Cheers!

I've been super busy and unfortunately have not had much time to stamp. I've been busy re-organizing my craft space...what a job! Since I've been bringing home a lot of stamping/crafting supplies that had belonged to my mother-in-law, I had to do something to make room...since my rubber room was already jam-packed! I made this card for a friend of mine earlier this month, so I thought I'd share...even tho it's not entirely SU!

I used a cute margarita dollar stamp that I've had forever...I really need to get the Cheers to You stamp set. After watercoloring the image I covered the glass in Crystal Effects. The Rose Red scalloped mat was created with the Scallop Square punch. I punched 3 and pieced them together - a fun trick to create any sized scallop mat that you want.

Can you see the polka-dot embossed background? That was done using the Big Shot and some embossing plates given to me by my friend. (thanks Rach!) Since then, I've ordered the proper pads to use in the Big Shot for embossing, so I think it will turn out even better using the right sandwich. Can't wait to try it!

Have a great day!

A Wicked Good Stamp Club

Last night my group got together for our October Hostess Club. It was a much needed, fun night for me...with everything that has been going on here lately. Michelle, our hostess for the evening, brought some hot spiced cider spiked with Buttershots Schnapps and some other delicious goodies. With a few mugs full of that cider and such good company I was definitely cheered up! On to the projects we made...

This card is cute from the outside, but it's the inside that makes it really spectacular spooktacular!
Stamps: House of Haunts, Batty for You, Canvas background & Haunting Jumbo Wheel
Card stock: Glossy White, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Kiwi Kiss, Perfect Plum & Ghostly Greetings DP
Ink: Black Stazon, Pumpkin Pie, various inks for sponging
Accessories: Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon, Scallop, 1-3/8", 1-1/4" & 1" circle punches, coluzzle
Techniques: Sponging, Masking, Spiral Pop Up Card. (I found the complete instructions on how to make this type of card on SCS. )

Continuing on with our Halloween theme, we also altered some tins that I had picked up a while back at Michael's. We used the Ghostly Greetings Double-sided Designer Papers along with House of Haunts & Batty for You stamp sets.

We filled them with a mixture of candy corn & peanut M&M's and for an added surprise... a big black spider on top of the candy.

After finishing the candy, you'll see the stamped greeting on the bottom.

Along with these Halloween projects, we also made the Crazy For Cupcakes card shown in my last post.

On another note, I was excited to hear that a card I sent to Stampin' Up! for a monthly contest made it to Stampers Showcase yesterday. That is pretty cool! (not as cool as actually winning the contest...but still pretty cool!;-)You may remember this card that I recently made for a card swap...that's the card that was on Stampers Showcase.

Blog hop on over to my friend Denise's blog - Stampin With Denise...she is giving away some fabulous blog candy to celebrate her 1 year blogaversary.

Thanks for stopping by...have a wicked good weekend!

Crazy for Cupcakes

I want to start today's post by saying thank you so very much for all the heartfelt messages you have left for me here and in the emails and cards I have received since I posted last. It is comforting to know that so many people care.

We are hanging in there and keeping busy. We have started the sad & daunting task of going through my MIL's things. Both my husband and SIL took this week off work and we've been working hard, but she was a collector of many things...so no end in sight at this point. I did get a chance to do a little stamping the other night and played with my new Crazy for Cupcakes set, which is on special this month...here's what I came up with.
I can tell that this set is going to be a lot of fun! I have seen a lot of cute cards done with this set using the paper piecing technique, so that's what I was excited to try first. I used the Haiku Designer papers and paired it up with Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie & Celery card stock. With the use of my handy, dandy Stamp-a-ma-jig I was able to use the "Happy Birthday" arch stamp and create a circle. Then I punched out one of the cute cupcakes from the Cupcakes wheel for the center. The background was created using the Canvas background and the Cupcakes wheel both inked in Pumpkin Pie.

With these cute images and happy colors you can't help but make a fun & festive birthday card. And let me tell ya...I'm in desperate need of some fun & festivity about now! I'm glad I have my stamp club coming over tomorrow night...I'm sure they'll cheer me up! I'll be back over the weekend to share this months stamp club projects. Thanks again for your kind words during this hard time...it means a lot.

Too sad to be creative

It's been a while since my last post and I've gotten a few emails asking where I was...wondering if everything was OK or if I went on vacation or something. I sure wish we were away on vacation! For the past 2 weeks we have been living a nightmare.

My Mother-in-law hadn't been feeling well and we took her to the doctors. They ended up admitting her for some tests and the results were something none of us were prepared to hear...they "suspected" she had cancer, and if so, it looked to already be at stage 4. With that devastating news she went home to wait for her scheduled biopsy which would confirm, or hopefully deny, their suspicions. At this point she was very weak and needed 24 hour care, which our family provided.

