Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Hi All,

This is the second card we made at my Holiday workshop and boy, it's a doozy!  I saw it and knew immediately it would be a show stopper.  It's a scene right out of a story book.

My card was inspired by this one on Pinterest: Christmas Postcard.  Truly Amazing!  I wish I had the link of the creator, but I couldn't find it :(  If you are she or you know who made this, please do share. Would love to give Kudos!  In the meantime, this card has a portfolio of awesomeness.

Holiday Home is the star of the show.  It's images include: the houses, the lamp post, the stars and Santa.  This stamp set also has Framelits Dies that coordinate to make cutting these houses super easy.  They can be bundled together and if you're getting one, you should definitely get the other. This set is so versatile and can be used for many other holidays or seasons.  It's a Must-Have in my book.  Below are the images you get with this set:

Holiday Home Photopolymer Bundle: Item 137631  $31.95

The background was created using the Post Card stamp and the Sunburst from the Kinda Ececletic stamp set.  The snow was added to the houses with Liquid Applique.  You dab it on and heat set it.  As it heats, it puffs. So perfect for snow and you can find it at any craft store.

Post Card: Clear 130369 $13.95 / Wood 130366 $17.95

Kinda Eclectic: Clear 135350 $19.95 / Wood 135347 $27.95

If you'd like to add any of these products to your collection, pop me an email or click on the 'Order Online' icon in the top right-hand corner.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps: Holiday Home, Post Card, Kinda Eclectic, Postage Stamp and Priority Mail
Paper: Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Basic Black and Whisper White Cardstock
Ink: Baked Brown Sugar & Pool Party Classic Pads; Black Staz-On; Whisper White Craft Pad
Accessories: Homemade Holiday Framelits Dies, Postage Stamp Punch, Liquid Applique and a Heating Tool

Ornamental Pine

Hi All,

For my last workshop of the year, I held a Holiday workshop at the end of November.  I found quite a few cards on Pinterest this year that spurred me to purchase a few new Holiday stamp sets.  This was one of them that we used at the workshop:  Ornamental Pine

 
I was inspired by this card from Deb over at ARTfelt Impressions.  I loved the rustic feel...and the snow effect was simply amazing.  I just had to recreate!  Although I kept the same basic design, I switched up the finishing touches.  I added some Washi Tape for a pop of color and a simple sentiment.  The Washi Tape was a bit too wide, so I cut it in half lengthwise.  Worked perfectly!

The front panel was cut using Oval Nestabilities and popped up with pop dots.  The pine needles were stamped on the background and the pine cone was cut out and adhered to the branch.  It adds even more dimension to the card.

I love how this turned out and it makes me wish I was holed up in a cabin for the holidays. We don't get snow here in sunny Phoenix, so this is the closest I get unless I'm going north to Flagstaff.  Hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did.  If you'd like to add any of these products to your collection, pop me an email or click on the 'Order Online' icon in the top right-hand corner. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Ornamental Pine: Clear 135107 $18.95 / Wood 135104  $25.95

Stamps: Ornamental Pine & Itty Bitty Backgrounds
Paper: Crumb Cake and Soft Suede Cardstock
Ink: Chocolate Chip (Sentiment) & Early Espresso (Pinecone) Classic Pads; Whisper White Craft Pad
Accessories: Garden Green & Chocolate Chip Markers, Oval Nestabilities, Season of Style Washi Tape, Sponge and Pop Dots/Dimensionals

Holiday Swap '14

Hi All,

Earlier this month, I got together with the girls and we had our 2nd Annual Holiday Card Swap. Each designed their own card and brought all of the supplies for the rest of us.  I am always amazed at everyone's creativity...and it's so much fun to sit down and actually make cards I haven't designed :)

Below are the cards that my uber talented girls came up with:

This card was a partnership between Gina and Lana.  Gina designed and Lana cut.  {I sure wish I had cutting help each month ;}  I had always wanted to try one of these trees, so I was super excited to see that we were going to be doing one together.  It is surprisingly easy and is just 1/2 of a scalloped circle folded to create the different branches.  Here's a quick tutorial if you'd like to try it out: Folded Tree Techinique.  I also *love* the Lucky Stars Embossing folder used for the background.  Most of these products are in the Holiday Mini and are only available till January 5th.

