jumping into Fall

Boy, the Fall weather is right on time, isn't it? There was quite a chill in the air this morning at the bus stop! It made me want to stamp a quick Fall card... so I did.   :} 
Of course I was limited to the meager supplies I've managed to unpack so far. But I think my card turned out pretty nice... 

After putting together the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set, it quickly made friends with some Summer Starfruit, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, and Wild Wasabi ink. Before adhering the Very Vanilla layer, I wrapped a teeny bit of Witches' Brew Washi Tape around the right side, and added Wild Wasabi pieces from the Chevron Border punch on the left side. 

Then I quickly assembled my Magnificent Maple stamp (yeah, yeah, yeah). I first inked the entire leaf with a Summer Starfruit marker. Then I added spots of color with Pumpkin Pie and Wild Wasabi markers. After coloring the edges with a Chocolate Chip marker, I spritzed the rubber with a little water before stamping.  *cheesy grin*  I like the "artsy" look of this!  :} 
Of course now I want to go nuts and stamp every project idea I've been thinking about all summer, but I know I need to pace myself, or I'll end up with an even bigger disaster than I have now! I'll be a good girl and clean up the mess from this morning. (sigh) Cross your fingers for me to sneak in a little stamping time on Wednesday!

the return of Soft Sky

It will be a few days before I get my goodies from the "new Cattie pre-order," but I'm too darn excited about some of the colors that are retuning. Sooooo, I got into my vault (aka "paper-crafting stuff I'm hoarding"). I pulled some Soft Sky card stock, retired ribbon, and retired DSP from my vault, and paired them with this week's Mojo Monday sketch to create this pretty card- 

I might be getting a little obsessed with the Papillon Potpourri stamp set, but it's so pretty, and has punches that coordinate! Technically it's Groovy Guava in that retired DSP, but I think it works nicely with Calypso Coral on this card. I'm so happy Calypso Coral is moving into our "core" colors!

To add a subtle look of four "boxes," I added score lines an inch apart on the Whisper White card stock.   **Tip: Before adhering punched butterflies (or flowers) to your project, curl the edges up slightly to add more interest. 

So how do you start playing with these fun new colors like Soft Sky if you don't have a vault of retired goodies??? All you need is a good color combination! Here's what Soft Sky looks like when paired with Pumpkin Pie and Wild Wasabi- 

Love this color combo!! I see a lot of "boy" cards in my crafting future using these colors. 
FYI - those Pumpkin Pie brads are on the "chopping block." The retiring accessories are available only while supplies last, so be sure to shop now before all the good stuff is gone!   ;) 

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!

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?

Sweet Centers Halloween

I have to admit that I don't use the Sweet Centers stamp set as much as I'd like. It does take a little bit more time to make a card with this set, and time is something I wish I had more of. So I was really happy the other day when I had a few extra minutes to make a Halloween card with this set. In case you have ever wondered how to use this stamp set and the Circle Treat Cups, I took a few pictures as I was working.

This is the finished card, which measures 5" x 3-1/2". I took my color cues from the candy corn - Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, and Whisper White - and added Wisteria Wonder and Basic Black for contrast. So, here's how it all came together...

I inked my stamp in Wisteria Wonder, and then colored the spider image and smaller words with a Basic Black marker before stamping onto Whisper White card stock. I punched out the center image with the 1-1/4" Circle punch. Then, I punched out the remaining center with the 1-3/4" circle punch, and discarded that "ring." After trimming the outside image with my Snips, I attached it to a 3" x 2-3/4" layer of Pumpkin Pie card stock. Lining up the 1-3/4" Circle punch over the hole, I punched through the Pumpkin Pie card stock. I layered the "eek" sentiment onto Basic Black punched with the 1-3/8" Circle punch, and set my two pieces off to the side.

Using the focal point image as a guide for the placement of the treat cup, I punched my card base with the 1-3/4" Circle Punch. Then I filled a Circle Treat Cup with candy corn, removed the backing, and adhered a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil that I punched with the 2-1/2" Circle Punch.

To make it easier to line up the card base and the treat cup, I pressed my finger (gently) along the inside rim to indent the foil. Then I used Sticky Strip to attach the treat cup to the card base.

The treat cup is attached to the front of the card; I kept the treat cup on the desk and placed the card over it. This is the inside view of the card. It will be very easy to get the candy out  :)

Next, I worked on the front of the card. I tied on the ribbon first, then attached the focal point using dimensionals. To finish the card, I attached a Mini Brad to the sentiment and adhered that to my card using a dimensional.
So, here's the finished card again...

