Hi Stampers!
It's been a long time, I know, but I've recently stamped a few projects and documented them with photos so I thought I'd throw them up here and give the blog another whirl!

There is no editing, no watermark, no cropping, just the photo as I uploaded it from my camera!  I copied this card from Stamping With Brian- I'm not sure where I found the link.  He did this card as a single layer- very talented and stunning.  I used many layers and I'm just as pleased with the results.  I thought it would make a nice father's day card or an all around card for anyone.
I used World Map background stamp and Chalk Talk stamp set.  The colors are the new moss green and night of Navy.  I sponged and used the marker to outline the map.  There you go!

Thanks for stopping by!

A little box of cards

Hi Stampers!
I've been in the mini card mode with my ornament stamps.  Have a look:

This variety shows how the stamp set and bundle are so easy to use apart and together!  The red card on the left is stamped and decorated- I used some snow from last years holiday mini, a Stampin' Write marker for the bows and a rhinestone.  The black card in the middle uses some retired dsp, a wire hook, some retired green glitter (set with heat and stick powder), and I used the framelit to cut out the ornament.  The green card uses the leftover cardstock after punching out an ornament with the framelit.  I used silver encore ink (retired) and some organdy ribbon from the scrapbin.  I love using up small scraps of cardstock, trims, etc to use for these 3x3 cards!  I made a small black box to put an assortment of cards in for a gift for someone to enjoy.
Thanks for stopping by!

Hi Stampers!
I've been working diligently sporatically on my Christmas cards and I've been left with quite a few tag size pieces of white card stock.  I'm not one to focus on one boring task for too long if I can be distracted so this is what I did:

These little tags were quite simple, just a run through the ol' Big Shot with my little Finishing Touches dielit thingy, a word stamp, some retired ribbons, nice cello bag, topper stamped with white stazon ink, and the grand finale- my new snowflake die and rhinestone.  This is such a nice little hostess gift for all the parties and get togethers this month- make a few and have them ready!
AND get back to your Christmas cards...
Come back this week to see my other distractions!

Christmas starts NOW!

Hi Stampers!
Most of you have been stamping christmas items since September- or maybe July.  As you know I didn't start stamping again until November so I'm just a little behind.  I have started my Christmas cards, and those of you who know me know that they have a million steps for a card made in bulk, so I do a little every day and hope they will be finished on time to send before Christmas.  I do get them done every year.
In the meantime I have been stamping other projects.  My husband asked for a couple of cards for work associates so here is what I came up with:

I love the beautiful ornaments in this Ornament Keepsakes bundle.  I say bundle because it is so awesome to be able to cleanly cut the ornaments out with the Framelits on the Bigshot.  I used the Flurry embossing folder to give texture to the white on white background and I used some snowflake glittery stuff from last years holiday catalog.  The silver cord is also a retired item but I like the way the silver works with the cool colors of blue and green (Island Indigo and Lucky Limeade).  To get the bows in the right place I punched holds right behind the top of the ornaments and fed the cord through the holes.  Some dimensionals and rhinestones finished this project off.
Thanks for stopping by!

Good bye

Hi Stampers-
I've been doing a lot of Christmas stamping lately but before I'm ready to hit the holiday season I wanted to show one last card.  My neighbor passed away recently.  We weren't close, just neighborly for 23 years.  Good neighbors.  We moved up the street a couple years ago so we didn't see each other often and I never realized she was even sick.  But my heart was heavy when I heard the news and I thought of the many kindnesses she showed our family as a neighbor.  My daughter was born just after we had moved to the house, right before Christmas.  She showed up at the door with a Christmas gift for my daughter, pjs,- the first time we had met.  She continued the tradition with both my girls, giving them matching pjs every year until they were almost teens.  I reciprocated when she had grandchildren by letting them come pick pumpkins in my pumpkin patch and sharing our 4th of July sparklers.
I made this card for her husband.  I don't know exactly the right words to say inside it, but the process of making the card and thinking of my neighbor made me feel close to her memory.  Goodbye Dear Neighbor.
Thanks for stopping by-

Birthday case

Hi Stampers!

Online Extravaganza
November 19th-28th, 2012
Up to 50% Off! 

• There's no minimum purchase required to participate in this promotion. Sale on!
• For product bundles, you need to use the bundle item numbers provided. If you use individual item numbers, you won't get the discount--bummer. 

Here is the PDF with the required order numbers so you can get your wish list ready!

There are some one day items only so make sure you check those dates!

Do you know the best place to get stamping ideas?  For me it is the Stampin' Up! Catalog!  I don't always use a card layout exactly as it is but I will often search the samples for ideas on how to dress up a card that I'm working on- what could I add that would give it just a little "wow" factor.  This card, however, I cased the layout- see page 83 and you will see the card.  I changed the stamp sets to use what I had- Summer silhouettes, Elements of Style (background), and Curly Cute (words).  I really like the way the "trellis" stamp looks stamped with white stazon ink in the background.  It adds a subtle, textural element that pleases me, especially with the flourish stamped on top, like a vine climbing a trellis.  Okay, so maybe not but that's what it is in my world ;O).
I didn't have a template to punch around the edge of the framelit so I freehanded it.  The spacing is a bit closer than the template I used for the background edge punch but I'm okay with that.  I give you permission to freehand any time you like as well.  Isn't that freeing?  Go for it!
Have a great day!

Bug me

Hi Stampers!
I just love this Bug me stamp set!

