.003-07:00

Sorry I just haven't made a card lately so here is a page I made while scrapbooking with my friend Natalie last week. The kids got whiny and we just couldn't stop. I used the Dill Blossom kit by SEI that I bought last week. This paper is just so eye catching when it was 50% off I had to get it. This picture is of Poppy when she was 7-8 months old. I know there is no stamping on this page but with paper like this you just have to go with it.

Halloween Stamping with the kids

2008-10-22T11:24:00.014-06:00

I was in the mood for a good ol' Halloween card today. The kids are home for fall break so I decided that this would be a safe project for us to do together.

I followed the instructions on Split Coast Stampers resource page here.

Since I was stamping with the kids I decided to run the glossy card stock over the candle myself and then let them stamp the paper. It can be a little tricky to keep from smudging the paper with their fingers but they did pretty good. Notice that every card is different. I love that about kids. Why do the same design over and over?

Some fun close ups.

Supplies: Card Stock: Glossy, Marigold Morning (retired), Basic Gray, Whisper White Ink: Staz On Black Stamp Set: Carved and Candle lit (retired)

b*eden Gallery

2008-10-15T20:12:00.014-06:00

Edited Post: This post now includes more of the jewelry I just sent to Connecticut. (If you look before Saturday morning check back again, there is more to come.)

Also if you haven't looked at the pictures on my sister Alyssa's blog check this post for the first batch I sent her.

This blog post is my gallery of jewelry that is available for purchase. The website is in progress, I will post more info on that later. I am hoping to have that up and running in one to two weeks. I will ship anywhere as long as the buyer is willing to pay the whole cost of shipping. (It makes a lot of sense for people to order together so they can split the shipping.)

All earrings will have sterling silver loops or copper depending on the color scheme. Sometimes special shaped hoops will be in an alternate metal but I will note it.

Custom design will include a $10 fee. I will try to re-create anything you've seen as long as I can obtain the style of beads you are wanting and it involves chain or wire. Custom charge does not apply when changing color of existing design.

Click on the images below to see more detail.

kinder eden *for kids*

Check this out.

2008-10-14T22:58:00.002-06:00

How would you like to win this awesome quilt? check out Lizzy Ann's Quilt Giveaway! It is gorgeous. Go here for more info to enter.

KWerner's Color Inspiration #25

2008-10-10T09:28:00.005-06:00

I thought I'd dabble with a little of K Werner's Color Inspiration today since I actually checked her blog with adequate time to make a card. I actually had to stretch myself with these colors because they are a different combination than I usually work with. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with them. I actually looked at the swatch and thought, "Ok, yeah those are cool." Then I tried coming up with an idea and this took a while...

Are you ready?

Here it is! I decided to go graphic this time. I took everything but the K out of a zip lock bag of left over die cuts I had. The k had to be manufactured with my printer to achieve the look I was going for. I know super simple for me but I like the simplicity for this card.

Supplies
Card stock: SU! Ballet Blue, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Some random brand yellow in the right tone and textured red by DCWV
NO INK!?!

Flowers Anyone?

2008-10-10T07:37:00.000-06:00

another inspired creation by looking at someone else's gallery. This time it was Mary Jo Albright. Here is the link to the particular card I liked. Actually I like a lot of her stuff and I wanted to use this stamp set. The look of the stamped image came out a little differently because I was stamping on the confetti white card stock but I love how she had the image over lapping the layered background.

Details:
Card stock: Pink Pirouette, Kewi Kiss, Riding hood red
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Kewi Kiss, Pink Pirouette
Accessories: Scallop edge punch, Coluzzle, corner rounder

Please Pass the Cherries

2008-10-08T07:27:00.000-06:00

This is one of the cards I've made a the last two workshops last month. I was going for simplicity because since everyone made this card I needed it to be time efficient. We used heat & stick powder and the fine cosmo glitter for the cherries. I chose to use chocolate chip for the background of the cherries because I wanted everyone to see how well the glitter showed up against a dark background. Every one loved the card and it was quick! I got the layout idea from a lady named Stephanie Hargis. She has a cool sense of style.

