Inkspiration by Dawn

Back from Leadership

2012-01-23T07:31:00.001-08:00

Hi Stampers,

Well I am back from last week's great time of stamping, fun and friends in San Antonio. I had a great time at Stampin' Up's annual Leadership Conference and Regional events. What is Leadership? Well, it's a gathering of demonstrators who qualify to attend by their business growth and those in their downline as well (those who have signed up to be demonstrators under them). We attended some great classes including "Why Women Buy" with Carrie Cudney, "Including a New Generation in Your Stamping Business" with Amy Swartz & Paula Critchlow and "Retaining & Engaging Your Downline" with Donna Griffith. Leadership also means stamping and today's card is one of the Make & Takes we did - I did mine in advance because I was chosen to be a helper during Make & Takes which was another fun experience as well.

This card uses the new Mixed Bunch stamp set from the Occasions Mini Catalog stamped in Daffodil Delight on Whisper White, in Lucky Limeade on Lucky Limeade cardstock and in Poppy Parade on Poppy Parade cardstock on the "rickrack" piece. That piece is made by using the Scallop Border punch and then putting the cardstock back on the opposite side and offsetting the scallops - a cool technique. The two Whisper White flowers use the new Blossom Punch and then I cut the petals on one for a different look. The light yellow flower is a part of the Blossom Builders Designer Printed Kit which also coordinates with the stamp set. The Thanks is from the Kind Thanks stamp in Thank You Kindly - you stamp it and cut out the part you need. We actually made two of this card and donated one to Ronald McDonald House, which is one of the organizations Stampin' Up supports.

Want to join us at our next fun Stampin' Up event? Ask me how you can join my Stampin' Up team during Sale-a-bration - it starts tomorrow and get not only the Starter Kit for $125 but either a FREE package of Designer Series Paper or a FREE Digital Download every month for the rest of the year!

Keep Stamping,

Dawn Dickinson
Elmhurst, IL

Happy New Year!

2012-01-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Stampers,

Hope that all of you are enjoying 2012 so far. Sorry not to have posted recently, but we took a family vacation to Orlando after Christmas and just returned - the weather in Chicago since we came back is almost the same as it was in Florida - what a strange winter it's been here! Of course now today those 50 degree days are over and it's been snowing all day but they were nice while they lasted - but it is January in Chicago so we expect snow.

Today's share is a card I made for a bridal shower I recently attended and it uses several new products from the new Occasions Mini Catalog. The wedding colors are Eggplant and Silver (I know because I created the invitations - with lots of help from the wedding party). I'll share those another time.

This is a note card size card - 3.5X5 which come prescored and with envelopes in Whisper White. I took a strip of Elegant Eggplant and ran it through one of the new Textured Impressions Embossing Folders - you get three different designs - this one is hearts and they are about the size of 1/3 of a regular embossing folder - great for adding a little something to a card.

The hearts are from a new stamp set from the Mini Catalog called Take it to Heart and are stamped with Versamark ink on Elegant Eggplant and heat embossed with Silver Embossing Powder. This particular heart is the perfect size for the Heart punch so I punched them out and attached them with Dimensionals. I added a sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes - definitely a set everyone should have - it has greetings for every occasion and holiday - it's stamped in Elegant Eggplant and punched with the Modern Label punch. I added some Rhinestones for bling on the sentiment and the card is done.

Hope you have time to stamp more in the 2012! If you're in Chicago, have fun in the snow! And congrats to Matt & Amy the happy couple!

Keep Stamping,

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2011-12-25T17:11:00.000-08:00

Hi Stampers,

Hope that you are all enjoying a wonderful day with family and friends celebrating Christmas! We have certainly had a good time with our family and eaten way too much food!

I have another Christmas project to share with you today - a card that I designed this year using the Bright Hopes set. First I used the Big Shot to cut two circles - one in Naturals Ivory with the 3" Circle die and one in Cherry Cobbler with the 3.5" circle die which I also ran through the Big Shot with the Snowburst Embossing Folder.

I stamped the Christmas tree with Garden Green Craft ink and heat embossed it with Clear Embossing Powder and attached it to the Cherry Cobbler circle. I also stamped the snowflake from the Bright Hopes set in Garden Green on the Crumb Cake card and attached that to a piece of Garden Green 1/4" sheet cardstock. The Merry Christmas banner is made with the banner from the Petal Cone Big Shot Die, which I trimmed to the right size after stamping Merry Christmas (also from Bright Hopes) in Cherry Cobbler. I added some Rhinestone bling in the center of the the tree and on the end of the Merry Christmas tag.

I hope that you all have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Keep Stamping,

Ho, Ho, Ho

2011-12-18T14:12:00.000-08:00

Hi Stampers,

Well we're heading into the homestretch for this year's Christmas preparations. Just have to make some cookies and we're ready here at the Dickinson house.

Today I thought I'd share something I made for a very nice frame I received a few years ago at our Demonstrator Christmas party. This is a frame with 3 4X6" openings and the person who made it for me (thanks Laura F) gave me 4 sets of pictures for it. After seeing something at one of our demo meetings from Pam H, I decided to make a new Christmas set of projects using the Red and Silver Glimmer paper and several Big Shot dies.

This project was really quick - I cut out 3 sets of the ho ho ho letters using the Simple Alphabet dies out of Silver Glimmer paper and attached them to 3 pieces of Red Glimmer paper. I used the Stocking Accents die for the Candy Cane - I cut one Candy Cane from each color of Glimmer paper and then cut one apart and paper pieced it Red & Silver. The Santa on the bottom is made up of punches - you can see which ones in this post where I made some tags.

Hope that everyone has a fantastic Christmas! Can't wait to spend time with the family this weekend!

Keep Stamping,

Is your shopping done?

2011-12-15T19:03:00.000-08:00

Hi Stampers,

Well it's now 10 days until Christmas - is your shopping done? Mine is getting there but there's always something extra to buy. Stampin' Up has added lots of items to the clearance rack - you can shop there from my website - lots of punches accessories and other fun stamping goodies - check it out today! Click on the Clearance Rack icon on the right or my Shop Online website icon to Shop Now!

Today I thought I'd share another of the projects from my Holiday Stamp Camp. I got this idea from Stampin' Connection - our demonstrator only website that is full of great projects! This one is a candy bar cover. The colors are Real Red, Whisper White and Basic Black. I measured the size of the candy bar by using copy paper to get the correct size and then scored it in the middle to wrap around the candy bar. A piece of Whisper White torn down each side and then accented with three buttons punched with the 1/2" punch. The belt buckle is made by using both Tag Punches - you punch the smaller one first and then the larger one around that - here I used Silver Glitter paper for some sparkle and then a piece of Basic Black for his belt and a piece of Black Grosgrain around the candy bar so you can pull it out easier.

