Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 294- Snow Days

This was the most difficult sketch I have done to date!  I started it on Thursday and have changed it so many times I have lost count.  I have tried many different color combinations and papers.  Although I am still not pleased, I am willing to accept this card and move on!  I think the triangle was the thing that was my biggest obstacle.  No matter what color I chose, it did not seem to blend in with the design.  Oh well...  On to my next card using fun stuff from the new Occasions Catalog!

Supplies:
Stamp Sets- Snowy Day, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper- WW, Soft Sky, Island Indigo
Ink- Black Stazon, Island Indigo, Calypso Coral

Monday Lunchtime Sketch 293- Flaky Friends

Now that I have made lots of Christmas cards and Christmas is just around the corner, it is time to start making thank you cards.  Using the Monday Lunchtime Sketch from last week, I came up with this idea.  I wish I had the stamp from the last special anniversary set that says snow but since I don't, I settled on just a plain thank you.

Supplies:
Stamp Sets- Flaky Friends, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper- WW, Cherry Cobbler, DSP
Ink- Black Stazon, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories- Watercolor Pencils, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding

Snow Much Fun Ornament

I like to do a few fun projects with my children at school.  Since I am a special educator and have a pull out program for some children,  I try to have my room be a fun and safe environment to learn.  This week we made these ornaments.  The kids were fascinated with the Big Shot!  They loved putting the metal flashing through the Big Shot and hearing it crunch when it cut out the snowflake.  It was an easy project for six year olds and everyone was successful.  I liked making them too!

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 292-Flower Shop

For this week's challenge I was stumped until Sunday night.  I had no clue as to what to do.  I knew it was not going to be a wintery card- subzero temperatures and a foot of snow will do that to a person!  Instead I found Flower Shop still on my work space and decided to go with that.  I recently saw gold on purple and loved the idea.  I embossed on Wisteria Wonder, colored it in using Wisteria Wonder and Elegant Eggplant then colored a rhinestone with a Sharpie.  I love the effect!  I used DSP from the Subtles Collection Paper Stack and layered everything.  Not bad for a cold night in New Hampshire.

Supplies:  Flower Shop, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper- WW, Wisteria Wonder, Subtles Collection Paper Stack
Ink-  Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant
Accessories- Rhinestones, Gold Embossing Powder

Clean and Simple Stamping Challenge 269!

I have been thinking about this sketch for awhile- actually two weeks now.  I wanted to make a non-Christmas card and the inspiration card featured snowflakes.  I could not use snowflakes.  I needed to use a round shape and decided on the flowers from Flower Shop.  The fact that there was a punch to punch out all of the flowers was an added bonus.  I used black embossing powder on Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, and Pistachio Pudding then using an Aquapainter, colored each flower using the same color reinker.  I cut the flowers in half then layered them on Basic Black.  I add Whisper White with the greeting.  A bright and light card on this very cold wintery New Hampshire day.

Supplies:
Stamp Sets- Flower Shop, Sincere Salutations (retired)
Paper-WW, Basic Black
Ink- VersaMark, Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding
Accessories- Pansy Punch

Festive Flurry Ornament Kit

I finally ordered this kit and have been not so patiently waiting for it to arrive.  I have been tracking this package and when I saw that it had arrived at my post office yet I had not received it, I was worried.  I spoke with my postmistress and she found it!!  With the increase volume of the season, I never got the yellow notification note.  All is well that ends well!

I watched the video twice then set to work.  The only thing you need to make these 10 ornaments is a glue gun.  I also used the Silicone Craft Sheet and it worked like a charm.  I am glad I already owned it!

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 291- Snow Much Fun

This week's challenge made me think of the Northern Flurry embossing folder in Shimmery White.  I looked at many different blues and decided on Island Indigo and Soft Sky.  For the snowman I used my trusty and retired watercolor pencils and a blender pen.  For the scarf and hat I used Soft Sky and Rose Red.  Cutting the snowman out was a bit tricky but not too hard since I only needed one!

Supplies:
Stamp Set- Snow Much Fun
Paper- Soft Sky, Island Indigo, Shimmery White
Ink- Stazon Black
Accessories- Northern Flurry Embossing Folder, Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pen, Re-inkers in Rose Red, Soft Sky

 This is one of the prettiest Christmas cards I have seen in a long time.  I cannot claim credit for it as I CASED it exactly.  I have been trying to find the source without much luck.  I know it was made by a fellow demonstrator who is in my up line.  I thought I saw it on the Stampers Xpress blog for demos only but when I went back, I could not find it.  I apology to the very creative and gifted stamper who designed this card.  She even supplied detailed instructions as it was part of a Stamp-A-Stack card event.

When I first made it I did not carefully line up the silver ribbon and it did not hang straight.  I went back and redid it and it was greatly improved.  I used three stamps from Festive Flurry but did not use the largest.  The smallest and largest of the three are stamped in Midnight Muse.  The middle stamp was stamped in silver.