Trim the Tree DSP Stack: 135824  $6.95

Lucky Stars Textured Embossing Folder: 135817  $7.95

Paper: Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White Cardstock; Trim the Tree DSP Stack

Accessories: Lucky Stars Embossing Folder, Large Scalloped Circle Die, Cherry Cobbler 1" Sheer Linen Ribbon, Old Olive Baker's Twine and 1/8" Mini Brads.

This card was another partnership between Gina and Lana.  Gina designed this beauty of a card.  The first thing I noticed were the beautiful blue hues.  They are just gorgeous.  She used a Masking technique to create  the moon.  This was also something that I hadn't really done before.  I found a great tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers if you'd like to give it a try: Masking Technique.  This focal image is mounted on the Northern Flurry Embossed background, but you could also cut this circle out and place the focal image on the inside of the card so it shows through the front.  Either way, it makes a beautiful card!  

Lovely as a Tree: 127793 Clear $19.95 / 128655 Wood $27.95

Northern Flurry Embossing Folder: 120902  $7.95

Stamp: Lovely as a Tree

Ink: Marina Mist and Not Quite Navy Classic Pads; Black StazOn

Accessories: Sponge, Post-It Notes, Northern Flurry Embossing Folder, Circle Nestabilites, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

This is yet another card from Gina.  She is a fellow SU! Demonstrator and made these as card fronts for a swap.  She made more than she needed, so she brought them for us.  I believe, all in all, she made 25 of these.  That's a ton of work and many kudos to her!  All we had to do was pick one out and mount it on some cardstock.  All of these products can be found in the Holiday Mini and are only available till January 5th.  White Christmas is a super popular stamp set and these Snowflake Frosted Sequins were a Must-Have for my collection.

All is Calm DSP: 135823  $12.95

Frosted Sequins: 135835  $4.95

White Christmas: 135767  $15.95

Paper & Ink: Lost Lagoon Cardstock & Classic Pad
Accessories: Apothecary Accents Framelits, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Red & Yellow Markers, Sponge

This cute little card was designed by Mary Beth.  She created a central focal image by embossing the top 1/3 edge of the cardstock and turning to emboss the other 1/3 of the edge of the cardstock.  Such a simple technique with a lot of punch. I adore snowflakes and snowmen, so this card was right up my alley.    

My final card was designed by Linda.  She took this simple tree die cut and blinged it up to create an Easel Card.  Another technique I had not done before.  The card can be mailed flat, but when opened, the gifts at the bottom are 3 Dimensional and act as a base for the tree fold.  She also shared another trick with us.  The punch under the sentiment was cut out twice in two colors: white and green.  Since these are both the same size, she cut the green one in half and adhered each half to the edge of the white sentiment.  This gives the affect of a layer.  So Clever!

We had such a great time and we all came away with such great ideas.  It's so fun to share and I'm so thankful to have these ladies to share with.  Can't wait to create again in 2015! Hopefully you are inspired to try something new as well!

Truly Grateful

Hi All,

I'm a bit behind on my posts...so before I share my Christmas cards, I should definitely get caught up on Thanksgiving.  I'm not sure where the time goes between holidays, but I think it speeds up double time...lol!

This card is straight from the annual catalog (pge 153).

I loved how they used the stamp image from the Truly Grateful stamp set to create the print on the leaf.  So clever...and what a cool effect.  The leaves used on the card are from the Autumn Accents Bigz Die.  It has five leaves of different sizes and shapes.  From there, it's just lots of layers: burlap, lace, DSP and an embossed background. The original card used the Crushed Curry Chevron Ribbon {super cute} instead of the lace, but I mistakenly ordered the Crushed Curry Striped Ribbon and it was a bit too busy to add.  **lesson learned, double check your Items before you confirm your order**  Ha Ha!