Hope you like this simple idea for a gift!

Keep Stamping,

More for Christmas...

2011-12-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hi Stampers,

Well since it is that Christmas times of year even though we haven't had very much snow yet, I thought it was time for some more Christmas projects.

Today's project uses the Stocking Die for the Big Shot and the really cute Frostwood Lodge DSP. I like this DSP because it just feels like a cabin in a plaid, flannel, cozy kind of way.

I used the stocking die to cut 2 stockings from Cherry Cobbler cardstock and then put the front stocking through the Houndstooth Embossing Folder. Then I used the stocking die with Frostwood Lodge DSP for the cuff, toe and heel of the stocking. The Merry Christmas is stamped in Cherry Cobbler and then I sponged Garden Green around the outside and rounded the corners. The holly is from the Stocking Accents die and I used the crimper for the holly leaves. The gift card goes into the top of the stocking after you attach the two stockings together.

Remember that the Stocking die and Frostwood Lodge DSP are only available for a few more weeks so order yours today!

Keep Stamping,

Recyling Pop Cans

2011-12-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

Hi Stampers,

Well it finally feels like Christmas here at the Dickinson house - the tree is up and decorated (and more strings of lights have been replaced on the pre-lit tree) and the Christmas music and videos have been moved up to the Living Room so we can listen and watch our favorites.

This weekend I held a class called "Last Minute Gifts" and we had a great time creating a whole bunch of projects. The one I'm sharing first is one I first made last year and is a "green" project too. They are snowflake ornaments made with Diet Coke cans. First of course we had to drink the Diet Coke and then one of my sons cut the top and bottom off the cans. Then you run each can through the Big Shot with the Snowflake die and use glue dots to offset them and put them together. Add a button tied with Baker's Twine and a matching ribbon and you've got an ornament! The one on the right shows the Diet Coke side and uses a Real Red button and 1/8" ribbon and the one on the left show if you use the non-printed side of the can with Tempting Turquoise ribbon and button. You could also use them on top of a package as well.

The regular Coke cans this winter are White and Red and would look good as well but my son said they are recalling them because too many people were confused about the Coke/Diet Coke because the cans look too much alike so get them while you can. Sprite would work too because it's green and white - makes you look at pop cans in a whole different way!

Keep Stamping,

Snow Much Fun!

2011-11-30T11:45:00.001-08:00

Hi Stampers,

Hope that everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday - we did although it is exhausting when you're the host - fun, but tiring.

Anyway, today I thought that I'd share another of the cards I did at my Holiday Stamp Camp last month, as well as at a workshop last week.

This card uses another snowman from the cute set Snow Much Fun. He is stamped on Whisper White and watercolored with Pool Party and Wisteria Wonder Classic inks and blender pens and then punched out with the 1.75" circle punch. It is attached to a Pool Party 2" circle cut with the Big Shot Circles die and then another larger Scallop Circle punches out of Wisteria Wonder. Two pieces of Whisper White 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon complete this cool card along with the "Warmest Wishes" from the Hostess Set Warmest of Wishes from the Winter Mini Catalog. I love this color combo for winter!

Keep Stamping,

Tis the Season...

2011-11-19T15:17:00.000-08:00

Hi Stampers,

I had a great workshop last night and today I wanted to share with you one of the projects we made - a card with Christmas Collage and Bells & Boughs.

My hostess requested this sets and I was happy to come up with this card to showcase the stamps. First I stamped the Christmas Collage (which is a background stamp) in Always Artichoke on Very Vanilla cardstock (this part is the card - it measures 8X 5.25"). The card was attached to Cherry Cobbler cardstock. I used markers to color both the bells stamp and the A Merry Christmas stamp in Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke and More Mustard. The bells were stamped on a 2" circle cut with the Circles Big Shot die and that image is attached to one of the die cuts from the new Pennant die in Cherry Cobbler. The greeting is stamped on vanilla and trimmed to fit the Cherry Cobbler background piece. A Glimmer brad completed the card.

Hope you enjoy another taste of Christmas cards! Don't forget about Stampin' Up's Online Extravaganza starting Monday with special deals - check my online store Monday for details - you can order online or contact me with your order.

Every year...

2011-11-13T16:58:00.000-08:00

Hi Stampers,

It seems like every year when it's time for my Holiday Stamp Camp, the weather is most "un-Christmas like" and today was no exception - 68 degrees and I had to open the windows and put the ceiling fan on - too funny!

One of the projects we made were these tags, which are made with the Two Tags Die and I saw versions of these "punch art" projects on several different blogs. The first one is a reindeer, which is made with the Stocking Punch - there are so many different things you can make with the stocking punch and this one is perfect for Christmas. I used the larger scored tag for this one in Real Red. I put a sheet of Soft Suede through the Big Shot using the Snowburst Embossing Folder and then punching it out with the Stocking Punch Then I used a piece of Early Espresso in the punch and made the collar and ears. I punched the antlers out using the Snowflake punch and his nose with the 1/4" circle punch in Red Glimmer Paper. The moon behind him is Silver Glitter Paper and one of the circles from the Circles #2 die. I strung a mini jingle bell from the mini catalog onto a piece of Early Espresso & White twine and wrapped that around his neck. A piece of White Taffeta Ribbon completes this tag.

The second tag is a Santa made entirely of punches and I first saw this on the talented Patty Bennett's blog. It uses the Wide Oval, Large Oval, Ornament, 1/2" Circle and 1/4" circle punches and I used Real Red, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Basic Black and Silver Glimmer Paper. I also used the Petals a Plenty and Elegant Lines Embossing Folders for the hat and the beard.

These tags were fun to make and we had a great time creating at my Holiday Stamp Camp. There's still time to join us at my next stamp camp which will be on December 3rd at 11:00 a.m. - I'm calling that one Last Minute Little Gifts - reserve your place today. The cost is $20 and I need your RSVP by November 28th!

Keep Stamping,

The first snow of the year means...

2011-11-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

Hi Stampers,

Today I thought I'd share a Christmas card with you. Since we saw our first snow of the season today in Chicagoland I guess it's time for sharing holiday cards once again. And I have my annual Holiday Stamp Camp this weekend too so that means lots of Christmas projects to share with you.

This card is one of the ones I created for my "Scrap City" stamp camp last month and uses the Pennant Punch and Frostwood Lodge DSP, which is one of my favorites this year. I used scraps of Frostwood Lodge for the trees and attached those to Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler scraps for the scalloped trees - both punched with the Petite Pennant Builder punch. The pot for the trees is from the coordinating stamp set Pennant Parade. I used Rhinestones for the top of the trees and sponged the edge of the Whisper White piece after I tore the edge. The card is Garden Green and the Noel from Many Merry Messages is stamped in Cherry Cobbler. I used some of the new Quilted Ribbon in Cherry Cobbler for the top.