Details:
Card stock in Rose Red, Whisper white, Chocolate Chip and Certainly Celery
Ink: Certainly Celery
Accessories: Heat & Stick Powder, Fine Cosmo Glitter, 5/8" grosgrain ribbon in Chocolate chip, stampin' dimensionals

Shoe Box Swap Club

2008-10-06T11:18:00.004-06:00

Kristy Tracy

Dorine Judy

These are the cards that my club came up with for our shoe box swap a couple of weeks ago. I love doing this kind of club because every one gets to come up with their own ideas and I get different styles of cards than my usual ie the soccer card. Everyone did a wonderful job!

My new Nephew

2008-10-03T10:52:00.002-06:00

This is my nephew right after he was born on Tuesday. He was born one hour and fifteen minutes before I had to leave for the airport. What a good boy! I will have some new posts for you soon!!

Happiness Is...

2008-09-26T07:48:00.000-06:00

I'm going to Ohio today to visit my younger brother and his wife and HOPEFULLY their new baby! I'm so excited! I'm only there for the weekend so I'm hoping that I will get a glimpse of the little one while I'm there.

This page was using the Dutch Girl line by Cosmo Cricket. The journaling card was from the kit and I think the alphabet stamps for the title are from Technique Tuesday. They are my friend Michelle's or I would go look. I also used some of my die cut blooms from SU! Layered with punched flowers and circles. Oh yeah I also used the scallop edge punch on one of the layers.

Friends

2008-09-20T07:47:00.000-06:00

Another quick page for you to look at. I have some pictures of some cards I've made recently but I just need to set aside some time to find the cord so I can upload the pictures from my camera to the computer and watermark them. This last week has been hectic! Last friday I was parked in a parking lot and opened my door to get out and had a lady pull into the space next to me and smash my door in. I've had to go over the story so many times that I really am tired of it but let's just say that she's lucky I was still inside of the car when she zoomed in. Actually she was really nice but her insurance is trying to say it should be partially my fault. How?!?

So onto this cute little page... The bg paper is MME, the white layer was experimentally punched with the scallop edge punch (SU!) and the kraft piece is from a butcher block by 7gypsies (I think) and same with the matte on the picture. The kids are at the zoo here in ABQ. Mine has the dark hair, the other cuties include a friend's kid and my cousin's.

You Swing Like a Girl

2008-09-15T07:45:00.000-06:00

These pictures are actually out of context with the quote. Genevieve said that to one of her friends while they were swinging together at the park, but I thought that it would be fun to use with these pictures. Honestly someday I will figure out a better way to photograph 12 x12 pages. It always looks like I don't know how to make straight lines.

I thought it would be fun to incorporate this cute Basic Gray ribbon I had since the chains on the swings looked so similar. The background was brayered basic gray (SU) onto whisper white cs. And I just used various stickers collage style for the title.

Online Ordering Available 24/7

2008-09-10T10:29:00.002-06:00

Starting now you can order your favorite Stampin' Up products whenever you want! So when you're obsessing about a new project at 1 AM you can order all of your supplies right when you're thinking about it.

When you click on the link for my business website look for the Shop Now button on the upper right hand side of the page. When you shop directly from a Stampin' Up demonstrator you will get the same prices and shipping as if you were buying from a workshop. If you shop through the Stampin' Up website and don't have a demonstrator you will pay a slightly higher price for the products and slightly higher shipping costs.

If you would like to shop from me Click here also I have a permanent link to my website on the left of my blog all the time.

Scrapbook page in under 10 minutes

2008-09-10T07:30:00.002-06:00

Another LO I finished a while ago. The BG paper is from Scenic Route, the collage paper is 7 gypsies, the vellum flowers are Cloud 9 design, and the title and journaling cards are from MME.
I cut the large circle the old fashioned way by tracing a plate and essentially finished the project in less than 10 minutes!

