BOOOO!

Don't be scared... it's just a cute little witch :} She flew in to play on this card we made at my Halloween class (at the bakery).

I can't even narrow down my favorite part of this card... I love all the little details! But I guess if I absolutely had to pick only one, it would be those googly eyes! They're just so stinkin' cute  :}

The greeting and the witch are both stamped in VersaMark ink and heat embossed with Black Embossing Powder. And the Lucky Limeade layer is dry embossed with the Chevron Embossing Folder. The oval tag from the Ghoulish Googlies Kit is the perfect size to tuck in between the die cut (Labels Collection Framelits) layers. 
Now, you might ask, "why heat emboss and not just stamp with black ink?" Very good question! When you want to stamp with one color of ink onto a different color of card stock, the ink color won't be "true." As in, the stamped ink color you see is influenced by the color of the card stock coming through. The black embossing powder creates a totally opaque layer on top of the card stock, so you see a "true" black. And when you want to color an outline image, it might be easier to have your stamped image embossed as a way to help "stay in the lines." 
Well, it's time to help Ben with homework and get a little work done for Scout night. I hope you have a fabulous day!!

scrappin' Halloween

When I joined Stampin' Up! five years ago, I had visions of getting all caught up on my scrapbooking. Stop laughing. It didn't happen... it's not happening... it won't happen anytime soon. I get a little more done now than I did then... thank goodness for My Digital Studio! I spend a lot of time on each scrapbook page; sometimes it takes me a week or more to finish. So cards are naturally appealing to me as something I can finish in a short amount of time. 
Since I spend a lot of time making cards, I was really happy to get a scrapbook page done for my Halloween class at the bakery. 

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to use this in a new 8x8 album, or if I'm going to add this page on top of a 12x12 page. I like the new 8x8 size; it might help me get caught up on my scrapbooking a little faster  ;) 
Planning my class around the Ghoulish Googlies Bundle made choosing the colors easy (Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White). I added the Basic Gray for a little bit more contrast. 

The bat and the mummy are stamped in black StazOn ink and "fussy cut." After adhering them to the page with Dimensionals, I added the googly eyes... CUTE! 
My Big Shot got a good workout to create this page! The Spider Web Embossing Folder, Sweet Buttons Embosslit, and the Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die all got to come out and play  :)

On a side note, I had a beautiful start to my morning. The boys both slept well and woke up in great moods. I successfully tried a new recipe for breakfast. And I got to sit on the deck in the sunshine drinking coffee, while chatting with my hubby. Well, chatting on the phone anyway. I was so glad to hear from him, since he was traveling all night. (Don't you just love how men don't need hotel rooms - they can just take turns driving... ugh.) Chris is traveling to Wyoming with some friends and his brother for an antelope hunt. If you have a moment, any thoughts and prayers for a safe trip would be appreciated :) 
While I'm not thrilled about his little vacation, I do hope they are successful. With the price of meat sure to go up soon due to our dry summer, it would be nice to have a freezer full of cheap meat. Hmmmm, I think a Pinterest search for antelope recipes would be a "productive" way to spend the afternoon, don't you?  ;) 

Halloween treats - yum!

Last week's stamping class at Wildflour Bakery  included three Halloween projects. All three used the Ghoulish Googlies Bundle. The easiest project was the treat bag, filled with yummy candy corn. I really like the size (3x5") of the glassine bags in the kit - just the right amount of candy! I also like that the printed tags are double-sided, which allows me to be even more creative  :}

After punching a small hole towards the top of the bag, I slipped in some 1/2" Striped Satin ribbon, tied closed with a piece of Pumpkin Pie Baker's Twine (included in the kit). 

My cute little Frankie is stamped in VersaMark ink, and heat embossed with Black Embossing Powder. Then I used Lucky Limeade and Pumpkin Pie markers to add some color.
Can you guess my favorite part of the whole project? It's those stinkin' cute googly eyes! I love the "fun factor" they add to an already "fun to receive" treat. I can't wait to show you the other two cute googlies projects!

Christmas "Mojo"

As I've said before, I'm not sure my boys know in which order the Fall and Winter holidays arrive on the calendar. Every year, around the release of the new catalog, my stamping space becomes a flurry of Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and  Fall- & Winter-themed projects. Pretty soon there will be some Valentine's Day thrown in as well! I love it though... it's nice to spend so much time "celebrating" every holiday!  ;) 
When I saw last week's Mojo Monday sketch, I immediately needed to make a Christmas card. Now, if only I had squeezed in some time last week to make the card! Oh well... better late than never!

stamp set: Petite Pairs

ink: Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green

DSP: Festival of Prints stack, Regals stack 

1" Square punch.   Festive Paper-Piercing Pack.

