You're Just the Sweetest!

Another thank you card for another awesome stamping friend. I'm kind of bummed that it took me so long to see the potential of the Apple of My Eye stamp set paired with (see what I did there? LOL) the Farmer's Market DSP. Both of these are retiring next month, boo!

I solemnly swear that I will try to make the most of the new things coming in the new catalog. Holy toledo, are there some spectacular things coming, too! If you've placed an order with me in the past year, you should be receiving your new annual catalog toward the end of next month. Be on the lookout!

Here's the "How To"
Image panel: Whisper White 2" x 3-1/8"
Mat behind image: Basic Black 2-1/8" x 3-1/4"
DSP behind image: Farmer's Market 1-3/4" x 4"
Mat behind DSP: Basic Black 1-7/8" x 4"
DSP on card base: Farmer's Market 4" x 5-1/4"
Mat: Basic Black 4-1/8" x 5-3/8"
Card base: Whisper White Thick 5-1/2" x 8-1/2", scored at 4-1/4" and folded

1. On Whisper White cardstock, stamp pear using Pear Pizzazz, stem using Soft Suede (stamped off once), and leaf using Old Olive. Ink lower part of pear stamp again with Hello Honey (Rock & Roll technique) and stamp pear again.
2. Stamp greeting over pear and adhere stamped image to Basic Black mat.
3. Adhere DSP (both sizes) to their respective mats. (Note: for smaller DSP the mat shows above and below, and is even with DSP at the side edges.)
4. Fasten smaller DSP/mat to larger DSP/mat, having bottom approx. 1" from bottom edge.
5. Wrap gold cording around larger mat as shown, adhering the ends on the back with Glue Dots, then adhere to card base.
6. Use Stampin' Dimensionals to affix image to card base.
7. Use Fine-Tip Glue Pen or Glue Dots to attach sequins.

STAMPS: Apple of My Eye*
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White Thick, Whisper White, Basic Black, Farmer's Market DSP*
INK: Basic Black Archival, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Hello Honey*, Soft Suede
ACCESSORIES: Gold Sequins (Love Blossoms Embellishment Kit)*, Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, gold cord (ret.)

* These items are retiring. See the retirement list HERE to check availability!

Merry Christmas!

Can you believe this year is almost over? It absolutely FLEW by for me, how about you?

I've been trying to squeeze in some play time with the new products received last week, and have managed to get a couple things made. One of which is this kooky card! I thought of all kinds of ways to use the From the Herd stamp set, but last night while making a card to hold some gift cards (for a person who shall remain nameless at the moment), it dawned on me this would be really cute as a Christmas card! Llamas and alpacas produce fleece, right?

I had fun coloring with the Blendabilities, but I admit I pulled out some Copics, too. This stamp set will be available starting January 6th.

I hope your Christmas is filled with friends and family, love, laughter, and good eats! We're having the family (the local ones, anyway) over for ham and all the trimmings.

STAMP: From the Herd (greeting printed from computer)
CARDSTOCK: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Gold Foil Sheets, Trim the Tree DSP Stack
INK: Tuxedo Black Memento, Blendabilities (Skin Tone Ass't., Smoky Slate, Old Olive), Copic Markers
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Word Bubbles Framelits Dies, Stampin' Dimensionals

Welcome Baby Girls

Yes, you read that right - that's girl times two! This card was made for my cousin's daughter and son-in-law, who just welcomed Mila and Monroe into the world.  When I was looking for inspiration for a suitable baby card, I found the most adorable card in the entire world. Even though it's from six years ago, it's perfection, so I just CASEd it pretty much as is, using what I had on hand.

Again, I had to rely on retired stamps, because I don't have that many occasions to make baby cards (darn it!), so I can't justify the expense of a new baby set every year.  I was blown away by the detail on the original card, and I don't know if you can se it very well here. The scored cardstock made to resemble wainscoting, and the brad "pegs" with the wire hangers just slay me! I hope Karissa and Derek get a kick out of it, too!

