Please Hang In There With Me

I know I have been slacking on my posting.  Please hang in there with me as I am going through a transition.  I have recently been laid off from the day job.  Everything will be okay, just have a lot of things to get into order right away.  I promise to be back in my stamp room creating again in no time!  I miss it and need the calm it brings to my life.  Stamping is what gets me through tough times!  Keep visiting, I should back into the swing again soon.

Simple Happy Easter Card

Here is a simple Happy Easter card.  I am just in love with this card!  I got the layout from this card.  What is even better about this card is you can put just about any saying you want on it and use it for any occasion.  This would be a great card to make up a bunch without the saying and then add it when you know what you need the card for.  I love having these types of cards around for "emergencies". 

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s) - Well Scripted
Card Stock - Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Ink - Certainly Celery
Accessories - 5/8" Certainly Celery Satin Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Tea Party DS Paper, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Plate, Big Shot

Two-Step Into Spring Promotion

I have been hinting to the Two-Step Into Spring Promotion for about a week now.  Finally, here are all the details!

Here are the Images for the Awash with Flowers Stamp Set.  These are not actual size.

Promotion Details
Hostesses
Host a $350 workshop in April and receive the brand-new Two-Step Awash with Flowers stamp set FREE!

Customers
Two-Step into spring with a sneak peek from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog! Be the first to add the Awash with Flowers stamp set to your collection.

Plus, purchase spring-themed Two-Step Stampin' sets at 20 percent off the retail price--no additional purchase necessary!

Qualifying stamp sets are listed below:

Valid only during the month of April!

The Awash with Flowers stamp set is a sneak peek from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog and will not be available again until the release of the new Idea Book & Catalog. Don't miss out on this exclusive opportunity!

Contact me today to schedule your workshop!

Demonstrator Meeting

What a GREAT time we had at this month's Demonstrator Meeting!  Only five of us ended up being able to make it this month but we still had such a great time!  In my last two posts I had mentioned this meeting.

Our Card Challenge was to make a card using our least favorite colors.  I showed you mine.  Here are some others.

This was done by Judie. She is not a fan of Brocade Blue. I thought she did a great job! I was impressed she had Designer Series Paper to match!

This was done by Marcy.  She was also showing off her mad skills at paper flower making.  One of these days I need to sit down and try one.  Maybe I will get her to give me a tutorial. :)

Besides my Shoebox swap we made one other provide by Marcy.  Isnt this ADORABLE!!!  This little bunny envelope is made from the Petal Card Bigz Die.  The bunny is made from the following punches:  Ornament, Large Oval, Small Oval, 1/2" Circle, and 1/4" Circle (retired).  I am just in love with him and already trying to think of other ways to use him!

Here are the girls, I took pictures without warning so I am sure they will be mad at me for posting them.  Sorry Ladies!

Lisa Reber and Barbara Pelak

Marcy Walsh

Judie McCandless

Thank you Ladies for all you do!

Awash with Flowers - Color Challenge

I am back with the Awash With Flowers Stamp Set!  I am really loving this set!  Check out this blog post for more info on how to get this set.

I am meeting with fellow Demonstrators today and our card challenge from last month's meeting was to use our least favorite color in a card.  Well, I don't know if Bermuda Bay is my least favorite color but I have never used it.  The pack of paper is still untouched from when I bought it last June.  So I decided that was the color I was going to use.

I pulled out another layout from my card history.  If you are wondering where these are coming from, I had mentioned that my husband bought me a netbook for my birthday last weekend.  Well in transferring and reorganizing all my files and photos I came across a folder of almost all the cards I have ever created.  I dove into the project of trying to organize them by stamp set (a MAJOR task I must say).  But in playing I am seeing all these great cards I have created and I am slowly bringing them back to life.  Nothing like casing yourself.  If you are just starting out or even if you are well into making cards, I highly recommend taking a picture or scanning an image of the card before you give it away.  You will enjoy the "catalog" you have created and it is a great place to go for inspiration.

This card is actually 4 different stamps.  I love two-step stamping, it makes detailing SO easy!  The ribbon is not tied around anything,  I just made a simple knot and then glued it over the stem.  Very simple card!

