Monkeying Around

Being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I really try to stay with SU stamps. If I see a really cute stamp (especially monkeys), my hesitance to not buy is really stretched. As you can see, I gave in to the urge for these Stampendous monkeys (found them at Archivers). Oh well, what can you do? I need to play with the new gorgeous stamp sets from the Spring and Summer 2008 catty.....that's what I can do......only need to wait a few more days!!!

This card measures 4.25"x4.25". I stamped the right half of the Pink Passion base card with the small flower from Time Well Spent (using Whisper White craft ink).

The focal image is stamped on watercolor paper with Timber Brown StazOn ink. I watercolored using my markers (Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa and Pretty In Pink). Just keep blending with the aquapainter until you reach the desired colors of shadows and highlights. The heart balloon is watercolored with the ink from my lid of my Pink Passion ink pad. I added a white highlight using my white Signo gel pen. I sponged the edges of the focal image with Close to Cocoa ink and repeatedly stamped with word "valentine" (from Everyday Flexible Phrases). I then put Crystal Effects over the entire balloon. Once the balloon was dry, I placed it on a mat of Choc Chip cardstock that was dry embossed on the right side with my Cropodile. A piece of the yummy chocolate chip satin ribbon was used to hide where the white flowers stopped.

I love these little monkeys. SU has the cutest little monkey in one of the Level 3 Hostess sets. I am hoping to earn him from my Open House.

Oh well......back to the laundry......

Until tomorrow.....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Play.....Do Not Hoard!!!

"Play, Do Not Hoard" is going to be my new motto for 2008. What's the point of buying cool embellishments and papers if we are never going to use them? So, who's going to join me? Who's gonna start playing with their new toys within a week of receiving/buying them? Okay, I think you get my point.....I will stop lecturing now!!!

So, this card is in celebration of my new "non-hoarding" resolution. I finally used some of my Stampin' Up! designer papers and some pearls I purchased at my local LSS. The focal image was created with a stamp set called "A Beautiful Life". I used the rock and roll technique to achieve the multi-colored look of the daffodils (using Apricot Appeal and Regal Rose). The line portion of this image (this stamp set is a two step stamp) was stamped with Regal Rose. I used my Stamp-a-majig to ensure the proper placement of the line images. The stems were stamped in Certainly Celery.

I do have to say that it was fun using something new!!! I look forward to checking out my stash of stuff in my stamping studio. I'm sure there are lots of goodies I completely forgot about!!! I'll be like the kid in the candy store!!!!


Stamping Supplies

stamp sets: A Beautiful Life, Warm Words

ink: Regal Rose, Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery

paper: Basic Black, Prints Designer Paper (Rose Red, Certainly Celery), Whisper White

accessories: Ticket Corner punch, Word Window Punch, adhesive pearls (K&Co.), sponges, Stamp-a-majig


Until tomorrow.........Happy Stamping everyone!

Playing With New Toys

I think it's great that adults can still have the joy of playing with new toys too. I know my kids (the biggest kid....DH....is currently hunting on his Wii) have been enjoying their new games. Stampin' Up! sent each of its demonstrators a level 3 hostess set from the new Spring and Summer Catty. The stamp set is called Time Well Spent, and it truly is a fun set to play with.

This is the longest card I have ever made. It measures 4"x9.25", and the design kinda came to me the other night just before I fell asleep. I am not the kind of stamper that runs out of bed to make something that pops into my mind. I just kinda hope that the "vision" is still there in the morning when I wake up....LOL!!!!

The basecard is Purely Pomegranate, and it is stamped with the Polka Dot background stamp in Purely Pomegranate ink. I used my Corner Rounder punch to scallop the bottom edge. I then pierced each of the scallops using my piercing tool from the tool kit.

I used some new toys to color in my focal image. I bought a few Copics when I visited a Hobby Lobby last week (wow, what a store!!!!). I only bought two colors and a colorless blender pen. I wanted to see what the hubbub is all about. They were fun to color with, but honestly, I think I am happier creatively using my aquapainter and reinkers. Besides, the Copics are really expensive....I paid $5.89 a marker. I think I'd rather use what I already own and buy more rubber from the new Spring and Summer SU catty.

Ok, back to the card. After coloring the focal image, I sponged the edges with Apricot Appeal ink, matted it on black and finally on Apricot Appeal cardstock. The other two white panels are stamped with both the Canvas BG stamp and a smaller flower from the Time Well Spent stamp set in Apricot Appeal (sponged and matted the same way as the focal image).

The rest of the card is pretty easy to figure out based on the picture (I like to give you the stamping details because it's not always visible in the pictures). The only thing funky is a ribbon accent element that was created by Debbie Olson. You punch the right side of a card element with a circle punch (I used the 3/4"), and it makes a notch where your knot sits. Pretty cool, huh?

This "big honkin' card" was really fun to make. It's quite heavy though with all it's layers.

I bought a new "contraband" stamp last night when I visited Archiver's (DH gave me a gift card). I couldn't resist......it was a monkey!!!!! I have a vision.......gotta go stamp......

Until tomorrow.....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Whew!!!! The Hubbub of the Holidays!!

So, how was your Christmas? Ours was fabulous. I really enjoyed the past couple of days with my family. On Christmas Eve afternoon, we went to church to attend family services. Afterwards, my parents came over for our annual homemade pizza picnic. I make tons of pizza and we eat in the living room while watching Christmas movies. This year, we watched Rudolph and The Santa Clause.

On Christmas day, the entire family came over for a traditional turkey dinner. We then opened presents. The picture frame above was a gift I made for both my daughter and my sister-in-law. Amanda attended her first concert ever this past summer. This is a picture my husband took of Amanda, my sister-in-law and her sister at the Brad Paisley concert. They loved the frame. Here is how I made it........

The frame is from Target. I traced the shape of the frame onto my Outlaw designer paper. I then trimmed the DSP with my paper cutter. Any leftovers can be sanded away with sanding blocks. I sponged the edges of the DSP with some Close to Cocoa ink to make it look even more distressed. I embossed the sentiment (from True Friend....which made it into the Spring and Summer catty....yeah!!!) using my Versamark and Black embossing powder. I also embossed the medallion (from Wanted) using my Versamark and the retired Copper embossing powder. I punched out the medallion with the circle scallop punch. I also sponged the edges with Close to Cocoa ink to make it look a little "dirty". I cut off the prongs on five black brads and attached them to the top portion of the frame with Crystal Effects.

The girls loved their new frame. I think it will help them remember the great time they had at the concert that night.

I FINALLY had a chance to stamp this morning. I made a gorgeous card using my new Time Well Spent hostess set. I will post it either later today or tomorrow. The kids are dreading a trip to the dentist this morning......ugh!!!!

Until later....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Teacher Gifts Almost Finished

Well, I sure have been busy working on all kinds of teacher gifts. Here are samples of the projects I have been working on.

The project on the left is DD's gift to her dance teachers. Each packet contains 4 cards and envelopes. I used my Bellarina stamp set to create these cards. It's really hard to see in the picture, but the base card is stamped with the Paisley BG stamp using Pretty in Pink craft ink. The focal image is stamped on watercolor paper and watercolored with my aquapainter and reinkers. She is then all glittered up with some Dazzling Diamonds. The packet was designed using a large flat cello bag and a 5"x10" piece of Pretty in Pink cardstock. I scored at 8.25" and 8.5" to create the flap. I used some patterned paper (the name escapes me as it was in last year's Winter Mini catty.....but it's really pretty with pink, rose, teal and cocoa) and 5/8" rose grosgrain ribbon to finish off the packet.

