Friday, August 29, 2008

Back to School Somethings!

Well, it's Friday and you know what that means...another challenge on STAMP SOMETHING! This week in honor of summer ending and kids heading back to school we are challenging you to create a back to school something! You can interpret this in any way you choose as long as your creation has something to do with school.

My son just had his first day of Kindergarten on Wednesday, so heading back to school has been on our minds for a couple of weeks. I'm sure many of you out there are in the same boat! The theme of my card is school friendships, which I hope my son will have many of soon.


This card uses a couple Magnolia images with pencils, perfect for school. I colored the images with watercolor wonder crayons and an aquapainter. Then cut them out. Their wings are dusted with crystal effects and dazzling diamonds glitter.

The cardstock colors are So Saffron, Brocade Blue, and Tangerine Tango. I also used a piece of patterned paper I received from my good friend Alex when I won her blog candy. The background behind the images is a white piece of cardstock stamped with the letters abc from ABC Lower Alphabet, a Stampin' Up! set. The layout for this card is similar to one I saw on Katharina's blog. I did some flipping around and changed the placement of some elements, but it is essentially the same sketch.

The final touches are paper piercing, faux stitching stamp, ribbon, scalloped circle with silver hodgepodge and the sentiment from Celebrate Everything, also a Stampin' Up! set.

Thanks for stopping in, be sure to head on over to STAMP SOMETHING and check out the terrific design team samples. I hope you'll find time to stamp something today too! Have a great weekend, happy stamping!! :)

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Thank Ewes

Happy Thursday All!

This week is really flying by! Hope it's been a good one so far!

I have a quick post today to share the thank you cards I made for all the gifts my son received at his 5th birthday party. I needed to make 16 so I kept the design simple. My son's favorite color is orange, can you tell!

These cards are 4 1/4" square made with Pacific Point and Tangerine Tango cardstock. The printed paper is from AC Moore. The image has been stamped with black Staz-On ink and then colored with markers. The "fluff" on the sheep is crystal effects and glitter. This image is from the Stampin' Up! set Pun Fun.

Thanks for looking! Be sure to check back tomorrow when we post a new STAMP SOMETHING challenge. Happy stamping!! :)

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Little Flower Girl

Hello All!

I'm back from all of our family gatherings and the weekend wedding festivities. We had a great time visiting with family and friends and celebrating my brother's marriage. Now we're in recovery mode, trying to get things back to normal.

I did find time to take out my stamping stuff and got to work today creating. It felt great to stamp! I also placed an order for new Stampin' Up! goodies, but while I wait, I decided to work with other images.

This is one card I made using images my good friend Jo sent to me recently. I just love this sweet little girl, she's a Sugar Nellie.

I colored her in using watercolor wonder crayons and an aquapainter. Then highlighted areas with the white gel pen. The cardstock colors are Rose Red, Night of Navy, So Saffron, and Always Artichoke. The embellishments are pearls, taffeta ribbon, grosgrain ribbon, and styled silver hodgepodge. I also embossed the Saffron layer with the flower pattern and my Cuttle Bug.

Thanks for looking today! I hope to have some time in the next couple of days to visit you too! Happy Stamping!! :)

Friday, August 22, 2008

Birthday Somethings and a Swap

Happy Friday Everyone!


We've got a great new challenge for you today on STAMP SOMETHING and a special treat too. We've given our design team the week off so we have a group of guest designers to give you some inspiration! Be sure to check out their fabulous projects! We'd like to also give them a huge thanks for helping us out this week and for all their hard work!

The challenge this week is another easy one, totally open to interpretation too. Just make a project that has the theme of Birthdays! Show us what you can do and you'll be entered into our blog candy drawing for a chance to win a gift certificate from the Coconut Scrap Shop! Get out those stamps and bring on the birthday somethings!

This is the card I made for a swap I'm participating in, which is being hosted by Samantha, the West Coast Stamper. It's a masculine birthday swap. I thought I'd share it with you today seeing as it fits the STAMP SOMETHING challenge too.

My card is pretty simple. I used the colors Baja Breeze and Night of Navy. The squares were run through the Cuttle Bug and embossed with the circles embossing folder. I then used my square punch to get the perfect square shape. The sentiment is from All Holidays, a Stampin' Up! set. The final touches were ribbon and silver brads.