Window Frames Framelits.   Square Lattice Embossing Folder.

Naturals Designer Button.   Linen Thread. 

I really liked the card Mary Fish made for the sketch - I loved how she used the Window Frames Framelits for the "circle" layers. And the piercing adds the perfect little detail. 

I've been working a lot lately on the Christmas card class I'm teaching as a fundraiser for the Macon County History Museum. The quilters who meet there are interested in attending, so I sorta have "quilts" on the brain  :}  I can't wait to share with you the cards I designed for that class - they're really pretty!

On this card, I used the Flying Geese quilt pattern for my "quilted" focal point. It was a little time consuming, but easy. Using the 1" Square punch, I punched out 4 squares of DSP and 4 squares of Very Vanilla card stock. Then I cut each in half diagonally. First, I adhered a vanilla triangle to the top-left corner of a piece of copy paper (2x4"). Then I added a blue DSP triangle to "complete" the fist "square." The other blue triangle and a vanilla triangle followed, which completed the top row of the "quilt." After every piece was adhered to the copy paper, I dry embossed the layer using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder for a quilted fabric appearance. A layer of Early Espresso card stock behind my "quilted" focal point really helps draw attention to this beautiful quilt-card technique! 

Well, happy holidays ;)  Be sure to come back tomorrow for a Halloween project!  

a CASEd birthday card

At the beginning of August, I attended the team meeting held by my upline's upline's upline... How's that for 1 big happy stampin' family?!  :}  There are always great projects to make at the meetings, which I love recreating for classes and workshops. First, I'll share the card we made at the meeting: 

Super cute! And I know exactly who I'm sending this to :} 

stamp set: Friendship Preserves

DSP: Howlstooth  & Scaringbone

Framelits: Labels Collection, Apothecary Accents, Bitty Banners, Window Frames 

Since I liked the card so much, I thought it would be perfect for a birthday card in my stamping class at Wildflour Bakery... so I CASEd it (CASE = copy and share everything). 

For the card base I used Summer Starfruit card stock, and I chose the Patio Party DSP for my paper strips. I also decided to adhere the strips a little lower on the card front.

After stamping the birthday sentiment (from Itty Bitty Banners) in Summer Starfruit ink, I used a Bitty Banners Framelit to cut it out. It's then layered atop Primrose Petals (Large Oval punch), Midnight Muse (Apothecary Accents Framelit), and Summer Starfruit (Labels Framelit) card stock. The piercing around the edge (Festive Paper-Piercing Pack) of the Summer Starfruit layer adds fabulous detail! 

Just curious... which one of your projects was your favorite CASE? Feel free to share by leaving me a comment. 
And in the spirit of sharing ideas, I'd absolutely love it if you would "share" this easy card idea by using one of the little buttons below (Pin, Like, Tweet, Share). Thanks! And have a wonderful day!  :}

put on your Party Hat

I know you've been anxiously waiting to see another hand-stamped birthday card from my class at Wildflour Bakery  ;)  I feel like I'm getting to experience this fun class twice... the first time at the actual class, and then again by sharing them with you. I know I can count on you to "oooh" and "aaah" just like my stampers did at class time!  ;) 

I got my inspiration for this one from a card made by another demonstrator, but I can't remember where I saw it. So, to whomever gave me the starting point for this card - thanks! 
I love the layers and bright colors (Gumball Green, Pacific Point, Melon Mambo) on this card! I think that leaving a lot of Whisper White showing really helps the bright colors "pop" without being overwhelming. To add some subtle interest to the 3-3/4"x5" Whisper White layer, we dry embossed it through the Big Shot using the Stripes Embossing Folder. The images from the Pennant Parade stamp set are stinkin' cute, and the coordinating punch makes it fun and easy to use  :}

I almost used a layer of DSP behind the punched circle, but the Scallop Dots ribbon adds some more texture - which I really like! After punching out the pom-pom images, we added some tiny Rhinestones for the perfect amount of "bling"  :)
OK... one more birthday card to go, and then it's on to some Halloween projects! Oooh... aaah  ;)

a "sweet" color combination

Here's another card we made at my birthday card class at Wildflour Bakery: 

Not only did all these new stampers get to enjoy some sweet desserts, I introduced this "sweet" color combination to them - Pool Party, Calypso Coral, and Gumball Green. I discovered how nicely these colors play together while fooling around with some card stock scraps. I LOVE how my card turned out! 