There is definitely more going on with this card than I normally would do, but it all works together pretty nicely.  If you have a love of leaves {as I do}, the Autumn Accents Bigz Die is a must have.  If you'd like to add them to your collection, pop me an email or click on the 'Order Online' icon in the top right hand corner.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Autumn Accents Bigz Die: 127812  $21.95

Truly Grateful: Clear 131733  $19.95 / Wood 131730  $27.95

Stamps: Truly Grateful

Paper: Crushed Curry, Baked Brown Sugar, Old Olive and Very Vanilla Cardstock; Newsprint DSP

Ink: Chocolate Chip & Baked Brown Sugar (Sponged on Edges) Classic Pads

Accessories: Autumn Accents Bigz Die, Ticket Corner Punch, Burlap Ribbon, Victoria Lace, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Antique Brads, Crushed Curry Maker, Sponge, Glue Dots and Pop Dots/Dimensionals

Halloween Night

Hi All,

I hope everyone had a fun & safe Halloween night!  It was nice that it was a Friday this year and we didn't have to worry about school or work the next day.  We did have a community yard sale Saturday morning...and I think that may have been affected a bit by Halloween the night before, but we did alright, so I was OK with it.  The hubby got the garage cleaned out a bit, so it was a Win-Win.

The card I have for you today uses the Holiday Home stamp set and the Homemade Holiday Framelits Dies.  I got my inspiration from this card by Nichole Heady: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/247416573254535590/.

I fell in love with this Polaroid Die Cut.  So cute and can be used in so many different ways!  I got lucky to find this fabulous orange chevron print in the Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP.  Perfect for Halloween!  I die cut the polaroid and laid it on the card to stamp the light post, tree and bats behind it.  I then popped it up to give it some dimension with the background.  The house was embossed with white embossing powder on black cardstock.  To finish it off, I added some Yellow Stickles to the lamp post and some Silver Stickles to the bats and windows.  Absolutely love it!

Stampin Up makes a Die Cut similar to this one in the On Film Framelits set.  It comes with a few more dies in addition to the polaroid die:

Item ID: 132969 $29.95

The Holiday Home stamp set is a photopolymer set, which means it is totally clear. It was designed to pair up with the Homemade Holiday Framelits Dies.  They can be purchased separately or together. If you bundle them together, you receive a 15% Discount.

Bundle: Holiday Home Stamps/Homemade Holiday Framelits 137631  $31.95

Holiday Home Photopolymer Stamp: 135095  $15.95

Homemade Holiday Framelits Dies: 135857  $21.95

Good Greetings: Clear Mount 135017  $17.00  Wood Mount 135014 $22.00

These houses can be used for all seasons of the year and would also be great for New Home or Welcome Home cards.  So versatile.  If you'd like to add any of these products to your collection, click the 'Order Online' icon in the top right-hand corner or pop me an email.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamp: Holiday Home and Good Greetings

Paper: Very Vanilla and Basic Black Cardstock; Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP (Retired)

Ink: Staz-On Black Pad; Versamark Pad

Accessories: Homemade Holiday Framelits Die, On Film Die (or Instant Photo 2 Die), White Embossing Powder, Yellow Stickles, Silver Stickles, Black Baker's Twine and Dimensionals

Kinda Eclectic

Hi All,

Hope your weekend is coming to an end on a high note!  It has been pretty relaxing over here...although, I probably should have been in my craft room ;)  I took a class and started a new project that I've been trying to finish up over the past couple of weeks. I've been waiting patiently for my new supplies to trickle in.  I hope to be able to share soon.  **So excited**

I've had this card for you today, for a while now.  We made it at my August workshop.  I was inspired by this card by Tracy May: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/247416573254829972/.  I kept her design but switched up the colors.

This stamp set is called Kinda Eclectic.  It didn't really jump out at me in the catalog, but I started to see cards pop up on Pinterest and I was sold.  What would we do without Pinterest????  We'd be missing out on so much!!!

Sunbursts are so popular right now in all shapes and sizes.  I like this one, as it has a bit of a vintage edge to it. This set comes with the leaves, two butterfly images, the sentiment and these gorgeous polka dots.  Love them as they work perfectly for a background.

