Yay!!!!!

I am so excited! I was wandering around the Stampin' Up demonstrator web site, and I saw one of my submissions on there!!!!!!! Woohoo!!!! This is really huge for me! It's my first time being 'published' so to speak, and I am just thrilled!

This is a picture of the set that I submitted for ideas. I hope you like it!
This was made primarily with the Snow Swirled set, and also the Merry Christmas from Many Merry Messages. All 3 cards were basically made with Basic Black, Very Vanilla, and Gold Shimmer paper, and I used Versamark and Gold, Silver, and Black embossing powders. I used small rhinestone brads on one of the trees.

He brought a flower!

my favorite little stinker has returned! This little guy has done some traveling (inside story!) and has returned to wish someone well.
I used another paper from last year, but again, you can use any patterned paper you like.

You may notice this layout is very similar to my Cup with a friend card I posted earlier. This just shows how you can take a basic layout to get you started, and apply it to any style card you want.

I stamped the skunk from Pun Fun in black StazOn and watercolored him. I then matted him in pink, then used a strip of patterned paper matted in white and tied pink stitched grosgrain ribbon around the piece, and adhered it to the card. Lastly, I stamped the get well sentiment from Curvy Verses in Black.
I'm sure this cutie with his sweet flower would make anyone feel better!

Sorry about the fuzzy picture, I had already packaged this card up and sealed it before I realized I didn't have a picture of it. The white around the outside is actually the envelope behind it.

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have a cup with a friend

I used some Chocolate Chip patterned paper from last year for this card, but I know there are lots of ways you can get the same look with polka dots, or whatever kind of patterned paper you like! Its just a simple piece along the bottom half of the Naturals cardbase, with a strip of brown along the middle. I stamped the sentiment from the Best Yet hostess set in Chocolate Chip ink, and the coffee cup from the Pun Fun set and colored it with the watercolor technique. For this technique, the best ink to stamp with is StazOn. I used the Black StazOn for this image. Just for fun, I added some glitter for the inside of the coffee cup and in the steam. It really adds that extra little something!

A nice little card I am sure your friends would love to receive!

Of Colored Pencils and Dragonflies

I was inspired by my other card that I made last week when I made this one. I really LOVE the look of colored pencils on the colored paper! Its such an easy technique, but looks so wonderful!
I basically stamped the images from Organic Grace hostess set in black ink, then colored them with colored pencils! Then I stamped a verse from the Gods Blessings set.
You should give this technique a try!


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Hello everyone! Hope all is well! Unfortunately, my poor little girl has been very sick the last few days. She is improving today, which makes me super happy! But of course since she needed her mommy, I spent most of my time with her, and didn't get much chance to do much else. So this week has been slim on the papercrafting side of life. I was able to do a few things last night after she was finally able to fall asleep, but i mostly worked on things for the rapidly approaching craft bazaar. I am actually getting close to being somewhat ready for that! I think I have all the projects in mind that I want to have for it, so that part is taken care of, and they are all in various stages of completion, so I have at least begun all of them.

Today's card is one I actually did last week, and wanted to adjust the picture a little bit, but I just don't have the time today, and wanted to get it posted so I would have something. So if you forgive the poor quality of the picture, here is today's card!
I used Almost Amethyst, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White cardstock, Snow Swirled, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, and Many Merry Messages stamps, Almost Amethyst, Bashful Blue inks, silver brads, and the ticket corner punch.

Ok, housework is calling!

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Fastest Card I've ever made!

This card was made in under 5 minutes. It was for our music director at the church for Pastor Appreciation Month! We were headed out the door to go to practice, and I remembered at the last minute I needed a card for him. I just happened to have a couple stamps already out, like Canvas Background and the Organic Grace hostess set. I grabbed a piece of Bordering Blue cardstock and stamped the Canvas stamp in Bordering Blue.
I then stamped the leaves and dragonfly in Night of Navy, added a brown strip, and made the sentiment piece. I stamped the thank you sentiment from God's Blessings on Very Vanilla paper in Night of Navy ink, then inked the dragonfly again in Night of Navy and stamped it off once, then on the piece. I matted it with an old piece of brown from my scrap pile, then put in silver eyelets with my crop-a-dile. I put it on dimensionals, took a quick picture of it, and ran out the door! I had to sign it on the way there. My husband is funny. Since he is a guy and doesn't understand the obsession that is papercrafting, when I showed this to him, I asked what he thought. He took a look for a couple seconds, then says: "Did you just put a bunch of stamps all over a card?" LOL! Well, I sort of did! In his defense, I don't think he meant it in a bad way. But I know that the recipient will like it! I left it on his desk and don't know if he has seen it yet.