Hope that everyone has a great weekend - I plan on having fun at several stamping events!

Keep Stamping,

Wedding Good Wishes!

2011-11-06T17:39:00.000-08:00

Hi Stampers,

Today's post is a card I made for a wonderful wedding we attended a few weeks ago. The wedding was held on a beautiful fall day and the decor was fall as well - we had a great time celebrating Kaitlyn & Zach's big day.

The card I made was my take on the Wedding Cake that I've seen in several places on the web. I used Shimmery White, Silver and Cherry Cobbler as my colors. I also used the Elegant Lines & Perfect Polka Dots embossing folders for the cake and the background. After I ran the Shimmery White through the Big Shot, I cut each layer and rounded the corners and used another piece of Shimmery White that I put through the crimper as the base icing for each layer. I attached the cake to the Silver cardstock and that to the card base, which is Shimmery White. I accented the cake with flowers punched from the retired Trio Flower punch and the centers of the flowers are Rhinestones. The greeting is from Word Play and is accented with another Rhinestone. I like this card because you can change it easily for whatever colors match the wedding you are attending.

Congrats to the happy couple!

Keep Stamping,

Ok I guess Fall is here...

2011-11-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Well it is the first week of November and the weather finally matches that - it's raining and the leaves are blowing all over the place. We had great weather in October so we knew this was on the way.

My share today uses another of the single A La Carte stamps from the Holiday Mini Catalog called Leaves of a Tree. I really like this stamp and hope you like this card as well. The colors her are Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Cajun Craze, Old Olive and More Mustard. I created the card for our monthly Demonstrator meeting - we had a circle sketch challenge and this is what I came up with - we also made it at my "Scrap City" stamp camp. I started with a piece of Soft Suede cardstock and then attached the Old Olive and More Mustard pieces to that - I ran the More Mustard piece through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice embossing folder. I cut the Scallop Circle on the Big Shot and then stamped the tree in Soft Suede. To add some color I used my Stampin' Pastels and then added the side circle accents, which are both from Falling Leaves. I stamped the top circle once in Old Olive and once in Soft Suede and punched the acorn out with the 1/2 inch punch and used a Dimensional to pop it up.

Fall is my favorite season especially when we have nice weather here in Chicago - enjoy this taste of fall!

Just a reminder - Stampin' Up has extended the FREE BIG SHOT offer for new demonstrators through November 11! Contact me today to take advantage of this offer! OR if you'd like to host a workshop and get an extra $35 in Hostess Benefits for a $350 workshop, book a date with me today.

Keep Stamping,

One more for Halloween

2011-10-31T06:10:00.001-07:00

Hi Stampers!

Hope that you are enjoying Halloween - at least it's not raining here in Chicago - just a bit cold and we don't have snow like the East Coast so life is good.

Today's share is one that I created in September and is a 3X6 card using the Frightful Sight DSP and the Spooky Bingo Bits stamp set. The colors for this card are Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Basic Black & Whisper White. I used the Spider Web embossing folder for the front and attached it to the card. The part of the card that says "eeek" is actually another folded card that is attached inside (this fold is called a Joy Fold) so you open the card in two places. I decided to try this size card for something different - it's actually easy to do with all the choices of DSP we have!

Enjoy your day and hope you don't have too much leftover candy to eat!

Just in time for Halloween

2011-10-29T14:30:00.001-07:00

Hi Stampers,

I had my Scrap City Stamp Camp last night and so just in time for Halloween I am going to share one of the cards from that stamp camp.

This card uses only 3 colors: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie & Whisper White. The card itself is Basic Black and the Pumpkin Pie piece was run through the Big Shot Spider Web die. The scallop square was cut with the new Peekaboo Frames die from the Holiday Mini Catalog. This die is great because there are 5 different shapes and sizes of peekaboo windows. I used a scrap of Basic Black for this one and a scrap of Whisper White for the Ghost (which is the Owl Punch with the feet cut off). I addes some googly eyes (non-SU).
I added the "boo" using the Naturally Serif long die for the Big Shot in Pumpkin Pie. This die is easy to use because you can just put a scrap over the letters you need to cut out.

Then when you open the door of the frame, I used the Hostess set from the Holiday Mini called Warmest of Wishes. The Halloween owl is stamped in Basic Black Craft Ink and heat embossed with Clear embossing powder. I popped up the owl with Dimensionals and this card is complete.

Hope everyone enjoys the great fall weather here in Chicago this weekend and sorry for those on the east coast dealing with the snowstorm - glad that weather missed us here!

Keep Stamping,

Another Think Pink Card...

2011-10-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

I'm sorry it's been awhile since I posted - life is just that way sometimes. College Visits, High School football games & activities have made this a busy month for sure! Anyway, I wanted to share the other card I made with Breast Cancer Awareness month in mind.

This card uses an Embossing Folder for the Big Shot from Sizzix (not Stampin' Up). I uses Pretty in Pink, Rose Red and Whisper White for this card. First I stamped the Ribbon of Hope stamp in Pretty in Pink Craft Ink and heat embossed it with Crystal Clear Embossing Powder. After punching it out with the Wide Oval punch, I used Stampin' Dimensionals to pop it up on the Rose Red piece. The Rose Red piece I ran through the Big Shot using the Ovals die and then I used the Oval Designer Frames Embossing Folder - this is easy because the Embossing Folder is clear and I could put the oval right on the frame to make it come out perfectly. I also used Dimensionals on this piece to attach it to the Pretty in Pink piece. A piece of Rose Red Seam Binding tied in a bow and this card is finished.

Enjoy your weekend - our last home football game is tonight - Shane's last night of marching band at York and ours too after two sons who both played football and percussion we've watched lots of football games and we will miss seeing him perform. It's all just part of senior year when your youngest is almost through with high school - lots of lasts!

Keep Stamping,

Think Pink in October

2011-10-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the stampers at Hand Stamped Sentiments are having a Think Pink challenge for this week. I made this card for the challenge.

When Stampin' Up first starting selling the Big Shot, I purchased a kit during October that came with the texture plate I used on this card. Before I used the texture plate I added a piece of Whisper White cardstock to the Regal Rose piece and stamped the H/Hope from Strength & Hope. I then added two Basic Gray brads. The main ribbon image is the A la Carte stamp Ribbon of Hope. I stamped it in Regal Rose Craft Ink and heat embossed it with Clear Embossing Powder and punched it out withe the Wide oval punch. The Basic Gray piece is stamped with the words from the Strength & Hope set from the Occasions Mini Catalog and I used the Ovals die for the Big Shot. The card base is Whisper White.

