Secret Garden

My mother-in-law loves to garden. She's even won awards for her flower gardens. So a Mother's Day card for her using the Secret Garden stamp set was perfect!

After stamping the leafy image twice in Pear Pizzazz ink, I die cut the leaves with the Secret Garden Framelits, and adhered them to my Island Indigo card base. Over those leaves, I added a strip of the new Gingham Garden DSP (look for this pretty paper in the upcoming catalog) down the center of the card. 

Onto Very Vanilla card stock, I stamped one flower in Melon Mambo ink, and another flower in Daffodil Delight ink. After using a Blender Pen to color the flowers, I die cut both of them with the Secret Garden Framelits. My sentiment is also from an upcoming new-cattie product --- Banner Greetings (a new Hostess stamp set). 

I wish I had even 10% of my mother-in-law's green thumb. Unfortunately, plants don't survive long around me. Perhaps that's why I make so many flowers out of paper... 

Teacher Appreciation Week - Monday

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all the teachers out there! That's right folks... it's teacher appreciation week. My boys will be bringing cute little gifts to their teachers this week. Here's what they took on Monday: 

This is super easy to create! I wrapped some Sunshine & Sprinkles DSP around a box of fish-shaped candy, and adhered it together with Sticky Strip. The polka-dot ornament from Delightful Decorations is stamped in Daffodil Delight and punched out with the Ornament punch to create the fish body. A flower from the Boho Blossoms punch is folded in half to create the side fin. (I used a retired flower punch for the other fins.) And the googlie eye just makes me smile! 

As a former Kindergarten teacher (and current substitute teacher), I could not resist sharing an AMAZING project my son brought home. I know that all of my readers who are teachers for the "little ones" will want to make this book next year! And for those of you who love punch art, there are lots of ideas in this project. 

The students created a page when each letter was introduced. Now, at the end of the school year, Aaron's teacher has laminated every page and with two binder rings at the top, assembled a book for each student to keep. The animals are adorable, and of course remind me of cute punch art animals.  >>>Remember the walrus ordeal??  ;)  
Be sure to check back throughout the week as I share the rest of the teacher appreciation gifts and animal alphabet book!

a simple card sketch - four ways!

Sometimes I like to give the creative side of my brain a little kick... either to get things started or to get my creativity to move in a different direction. I like to read paper crafting magazines, look through the photo gallery in Stampin' Up!'s online forum for demonstrators, and browse blogs. Earlier this week, a card sketch on the Clean & Simple blog caught my eye. I liked it so much, that I made quite a variety of projects using the same sketch. Today I'm sharing three cards and a  gift tag, all inspired by the sketch.   :} 

stamp sets: Circle Circus, A Word For You

stamp sets: Pleasant Poppies, Friendly Phrases

stamp set: Curly Cute          Embossing Folder: Lacy Brocade

stamp sets: Merry Minis, Tiny Tags 

Creating the scalloped-edge rectangle was super easy! Using the Scallop Squares Duo Bigz Die, I simply die-cut two of each square. For the card fronts, I adhered the larger squares together with five scallops overlapping. For the tag, the smaller squares are adhered together with three scallops overlapping. 

Speaking of die-cutting, have you ever wished you could see all of Stampin' Up!'s products for the Big Shot in one place??? Your wish has been granted!  :}  

Big Shot PDF      http://bit.ly/BigShotUS

Don't have the Big Shot (yet) but want to create those beautiful embossed textures (like on the thank-you card) with the Embossing Folders??? Another wish granted!! The Texture Boutique Embossing Machine is here! 

whew... That turned out to be quite a long post! Thanks for sticking around to the end.  Now go stamp!!  ;}

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 :}

I LOVE my dentist!

Yes, you read that title correctly ;} 

I feel so blessed to have found the most wonderful dentist on this planet. And it's not just my dentist who is so amazing... the whole office is! They are some of the sweetest people I've ever met. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had more to say about the kids going to the dentist, so here ya go...

My youngest, Aaron, had no problems at all. It was his first trip to the dentist, so he was a little nervous and silly, but all went well :)
However, Benjamin is going to have quite a bit of dental work coming his way (appliances, braces, etc). Sooooo, to get that ball rolling, Ben had to have those really fun impressions of his teeth taken. Now, my sweet little Ben has the strongest gag reflex of any human. Ever. In fact, his first day of Kindergarten, he gagged on some "lick & stick" paper pieces while working on a craft. I remember the teachers and office staff laughing at how they'd never seen a kid do that before. And don't even think about asking Ben to lick an envelope for you! Anyway, let's just say that the impressions didn't go well. Our dentist was so patient and understanding, and she kept trying to work with Ben. I kept thinking that she probably shouldn't wear such cute shoes to work ;}  Since I'm pretty sure the staff ended up washing two loads of towels that day, I had to put together a funny "thank-you" gift.

