create from scraps

Update

2011-02-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Boy oh boy, the holidays have come and gone already. I have to apologize for being a bad blogger. I just couldn't seem to find time to stamp and blog during the holiday season. :( Its seems to be a trend since I did the same thing last year. Sometime about October each year, time just seems to fly right by me and I get busy with holiday decorating, shopping and all the other fun stuff. Now that it is January, things are beginning to settle down. I have yet to take down my christmas tree, however. But sooner than I could blink an eye it will already be mid-January and I haven't picked up a stamp. So sad.

Stampin' Up! Updates

I think its about time to share with you some Stampin' Up! updates. As you know, it is January and you know what that means?!!! SALE-A-BRATION is right around the corner. Beginning January 25, Sale-a-bration begins which means that for every $50 you spend, you get a Sale-a-bration product of your choice for FREE. This year's selections are just ADORABLE. I want it all :) On that note, the Occasions Mini catalog is out and available. If I were you, I would decide which items you like from the Occasions Mini but wait to purchase them until January 25. Its the best way to get the most out of your purchase.

If you wish to make your purchases sooner, the current promotion is the Filled with Love promotion. You get Bitty Buttons for FREE when you purchase the Filled with Love Bundle (includes the Filled with Love stamp set and Love Patterns designer series paper). This is such a great set for Valentines day projects. (Yes, I heard that thought go through your head.... Valentines is just around the corner!) If this stamp set is tickling your fancy, I encourage you to think quick because this set is only available through this promotion and will only be available until January 24.

Interested in becoming a demonstrator? Here's your chance! During Sale-a-bration, the starter kits are 15% off the original price of $175. PLUS you get a special SAB bonus bundle*** filled with over $50 of free products. That means you get stamping supplies valued at more than $360 for only $148.75!!! That is a pretty darn good deal. Have I mentioned the perks of being a demonstrator?

20% off all your personal stamping purchases through Stampin' Up!
complimentary monthly stamping magazine (Stampin' Success) with fabulous stamping and business ideas
access to the exclusive demonstrator website
You have the opportunity to earn extra money through sales

***SAB Bonus Bundle includes the following:

1. Color Coach

2. Simply Sent Kit (your choice - valued at $11.95)

3. Simply Sent Stamp Set of your choice (valued at $12.95 or less)

4. Punch of your choice (valued at $17.95 or less)

That's just SOME of the fabulous perks as a demonstrator. I tell you, these reasons were enough to convince me to sign up to be a demonstrator. You might need more reasons than I did. If you do, feel free to contact me and we can have a chat about all the other great things that come with becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

Friends Gatefold

2010-10-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the final card of the Greenhouse Gala Series. Today's card is my first attempt at a gatefold card. It isn't shown in this picture but I made the rick rack design of the paper actually align on both sides so that there is quite a nice flow going on behind the flower center. I also added some designer paper inside the card to make it flow and coordinate.

I hope this week-long series featuring Greenhouse Gala and Friends Never Fade has inspired you somehow. I like the idea of having a week-long event on my blog. Perhaps I will feature another couple Stampin' Up! products next month... Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy stampin'!

Stamps: Friends Never Fade
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Whisper White cardstock, Greenhouse Gala DSP
Accessories: Many Marvelous Markers, Paper Snips, Stampin' Dimensionals

Friends Pear Breeze

2010-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. This is my favorite card in the whole lot this week. I love the soft overall colors.

I especially love the sparkly flower middle. (Sigh.) Gotta love the sparkles! Right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy stampin'!

Stamps: Friends Never Fade
Ink: Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz
Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze, Whisper White cardstock, Greenhouse Gala DSP
Accessories: Cutter Kit, Dazzling Diamonds, Paper Snips

Greenhouse Baja

2010-10-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Card number 3... lets see lets see!!

BEAUTIFUL isnt it?! :) So remember the stamped image on the Pumpkin card from yesterday? I told you how much I loved coloring that stamp with my markers and how beautiful it came out, right? So I colored more of that same stamp with those same colors and I just HAD TO use it on another card. Here it is! Isn't it beautiful? So easy too!! You gotta try coloring that stamp yourself!

For this card's layout, I consulted Mojo Monday to help me out. They have fabulous card layouts every Monday. You should try it sometime. Whenever I'm stumped on a card layout, I love visiting them for a challenge. It kicks my mojo into high gear and I always feel accomplished when I finish a card using one of their layouts. I feel like I get to play with the pros a little bit :) I say that because when you see the cards submitted for the layouts, they are just gorgeous, fabulous and amazing!

Whaddyathink?

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stampin'!

Stamps: Because I Care, Friends Never Fade
Ink: Real Red, Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Greenhouse Gala DAP, Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze cardstock
Accessories: Real Red Satin Ribbon, Many Marvelous Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals

Pumpkin Friends

2010-10-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

Onto our second card for the week....

Pumpkin Pizzazz.... hehee. I like mixing up the colors names sometimes.

Anyway, today's card is simple and wow. I colored the stamp with my markers to achieve the multicolored stamped image (on Very Vanilla cardstock). When I stamped the image and saw that it came out beautifully, I just HAD TO put it on its own card. It blended really well with one of the sheets in the designer series paper pack. Even though the card has no sentiment on the front, it still came out to look complete, don't you think? Quite an addition to the loot :)

Happy Stampin'!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Friends Never Fade
Ink: Real Red, Pear Pizzazz, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla card stock, Greenhouse Gala DSP
Accessories: 1/8" Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, Many Marvelous Markers, Glue Dots

Daffodil Friends

2010-10-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

This whole week will be devoted to the Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper and the Friends Never Fade stamp set.

I really love this paper. At first the prints seemed to bold for me to use (I'm always a skeptic, right?). I kept seeing projects and cards made using this paper and they all came out beautiful. So I learned to like it and work with it. Once I got the hang of seeing the bold prints, I paired it with the Friends Never Fade stamp set. FABULOUS!! It was like... tah dah!! Magic :) This particular card was the first one I made out of the set. I would say it's my least favorite of them all. I think its because I'm missing some sort of sentiment on the card front or its just a tad bit too yellow for me. (Why would I make a card that even I think is too yellow is beyond me....) Whatever it is, there is something off about this card in my eyes. In the end though, it blends in with the rest of the lot. Stay tuned this whole week to see the rest of them.

Happy Stampin'!

Stamps: Friends Never Fade

Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie

Paper: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White cardstock, Greenhouse Gala DSP

Accessories: 1/8" Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon, Scallop Circle Punch, Paper Snips

Playful Birthday

2010-10-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick card made using the level 3 hostess set Playful Pieces. At first glance, I found this set to be a little overwhelming since there were so many pieces. However, as I was playing with this set, I realized that there are so many possibilities with all the little pieces of this set. I didn't get to show how versatile this set is, but I assure you this is a good set to play around with. I think I may just surprise myself with what I can come up with.

Hope you're having a fab Friday! Enjoy your weekend!

Happy stamping!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Playful Pieces, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Poppy Parade, Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White
Paper: Poppy Parade, Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla cardstock
Accessories: Small Heart Punch, Modern Label Punch, Silver Brads, Paper Snips, Stampin' Dimensionals

Vintage Amour

2010-09-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

Amour!