The nugget tins are for the kids' school teachers, DD's Hip Hop teacher ( a guy who wouldn't appreciate the ballet cards) and DS's taekwondo instructor. The were made with my Bold Snowflakes wheel, Snowflakes and Circle of Friendship stamp set. I have a few more of these to make today. The problem is that I have a bit of a boo boo on my left pinky finger. I hit it really hard on my car seat and tore my acrylic nail (along with my real one attached) all the way down to my cuticle. So basically a bandaid is holding my nail on until it grows up (which will take months). It's very sore, and I realize now how much I actually use this little finger now that it is hurt. Ugh!!!!

Oh well...enough whining.....I need to get back to work!!!! I still have basically all my wrapping left to do!!!

Happy stamping everyone!!!

I Received My Spring/Summer Catty Today!!!

Good evening stampers. Sorry for the late post, but it was a busy day today. I didn't stamp today (just assembled four cards for one of DD's dance teachers). But, I did get my hair colored, highlighted and cut, did laundry and attended DS's winter choir concert (they were awesome....such a talented group).

Anyway, guess what was in my mailbox today? That's right....my demo copy of the Spring/Summer Collection. I am happy to say that this catalog has a much more diverse set of stamp set styles than those from the Fall/Winter catty. I am SO happy to report that there is a new military set. Demos and customers alike have been emailing Stampin' Up! about the lack of patriotic/military sets.

If you're a frequent visitor to my blog, you know that I LOVE watercoloring. There are LOTS of new stamp sets for me to watercolor......florals, cutesy animals, etc.

There are a few new background stamps.....yes, I am a background stamp addict. I am hoping to love the new Twill stamp as much as I have enjoyed using Linen.

If you are a sentiment lover then you will not be disappointed. There are tons of new to choose from.

I think the most exciting part of a new catalog are the new accessories. Let me tell you we have new punches, glitters, beads, ribbon, incredible patterned papers, full pieces of chipboard and so much more.

There is even a new adhesive. SU now carries Mono Multi........this stuff is incredible.

Oh well, my day is catching up to me. I think it's time to hit the hay.

Until tomorrow....happy stamping everyone!!

Happy Party Day Alex!!!

My niece and goddaughter, Alex, is having her birthday party today. We're going bowling and then grabbing some food afterwards. Alex loves puppies (in addition to firehouses, astronauts, Star Wars, Spiderman, etc....).

I once again used another of my retired sets. This one is called Ruff Day. I love this particular set because it is so much fun to watercolor. I used a combination of my reinkers and ink from smooshing my ink pads. Of course, I always use my aquapainter and watercolor paper when I am watercoloring. The colors I used on the dog are Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Pink Passion, Only Orange and Pretty in Pink (for his tongue). I also used my Stardust gelly roll pen to add some bling to the hat and smaller confetti pieces. The focal image is then mounted on a layer of Basic Black to make him "pop".

The basecard is Pink Passion. I used a rendition of a recent card sketch on Splitcoast for the design of this card. I cut three strips of Only Orange (1.5"x3.75") and stamped them with the Polka Dot background stamp using Only Orange ink. I also sponged the edges with Only Orange ink. After using the ticket corner punch on all four corners, I adhered each of the orange strips onto 1.75"x4" strips of YoYo Yellow.

I have to leave for the party now!!!! Enjoy the rest of your afternoon!!!

Happy Stamping everyone!!!!

The Retirement Challenge

Are your holiday cards finished yet? If not, I am challenging you make some of your cards with a retired stamp set. One of my great blog readers left me a comment asking me to make a card each month with a retired stamp set. It's my goal to inspire you to dust off those retired beauties and stamp with them.

Here is my retired card of the month, and I just love it. It uses one of my all time favorite stamp sets: Snowflakes. I used one of my favorite color combos for this card: Blue Bayou and Soft Sky. The Soft Sky layer is dry embossed using my snowflake Cuttlebug template. I used my ticket corner punch on each of the corners. The snowflake is stamped in Blue Bayou ink on Whisper White cardstock. Once again, I used my ticket corner punch and sponged with Soft Sky ink. I added some Dazzling Diamonds and a clear rhinestone brad in the center. I added some Blue Bayou double-stitched grosgrain ribbon.

I am so proud of myself that I used two tools that I kinda forget about: my Cuttlebug templates and my Quikutz. The little tag is punched with my Quikutz tool. I stamped the word "joy" (from Everyday Flexible Phrases). I attached the tag to the ribbon with a length of silver elastic cord.

This card came together pretty quickly. The best news is that all my cards are DONE!!! The second half were addressed and stamped today!!!

Tomorrow I need to work on all the gifts......karate teachers, dance teachers, school teachers. It looks like another busy weekend......shopping, birthday parties, baking!!!!

I hope you all have a great evening......I am not sure if I will have a chance to post anything this weekend, but I will try!!!!

Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Happy Birthday Chris!

Today my DS turns 15. I cannot believe how time has flown by. It seems like yesterday that he was a little baby.....burping, passing gas.......never mind.....teenagers still do that.....but they laugh about it.....when does the potty humor stop?????

Anyway, DS is a total baseball FREAK!!! So, of course, baseball needed to be the theme of his card. I really wish I owned a stamp set with a baseball player, but this is all I have. It's a Stampin' Up! set called "Just Baseball". I use this set all the time for my guy cards. If it's for the adult baseball freaks in my life, I use more of the muted and earthy colors. For the younger guys, I use the brighter colors.

This card measures 5.25"x5.25". The basecard is Brocade Blue. I used my Brocade Blue, Creamy Caramel and Ruby Red stamp pads to randomly stamp the images on my Whisper White cardstock. I used my Brocade Blue marker and the Color Spritzer tool to spatter some color (along with some sponging along the edges).

I added a band of Ruby Red (sponged with Ruby Red ink) and added some faux stitching with the Ruby Red marker. I used my Classic Numbers (retired) to stamp the "15". The sentiment is from the retired set (and never to leave my possession) Cheery chat. It's stamped in Basic Black and then spattered with both the Ruby Red marker and Brocade Blue markers (using the spritzer tool).

As DS doesn't like fussy cards, I didn't add any ribbon. I did add a piece of hodgepodge with the word "son" (from Everyday Flexible Phrases).

He loved his card, and we love him!!! Happy Birthday sweetie!!!!

Until tomorrow.....Happy Stamping Everyone!!!

I'm Still Alive

Good evening stampers! I apologize for my lack of blog activity, but I have been one busy lady lately. I have been stamping, but unfortunately, I can't show you any of it. You see, I have been making gifts for some family members. They look AMAZING!!! I can't show you because the people who are getting the gifts also visit my blog regularly. Sorry!!!

So how are your holiday happenings going? You know, the cookie baking, the shopping, the wrapping, the cardmaking and addressing. I haven't really started my baking yet. I did manage to make some yummy chocolate biscotti. I think DD and I will tackle the cookie baking this weekend. My shopping is almost done...except for stocking stuffers. All of DH's presents are wrapped. I will wrap sporadically over the next week. My cards are 2/3 of the way done. I have about 20 more to make. Not too bad!!!!