After wrapping up the towels with some ribbon, I added a pretty flower (inspired by the notebook on p116 of the catalog). 

And I tucked a cute little 3x3 card under the ribbon: 

I LOVE that I can make coordinating gifts and cards!! 

stamp sets: Daydream Medallions, A Word For You

ink: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Regal Rose

card stock: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Regal Rose, Whisper White

punch: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border

Big Shot and Floral Frames Framelits Dies

Accessories: Daffodil Delight button, White Baker's Twine, Basic Rhinestones

You can find these goodies and more in my online store  :}

We were pretty bummed that after all that work, the lab couldn't use any of the "top" impressions. So I took Ben in this morning (at 7am- yowza!) for round 2. 

Dr. Natalie tried a few different techniques, and I am happy to report that she got a good impression on the first try!! Woohoo!!!! Now, on to the next step... :}

Have a wonderful weekend!

a card for my friend

One nice thing about moving back to the area where you grew up, is reconnecting with friends. I've had the joy of reconnecting with one of my closest friends from middle- & high- school. Every week or so we meet for coffee and conversation. After our first coffee date, I sent her this pretty card: 

We made this at Convention in a Make & Take session, and it's just the perfect card for my buddy :}

stamp set: Affection Collection

card stock: Primrose Petals, Early Espresso, Whisper White

ink: Daffodil Delight, More Mustard, Primrose Petals, Midnight Muse, Early Espresso

My "old" friend has never stamped or made cards before, so I'm really, really excited to show her how much fun it is. I get to come over to her house in a few days to share the fun of stamping with her friends and family... I can't wait!!! Now I have to narrow down all of my ideas. What to make, what to make???

stamping with friends

We all know how fun it is to spend time stamping with our friends. I'm not sure which is more therapeutic - the stamping or the conversation. It's been a while, but the last time my friend Dawn and I got a chance to stamp together, she inspired me to make this card: 

The focal point and the ribbon have tons of detail, so I wanted to keep the rest of the card pretty simple. I love using the Simply Scored to create fun and interesting backgrounds, that don't overpower my project.

The ribbon took care of the vertical "lines," so I used the Diagonal Plate and scored every half-inch for this background. I scored the inside of the card so that the diagonal lines would be raised (rather than dented in) on the card-front.

And here's a look at the card my talented friend Dawn created: 

She scored her card on the front, creating a more subtle texture, which is a perfect compliment to these subtle colors.
I hope you can find time this week to stamp with one of your good friends. It's usually difficult to find the time for fun with friends, but it's always well worth it!

10 Year Anniversary

Today I celebrate ten years of marriage with my wonderful hubby! Here's the card I made for him: 

Stamps: World Treasures stamp set, In Stitches jumbo wheel

Card Stock: Basic Gray, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight

Designer Series Paper: Floral District

Ink: Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Paper Daisies, Summer Starfruit Dahlia

Punches: Scallop Trim Border, Scallop Trim Corner

I got a little help from this week's Mojo Monday sketch... which I really needed since it has been so hectic at my house. Nothing like a good sketch to get the creativity flowing!

For the "circle" part of the sketch, I used three Paper Daisies, each separated with Dimensionals. The Summer Starfruit Dahlia makes a perfect flower center. Daisies are my favorite flower, and they were a big part of the overall theme of my wedding.

I whipped up this little page in My Digital Studio so you could see what a good-lookin' group we were  :}  Well, time to run and have dinner with my guy! Enjoy your weekend!!

Ribbon Wreath

I finally finished a project on my "really-really want-to-make" list!!! For those of you who have a 2010-2011 SU catalog handy, my inspiration comes from the ribbon wreath on p190. It's not like it takes a long time to make a ribbon wreath - I finished in a few hours. I probably would have finished sooner if I didn't take breaks to draw outside with chalk, lose a lightsaber battle, and have a snack in the shade... but those are some of the best parts of working from home  :}  It's just one of those projects that kept getting pushed to the side, but I had time today since I didn't want to get a ton of supplies out while the drywall was being sanded. For this project, all you need is a hoop, ribbon, and Craft & Paper Scissors. I have two of these high quality scissors - one for paper, and one for fabric and ribbon.

Isn't it pretty??? Since I have several miles spools of ribbon in my craft room, this is the perfect project for me! All of these ribbons are from Stampin' Up! ... some are current, some are old, some are really old. I chose a variety of pinks, yellows, oranges, and greens for a bright, summery look.

I started with a hoop (approximately 13" diameter) that I purchased from my local craft store (I think I found it in the same aisle as the mirror pieces). Then I tied all my ribbons on... that's it! So easy!! 