Clear Mount: 135350 $19.95 / Wood Mount: 135347 $27.95

The Butterfly stamps coordinate with the Bitty Butterfly and Elegant Butterfly Punches.  How nice of SU! to do that for us?  The card is finished up with some super cute Sequins.  They add the perfect finishing touch and come in 5 colors and three different designs.

2013-2015 In Color Sequin Assortment: 133631 $4.95

If you'd like to add any of these products to your collection, click the 'Order Online' icon in the top right-hand corner or pop me an email.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic
Paper: Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla Cardstock
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Calypso Coral & Early Espresso Classic Pads
Accessories: Bitty Butterfly Punch, 2013-2015 In Color Sequins, Crystal Effects and Glue Dots

Blended Bloom

Happy 3-Day Weekend All!

Hopefully you have something fun planned or, maybe, a nice relaxing weekend?  I didn't have anything planned till yesterday afternoon when I decided to paint and update my Craft Room.  I've wanted to do it forever and I've even played with different paint samples...but, never found anything I loved.  In the end, I'm going with a darker brown than I have in the rest of the house and an accent wall of turquoise.  We shall see. The paint is bought and the room is taped, so there's no turning back now.

The card I have for you today, is from a workshop I held a week ago.  I had gone Pinning in search of cards using the Blendabilities.  I saw this card by Amy White over at White House Stamping.  The colors were gorgeous and the simple design let it shine.

This was my first time playing with the Blendabilities and I hadn't ever used Copics markers, so there was a bit of a learning curve.  I watched a few tutorials and sat down and gave it a go.  It took a couple of times through to get the hang of it, but boy is it worth it in the end!  The dimension of color is AMAZING.

What you'll need:

• Memento Tuxedo Black Pad (Item# 132708)
• Color Lifter Marker (Item# 129369)
• Blendabilities (Item# 131000 Coastal Cabana / Item# 130998 Daffodil Delight)
• Whisper White Cardstock (Item# 100730)

What's nice about the Blendabilities is that they are alcohol based, so you can use them on regular 'ol Whisper White Cardstock.  They do bleed through, so be sure to use some grid paper or something underneath when coloring.

The Color Lifter is a marker that is used to correct mistakes, but it can also be used to remove the ink to lighten the shade of the color.  The Blendabilities come in sets of three: one lighter, one darker and one in between. For this flower, I used the lightest blue on the tips of the petals that appear to be bent or folded. {After the flower was fully colored, I went back and used the Color Lifter to remove this color}. 

Once those petal tips were colored, I started my shading.  On the petals where I used the light blue on the tips, I used the darkest blue to color near the tips.  Then, I added a bit of shading with the middle color. Finally, I finished out the petals with a bit of the lightest blue shading. {I did the opposite for the remaining petals-darker on the inside and lighter out toward the tips}  Each petal will have three separate colors that will NOT be blended at this point.  The key is to take the lightest marker and go back over each petal in a circular motion to blend these colors together.  The longer you spend doing this, the more blended your petals will be. Don't worry about ruining your markers, they will not be affected in the least by this technique.

To finish out the flower, I colored the center using the Daffodil Delight Blendabilities. The original card used the Mocha marker from the Skin Tone Assorted Blendabilities for the inner petals, but I didn't have these, so I just used my Chocolate Chip Marker.  The final touch, a brown Glimmer Basics Brad.  Perfection!

I fussy cut the flower and popped it up on some dimensionals/pop dots.  The flourish behind the flower is from the Elements of Style stamp set.  If you don't have this, a great alternative would be the Flowering Flourishes stamp set.  I'll be getting it.  It has three different size flourishes and can be used for any size flower.  It would be great to have on hand.

I love the Blendabilities and can't wait to try them out on some other stamps.  They currently come in (12) different colors in addition to the Skin Tones.  You get three per pack in three different shades, so it takes all of the guess work out of figuring out which shades would work well together.  Pure Genius!  If you'd like to add some to your collection, click the Order Online icon in the top right-hand corner or pop me an email.