Décor Elements Framed Photo

2008-09-04T09:30:00.003-06:00

This week I experimented with our line of Décor Elements. I had the idea in mind since I saw Brent Steele make his framed project at convention. I decided to buy a Simply Scrappin' kit -- Summer Home, the small "Happiness" element in chocolate (only $4.95!) and then bought an 11" x 14" float frame at the craft store to assemble it all. The smallest Décor Element is 12.5" in legnth which helped me decide the size of the frame. I used an 8" x 10" family photo and a textured kewi kiss cs 8.5" x 10.5", and the patterend red paper from the kit 9.5" x 11.5". I simply scalloped the bottom edge of the red paper with the scallop edge punch and adhered all the layers together. I used some mini glue dots to attach this to the bottom glass part and then applied some of the card stock stickers from the scrappin kit. Lastly, I applied the Décor Element to the front of the glass. Here is a link to a helpful video that Stampin' Up made for customers who bought this line of product.

Blog thing-- test yourself

2008-09-04T07:27:00.001-06:00

If I could type faster that would have helped my time. Please don't ask me to do Europe, I can't keep up with it!

In 3m 24s

Click here to Play

Flamin' Flowers

2008-09-01T08:05:00.003-06:00

Today's scrapbook composition I finally used one of the papers I've been hoarding from G.C.D. Studios. I love their style! Since I only had one sheet of this paper and I love the flower so much I just had to make sure they didn't get covered up. So I decided to use a hobby knife and cut around the images enough to let them lie on top of the layers. Here's a close up.

The other thing that I like to do is combine color photos with black and white. I actually just printed the lower picture with extreme contrast on card stock. The jumbo tag was 7 gypsies (I think) and the rub-on is MME.

I just want to mention also that Allison from Stampin' When I Can is doing some fantastic blog candy for her two year blog-a-versary.

YKNR challenge #2

2008-08-30T22:01:00.004-06:00

This challenge is entitled "Heavy metal". I admit I've never really liked heavy metal when it comes to music, so I went a little softer, maybe. The only real metal on this card is the mesh flower I punched out and the brad holding it on the page. The rest I used some of my metallic copper card stock and copper ep. So yes I admit it I'm not a true rocker. If you want to see more of the entries to this challenge click HERE.

I just realized that Allison's Suggestive Sunday Challenge was to use FAT ribbon and I think this qualifies. Maybe in my subconscious I actually planned it that way so here I go I am going to piggyback the challenges! If you want to see more of the entries to this challenge click HERE.

Baby Boom

2008-08-29T09:32:00.004-06:00

Over the next four months I am going to be having to make quite a few of these baby cards. The boy card is for my sister in law, she just had a baby boy yesterday and I am trying to finish a blanket for her before I send all the loot off.

The girl card was for my friend Brenda's baby shower. She came in town from Arizona and her sisters threw her a baby shower. I had these dimensional stickers from Target and added a few layers of scallops and a silk flower. Voila!

This is the matching gift bag I made using the cool idea I learned at convention. You just fold out the sides and snip to make a sleeve and glue them closed to stay. Tuck the bottom piece back to the normal position and there you go. Onsie bag. It looks best if you cut a little neck line at the top. Just a little tip. if you over fill this bag things get a little hairy.

Wedding Pages

2008-08-22T15:34:00.005-06:00

These pages use pictures from my brother's wedding that was almost three years ago. I just love these pictures. The photographer was so good. This wedding was in the dead of winter Dec 28th in Nauvoo Illinois and it was very cold. My sister Hillery just got engaged this week and I've been helping her come up with a wedding invitation. I will post it when we get the final product done.

Card stock: K&Co Lotus paper pack and also some of the die-cut elements from the Lotus collection. The scallop layer was a card from MME an so are the journaling card and the printed card.
Sticker letter: ChatterBox.

AFSS30 All Felt Up

2008-08-17T15:34:00.002-06:00

This is my entry to Allison's Suggestive Sunday challenge. This go round we are supposed to incorporate felt into a paper crafting project. This is a 12 x 12 scrapbook page of my daughter Gena when she was just a couple of weeks old. I don't really scrap in order, she is five years old now. But this is one of my favorite pictures of when she was a baby. The felt flowers and the buttons I bought while I was in Salt Lake City at one of their wonderful scrapbook stores. I don't really know the brand you just paid by the scoop.