I will try to stamp something that is blog-able. I hope you will forgive me while I am running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

I would love to see pics of something you are currently working on........

Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Pocket Cards

Are you looking for something different when making your cards? Why not try a pocket card? They are SO easy to make.

Take a piece of 8.5"x11" cardstock (I used Choc Chip) and on the 8.5" side, cut at 4.25". Score at 5.5" and 10". Fold your cardstock on the score lines and use your corner rounder to round all four corners of the card and also on the two corners of the fold-down flap. I have found that you need to use Sticky Strip or your ATG glue gun to keep this card together. Make sure that the adhesive is pretty close to the side edges of the card or you will risk the insert not fitting into the pocket.

Speaking of the insert, I cut mine 3.75"x4.5". I rounded all the corners once again with my corner rounder punch. I also used my rounded tab punch to create a pull tab for the insert.


I tried to focus my All Occasion stamp-a-stack on retiring stamp sets, but I really wanted to make a birthday card. So, I pulled out my not retiring Big Bold Birthday stamp set. I did use the retiring "In My Thoughts" for the birthday message on the insert.

Wanna hear a trick to make whipping up these cards extremely fast? Instead of stamping the frosting, use your circle scallop punch and cut the punch out in half. I sponged the edges to make it look more "real".

Oh well......enough chit chat about this card. I hope you can find the time to try a pocket card. They are especially nice for holiday cards because you can tuck in a smaller photo on the insert card.

I have a ton to do today......Christmas shopping, work on gifts for: teachers, dance instructors, Taekwondo instructor.

Hope you have a wonderful day......until tomorrow.......Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Thanks to my Readers!!!

I want to thank each and every one of my blog readers. Thank you for taking the time to post comments on my projects and telling me stories about your life.

Today's card (which I said I was going to post last night, but forgot to) is another card from my All Occasion stamp-a-stack. This card is called the "all purpose" card. I do not have a sentiment on it. Therefore, it's perfect for just about anything.....get well, sympathy, birthday, thinking of you, anniversary, etc.......

The base card is Perfect Plum stamped with the Fine Lace background stamp in Perfect Plum ink. The focal image is from the "Oh, So Lovely" hostess set. I used my watercolor crayons to color in the berries and leaves. I used my Color Spritzer tool and the Perfect Plum marker to spritz some color over the focal image. It's kinda hard to see, but I used my Crystal Effects on each of the berries for some added gloss and 3D texture. I used my Ticket Corner punch (yes, you NEED to purchase this punch) on both the focal image and it's black mat. The final touch on this card is a band of Pale Plum tied with a length of Eggplant grosgrain ribbon.

So, how is your weekend looking? Ours is pretty tame. We are getting into the family birthday week. We have three birthdays within a matter of 7 days......my brother's, DS's and my niece. Saturday night we are celebrating my brother's birthday. On Sunday, we have friends coming up for an early dinner and to just hang out. We can't wait.....it's been a while since we've been together.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Drive safely if you are out holiday shopping!!!! I will try to post a project over the weekend.

Happy stamping everyone!!!

A Day Spent with Alex

Today is a very special day. Today I am spending the day with my niece Alex. It's our special day to celebrate her 5th birthday. Every year we go shopping for her birthday present and go to lunch. So we ventured out on a snowy morning to Toys R Us. After debating between a fire truck, a Star Wars ship and action figures and High School Musical stuff, she finally decided on the Star Wars ship and figures. We went to Olive Garden for lunch where she feasted on salad, breadsticks, black olives and white noodles (fettucine alfredo). Now, Alex is here playing with a spare keyboard while watching Cars. This picture was taken today while drawing a picture of Jeff Gordon (her favorite race card driver).


I never got a chance to post a card yesterday. So, I have two cards to post today. This is the first one. It's my thank you card design for my All Occasion stamp-a-stack taking place this weekend. I try to keep the designs on the simpler side when I hold a Stamp-a-Stack. When I was a beginner demo, I held a Stamp-a-Stack using the Christmas Cardinals flowers and watercoloring. 'Nuf said.....the stampers wanted my head on a stick. So, lesson learned.....keep these cards on the simple side......but still make them beautiful.

This card uses Double-Line Doodles. It's not my favorite stamp set, but I decided to use it since I haven't picked it up since last year's regionals and the announcement that it is retiring.

The card measures 4.25"x4.25". The base card is Blue Bayou (stamped with the retiring Linen....still in shock over this one) with accents of Not Quite Navy, More Mustard and Ruby Red.

Oh well.....I will post my second card later......I'm off to play with Alex.

Happy stamping everyone!!!

All Occasion Stamp-a-Stack Card #1

On Friday and Saturday, I am holding an "All Occasion Stamp-a-Stack". Each attendee will make 12 cards (3 each of 4 different designs). The themes are birthday, thank you, thinking of you and baby. The project featured today is the baby card. It can also be used as a birthday card for a young child by simply changing the message on the inside of the card.

During my stamp-a-stack, I try to feature the soon-to-be-retiring sets. Hopefully my stamping friends will love the stamp sets as much as I do and purchase them before they are gone for good!!!

The stamp set featured on this card is called Bundle of Joy. I was actually kinda surprised that this set retired. I do not have many baby sets so this one will stay in my personal stash.

If you live in the Twin Cities area and would like to attend my class, kindly email me before Thursday, Dec. 6th.

We had a busy day here......went Christmas shopping at the Mall of America. That's why I am posting so late. The mall wasn't busy at all......but it's snowing like crazy outside!!!!

Until tomorrow...Happy Stamping everyone!!!!

Homemade....From the Heart!!!

Have you ever visited Lauren Meader's (aka MyTime on SCS) blog? If you haven't, you really should take the time to check it out. In addition to having a busy life with three children (one of whom is fighting the big fight against cancer), Lauren posts beautiful projects and tutorials on her blog every day. She is truly an inspiration to us all.

This project was inspired by Lauren. The directions for the acetate box can be found on the link above. I used my beloved retired Snowflake stamp set and some White StazOn to stamp the acetate before assembling (I did cut and score the box according to Lauren's directions prior to stamping). I used my ATG gun to assemble the box but Sticky Strip would also work perfectly.

The tag was created using a scraps of Blue Bayou and Soft Sky (oh, how sad I will be when SU retires these colors on June 30th......they are just so gorgeous). The stamp set is called Holiday Treats, and it is manufactured by Papertrey Ink. I usually do not buy non-SU, but this stamp set has a genre all it's own and SU has nothing like it in the catalog. Anyway, enough of my trying to ease my guilty feelings.

I stamped the image on Whisper White cardstock using Blue Bayou and Soft Sky ink. I sponged the edges with Blue Bayou ink. Using my Dazzling Diamonds and my glue pen, I added some glitz to the snowflake in the center.

Do you wanna know a trick to making tags with even corners? I took a piece of scrap cardstock that was sitting on my stamping desk and cut off the corner with my paper snips. I then used this as a template for my actual tag. It's simply a matter of lining up the top and side edges and snip. Then turn over the template and line up with the other side of my tag and snip!!! The corners match perfectly!!!! Cool, huh?