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s) - Awash with Flowers
Card Stock - Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Ink - Basic Black, Bermuda Bay, Certainly Celery
Accessories - 1/2" Soft Suede Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon

Two-Step into Spring-Awash with Flowers-My Birthday

I had my birthday this weekend!  I had such a great time!  It was very relaxing.  We saw several movies and for my birthday dinner my husband took me to a sushi bar and we ate until we were stuffed.  Wonderful!  I wanted to share my birthday card from my husband.  The thing I look forward to most is the card from him.  He is SO sweet!  Though the present wasn't too shabby either, he got me the netbook I have been drooling over!  Now it is even easier to be mobile and connected to all of you!

Now for today's project and April's special.  I hinted in a previous blog that in April Stampin' Up! was offering a special stamp set that will be in next year's catalog.  Well here it is!

It is called Awash with Flowers.  I am just in love with this set!  The black lines are one stamp and the color images are another stamp for a total of 18 stamps.  It will only be available in April then you have to wait until the new catalog to get your hands on this beauty.  Along with this stamp set there will be some other current Two-Step Stamp Sets on sale but you will have to wait for another post of those ;)

I got to finally sit down and play with it and it is GREAT!  My stamping helper likes it too. :)  My four girls are always available to "help". 

Here is the first card I made with the set.  I am doing this card as a shoebox swap at my Demonstrator meeting this Thursday.  I pulled this layout from a card I made YEARS ago.  I am so glad that I kept pictures of almost every card I made!  I had a lot of fun playing with this design.  The flower is more than meets the eye at first glance.  See the second picture to see what I mean.  First I stamped the Basic Black outline.  Then I mixed Frost White Shimmer Paint with Rose Red reinker (just one drop).  I used a Sponge Dauber to sponge the mixture on to the stamp.  I stamped it right onto the card (be careful not to let it slide around).  For the leaves I just used Certainly Celery ink.  The Scallop Oval/Ovals Punched saying is attached with Dimensionals.

Look at that Shimmer!  So cool!  This is a great card for many different occasions.

Don't forget that all these great items from the Holiday Mini Catalog are still available (including the Shimmer Paint)!

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s) - Awash with Flowers, Short & Sweet
Card Stock - Rose Red, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink - Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Rose Red reinker
Accessories - 3/16" Black Gingham Ribbon, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Scallop Circle Punch, Large Oval Punch, Small Oval Punch, Dimensionals, Sponge Daubers

A Popular St Patricks Day Card

I have been having a great time in my stamp room this week!  Monday I made 8 12x12 layouts for my wedding scrapbook.  My plan is to create a bunch of layouts and then one weekend sit down with my layouts and pictures and match up what I want on each page.  (I will be taking over the living room floor for this but my husband doesn't know that yet.)  I thought this would be way easier then trying to think it through one page at a time.  Once I decide what pictures will go on each page then it is just a matter of cropping, attaching and embellishing! 

Tuesday I started prepping for my Stamp-A-Stack this weekend.  I have 10 women coming.  This is a new group for me, they all live in one community and invited me it to teach them.  I am very excited and can't wait to meet them!  With 10 people making 12 cards each I have my work cut out for me.

Yesterday I got a little bit done but had company over so not much.

I also received a Stampin' Up! shipment Tuesday... TOYS!  I can never wait to get home when I know there is a wonderful box of Toys just waiting to be played with.  In my box of toys was a wonderful stamp set that, as a Demonstrator, I got to preorder before anyone else!  I will have more on that in the days to come so stay tuned.

For today's project I needed to make one more type of St. Patrick's Day card before the holiday has slipped by us.  This is a very common technique using the Heart Punch to create a clover.  It is very simple to do and great for those who need a last minute card.  For the stem I just hand cut out of Always Artichoke.  To give the card a little more dimension I brushed the edges with the Always Artichoke Stamp Pad.  I pulled my handy single stamp Go Green out for my saying.  I have got a lot of good use from that stamp :)

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s) - Go Green
Card Stock - Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Ink - Always Artichoke
Accessories - Heart Punch, Paper Snips

Honey of a Day!

I don't know if you noticed but I recently rebranded myself and a bee theme came out.  I just love it!  Of course I had to get the Just Buzzin By set to help finish off!  I made these cards to give out and advertise my Stampin' Up! business.  I just love them!

