R.I.P., Old Salt

My father, the Old Salt, passed away yesterday. We knew it was coming, but other than having the chance to say goodbye, it didn't make it any easier. Ultimately, it wasn't the cancer that got him, but rather the repeated infections due to his chemotherapy-compromised immune system. With each infection he got weaker, and didn't bounce back as quickly. This last one was it.

DAD WITH HIS CAT, LILY. HE WAS SO ALLERGIC TO HER, BUT HE LOVED HER (AND SHE ADORED HIM)!

I take comfort in knowing he's not in pain anymore, and that he is now with his beloved wife Bette, who lost her battle with cancer eight years ago.

Daddy, I miss you so much. You left a big empty place that no one can fill.

I Am....Tickled

And this is the card I sent to congratulate my other downline that just recruited.

Stamps: I Am... (free stamp set for Convention attendees)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Comfort Cafe DSP
Ink: Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple, and Primrose Petals Stampin' Write Markers, Midnight Muse Stampin' Pad
Accessories: Big Shot, Framelits Labels Collection, Fancy Fan folder, 1" Square Punch (banner ends), Rhinestones Basic Jewels, Stampin' Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals

Stamping Family Growing!

I am so proud of my "girls"!  Two of them got new recruits (one of them got TWO in two days), so our stamping family is growing. There has never been a better time to become an independent business owner, and I'm thrilled that three more people have the opportunity to create their own businesses "Their Way"!

This is the card I sent to congratulate one of my downline for their achievement.

If you have been thinking about how nice it would be to be your own boss, set your own hours, and get paid to be creative, I'd love to talk with you about the opportunity Stampin' Up!® provides! You can get started for just $99 with a fully customizable kit. It is so easy...to learn more, just contact me!

Stamps: I Am... (free stamp set for Convention attendees)
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Very Vanilla, plus Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive DSP (Brights Paper Stack)
Ink: Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers, Old Olive Stampin' Pad
Accessories: Big Shot, Framelits Labels Collection, Decorative Label Punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, 1" Square Punch (banner ends), Rhinestones Basic Jewels, Stampin' Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals

SUOC52 - Feature a Photo

This week's theme at SUO Challenges was.... well, a challenge for me. We are supposed to feature a photo, and when I think photo, I think scrapbook layout. And when I think scrapbook layout, I think, "Uh oh."

Because, you see, I'm really challenged when it comes to SB pages. There, I admitted it publicly. I don't know why. They're really kind of like cards, only bigger. Maybe it's the journaling that throws me. I dunno, I just know that I'm way more in my comfort zone when I'm creating cards.

BUT, that's what a challenge is all about, right? To push ourselves a little farther and expand our creativity, right?

I must say MDS 2 made this much less of a daunting task than I thought it would be. Playing with it has made me feel confident that I can DO this! And believe me, if I can do it, anyone can do it!!! You really must check it out for yourself.

But now, seeing the amazing creations of the other DT members, I realize that photos don't only have to be on scrapbook pages! I'll remember that the next time, lol.

BTW, isn't my grandson adorable? He and his big sister both LOVE pickles. They'd eat them all day if we let them.

Page Elements: 
   Lucky Limeade Textured Cardstock
   Always Artichoke Distressed (overlaid at reduced opacity)
   Wonderfall DSP (download #131218)
   Timeless Type Alphabet
   Blossom Builders Embellishments Kit (banner, re-sized)
   Extreme  Elements Splat
   Ink Spatters
   Staple & Stitching (staples)

Custom Colored DSP

As promised in the Stampin' Addicts Blog Hop post, today I'll show you how EASY it is to customize the colors of DSP! And it works on embellishments, too.

First, you're going to need My Digital Studio 2 (MDS2)*. I can't help you if you have a pack of paper and markers! This is strictly digital.

When you first start up MDS 2, you'll see a screen like this:

(You can click on the pics to make them larger if needed.)

Choose CUSTOM and the next box will prompt you to choose a size. I picked 8½ x 11, because that's all my printer can do.