Item 131000  $11.95

Item 129369  $4.95

  

Enjoy your weekend!

Stamps: Blended Bloom, Elements of Style {or Flowering Fourishes} and Sincere Salutations

Paper: Whisper White Cardstock

Ink: Pear Pizzazz Classic Pad & Memento Black Pad

Accessories: Coastal Cabana Blendabilities; Daffodil Delights Blendabilities, Color Lifter, Chocolate Chip Marker, Simply Scored Scoring Tool, Glimmer Basics Brad and a Pop Dot/Dimensional

A Touch of the 80's

Hi All,

Pastels and watercolors...that's what I have for you today.  What does it bring to mind? For me...the 80's. That's what I feel my card has a touch of anyways.  My inspiration comes from Katina over at Loving Life's Little Blessings.  She had used this simple design to showcase the new In-Colors.  I switched it up a bit and added some Linen Thread and a button.  Everything's better with linen thread is it not?

Did you guess?  Yes, this is another image from the Work of Art stamp set.  So versatile!  I paired up three of last year's In Colors: Crisp Canteloupe, Coastal Cabana and Pistachio Pudding.  As I was searching through my button jar, I was lucky enough to find one that had a similar color to the Crisp Canteloupe, and it also had a soft sea glass look.  It works perfectly with the watercolor feel of the card.

Aside from the Work of Art stamp set, my Must-Have item is the Linen Thread.  It's one of my favorite accessories and I use it quite a bit.  To add either to your collection, feel free to email me or click on the Order Online icon in the top right corner.

Clear Mount: 134114  $21.95    Wood Mount: 134111  $29.95

Item ID: 104199   $4.50

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps: Work of Art & Sincere Salutations

Paper: Coastal Cabana, Baked Brown Sugar and Whisper White Cardstock

Ink: Crisp Canteloupe, Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding and Baked Brown Sugar Classic Pads

Accessories: Linen Thread, Button and Mini Glue Dot

You Make Me Happy ~ When Skies are Gray

Hi All,

Rainbows...who doesn't love them? I have a ton of cards posted on Pinterest that use some type of a rainbow design, but I think I've only ever made one rainbow card...and that was for St. Patrick's Day. There's something so happy about them, you'd think we'd use them all the time.

Cristine's card over at My Paper Secret was the inspiration for my card today.  She used a watercolor stamp that was a longer brush stroke.  It was very similar to one of the images in Work of Art, so I gave it a go.

The fun part about this card was picking the colors to use.  So many possibilities.  I believe I hit upon some winners:

Island Indigo
Tempting Turquoise
Marina Mist
Daffodil Delight
Wild Wasabi
Tangerine Tango
Riding Hood Red
Rich Razzleberry
Pale Plum

Believe me, there was a lot of trial & error and lots of cleaning of the stamp, but it was worth it.  Love how it turned out!

Most of these colors are current and in the catalog.  Riding Hood Red and Pale Plum are retired, but Real Red and Wisteria Wonder would be great substitutes.  If you'd like to add any of these stamp pads or a Work of Art to your collection, feel free to email me or click on the Order Online icon in the top right corner.

Clear Mount: 134114  $21.95    Wood Mount: 134111  $29.95

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp: Work of Art & See Ya Later
Paper: Whisper White Cardstock
Inks: Island Indigo, Tempting Turquoise, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red, Rich Razzleberry and Pale Plum Classic Pads
Accessories: None

Sweet Sequins!

Hi All,

I am keeping with the theme of a Work of Art again today.  This card takes my previous card {masculine} and amps it up a bit to go more feminine.

The basic design comes from Sylvia over at Sylvia's Stamp Corner.  I love that the stamp set takes center stage and the sequins add that perfect little touch.

Since I already had a design in mind, all that was left to do was pick a color combo.  I went with Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana and Baked Brown Sugar.  They are perfect together.  Sylvia used colored sequins to embellish, but I only had gold on hand.  I have found that Baked Brown Sugar works perfectly with the gold sequins.  Love them together!

That makes sequins my 'Must Have' item on this card.  The sequins come on a spool that you can use as trim or take apart individually {as I did on this card}.  You get 10 yds and they will last you forever.