I hope you think it's as cute as I do :) Luckily there's a stamp in this set to make your Circle Treat Cup look like an ornament, so I get to make some Christmas cards with Sweet Centers... just as soon as I find another extra minute ;)

Fall Fun

Okay... so my last post began with how happy I was to see September so our family could get back into a routine. Well, apparently I forgot that part of that routine is for the children to bring home all of the "back-to-school" germs. Yuck! Of course everyone in the house gets sick as Mom tends to them... leaving Mom to get sick last. I lost track of how many tissue boxes we went through in the last few weeks. Double yuck!! Anywho... everyone is much better, and I'm up to about 98% health, so it's time to post some projects :)

I have two projects to share with you today.
This fun little pumpkin was the project for my scrapbook club. It's so easy to make, and would be adorable at your Thanksgiving table as a decoration or as place cards with a little tag added for the name.

To make this project at home, you will need 12 strips of Pumpkin Pie card stock (6" x 3/4"). Lightly sponge Pumpkin Pie ink on the long sides of the card stock to add some "depth." Use the largest hole punch on the Crop-A-Dile™ to punch each end -- you can easily punch six strips at once. At this point, I like to gently run each strip against my bone folder (think curling ribbon) to give them a slight curl. Stack the strips up, and use a 5/16" brad to hold each end together. Then, just fan the strips apart -- it will be a little tight at first, so be patient :)
I wrapped two skinny strips of Old Olive card stock around my Paper-Piercing Tool for the curly vines. One leaf is die cut from Certainly Celery DSP with the Leaves #2 Die; the other leaf is stamped from the Day of Gratitude stamp set onto Very Vanilla card stock and cut out with the Paper Snips. The leaves and Old Olive button are attached using Stampin' Dimensionals.


This adorable Halloween card is from my September team meeting. I wanted to showcase the new Simply Scored -- Stampin' Up!'s exclusively designed scoring tool. It is AWESOME!! You absolutely must own one of these! It comes with three Place Markers (which makes it fast and easy for a group project or to make multiples), and a Stylus featuring ergonomic style and comfort grip.

To make this "standard size" card at home, cut your card stock base to measure 4-1/4" x 11" and using your Simply Scored Scoring Tool, score at 2-3/4" and again at 8-1/4".
I used a 12" strip of Cajun Craze card stock to create the "belly band." To make the medallion behind that cute little owl, I scored a 1" x 12" strip of Old Olive DSP every 1/4". Here's a closeup (sorry it's a little out of focus):

I think I am in love with this little owl from the Warmest of Wishes Hostess stamp set. In fact, I think I am in love with the whole set! You wouldn't have to ask me twice to host a workshop just for this great stamp set. If you haven't scheduled your fall workshop yet, contact me today. With the Holiday Mini Catalog and our new Hostess Benefits, you are sure to have a great time! Happy stamping :)

Hostess Club

I have been stamping like crazy this past week! I'm almost done with my "Make & Take" projects from Convention. I never finish all of my projects during the Make & Take session, but this year... well, I didn't complete one single thing! I had an enjoyable chat, though ;)

Today I am working on the project for my stamp club that meets tomorrow night. As I started working, I realized I forgot to post the July project. We made a cute little magnet:

Using the Big Shot, we cut Magnet Sheets, Flirtatious Specialty DSP, Pretty in Pink card stock, orange tulle, Flirtatious Fabric, and Melon Mambo Textured card stock on the Fun Flowers Bigz L die. The layer of Pumpkin Pie card stock is punched with the Doily Triple Layer punch. The sentiment from Fabulous Phrases is stamped in Melon Mambo ink onto Pretty in Pink card stock.

Here's a view of the back:

A little tip- Trim your magnet sheet to a "square" slightly larger than the shape your are die-cutting. Then peel off the paper backing and adhere your DSP "square." This way you cut both at the same time, and don't have to try to line everything up.

Well, I'm off to finish up the August club project. You can purchase supplies for this project any time from my online store. Don't forget the online only Clearance Rack! :)

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie has always been an easy color for me to use... then I met my match with the Color Coach. For some reason, I struggled with the combinations suggested on the Coach. It took me a while, but in the end, I created two cute cards that I was really happy with. Once again, the Color Coach is winking at me saying, "see, I told you those colors would go together!"


When I sat down to work on a card using the "Creative Combination" colors, I was really stumped. I pulled out a ton of products... stamps, ribbons, buttons, etc. Nothing was working for me. So I looked around my stamp room hoping for inspiration. My eyes settled on a card my 7yr-old made for me a few weeks ago:
So the card my son made, became my inspiration for this card:
I really like how it turned out :) The "Creative Combination" colors are Pumpkin Pie, Pacific Point, and Real Red. The images are from the Choo Choo stamp set and the Right on Track wheel; the sentiment is from the Family Phrases stamp set.



The "Getting Started Combination" colors (Pumpkin Pie, Early Espresso, and Daffodil Delight) were a little bit easier for me to work with. I am super happy with this card layout! I will definitely be using this layout in a class I am teaching in June for Carthage College's alumni event. If you don't already have the Create a Cupcake stamp set (wood 121915 $22.95 or clear 121982 $16.95) and the coordinating Build a Cupcake punch (121807 $16.95)... well, you need to get them! They are on p22 of the Occasions Mini Catalog, which ends April 30th.