Okay, here's how I finished the tag. I've been hoarding these snowflake eyelets for YEARS!!! I am learning that I must use my old stuff before I can buy new stuff. I pulled out my Cropodile, punch a 3/8" hole and set that little baby with hardly any effort and noise at all (I just love this tool). I loaded the box with some yummy Ghiradelli chocolates and tied it all up with some white wide organdy ribbon.

Isn't it gorgeous? It's a "Thank You" gift for my Mom's neighbor Nancy. Nancy hemmed DD's dance costume for me. You see, I HATE to sew!!! It's torture for me!!!! Nancy was so kind, and she did the most beautiful job on it.



(here is a close-up of the tag)

On a personal note, the weekend was fabulous. We got hit with a decent snowstorm on Saturday. DH and I were going to the theater to see "A Christmas Carol". It was fabulous!!!!! Tiny Tim and his "God Bless Us, Everyone" is so magical!!!

Yesterday, I went to my first NFL game ever. The MN Vikings kicked butt!!!! It was so much fun!!!! DD was bored out of her mind, but that's because she was so exhausted from the night before.

I have plans to stamp today.......I need to show my soon-to-be-retired stamp sets some love!!!! I hope I have inspired you to make a gift for someone this year!!!!

Until tomorrow......Happy Stamping everyone!!

The Retired List is Out!!!

Did you hear that the list of retired stamp sets from Stampin' Up!'s Fall and Winter Collection catalog is now available for your viewing pleasure? If you want to see the list, it can be found HERE.

There were a few surprises: Linen (what is SU thinking?....don't they know how often I use this background stamp?), Headline alphabet, Letterpress alphabet, It's Snow Time (hey, I love these snowmen), Bundle of Joy.

I have several classes scheduled for this month. I will put on a brave face, design beautiful projects using awesome retiring stamp sets and give them their last moments of deserved glory.

Take a look at the list.....and if you love a retiring stamp set, call your demo today to place your order. If you do not have a demo, feel free to email me. I would LOVE to be your demonstrator. All retired stamp sets are only available until January 1st. So don't delay!!!

It's snowing here in MN.....expecting 6-10 inches total.......of course, it's on the busiest weekend we've had in a LONG time!!!! Oh well, a perfect excuse for finishing the tree.

Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Wintry Snow Scene

The weather forecast is calling for SNOW this weekend here in MN. Of course, it has to fall on our busy weekend. We are going to see "A Christmas Carol"....and getting all dressed up too!!!

In honor of the weekend's forecast, I made this wintry diorama card. Isn't it cool? It's the first one I've ever made. I found the directions HERE.

The back layer of the card is made with Soft Sky. I stamped the evergreen tree from Lovely as a Tree several times using my Blue Bayou ink pad. I added some Dazzling Diamonds for some glitz.

The middle layer is made with some of the Wintergreen DSP. I just received this pack, and I am SO upset with myself that I didn't order it sooner. It is THAT gorgeous!!!! I stamped the snowman (from It's Snow Time), colored him with markers, cut him out and glittered him up as well. I then glued him to the left side of the layer.

The top layer is Blue Bayou cardstock stamped with the snowfall stamp (also from It's Snow Time) using my Whisper White craft ink. I also used my Whisper White craft pad and my sponge to soften the edges of the cardstock. I stamped the sentiment on a scrap of Whisper White and punched with my small oval punch. I colored another cardinal with my markers and added him to the top of the oval. I added some Soft Sky double-stitched ribbon to make it look even prettier.

The best part about this card is that I can leave it up all winter long.....it's not Christmas-y....it's wintry.

I encourage all of you to make your own Diorama cards. It was easy and really fun to make. It's kinda like helping your kids put together a diorama for school......but more fun.....because I get to choose the subject matter and what I want to put in it!!!! LOL!!!!

I hope you have a wonderful day!!!! Until tomorrow.....

Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Frustration

Did you ever order a stamp set and just can't wait until it arrives on your doorstep? Yeah, that was the case with Fabulous Flowers. Then you cut that stamp set.....ink it up....and absolutely HATE everything you made with it. Yeah, once again, the story of Fabulous Flowers.

Guess what? Yesterday, I FINALLY made a card I actually really like with it. I am so psyched!!!

These colors are so pretty together: Regal Rose, Certainly Celery and Barely Banana. I know they are not wintry or Christmas-y (is that a word?), but they were just perfect for the card I had in mind.

I stamped the flower three times in Versamark and used my Pastels with my daubers (Poppin' Pastels technique). I cut out the three flowers (each layer is smaller than the last) and layered them on top of each other with dimensionals. I added some Crystal Ice Stickles for some bling!!!

The base card is Barely Banana. I used my Tres Chic background stamp (this one better not retire) on a layer of Certainly Celery. I sponged the edges and used my Ticket Corner punch (love, love, love this punch). I added two Certainly Celery brads to the top corners. I layered some ribbon....5/8" Regal Rose grosgrain and narrow white organdy (now retired). The flower was then adhered on top of the ribbon. The sentiment is from Fancy Flexible Phrases (was so hoping this set was gonna make it into the Fall & Winter catty....of course, it didn't).

I am so happy that I've jumped this hurdle. Now on to the next quest.....a new stamp set that will drive me completely bonkers until I make something that I love with it.

P.S. Happy Anniversary to my parents.....42 years married. Their anniversary was actually yesterday, but I was feeling too yucky to post anything!!! Love you both!!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Trimming the Tree

Wow! What an extended weekend!! Sorry about not posting, but we spent the weekend putting away our Thanksgiving decorations and "decking the halls".

The house is decorated. The family tree is about 1/3 of the way completed. It takes a long time to put on all those ornaments.

Speaking of ornaments, this is one that I made for my parents over the weekend. I used a round coaster as my base. I covered it with some patterned paper from the Petals and Paisley DSP pack (at least I think that's what it is called). I sponged around the edges with some Tempting Turquoise ink.

I also pulled out some ribbon from the Flirty pack that was in last year's Spring mini.

This adorable penguin comes from the Elzybells line of stamps. My mom ADORES penguins. She is stamped with Black StazOn ink on watercolor paper. I used a combination of Watercolor Wonder Crayons and my ink pads to watercolor. The image was punched using my SU scallop circle punch. I pierced a hole in each scallop and lightly sponged with Tempting Turquoise ink.

Did you know that you can punch two round tab punches and glue them together to make a perfect size circle for mounting a scallop circle punch on? Cool, huh? That's exactly what I did to make the So Saffron circle sitting behind the penguin.

Finally, I used my Cropodile to punch a hole in the top and string some elastic silver cord to complete this ornament.

I am really happy with the final result. I now have to make one for our family tree.

DD shared her whopper of a cold with me.....so I am feeling pretty miserable today. I will try to stamp something if I feel like moving from DH's recliner.

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving my friends! I am so thankful for my family, my health and our happiness.

I know this card is not a Thanksgiving card, but he is a symbol of something I look forward to every Thanksgiving. It's our tradition to start putting up the tree during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I love to see the balloons, the Broadway performers and most of all, seeing Santa. He is the inspiration for this card.

I have been looking for a Santa image like this one for a LONG time. Kelly Sampson (aka emmiestamps) made a card with this Santa from Stamp Francisco. It was meant to be......he had to be mine.