Back Yard Work

2008-08-12T09:42:00.002-06:00

I completed this page a couple of months ago. I was using one of my old Simply Scrappin' kits. (actually I think I just used two stickers from it.) I used a fairly simple lo with the symmetrical squares in the center, and matted them all with the card stock vellum. Then I journaled around the outsides. While matting the pictures I didn't want to crop off my son's head and I thought "wouldn't it be funny to cut around it?" I did the same with my daughters hand, and really like the result. I was nice and didn't do the same with the picture of my husband pulling the kids.

Card Stock: Kraft, Card Stock Vellum, Tempting Turquoise, Apricot Appeal, Cool Caribbean, Certainly Celery
Ink: Journaling Marker
Accessories: Simply Scrappin Kit (Sellabrations 2007)

Something for you to look at

2008-08-08T23:14:00.002-06:00

I know I know I've been AWAL for a while. I sincerely apologize for the lack of new things for you to look at. This fun card features sprayed ink. Super simple. Ink + water sprayed over embossed images. To play clean I first draped myself with an apron then placed the paper in the sink and spritzed there. The ink resists over the embossed images so you get a cool watery look. After spraying you can wipe off the resisted ink with a paper towel. Then I just clean my sink out ASAP, so it doesn't stay for a day or two.

*Weston said there wasn't enough contrast with the teal and the navy ink so I added the red. It did add more pop. *

I will post more about convention but I am trying to catch the house up from me being gone for five days.

Hello From SU Convention!

2008-08-01T22:38:00.004-06:00

My feet hurt and I really need a back rub but I have a lot of new ideas and new product. I can't wait to get my fingers inky at home. But I will have more fun stuff for you to look at next week!

Gift Swap for Convention

2008-08-01T08:05:00.000-06:00

I signed up for a swap at convention where you hand stamp a gift. For my swap I made these necklaces with earrings to match.

The hand stamped part of this was done on matte shrink plastic. I stamped the large flower from One of a Kind and the flowers from Together Forever. On the earring card I wheeled Forever Flowers. After stamping I colored the reverse side of the shrink plastic with my Prisma Color pencils. Poppy Red, True Blue and Apple Green. I punched the large flowers with my scallop circle punch and the rectangles were pre-cut sized with the corners rounded. Then I baked them in the oven.
For those who don't know. I was making jewelry long before I was stamping. I have a problem with collecting all the supplies of something when I get into it. Alas, I have almost as many beads as I do stamps.

Here's the summary of the jewelry making bit. I strung the beads onto two 32" lengths of waxed linen one at a time. The nice thing about waxed linen is that it is very stiff so you don't need a needle. Basically once the first bead is threaded on you tie a knot approximately 1"below the previous knot. With the stamped beads there is a top hole and a bottom hole and I strung through the front and from the back to hold the bead in place. The top has tube crimps and the toggles are held on with jump rings.

For the earrings I just used my jewelry pliers to bend the bottom loop of the french hooks to face out so the beads wouldn't turn sideways.

Punny Whale

2008-07-28T08:04:00.003-06:00

Here's another card using Pun Fun. A while back I watercolored a stack of these and I finally got the card put together. I water colored on Confetti White card stock because it has a heavy weight and can withstand the water saturation.

This time I just used plain old water and puddles of ink to color in. The colors I used are Brilliant Blue, Tempting Turquoise, Night of Navy. The card stock is in the same colors. I added a few highlights with my white Signo gel pen. The seagulls are there because I couldn't think of what else to to with that space! The waves a punched with the slit punch.

YKYR #1 Numero Uno

2008-07-25T08:37:00.005-06:00

This is my entry for the Y.OU K.NOW Y.OU R.OCK! challenge. We're supposed to make a creation based on the current CD in your player. In my case it was MP3 but hey does it matter?
Yes this was the album I was listening to when I took on this challenge. There are some really funny videos on YouTube. This is my favorite Computer Camp Love. When I first heard the song my husband played for me (he's my personal DJ) I looked at him and said "Is this a real band?"