Are the boots not just the most adorable things ever?  For this card I used Wild Wasabi and Certainly Celery with a highlight of Real Red.  I think the balance is enough that I don't think it comes off as Christmasy as it could!  The only thing really trick on this card is the button, and no, I did not use my Big Shot and embosslit.  To make the button I simple punched three 3/4" circles out, punched to thread holes, glued them together and added a coat of Crystal Effects to the top to make it shiny.  The hardest thing about Crystal effects is waiting for it to dry.  I'm not patient enough so I stick my finger in it to check and make a little blob- so if you use crystal effects please be patient!  I put a little baker's twine on the button to finish it off.  Very Cute!
Thanks for stopping by!
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Another Reason to Smile

Hi Stampers!
Here is another card make with the Reason to Smile Stamp set (this month's special).  You can check out the special HERE!

This is a very soft color palate using Bashful Blue, Baja Blue, So Safron, and Basic Black.  This is a very quick Clean and Simple (CAS) card for when you are in a hurry!
Thanks for stopping by!

Gift box

Hi Stampers!
I'm on the road so posts will be sporadic over the next couple of weeks, please bear with me.  Today's post is a project I made for a hostess gift.  You can see I make a  lot of cards, cards make a nice gift (who doesn't use cards?  If you don't, you should!  It makes EVERYONE'S day to receive a card in the mail that is not a bill!).  I made a box that holds 10 cards with envelopes- here it is:

Please excuse the photo quality- I'm using my daughter's MAC, which I know has terrific editing capabilities, but is only as smart as it's user, me, and I don't know how to use it!
The box measures 4 3/4 x 6 x 1 1/4".  To make it I cut the bottom Piece of Close to Cocoa card stock (retired) at 7 1/4 x 8 1/2" then scored all the way around at 1 1/4" with my Simply Scored tool.  I did the same for the top using a retired DSP on cutting it 1/8" larger to begin with.  The ribbon is also a retired product, to cute to not use.
Thanks for stopping by!

Reason to smile

Hi Stampers!
Today I'm making a cute card using the Reason to Smile stamp set.  Reason to Smile is this month's special- you can purchase this stamp set for only $5 with any $50 purchase!  That is a reason to smile!  If you want to take advantage of this opportunity you can click HERE!
Here is the card:

I used my color tool to select a palate of Perfect Plum card stock and ink, Rose Red card stock and ink, Garden green ink, and Whisper White card stock and ribbon.  This is a quick and easy card!
Thanks for stopping by!

Mish Mash

Hi Stampers!
Today I'm posting a card that I made to use a couple of different techniques.  First, I had the sewing machine out for a project that I was working on and wanted to try gather DSP using actual stitches.  I'm not in love with this so I will probably never do it again (never say never).  I just ran a row of very loose stitches up the middle of a strip of DSP and then gently gathered.

It gave a rumply ribbon type look.  The next thing I did was "suede" technique on the blue scallop circle punch.  To do this you crumple up your card stock and smooth it out several times.  If you have the crimper you can run it through that several times as well.  When you think you are crazy, rub it over the edge of the table several times.  What this eventually does is break down all the fibers in the card stock and you can pull it apart into 2 pieces that are very soft and sueded.  Is sueded not a word?  My spell checker does not like it but I'm keeping it.
I used Creative Elements stamp set, Midnight Muse and the new Raspberry card stock, Midnight Muse and Basic Black ink pad, Versamark ink pad, Scallop circle punch and 1 1/4" circle punch, an embossing folder, and Teeny Tiny wishes.
Thanks for stopping by!
Shop 24/7 by clicking HERE!http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/default.aspx

Cute Bunny

Hi Stampers,
Just a quick note to let you know I'm thinking of you today!

This is a 2 x 2" notecard, Crumbcake and Whisper White card stock, Pool Party Bakers twine, stamped with Jet Black Stazon ink and watercolered with aquapainters, Pool Party, So Safron, Certainly Celery, and Crumb Cake ink. 
Oh yes, the stamp set is the new Storybook Friends!
Thanks for stopping by!

Quilting toward the 4th

Hi Stampers!
Handstamped sentiments  (#123) has a challenge this week that works perfectly with a card I wanted to make so I'll send this over to them after I post it here.  It is inspired by the season (if you can call the 4th of July a season) (and yes, I do, actually) and it kind of goes back to my pillow post.  I haven't actually made said pillows as of yet, but I did tear some ideas out of a magazine.  Maybe next year I'll get to making pillows.

The Challenge is inspired by quilting so I pieced together a sort of star using 1" squares (and triangles cut from same squares) to make a traditional pattern.  The hardest thing about assembling a card like this, and I've noticed this in the past as well, is getting it all square so here is a little tip.  Use your grid paper.  You know the grid paper (#102787) you use as scratch paper to stamp on?  I put my snail on that and laid my squares down on that then trimmed the edges away, voila!  I used the new Midnight Muse card stock with Real Red and Whisper White cardstock.  The buttons are from the Sweet buttons embosslit, and the only stamping is with, wait for it, Teeny Tiny wishes. Can you believe it?  I think it's been a week since I pulled out this old trusty stamp set!  Some dimensionals add depth and there you go.  Happy 4th.
Thanks for stopping by!
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Channeling the white

Hi Stampers!
Today I used my White pad.  I have to confess- I had my craft white pad on hand and was too lazy to dig my Stazon white pad out of the drawer.  The difference is that the Stazon would dry much faster and is useful on more mediums, so an all around better pad, but I went with what I had on hand.  Here is my card:

I took the photo at this unusual angle so you could see the white flowers (in my world Queen Ann's lace is white)(and that's what I'm calling this flower, so there!).  I also used white on the Gumball Green background, and again on the Rose Red "belly band".  The stamp set is a new one called Summer Silhouettes (w #126445, c #126447).  I used Gumball Green ink and card stock, Rose Red ink and card stock, Bashful Blue and Whisper White card stock, and Basic black in with my lovely new words- Made for you!
Thanks for stopping by!
Shop 24/7 by clicking here!