STAMPS: Baby Bundle (retired), Party Time (greeting, retired), Baby Tees Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel (retired)
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, Subtles DSP Stack
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark, plus Pretty in Pink (retired) and Daffodil Delight Stampin Write Markers
ACCESSORIES: Simply Scored scoring tool, glimmer brads (non-SU), Hung Up Cute Clips (retired), Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (retired, colored w/marker), Large Oval Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

For a Very Special Little Guy

Being the girly-girl that I am, and being that I love flowers, and butterflies, and unicorns, and shiny squirrels, and being that my baby boy is 37 years old and my grandson is 13, I don't have very many occasions to make a card for little guys. (Whew, almost ran outta air there for a minute!) Therefore I don't have any (current) stamp sets that are appropriate. Soooo, to make a short story long, I had to use a retired stamp set to make this card. It's called Cool Kid, and it's a cool stamp set. I was sorry to see it go, because that super hero dog just tickles my funny bone!

My cousin's daughter had twin girls a couple days ago, just three days after her little boy turned three years old. I think he's going to make an awesome big brother, and will take very good care of his baby sisters. I know everyone makes a big deal about babies and mama, and sometimes older siblings can feel left out. So after I made the congrats card for mama and daddy, I made this card for the big brother. When he opens it, a big red star pops up, and it says BIG brother. I hope it makes him smile!

STAMPS: Cool Kid (retired), Kinda Eclectic, Back to Basics Alphabet (not shown)
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Real Red, Silver Glimmer Paper
INK: StazOn Jet Black, So Saffron, plus Real Red, Pacific Point, and Basic Black Stampin' Write Markers
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Circles Collection Framelits, Stars Framelits, Lucky Stars embossing folder, Real Red 1/4" Cotton Ribbon, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, 2" Circle Punch, 2-1/2" Circle punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

White Christmas Joy

As soon as I saw this stamp set in the Holiday Catalog, I knew it had to be near the top of my wish list. It has everything needed to build a beautiful, whimsical winter scene, down to the littlest detail. This is a photoploymer set, too, so it's super easy to place the image exactly where you want it, because the stamps are totally clear.

First of all, I adore bears, especially polar bears. I love birds, too, and the two tiny Cardinals are so cute. And a snowman? Don't even get me started on how much I love snowmen! So, as you can see, this set really, really appeals to me.

After stamping the trees on Whisper White, I stamped again on a large sticky note making sure the hill was near the sticky part. I used it as a mask when I spritzed the sky. (Fill Stampin' Spritzer to within 1/2" of top with rubbing alcohol, then add 6 drops of Lost Lagoon refill ink.) Three or four sprays is all it takes.

While the sky dried, I stamped and fussy-cut the bear. Since the spray was largely alcohol, it dried quickly, so I colored the tree trunks with Smoky Slate using a Blender Pen. I then added a few swipes of the 2-way Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds to the hill and tree branches. (When dry, it helps to brush off the loose glitter with a soft brush.)

That's it for another sneak peek from the Holiday Catalog. Stay tuned for more in the coming days! There's another polar bear in the works.

STAMPS: White Christmas, Good Greetings

CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Lost Lagoon, Pool Party, All Is Calm Specialty DSP
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Lost Lagoon, Smoky Slate
ACCESSORIES: 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter, Frosted Sequins, Lost Lagoon 3/8" Silky Taffeta Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Spritzers, Blender Pens, Linen Thread, Jewelry Tag Punch (retired)

Yee-Haw!

Stampin' Up! just released a new photopolymer set called Yee-Haw that is, hands down, cuter than a speckled pup! If you have a little buckaroo or buckarette (is that a word?) or even a big one in your life, if you live on a ranch, or just wish that you did, then this is the set for you!

Here are some ideas from the fabulous concept artists at Stampin' Up!

See those cute circles? That's not a stamp! It's the dots mask (from the Dots & Stripes Decorative Masks) - just use the pen tip from a Stampin' Write Marker to trace a circle in each spot, then add cross-hatch marks!

That's just a few of the ca-UTE things you can do with this set! Get it while the getting's good, and then share a link to your creation in the comments below. I'd LOVE to see what you do with it!