Thanks for looking! Samantha, these are on their way to you! I hope you'll take some time to stamp something with us today, don't forget to check out our guest designers this week too!

Have a great weekend, happy stamping!! :)

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

One Layout, Two Different Cards

Happy Wednesday Stampers!

Hope your week is speeding along and going well!

I've got two cards to share with you that are both simply sweet and super easy to create! We made these at club last week and each of us came up with very different designs!

The card is just a piece of 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" white cardstock, folded in half. Then I sponged a Baja Breeze square in the center. To make the center square I used a scrap piece of cardstock and punched a square using my square punch, I had to punch it 4 times to get this size. Then masked the area and sponged on the ink. The embellishment is just Navy ribbon and a rhinestone brad.

The first card uses Fresh Cuts and the second card uses Embrace Life for the image and Fresh Cuts for the sentiment. The images and sentiments were stamped using Baja Breeze and Night of Navy ink.

I like how even though they have the same basic elements, they still look very different.

Thanks for stopping by, have a good day! Happy Stamping!! :)


Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Look What I Got...

Just a quick post today to share a wonderful blog award that I received from my dear friend Jo! It's truly a wonderful honor to receive this award, and I must send it right back at you, Jo!

The hard part about receiving these fabulous blog awards is having to pass them on, but only being able to pass them on to a few people. There are so many great blogs out there, it's tough to choose just 7!

But if I have to pick, these are just a few of the blogs I love, in no particular order! Lynn, my SBS sister, who's blog is a huge inspiration, she's so creative and I love her style. Catherine of Inksomnia, she always has new stuff to share with super fun images. Beate, of Fresh and Fun, who is now back from her summer break! I can't wait to see all the terrific stuff she has to share! Vicki, another one of my SBS sisters, who's got super projects everyday with lots of variety in images and layouts, plus she's very sweet and always takes the time to visit. Maren, of Zany not Crazy, who's a card making machine, she puts in so much time! Also, my fellow Stamp Something girls, who give me inspiration each week and who I love working with. And lastly to YOU, for visiting and leaving comments all the time. It's so nice to hear what others think about my work! Thanks for inspiring me to create and share!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Embrace Life

Hello All!

Hope you had a great weekend. We actually had sunny weather both days, it was beautiful! We also celebrated my son's 5th birthday. They do grow up fast, don't they! :)

I have a couple of cards to share that I made last week during my monthly stamp club. It was a great night, just the girls and stamping! :) Because I haven't placed an order yet for new stuff we had to work with some of my old stamps, but we did use the new In Colors. I love them!




Both of the cards we made use the stamp set Embrace Life and the sentiments are from the set Short and Sweet. The second card has also been stamped with the Canvas background stamp.

The first card was made using Sahara Sand, Night of Navy, Baja Breeze, and white Cardstock. The second uses Old Olive and Ivory cardstock. I actually CASEd this second layout from the new catalog, the samples are just gorgeous!

Thanks for taking the time to look today, have a fantastic week. I'll be busy most of the week with house guests and wedding stuff, my brother is getting married on Sunday! Yay!! So, I probably will have a few scheduled posts, but will not have lots of time to visit. I promise to be back next week though!

Happy Stamping!! :)

Friday, August 15, 2008

Summer Somethings!

Happy Friday All!


We've got a summer fun challenge for you over on STAMP SOMETHING today. Our challenge is super easy, just make something having to do with summer. It can be a card, a scrap page, a 3D project, anything you can think of that reminds you of summer!

Our blog candy this week has been donated by the fabulous Gina K! She's given us one of her new release stamp sets to give away to one lucky winner! So get out your stamps and play along with us, you won't want to miss this chance! Be sure to check out the super summer fun projects made by our design team too!

For my project I wanted to make something other than a card. I haven't been feeling the stamping mojo lately, but I saw a cute tutorial on Splitcoast for a treat pouch. Once I made the pouch I decided it needed a matching 3X3 note card.

This pouch was made using Summer Picnic DSP and the stamp set Tart & Tangy, both of which are in the new Stampin' Up! catalog.

This pouch is super easy to make and would be great for party favors or a sweet little treat to let someone know you're thinking about them.