The day of her biopsy was last Friday the 10th. We showed up for her appointment but they had to cancel it because her blood pressure was too low. At that point they admitted her. On Tuesday the 14th she passed away. We are thankful she didn't suffer for too long and that the whole family was able to be with her during her last days.

She was the best Mother/Mother-in-law/Grandma you could ask for. She was also my friend and stamping buddy. Actually, she was the one who first got me interested in stamping. She liked to do a variety of different crafts and she had a small collection of stamping stuff. On one of our many trips to the craft store I mentioned that I was interested in stamping, but didn't know where to start since there was so many things. That year for Christmas she got me all kinds of things to get me started in stamping. Not long after that I found SU! and boy, did both of our collections grow! I sure am going to miss her!

We have been lucky enough to be surrounded by family and friends over the past several days, but when everyone goes back home it's really going to be tough. Hopefully next week I will be able to get back to some stamping and that will help take my mind off things for a while.

Scary Sketch

Here's a card I created for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. Even though I used simple stamped images, getting the size of each of the layers proportioned correctly to match the sketch was a challenge for me. What I thought would be a quick card took me longer than expected, but I like the way it turned out ~ and as always, I'm glad I played along.

I just love all the images in the Eat, Drink & Be Scary set...especially the little spider and the witch's hat. They are perfect for cards and scrapbook pages. (which I really need to get busy on!)I'm also loving this color combo for Halloween ~ Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Perfect Plum & Kiwi Kiss. The plum strip was created using the jumbo roller Frightful Fence. Both Eat, Drink & Be Scary & the Frightful Fence wheel can be found in the Holiday Mini catalog.

Have a great day!

Snow Swirled Snowflake

This is the make & take project everyone made at my workshop on Friday. I used the large Sizzix Snowflake die along with the Snow Swirled set to create this beautiful, yet simple card. I just love that large snowflake die cut!Stamps: Snow Swirled & Heard From the Heart
Card stock: Pacific Point, Baja Blue & Whisper White
Ink: Pacific Point & Baja Blue
Accessories: Big shot, Large snowflake die, White Gel pen, Vintage brads

With as freezing cold as it is this morning, I wouldn't be too surprised to look out and see real snowflakes! The sun is shining, so hopefully it warms up a bit. Enjoy your day!

Boo!

I did a workshop last night and had such a good time! My hostess loves Halloween just like I do, so I knew she would especially love her hostess gift and the first project I demo-ed. She has an adorable 5 month baby girl so I know she'll be taking lots of photos of her on her 1st Halloween, so I demo-ed this cute little 6x6 page along with a matching clip to hold it.
I used the Haunting jumbo wheel along with the super cute new Halloween set from the Holiday Mini - Eat, Drink & Be Scary. I used the Big Shot and the Bigz scallop die to create the jagged edge, black mat for my circle. I just ran it through my machine twice - the 2nd time off set to get the jagged look. See the cute star embellishment on the hat? It is a piece of On Board chip board with Cosmo Glitter applied using Heat & Stick powder.

Other supplies used: Perfect Plum designer Prints Paper, Pumpkin Pie grosgrain & Kiwi Kiss double sided satin ribbons, Outline Alphabet, Square Scallop & Photo Corner punch, Vintage Brads.
As a hostess gift I created a cute pack of Scrap Candy which included stamped images, ribbon, card stock and punched embellishments that can be used for Halloween cards or scrapbook pages. I packaged these together in a cello bag with a topper. Book a workshop with me today and I will create a Scrap Candy pack especially for you!

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Birthday Stampin' Up!

October of 1988 is when Stampin' Up was born, so that means they are celebrating their 20th anniversary! 1988 was a good year...it was also the year I became a mom for the first time. It's hard to believe my son is also 20! Time sure flies! Anyways...with October being SU!'s 20th anniversary they are having a special on 20% off select birthday stamps! Big Bold Birthday is included on that list, so I used it to make this cute (if I do say so myself!) birthday card.

I got my inspiration in several different places for this card. First, Beate had an awesome sketch challenge on her blog last weekend. I didn't get a chance to play along over the weekend, but wanted to give it a try using the Haiku papers anyways.
While visiting one of my favorite blogs, I saw that my friend Wendy used Beate's sketch along with Crazy for Cupcakes to create this adorable card. That's when I thought of using the cupcake from Big Bold Birthday along with Beate's sketch.

So, I knew which set, papers and sketch I was going to use, but I also wanted a fun & festive color combo to use with the Haiku papers so I flipped through the catalog for further inspiration. On page 61 there were some projects showcasing the Pun Fun set that used Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, So Saffron & Kiwi Kiss...perfect! Funny how these things evolve sometime, isn't it?

Spooky!