Now click CREATE PROJECT and the next box asks you to give it a name:

Name it, click OK, and this is what you will see. Near the top of the RESOURCE PALETTE bar on the left are some icons. (When you mouse over them, you'll see what each one represents.) Choose BACKGROUND PAPERS and browse until you find the DSP you want to use. Open it and it will show up in the scroll bar on the left. Make sure you click the ADD AS PAGE LAYER box!

Now scroll to find the paper you want and click and drag it onto your page:

Double click in the box, then drag it up to the left corner. Grab the "handle", pull it to fill the page and click OK.

In the DESIGN CENTER bar on the right, click on "Recolor" and choose the color you want from the Color Palette. (Note there are more choices in the tabs at the top!)

I chose Lucky Limeade, clicked OK, and here is the result!

It sounds much more complicated than it is. You can see a 2 minute YouTube video about it HERE. For a bunch more quick video tutorials, click HERE.

*You can download a FREE 30 day trial of MDS 2 here. There is no obligation, and no credit card needed. Of course, when you decide you can't live without it, after your 30 days is up you'll HAVE to buy it!

Stampin' Addicts Holiday Catalog Hop

Hooray! You've arrived at stop #10 on the Stampin' Addicts Holiday Catalog Blog Hop. You may have gotten here by clicking the "Next" button on Katherine's My Magical Inkery Tour blog, or you may have just stumbled upon the hop here. Either way, you can find the complete list here of the 14 stops, each featuring a fabulous product from the new SU Holiday Catalog. Today I'm showing the adorable Monster Munchies stamp set, which can be used to make Halloween cards, party invitations, and decorate treats, too!

First, let's start with a card. Notice there are two stamps combined to get the image? The spider web in the "Boo" was begging to have the spider nearby, so I inked just the spider with a Stampin' Write Marker. The clear mount stamp made it easy to position perfectly under the B.

Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP (MDS2), 1/2" Striped Satin Ribbon,

Big Shot, Labels Collection Framelits, Perfect Polka-Dots Folder, Googlies

Next is a fun invitation to the Halloween party I have planned. The "Come as you aren't" part of the greeting just gives me the giggles. And how about Franken-kilroy peering over the top? Isn't he cute with those googly eyes?

Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla, Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP (MDS2), Heat Tool, Black EP, 
Decorative Label Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Big Shot, Houndstooth Folder, Paper Piercing Tool, Googlies

Now a party must have refreshments for the party-goers, so up next we have a bottle of delicious Spider Cider (recognize the spider?) and a treat box with a bag of party mix. 'Ol Frankie makes another appearance as well, to tie in with the invitation.

Tangerine Tango, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla, Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP (MDS2), Extra-Large Oval Punch, 1-1/4" Square Punch, Scallop Square Punch, Big Shot, Finishing Touches Edgelits, Lucky Limeade Bakers Twine, Black Brads, Crystal Effects, 1/2" Striped Satin Ribbon

Now, if you have seen the Howlstooth & Scaringbone Designer Series Paper, you may have noticed that there aren't any Lucky Limeade stripes or chevrons. Wanna know how I did it? It was EASY!!! Come back Monday and I'll tell you how!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Next on the tour is Betty at Kitty Stamp. She chose to feature the Frightening Feline stamp. Go figure.... (tee hee!)

This blog hop was put on by the Stampin' Addicts, a friendly group of stamping enthusiasts, both SU demonstrators and general public. Our motto is "Positively Creative! Positively Stampin' Up!" This THE online community to visit if you love Stampin' Up!

For A Friend...

...But I can't say who because she reads my blog, heehee!  She recently had some good things happen, so I wanted to send my congrats to her. She'll probably receive it Friday.

This is from the exclusive "I Am..." stamp set we received at Convention.  Love it!

Attention! We're having another Stampin' Addicts blog hop this weekend, featuring products from the new Holiday Catalog, so I've been busy in the stamp cave for a couple days. My featured product is the Monster Munchies stamp set....wait'll you see what you can do with it (and MDS2)!