Yes they are.

Here's a YouTube video of the funniest song. Watch it if you're brave enough.Voilá! Here is my creation. I decided to do a scrapbook page of my younger sister Hillery. I had a perfect picture of her modeling some "fun" sunglasses from last time I visited her. I took the colors Pixie Pink, Real Red and Only Orange from the album cover. I stamped this lovely leaf from Personal Stamp Exchange in Whisper White and sponged pixie pink chalk over it. Then I outlined the leaves with my Real Red marker. Sprayed the fixitive over to fix the chalk. I think I printed the title in Terminal to match the title on the cover.

Yesterday I used a tutorial at Melissa Clifton's website to alter the image of my sister to look like an Andy Warhol picture.

So funny

2008-07-23T22:35:00.002-06:00

If you feel like reading something funny you might want to BUZZ on over to my sister's blog.

She definitely got the writing gene -- Which I didn't . I just express myself non vocally. Right? I think that a magazine would be smart to pick her up for those back of the mag stories.

2008-07-23T08:56:00.001-06:00

You Are a Strawberry

You are friendly, outgoing, and well liked by many people.

You are popular, but there's nothing you ordinary or average about you.

You a very interesting person, and you have many facets to your personality.

Sometimes you feel very conflicted. Your different sides of your personality pull at you.

You are a very sensual and passionate person. You are fiery... you can't help it.

In general, you keep your passionate side under wraps. You are only wild in private.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

Wonderful Poinsettia

2008-07-21T08:00:00.001-06:00

Can I just say, I love this set? So last week in the midst of wrapping up some of my other swaps I thought maybe it would be cool to swap a Christmas card for those crazy plan-aheaders. Although those people probably already made theirs last January. My little epiphany was to make a poinsettia out of the Wonderful You set.

A couple of notes about the watercoloring. I like to fill one of my Aqua Painters with Future Floor wax. It creates a glossy look and a little bit of texture between the layers of color. In lieu of matting with another piece of card stock I just drew a wobbly line of gold with my Zig Painty.

Stamp Set: Wonderful You, Stems and Silhouettes Jumbo Wheel, Holidays & Wishes
Ink: Stazon Black, Ruby Red, Always Artichoke, Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa - wheel cart.
Card Stock: Ruby Red, Always Artichoke, and Whisper White
Accessories: Zig Painty Pen, 1 3/8" Square Punch, AquaPainter

2008-07-21T00:05:00.002-06:00

*Don't Forget* Check the promotions section on my side bar for great new Stampin' Up promotions.

KWerner's Color Challenge #16

2008-07-17T09:25:00.005-06:00

This is the inspiration picture from KWerner CC16
I love this picture I think I tried making these booties
before but you need really high quality felt to make it worthwhile.
The colors were great to work with, and here's the card
I whipped up this morning. I have to say it is refreshing
just playing along with challenges right now.

I thought the Scallop Notes would be perfect for this project, which come in Soft Sky, Very Vanilla and Kraft (these will be retired for sure because of the soft sky). They measure 4" x 2 3/4". Petite but great for gift giving. I used some of the die cut flowers from the summer mini which one of the colors was Pumpkin Pie and a 1" circle punched from Certainly Celery. I also had stamped the circle from the A Beautiful Thing on top of that piece. The strip of flowers is stamped in Very Vanilla along the bottom of the ribbon with the centers stamped in Soft Sky. Ribbon Celery and Double stitched soft sky (soon to be retired).

Stamp Set: A Beautiful Thing
Ink: Soft Sky, Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla craft
Card Stock: Scallop Notes - soft sky
Accessories: Ribbon double stitched soft sky, 1/4" celery grosgrain, silver brad, 1/2" circle punch, 1" circle punch, die cut flowers, dimensionals

Little Butterfly Scrapbook Page

2008-07-16T10:13:00.000-06:00

A double page LO using some Scenic Route Paper I bought a while ago. The pictures are from Halloween. We went to the park for a photo shoot with the kids in their costumes. One of my favorites is the one where Poppy is barely in the picture. I wanted to leave all of the white space to illustrate what a moving target she is. The butterfly accents are from the Amy Butler line from K&Co that I splurged on a month ago. Sorry to all the Cricut people out there but I don't know the names from the cartridges I used at my friends house.