I hope that everyone is supporting the many fundraisers for Breast Cancer Awareness Month - this week we went to a very fun event to get either a pink hair extension or feather in our hair.

More for Fall...

2011-10-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Well despite the very warm temperatures this week I am continuing with another project I did at my Fall Fun Stamp Camp in September.

This card uses the Countryside stamp set. The pick up truck is a perfect image to watercolor. The colors in this card are Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Garden Green and Crumb Cake. I stamped the truck on Watercolor Paper in Black StazOn so I could watercolor - I used Classic Ink and blender pens to watercolor. I also used the distressing tool for both the watercolor paper and the Not Quite Navy piece. For the Cherry Cobbler piece I attached a strip of DSP from the Well Worn collection and then ran the whole thing through the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. I love that technique (Embedded Embossing). I didn't add a greeting but this could be used for a Masculine birthday card or for many other occasions.

Hope you're enjoying the fantastic weather!

Keep Stamping,

Time to buy that Halloween Candy...

2011-10-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Well if you live in my area (Chicagoland) we are certainly having the best few weeks of fall weather I can remember (I think they said it hasn't been this nice for like 18 years here). The colors on the trees are great and the grass is still green (due to the week of rain and dreary weather we had last week) and it definitely feels like fall. I love living where the seasons change! Halloween is right around the corner and that's where today's card share comes in.

This is one of the projects that I did at my Fall Fun stamp camp in September and uses several new products from the Holiday Mini Catalog. One of them is the stamp I used which is called Haunted Forest - it's another of the single stamps available in the catalog. I stamped it in Versamark ink and heat embossed it with the new Pewter Embossing Powder from the mini. After it was embossed, I colored it with Stampin' Pastels. I used the 1" circle punch to mask the moon and then went back and colored it in after I colored the sky. I used Marina Mist, Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Soft Suede and Daffodil Delights pastels to color. This image is attached to a piece of Cajun Craze cardstock and then a piece of Frightful Sights DSP and then to a piece of Basic Black cardstock that I folded in half and then cut with the Scallop Square die on the Big Shot (moving it down so the fold isn't cut).

Don't forget to sign up for my next stamp camp - Scrap City where we'll do projects using up those cardstock and DSP scraps you have lying around.

Keep Stamping and enjoying the rain-free weather!

There's a Big Deal on the Big Shot!

2011-10-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Well, Stampin Up has certainly started October off with a bang - or should I say a Big Shot? Today they announced that anyone who joins the SU family in October will get a FREE Big Shot with their Starter Kit - this would be a great time to join my group of demonstrators! If you already own a Big Shot, you can get $100 in product when you join! Contact me today to get more info on this or click on the top left icon on my blog! Stampin' Up welcomes all types of demonstrators - if you want to BUILD your Stamp Collection or if you want to BUILD a Business, you can be a Stampin' Up demonstrator and I'd love to have you join my group.

As most of you know, the Big Shot is definitely one of my favorite things to use in creating cards. Today I'm sharing a card that I created for my Fall Fun stamp camp and shared with a group last night at a fun workshop as well. I uses the A La Carte Stamp "Leaves of a Tree" from the Holiday Mini catalog. If you haven't checked out the single stamps in the regular catalog and the mini you are missing out! For this card, I stamped the Leaves of a Tree in White craft ink on Whisper White cardstock (that I cut out with the Scallop Circles Big Shot die) and heat embossed it with White Embossing powder. Then I used More Mustard ink and a sponge dauber to rub color onto the whole scallop circle. The ink resists wherever the embossing is (this technique is called Emboss Resist). I attached the image to a 3.75" Pool Party circle that I die cut and then ran through the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder using Stampin' Dimensionals. The card base is Soft Suede and I stamped one of the leaves from Gently Falling in Soft Suede. The DSP on the bottom is Spice Cake and I scored 1/2" from the top and folded it over to get the contrasting Pool Party edge across the top. The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and is stamped in Soft Suede on Vanilla cardstock and sponged with More Mustard.

Again, contact me today to see how you can get a FREE Big Shot (or $100 in product if you already have one)!

Hope that everyone enjoyed the beautiful day we had today after a week of rain!

Keep Stamping!

Small Cards, Good Ideas

2011-09-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Last night was our monthly demo group meeting and our shoebox swap theme for this month was 3X3 cards. This size card is great for attaching to a gift bag! We decided that each person would do 2 cards with the same stamps set or accessory. It was great to see all the creativity there and so I thought I'd share my two cards today.

I decided to use the Doily Triple Layer Punch since I had seen it used for a tree on a few blogs, starting with the talented Connie - she's the Connie of Create with Connie & Mary, which is a great place for stamping ideas (see the right side of my blog for a link). Anyway, I used the Doily Triple Layer Punch on the 3rd setting with Cajun Craze cardstock to get the tree and then backed it with a 1.25" circle of More Mustard. The falling leaves are the pieces that come out of the punch when you punch it and I glued those on with Tombo glue. For the tree trunk, I came up with a pattern which I traced onto a sheet of Soft Suede cardstock that I stamped with the Woodgrain Background Stamp in Early Espresso. The frame is from the new Embossing Folder duo called Designer Frames - I cut it out after running it through the Big Shot. This piece is attached to a piece of Old Olive that I put through the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder and then flipped over so it's debossed instead of embossed. The card base itself is Crumb Cake. The greeting is Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Early Espresso on More Mustard and punched with the Word Window punch.

Now for the 2nd card I went with a simpler design which used the Doily Triple Layer Punch on the middle setting to get the snowflake shape - I punched it out of the new Silver Glitter Paper from the Holiday Mini and added an Elegant Eggplant Brad in the center. This was then attached to the Elegant Eggplant scalloped circle from the Perfect Pennants Die which I also ran through the Snow Burst Embossing Folder, also from the Holiday Mini. This is all attached to the actual card which is Whisper White - I stamped the small snowflake from Snow Swirled in the corners in Eggplant and attached it to another piece of Elegant Eggplant in the back.

Two different looks for the same punch - hope you enjoyed these small cards - I will be doing a stamp camp featuring these 3X3 cards in 2012!

Keep Stamping,

Time for Halloween!

2011-09-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

I thought I'd share a card I made last month with you - the first of the Halloween-themed ones I made. I decided to do my Halloween decorating this evening so that makes it seem like it's time.

This Halloween Card uses a really cute stamp set called Spooky Bingo Bits which I earned for free which makes it even better! I used the color in the Frightful Sight DSP - Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Cajun Craze and Basic Black. Each of the images is stamped on Whisper White in one of those 4 colors and punched with the 1.25" circle punch and layered onto a piece punched with the 1 3/8" circle punch. A fairly simple card but with this stamp set you can make many different cards because there are 24 different images to choose from. The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and is stamped on Whisper White and punched with the Word Window punch. The DSP is attached to a piece of Old Olive and the card base which is Basic Black. All of the Bingo Bits images are attached to the DSP with Dimensionals.