I cannot believe it is already October! What better way to start the month than to show you the cute Halloween canister I easily created using the new Spooky Décor Elements. This acrylic container was originally filled with Lindt chocolate truffles (YUM!) that we got for Christmas. I figured I'd eventually find a new use for this, so I'm glad I saved it!
This was my first experience using the Décor Elements and it was super easy! It comes with detailed directions, and I think as long as you read those (and follow them ;-) they are very simple to use. It is kind of like applying a rub-on decal, but with one extra step ~ you must first rub it onto it's transfer sheet before applying to the surface.

The Spooky Décor Elements are available in three sizes. I used the smallest size here on my canister. After I applied my spider, I tied a bunch of different ribbons around the top. I had a wired purple ribbon that I used as a base for the spider web ribbon to give it more body. I tied the two ribbons in a bow. I picked up that spider web ribbon somewhere last year...I'm thinking perhaps Big Lot? Glad I still had some left because it was just perfect for this project! I also added some Pumpkin Pie grosgrain and some Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon. I used the frayed ribbon technique on a piece of the pumpkin ribbon to give it more texture.

The top of the canister was embossed with the Lindt logo, so I had to cover that up. The Bigz Scallop die cut was the perfect size for this. So I ran it through my Big Shot twice ~ the second time I offset the Elegant Eggplant card stock on the die to create the jagged edge. I then layered a circle of Pumpkin Pie card stock on top of my die cut followed by another circle cut from a piece of spider web paper from SU!'s Halloween Nights designer series paper from a few years ago. I guess my pack-rat ways really paid off big time for this project, huh?! Now I just need to get another bag of candy corn to fill 'er up! Although...Lindt truffles are a million times better than candy corn...

Hope you like this project. If you want to check out Phase II of the Décor Elements, here's the link. Hopefully this will be the only spider I see around my house today! Have a good one!

Always Card Trio

This is a trio of cards made at my card class over the weekend. All three use the Always stamp set along with Heard From the Heart. Even though the same stamps were used you can see how easily you can create totally different looks just by changing the color scheme. One even works as a Christmas card.

The three color combos I used were: Really Rust, Sage Shadow & Chocolate Chip, Baja Blue, Blush Blossom & Chocolate Chip and Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke & Chocolate Chip. The bird was inked in a coordinating ink and then the rock 'n rolled in Chocolate Chip.

I just love that cute little bird! Now that he is available as a Decor Element, I'm trying to figure out a good spot I can put him in my stamping room! I'm thinking perhaps he can perch on the top of my peg board. The best part is that he's even available in one of my favorite SU! colors...Certainly Celery. :-)

Thanks for stopping by today...enjoy your day!

Scalloped Birds & Blooms

Hi there! A quick post to show you a cute little card we made at my card class yesterday afternoon. I've been kind of busy and just got around to photographing some of the projects I've been working on lately. This one was made almost completely with die cuts using my Big Shot.
I cut a piece of scored Certainly Celery card stock on the fold using the largest Scallop Bigz die to form the card base. The Ruby Red & Blush Blossoms circles were cut with the coluzzle. I stamped part of the tree from Season of Friendship inked with my Chocolate Chip marker, then proceeded to add the leaves - cut from Haiku paper using the Birds & Blooms Sizzlets, and of course the cute little bird which is also included in that set of dies. The little flowers were punched out with the Boho Blossoms Punch and embellished with little rhinestones for a touch of sparkle.

I was tempted to add some paper piercing around the circle and a background stamp to the Blush layer for more detail, but since we were making so many cards at the class I had to keep it a bit simpler than I normally would. Maybe I'll do that on the next one I make. Have a good evening!

A Quick & Easy Cardinal Christmas

This is a new set in the new Holiday Mini catalog, called A Cardinal Christmas. Even though I already own something similar I just couldn't pass it up! I've been super busy working on some other projects right now, but I just had to get this out and make at least one card with it, right? This card came together really quickly just using the images from the set. Love the solid foliage stamp that I used for the background! The cardinal is pretty easy to watercolor...I just used SU! classic inks and my aqua painter.
I used Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke & Whisper White card stock. The greeting is embossed in Winter White EP. To add a little more detail I used the Ticket Corner punch on the cardinal image and it's mats and tied on some Riding Hood Red Striped grosgrain ribbon. This stamp set will be available to order starting October 1st.

Look what I got in the mail from my super sweet & very talented blogger friend Denise:
Isn't this card adorable!? The little girl image is just so sweet and I love the way she colored her and added glitter to her wings. She even included some images for me to color. Thanks Denise!!! You totally made my day with this nice surprise! See more of Denise beautiful work at her blog: Stamping With Denise.


Looks like a beautiful Summer Fall day out there today...hope you find some time to enjoy it!