I will put all the details in about this card later.....the parade is on in 5 minutes. I must not be late.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!!!

Wow, I just can't believe that Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I guess it's just a reality check that I seriously need to get my butt in gear. Christmas will be here before you know it.

So, what's on your agenda for the day? I already got my nails done, and now, I need to bake two apple pies. My parents are hosting Thanksgiving this year......okay, they host Thanksgiving EVERY year!!! I'm in charge of Christmas dinner.

Anyway, this is the card I designed for today. I know.....it has NOTHING to do with Thanksgiving. Hey, I know. It's reminiscent of my apple pies. Red and greed......yeah, I know....I'm grasping!!!

I have a bunch of pre-cut card kits in a bin in my Stamping Studio. Rather than sitting there collecting dust, I pulled one of them out. In the way of Tim Gunn from "Project Runway".......make it work!!!!

The images are from my new Hostess Level 3 stamp set, Time Well Spent. They are simply stamped in Basic Black on Whisper White cardstock. I took my black SU marker and drew some flight patterns. I sponged the edges with Certainly Celery ink and added some Dazzling Diamonds. This is mounted on a mat of basic black. Both layers are punched with my handy old Ticket Corner punch.

The main layer is Real Red stamped with various flower images from the stamp set in Real Red ink. The corners are also punched with the Ticket Corner punch. I added a strip of Certainly Celery (after distressing the edges a bit) designer series paper from that little 6x6 pack I bought eons ago. I added two black gingham ribbons to add some "pop",

The sentiment is from "Short and Sweet". I punched it out with my Word Window punch.

I think it came out pretty cute.....no coloring of any kind.....that's a big stretch for me!!! You know me, I love to color!!!

I hope everyone has a peaceful (I know, impossible......my kids are home too) Thanksgiving eve. I have a gorgeous card to post for tomorrow. It's in honor of the "big guy" who always makes his appearance at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade (no, I am not referring to Al Roker.....but good guess).

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Wanna See an Early Christmas Present?

Stampin' Up! sent each of it's demonstrators (who were active as of Oct. 31st) a FREE stamp set. It's called "Time Well Spent", and it is actually a Level 3 Hostess Set that will be available in the brand new Spring and Summer Collection catalog. So even if you're not currently a demonstrator, you will have the chance to earn this stamp set too. It's easy!!! Book a party of your very own!!!

When I first saw this set, I immediately thought of the Crayon Resist technique. Crayon resist is so simple....yet it makes such a statement. You MUST use glossy paper. I stamped my images randomly on the glossy cardstock with Black StazOn. Use a white or other light colored crayon and highlight the areas where you want to resist the color. I then use my sponge daubers and swirl on some ink. I start with the lightest color (in this case, Green Galore) and then ended with Tempting Turquoise. Where the two colors meet makes a really pretty shade of brighter green.

I stamped a band of Tempting Turquoise with one of the sentiments from the same stamp set. I colored in the word "friends" and the two flowers with my white gel pen. I faux stitched along the top and bottom edge. A white grosgrain ribbon knot adorns the top right corner. I added some photo corner punches (with some white gel pen detail) in the top left and bottom right corners.

This was such a fun card to make!! Well, I am off to do some Christmas shopping. The kids are home the rest of this week.

Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Happy Birthday Andrea!!

Today is my sister-in-law, Andrea's, birthday. Once again she is celebrating the anniversary of her 29th birthday. Happy Birthday Andrea!!!

Andrea loves all the warm tones found in the Earth Elements family. So, I knew exactly where to start with her card......a beautiful patterned paper from the Apple Cider collection (found in the Holiday Mini). I punched the corners with my Ticket Corner punch and sponged with Close to Cocoa ink.

I used my True Friend set for the focal image. I used my markers to color in the image (Really Rust, Choc Chip and Old Olive). Remember to "huff" on the stamp to re-moisten the ink before stamping. I placed a More Mustard brad in the center of the flower. My customers know that I can't finish a card without sponging, so I sponged the edges with my Close to Cocoa ink. The focal image is mounted on a Choc Chip mat.

The sentiment, from Holidays and Wishes stamp set, is stamped on a band of River Rock (also sponged with Close to Cocoa).

I rarely make more than one of each card (with the exception of the Christmas cards). I actually made THREE of this card......just using different sentiments!!! I'm trying to be good......to use my patterned paper and not just hoard it!! I actually almost used a full sheet of this paper.....SHOCKER!!!!

On a personal note, we went to a MN Wild game last night. It was the first hockey game ever for DD and myself. It was SO exciting......constant action!!! The kids woke up kinda tired today since we had a busy evening. Only two days of school this week. Then we're off baking pies and getting ready to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while decorating the tree.

Here's wishing you a happy Monday.......until tomorrow, Happy Stamping Everyone!!!

What Inspires You?

There are so many places we can find inspiration for the projects we create. This card was inspired by a project made by Lauraly in this month's Dirty Dozen Fan Club Gallery. Her project was a decorated wooden box. If you have not joined the Splitcoast Fan Club, I really urge you to do so. This group of VERY talented ladies create and share their projects based on a number of themes and/or materials.

The focal image on this card starts with some Creamy Caramel cardstock. I stamped the pine boughs with Always Artichoke classic ink. The pine cones are stamped with Close to Cocoa craft ink and embossed with Irridescent Ice embossing powder. The berries are inked in Bravo Burgandy craft ink and embossed with Clear embossing powder. I used my white gel pen to add the highlights on the berries. I used my Ticket Corner punch on the corners, sponged the edges with Close to Cocoa ink and tied a knot with some Always Artichoke grosgrain ribbon.

The Bravo Burgandy base card is stamped with my Weathered BG stamp in Bravo Burgandy ink. A band of Always Artichoke (also sponged with Always Artichoke ink) is paper pierced along both long edges. The sentiment (from Holidays & Wishes) is stamped with Versamark and embossed with Gold embossing powder.

It's cold and wet here....currently a rain and snow mix. Ugh!!!! A perfect day to stay in jammies (bummer, already got showered and dressed before it started precipitating), watch football and eat yummy snacks!!!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend......Happy Stamping everyone!!!

It's All in the Presentation

I love the Food Network. I can't remember how many times I have heard the phrase "It's all in the presentation". Add some chopped parsley to your plate, squeeze some chocolate sauce onto your cheesecake, etc...

We can apply the same thought process to our giftgiving. This is especially easy if you are a stamper. We automatically "think outside the box". For example, I was at Michael's last week and found this adorable penguin tin. I knew that I could dress it up with some patterned papers and some adorable penguin stamps. I just simply need to fill this tin with some peppermint sticks and homemade cocoa mix. I have a beautiful homemade gift.

I used my Dashing pattern paper to cover the tin. It reminded me of the peppermint sticks that are going to be part of this gift. I made a belly band of Old Olive (sponged with Old Olive and added some line work with my white gel pen).

The adorable penguin (from Jessica Lynn Original stamp company) was stamped in Basic Black ink on Whisper White cardstock. I used my aquapainters and the lids of my ink pads to watercolor him. For some added bling, I used my Stickles on the white stripes of the candy cane. I also used some Liquid Applique to simulate some fuzzy fur on his cap).