I really LOVE this card. It has taken me a while to get this card posted simply because I enjoyed looking at this beauty on my desk for a while. Now that I think about how I came up with this card, it seems a little funny. I had been playing with my new stamps that day and I experimented with all these elements. I knew I wanted to use the Newsprint DSP so I cut some of that up. I had seen people stamp images right on the DSP so I tried that too. Then I remembered a technique I used to love doing: antiquing (or sponging). I loved it so much that all my projects had some sort of antiquing done to it which is why I had to stop using it for a while. I sponged the edge of the 'Amour' sentiment and tapped the same sponge on to the Eiffel tower image. Once that was done, I had to come up with a card base. What is a card without a base, right? So I stamped Crumb cake ink on to crumb cake card stock. I then punched some Cherry Cobbler card stock using the Scallop Trim Border punch. I literally tied all the pieces together with a big black ribbon. I really LOVE how this all came together. It was a hodgepodge mess when I was creating it but it came out to be SUCH A BEAUTY!!

Have I said I love this card??

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy stampin'!

Stamps: Artistic Etchings

Ink: Basic Black, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake

Paper: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla cardstock, Newsprint DSP

Accessories: Cutter Kit, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Stamping Sponges, Snail, Corner Rounder Punch, Basic Black Satin Ribbon

Poppy Elements

2010-09-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

Starting off September on a good note. Here's a pretty card for your viewing pleasure (or to CASE, whichever works for you). I know there is a whole bunch of super cool and super yummy new stampsets in the new catalog that I could have used but I just LOVE this stamp set. Its so simple to use. At first, I thought that the big stamp was going to be daunting but its really such a breeze. It has become my 'go-to' stamp set so far. It totally makes a quick beautiful card in a hurry.

For this card, I stamped the image in Early Espresso on Whisper White card stock and then colored in the flowers with Poppy Parade and the leaves with Pear Pizzazz. Don't the names of the new colors all sounds so yummy? I then lined the inside of the card with Pear Pizzazz card stock and tied some Real Red Satin Ribbon on the top to finish it off.

Its a simple card for any occasion. I just love how it all came together.

Stamps: Elements of Style
Ink: Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso
Paper: Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz cardstock
Accessories: Scallop Border Punch, Real Red Satin Ribbon

Stampin' Addicts New Catalog MEGA Blog Hop

2010-07-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Stop #1 on the Stampin' Addicts New Catalog MEGA Blog Hop! This Blog Hop features 25 Stampin' Addicts members who are sharing their creativity with us. Each stop will feature products from the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog!

You may have just come from Krystal's blog Krystal's Cards and Morewhere she showcased some GORGEOUS projects using the Broadsheet Alphabet stamp set.

Today I am showing some ideas using a level 2 hostess set: Cute by the Inch!

My first card is a simple one. I used two of the images in the set to create a simple design trio. I love the greco design of these two images. It reminds me of my trip to Italy and Greece.

My second card is a little more complicated. I again used the greco style image to create my background on Crumb Cake cardstock. I used a stamp-a-majig to line up the images nicely. I then used the Owl punch to give my card a centerpiece. I absolutely LOVE this owl! It totally makes me smile the rest of the day when I see it. I also love that he can have multiple personalities just by moving his eyes. Isn't he adorable?

My last project is a 3d Item. I made a simple milk carton for a give away. The Cute By the Inch images are absoluteley perfect for the milk carton die. Its a quick and simple embellishment that packs quite a spectacular punch. The milk carton die is made of Read Red textured cardstock and spritzed with Vanilla smooch spritz.

I hope you've enjoyed these projects. Next stop on the Blog Hop is Holly over at InkPaperStamps. She will be showcasing a level 1 hostess set called Because I Care!

Have fun creating your own masterpiece!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sweet Ice Cream Scoops

2010-07-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

I love Strawberry and Vanilla ice cream, in the summer especially. So I thought of all the different ways I like eating my ice cream: on a cake cone, on a waffle cone, in a bowl or stacked high on a sugar cone. I like my ice cream plain most of the time or with caramel syrup once in a blue moon. Not a big fan of chocolate syrup or raspberry sauce, nor am I a fan of sprinkles and gummies on my cold creamy treat. I do love fresh fruit with my frozen creamy goodness.

So today's project features ICE CREAM!! I played around with the Sweet Scoops stamp set from the Summer Mini Catalog. It was so much fun to play with this set! I just made some simple 3x3 note cards with these ice cream cones.

Here are some close up pictures for each card.

Hmm... Now I think its time for some Ice Cream.

What's your favorite ice cream? How do you like it? With toppings?

Yummm..... Lets have a pretend ice cream party and share all the yummy goodness while we stamp!

Join the 'party' and leave a comment below :)

Come back tomorrow for the Stampin' Addicts New Catalog MEGA Blog Hop! Its going to be FABULOUS! 27 stops of fab new stuff! It will start around 9am PST. See you there!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tempting Favorite

2010-07-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

A simple card for today. I'm still using the same stamp set and designer series paper as the last two posts: Tropical Party and Island Oasis DSP. I really like how I can use the same two things and make a wide array of designs. Don't you just love that!??!

Here's a close up of the sparkly flower. I'm not sure if you can tell from this picture that there is glitter in the middle of the flower.

Stamps: Tropical Party, Favorite Thoughts

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive

Paper: Island Oasis DSP, Whisper White card stock, So Saffron card stock, Tempting Turquoise card stock, Old Olive card stock

Accessories: Scallop Border Punch, Paper Snips

Tropical Party Get Together

2010-07-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE the Tropical party stamp set. It has quite the summery effect on me whenever I see it. Don't these images just make you feel like a Mai Tai in Hawaii??

I used the masking technique on this card to create the cluster of trees and cut out the coconut and the flower to make it pop out.

Its a Tropical Party weekend... continuing yesterday's question....

What scrumptious drink or delicacy would you have in YOUR coconut? Leave a comment below!

Hope you're having a great weekend!
Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Tropical Party, In a Word

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie

Paper: Island Oasis DSP, Whisper White card stock. Old Olive card stock, Pumpkin Pie card stock

Accessories: Many Marvelous Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips, Scallop Border Punch

Tropical Window

2010-07-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a Tropical Party card to show you today. This one was inspired by a sway card I received from a fellow demonstrator, Gayle (I'm sorry, I don't know her last name). She's one of my upline's sideline. My upline only has one downline (me) so I join in their swaps with my upline's upline and sideline. (Wow, that's a mouth full!) Back to the card... Working a full-time job sometimes makes me feel like my short 4 day weekends just are never enough to get rested and rejuvenated. So I find myself dreaming of a Hawaiian vacation while I sit in my lovely windowless cubicle. Gayle's card inspired me to make a window looking out to the beautiful tropical paradise just beyond my reach.

The coconut represents the little taste of paradise within my reach. What's in the coconut you ask? Hmmm... a nice blended strawberry peach smoothie with a hint of pineapple juice perhaps. Oh that sounds SOOO GOOD especially in this heat!