While I was making my summery treat pouch, I also made a wedding shower themed pouch to show how diverse these pouches can be. I've had weddings on the brain all summer long, so for me this is the perfect summer project!

I made this pouch using the Tie the Knot Simply Scrappin' Kit. The papers are double sided and the die cuts make perfect accents. For a more elegant look, I added ribbon, a hat pin with pearls, and some pearls to the centers of the flowers.

Thanks for looking, hope you have a fantastic weekend! Go on and stamp some summer fun!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Sharing Some RAKs

Happy Wednesday All!
So my stamping mojo is on the fritz and I don't have anything new to share with you. So, I thought I'd share two beautiful and thoughtful RAKs I received over the past few days. I have some truly wonderful blogging friends, I'm so grateful for all of you! :)

This first RAK is from Emily, my friend and fellow design team member over on STAMP SOMETHING. Emily recently made some fun cards using these cupcake images and I told her how much I liked them. Well, to my surprise and delight, she sent me a bunch.

I love this card she sent as well. I never think to use this set, I love how Emily did. She always has the best color combos too, this one is lovely. Go over and check out her blog, you're sure to find lots of fabulous projects made by this very talented stamper! You won't be disappointed.

Thanks so much for thinking of me Emily!




This next RAK is from Lynn, my blogging buddy and SBS sister. I love Lynn's blog, it's one of my favorites to visit. She always has the most stunning work. Her style and taste are just fantastic! I'm always inspired by what I see, every time I visit her. I only wish I could go to one of her workshops! :)

This card is just one of the lovely works Lynn has created recently. And to see it in person is even better! I just love this image and the colors. It's perfect. Thank you so much for sending me these images Lynn, can't wait to use them.


I hope to have something new to share with you soon, well for sure by Friday when we host another STAMP SOMETHING challenge. I just need to get the mojo working again!

Have a great Wednesday, happy stamping!! :)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Happy Birthday Janna!

Hello!

Today is my oldest and dearest friend Janna's birthday! Happy Birthday Janna! Janna and I have been friends since junior high school, which was a very long time ago. :) I can't remember a time when I didn't know her. Even though, I can't be there to celebrate with her, I want her to know I'm thinking of her on her special day! :)

I thought I'd share the card I made for her. I'm very happy with the way this card turned out except for the green birthday gift. I tried to color the hearts pink and the colors blended together to make this not so pretty green. Many attempts to change it, failed. So Janna, I apologize! I would never buy wrapping paper that looks like that! LOL! :)

This image is a Magnolia colored with watercolor wonder crayons and an aquapainter. I used my scalloped oval nesties to make the frame around the image. The printed papers are from a retired hostess Simply Scrappin' Kit. The embellishments are styled silver hodgepodge, ribbons, brads, die cut stickers. The happy birthday sentiment is from All Holidays and has been popped up using foam tape.

Thanks for taking a look today! Hope you have a wonderful day. Happy stamping!! :)

Monday, August 11, 2008

New Catalogs!

Good Monday Morning!

Today's the day...the new Idea Book and Catalog has just been released! That's right, Stampin' Up!'s all new fall winter collection is available today! If you would like to purchase a catalog, please contact me or you can click on the picture to view the online version right now!

Also, I have a list of retired stamp sets for sale. To see a photo and asking price for each set, please scroll to the bottom of this page. If you are interested or have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Happy Stamping!! Have a great day! :)

Friday, August 8, 2008

It's A Color Challenge!

Happy Friday Stampers!

We've got another fun challenge for you over on STAMP SOMETHING. This week our design team member and very talented stamper, Becky, has a great color challenge for us. The rules are to make a card using the colors blue, pink, and green. You can use any shades or multiple shades, but you must stick with those colors. There's some great blog candy up for grabs too. Betsy from Innovative Stamp Creations has donated a set of stamps from her collection. Head on over and take a look, we hope you'll join in the color fun too! :)

This is the card I made for the challenge. At first, I thought this was going to be a tough one, but then I remembered my new In Colors and went with those.

My blue is Baja Breeze, the pink is Pink Pirouette, and the green is Kiwi Kiss. I also used some white for a neutral. The stamps are from Embrace Life and All Holidays, both Stampin' Up! sets. It's been a while since I've made a complete card with only Stampin' Up! stamps. I NEED that new catalog to get some new stuff! :)

Thanks for taking a look! I hope you'll visit STAMP SOMETHING and check out the design team samples and stamp something yourself today.