Since our weather has definitely turned "fallish", I thought it was time to enjoy the Halloween decor. Enjoy your weekend!

Keep Stamping,

A Special Bridal Shower Card

2011-09-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

I have been making lots of shower cards lately - both bridal and baby and last night we had another fun wedding shower for a friend's daughter who is getting married next month.

The original idea for this card came from my up-up-line Jill who said she got the idea from someone else - I love stampers who share great projects with us. I modified it slightly (in the original I saw the skirt was fabric) and I really like how it turned out.

The colors for the card are Cherry Cobbler, Shimmery White & Silver Metallic. The base of the card is Cherry Cobbler and the actual card that opens is Shimmery White. I put a piece of Silver Metallic on top of that but first I ran it through the Polka Dot Embossing Folder. To make the skirt I used the Scallop Circle Big Shot die and then the Elegant Lines Embossing Folder with Shimmery White cardstock. I cut the skirt into sort of a pie wedge shape. I wanted to make a pattern for the top of the dress so I could use it again. I used the 2.5" circle punch to punch a circle from chipboard and then used it on the sides to make the waist and a 1" square punch to make the neckline. Once I had the pattern I could punch it again on Shimmery White cardstock which I then ran through the Polka Dots Embossing Folder. To do the bow, I used the talented Mary Brown's bow technique using an opened Rhinestone Brad and some White Organza ribbon. I punched a whole in the top and skirt to put the bow through and attached it to the silver piece using Dimensionals. A greeting from Short & Sweet stamped in Cherry Cobbler and the Large Oval and Scallop Oval punches complete this pretty card.

Congrats to the happy couple - Kaitlyn & Zach!

Time for Fall Fun

2011-09-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

I hope that you are enjoying the cooler weather we've been enjoying in Chicago and it feels more like fall this week. Today I wanted to share a card with you that we will be making at my next stamp camp - it's called "Fall Fun" and it is coming up on Friday, September 23rd at 7:00.

This card was cased from one of the girls in my downline - shout out to the very talented Barbara. It was her swap for this month's meeting of the very fun group of stampers I meet with each month - one of the great perks of being in my group! It uses Soft Suede, Pool party and Whisper White. The great thing about this card is that it's a card and a little gift because the large flower is a bookmark using a large Paper Clip. The Soft Suede piece uses the Square Lattice embossing folder and the Word Window punch to make the spot for the bookmark. The Bookmark is made with the Fun Flowers die and Pool Party cardstock, Spice Cake DSP and one of the new large buttons from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The Spice Cake DSP is also used for the background piece and is torn at the top. The greeting is stamped on Whisper White in Soft Suede and sponged around the outside after it was punched with the Large
Oval punch. It is popped up with Dimensionals and attached to a piece of Pool Party which was punched with the Scallop Oval Punch.

Want to make this cute card? Sign up for my Fall Fun Stamp Camp today!

I guess summer is officially over...

2011-09-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Although my son went back to school a few weeks ago, some of the other schools around here start today so I thought I'd share an insert I made for my perpetual calendar for the start of school - this isn't the clearest picture - sorry about that!

This insert is for the Perpetual Calendar I created for a stamp camp a while back. I have added several things to the original set of inserts we made at the camp and this is another one. They are really easy to make and I always know what the date is now LOL. This insert uses the Greeting Card Kids set and the recently retired Celebrations DSP from last year's catalog. I stamped the image in Black StazOn so I could watercolor. I used Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip and Daffodil Delight to watercolor as well as the Blush Blossom marker. I used the Circle and Scallop Big Shot dies for the Watercolor Paper and Real Red.

Hope you like this latest perpetual entry and that your fall is off to a good start as well. The weather this week is great here - even turned off the A/C.

Keep Stamping,

Another Baby Celebration!

2011-09-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Hope that everyone is having a good week and looking forward to the long holiday weekend. This week, we had another shower to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our great nephew and this time the theme was the Cubs - our family's favorite team.

This is the card I made for my nephew and niece. I used a retired color Brilliant Blue, Real Red and Whisper White which are of course the Cubs colors. This card uses the Home Run and Word Play stamp sets. I first stamped the baseballs randomly on the Brilliant Blue in Versamark ink and then heat embossed them with Clear Embossing powder . Then I stamped the sentiment "So Worth the Wait" in White craft ink and then heat embossed that in White. The center strip of Real Red cardstock was run through the Square Lattice embossing folder before I attached it to the card and added two White Brads. Congratulations is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

We can't wait to meet this new member of our family!

Keep Stamping,

Simple Birthday Greetings

2011-08-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Sorry it's been a while since my last post - the start of the school year has been a busy one and I had my Annual New Catalog Open House over the weekend so that has kept me busy as well. We had a great time making some cards with new colors and stamp sets as well as eating and spending time with a great group of stampers. Also, for the 4th year in a row, the only price of admission was to bring non-perishable food for the local food pantry, which I have been volunteering at for over a year so I was able to collect some food for a very deserving place.

Today I'm sharing one of the cards that we made - this one uses new DSP and a new stamp set called Happiest Birthday Wishes - this is a hostess set so the way to get this set is to host a Stampin' Up workshop! We stamped the presents in Poppy Parade and punched it out with the Wide Oval Punch. This fits perfectly in the oval made by one of our new Big Shot Embossing Folders, which is part of a two folder set called Designer Frames - you get both an oval and a rectangle frame in this set. The top half of the card is Just Eat Cake DSP and another Wide Oval stamped in Early Espresso on Wild Wasabi cardstock from the Perfect Punches. The card also uses one of the new 1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon in Chocolate Chip.

We have enjoyed absolutely beautiful weather this week, but we're also thinking and praying for those affected by Hurricane Irene - hope that things are back to normal for those affected soon!

Keep Stamping,

Firsts & Lasts

2011-08-18T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

I can't believe how time flies, but today my younger son started his senior year at York HS. Since he was 2 weeks old when Jordan started kindergarten, Shane has been at school for almost his whole life!

So I thought I'd make a school card for today's share and show you his first & last first day of school pictures - I'm sure he's glad to be done with our tradition LOL.

We are so proud of the young man Shane has become!

With school in mind, I thought of this image from the Greeting Card Kids stamp set. This set reminds me of the "Dick & Jane" books that all of us of a certain age used to read in school. This set also reminds me that much to my sons' amazement, I told them that I had to wear dresses to public school until I was in 5th grade, even in the snowy Chicago winters. They couldn't believe that.