Beauty of the Season

Did you know that this is a stamp that YOU can pre-order from the Holiday Catalog? It's true! If you absolutely can't wait until August 28th, and you just HAVE to get something from the new catty, Beauty of the Season just might hold you over until it's all available!

The Cardinal was stamped on Watercolor Paper with StazOn Jet Black. After moistening the paper with an Aqua Painter, a Lost Lagoon wash was applied. While the background was drying, the bird was painted using Real Red. Baked Brown Sugar was used on the branches, and Real Red again on the berries. I did find I lost some of the detail on the face when I stamped it, and the eye kind of disappeared. So I took a black Sharpie to the smallest size of Basic Pearls and added a beady little eye! I swear, it looks like it's looking at me!

I need to work on my watercoloring skills a bit. Unfortunately, I didn't wait long enough for the sky background to dry before I started painting the branches and berries, so the ink ran a bit. Although that can be a lovely effect for some projects, it wasn't really the effect I was going for here. Oh well, live and learn. (Patience is a virtue - something I'm still working on, lol.)

 STAMPS: Beauty of the Season, Good Greetings
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Brushed Gold, Real Red, Watercolor Paper
INK: StazOn Jet Black, Real Red, Lost Lagoon, Daffodil Delight
ACCESSORIES: Aqua Painter, Gold Basic Metal Buttons, Real Red 1/4" Cotton Ribbon

Shiny Squirrels

Okay, this card was completely unplanned and just sort of happened. As I was going through my Box of Awesomeness (aka Stampin' Up! preorder goodies), I was struck by how much the Note Tag Punch reminded me of a tombstone (shiny squirrel moment). I guess I had Halloween on the brain, which is really weird, because Thanksgiving and Christmas are much more my style.

Anyhoo, I don't have any current Halloween stamps, with the exception of a couple of small images on the Holiday Home and Holiday Invitation sets. Hmmmm, what to do, what to do.......

Then I remembered I had a bunch of componenets left over from the September My Paper Pumpkin kit I got at convention. There were some awesome stickers and equally fabulous copper-colored sequin trim with black twine that I knew would be perfect for the card!

I sponged a vivid sunset, stamped the RIP on the headstone using the Back to Basics Aplphabet and threw it all together. Turned out pretty well, I think, for being totally unplanned. I swear, Halloween was channeling through me, saying it wanted some attention, too!

Now, as for this My Paper Pumpkin kit - trust me, you don't want to miss out on it! It has burlap treat bags to decorate with die-cut tags and some fab photopolymer stamps, along with the stickers, twine and sequins. And there will be plenty left over from the treat bags to make some cute cards like this one!

There's a special going on right now, too! If you sign up for My Paper Pumpkin, you get your first two months for 50% off! That's just $10.00 per month to have awesome project kits delivered right to your door! Be sure to enter the promo code HALFOFF2 when you sign up, and I'd be ever so grateful if you name me as your demonstrator! Sign up before Sep. 10th to get the discount, and the Halloween kit I used here!

STAMPS: Back to Basics Alphabet, Holiday Home (bats), Holiday Invitation (greeting)
CARDSTOCK: Basic Black, Whisper White, Basic Gray, Smoky Slate
INK: So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Memento Tuxedo Black, Smoky Slate, Whisper White Craft
ACCESSORIES: Note Tag Punch, Heat Tool, White Stampin' Emboss Powder, Stampin' Sponges, Sponge Daubers, September Paper Pumpkin Kit (trees and crow stickers, black twine, copper sequin trim)

Peace & Joy Christmas Bauble

I think this is the last Christmas Bauble card for the time being. I've really enjoyed coming up with different creations using that a la cart stamp, and have even more ideas floating around in my noggin. But yesterday my box of Holiday Catalog preorder goodies arrived from Stampin' Up! and now I have new shiny squirrels to distract me!!!

This was pretty straighforward coloring, using the Stampin' Blendabilities markers again. The bauble was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, so it wouldn't "bleed" with the alcohol markers. Then I just used the Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive markers to color, along with a bit of Smoky Slate for the ornament hanger. Old Olive and Pear Pizzazz DSP along with a Tea Lace Paper Doily help to highlight the ornament, and the the white gel pen added some shine to the berries.