Supplies:
Stamps: Embrace Life, All Holidays
Paper: SU! In Colors Cardstock
Ink: Baja, Pirouette, Kiwi
Accessories: brads, crystal effects, glitter, sponges

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Under the Sea Fun

Hello! Happy Wednesday!

It's pouring rain here today, a perfect stamping day. Perfect for making an underwater themed card!

I decided I wanted to try some of my new In Colors, which I now love! The blues are just so pretty together. Vibrant, really!

I used my Layers of Color, Under the Sea stamps for the images. The sentiment is from SU!'s Very Punny, an old Sell-a-bration set.

I used my Cuttlebug for the embossed pieces of Baja Breeze and then stamped the images with StazOn ink and colored them in with re-inkers and a blender pen. Each image was then cut out and adhered to the card. The coral pieces have some crystal effects for shine on the white pearl areas. The fish have been adhered with foam tape. The sentiment is framed with styled silver HPH.

Thanks for looking, hope you're having a great Wednesday! Happy Stamping!! :)


Supplies:
Stamps: Layers of Color, Stampin' Up
Paper: SU! Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, White
Ink: Baja, Pacific, Kiwi, StazOn Black
Accessories: Styled silver HPH, crystal effects, Cuttlebug and embossing folder, foam tape

Blog Candy Alert!

Katharina has some very fabulous, extra special blog candy on offer over on her blog Katharina's Creative Place. Her hit counter recently rolled over 100,000 so she's celebrating by offering a full set of her new Whiff of Joy, Guardian Angels Collection stamps by Elisabeth Bell. How cool is that! Head over to her blog now and enter for your chance to win! Big congrats to Katharina too! :)

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Fun with Watercolor Crayons

Happy Tuesday All!

Hope your week is off to a good start. My husband and I had our first date night in a while last night. We got tickets to see Cold Play, big thanks to my brother and sister in law! It was a great time, late night, but worth it. :) If you get the chance to see them in concert, do it! They put on a good show.

So, I have a quick card to share with you. I actually made this one last week when I was making my card for the STAMP SOMETHING challenge. I have a bunch of Magnolia images that my good friend Jo sent me. They are so much fun to color. I've been using them to practice my water coloring using the Watercolor Wonder Crayons. I need to get more of these crayons, I love them.


Well, thanks for taking a look. We're off to blueberry pick this morning with friends. Have a great day! Happy Stamping!! :)


Supplies:
Stamps: Fresh Cuts, Magnolias
Paper: SU! cardstock and prints
Ink: watercolor wonder crayons, Brocade Blue, Night of Navy, StazOn White
Accessories: paper piercer, grosgrain ribbon, styled silver HPH, clear button, glitter, crystal effects

Monday, August 4, 2008

Blog Candy Alert!

Hey...you want a chance to win some fabulous blog candy? I know you do! Head on over and visit my super talented blogging buddy Vicki and check out what she's offering up! It's good! Plus, her blog rocks, check it out HERE!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Thank You Somethings!

Hello All and Happy Friday! Yay!

We've got another fun challenge for you this week over on STAMP SOMETHING! This week is super easy too, it's a thank you challenge. Make anything you wish having to do with thanks!

We've also got some great blog candy, donated by StampMom. Margaret has generously donated one of her fabulously fun "Got Stamps?" t-shirts! Now, I know you've got stamps, so go on and stamp something and then share it with us!

For my card I used the colors Rose Red, Regal Rose, and Barely Banana. My card is a 5 1/2" square and the image is a Magnolia. These images are so much fun to color. I used my watercolor wonder crayons, an aquapainter and a white gel pen. Tilda's wings are glittered with Stickles. The sentiment is from SU! Short and Sweet and has been framed using some styled silver Hodgepodge.

Thanks for looking today! Hope you have a fantastic weekend and have a little time to stamp something too! Happy Stamping!! :)

Supplies:
Paper: SU! cardstock
Ink: Rich Regal watercolor wonder crayons, Rose Red, white gel pen
Accessories: aquapainter, felt flowers, die cut sticker flowers, brads, styled silver HPH, stickles, ribbon, scalled rectangle nestabilities.