The colors for this card are Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist, Real Red, Cajun Craze, Basic Black and Crumb Cake. First I stamped the image in Black StazOn on our Watercolor Paper so I could watercolor with blender pens and ink. I also used the Blush Blossom marker to watercolor the image as well. Then I stamped the school bus image from Every Little Bit on the Daffodil and colored in the heart with Real Red marker. I used the 2.5" circle punch to punch out the image. I also took a strip of Real Red and a 3" circle (Big Shot die) and used the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder for the Big Shot for some texture. I attached the whole thing to a Marina Mist card and it was finished.

A retro kind of card for a nostalgic kind of day. I know Shane will have a great senior year! I just said to my husband today that I don't remember a year that it wasn't sunny on the first day of school and today didn't break that streak - our weather is gorgeous today.

Keep Stamping,

This is Clearly a Great Project!

2011-08-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Sorry it's been awhile since I posted anything, but these last two weeks have been the busiest of my summer so far! My son starts his senior year in high school next week and since I volunteer quite a bit at the high school, my days have not been my own. Anyway, I wanted to share a really cute project I made at a recent Demonstrator Only event I attended.

These clear cards are made with Stampin' Up's Window Sheets - the finished size is 3X3". We took the 3X6" window sheets and scored them at 3". Then we took the window sheets and used the Scallop Square die for the Big Shot to cut the Window Sheets. Then we added a square of Whisper White inside where you can write a message. The flowers use the new In Colors: Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Calypso Coral & Pool Party. The centers of the flowers are the great new In Color brads as well as 3/4" circles. The flowers are made with the Fun Flowers die and the smaller flower is also embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots folder.

Loved making this project and the good time we had stamping at Conventional 2011!

Have a great weekend,

More Wisteria...

2011-08-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Well after a weekend mini-vacation to Springfield, IL and very hot St. Louis, I attended an all-day Stamping Event my Stampin' Up Upline hosted. We had a great time and I'll share those projects in the future, but as usual at our events, we made cards to swap. Today I'm sharing that card with you.

This card uses my favorite new In Color - Wisteria Wonder, as well as Elegant Eggplant and Whisper White. I stamped the image from My Friend, a new stamp set. I stamped the flower image twice moving the stamp over just a little when I stamped it the second time. I really like the shadow effect this gives (and it's really easy to do with Clear Stamps). I decided to accent the flowers with Elegant Eggplant butterflies using the Big Shot Embosslit and accented the butterflies with various pearls. The sentiment is from A Word for You and I also used the Wisteria Wonder ruffled ribbon. The background piece is Elegant Eggplant and I used the Scallop Eyelet border punch and the card base is Wisteria Wonder. I really like the new In Colors.

Stampin' Up has a great special this month - Buy 3 packages of DSP, get one FREE. Contact me for the Details!

Hope you have a great week!

Summer Watercolors

2011-07-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

The sets in Stampin' Up's great Summer Mini Catalog will only be available for one more month so I thought I'd share another sample using the set On the Grow.

This set it so easy to watercolor - stamp the image with Black StazOn on watercolor paper and then I used the Aquapainter and stamp pads to watercolor in Melon Mambo, Certainly Celery and Marina Mist (for the jar). After I was finished watercoloring, I added Crystal Effects to make the jar look like a Mason Jar - a cool effect but in this heat and humidity you do have to let the Crystal Effects dry for a while (about 12 hours). Then I added the Marina Mist piece punched with the Scallop Border punch, as well as a piece of Melon Mambo DSP from the Brights stack and a Marina Mist Button tied with white Baker's Twine. The greeting is from a new stamp set called Friendly Phrases and is stamped in Melon Mambo - love these colors together.

Don't forget this is the last few days of the $99 Starter Kit sale - join my fun group of stampers today. Contact me today for the details or with any questions you have!

Wedding Bells

2011-07-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Today I'm sharing a card that I made for a very happy occasion - a wedding. The groom is one of my son Jordan's good friends and the bride is the daughter of one of my downline (sometimes it is a small world) and they are getting married this weekend. Congrats to Adam & Kristin!

Anyway, this is the card I made for Jordan to take to the wedding. I saw this idea on Stampin' Connection (the great Demo only resource for thousands of card samples). I changed it up a little bit and came up with this card. The colors for the wedding are all brights so I decided to use Melon Mambo for this version, but of course you could use any of our great colors depending on the occasion. I used my favorite new item from the new Stampin' Up Catalog - the Lace Border punch. I punched out two strips in Shimmery White and then used the 1" circle punch for the Melon Mambo behind the lace - it fits perfectly. Then I matched up the lace where the two strips intersect and glued it together over the Shimmery White card and trimmed off the ends of the lace. I used another of my favorite items the Rhinestones to highlight each of the Melon Mambo circles for some bling. The greeting is from the retired set Together Forever and it's stamped in Basic Gray and Melon Mambo.

I have lots of weddings coming up the rest of the summer and fall and think this will be the card I'll be making in many different colors. Congrats to the happy couple!

Keep Stamping,

Join Stampin' Up for only $99 during July!

2011-07-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Today I'm taking a break from the my usual card shares to make sure that you are aware of a great Stampin' Up special that runs through the end of July. You can become a Stampin' Up demonstrator for only $99 and in addition to the great products you receive, you will also get a special Christmas project designed by Stampin' Up's president Shelli Gardner. Here is an idea of what you get for $99 - you can click on the top left hand icon on the sidebar for more information or go to this link on my Stampin' Up Website for more info or contact me today!

Stampin' Up welcomes all types of demonstrators - whether you want to build your own collection of our great products, build a business that you work around your schedule and most of all if you want to build relationships with those you meet by holding stamp workshops or classes and by meeting others in our group of really fun demonstrators, I would love to have you become a part of my group! Contact me and I'll let you know how you can join Around the Clock Stampers! You will receive a free gift from Shelli and a free gift from me as well!

Contact me today to take advantage of this great offer!

Baby on Board

2011-07-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Hope that everyone is ready for all the really hot weather we are having and will have for the next week or so.

Today I went to a very fun baby shower for my nephew and his wife (niece-in-law?) and so I'm sharing the card I made for that happy occasion. They used Stampin' Up Decor Elements for the Baby's room - the alphabet that recently retired so I thought I'd made the card to match their theme.

I used the Fox & Friends stamp set because the animals from that set go with the Baby's Room decor. I stamped each animal on Whisper White and then cut them out. The colors here are Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Garden Green & Not Quite Navy. I decided to use the new Pennant Punch to make balloons that the animals are holding. I used Baker's Twine for the balloon strings. The Pennants are punched from coordinating cardstock and I used the Polka Dot pattern from the Regals DSP Stack for the smaller pennants. The letters are from the Big Shot Naturally Serif Decorative Strip Sizzlit - the letters fit perfectly on the pennants.