Ok, everyone, hope you all have a wonderful day!


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You can do this!

If you can color a picture, you can make this card! I used the Big on Christmas set and stamped in Basic Black Classic ink on Whisper White. Then I stamped a piece of Certainly Celery with Polka Dot background stamp in Certainly Celery ink. Then I colored the image using a watercolor technique, but you can use colored pencils! Then I matted the image with Garden green, punched 2 small holes with the 1/16 circle punch and threaded silver chording through it and tied it in a bow. I put dimensionals behind the image block, and assembled the card on a Real Red cardbase. I used some glue and added glitter to the tree for some sparkle!

This would even be a great card for kids to help make! You can stamp the image, they can color and assemble it! What grandparent wouldn't love to get a card made by the little ones!

Have a great day!

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Featured Product of the Month:

Stamp-a-ma-jig

I just got one of these, and let me tell you, I don't know how I ever did without it! It is a very easy to use stamp positioner that helps you make a straight stamp every time! It comes with a T-shaped positioner and an imaging sheet.

You basically place the imaging sheet in the crook of the positioner, then ink your stamp and stamp the image on to the imaging sheet using the positioner as a guide. Then you would like up the imaging sheet where you want to stamp your image, then put the positioner against the imaging sheet, remove the sheet, then stamp your image again using the positioner as the guide. Your images will be right where you want them!
I have only had mine two weeks, and have used it on almost every card I have made, and plan on using it over and over again. If you are looking to move up a notch in your cardmaking, you should have one of these in your toolbox! I give it two thumbs up!

The Stamp-a-ma-jig is on page 194 of the Fall-Winter Catalog and is $11.95.



Bright Ideas!

What's Cookin'?
Use your stamping or scrapbooking supplies to make recipe cards, the box to put them in, or an entire recipe book! Handmade recipe books also make wonderful gifts!

"Water" you waiting for?
Use a watercolor brush or Aqua Painter and any Classic inkpad to make lovely watercolored images! Squeeze the inkpad while closed until there is a pool of ink on the inside of the lid, then use a wet brush to pick up the ink like you would with watercolor paint, and start creating! You can also use re-inkers for more options.

If the Shoe Fits...
Shoe boxes are a great way to inexpensively store your handmade cards. The standard size card fit wonderfully in most standard size shoe boxes, and they are FREE! (not including the cost of the shoes, of course!) You can easily decorate the outsides to your hearts desire, and you can make your own dividers to organize your cards by occasion! It's also a great way to recycle!

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V.I.P.!

V.I.P.!
Very-Inspiring-Papercrafter!
Those of you who received my newsletters before I started a blog might remember my VIP section where I would highlight the work of my customers, family and friends! This one was made by my wonderful mother! She did a great job, didn't she! I really like the vibrant colors on this card! It uses the Happy Blessings set from the Holiday Mini Catalog and the Sanded background stamp. What a great card!

If anyone has a card or project they would like to send me, email me a picture or scan of it, and you could be my next V.I.P.!

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Send some snow in the mail!

This is one of the cards we made at the Fantastic Fall/Wonderful Winter class. This little penguin comes to us from the Wild About You set. He looks right at home in this snow, doesn't he? He has stopped by to say thanks! This card is a christmas/winter thank you card. Its another easy and FAST card to make. Start with a bashful blue cardbase, stamp the background snow with the large spatter stamp from Itty Bitty Backgrounds in craft white. Then tear a strip of whisper white and layer on the bottom of card. Stamp the thank you sentiment from Curvy Verses in Ballet Blue. Then run the tombow glue along the torn portion of the white and pour Dazzling Diamonds for some sparkle! set aside and let dry. In the meantime, stamp cute little penguin in basic black and cut out the image. put dimensionals on his back and place him on the card. Who wouldn't love to get a little bit of the south pole in the mail?

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Happy Blessings

I have been posting mostly easy/beginner level cards so far, and thought I would add one that would be more of an intermediate level. This was the first card I made when my Happy Blessings set arrived a few weeks ago! This set comes from the Holiday Mini catalog, and it is so cute! I just love the little scarecrow! But for this card, I used the pumpkins and wheat image. I began by stamping the image on Very Vanilla in Creamy Caramel. I then colored the image with the watercolor technique in varying colors, mostly from the Earth Elements set. I then used the splatter stamp from Itty Bitty Backgrounds stamped off once with Creamy Caramel ink. I also used my sponge daubers with Creamy Caramel to age the paper a bit. I then distressed the edges with my scissors. I put that on an Old Olive mat. On a strip of Creamy Caramel cardstock, I stamped the Canvas background stamp in Creamy Caramel. I matted that strip with elegant Eggplant. On the Pumpkin Pie cardbase, I stamped the Sanded background stamp in Pumpkin Pie ink. I then adhered the pieces, then punched two pieces from the Word Window punch in Elegant Eggplant, trimmed them down to fit, poked a hole on one side of each, and placed an antique gold brad in them, then adhered them to the card. Lastly, I used the sentiment from the Happy Blessings set in Elegant Eggplant to finish off the card!