What would YOU have in your coconut? Leave a comment below!

Happy Friday!
Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Tropical Party, Rough Type

Ink: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Tempting Turquoise, Pumpkin Pie

Paper: Old Olive cardstock, Soft Suede card stock, Whisper White card stock

Accessories: Curly Label Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips, Hobby Blade

Seasons Greetings in June

2010-06-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't been able to take photos of my new cards showcasing the stamp sets in the current Summer Mini Catalog. They're patiently waiting for me to bust out the camera and start taking photos of those beauties I've made. I think you will all enjoy them.

In the mean time, I'm sharing with you a simple card I made for the holidays. But its only June, you say? Oh no no no.... I say but its ALREADY June!! I made this card for the holidays that just passed. (Seems like it was just last week, doesn't it?) This is the card I sent to everyone I wasn't going to be able to see during the holiday season.

Serene Snowflakes made its debut in the past Holiday Mini Catalog. I absolutely LOVED this stamp set!! It is simply gorgeous. I don't see snow on a normal basis. (I'm lucky if I see it at all when we go to the mountains given that I live in Sunny Southern California.) So seeing snowflakes as beautiful as these makes me think that snow is the most magical thing on earth! Now if I lived in a different state, I may be singing a different tune.

In order to same some time with the many cards I wanted to make, I chose a simple pattern for the card. For the stamped white portion of the design, I also wanted to save some time. I stamped a whole sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 Whisper White card stock with various snow stamps in three different colors. I used two different shades of blue and Platinum Shimmer paint. When I was satisfied with how much snowflakes I stamped on the sheet, I cut up the sheet in to strips of 2 1/2 x 5 1/2 (I may have those measurements wrong) to end up with about 6 strips per sheet. I also wanted to have snowflakes on my card base and wanted a little more shine to the whole card. I added a strip of a slightly taller piece of plain clear sheet, adhered it to the card base and stamped a few snowflakes on it with shimmer paint. The sentiment is also stamped using shimmer paint. To complete the whole ensemble, I couldn't send this lovely handmade card out with just a naked envelope so I stamped a couple snowflakes on the envelope and it was ready for mailing.

Hope you enjoyed this card. I hope to get some pictures taken and uploaded sometime soon so I can have more cards to share with you all.

ETA (7/1/2010): Serene Snowflakes made its debut in the Holiday Mini which is obviously past its period. However, this lovely stamp set made it in the new Idea Book & Catalog!!! If you want to get inky with this stamp set for the holidays, it is available for you to purchase from the new catalog which debuts today, July 1!!! Get your copy today! You won't want to miss it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp sets: Serene Snowflakes, Four the Holidays
Paper: Night of Navy card stock, Whisper White card stock
Ink: Platinum Shimmer Paint, Bashful Blue, Night of Navy
Accessories: Clear sheets, Sponge Daubers

Awash with Flowers

2010-06-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a preview of a set that is coming out in the new catalog. Awash with Flowers. At first, I didn't like this set. I found it hard to visualize the images on paper and how they would all work together. I played with it for a WHILE before I settled with a design. This card is pretty simple. I was noticing a lot of panel-based designs in the blogging world and thought I'd join in and create one of my own.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stampin'!

Stamp sets: Awash With Flowers, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Inks: Summer Sum, Kiwi Kiss, Soft Suede

Paper: Soft Suede card stock, Kiwi Kiss card stock, Whisper White card stock, Summer Sun cardstock

Accessories: Linen Thread, Modern Label Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog

2010-06-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Ready to reserve your copy of the new Stampin' Up! catalog? I am taking pre-orders for catalogs. Catalogs will be sent out on around July 1, 2010. Click on the link on the top of the page reserve your copy today!

Thanks for stopping by!

Elements of Style

2010-06-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

When I first saw the new mini catalog, I knew this was a must have set. The stamp itself is typically not my style, not usually the one I would gravitate to, much less purchase. But I did. It was calling me right off the pages of the mini catalog and it was just begging me to ink it up. I chose to use this stamp set for the Color Q challenge in mid-May. Here is the inspiration for this card:

Cute right?? At first, I found it hard to get all these colors together on one card but once I got my supplies together and started to put ink to paper, the juices just started flowing and in the end I was pretty pleased with what came of it. Its good to step out of your comfort zone once in a while. That is what's so great about these challenges.

This card uses a retired color (Kiwi Kiss) and a couple retiring colors (Bermuda Bay and Summer Sun). I'm really excited that these colors are going away, actually. (Not the normal sob story you usually hear, isnt it?) Personally, I never really used most of the colors that are retiring. They just sat there and smiled at me but they aren't my go-to colors. I think that is part of the reason why this color challenge was particularly challenging for me.

Anyway, for this card I colored in the flowers with a Summer Sun marker and the leaves are colored in with an Old Olive marker. Kiwi kiss didn't come in a marker so I took the closest green there was. The humming bird is stamped in Bermuda Bay ink and cut out with paper snips. I adhered it with dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stampin'!

Stamp sets: Elements of Style

Ink: Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Summer Sun, Old Olive

Paper: Soft Suede card stock, Summer Sun card stock, Kiwi Kiss card stock, Whisper White card stock

Accessories: Scallop Border Punch, Paper Snips, Many Marvelous Markers

Bouquet Bunch Pots

2010-06-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here is today's card to share. I'm still playing with the Mini Catalog stamps as I 'patiently' wait for the sneak peek stuff from the new catty.

I'm still learning how to use the Smooch Spritz spray. This is the first time I actually used the spray on a project. When you get your smooch spritz, you will notice that the glitter tends to settle on the bottom when it sits for a while. So you will have to shake the glass vial vigorously to get the glitter all mixed up in the smooch again. Pretty simple and common sense, right? I'm not sure if it was a late night when I was stamping and I just wasn't paying attention or if I was just having a 'moment'.... but as I shook the vial, I felt a mist on my face and arm. First thing I thought was, "Is it raining?" Well... of course not! I'm only inside my stamp room on a warm California evening. The rain was no where near me. The windows were closed so why would there be a mist? I wiped off the mist from my face and I continue shaking the vial and it FINALLY occurs to me that its the spritz. At this point, I have the spritz all over my hand, sprayed on my face and arm and some had found its way on my pants. The spray nozzle had been unscrewed from the top of the vial and I hadn't bothered to check it before I started shaking. It was silly of me. I was pretty upset with myself that night but now I just laugh at myself because I each time I remember this incident, I remember seeing myself in the mirror right before going to bed looking like a tiger-lady. Lesson learned: Spritz comes off your skin pretty easily but not off your clothes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stampin'!

Stamp Sets: Bouquet Bunch, Wood Grain

Inks: Soft Suede, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Always Artichoke, Apricot Appeal

Paper: Soft Suede cardstock, Very Vanilla cardstock, Old Olive cardstock

Accessories: Scallop Punch, Marvelous Markers, Twill Tape, Smooch Spritz Log Cabin

Going... going... almost GONE!