I used my Marvy scallop punches to punch out the penguin and the mat. I used my paper piercing tool to pierce holes in each of the scallops on the red one.

So what are your plans for the weekend before Thanksgiving? Ours is pretty busy (as usual). I have a workshop this afternoon (all prepped though so I just need to pack). Tomorrow I am going to my first hockey game ever. I'll let you know what I think!!!

Enjoy your Saturday.......Happy Stamping everyone!

Holiday Treasures

What are your holiday treasures? They don't have to be anything pricey, they are just holiday "things" that hold a special place in your heart. One of my holiday treasures is my collection of Hallmark ornaments. They adorn the family tree each year, and I look forward to opening each of the boxes (okay, not all, DH's golden Elvis is really kinda scary) a few days after Thanksgiving.

I purchased this particular Elzybell stamp because it reminded me of one of my beloved Hallmark ornaments. My mother-in-law gave it to me. He is just SO cute sleeping there peacefully in a red-flocked Santa hat.

I first stamped the mouse/cap with Black StazOn ink on watercolor paper. I colored the mouse in with Creamy Caramel reinkers using my beloved aquapainter. I just layered the color until I got the amount of shadow and highlights I needed. I did the same with the cap using my Real Red reinker. The fur on the cap is heated Liquid Applique with some Dazzling Diamonds sprinkled on before heating.

I then stamped the pine branches (from Peaceful Wishes) to make it look like he was sleeping under the tree. Mr. Mouse kinda looked like he was floating in mid air. So, I decided to draw in a snowflake tree skirt. I used my aquapainter and Brocade Blue watercolor wonder crayons. Once I got the color and shadowing I wanted, I went in with one of my $1 Michael's snowflake stamps and my Brocade Blue ink pad to stamp a pattern on the tree skirt.

I finished up the image with a sponging of So Saffron to give it a "glow" from the lights.

The basecard is Brocade Blue. I embossed a piece of Bashful Blue cardstock with my snowflakes Cuttblebug embossing folder. I then cut this piece into three equal pieces. I sponged with my Whisper White craft pad to accentuate the snowflakes.

I still felt that it needed something, so I added a small red bow in the corner.

I think I may frame this one and make it a new holiday treasure.

So, now it's your turn......what is your holiday treasure? Leave me a comment....I would love to hear about it!!!

Until tomorrow.....Happy Stamping everyone!!

I am really happy with the way it turned out!!!

A Perfect Gift for......

I always have a hard time figuring out what to give the teachers (esp. since the kids are in middle/high school....all those teachers), bus drivers, dance teacher, taekwondo teacher, etc..... I think I have found this year's "go to" gift. The packaging makes it look so special.

I bought these tins from Papertrey ink. They hold 12 Hershey Nuggets so perfectly. Who doesn't love chocolate?

Each of the candies are wrapped with a mailing label that I brayered with Bashful Blue ink. I randomly stamped with a snowflake stamp from "Holiday Tag Team" using Chocolate Chip classic ink.

The belly band for the tin is made using both Bashful Blue (stamped with my jumbo Bold Snowflake wheel and a Bashful Blue ink cartridge) and Chocolate Chip cardstock. I sponged the edges with Close to Cocoa ink and tied a knot with the 5/8" chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon.

The greeting is made with the "Circle of Friendship" stamp set. I stamped the Holiday Hello message with Chocolate Chip ink on Very Vanilla and Bashful Blue. Using my 1/2" circle punch, punch the center out of the sentiment stamped on the Bashful Blue cardstock. Adhere this circle to the Very Vanilla circle (which was punched out using the 1" circle punch). Mount all of this on a 1 1/4" circle punched from Choc Chip cardstock. Punch a hole in the top with the 1/8" handheld circle punch and tie to the chocolate chip ribbon with a piece of silver elastic cord.

That's all there is to it.....a perfect gift for the people who make a difference in the life of my children!!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!

An Ode to the Old Neighborhood!

If anyone from the old neighborhood in NY is reading this blog, this card is dedicated to you!! We definitely had a party neighborhood. It was so much fun to live there!!!

I love this little penguin who had a little too much holiday cheer. I got him from Jessica Lynn Original stamps. The stamp set name is "Penguin Brothers Celebrating the Holiday". Check her stuff out....she has some really nice designs. I even gave him really blushy cheeks to show that he's had one too many...LOL! I wrote the saying myself using one of my too many downloaded computer fonts.

It says: "One martini.....good! Two martinis...Nice!! Three martinis.....Great!!! Four martinis.....ICE!!!!". Cute huh? I was quite proud of myself!!!

Anyway, on to the "deets" of this card. The card measures 4.25"x4.25". The basecard is Blue Bayou, followed by Whisper White which is then followed by Soft Sky. The soft sky layer is stamped with the snowflake stamp which comes with the set in Soft Sky ink.

I stamped Tipsy the Penguin (yes, I named my stamp) in Basic Black ink on Whisper White cardstock. I colored him using a combination of Watercolor Wonder crayons, ink refills and markers (for the blush of the cheek). I used my Stardust gellyroll pen to color in the martini. I punched him out with the SU Scallop Circle punch. I sponged the edges with Blue Bayou ink and added some holes using my paper piercing tool. I then mounted Tipsy on a circle cut with my Coluzzle (which was then heavily sponged with Whisper White craft ink). I added a little knot of Blue Bayou double-stitched grosgrain ribbon to make him look extra special.

The saying was printed on vellum cardstock. I mounted it over my Soft Sky layer. I used a photo corner (punched using the SU photo corner punch) to hide any adhesive marks. Another photo corner is placed in the opposite corner to balance the card.

To all my old neighbors from NY, this one's for you. We miss you SO much!!!

Until tomorrow....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Holiday Giftables Stamp Camp Projects

I am holding my first gift class of the season this Friday. The class is called Holiday Giftables Stamp Camp. I am holding two session: 1pm and 7pm.

We are making four projects: a snowman globe ornament, a Holiday Memories mini album perfect for photos and/or journaling, a decorated candy tin filled with chocolate and a beautiful gold embossed candle.

It's unbelievable to see some houses in the neighborhood with their Christmas lights on all ready. The Mall of America has already celebrated the arrival of Santa. Wow, I just really need to realize that the holiday season is truly here!!!

Have you started your holiday shopping? I have some things, but not even close to being finished. My Christmas cards aren't even started yet. I guess I should start designing them, huh?

Oh well, I'm off to finish some laundry......until tomorrow!

Happy Stamping everyone!

What a Day!

During my last post, I mentioned that I was going to a HUGE craft fair with my Mom, sister-in-law and DD. It took us 5 hours to get through this craft fair. I bought some beautiful things there.....not many Christmas items this time. I bought some T'giving, snowmen and Easter (believe it or not).

Anyway, I'm tired!! DD is tired!! So, I'm pretty much parked on the couch with my laptop in my lap catching up on all my favorite blogs.

I wanted to post another project that we will be making at my Holiday Giftables Stamp Camp this Friday. This is my Holiday Memories album. I created it with some chipboard coasters and my Bind It All.

Santa looks like he is dancing, doesn't he? He is from the Holiday Tag Team stamp set. I must admit that the little snowman is my favorite stamp from that set, but I do tend to use this Santa an awful lot too!!! The picture doesn't truly show how sparkly he is.