AFSS26- White out Challenge

2008-07-15T21:00:00.004-06:00

I haven't had a chance to participate in any challenges lately so when I finally finished my last batch of swaps today I set aside some time to play. Allison's challenge this week was to make a card using white ink any way you want. She did this really cool card using the black magic technique and it reminded of something else I saw while catching up on my google reader by Michelle Zindorf.

I know mine doesn't look that good, my blending leaves something to be desired but hey I can always practice. Here's my twist on this technique: I decided to stamp on Basic Grey cardstock, then I decided to use my Zig painty pen - silver side to do the outlining. The white ink is stamped on the bashful blue base and the under layer of the leaves and I stamped the sentiment with white acrylic paint and touched up with my Uniball White Signo pen. Oh and I colored my leaves with Prisma color pencils Apple Green, Violet Blue, and Cerulean Blue.

BTW the sentiment stamp-- I don't know the brand but it was a pain to get off of the acetate backing! I almost ripped the stamp. So mine might be defective or you might just not want to buy it.

Another Pun card

2008-07-15T09:37:00.003-06:00

I was going for a Spacey card maybe for a boy's birthday or other event and I needed to use some of the already colored Pun Fun swatches I made. As I was saying about discontinued paper/accessories I thought of making a contrast piece using bleach splattering. Yes I did remember to protect my clothing and surfaces. Phew! I places the brilliant blue cs inside the sink and splattered it with the bleach with a stipple brush. I've been holding onto this one, I feel like it looks a little plain but can't really figure out what else I would do for it.

Stamp Set: Pun Fun

Ink: Stamp 'n write Markers Brilliant Blue, Temping Turquoise, Only Orange, Gable Green, Night of Navy

Card Stock: Brilliant Blue, Temping Turquoise, Only Orange

I DO have something to show for last week!

2008-07-14T09:27:00.004-06:00

I stamped a bunch of images from my friend Misty's Pun Fun stamp set about a month ago. I actually had them colored but needed to finish off the card parts. So here's one of the cards I made with that set. I've always liked this color combination and I thought it would be perfect for this card. As I've said before it is really hard for me to make swaps without knowing what accessories not to use. I don't want to be "that" person at convention trading discontinued stuff. So this is what I came up with. I decided to play with texture sans-Cuttlebug folders. I punched and glued the Boho flowers and I layered distress strips of the very vanilla.

Stamp Set: Pun Fun

Ink: Stamp ‘n write markers elegant eggplant and only orange with Aqua painter

Card Stock: elegant eggplant, orchid opulence, very vanilla, confetti white.

Boho Blossoms punch was used for texture

Bali Breeze Stamp Class

2008-07-03T10:38:00.005-06:00

Be prepared for any occasion with this stunning collection of 12 all-occasion cards in a custom-designed box.
This card set makes a perfect gift for the person who has everything, or simply keep it on hand for yourself!  

Date: August 5th 2008
Time: 6 PM - 9 PM
Cost: $25
Location: Prestwich Home,  Alb NE Heights (call for directions)

To secure your place in this class please RSVP before July 14th. The class includes discontinued items and I need
to order enough before the retired accessories are released. Please note: after my order is placed I will not be able to
refund any class fees.

I am also offering this class as a kit to go including step by step directions for the same price as above.
Please specify if this is the option you would like. If the class needs to be mailed I will send it First Class Mail for $3 fee.

Please email me to sign up for this class: Erica   

Supplies:
• Stamp sets: One of a Kind, Embrace Life, Stitched Exotics, A Beautiful Thing, Taffy Alphabet 

• Paper:  8 ½” x 11” Whisper White, Apricot Appeal, Rose Red, Old Olive, Taken with teal, Certainly Celery, River Rock,
Bali Breeze Designer Paper (DP), Medium Whisper White envelopes. 