2010-06-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of the upcoming catalog release, Stampin' Up! has released the Last Chance Lists for the 2009-2010 catalog. Below are the lists for all the items that are retiring. There are HUNDREDS UPON HUNDREDS of items retiring this time around because of the color renovation. If you've had your eye on a few stamp sets, PLEASE check the retiring stamp sets lists and see if they are going away soon. Items on these lists are available WHILE SUPPLIES LAST ONLY.

Retiring Stamps List

Retiring Decor Elements List

Retiring Accessories List

Make sure you check the prices.... some of them are discounted!

Questions? Feel free to email me.

Recruiting Promotion - June 2010

2010-06-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

From June 1-30, 2010, you can start your own Stampin’ Up! business for just $99 with the special Mini Starter Kit! The Mini Starter Kit—valued at over $180—contains the items listed below; while all items are recommended, you can substitute a like item of equal or lesser value.

Watercolor Trio stamp set (wood-mount)
I {Heart} Hearts stamp set (clear-mount)
Clear-Mount Block C
Homemade single stamp*
Whisper White card stock (8-1/2” x 11”)
Brights Collection assorted card stock (8-1/2” x 11”)*
Melon Mambo Classic Stampin’ Pad
Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin’ Pad*
Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin’ Pad
Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin’ Pad
Basic Black 1/8” taffeta ribbon*
Color Coach*
SNAIL Adhesive

*Sneak peek items!

The Mini Starter Kit also includes the same business supplies that are in the standard Starter Kit. Plus, new demonstrators who join Stampin’ Up! in June, you will receive a free box of 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalogs during the first part of July!

Click here and contact me today for details on how to sign up!

Sentimental Journey

2010-05-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

I just had to start getting my mini catalog sets inked up! They have been begging to be inked for a while now. Here's the first of my sets to get inked....

I totally love this card. When I was first starting to create this, I was having such a tough time creating it. I stumbled many times before this design came together. Pretty pleased with myself and my persistence in trying to get it together. My favorite part about this card is the compass. Take a look:

Yup!! Thats a brad! Its the backside of a brad!! Haha! I thought that was pretty clever. It looks pretty cool too. The length of the brad legs was perfect. Now, if only I made the compass turn north whichever way I moved, then THAT would have just been OUTTA THIS WORLD!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stampin'!

Stamp Sets: Sentimental Journey, Pedaling Past

Inks: Garden Green, Night of Navy, Versamark

Paper: Garden Green cardstock, Pumpkin Pie cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Travel Journey DSP

Accessories: Modern Label Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Silver Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips, Clear Embossing Powder, Big Shot, Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive, Stampamajig

MIA???

2010-05-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

Oh Boy! This last month went by REAL FAST! So many things happened as far as Stampin' Up! Yet I can't seem to keep up with stamping as quickly as new things are coming out! Oh its madness!! All these wonderful new toys but so little time to stamp.

I do have a couple cards I have made to share with you all. They're just waiting for a photo-op moment. :) I will share them soon.

Lets see... what's been going on.....

Have you seen the new Summer Mini catalog!????? SOOO CUTE!!! Lots of great new products in this one! The Schmooz Spritz stuff is AMAZING. I love it! I just used it last night and I got it all over me because I couldn't stop using it. It's addicting! Gotta have shimmer shimmer shimmer on everything. Its scary.

May is National Scrapbooking Month. What would scrapbooking month be with out any cool promotions, right? Explore the possibilities of scrapbooking with FREE DESIGNER BRADS with purchase of certain stamp sets during the month of May. Click here for more details on this great promotion.

I'll be back soon with some cards to share.

Happy stampin'!

Color Renovation

2010-04-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Stampin' Up! has recently made a big announcement that I am very excited to share with all of you.

For about two years, Stampin' Up! did a great deal of research regarding color trends. They held focus groups and surveys to get feed back from demonstrators and also took information based on sales about what colors we loved and which ones we didn't really use as much. With all the information they gathered, new color collections were born. Starting with the upcoming catalog which will be released in July (IBC 2010-2011), the whole color family structure will be changed. Our color families are becoming color collections.

Click here to view new color collections in pdf format.

A few things to note about this change:

If you've been a Stampin' Up! customer for a while now, you may be glad to hear that some of the previous InColors are returning as core colors in the new color collection. There are 10 returning colors from the past: Tangerine Tango, River Rock, Riding Hood Red, Wild Wasabi, Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, Pacific Point, Melon Mambo, Soft Suede, and Rich Razzleberry.
We are getting 5 NEW COLORS in the new color collection: Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso,Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist. These colors are BEAUTIFUL!!! They are wonderful vibrant additions to the core collections. I can hardly wait to start playing with these colors and incorporating them into my projects. Once you see them, I'm sure you'll want to start playing with these colors as well.
Kraft is now part of the core collection!! This beloved color is now a staple neutral color and it has received its own snazzy Stampin' Up! color name: CRUMB CAKE!!! You know what this means?? Yes, it is not only available in cardstock but it will have its own ink pad too (and possibly some other items as well)!!!
The InColor program is also part of the renovation. We will be introduced to 5 new InColors with the 2010/11 catalog and they will be available for 2 YEARS!!! It gets even better... with the 2011/12 catalog, we will be introduced to another set of 5 InColors giving us 10 InColors all together!!! 2010/11 InColors will retire with the release of the 2012/13 catalog but will be replaced with another set of 5 new InColors. That gives us a constant 10 InColors to keep our art work "hip" and vibrant! We should hear about the new InColors sometime in June, so keep visiting for updates!

This is a pretty big change to our fundamental core element. With such a big change means that there will be 30 colors in our current color line up to which we will be bidding a fond farewell. The retiring colors are: Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Pale Plum, Orchid Opulence, Lovely Lilac, Lavender Lace, Almost Amethyst, Bordering Blue, Brocade Blue, Ballet Blue, Brilliant Blue, Taken with Teal, Glorious Green, Handsome Hunter, Sage Shadow, Mellow Moss, Green Galore, Gable Green, Barely Banana, Yoyo Yellow, Summer Sun, Apricot Appeal, Only Orange, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Blush Blossom, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Going Gray. If any of these are particular favorites of yours, its time to stock up. These colors (cardstock, ink pad, ink refils, ribbon, etc) will only be available through the end of June 2010.

To place your order, visit my Online Store (click 'Shop Now' on the top right hand corner) or send me an email with your order and contact information.

I'm very excited about the new color collection. If you'd like to learn more about the new color collection and would like to host a workshop, let me know. I'd love to share this with you and your friends.

Happy Stampin'!

Valerie

Two Step into Spring!

2010-04-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Time to get ready for Spring!! During the month of April, Stampin' Up! is giving you a preview of the new Awash with Flowers stamp set. When you host a workshop or place an order of $350 or more, you get this stamp set for FREE. Awash with Flowers is a sneak peek from the upcoming 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog! Be the first to add this stamp set to your collection. It is available in both wood mount and clear mount (blocks C and H are recommended for this set, if you don't already have the blocks). Online orders do not qualify for this promotion. If you are placing an order of $350 or more, please contact me to place your order so that you may take advantage of this great promotion! This sneak peek is only available throughout the month of April so don't miss this opportunity! The next time this stamp set will be available will be in July when the new catalog is released. It will then retail for $39.95 as wood mount and $27.95 as clear mount.