As you can see in my close up I used glitter on the bee wings and double stamped my bee hive with Basic Black and So Saffron.  I colored my little bee in with the So Saffron Marker.

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s) - Just Buzzin By
Card Stock - So Saffron, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink - Basic Black, So Saffron; So Saffron Marker
Accessories - Embossing Buddy, 2-Way Glue, Dazzling Diamonds

Such a Cute Egg

The best part about Easter is that I get to use cute chick stamp sets!  Admit it, this little chick is cute!  I got this idea from Dana Arczynski.

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s) - A Good, Egg
Card Stock - Certainly Celery, Mellow Moss, Whisper White, retired DS paper
Ink - Basic Black
Accessories - Stampin' Pastels, 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon, Scallop Trim Border Punch

Simply Said with Glitter Training

Two techniques, one card. One of my customers asked me if I could show them how to use Heat Stick Powder so I created this card (CASEd from the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Community again-Essel Linton).  I used both Heat Stick Power with glitter and 2-way Glue with glitter on this card.

First the Heat Stick Powder.  The flowers on the left were done with Heat Stick Powder.  Timing is important with using Heat Stick Powder.  Be sure to have all your elements ready to go before beginning.  Supplies needed: Versamark, Heat Stick Powder, glitter, Embossing Buddy, Powder Pal, Heat Tool.  First, rub the Embossing Buddy on your cardstock to remove static for the card.  This helps keep the powders from sticking where you don't want them.  Then, stamp the image on the card in Versamark.  Over the Powder Pal, cover the image with Heat Stick Powder and then dump off the access leaving only the powder stuck to the image.  Pour excess powder back into the container.  Now you want to use your Heat Tool to heat the powder just until it gets glossy/wet looking.  Be sure not to over heat or it will lose its stickiness.  Go back to your powder pal and pour your glitter over the image and dump off the access leaving only the glitter stuck the Heat Stick Powder.  Using the Heat Tool again, heat the image for a very short time to set the Heat Stick Powder completely.  Viola, you're done!

Now for the glitter. I used the 2-way Glue for a little added glitter to the flowers.  After I stamped the image in Basic Black, I colored the flowers in with the Pretty In Pink Marker.  The items you need for this method of adding glitter are: Powder Pal, Embossing Buddy, glitter, 2-Way Glue Stick.  First rub the cardstock with the Embossing Buddy.  Then take the 2-way Glue and just touch the tip to each of the flowers in the center.  Over the Powder Pal cover the image with glitter. Dump off the access and set aside to dry.

The question is now, why two different methods?  The reason to use the Heat Stick Powder is that you can be very detailed with it.  There is really no way to get those black flowers looking that way using glue.  The more detailed the image the better reason to use Heat Stick Powder.  Now go cover yourself in glitter!

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s) - Simply Said, Well Scripted
Card Stock - Pretty In Pink, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink - Basic Black, Pretty In Pink Marker, Versamark
Accessories - 2-Way Glue, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Heat Stick Powder, Heat Tool, Fine Galaxy Glitter, Powder Pal, Embossing Buddy

A Good Egg Easter Card

I CASEd this card from the Demonstrator Community Website.  Of course, now that I go back to find it again to credit the creator I cant find it.  I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.  This card ended up being a little more difficult than I anticipated.  For the window I punched the 1-3/4" Circle punch.  Each layer had to be punched separately.  I started with the top layer then glued it and lined up and punched the second layer, etc....  This would have been much easier had I had the Circle #2 Die for the Big Shot.  Once I had the window punched out I had to figure out how to line up the chick on the inside.  I drew a little pencil circle so I could line him up.  I couldn't stamp him straight through because he is a little bigger than the circle.  I used Ruby Red Ink and a Blender Pen to 'paint' in his egg.  I used Stampin' Pastels to color in the chick giving him a soft fluffy look.

  

You can see from the inside shot the little chick and the Happy Easter message.  Of course, after all this work, I dropped the Happy Easter Stamp and made an extra mark...just my luck :)

Supplies:
Stamp Set(s) - A Good Egg, Well Scripted
Card Stock - Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Retired DS Paper
Ink - Ruby Red, Basic Black
Accessories - 5/8" Pretty In Pink Satin Ribbon, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Blender Pen, Stampin' Pastels