If you are interested in taking this class, please send me an email via the link a little bit under my picture. I live near the Twin Cities!!! I would love to have you join us!!

Tomorrow is football day (have I ever mentioned that I am leading the family in the number of correct picks this season), but I do plan on some stamping. I have a couple of orders for the "countdown to Christmas" calendar kits that I need to get ready for shipment.

Until tomorrow.....Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Gobble, Gobble!

I've been looking for a cute line image turkey for a while now. This little guy sure fits the bill! He is a clear acrylic stamp from Jessica Lynn Original stamps (she's got some really cute stuff....I encourage you to check them out). His name is Tom Turkey, and he was so much fun to watercolor.

As always, I use my watercolor paper when I want to watercolor (that sounds redundant, but it's a MUST). I used my aquapainter and reinkers to color him in. His body is Creamy Caramel, and his feathers are Ruby Red, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie and Really Rust (with a little bit of Close to Cocoa to show some extra variation from the Pumpkin Pie). His top hat is Old Olive with some More Mustard and Stardust Gelly Roll pen on his buckle. Mr. Tom Turkey is sponged with Close to Cocoa ink and some doodles were added with my Close to Cocoa marker. His corners are punched with my all time favorite Ticket Corner punch. I matted him on some Ruby Red and added two Old Olive brads to the top two corners. I added some 1/4" chocolate grosgrain ribbon for a final touch, and he is dressed in his Thanksgiving best.

My More Mustard layer was dry embossed with one of my unopened Cuttlebug templates that were sitting there lonely in a drawer. I also sponged the edges of this layer with Close to Cocoa. The rest of the card is pretty self explanatory (Choc Chip basecard and an Old Olive band).

Well, what do you think of my card?

I'm off to bed soon....need to get up early for the big craft fair tomorrow.

Happy Stamping everyone!

Holiday Giftables Class - Sneak Peek

Here is one of four projects we will be making at next Friday's (November 16th) Holiday Giftables Stamp Camp. This is an elegant gold embossed candle. Although I designed it for the holidays, it can proudly be displayed all year round. We all need "Peaceful Wishes" each and every day of the year.

If you live near the Twin Cities and want more information about this class, please email me. The link can be found a little below my picture.

I will try to post over the weekend. I am heading to a HUGE craft fair with my Mom, sister-in-law and DD tomorrow. We will be there for hours....told you it was huge.

Happy Stamping everyone!!!

A Card for Andrea

I only have a few family cards to make during the month of November. One of those celebrations is my sister-in-law Andrea's birthday. I never had a sister growing up, but now I do!! I'm not sure which card I am going to give her yet. This is the first card I made.

Andrea loves all the warm tones, so I naturally went to the Earth Elements palette. The base card is Creamy Caramel. The focal image is stamped with the Bud Basics stamp set on Very Vanilla cardstock. I used Ruby Red (stamped off...sometimes once...sometimes twice), More Mustard and Old Olive. I overstamped with my Canvas background stamp in Creamy Caramel ink. I sponged with Close to Cocoa ink (my absolute favorite ink to sponge with). I colored in the center of the flowers with my Stardust Gelly Roll pen for some sparkle. I punched the corners with my Ticket Corner punch and matted it on Ruby Red. I placed two More Mustard brads in the top two corners of the Ruby Red mat.

The band across the card is stamped with my new Wonderful Favorites stamp set. I loved this stamp set when I first saw it. I admit the price prevented me from buying it right away, but there really is no other stamp set like it. Where can I get a stamp set that covers all the bases for any kind of person you need to make a card for. That's what made me purchase this stamp set.....and I am SO glad I did!!! Anyway, back to the card. The band is made out of More Mustard cardstock. I used my fingernail to distress the edges of the card. I then sponged it with Close to Cocoa. I used my retired 1/4" chocolate grosgrain ribbon to tie two knots.

So, what do you think? I still want to make a few more cards and pick the best out of the lot.

Happy Stamping everyone!!

Two Challenges - One Card

I am totally avoiding cleaning my son's shower. How do I do that? I play the Splitcoast challenges. This card encompasses two of this week's challenge....the technique challenge (make a horizontal pocket card) and the color challenge (Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi and Ruby Red).

This card was not an easy one. Heck, I'm not even sure I really like it. The insert is too small for a picture, but I guess you could put a wallet sized picture tucked behind the focal image. HEY!!! I have a great idea......honey, are you reading this blog. That little insert is the PERFECT size for a key to that brand new Honda Pilot I've been hinting at for the past 6 months. Yes, that is a great idea if I do say so myself. I knew there had to be a reason for making such a small insert card (besides the fact that anything larger looked completely ridiculous).

Here are the "deets" on the card my husband is going to give me with the key to my brand new Dark Cherry colored Honda Pilot (I'm on a caffeine high....just let me dream for a minute, ok?).

The base card is Soft Sky. I didn't have any patterned paper with Ruby Red so I had the brilliant idea (NOT!!!) of making my own with a strip of cardstock and doodling with my white gel pen. The focal image is stamped in Wild Wasabi on Whisper White cardstock. I used my circle punches (1/2" and 3/4") to highlight the snowflake in "joy". I added some Ruby Red brads for the centers of the three flowers. I used two silver brads to keep the horizontal pocket in place. The little card (you know, the one that will hold the key) is made with Wild Wasabi cardstock. The corners are rounded, and I made the little pull tabs with both the circle punches mentioned above.

I just wanted to show you the project that Dennis has been working on for the past week or so. He is tiling the backsplash of our kitchen. He has all the tile up, but we still need to grout this weekend. I LOVE how it turned out. The backsplash is Turkish tumbled tile with a decorative placed every once in a while.

I will show a pic of the whole kitchen once the grouting is done.

Happy Stamping everyone!!

My Challenge: Play With Those Retired Sets

Good morning stampers!! I am taking charge today and giving each of you a challenge. Pull out a retired stamp set and play with it. Show it that it still holds a special place in your heart. This is actually the first time that I am playing with SU's retired Button Bear. I actually just purchased him at a Used Stamp Sale I went to recently. He is an old SU set that is mounted on foam rather than wood blocks.

This card is for my DD. She was on her class trip to Washington D.C., and I wanted to make her something to tell her how much we missed her. She loves her Build-a-Bears so this just seemed like a natural choice for her.

The bear is stamped in Timber Brown StazOn on watercolor paper. I used my aquapainter and reinkers to color him in. The colors used are: Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa and Pixie Pink. He is sponged with some Close to Cocoa ink, and I added some linework with my Close to Cocoa marker.

I am so loving the Tres Chic background stamp. It's just what this card needed. The basecard is Chocolate Chip with the Pretty in Pink layer (stamped with the Tres Chic in Close to Cocoa). The corners are punched with the Ticket Corner punch (how did I ever make a card in the past without this little baby?) and sponged with Close to Cocoa ink.

The 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain and a vanilla button add the finishing touches to this card.

Amanda loved her card......she was happier to be home in her own bed!!! We're just happy to have her home with us!!!

So, please consider taking my challenge. Dust off a retired stamp set and make a beauty of your very own.......

Happy Stamping everyone!