Stamps: I Am...
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Comfort Cafe, Champagne Glimmer Paper
Ink: Cajun Craze
Accessories: Big Shot, Fancy Fan folder, Framelits Label Collection, Vintage Trinkets, 1-3/8" Square Punch (banner end), Stampin' Sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals

Christmas in August

This is what we made for this month's Christmas Club. You should have been here! We had Christmas music playing on Pandora to get us in the holiday mood (despite the heat and humidity outside), cookies and cold spiced cider (because hot spiced cider didn't sound like such a terrific idea, lol).

This is a fun-fold card, inspired by a swap I got from Cris McCarthy at Convention. It is so cool, and it was quick and easy to do, too! (Measurements given below.) The belly band slides off to reveal an accordion folded card. There are all kinds of possibilities for finishing the inside, with lots of room to write a personal note, as well.

The Christmas Club meets the second Monday of the month at 2:00 PM and again at 7:00 PM for the people who have daytime jobs. The card du jour is emailed out in advance (ideally) so people can decide how many they want to make before they get here. Here's the other two options:

There's always room for more, so let me know if you want to be added to the class email list. Time's a-wasting to get those cards made; the holidays will be here before you know it!


Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes, Petite Pairs
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Pacific Point DSP, Candlelight Christmas Specialty DSP, Red Glimmer Paper, Silver Glimmer Paper, Champagne Glimmer Paper
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Real Red, Early Espresso, Midnight Muse
Accessories: Big Shot, Holiday Ornaments Framelits Dies, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, 1" Square Punch (banner ends), Merry Minis Punch Pack, Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Very Vanilla 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Whisper White 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon (retired), Rhinestones Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals

Here are the measurements for the basic card, just decorate as desired! 
     Card base: 5½ x 12, scored at 2,4,7, and 9
     Belly band: 1¼ x 8½, scored at 2¼ and 6 ⅜
     DSP: 2¾ x 5¼ (x2) and 1¼ x 5¼ (x1) for card base
     DSP: 1 x 3 ⅞ for belly band

Gotta Brag (Just a Little)

When I got back from Convention, my grandkids were in town visiting their daddy (our son). So Grandma Cindy and Papa Tom had them over for our traditional "Build Your Own Pizza" night and a movie and sleep over.  They also each made a card, and they turned out awesome!

Taylor, age 13, has been into scrapbooking and cardmaking for a while, and it shows. She's a natural, with a great eye for layout and color. Her marker-to-stamp technique turned out well.  This was done without any guidance from Grandma!

Trent, age 11, chose to stamp his in black and color it with the markers.  I like the variety in the three brads he chose to embellish the side. He definitely wanted to use the Big Shot to add texture to the background, which I think is a clear indication that he is MY grandson!

Christmas in July

Every time Stampin' Up! releases a new catalog, I rush through it a few times checking the new stamp sets, and then settle down and pore over it slowly, trying to absorb all the other wonderful things.  Not only the new tools (particularly anything Big Shot-related), but also the projects that the SU design team created. Gawd, what a dream job that must be....can you imagine?!

Today's card was inspired by the sweet little Christmas decor frame on page 18 of the Holiday catalog. It looked to me like the text from the Evergreen stamp set was stamped on vellum, so that's what I did. Since vellum doesn't absorb ink like regular cardstock, the new Heat Tool was used to dry it.  Yep, there's a "Low" setting specifically for drying ink - it's awesome!

The crisp, clean details of the script just amaze me. Here's a close-up, so you can see what I mean. You can see the loops in the letter e! To get a perspective of how small the script is, look at the "Peace" on the tag attached to the bow. :-)

Stamp: Evergreen
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations, White Cardstock Vellum, Champagne Glimmer Paper
Ink: Gumball Green, Early Espresso (pad & marker)
Accessories: Big Shot, Labels Framelits Collection, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, Jewelry Tag Punch, Merry Minis Punch Pack, Stampin' Sanding Block, Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon, Vintage Trinkets, Stampin' Dimensionals

SUOC51 - The Paper is the Focus!