A few tips for you: 
I used approximately 1 to 3 yards of each ribbon.
Push the tied ribbons close together as you're working.
Trim the ends as you go; don't wait to trim them all at the end.
Use a good amount of the wider ribbons first; it's much easier to fill in with skinny ribbons.
Try to use a variety of ribbon textures (satin, twill, grosgrain, scalloped edges) on your wreath for visual interest.
Mixing solid, striped, stitched, and dotted ribbons of varying widths is fun!
If you are using Pleated Satin Ribbon, pull gently when tying.
Ribbons with a heavier stiffness hold up to being cut longer; floppy ribbons should be cut shorter.

I bought more than 1 hoop because I have plans to make more. I will definitely create a Ribbon Wreath for Christmas... what else... oooh! Fall colors would be pretty!!  :}  What colors do you think I should try next?

oh boy... get ready for a long post :)

Where, oh where, did April go??? I can not believe today is the last day of April!! The month just flew by. I know this is going to be a long post, but I have so much to share... It will be worth it, I promise ;)

Okay... so today is the last day you can get your hands on the Summer Smooches product suite until the new catalog is available June 1st (and the very last day ever that you can get this awesome coordinating stencil). Here are some projects I had fun making with these goodies...

The stenciled Whisper White card stock on the right page was inspired by a card sample in the April Newsletter I sent out. (If you would like to receive the May Newsletter, head on over to my Stampin' Up! website and click on "request my newsletter".)

I used a sponge dauber and Lucky Limeade ink to create the stenciled strip. Then I stamped the dotted image from Bright Blossoms randomly in Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, and Rich Razzleberry. Using the Boho Blossoms punch, I added Rich Razzleberry and Daffodil Delight flowers (with Basic Pearl centers) for more detail.

The stencil makes another appearance on the left page, but this time using Island Indigo ink - so pretty!

The 1-1/2" wide strips of Summer Smooches DSP add a playful touch at the top of the page. Even though the Summer Smooches brads are sold out, you could easily copy this look with buttons.

The stencil works great on cards, too! For this 5" square card, I used Lucky Limeade card stock and ink. I also used Island Indigo ink for the stamped background images and the sentiment.

A strip of Summer Smooches DSP behind the sentiment adds another pop of color. Oh, and it's always fun to stamp your envelope!

Okie dokie - so now that your creative juices are flowing, here's another reminder...TODAY is the LAST day to order from the Occasions Mini Catalog!! And I have to bid it farewell with a project using my favorite stamp set from this Mini:

I really hope the Mixed Bunch stamp set and the Blossom punch carry over into the new catalog... I guess we'll find out June 1st. If you haven't ordered it yet, you just have to! It's so easy to use!!

Don't you just LOVE these colors together??!! Tangerine Tango, Blushing Bride, and Pear Pizzazz - FABULOUS!!  *** Technique Tip: You can create fun backgrounds by dry embossing a piece of Designer Series Paper with an Embossing Folder and your Big Shot. For more detail, lightly use a Sanding Block to expose the white core of the paper.

Okay,  this post has probably gotten long enough  :}  I could add more, but I'll give you a break so you can get back to your stamping - or at least wishing you were stamping. Have a wonderful evening!

big and bright

Even though it doesn't feel like summer outside (not even close!), it sure does in my stamp room  :}  I am having the best time playing with my Summer Smooches goodies!!
Today's project uses a super fun card sketch from Connie & Mary:

It's a great sketch, so I had a ton of ideas. As I was clearing a spot to create my masterpiece (I am such a messy stamper), I came upon an envelope left over from a My Digital Studio 5x7 card project that I had printed from the SU print service. I would never waste a perfectly good envelope, so I decided to create a 5x7 card. I LOVE how it turned out!
To the Daffodil Delight card base, I added two patterns from the Summer Smooches DSP. To hide the seam, I added a strip of Island Indigo Ruffled Ribbon.
After die cutting an oval with my Big Shot, I used the Bright Blossoms stamp set to stamp my focal point. I wanted a very simple "mat" around the oval, so I adhered more Island Indigo Ruffled Ribbon to the back of the oval.
**Technique Tip** I find it a little tricky to use a marker to color tiny little leaves and stems, so I inked the whole image using a Lucky Limeade stamp pad. Then I used a Blender Pen like an "eraser" to remove the ink from the flower-dots. It's much easier to use the markers on just the dots  :}
I used Circle punches to create the flowers and leaves. Then I added Basic Rhinestones (one of each size) to my flowers for a fun little touch.
**Bonus Technique Tip** Here's a short video to show you how I rounded the corners on the bottom layer of DSP-

Thanks so much for dropping by today... I think I'll go clean up from this project and start another one  :}

Summer Smooches

Even though it's cold and windy outside, the sun is shining and my hands are gravitating toward the bright colors in the Summer Smooches product suite. The lovely colors playing together nicely in this collection are: Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade, Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry, Real Red, and Tempting Turquoise.

www.stamp_pad.stampinup.net

These are "sneak peek" products from the upcoming catalog, which is available June 1st. You have until April 30th to get your hands on these goodies early. The fabric-covered brads and the stencil will NOT be in the upcoming catalog, so if you need them, get them now!