If that weren't enough, there are also FOUR current stamp sets that are on sale for 20% off!!! If you've been debating on getting any of these stamp sets, now is the time to get them!! The stamp sets on sale are:

Greenhouse Garden (page 94) Reg. $25.95 Now $20.76

Fifth Avenue Floral (page 98) Reg. $24.95 Now $19.96

Flower Fancy (page 101) Reg. $36.95 Now $29.56

Trendy Trees (page 112) Reg. $17.95 Now $14.36

This is a great promotion! There is no minimum purchase to qualify for this special discount on these four stamp sets. I should note that these stamp sets are on the main catalog so that you may view the images and that they are only available as wood mount stamp sets.

And folks.... this is NOT an April Fool's joke!!

Happy Stampin'!!

Bird Punch

2010-03-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a simple card utilizing punches and a stamp set. I demonstrated this card at a recent workshop. Its a simple card to put together and it packs a "ooh ... aahh" factor. (Is that even a word?) :) It comes together pretty quickly as it uses very little stamping and it uses mostly punches.

Happy Stampin'!

Supplies:

Stamps: Whimsical Words

Ink: Soft Suede

Paper: Crush Curry cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Old Olive cardstock

Accessories: Scallop Border Punch, Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch

Fox & Friends

2010-03-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I last posted a project. Its been a crazy month however its been productive. Today I'd like to share a card I recently made. I sent this card to a coworker who recently had twins, a boy and a girl. So precious!! Anyway, I realized that I didn't really have any stamp sets that had anything 'baby-ish' to make a congratulations card. So I was a little bummed and nothing was coming to mind on how I could use my stamp sets for a baby card. Call it crafters block, I guess. I needed to get inspiration. So I went forth and did my routine blog-hopping and I came across Mary Jo Albright's blog post. I love her work! Her work never ceases to inspire me. I pulled out my Fox & Friends stamp set and played around with it. Voila! Next thing I knew, this card was created.

Yes, I know. I got a little crazy with the paper snips. Yes, I did cut all those pieces by hand. Crazy, I know. But you know what.... I had a blast doing it. I totally had a kick out of cutting up these animals that it didn't even seem like that much detailed cutting to me. DEFINITELY LOVE THIS CARD!!! Isn't this monkey adorable!?!? I made the animals (whole or part) pop up using dimensionals. I think it gives it a much better effect that just a flat image.

Hope you like it! Happy Stampin'!

P.S. The designer paper I used is retired from the last catalog. I'm trying to use up the loads of retired DSP I have.

Supplies:

Stamps: Fox & Friends, Well Scripted

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pacific Point, More Mustard, Really Rust, Real Red, Creamy Caramel, Kiwi Kiss

Paper: Morning Sunshine Designer Series Paper (retired), Kraft cardstock, Chocolate Chip cardstock, Pacific Point cardstock, Whisper White cardstock

Accessories: Scallop Border Punch, Paper Snips, Stampin' Dimensionals

Ribbon Shares Now Available!!!

2010-03-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

Hi Stampers!!

Have you been browsing through the embellishments section of the catalog lately? Been eying those ribbons to add as a perfect embellishment to your project? Maybe you've thought of buying a roll of ribbon or two but decided you really want all the colors just not at that steep price?

JOIN IN THE RIBBON SHARES!!!

Click on the product shares link on top and sign up to get your favorite line of ribbons at a fraction of the price! This is an affordable way to get all the ribbons you WANT without breaking the bank. You get 3 yards of each color in each ribbon family.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line.

Happy stampin'!

Last Month of Sale-A-Bration!!!

2010-03-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

Howdy Stampers!!

Just a little reminder that today marks the beginning of the final month of Sale-A-Bration!! Still don't know what this means??? Oh boy... You're missing out!!!

Sale-A-Bration is the BIGGEST sale event that Stampin' Up! has every year.

For every $50 you get a free stamp set, paper pack or punch for FREE.

If your order is at $300 or more, contact me to place your order and get an EXTRA FREE stamp set, paper pack or punch plus hostess benefits.

Interested in becoming a demonstrator? Starter kits are at a 15% discount when you sign up during Sale-A-Bration. Contact me for more information.

So if any of these perks have sparked your interest, visit my online store to browse through the wonderful product available to you right now and fill up your cart! If you need a catalog, please contact me.

The sale ends on March 31, 2010.

Happy Stampin'!

Flight of the Butterfly

2010-01-25T10:45:00.000-08:00

Third post today! Wow! (Just catching up on projects I had uploaded but haven't shared....)

Its a trend, I tell ya! Butterflies everywhere!!!

I just LOVE how this card turned out. I had a request to create a birthday card for a girl and this is the result of procrastinating to the night before they needed the card to create it. Turned out beautifully, didnt it? I just love looking at this card over and over and over and over.....

Of course, I still didn't have my butterfly punch to punch out this butterfly so I had to cut it by hand. It turned out well because I was able to give the little creature antennae :) hehe.

To create the ruffled ribbon, I used a technique I learned from Allison's blog. Coincidentally, she also used the same stamp set on her card for this particular post! Haha. I preferred this technique much better than just trying to fold the ribbon to create pleats for this project. It gave the card a little more of a 'dainty' and delicate feel to it.

Thanks for 'fluttering' by! :)

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly

Paper: Pink Pirouette (retired, textured and regular), (retired DSP -- will update for the name), Close to Cocoa cardstock, Whisper White

Ink: Pink Pirouette (retired), Close to Cocoa

Accessories: White Taffeta Ribbon, Eyelet Border Punch, Paper Snips, Sticky Strip

New Embosslits Butterfly Die

2010-01-25T10:30:00.000-08:00

What an appropriate follow up to my last post... More Butterflies!!! See a theme coming? I'm loving this new embosslit die that is on the Occassions Mini catalog, aren't you? Its just lovely and it works so well with so many projects! This card actually came about because of the card I made on the previous post. As you can see, there are 5 butterflies that are cut at once on the new embosslit die. I got a little excited using the BigShot for these butterflies that I ended up with A LOT of extra butterflies. Naturally, I had to use them somehow so I came up with this card. Its unbelievably simple to put together, not to mention QUICK! To be honest, I think it took me longer to set up my BigShot and cut out pieces of paper than it did to put the card together.

Inspiration for this card actually came from the Occasions Mini catalog (page 10).

Stamps: Butterfly Accent (for envelope)

Paper: Kraft, Paper Prints Pack (retired hostess gift [Apricot Appeal, Real Red, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Green Galore])

Ink: Melon Mambo (for envelope image)

Accessories: SU! Butterfly Wings Embosslit Die, BigShot

Scalloped Butterflies

2010-01-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

To start the new year off right, I thought it would be a good idea to start off with some crafting from the get go in hopes that it will continue through the year. (Fingers crossed...) Nothing comes to those who don't work for it. One of the things I wanted to accomplish this year is to start challenging myself with creating new cards. It could be participating in various challenges or it could be working toward getting some of my work published. Big goals, yes. But I've always thought that reaching for the stars gets me farther than just reaching for the clouds. If I fall short of reaching the stars, at least I'll have visited the moon and not settled for the clouds. Anyway, enough with the metaphors and on to the fun stuff! That is why you're here to begin with!