Vintage Sunflowers

Due to the Thanksgiving holidays, I am moving my Technique Class to earlier in the month. This class will be offered in two sessions this Friday: 1:00pm and 7:00pm. The techniques being taught this month are Cracked Glass and Poppin' Pastels. During the class, we make reminder cards so you can recreate the same results at home. Finally, at the end of the class, we will make this card.

Isn't it elegant? I just love how it came out....even better than I envisioned. The sunflower focal image is created using the Poppin' Pastels technique. I then used the Cracked Glass technique to make it look old and worn.

If you live near the Twin Cities area, you are more than welcome to attend my class. Just email me (link can be found a little under my picture) if you want more information!!!

It's gonna be a cold one here in MN today. The high is only going to be 38........can we all say "BBBBBbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr". It actually snowed yesterday for the first time......nothing stuck, but it was still snowing!!!!

I have another gorgeous card all ready for tomorrow.....until then.......

Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Isn't this SO Cute?

My LSS had a used stamp sale a few weeks ago. I actually went in to pick up the Changito stamps that I had ordered, but I couldn't resist a bargain. So, I started checking out some of the stamps on the table. I found this adorable reindeer stamp and knew he HAD to be mine (especially since he only cost $3.00). All I know is that he is made by Great Impressions....there is no year of production on it.

I pulled out my watercolor paper and got to work. He is colored with my aquapainter and reinkers. Rudolph is colored with both Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa. I added some Pretty in Pink to blush his cheeks and color his ears. The sparkly nose is courtesy of my Stickles. The snowball is colored with Bashful Blue and Brocade Blue. I used another Stickles for the added glitz. He is mounted on a scallop circle that I made with my Corner Rounder punch

The basecard is Ballet Blue stamped with the new Let it Snow wheel from the Holiday Mini (using my Ballet Blue jumbo cartridge). I sponged with my Whisper White craft pad to soften the card up a bit. I added a Bashful Blue layer stamped with the Canvas BG stamp (using Bashful Blue ink and sponging with Ballet Blue ink). I added a double layer of ribbon.....5/8" real red grosgrain and white taffeta. I also tied some 1/4" real red ribbon inside the card and laying against the fold.

I think he came out adorable.....like I said, I couldn't resist that amount of cuteness for that cheap of a price!!!!

I have a GORGEOUS card ready to show you tomorrow.....it's for my Technique class on Friday!!! Until then.....

Happy Stamping everyone!!

My New Venture

I am proud to announce that I will be offering some of my classes as a "Stamp By Mail" offering for those of you who love my projects but live too far away to attend here at my stamping studio in MN.

My first "Stamps by Mail" class is this "Countdown to Christmas" calendar. I will be offering different class kit options:

Option #1 - Kit includes: Punched cookie tin, pre-cut patterned paper, cardstock, ribbon. Accessories include: 3 build-a-brads, roll of Sticky Strip, chipboard and magnets. Please note that stamp sets used (Season of Joy, Letterpress Alphabet and Quirky numbers) are NOT included in price of kit. If you do not own these stamp sets (especially Quirky numbers as it is a retired set), I can add the non-retired stamp sets to your order for an additional cost or you can use any stamp sets that you currently own and are about the same size. Full instructions will be included with all kits. Price for Option #1 kit is $25.00 plus shipping.

Option #2 - Kit includes: Punched cookie tin, pre-cut patterned paper, cardstock, ribbon. Accessories include: 3 build-a-brads, roll of Sticky Strip, chipboard and magnets. For this option I will stamp and sponge all the pieces for you. You will need to assemble the countdown calendar yourself. Full instructions will be included with all kits. Price for Option #2 kit is $30.00 plus shipping.

On November 15th, Option #3 will be made available to you. For the price of $35.00 plus shipping, a fully assembled Countdown to Christmas calendar will be available for purchase. Please do not send any inquiries about Option #3 until November 15th. I will re-post this option on November 15th.

Here are some details about the "Countdown to Christmas" calendar..........

dimensions: 12" x 19"

the numbers are embossed in beautiful white embossing powder

how it works: you place the "ornament" over the current day in the month of December. It is all held with magnets so it is strong and gorgeous at the same time!!!

There are also three magnetized build-a-brads stamped and glittered. They can be placed anywhere on the Countdown Calendar. I just placed them here for some visual interest.

Please note that kits need to be pre-ordered. In order to comply with Stampin' Up!'s "no cash & carry" policy, I will place my order for your supplies with Stampin' Up! after your pre-order is placed. Therefore, you should receive your package from me about 2 weeks after placing your pre-order. Thanks for your understanding!!!

If you are interested in purchasing my "Countdown to Christmas" stamping kits, please send me an email. You can find a link under my picture........

Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Our Halloween Costumes

Well, aren't we the devilish couple? Dennis went as Hellvis......notice how he HAD to pose with the Elvis snarl!!! The original plan was for me to go as an angel. I then went through the costume bin and found DD's old devil girl wig. I HAD AN IDEA!!! I went as an angel who couldn't make up her mind if she wanted to be good or bad.

So, this is how we answered the door.....with strobe lights, fog machines, spooky music, hanging plastic rats, spiders and cob webs. Yes, we are the Halloween freaks of the neighborhood. We are also the favorite house on the block (the kids tell us that....I'm not making it up)!!!


Anyway, I just wanted to show you what we looked like.

I hope everyone had a GREAT Halloween!!!

Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Play the Color Challenge

Remember how we loved to play games when we were kids? We still can.....they are called stamping challenges over at Splitcoast. Tuesday's challenge is always the Color Challenge, and boy, today's was a bright one. The challenge is to make a card using Tempting Turquoise, Real Red and So Saffron.

I decided to make a "guy" card with these colors. The basecard is stamped with my Sanded background stamp. I used my "Just Baseball" set to stamp the cap and ball images on the So Saffron layer with So Saffron ink. I sponged around the edges with some Creamy Caramel to soften it up a bit.

This layer is then mounted on some Real Red. I added some 5/8" Real Red grosgrain ribbon and the sentiment from "Hugs & Wishes". I set some red eyelets with my Cropodile, drew some doodled linework and tied some 1/4" real red grosgrain.

I hope this inspires you to make a card inspired by Superman's costume..........LOL!!!

Happy Stamping everyone!!!

Happy Birthday Honey!!

It's rare for me to use something other than Stampin' Up!, but this Changito Safari monkey was just calling my name. I {heart} monkeys!!! So, I ordered him from a local stamp store.

I made this card for my husband's 40th birthday because he still drives me bananas after all these years.

The card measures 5"x5", and it is made out of Chocolate Chip cardstock. The monkey is stamped in the center of Whisper White cardstock. I just started layering fronds all over the edges of my cardstock using my Wild Wasabi ink pad. The monkey is colored in with SU markers (Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa). I used a sponge and my Wild Wasabi ink pad to tone down all the white.

The band is made with Barely Banana sponged with Close to Cocoa ink. I added some linework with my Close to Cocoa marker. The finishing touches were the use of my Ticket Corner punch and some copper brads.

I got this sentiment from a Hero Arts class I took at CKU Boston in 2004. I'm not even sure if they still make it anymore, but it was the perfect sentiment because my hubby makes me happy EVERY day!!!

I'll have a new project tomorrow.....Stampin' Up! products this time.....I promise!!!

Happy Stamping everyone!!!!