This week's challenge at SUO Challenges is to make Designer Series Paper the main event! I chose Floral District DSP, because the colors are so cheerful they make the perfect cheery birthday card. (It looks like a lot of the Design Team love it as much as I do!) And bonus, the little flowers can be cut with the Boho Blossoms Punch, to make adding them as embellishments a breeze!

(Is it me, or does that adorable little owl look just a tiny bit like Betty Boop?)

Welcome to SUO Challenges newest Design Team member, Connie Babbert!  Be sure to stop by her blog regularly for lots of inspiration!!!

Stamps: Owl Occasions, Bring on the Cake
Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Floral District DSP, Rich Razzleberry DSP (Brights Stack)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black
Accessories: Big Shot, Framelits Floral Frames, Small Oval Punch, 1-3/4: Circle Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Googlies, Rhinestones Basic Jewels, Baker's Twine White, Stampin' Dimensional, White Gel Pen

More Swaps!

Is there a Swappers Anonymous out there somewhere? If so, "Hello, my name is Cindy, and I am a swap addict."

I can't help myself! I just love seeing what everyone else is making, so I get carried away. This was another card made for convention swapping*. It's a variant of The One That Didn't Make the Cut. I did end up coloring 50 images, but at least I didn't have to cut 150 banners! (Well, not for this card, anyway.)

Stamps: Pleasant Poppies, Pursuit of Happiness
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Shimmery White
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Real Red, Gumball Green, More Mustard, Basic Black
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka-Dots folder, Basic Black 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Blender Pens, Stampin' Dimensionals


* For those who don't know what a swap is, here's a description:  A swap is when people make cards to swap for cards made by other people. It's a great way to see fresh, new ideas. Plus it gives us a chance to show samples of things made with stamp sets we might not have to our customers/stamping friends.

Be careful - it can be addictive!!!

More Convention Pics and a Swap

Of all the swap cards I've ever made, this one was probably the most difficult for me. Why, you ask? It's so simple, what can be so hard about it?

Well, that was the problem. If you know me, you know I like my cards like I like my cake...with lots of layers. The more, the merrier! This Stampin' Addicts organized swap was for a single layer card. No matting images, no popping things up on dimensionals, no DSP, none of the usual shtuff. So that is why I had the hardest time with this one. It kept looking so nekkid, like it needed something more!


Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Fabulous Phrases
Cardstock: Shimmery White
Ink: Gumball Green (pad and marker), Raspberry Ripple (marker), Primrose Petals (marker), Bashful Blue (pad), Daffodil Delight (pad), Basic Black (pad and marker)
Accessories: Big Shot, Delicate Designs embossing folder, Rhinestones Basic Jewels, Stampin' Sponges

More display boards from Convention. Enjoy!

So. Much. Fun. STUFF!

August is jam-packed with new things and promotions! Gosh, where do I begin? I guess I'll have to make a list. Lists help me stay organized (ha!), so here goes:

1. The new Holiday Seasonal Catalog starts today. It is, without a doubt, the best one yet! I know I say that every time, but Stampin' Up! just keeps outdoing itself!
2. MDS2 launches today, as well. You can try it free for 30 days, and if you already have MDS, you can upgrade for free if you purchased it between 5/8/12 and 7/31/12, or $19.95 if before 5/8/12. It has 75 new features, and it is worth every penny! Short video here: http://www.youtube.com/
3. The 31 Days of Digital Savings promotion begins. ALL cards, photobooks, individual pages, and tags, plus 30 downloads and 1 content disc (yup, that equals 31) are 31% off.
4. AND the Spooktacular Offer begins. Join my team during the month of August, and for just $99 you get to choose $125 in product, plus get this adorable Howl-o-ween Printer’s Tray kit, valued at $60! (And ME for an upline!)

Have any questions? Let's talk! Contact me with your preferred method of contact (text, email, phone).