This Christmas, I created a few sets of cards as my Christmas gifts. The designs are pretty simple but they pack quite a punch. I was shocked at how cute these cards turned out. This particular card is very simple and easy to put together. It is also easy to make multiples of this card as the butterflies can be cut up a few pieces at a time.

The rub-ons I used on this card is a retired set (Chit Chat, I think its called) but this can easily be replaced with the new rub-ons that are on the new Occasions Mini (Chat Room, item# 117199).

Stamps: -none-

Paper: Very Vanilla, Kraft, Melon Mambo, Prints Pack (Retired Hostess gift)

Ink: -none-

Accessories: Chit Chat rub-ons (retired), SU! Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Big Shot

Inkspirations Color Challenge #17

2010-01-22T15:20:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to create some cards today. It was just FABULOUS since the weather was just lovely. It's been a rainy rainy day here in Cali. Perfect weather for crafting by the window, don't ya think?

Since I had such a FABULOUS time, I came across Makeesha's Inkspiration Color Challenge #17 which started today. Perfect! This week's color challenge was to use Cameo Coral, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla. Here below is the card I came up with... isn't it just FABULOUS??? Its a simple card, but I totally love how the border came out on the left side!!! What do you think?

Stamps: Vintage Vogue

Ink: Cameo Coral, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, Glorious Green

Accessories: Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Write Markers

Haitian Disaster Relief

2010-01-21T08:54:00.000-08:00

From now until February 28, 2010, $2 from every I {Heart} Hearts stamp set sold will be donated to American Red Cross' Haiti Relief and Development Fund. The Red Cross is already well-established in Haiti, and this money will be used to provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need.

Stampin' Up! Hatian Disaster Relief Flyer

ATTENTION BUILD-A-BEAR LOVERS....

2010-01-19T08:10:00.000-08:00

Do you just LOVE the Build-A-Bear stamps? Are you ready to bring a new BAB baby to life? Check this deal out...

For every $20 spent on the SU! Build-A-Bear Collection, receive a coupon for $5 off your $25 purchase at any Build-A-Bear Workshop store!!!

Is that a good deal or a good deal? Double whammy!! Woohoo!!

You gotta see the new additions to the collection! Build-A-Bear Workshop Collection items are on the Occasions Mini catalog (pages 38-40).

Click here to shop now!

Happy Stamping!

Razzleberry Love

2010-01-18T18:20:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for Mojo Monday (MOJO122) and Splitcoast Stampers Challenge (CC253).

Its a rainy holiday here in Southern California. I don't get to do much challenges but I thought this year would be a great time to start. So this is my first official challenge entry. I did a few challenges a few years back but didn't get to post them in time for the actual challenge so I don't think they count :) I think its pretty cute (if i do say so myself).

After finishing this card, I must say.... Challenges are fun! I'm definitely going to try to do more! Thanks for having these challenges everyone!

Happy Stamping!

Stamps: Well Scripted, I {Heart} Hearts

Paper: Chocolate Chip Textured Cardstock, Pink Pirouette, Rich Razzleberry, Kraft, Whisper White cardstock

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette

Accessories: 1/2" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon Rich Razzleberry, Full Heart Punch, Heart to Heart Punch, Stamping Sponges

Its a New Year......

2010-01-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

... and that means new promotions, new products and best of all SALE-A-BRATION!!!

If you've been a Stampin' Up! customer for a while, you know this is the BEST time of the year because its SALE-A-BRATION time!!! Yipee!! Along with that, the new occasions mini catalog has begun and boy-oh-boy the new products are SPECTACULAR!!! Come visit my online store and see what new products Stampin' Up! has to offer. Bet you can't resist once you see all the new stuff!!

Check Out Valerie's Online Store Now!

With the new mini catalog, there are a few new things I'd like to mention.

SALE-A-BRATION!!! - That means its FREE STAMP SET time!!! For every $50 purchase, you get to choose a free stamp set from the Sale-a-bration catalog. There are a four special stamp sets for the promotion, one HUGE pack of designer series paper and, for the first time, a border punch for you to choose from. If you've absolutely loved the products shown on the occasions mini and you already have all of the special sale-a-bration items, don't worry. You can also choose any stamp set ($12.95 value) from the main catalog as your FREE stamp set. There is a list on the last page (page 11) of the sale-a-bration catalog for your reference if you're not sure which ones those are.

CLEAR MOUNT STAMP SETS - Don't be misled. These are NOT the same as acrylic stamps. No, no no!!! We still can count on the quality of crisp stamped images from SU! rubber stamps, only this time with out the bulk of the wood. This makes for easier storage since the stamps come in a standard DVD size case and they attach to the clear blocks via static cling. Don't fret... SU! will still carry the original wood block stamps, for those of you who prefer this option. Just note when you see the new catalogs (occasions mini and SAB), there are two different item numbers for each stamp set, one for wood blocks (W) and another for clear mount (C).

NEW PUNCH DESIGN - Starting with the new punches on the occasions mini, punches are now available in a new low profile body which allows for easier storage and stacking. Check out the new punches!! They're ADORABLE!!!

That's all the announcements for now. Well.... what are you waiting for? Time's-a-wasting.. TICK-TOCK.... Visit the online store to shop now!!

Happy Stamping!

Flower Challenge

2010-01-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, I was challenged to use some flowers I had in my "stash" of crafting supplies. I also wanted to use the new stamp sets that came out with the Occasions Mini Catalog which went live today. I came up with this simple card LOADED with flowers. I also used my color spritzer for the very first time. It worked soo perfectly, I think. It added some texture to the blank space on the right corner.

Another version of the same template and design. Just changed up the colors.

I'll edit the post later to add the supplies I used for this card.

Thanks for visiting! Happy Stamping!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

Working on more projects to share... Back in the new year!

Deal of the Week #4

2009-10-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

The final deal of the week is here. Its time to take advantage of these deals while they last. If you're planning on having that princess or pirate themed party, now is the time to stock up with these kits while they're on sale!

Princess Party Kit (#116214) $9.99 (Reg. Price $15.95)

Pirate Party Kit (#116213) $9.99 (Reg. Price $15.95)

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to shoot me an email or drop me a line. To place an order, visit my online store for 24 hour service.

Happy Crafting!

Deal of the Week #3

2009-10-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Embellishment Frenzy!! This week's deals are up! Check these out.

Basic Jumbo Grommets (114348) $4.49 (Reg. Price $6.95)

Mini Library Clips (109857) $8.99 (Reg. Price $12.95)

Circle Designer Brads (112571) $3.99 (Reg. Price $5.95)

1/2" Library Clips (112581) $3.99 (Reg. Price $6.95)

Hurry! These deals will last only through next Monday, October 26 9:50AM.

Drop me a line, shoot me an email or visit my online store to order.

Happy Crafting!!