Item 132983  $4.95

If you'd like to add this to your collection, feel free to email me or click on the Order Online icon in the top right corner.  It will make the perfect addition to your embellie collection. Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp: Work of Art
Paper: Strawberry Slush, Baked Brown Sugar, Basic Black and Very Vanilla Cardstock
Ink: Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana, Baked Brown Sugar and Basic Black Classic Ink
Accessories: Gold Sequin Trim & Crystal Effects

Father's Day 2014

Hi All,

I hope your week has gotten off to a great start!  My Monday was pretty good, but my Tuesday will be even better.  We are going to see Raiders of the Lost Ark on the big screen.  I grew up watching these movies, but have never seen them in the theater.  So, we are looking forward to it :)

Today's card uses another image from the Work of Art stamp set.  I guess we could call it the 'paint stroke'. lol! That's exactly what it looks like.

This was my husband's Father's Day card this year.  I got the design from one of my friends that I stamped with a few months ago.  She kept the design simple and the colors are perfectly masculine in blues.  My husband enjoys art, so this card was right up his alley.

Once again, my must-have item from this card is the Work of Art stamp set.  It makes making masculine cards super easy.

Clear Mount: 134114  $21.95    Wood Mount: 134111  $29.95

If you'd like to add this to your collection, feel free to email me or click on the Order Online icon in the top right corner.  It will make the perfect addition to your collection.  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp: Work of Art

Paper: Midnight Muse, Baked Brown Sugar and Very Vanilla Cardstock

Ink: Midnight Muse, Island Indigo, Baja Breeze and Baked Brown Sugar Classic Pads

Accessories: None Amazingly

You are a Fabulous Work of Art

Hi All,

Remember me????  Julie Marshall...stamping enthusiast? I know... it's been a while.  I actually didn't realize it had been quite as long as it has {4 months}.  Well, the break has done me good!  I've been back in the craft room this week and stamping away.

Luckily, this wasn't the first I've stamped since March.  I got together with two of my girlies and stamped in June.  I had just gotten my new SU! goodies and brought them along to play.  My favorite and first set that I bought from the 2014 catalog is called Work of Art.  I didn't even notice it the first look through, but then it started popping up on Pinterest and I fell in love.  I adore the abstract watercolor images.

This beauty was designed by Melissa Davies over at RubberFUNatics and is the very reason I bought this stamp set.  I paired up Strawberry Slush {one of my favorite pinks} and Baked Brown Sugar.  The Baked Brown Sugar almost looks gold so it works perfectly with the Gold Sequins, which add the perfect amount of bling.  These can easily be added to your project with Crystal Effects or any clear glue. The cut-outs were made with the punch on the Envelope Punch Board.  So, so cute!

All this week, I'll be showing some other cards I've made with this set.  It's sooo versatile and one of my 'Must Haves' from the new catalog.

Clear Mount: 134114  $21.95    Wood Mount: 134111  $29.95

If you'd like to add this to your collection, feel free to email me or click on the Order Online icon in the top right corner.  It will make the perfect addition to your collection.  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp: Work of Art

Paper: Very Vanilla Cardstock

Ink: Strawberry Slush, Pretty in Pink, Baked Brown Sugar and Early Espresso Classic Pads

Accessories: Gold Sequin Trim, Envelope Punch Board, Labels Collection Framelits, Big Shot, Crystal Effects and Dimensionals/Pop Dots

Oh, Happy Day

Hi All,

Happy Weekend!  I hope the first half of it has gotten off to a great start.

I have been so excited to share the card I have for you today.  It was this card by Cindy Major that sold me on all of these fabulous products and inspired my card: the Hardwood Background stamp, the Starburst Sayings stamp set/Framelits and the super cute Decorative Dots embossing folder.

There's a lot going on with this card, but it all works together so perfectly.  I kept Cindy's basic design but swapped out her colors for Strawberry Slush and Coastal Cabana.  They are fabulous together!  I think Strawberry Slush is my new favorite pink. 