The tiny little scalloped strip of Gumball Green card stock is punched out using the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch. And the Calypso Coral layer is dry embossed through the Big Shot using the Fancy Fan Embossing Folder.
After stamping the sentiment (from the You're Amazing stamp set) in Gumball Green ink onto the same color card stock, I used my Big Shot again, but this time with a Framelit from the Apothecary Accents collection. And once I had my die-cut layer, I punched two tiny holes for the Printed Brads. Before adhering to my card with Dimensionals, I tucked three 1/2" wide strips of DSP behind the Gumball Green card stock. Super cute!!  :)
Thanks for stopping by to see today's birthday card... I'll have another one for you tomorrow. Happy Monday!!  ;}

stamping at the bakery

Part of the adventure in our move is finding new places to stamp and new people to stamp with  :}  There's a fabulous bakery in Decatur that not only has some of the most amazing soups, sandwiches, and desserts... it's also a super fun place to stamp! I already held two classes this month at Wildflour Bakery, and I can't wait for the next two in October!! This week I will be sharing the fun projects we made  :}  At my first class (on the 11th), we made four birthday cards.

I love the bright, cheerful colors on this card. And that bicycle couldn't be any cuter! Did you know that Stampin' Up! designs an exclusive stamp set each year to help support Ronald McDonald House Charities®?

 

This year's stamp set is called Moving Forward, and for each purchase of this stamp set, Stampin' Up! donates $3 to RMHC®. So... it's kinda like a moral obligation to purchase this stamp set, too... right???  ;}

We used the masking technique to stamp our image and sentiment. We "masked" the text under the bicycle stamp using a "sticky" note, so that we would only apply ink to the image. (Just remember to remove the "sticky" note before stamping on the card stock.) For the birthday greeting, we masked the blimp image and inked only the text. To add a cute finishing touch, we used markers to "ink" the flowers, and stamped them in the bicycle basket.
Thanks for dropping by today - check back tomorrow to see another cute birthday card :}

Happy 1st day of Fall!

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.  ~Albert Camus 

stamp set: Itty Bitty Banners

ink: Early Espresso, VersaMark

card stock: Raspberry Ripple, More Mustard, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla

DSP: Orchard Harvest

Naturals Designer Button, Linen Thread

Bitty Banners Framelits, Autumn Accents Bigz Die

Stampin' Emboss® Powder: Gold 

Autumn... the year's last, loveliest smile. 
~William Cullen Bryant

a "Core'dinated" card

I'm still playing catch-up... I have so many projects to share with you! Here's another card I made at my upline's August meeting using the new Core'dinations™ card stock: 

How cool is that embossed layer??!! That's the Early Espresso Core'dinations™ card stock, which I dry embossed using the new Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder. After embossing it, I sanded (using very light pressure) the raised edges to expose the lighter color of the card stock's core. 

The sentiment (from the A Word For You stamp set) is stamped in Early Espresso ink onto the new 7/8" Cotton Ribbon. After I snipped the end, I used my fingernails to fray the threads for a more distressed look. 

Well, I better get my day moving. I am spending the afternoon with 3rd graders and helping them work on a special art project - fun!! I can't wait to see their creative minds at work :}

Ahoy, Matey!

I'm so happy - I have the perfect scrapbook page to share today! So here you go, in honor of international "Talk Like a Pirate Day," a digital scrapbook layout of my little pirates :} 

Earlier this summer, I took the boys to Pirate Night at the Children's Museum. They had a blast! The event was well organized, and included games, crafts, and a treasure hunt. We will definitely be attending again next year :}
This layout was super easy to create. I used components from two different digital kits: Ahoy, Matey and Downtown Grunge. I really like one of the new features in MDS2 - designing the layout with the pages side-by-side. I've found that I can work faster, with better results, working on both sides at the same time... just like traditional scrapbooking!
Ok, you scurvy dogs... the small folks need tending to. Find some time to craft today, or else you'll have to walk the plank!  ;}

last day to save on your printing!

Today is the last day to save on all of your My Digital Studio printing. Here's one of my Christmas cards I had printed during the special: 

I love all the new features in MDS2! Can you spot one that I used? The "Merry Christmas" sentiment is curved! This feature is called text on a path, and Holly Linford made a wonderful video that shows how easy this feature is to use. 
After I received the printed card, I used the Scallop Edge Border punch to add detail along the bottom. Then I used a Mini Glue Dot to adhere a knot of Chery Cobbler Seam Binding - so pretty! For a bit of sparkle, I made tiny berries with the Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details  :}  Love it!

ribbons, ribbons... I love ribbons!

I am going to my upline's meeting this morning, which reminded me that I haven't shared the beautiful projects from last month's meeting yet. Ooopsies! 