Clearance Rack

2009-10-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

OH BOY!!! I don't think I've ever met a sale I didn't like... or at least one that got me curious. Have you? Well, can you believe it? Stampin' Up! now offers a CLEARANCE RACK at the online store. They have put items on clearance to make room for more new items coming in at warehouse. Bear in mind that these are ALL RETIRED AND DISCONTINUED items on clearance.

It is definitely worth a peek at the online store to see what they have on the racks. You never know .... they might just have your favorite rub-on sheet or ribbons waiting there just for you!

Drop on by my online store and see what treasures you might find.

Happy stamping!

Deal of the Week #2

2009-10-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Its time for Deal of the Week #2!! Did you all enjoy the last week's deals? If you think last week's deals were great, CHECK OUT THIS WEEK'S DEALS!!! I'm soo excited about this week's offers. I may have to purchase a few myself. :)

Perfect Setting Bigz XL Die (115961) $25.99 (Reg. Price $42.95)

Flower Burst Embosslits Die (114515) $5.99 (Reg. Price $11.99)

Pop-Up Three Tier Cake Bigz XL Die (116760) $25.49 (Reg. Price $39.95)

Aren't these deals just AWESOME?!?? Don't wait too long on these incredible bargains. These prices will go through October 19, 2009 at 9:50AM MST.

Click here to place your order now! Shop at my online store anytime!

Check back for a new deal of the week next week! New offers will be posted on Monday, October 19, 2009.

Deal of the Week #1

2009-10-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Its Back!!! Deal of the Week is back! This time around there are three items for this week's deal of the week promotion. If you're interested in any of these punches, now is the time to order them while they're on sale.

Trio Flower Punch $10.99 (Regular Price $15.99)
5-Petal Flower Punch $10.99 (Regular Price $15.99)
My Way Punch $11.99 (Regular Price $15.99)

Remember... this deal only lasts a week! The next deal will be announced on Monday, October 12.

Customer Weekly Deal Announcements:
Deal #1: Thursday, October 1, 2009; 12:01 AM (MT)
Deal #2: Monday, October 12, 2009; 10:00 AM (MT)
Deal #3: Monday, October 19, 2009; 10:00 AM (MT)
Deal #4: Monday, October 26, 2009; 10:00 AM (MT)

Click here to order online through my online store.

Seasons Greetings Bird card

2009-09-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

One more project to share for today. Again, this is one of my projects from last year. I have to apologize that I don't remember everything I used for this project. I made this card just for show so it isn't really a functioning card, however it can definitely be made to function just by scoring theplain circle and the large scallop circle about a quarter of the way from the top.

To get the plain circle cutout in between the two scalloped circles, I just traced an old CD onto very vanilla cardstock and cut it out by hand. It was just the right size and it came out perfectly.

For the sentiment, I used a rub-on from the Season of Cheer set which is now retired. However, for any SU Demonstrator, this rub-on set is part of the Inventory Blowout Sale! ;)

Enjoy!

Supplies: Big Shot (113439), Bird w/ Leaves and Flower Bigz die (113465), Scallop Circle Bigz die (113468), Season of Cheer Rub-ons (retired)
Paper: Very Vanilla cardstock, Close to Cocoa cardstock, Handsome Hunter cardstock
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Stamping Sponges (101610)

Reindeer Lineup

2009-09-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

The holidays are just around the corner. That means its about the time to start creating those handmade cards so they can make it in the mail in time. :)

Today's card isn't quite a start on my holiday cards this year so I'm still a little behind on my card making. But this is one of the many cards I sent out last Christmas. I ABSOLUTELY love this stamp set! Granted, coloring multiple images of these silly reindeer wasn't exactly easy BUT it was SUPER FUN!! I totally enjoyed coloring/painting these reindeer for this card. Aren't they adorable? Its a pretty simple card since I spent so much time painting the image, I didn't want to waste too much time with assembling the rest of the card.

Hope you like the card as much as I do. I know the stamp set is still in the current catalog but unfortunately, the ribbon and designer series paper was from an older catalog. Sorry gang. (However, for those demonstrators out there, this ribbon is part of the Inventory Blowout Sale!)

Stamps: Holiday Lineup (111648)

Paper: Real Red cardstock, Chocolate Chip cardstock, Retired Designer Series Paper

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Real Red, Handsome Hunter, Apricot Appeal

Accessories: Alpine ribbon (retired), Stampin' Dimensionals

Mr. Twigster

2009-08-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

Splitcoast Challenge WSC63

Well hello Mr. Twigster!

Oh Boy! I'm completely lagging. Haha. I hope you don't mind that I'm posting these quite late. I apparently participated in a challenge on Splitcoast sometime during the holiday rush last year. But (again...) I didn't get to post it to share. Hopefully these will still come as nice entertainment value in the very least. :)

Mr. Twigster is enclosed in a sparkly snowglobe. I created this using my xyron adhesive. I covered the whole cut up image with some permanent xyron adhesive and dunked the whole sticky side into some dazzling diamonds glitter.

Stamps: Mr. Twigster
Ink: Basic Black
Paper: Baja Breeze cardstock, Ski Slope Designer Series Paper, Real Red cardstock
Accessories: Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Bashful Blue grosgrain ribbon, coluzzle, scallop border punch, xyron adhesive, stampin' dimensionals, stamp-a-majig

From Our Home to Yours Tag

2009-08-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well what do you know?!! I seem to have already uploaded some previous projects I've created but not posted them for you to view. Oh I know... thats just selfish.

This project is a a tag you can attach to a gift with your message written on the back of the tag.

Stamps: Bella's Border Wheel, Bella's Bloom
Ink: So Saffson, Barely Banana, Mellow Moss
Paper: So Saffron cardstock, Very Vanilla cardstock
Accessories: Circle Fire Rhinestone brads, Curly Label punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Blog has Moved!

2009-08-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

In case you're wondering... yes, the blog has moved.

I haven't been able to post any new projects this year at all so I decided to start fresh. I've made minimal progress on any creative tasks this year. At best, I think I've created 6 cards in the last 8 months. Yes. Pretty bad.

With that said, the holidays are coming along. I should be able to start creating some holiday cards again soon. Stay tuned for some new holiday cards and creations :)

Stair Step Fold Challenge

2008-11-06T13:30:00.000-08:00

And so it begins.....

The holidays are upon us! Can you believe it? Where did the year go? I could have sworn I was just putting last year's christmas decorations away around the house. Okay, maybe thats just me slacking on cleaning but it sure did fly by fast! Fall is here, the California winter chill is blowing and the clock is ticking nagging me to finish up my christmas cards so I can actually send them out this year.