I used my new goodies to make this bright and cheery card:

Stamp Set: Bright Blossoms

Ink: Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight

Card stock: Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White

DSP: Summer Smooches

Ribbon: Daffodil Delight 1/2" Seam Binding

Tools: Big Shot, Designer Frames Embossing Folder, Extra Large Oval punch, Paper Snips

I stuck a length of Sticky Strip along the DSP seam, and then pleated my Seam Binding as I pressed it down. Then I wrapped the ends under the DSP (before I adhered it to my card base). The oval focal point is adhered using Dimensionals, and I used mini Glue Dots to adhere the snipped flower and vase.

I hope it's bright and sunny wherever you are, and if it's not, I hope this project added a little sunshine to your day  :}  Thanks for stopping by!!

happy birthday to me

Is it just me, or did birthdays cease to be so exciting after turning 21?  ;)  Oh, well... another year older and a new driver's license picture - yuck. I was so sad to have to get a new picture. My just-expired license had a great photo; this license photo is just icky. Grrrr! Alrighty, enough grumbling   :}

This morning I opened these cards from my two boys. I LOVE that they like to make cards, too! A big thanks to my Mom who helped them make these cards.

And how convenient that Ben's card gives me a transition to my next bit of info  ;P 

The sentiment on Ben's card is from the Sincere Salutations stamp set, which is one of the many stamp sets retiring at the end of May. You can view all of the retiring stamp sets right from my website.

So, wondering what I spent some of my birthday money on??? I just had to get the Petite Purse Bigz L Die!! It's a new die that will be in the upcoming catalog in June. But you can order it in April as part of the "sneak peek" Summer Smooches promotion!

So adorable!! You can slip a few small chocolates or candies inside for a fun, girlie little gift  :}  Or, some lipbalm, buttons and brads, cash... I'll accept it all! On this one, I used a mini Glue Dot to add a Rich Razzleberry button to the flap. I made a little "purse tag" using the Tiny Tags stamp set, the Jewelry Tag punch, and some white Baker's Twine.

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a wonderful weekend  :}

a card for EVERY occasion!

My project today just makes me giggle  :}  Today is Aaron's 100th Day of School, and they are celebrating with a "Circus Day in 4K." Well, I can't let a celebration pass by without a card to acknowledge it, right???

So, I made Aaron's teacher and teacher's aide Happy 100th Day of School cards. I like these cute little 3x3 cards for a quick just because note. And, they are an easy way to use up some scraps  :}
Attached to the Real Red card base is a strip of Tempting Turquoise (punched with the Pinking Hearts Border punch), a strip of Daffodil Delight, and a piece of 'Big Top Birthday' DSP.
The clown and sentiment (Under the Big Top stamp set) are stamped in Basic Black ink. I used Peach Parfait, Real Red, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, and Tempting Turquoise markers to color the clown.
The Tempting Turquoise button adds a cute finishing touch. Did you know that the Brights 'Designer Buttons' are one of the Sale-A-Bration choices? For every $50 you spend not including tax & shipping, you get to choose a freebie from the Sale-A-Bration catalog. Want more freebies? Host a workshop and earn even more goodies. Like getting freebies every month? Join the Stampin' Up! family and get freebies every month for the rest of the year. Whether you want to get a discount on the supplies for your hobby or build a business, there's room for everyone on my team. You can shop, learn more, and contact me if you like from my website.
Have a great day and a wonderful weekend!

using some "mojo" for class

Good morning :}
I'm getting excited to see my stamping friends at my Technique Tuesday class tonight! One of our cards will be using the Mojo Monday 226 sketch:

This 4-1/4" square card features the Sale-A-Bration stamp set Sprinkled Expressions. So cute! And I love the bright happy colors: Daffodil Delight, Rich Razzleberry, and Tempting Turquoise.


Remember Xander's birthday card? Well, after I wrapped his present, I snapped a picture really quick before we left for the party. (I couldn't resist - it looked so cute!)

This is a great way to use your stash of retired DSP and ribbon!! I think you could wrap up an old shoe like this, and all anyone would remember would be your pretty present and coordinating, handmade card. (Don't worry, we didn't give Xander an old shoe... the Legos were a big hit.)

Well, I'd better get to cutting the kits for tonight... happy stamping, friends!