One of my favorite additions to the card is the arrow from the Hung Up Cute Clips.  They come in three designs and are so whimsically cute.

All of these products are currently available in one of the many catalogs.  The Decorative Dots embossing folder is the only item going away.  It is available for FREE in the Sale-A-Bration catalog when you spend $50.  Be sure to take advantage of this offer if there are items you'd like to add to your collection.  It's the best time of year to buy!  Pop me an email or click on the Order Online icon in the top right-hand corner.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Starburst Sayings & Hardwood
Paper: Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Crumb Cake & Whisper White Cardstock
Ink: Coastal Cabana & Baked Brown Sugar Classic Pads
Accessories: Starburst Framelits, Decorative Dots Embossing Folder, Hung Up Cute Clips, Corner Rounder, Silver Brad and Pop Dots/Dimensionals

File Folder Folly

Hi All,

Happy Spring!  {Well, depending on where you are in the country}  Ha Ha!  My family back in PA had snow yesterday...here in AZ, 89 degrees.  I can't complain!  I love this time of year.

The next couple of cards I have for you are in honor of Sale-A-Bration.  It's coming to an end on Monday, March 31st.  There are quite a few goodies worth adding to your collection that you can earn for FREE.

The card I have for you today is called a File Folder Card and it actually opens like a true file folder.  How cute is that???  I used my Envelope Punch Board to create it.  That is one multi-functional tool!  It was designed to make envelopes of ALL sizes, but there are so many cool projects you can do with it, such as this one.  Patty Bennett has a great tutorial on how to make these here.  Beth McAlexander also has some great tips on making them here. Plus, her file folder card is absolutely adorable.  Be sure to stop over if for nothing more than to check it out!

This card actually starts out with the standard dimensions that you'd use for a normal card.  It was suggested that you adhere your patterned paper prior to starting to punch the tabs.  This way you don't have to worry about lining up two separate pieces of paper.  Once the tabs are punched, you can pretty much design the front of the card any way you'd like.  I did a horizontal design, but you could also make it vertical.

The patterned paper on this card is really quite fabulous!  I love the retro print.  This sheet is from the Sweet Sorbet DSP in the Sale-A-Bration catalog.  I paired it up with a few of the new In Colors: Crisp Cantaloupe, Pool Party and there's a hint of Pistachio Pudding behind the sentiment.  Love these colors together.

The sentiment is from the Starburst Saying stamp set that can be found in the Occasions Mini.  It pairs up perfectly with the Starburst Framelits Dies and then I added lots of fun layers using the Labels Collection Framelits and my Circle Nestabilities.  The sentiment really pops and I think that's because I've embossed white on black.  It has a really cool effect.

All of the products used on this card are currently available.  The Sweet Sorbet paper will no longer be available after March 31st.  You can earn this for FREE with any $50 order.  If you'd like to add it to your collection, pop me an email or order using the 'Order Stampin Up' icon in the top right-hand corner.

The girls had a great time making this card at my last workshop and a couple even got to use their Envelope Punch Boards for the first time.  What a cute and unique card to make.  Hope you like it!  TFS.

Stamps: Starburst Sayings & Party This Way
Paper: Crisp Canteloupe, Pool Party, Pistachio Pudding and Basic Black; Sweet Sorbet DSP
Ink: Basic Black Classic Pad
Accessories: Envelope Punch Board, Starburst Framelits, Labels Collection Framelits, Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, White Embossing Powder and a Heat Gun

A Sweet Sorbet Birthday

Hi All,

How is your weekend going so far?  Ours is actually pretty good here in AZ.  It's been overcast all day and we actually got a little bit of rain.   Here's to hoping it continues into Sunday :)

The card I have for you today continues my Chevron theme from last weekend.  It is based on this card by Geri over at Geri's Paper Wishes. I loved how she tied in the silver chevron with the printed paper.  I did the same with the Sweet Sorbet DSP.  I chose two coordinating prints.

There are so many interesting details on this card:  First, I love the rounded corners mixed with the straight. It adds a bit of softness.  Secondly, the Pool Party (light blue) panel on the right is shorter than the main panel. I think it brings the focus in on the sentiment.  Lastly, these colors are fabulous: Summer Starfruit and Pool Party.  They have a retro feel but are still quite modern.