Isn't this card gorgeous??? It's right up my alley with all the texture and layers... and RIBBON! I absolutely love using ribbon on my projects, and I find it difficult to not use any. 

And to make life even more fun - and pretty - you can get a spool of ribbon for FREE with every $40 purchase in September. Yay!!!
I'll share the rest of the projects soon... Happy stamping!! :} 

CALLING ALL TEACHERS!!

YES - I'M USING MY OUTDOOR VOICE!! I'M SHOUTING AT A LEVEL 5! I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL HEAR THIS :}

My Digital Studio Program for Schools... for FREE!

It's back to school time, and Stampin' Up! has discs of the original version of the My Digital Studio software that I can give to schools for free.   ** Supplies are limited, and you don't want to wait... they're free!
My Digital Studio is a great addition to the classroom... I would have LOVED using this program in my Kindergarten classroom!!! You can use it to:

• Create bulletin board décor
• Make certificates and awards for student achievement
• Make birthday cards for students
• Create parent flyers or newsletters
• Create a photobook of a special class activity (like a field trip), or an overview of the whole year
• Create calendars and bookmarks
• Design Book Report and Journal Covers
• Supplement lessons on patterns, shapes, colors, letter and number recognition
• Create a flip book for sight words, spelling words, contractions, antonyms, etc.
• Create custom stickers and reminder notes
• Design a "scrapbook" movie (with music, too) to show at Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Make an end-of-year "scrapbook" DVD for parents
• Create your own predictable stories using photos of students and photos from class trips {Examples: Ben, Ben, who do you see? I see Aaron looking at me.  or  Pumpkin Farm, Pumpkin Farm, what do you see? I see a red tractor looking at me.}

And, if your school is in the southeast Wisconsin or central Illinois area, I would be happy to come give a brief overview of the program and show the teachers and staff some of the ways they can use it... Yup- I'd come show you for free  :} 

Here's a sample of a scrapbook page I created after chaperoning one of Ben's field trips:  

And here's what you need to do, to take advantage of this opportunity:

Email me as soon as you can (jenn.inklings@gmail.com) and I will send you the Donation Request Form for your school. Each school has to fill out it's own request form. A separate registration key is required for each computer that the software is installed on, so schools may request multiple copies (although they are not guaranteed the amount requested). The software should only be installed on computers (including laptops) that were purchased by and are owned by the educational institution, and should only be used for professional/ educational purposes.
Don't delay... in my experience the only free stuff that disappears faster than free educational materials, is free food in the teacher's lounge!  ;)

Notes: 

• If your school has already received a donation from Stampin' Up! and has exceeded the amount of donations that Stampin' Up! allows in a given time period, you will not be able to participate.
• Donations will be met on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
• Stampin' Up! will follow-up with the schools to see how they are using the software and may contact them for stories about the usage.
• This offer is only available in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. 

Feel free to email me (jenn.inklings@gmail.com) with any questions you may have - I'd be happy to help!

back to school... back to spool!

Every late-Summer, I think about that office supply store's commercial from a few years ago... the one with the Mom gliding down the store's aisle with a huge grin - while the music "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" plays in the background - and the kids come trudging along behind her.  :}
My boys were not exactly thrilled to start school, but thankfully they are enjoying it now. Aaron is especially excited about it! He loves riding the big bus, and he's happy to be at the same school as Ben. For the past week, Aaron has told me every day, "Mom, I love my new school!" Music to my ears! I adore his teacher, and I think Aaron will always have fond memories of Kindergarten. Ben is still trying to transition to the new school routines and learn his way around, while making new friends. Things seem to be improving, and he is a little happier each day. Plus, he is ecstatic to start Cub Scouts in a few weeks. And apparently, he has a "girlfriend???" since one of the girls told him that she "loves him."  What???? Third grade??!! Lord, help me... 

Here are a few pages I created using My Digital Studio. I had all these fabulous pages planned in my head, and of course the boys wanted nothing to do with photographs on the first day of school. Oh well... 
I created these pages in minutes by starting with a designer template and adding my own touches. I think that the Downtown Grunge and Back to School kits are going to get tons of playtime - they are two of my favorites! Plus, I am working with MDS2, which makes creating soooooo much easier. The more I play with it, the more I understand why Holly Linford had such a hard time deciding which one of the new features was her favorite!

And now that the kids are back to school, it's playtime for Mommy!! You can add some extra fun to your playtime with Stampin' Up!'s promotion for September  :}

click here to shop in my online store

Need a good laugh? Check out this video that Stampin' Up! had waaaaay too much fun creating: 



Well, I'm off to pick Ben up from a birthday party. Happy stamping... and shopping  ;)