Even with the strip of Real Red chevron DSP, I still felt it needed something more, so I got out the Stampin' Pierce Mat and Essentials piercing templates to add some faux stitching. Much easier than dragging out my dusty sewing machine! And didja notice? NO Mr. Big anywhere in sight! *gasp!* The ornament was fussy-cut and the circles and banner ends were punched; no die cuts, no embossing folders!

Okay, I've yakked enough - now I need to play with my new toys! If you don't hear from me in a few days, send in a recscue team with some chocolate and coffee, will ya?

STAMPS: Christmas Bauble, Good Greetings (from upcoming hostess promotion - stay tuned!)

CARDSTOCK: Mossy Meadow, Whisper White, Real Red and Old Olive DSP from Brights Stack, Pear Pizzazz DSP from Subtles Stack

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, and Smoky Slate Stampin' Blendabilities Markers, Project Life Journaling Pens, Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen

ACCESSORIES: 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Hexagon Punch (banner ends), Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Silver 1/8" Ribbon, Stampin' Pierce Mat, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, Paper-Piercing Tool, Pearls Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals

Christmas Bauble with Blendabilities

Here is the other heat embossed, Blendabilities-colored Christmas Bauble. The grey of the Brushed Silver cardstock toned down the Coastal Cabana Blendies to a near-perfect match of Lost Lagoon - something to keep in  mind for future projects! I've always been fond of silver and blue for Christmas, so this just really appeals to me.

The All Is Calm Specialty DSP colors are Lost Lagoon, Pear Pizzazz, Smoky Slate, and Soft Sky, so that gave me my color choices for the bauble. Since we don't have Pear Pizzazz Blendabilities (yet), I used a Stampin' Write Marker for the holly leaves. The colors are so soft and subtle, Calypso Coral seemed more appropriate for the berries, rather than the deep red of Cherry Cobbler.

I have one more Christmas Bauble project to share, then I'm on to different stamps to color. Have I mentioned latyely how much I love to color? Yes? Well, then maybe you can understand my current obsession with Blendies.

STAMPS: Christmas Bauble, Endless Wishes
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Lost Lagoon, Brushed Silver, All Is Calm Specialty DSP
INK: VersaMark, Coastal Cabana, Calypso Coral, and Smoky Slate Stampin' Blendabilities, plus Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write Marker
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Perfect Polka-Dots TIEF, Delicate Designs TIEF, Heat Tool, Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder, Lost Lagoon 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon, Silver 1/8" Ribbon, Rhinestones Basic Jewels

Swapping (Again!)

Here is the swap I held back a few days ago, because I had to wait until I was sure my Control Freaks peeps had received theirs. This is soooo much more vivid in real life! The Champagne Glimmer Paper mats behind the sun's face and the sunburst panel really add a lot of sparkle, and the Basic Black makes it pop!

Did you know about the August Big Shot special? If you buy the Big Shot (I love my Mr. Big!), you can choose a bundle of stamp set with matching Framelits (five bundles to choose from) for FREE! And one of them features a stamp set from the new Holiday Catalog, woohoo! (Christmas will be here before you know it!)  If you already own the Big Shot, you can save 15% on just the bundles.

Also, all the Blendabilities color sets are available for purchase now and I have a special offer for you, too! If you buy any of them this month, I will send you my Stampin' Blendabilities Tips and Tricks. It's loaded with helpful hints for getting the most out of your markers, as well as some cool techniques to try! This offer is only good for the month of August, so don't miss out!


STAMPS: Ray of Sunshine, Kinda Eclectic
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Basic Black, Hello Honey, Champagne Glimmer Paper, Moonlight DSP Stack
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Hello Honey
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Arrows TIEF, Hello Honey 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon

Showcasing Gold Soiree

This was another swap card, and I think it really shows off the Gold Soiree Specialty DSP. This paper is fahhhhbulous, dahling! Not only does one side of each sheet have a gold design of some sort, but both sides are beautifully glossy. (I'm starting to think about Christmas cards, and this paper is going to get a lot of use, I can tell ya!)