The highlight of this card is definitely the paper.  You can earn it for FREE during Sale-A-Bration when you spend $50.  It's definitely a great addition to your collection.  It has lots of beautiful prints.  If you'd like to add it to yours, email me or click on the Order Online icon in the top right corner.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps: Bring on the Cake
Paper: Summer Starfruit, Pool Party and Whisper White Cardstock; Sweet Sorbet DSP
Ink: Pool Party Classic Ink
Accessories: Chevron Punch, Yellow Rhinestone, Corner Rounder Punch and Pop Dots/Dimensionals

Positively Chevron

Hi All,

Happy Sunday!  I hope you all are having a great weekend so far.  I had a few girls over for a workshop yesterday, so I've been able to get a bit crafty this weekend. It ALWAYS feels good :)

The card I have for you today is from my January workshop.  The theme...Crazy for Chevrons.  I LOVE them and was excited to play with my new addition: the Positively Chevron background stamp.

The inspiration for my card was this stunner by Amy Crockett.  The yellow is just gorgeous!  Since I wanted to coordinate the Chevron Ribbon with the Chevron stamp, I had to go with a color that I had in stock, which just happened to be Wisteria Wonder.  I paired it up with Crumb Cake and they are just beautiful together.

Do you notice anything new on this card...maybe a little stitching around the sentiment???  Well, when my mom was in town over the holidays, I had her help me set up the brand new sewing machine that had been sitting in my craft room for the past 18 months.  As I was playing with it, I realized that it's also an embroidery machine...so, it's got tons of stitches.  I must say though, the simple zig-zag is my favorite.

I love the softness of this card, and of course, the Chevrons are pretty awesome too!  Both the Positively Chevron background stamp and Chevron ribbon are currently available through Stampin' Up.  They are a "must-have" for your collection! And, now is the perfect time to buy.  It's Sale-A-Bration.  For every $50 you spend, you get to choose a Free item from the Sale-A-Bration catalog.  To get your order in, email me or click on the Order Online icon in the top right corner.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps: Positively Chevron & Bring on the Cake
Paper: Crumb Cake & Whisper White Cardstock
Ink: Wisteria Wonder Classic Pad
Accessories: Wisteria Wonder Chevron Ribbon, Brown Button, Linen Thread, Glue Dot, Sewing Machine and Kraft Colored Thread

Valentine {please be mine}

Hi All,

So sorry it has been so long since I've posted.  I've actually had a workshop since then..taken pictures of the cards...but just hadn't gotten them posted :(  I figured since Valentine's Day had come and gone and I actually had a card to share, I better get it up.

How was your Valentine's Day?  Ours was good.  We braved the mall to go see Winter's Tale.  I had started to read the book (all 700 pgs) but couldn't get into it, so I decided to hold out for the movie. So glad I did...it made a great movie, but was a long, overly detailed book.

The card I have for you today is based on a design I saw by Nichole Heady.  She created a very simple banner using baker's twine.

I kept the same design and used the Banner Blast stamps and Banner punch from the Sale-A-Bration catalog.  I punched a hole on each side of the card mat and tied off the baker's twine.  Prior to adhering the baker's twine, I ironed it to straighten it out. To hold the shape once down, I added a mini glue dot to the center. From there it was easy.  Stamp and punch the banner and add a pop dot to each.  Love the simplicity of this card.  Hope you do too!

During Sale-A-Bration, Banner Blast and the Banner Punch can be earned FREE for every $50 you spend. This is the best time of year to add to your collection and both of these are great additions!  Click on the Shopping Cart in the top right hand corner if you'd like to grow your collection.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps: Banner Blast & Holiday Best
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla
Ink: Cherry Cobbler & Pretty in Pink Classic Pads
Accessories: Banner Punch, Decorative Label Punch, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, 1/16" Hole Punch, Paper Piercer and Mat Pack, Pop Dots/Dimensionals and a Glue Dot