• Ink: Basic Black, Taken with Teal, Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery Old Olive, Rose Red, Purely Pomegranate,
Pumpkin Pie, Blush Blossom, River Rock Classic ink pads; Old Olive & Rose Red Classic ink refills;
Rose Red Stampin’ Write marker or Stampin’ Spot. 

• Adhesives: Tombow Multi-Purpose Adhesive, Snail Adhesive, 2-way glue pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals 

• Accessories: Pomegranate double-stitched ribbon, narrow white & apricot grosgrain ribbon, silver brads,
Dazzling Diamonds glitter. • Puches & other tools: 1/16” handheld circle punch, ½” circle punch, ¼” circle punch,
ticket corner punch, large oval punch, Boho Blossoms punch, 3/16” corner rounder punch, blender pen, Stampin’ Sponge,
Stamp-a-ma-jig

Flight of Fancy -- AFSS23

2008-06-27T09:42:00.006-06:00

While watching morning cartoons with my kids I remembered that I bought (had to have) this stamp set from Sassafras Lass, Oliver & Friends. This was part of my Mother's Day gifts. So finally I broke it out. It's perfect for Allison's weekly challenge featuring things "Up in the Air".

A couple of notes of what I did here. I've learned the hard way that you can't get a great imprint with dye ink with clear stamps so I used my craft inks mostly. I don't have a huge supply of craft ink so I improvised by first inking up the stamp with VersaMark and then stamping into the color I wanted. Then I thought Why not emboss them too so I embossed with clear (owls and saying). The clouds are embossed with white. The green scrap of paper was just a silly thing that I wanted to do. I told my friend Misty that I could use up a leftover scrap of paper that she was going to throw out. So here's the last piece. I'm sure she doesn't even remember.

Stamps: Oliver & Friends, Make it Count (hostess)
Card Stock: Kraft, Soft Sky, The Green Scrap
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Chocolate Chip Craft, White Craft, VersaMark, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: White ep, Clear ep, and pink dimensional glue

PS Anyone who is interested in blog candy must visit ScrapMetal's Retreat! You'll be glad you did!

Shoe Box Swap for Convention

2008-06-27T09:19:00.005-06:00

This next month will definitely be spent working on things preparing for convention. So I'm sorry if some find that boring! This is the finished product of the card I'm providing for a Shoe box swap with some other demos that I signed up for. The hard part is coming up with a project with non discontinued colors, accessories (esp when we don't get that list for two more weeks), and stamps. I think I did ok in that department, so here's hoping they don't get rid of the Cosmo fine glitters!

One of the requests of the demos putting this on is that we don't do any embossing. and you have to have an embellishment on the card. So I for this I stamped one of the flowers and went over it with 2 way glue pen and sprinkled the Teal colored glitter over it. I usually pat it down with my finger to make sure it stays put. What takes longest is that we have to provide 23 finished card fronts and all the pieces for 20 more. I have to count everything over and over. But I think I can safely say I'm done.

Stamps: Ginormous Flowers, Hugs and Wishes
Card Stock: Whisper White, Take with Teal, Old Olive, Certainly Celery
Ink: Take with Teal, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Stampin' Dimensioals, Silver Brads, Cosmo Fine Glitter
Tools: Paper Piercing Kit, Boho Blossom Punch

What kind of 1930's wife are you?

2008-06-24T17:52:00.000-06:00

As a 1930s wife, I am
Superior

Take the test!

So Tired Today

2008-06-22T18:09:00.000-06:00

I've been working on swaps for Convention (SU of course) and this is one I came up with while reading yesterday. I'm making 45 that's all I can really handle of one card and my fingers were feeling a little burnt from embossing the layered part. I should have just taken a few minutes and grabbed the tweezers. Oh well I'm lazy.

This particular detail (below) doesn't show up as well but I used my piercing template again to dry emboss with. I was thinking this card would also qualify for Allison's challenge this week which was to use any flower stamp set. Not a hard thing for me!

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