Relying on the patterns in the paper made it really easy to just make the greeting the focus. As a woman of a "certain" age (snort), that greeting just tickles my funny bone, too! It's from the Oh My Goodies stamps set, and all the stamps are made to fit the Deco Labels Framelits Dies. No fussy-cutting needed!

This month Stampin' Up! has a Big Shot promotion going on! Through August 31, get an exclusive Framelits and Stamp Set Bundle for FREE when you purchase a Big Shot. And this stamp set and Framelits bundle is one of them! (Or, if you already own a Big Shot, get a 15 % discount on the selected bundles.) Check it out on my Stampin' Up! website!

STAMP: Oh My Goodies
CARDSTOCK: Garden Green, Whisper White, Gold Soiree Specialty DSP
INK: Calypso Coral
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Deco Labels Framelits, Crisp Cantaloupe Thick Baker's Twine

Traveler Sympathy

It's been kind of a rough month, with a couple of deaths in the family, so I apologize for my lack of posts. I've been just a little unfocused. This is one of the cards I've made recently, and now I'm working on swaps for the Stampin' Up! convention (in less than two weeks, EEK!). Now that is something to look forward to!

I love how easy it is to add a just dash of color with the Work of Art stamp set, without having to painstakingly color the image. The hint of Lost Lagoon was stamped off twice before stamping over the train. And it was a snap to choose the coordinated color palette based on the Designer Series Paper! The card came together very quickly, so this would be a good design if you needed to make a bunch in a hurry. Just substitute an image of your choice and whatever greeting you choose. Easy-peasy!

STAMPS: Traveler, Work of Art, Teeny Tiny Wishes
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Lost Lagoon, Basic Gray, Moonlight DSP Stack
INK: Lost Lagoon, StazOn Jet Black
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, On Film Framelits, Small Oval Punch (retired), Lost Lagoon Stitched Satin Ribbon

Granddaughter Birthday

Where did the time go? Can anyone tell me, please? Seriously, just a few months ago I was holding my first grandchild, who was a tiny 5 pounds, and two weeks ago she turned 15 years old and is now as tall as me. How did that happen?! There has to be an anomoly in the space/time continuum, right?

This is the card I made for her. Since her favorite color is purple, the Blackberry Bliss cardstock was perfect, and the Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities made coloring the flower a breeze. (I'm loving that I Like You hostess set a LOT, can you tell?)

I added some Dazzling Details to the yellow bloom because what girl doesn't like a little sparkle in her life? Did you see in the new catalog that there is going to be some Gold Glitz Dazzling Details? I squealed when I saw that!

Here's a close-up of the Dazzling Details:

And yes, I accidentally spattered the back ground when I opened the Rich Razz marker over the image, so I added more spatters to make it look like I meant to do that. Apparently, I'm a slow learner, haha.

STAMPS: I Like You, Remembering Your Birthday

CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Basic Black, Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Moonlight DSP Stack, Champagne Glimmer

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, plus Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Coastal Cabana, and Daffodil Delight Blendabilities Markers

ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Decorative Dots embossing folder, Decorative Label Punch, Dazzling Details

Happy Mother's Day!

I am so excited that, for the first time in YEARS, I get to spend Mother's Day with my mom. Last July she moved down here to Southern Cali to be nearer her girls, so this is a great day to celebrate together! My two kids will be coming over today, along with Mom and my sister and brother-in-law, for BBQ chicken. The chicken has been marinating all night, the potato salad and deviled eggs are waiting in the fridge, the beer is in the cooler on ice, and everyone is bringing a side dish or dessert.

Today is a good day!

The only thing that didn't happen today was, I didn't get breakfast in bed! I waited and waited, until finally I had to get up to let the dog out to potty. Sheesh, sometimes I get no respect.

This was one of the cards we made in the Second Saturday Stampers Club yesterday, and I let everyone customize the greeting the way they wanted. I wanted to make it for Mom, so I pulled out Delightful Dozen (retiring) to use that greeting.

I hope you all are having a wonderful day today, whether you are a mother, want to be a mother, are a mother-like figure to someone, or have a mother yourself (heehee)! Blessing to you all!