This is one of the first holiday cards I made this year. Splitcoast had a challenge a few weeks ago for stair step fold cards. (For those that visit, it was challenge TLC190) I thought it was such a cute idea especially with all the 3D cards popping up commercially. Of course, as a cardmaker myself, I naturally thought I can do better than that! I can make my own 3D cards that pop, swing, sparkle, shake and whatnot. The challenge was perfect. In my excitement, I forgot to check on what dimensions the challenge instructed for the stair folds. So I pretty much just took a scrap piece of paper and started folding. To make the long story short, my card doesn't stand up properly and there is no "stairstep effect". Haha. The picture is a little deceiving BUT it worked for my forest of trees! I love making "mistakes" just to find out that it works just as well as if you did it the "right way". :)

Stamps: Christmas Classics, Short and Sweet, Many Merry Messages
Inks: Handsome Hunter, Whisper White, Versamark
Paper: Riding Hood Red cardstock, Whisper White cardstock
Accessories: Filigree Designer Brads, Iridescent Ice Stampin' Emboss Powder, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Snail Adhesive, Tombow Adhesive, Heat Tool

Diaper Cakes

2008-11-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

As I promised previously, I'm posting pictures of the diaper cakes I made. Yes there are SIX separate diaper cakes there. Thats ALOT! It was an incredible feat to complete this one. These two-tiered diaper cakes were meant to be used during a baby shower and these were going to be the centerpieces at each table. The host of the party told us that the mom-to-be absolutely LOVED the cakes and she will be using the paper animals for her scrapbooks. She is expecting twin boys!! It was such an amazing feeling getting such rave reviews for the diaper cakes. The images were made using Cricut. These are non-Stampin' Up! images.

Halloween Goody Bags

2008-10-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

This year for Halloween I decided to make some goody bags for the kids that trick or treat at work. A little bit of background for the trick or treat at work: Halloween is a very big deal at my work place. They have the office all decked out for the occasion and there's always special events going on not to mention the big food spread they have available for all of the employees. Anyway, the company is very family oriented. So they have what they call a Teenie-Weenie Halloweenie parade wherein you could bring your kids to trick or treat around the office. They "hop" from desk to desk trick-or-treat-ing. Its always very cute and its so much fun to see all the kids. The last couple years I've worked there I didn't really prepare anything special for the occasion. But this year, since I'm a new Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I thought it would be a great opportunity to market my business in a somewhat subtle way. :) I actually included a postcard type card with the goody bags. If you look closely at the picture, you might see an orange sheet of paper with stars on it. I just stamped a Happy Halloween sentiment on the card and attached my contact information on the back (hehe). The bags were a big hit to say the least. Everyone thought it was very cute. We shall see if it brings in business. :P

I've been seeing these spiders on a lot of blogs and definitely around Splitcoast galleries. They're SO adorable! Unfortunately, I don't remember who created this ADORABLE critter so I can't properly give you credit (so sorry :( ).

The spider is made using only punches: scallop circle punch for the main body, 3/4 circle and 1/4 circle punch and uni-ball Signo Gel Pen (white) for the eyes, 1/4 circle punch for the nose and Photo corners punch for the legs. The photo corner punch produces a large corner and a small corner. I just put these on top of each other using different colors of course. Also, before I made all my punches, I ran the paper through the crimper to create some texture on the spider.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Halloween. It fell on a Friday this year so I'm sure there are A LOT of grand celebrations going on tonight. Its a card crafting night for me tonight as I have to catch a plane early tomorrow morning.

Fresh Cuts

2008-10-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a very simple card using Fresh-Cuts Notes. Its a card for all occasions. Do you get those times when you just need a simple card? Even though I make so many cards, I still find myself searching for a simple card that can be for any occasion or just to send a simple hello card. Thats how this card came about. Simple, elegant, no frills and its quick and easy to make. I fall in love with the simplicity of this card everytime I look at it.

Enjoy! :)

Stamps: Fresh Cuts
Ink: Versamark, Old Olive
Paper: Old Olive Cardstock, Kraft Cardstock
Accessories: Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Fresh-Cut Notes, White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Stampin Dimensionals

Thank You Pocket

2008-10-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

Okay so I really need to remedy my picture situation. My pictures come out with glare from my desk light. I'm going to have to remedy that and fast! Its really sad.

So, on to more important things. This card was actually an attempt to CASE the pretty pink one that is on the Stampin' Up! catalog. I just took off the extra bells and whistles on their embellished pocket and this is what came of my attempt. I still think its pretty. All the colors blended well with the designer series paper.

Stamps: Elegant Notes, Frames with a Flourish
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Kiwi Kiss
Paper: Urban Garden DSP, Basic Gray cardstock, Very Vanilla cardstock
Accessories: Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon, Bashful Blue Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Bone Folder

Cupcake Crazy

2008-10-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

So I haven't posted in about 2 weeks, but I promise I've been busy. Busy crafting, busy stamping, busy creating. I was actually working on some diaper cakes for which I'll post about separately (once I get pictures uploaded). Anyway, I got a few cards to post about YIPEE!!!

First up... a birthday card. I really wanted to do a mosaic base background card but couldn't resist using the cupcake image I was playing around with. The colors came out so cute that I just had to use it. I wanted the image to stand out somehow so thats where the scrap DSP came in. I inked the edges of all of the So Saffron sheets with So Saffron ink. The balloons are also from the Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set but I cut off the strings and used linen thread instead.

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes
Inks: So Saffron, Real Red, Basic Gray, Mellow Moss
Paper: Certainly Celery Cardstock, So Saffron Cardstock, Real Red Cardstock, Urban Garden DSP
Accessories: SU Linen Thread, Word Window punch, 1 1/4 Square punch, Paper Snips

Season of Joy Holiday Card Pack

2008-10-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

For our World Card Making day event, these are the cards I created as a project for our guests. I tried to make the card designs appeal to beginner to intermediate crafters. I got ideas from past cards that I learned from the classes I've been to and from browsing through the wonderful creations from Splitcoast. I got some good feedback from our customers who made the project today.

I made some extra card packs. This includes all the precut paper to assemble your cards, embellishments and detailed instructions. If anyone is interested in purchasing a card pack, I'm selling them for $10 each. However, you will need to have the Season of Joy stamp set to complete the project. Please contact me if you'd like to purchase one.

Stamps: Season of Joy
Ink: Handsome Hunter, Real Red, Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Old Olive Cardstock, Chocolate Chip cardstock, Riding Hood Red cardstock, Kraft cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Very Vanilla cardstock, Handsome Hunter cardstock, Holiday Treasures DSP
Accessories: Pretties Kit, Fire Rhinestone Brads, Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds, Scallop Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY

2008-10-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

My mom and I held our first Stampin' Up! open house this saturday. It was actually a mixed event since we combined it with World Card Making day. We had make and takes and door prizes galore! It was so much fun. I was looking forward to the event all week with all the preparations we had to do. I made these super cute and super easy door prizes using the Big Shot basket. We placed a couple incentive stamps in the baskets as the prize. I attached a blank 3 x 3 notecard to the front that has a "thank you" sentiment to complete the whole package. The cards have a 3 piece mosaic type design. I didn't want to throw away the extra scraps from the Big Shot basket so I used them to make these cards. Finally, I tied some grosgrain ribbon to tie the basket together.

Stamps: Short & Sweet
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Night of Navy
Paper: Hawaii Papaya DSP, Banbury DSP, Maine Blueberry DSP, Manchester DSP
Accessories: 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Big Shot Machine, Baskets & Blooms Bigz XL Die