Congrats to Kyle & Jackie! Can't wait to meet our new great-nephew this fall!

Wedding Season

2011-07-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Haven't posted this week as I have been busy working and once again another storm, another power outage. Our power was out for about 9 hours this time and 850,000 others in the Chicago area lost power too but it's about the 4th time in the last month so it does get aggravating!

Anyway, no storms for a few days so I thought I'd share another card with you from June's Copy the Catalog stamp camp. This one is a wedding card and it features the Word Play stamp set and the Elegant Lines Embossing Folder. This is a quick and easy card for any wedding - just the kind to have on hand. The colors in this card are Baja Breeze and Whisper White. The greeting is stamped in Early Espresso on Whisper White and I used some of the new Baker's Twine to hang the tag from the ribbon as well as accenting it with some bling - a Rhinestone for the ring. The Certainly Celery Satin ribbon finishes this card.

Hope you can find some time to stamp this weekend!

More flowers from the new catalog!

2011-07-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Hope you enjoyed some time with family and friends this past holiday weekend - I know that we did and had a front row seat for Fireworks at one of the towns near us. I have spent the rest of the week getting ready for a Stampin' Garage Sale that I'm participating in with a few friends where we'll be selling retired SU products. Oh and enjoying yet another power outage here today - not a cloud in the sky, but something happened and we lost power for 4 hours.

Anyway, back to stamping. I have not purchased a lot from the new catalog yet, but one set I purchased during our Demo Pre-order is Posy Punch and it's one of my favorites. This set can be purchased with hostess dollars using our new Hostess Program and I like it because it coordinates with our Flower punch.

This card also uses some of the new In Colors - Wisteria Wonder, Calypso Coral and Pool Party. I stamped the flowers in the 3 colors and punched them out. I added the centers on the side flowers in Calypso Coral and popped them up with Dimensionals. The Lace Border punch in Whisper White finishes the card. The Happy Birthday is stamped in Pool Party and is from another new Hostess stamp set called Happiest Birthday Wishes.

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

I hope that you are enjoying your holiday weekend! We've had a weekend of hot but at least not rainy weather here in Chicago and the Cubs even managed to beat the White Sox today so it's been a good day!

I was going to create a card celebrating America's birthday, but instead I decided to create another collage instead - which is really like 9 cards but it was way easier than the 16 square collage I did a few months ago.

This 10X10" collage uses lots of products, some of which are retired but since I keep all the patriotic sets I have purchased over the years, it was easy to create. The colors are of course Real Red, Night of Navy and Whisper White. I used the stamp sets Happy Fourth, Star Spangled, God Bless America (the single stamp that we sold as a fundraiser after 9/11), Seeing Stars and the Wheels Classic Stars and last year's Summer Mini July 4 wheel (sorry the name escapes me). I used 3 inch squares for this collage in Night of Navy as my base and then accented the squares with Real Red and all the stamped images. For the top left square, I used the two retired star punches and the inlaid embossing technique (my current favorite technique) and for the top right square, I used White Craft ink with the Classic Stars wheel and then white embossing powder and heat embossed the Night of Navy. The stars on top are from the Stars #2 Big Shot die and the brad in the center was retired a few years ago. For the "USA" letters, I first used the Square Lattice Embossing folder and then cut the letters out of the Serif Essentials Big Shot Alphabet. A piece of Real Red from the Brights DSP stack accents the "S". I used the Night of Navy and Real Red Markers for the 3 "flag" stamps. The one on the lower left I stamped twice - once in Night of Navy and once in Real Red. Then I cut out the flag part and used a Stampin' Dimensional to pop it up. For the lower center square, I stamped the fireworks in Versamark and used Iridescent Ice to heat emboss. Once you get started, it's really easy to create these collages - hope I've inspired you to create one. Also, I should add that I took this picture without the frame so I wouldn't get so much glare off the glass - it really will be displayed in a white frame.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

The New Catalog is here...

2011-07-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Well, it's July 1st and that means that it's the start of another Stampin' Up year - the new catalog is now available and it's another great one - full of new stamp sets, accessories, Big Shot items and everything else you expect from Stampin' Up.

Today's card share uses several products from the new catalog, including 2 of the 5 new In Colors. I got the colors for this card right off the Color Coach, which can now be updated with the newest In Colors - this is a great tool for getting color combos that coordinate well. In this case it's the new colors Lucky Limeade and Wisteria Wonder (which I already keep calling Wisteria Lane, even though I don't watch that show) along with Elegant Eggplant. I used one of the new Hostess Stamp Sets called Posy Punch - love this set. Here I stamped the flower in Wisteria Wonder and punched it out with the Flower punch - love sets that coordinate with our punches and the center of the flower is stamped in Lucky Limeade on Lucky Limeade cardstock and popped off the card with a Stampin' Dimensional
. The background piece is the new Lace punch - absolutely one of my favorite items in the new catalog in Wisteria Wonder on a strip of Lucky Limeade. Purple is one of my favorite colors, so I love that we have this cool new purple color for the next two years - it matches the color I just painted my upstairs hallway with a few months back - I definitely think of colors in Stampin' Up terms!

Hope you enjoy this taste of the new catalog and that you have a terrific July 4th weekend!

More from Copy the Catalog & Last Day for the Catalog

2011-06-29T15:07:00.001-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Well, with only one more day for this year's catalog and so I thought I'd share another card from my Copy the Catalog Stamp Camp. This one is from page 54 and features the soon to retire set "Party Hearty".

The colors for this card are Riding Hood Red, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin Pie. The pennants are really the party hats in the stamp set with the top cut off - I stamped some in each color and then mixed and matched 2 of each color for the party banner. The pennants are attached to slivers of Chocolate Chip cardstock, which are easy to cut if you have the Stampin' Up tabletop paper cutter. For the "and many more" I stamped it in Chocolate Chip and cut it into a square and added the candles, which were colored with Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi & Daffodil Delight markers. I used the Scallop Edge and Scallop Square punches as well for the Pacific Point square and top border. A piece of Pumpkin Pie wide grosgrain ribbon (also retiring) completes this cute card!

If you'd like to place a last minute order, you can do so through my SU website or by emailing me directly!

We've been having a week of beautiful weather in Chicagoland this week, although things are about to heat up here if the weathermen are correct - nearly 100 degrees by the end of the week. I guess that means that summer is finally here!

Hopefully I'm back online for good this time...

2011-06-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

I am back on-line sooner than expected so I thought I'd share something with you from my Copy the Catalog Stamp Camp. I have held this stamp camp for about the last 5 or 6 years at the end of June - last chance to use some of the stamp sets and/or accessories that are soon to be retired. I copy them right from the fabulous Stampin' Up Publications - our monthly demonstrator only magazine, mini catalog and regular catalog.