STAMPS: Regarding Dahlias, Delightful Dozen
CARDSTOCK: Very Vanilla, Calypso Coral, Champagne Glimmer Paper, Venetian Romance DSP
INK: VersaMark, Basic Black, Calypso Coral
ACCESSORIES: White Stampin' Emboss Powder, Heat Tool, Sponge Daubers, Hexagon Punch (banner ends)

Bravo!

I promised to show you Shannon's card using all new products, and here it is! I've waited sooo long for Stampin' Up! to come out with their own alcohol markers, so obviously I was WAY excited when they announced last January that Blendabilities would be coming soon. May 1st was the first day we deomonstrators could preorder them, and you better believe I was all over it like syrup on a pancake!

I love to color, and Blendabilites make it so easy. You can color over and over the same spot, blending the ink, without wearing through the paper (unlike water-based ink markers). That makes it easy to add shadows and blend the edges. The markers come in sets of three of the specified color, a light, medium, and dark shade to make it easy to add shadow and depth to your images. When they are available to the public, they'll be $11.95 for the set of three, which is way less than three Copics!

Another fabulous thing about the alcohol ink is you can color your embellishments, like rhinestones, pearls, or metal embellies, and the ink stays put! Those lovely ruby-red rhinestones were colored with the darkest of the Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities.

So, let's see........on this card there are two new stamps (Blended Bloom and Bravo), the blossom was colored with Blendabilities (Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil Delight), the Designer Series Paper is Back to Black, and the ribbon is the Hello Honey 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon, which will be available in all the new In Colors.

So there you have a good sneak peek of fabulous things to come when the new catalog goes live on June 2nd. If you are a customer of mine and placed an order in the past year, you will be getting a catalog in the next two weeks or so. If you aren't a customer, and don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator of your own, I'd love to send you a catalog! Contact me and I'll take care of it.

STAMPS: Blended Bloom, Bravo
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Basic Black, Back to Black DSP
INK: Cherry Cobbler Classic Pad, Memento Tuxedo Black, Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil Delight Blendabilities
ACCESSORIES: Hello Honey 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon, Rhinestones Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals, Hexagon Punch (banner ends)

Carrie's Thank You

One of the stamp sets we were given at the Stampin' Up! Catalog Premiere was the new Ronald MacDonald House Charity stamp set. It's called Flamingo Lingo, and my pink-plastic-yard-flamingo-loving hubby is going to love it. It's so awesome that SU donates $3.00 from the sale of every RMHC stamp set to Ronald MacDonald House! Besides a flamingo, it has a cute flower the fits the Petite Petals Punch. LOVE it!

I did use a stamp from Work of Art for the left panel, as well as Gorgeous Grunge for the gold splattered background, and Lots of Thanks for the greeting. Wow, four stamp sets on one card!

This is the Thank You that I sent to Carrie Cudney for her presentation. She showed us how to put together a stamp pad that has come apart, and then she had a contest with Brian Pilling to see how many times they could take apart and put together their stamp pads in a set time. Needless to say, it was hysterically funny, and their hands were very inky when they were finished.

Tomorrow I'll show the card I made for Shannon West using ALL new products, including the Blended Bloom stamp, Back to Black DSP, Stitched Satin Ribbon, and the new Blendabilities alcohol ink markers! Oh. My. Heck. They are so easy to use, and the results are fabulous!

STAMPS: Flamingo Lingo, Work of Art, Gorgeous Grunge, Lots of Thanks
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Gold Foil Sheets
INK: Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Blackberry Bliss, Gold Metallic Encore
ACCESSORIES: Petite Petals Punch, Modern Label Punch, Decorative Label Punch

Fabulous Bonnie

Here's another thank you card for one of the presenters at last Monday's Stampin' Up! Catalog Premiere. This is for the fabulous Bonnie Thurber. She's such a delight, and always has us laughing!

The Work of Art stamp set was used on this one, too. I'm liking the ombre effect of inking up and stamping three or four times without re-inking. I lined up the edge of the wooden block with the edge of the cardstock, and then for each subsequent stmping, lined up with the cardstock and the middle of the previously stamped image. I could have used a Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, but eye-balling it worked pretty well.