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Let it Snow!

Well, we had a bit of snow here last Friday! That was surprising! Although it was ok with me, cause I love snow! We didn't have quite enough snow to make a snowman, but I can always make one on a card! I used the Big on Christmas set! Another easy one! (sorry about the terrible picture, though!) Just stamp the image with Staz On, use the watercolor technique to highlight the image with some bashful Blue, Basic Gray, Only Orange, Real Red and Garden Green. Stamp some snowflakes from the Snow Burst set in a random diagonal pattern on a Whisper White panel in Bashful Blue, add a strip of Bashful Blue cardstock with a silver chord and put it all on a Bashful Blue cardbase! You can't see it, but I added a little bit of Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the holly and leaf in his hat. He sure is cute! Let it snow, anytime!
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Someone's at the door.....

Yay!! I got new stamps! It's always so exciting when UPS comes and rings my doorbell! I got the Holidays and Wishes set, and the Party Hearty set! I can't wait to use them! I had gotten a few things that totaled over $20 and was able to get the Party Hearty set at a 20% discount! This Birthday promotion that is going on right now is great! I always say that if you were to only have one stamp set, you need to get one either Birthday or Christmas themed! The Party Hearty set is really cute and is very versatile!

I also got my very first spool of Stampin' Up ribbon, the 5/8 Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon......I love it and haven't even used it on a card yet! It's very soft and feels so nice....now I need to design a card so I can use it asap! I love the fact that all of Stampin Up's products color coordinate. It really takes so much guess work out of the creative process!

I am looking forward to this Saturday's Fantastic Fall-Wonderful Winter class! We are making some fun projects, but I can't wait for the attendees to see the absolutely adorable card we are making for Thanksgiving! When I saw the idea, I was head over heels for it! And I am just beside myself with excitement to show it to the class! There is still room if you want to come!

I have been pretty busy with lots of little things (and several big things!) so I haven't been able to add much to my blog, but I should be adding some new stuff by next week. I already have a card ready to upload, but I just have to get to it and type it up!

Hope everyone is having a good week!



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Stinkin' Sweet!

Don't you just love this little skunk! He is just adorable! This is a VERY simple card that would be very easy to duplicate.
I started with a Pale Plum cardbase stamped in Versamark with the Fast Flowers wheel. Then I added a strip of Rose Red and Certainly Celery, with Black Gingham ribbon tied around it. I then stamped the sweet little skunk from the Pun Fun set in Staz On black, colored him with my blender pen and Stampin' Pastels, matted the image with Basic Black cardstock, placed Dimensionals on the back, and placed him a little askew, just for personality. For the last step, I stamped the thank you stamp from Curvy Verses in black.
This little guy is now ready to deliver that flower to the person you wish to thank!

A word from me

Well, I thought I had enough blog entries about business.....or should I call it pleasure? after all, the subject of stamping never seems like business! But as I was saying, I had so many entries about business, I should add one on a more personal level! So here it is!

I came to a conclusion today. I cannot be at my fullest creative potential unless I have my music playing in the background. Am I alone in that? or does any body else out there feel the same way? I also decided that if I had a day where I could just wake up and head to my scrap table and make stuff until it was time to go to sleep, I would be just fine with that. Oh stamping, what is this spell you have cast over me!

I am worn out tonight! I had to do some serious cleaning and rearranging of my 5 year old daughters room. She has a zillion stuffed animals, and of course she is attached to each in varying degrees. While she was away at kindergarten, I had the awful task of deciding which ones get to stay and which ones get to find new homes. That is a tough thing for a mother to do. But I have to say that I am proud of myself, for I was able to rid that room of 3 boxes of stuff animals and one box of misc. toys! hooray! I also took today to do my laundry and most of my major house cleaning. So unfortunately, I didn't get to stamp at all today, BUT! I told myself if I got it done today, I can take tomorrow to just stamp, stamp, stamp! Tomorrow can't come fast enough!

I will be posting more cards soon....we had an issue with our camera and it's at the camera doctor, so when I get it back, I will post one asap.

Ok, I have one more load of laundry to dry then I'm all done! Off I go!