The first sample I'm sharing with you came from our monthly demonstrator magazine, Stampin' Success. This sample uses the Strength & Hope set from the Summer Mini Catalog and money from each stamp set sold goes to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Most of us have been touched by this disease in one way or another and this is a great cause and a very pretty stamp set. This is a 3"X6" Blushing Bride card. The butterflies are stamped in So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie and Baja Breeze and accented with some Rhinestone Bling. The words from the stamp set are stamped in Blushing Bride and a piece of Blushing Bride ribbon completes this quick and easy card.

The second card I'm sharing today is from page 138 of the main catalog. The card itself is Crumb Cake and the other card colors are Not Quite Navy and So Saffron. On the So Saffron piece, the center image is from Friends 24-7 (soon to be retiring) stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder. Then I used the Beautiful Wings embosslit for the Big Shot to cut the large butterfly in So Saffron and the smaller butterflies in Not Quite Navy DSP from the Regals stack. The butterflies are accented with Pearls and the So Saffron butterfly has a Vanilla Flower Button tied with Crochet Thread. The So Saffron piece is attached to a piece of Not Quite Navy cardstock and a piece of Crumb Cake DSP from the Neutrals stack. I also used the Paper Piercer and mat to accent the top and bottom of the So Saffron piece.

Hope that you are having a great Sunday - we had an absolutely fantastic day with beautiful weather for my son's party celebrating his college graduation - good times with our family and Jordan's friends as well.

Keep Stamping,

A different kind of challenge

2011-06-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Just wanted to let you know that due to the storms that hit Chicagoland this week, I have been without power and now internet, phone and cable for at least a few more days. Thanks for your patience! I hope to be posting again in the next day or so!

Another Challenge for Summer

2011-06-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

I decided to make a few cards last night for some challenges this week - the first is for this week's Create with Connie & Mary Sketch Challenge.

This card uses the On the Grow set from the Summer Mini Catalog. I wasn't sure I wanted to get this set, but as usually happens, I'm glad I did. The colors I used were Very Vanilla, Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry. I stamped the image in Black Stazon on Watercolor Paper so I could watercolor it with ink and Blender Pens. I used Razzleberry for the flowers, Old Olive for the leaves and Tempting Turquoise for the jar -such an easy image to watercolor! After I finished watercoloring, I punched out the image with the 2.5" punch and attached it to the Razzleberry piece I used the Scallop Circle Big Shot die on. The Old Olive piece underneath is punched with the Scallop Border punch. I used the soon to be retiring Old Olive wide grosgrain ribbon and two punches with the new Bouquet Bouquet Triple Punch in Razzleberry as well. The card itself is Very Vanilla and the "Thinking of You" is also from On the Grow.

Keep Stamping,

Father's Day is this week!

2011-06-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Stampers,

Today I'm sharing a Father's Day card - taking a break from graduation, although I have a few more cards to share for that too.

I made this card a few weeks back for a VC Rocks challenge to use colors from the Regals Collection and thought I'd share it with you today. I used Night of Navy, Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler - a great masculine color combo. I stamped the On the Green stamp 3 times - once in Garden Green, once in Cherry Cobbler and once in Night of Navy and used different parts to highlight the "golf ball". I stamped the image in Garden Green and then used the 2.5" circle punch to punch it out and then put it through the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder to deboss it to look like a golf ball. I attached some Cherry Cobbler DSP from the Regals stack to the bottom and put the Night of Navy strip over that, accenting it with 2 Cherry Cobbler brads. The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Night of Navy and I punched it out with the Modern Label punch and sponged the edges with Night of Navy.

Enjoy the week - what a beautiful day we had today in Chicago!

VC Rocks Blog Hop - Big Shot Madness!

2011-06-11T03:32:00.001-07:00

Hi Stampers,

I am participating in a Blog Hop this weekend for a great group of stampers called VC Rocks! This weekend's Blog Hop is all about the Big Shot. You may have come from enjoying the great projects on Shari's Blog or you may be starting with my blog. Just click on the link at the bottom of this post to go to the next blog for this hop! The Big Shot is my favorite product and I love thinking of projects to show it off!

This first project I'm sharing with you could be used for an anniversary or wedding card. The colors for this card are: Shimmery White, Elegant Eggplant and Metallic Gold. I used the Lattice Die and Metallic Gold cardstock for the lattice. To give it some extra shine, I also sponged some Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint on the lattice. Then I took my Boho Blossoms punch with some of the Shimmery White and punched out the white flowers and the Itty Bitty Shapes punch in Elegant Eggplant for the centers of the flowers and finished them with Gold Brads. The Congratulations stamp is from the new Level 1 Hostess Set Swirls & Curls Verses stamped in Elegant Eggplant.

The next project is made with the soon to be retiring Baskets & Blooms set - this is a great treat holder or shower favor for summer. I used Crumb Cake, Tempting Turquoise and Melon Mambo for this Beach Bag. After I used the Big Shot for the Basket Pieces in Crumb Cake I ran them through the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. Then I ran the Melon Mambo and Turquoise through the Baskets & Blooms die for the flowers and attached them to the basket.
Then I used the Melon Mambo buttons from Sale-a-bration for the centers on the Turquoise flowers. A piece of Tempting Turquoise Ribbon (which was retired but is now back in the new Catalog) finishes this Beach Bag.

The next card is for Father's Day and uses the Top Note Die as the pocket card insert. The colors for this project are Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Early Espresso and Naturals White. I used two different patterns from the Nautical Expressions DSP from the Summer Mini for the background and pocket of this card as well as using the Tasteful Trim die for the Not Quite Navy "rope (at least that's what I thought it looked like). I stamped "Happy Father's Day" from Best Dad Ever for the greeting and used one of the Square punches for the pennant shape. An Early Espresso button and some of the new Baker's Twine complete the front of the card. I stamped the Top Note piece with more of the stamps from this set - the Compass in Cherry Cobbler and the ship colored with Stampin' Write Markers in Cherry Cobbler and Not Quite Navy.

The last project I'm sharing with you is my version of the Ice Cream Cone which others have shown on their blogs. For this project, you use the Petal Cone die for the cone in Chocolate Chip and then run it through the Square Lattice (one of my favorite dies) to give it some texture. The scoops for the ice cream cone are also found on the Petal Cone die - one is Certainly Celery DSP and Pretty in Pink, which I ran through the Elegant Lines embossing folder. The greeting is from Swirls & Curls Verses Hostess stamp set.

I hope you've enjoyed these projects and if you'd like to see the other blogs on the hop, follow this link to Robin's blog, where I know she'll have great projects to share with you.