Mr. Brown delivered a big box of pre-ordered goodies today, and I'm having a blast playing with new products! I'll post some projects made with new goodies soon. As soon as I can drag myself away long enough to quit playing and take some pics, haha! Have I mentioned how much I love my job?

STAMP: Work of Art, Million & One
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Gold Foil Sheets
INK: Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey (NEW IN COLORS!)
ACCESSORIES: Gold Sequin Trim

Big Sisters Rule!

And I'm not just saying that because I are one, heehee! I just think being firstborn has its advantages (as well as a few disadvantages). One of the big advantages is feeling so grown up when helping Mommy and Daddy with the new baby. Another is bossing your younger siblings around when they get older, not that I ever did anything like that. Ahem.

I made this card for the daughter of a friend who just had a baby. This little girl has been the center of the universe for a few years, and may have some adjusting to do, lol. So in addition to the "congrats on the new baby" card I sent the parents, I also sent her a card acknowledging her new role in the family.

Every little girl I know wants to be a princess, so I had to devise a crown for her card. I took a small bite out of a Gold Foil Sheet with the 1 3/4" Circle punch, and then a bigger bite (about halfway) with the largest of the Boho Blossoms Punch. All I had to do was trim the sides a bit and add some pearls and bling, and voilà - a princess crown!

Since I don't have any stamps that say 'big sister', I just printed it out on Whisper White cardstock, using the Algerian font which looks similar to the font used on the stamp.

STAMPS: You're Amazing
CARDSTOCK: Crisp Cantaloupe, Whisper White, Watercolor Wonder DSP, Gold Foil Sheets, Creped Filter Paper
INK: VersaMark, Calypso Coral
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, Pansy Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder, Heat Tool, Stamping Sponges, Rhinestones Basic Jewels, Pearls Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals, gold brads

Freaky Mish-Mash

Welcome to the February 2014 Tour de Freaks! Our theme this month is "Mish-Mash", meaning we can do whatever we like! Which is right up my alley, because I like doing whatever the heck I want! It's the non-conformist creative person inside me showing through, heh heh.

I'm the first stop on the tour this month, but you may have just landed here from Judy DiScipio's blog. Weren't her projects great? There are eleven blogs linked and you can take the tour by clicking on the "next stop" button at the bottom of each blog.

My projects this month are from the All Occasions Class we just had. My idea was to create a bunch of different cards (without any greetings on them) to have available for any occasion that might pop up. Then all we'd have to do is add the appropriately themed greeting and get it right in the mail the same day! So you will see the "blank" card, and then one with a greeting added.

First up is something that could work as a masculine or a feminine card. The card uses Summer Silhouettes for the basic card, with a greeting from Perfect Pennants added on the second card.

STAMPS: Summer Silhouettes, Perfect Pennants  CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Cajun Craze, Retro Fresh DSP  INK: So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, Baked Brown Sugar, Cajun Craze  ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Banners Collection Framelits, Gold Baker's Twine

Next up is a decidedly feminine card with flowers and butterflies. The basic card doesn't even use any stamps! The second card uses Perfect Pennants again for the greeting. This one is going to someone very special to let them know I'm thinking of them.

STAMP: Perfect Pennants  CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Island Indigo, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Gingham Garden DSP  INK: Island Indigo  ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Apothecary Accents Dies, Fancy Fan folder, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Pearls Basic Jewels

Up last, is another card that would work for a man or woman. I'm giving it to a family member (who shall remain nameless) whose birthday is coming up real soon!

STAMPS: Flowering Flourishes, Delightful Dozen  CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Gingham Garden DSP  INK: Old Olive, Basic Black  ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Circle Card Thinlits, Modern Label Punch, Brights Designer Buttons, Brights Candy Dots

Yes, I realize the colors are different. I didn't have enough of the same style buttons!

Did you like the before and after ideas? I hope so! Having a ready-to-mail supply of any occasion cards is a good thing.

That's all for me this month. Next up is LeeAnn Greff's blog. Thanks for taking the tour this month. I hope you come back soon!