After cutting them out with the Festive Flurry Framelits Dies, I used a Stampin' Dimensional in the middle of the middle snowflake.  Next I adhered the silver ribbon being careful to keep it at a 90 degree angle and added another Stampin' Dimensional on top.  Then I placed the smallest snowflake on top of the silver snowflake.  It is hard to tell but I also used Dazzling Diamonds in the center of the smallest snowflake.

The circle is 3" and the Circle Thinlits Die works well.  I attached the silver ribbon with hanging snowflakes at the top of the circle and added a bow to hide the ends.  Since I needed to line up carefully the largest snowflake on the inside of the card, I used 2-Way Glue so I could gently move it in place.  The sentiment is from More Merry Messages.

I hope my next stamping group enjoys making this card this weekend.

Clean and Simple Stamping Challenge 268- Flaky Friends

Snowmen stamps are some of my favorite stamps to use.  Unfortunately they retire way too quickly!!  Using Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze, and Crumb Cake I made a country feeling card.  I inked the baker's twine way too much and it has taken days to dry.  That strip with the twine and sentiment has been replaced many times due to wet ink!  A word of advice- if you chose to color coordinate the baker's twine, use the reinkers sparingly.

Supplies:
Stamp Set- Flaky Friends, sentiment unknown
Paper- Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze,  Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
Ink- Black Stazon, Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze
Accessories- Watercolor Pencils (retired), Naturals Designer Buttons, Baker's Twine

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 290- Snow Much Fun

With time off from school this week I was able to complete this challenge early! 

When I saw the sketch I knew I did not want to use a traditional circular stamped image such as snowflakes or flowers.  I also decided to use one of my favorite color combinations- Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze and Crumb Cake.  With that, I found one of my all time favorite stamp sets, Snow Much Fun and got to work.  I stamped the snowman on Very Vanilla using Black Stazon.  I colored him in using reinkers and my beloved Watercolor Pencils that are retired.  Next I cut him out (he was too big for a punch) and began making the different layers.  I still had in my stash  Not Quite Navy DSP and cut that out.  Then it was just a matter of attaching everything.  I also used the sentiment from this month's Paper Pumpkin.

My son is home for Thanksgiving and moseyed on down to my stamping room while I was making this card.  He said he loved the color combination and the card!  My day was made.

Supplies:
Stamp Sets- Snow Much Fun, November Paper Pumpkin
Paper- Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy (retired), Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Color Collection DSP Paper Stacks 2012- 2013 (retired)
Inks- Stazon Black, Cajun Craze and Not Quite Navy reinkers
Accessories- Watercolor Pencils (retired) and Blender Pen

November's Paper Pumpkin

This is November's Paper Pumpkin kit.  It is my favorite project so far.  It was quick and easy to put together yet fun.  Even I would never make all the stars and sew them together!!!  All I needed to do was mount the stamps, stamp, and put it together.

What is Paper Pumpkin you ask?

Get Started
It's so easy to get started. Simply sign up for the program by visiting mypaperpumpkin.com and click Get it. Every month a new, surprise project kit arrives at your doorstep. Just think of the anticipation of creating a fun project to pin, showoff, and share with your friends and family#every month!
Of course, you'll want to know more. So here's the nitty gritty:

• Each month we send you a unique, surprise kit with a project-cards, journals, décor, and more! (We've even color-coordinated, measured, and cut everything for you!)
• Each kit includes stamps, ink, paper, and accessories-everything but adhesive.
• Each kit gives you and your customer a 30-minute creativity escape.
• We will ship your Paper Pumpkin on or around the 15th of the month. 
• You need to sign up for a kit by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit. If you sign up on the 11th of the month, your first kit will come the next month. (Let's say you sign up on May 10, we'll send your kit around May 15. If you sign up on May 11, we'll send your first kit around the June 15.)
• A Paper Pumpkin membership is $19.95 per month (and shipping is included!) The commissionable amount is $14.95 for each Paper Pumpkin.  There's no commitment, you can cancel your monthly Paper Pumpkin at anytime. You can also skip a month if you want.

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 289- Backyard Basics

I needed lots of time to think this sketch through.  At first glance it looked fairly easy yet when I attempted to put it together, I was not happy with my efforts.  I switched the card base, background, and small rectangle several times.  When I finally put it together and used Stampin' Dimensionals to pop the flower I began to like it.  I also popped the banner and added a button and now have a final product.

Supplies:
Stamp Sets- Backyard Basics, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper- WW, Wisteria Wonder, Subtles Color Collections DSP Stacks
Ink-Stazon Black, Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green
Accessories- Blender Pen, Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons

Lovely As a Tree

I needed one more card for my Stamp-a-Stack this weekend.  I have used silver, red, gold, and blue.  I wanted to use a different color and decided green it would be.  I then searched Pinterest for inspiration.  I kept seeing Lovely As a Tree.  I went back to the drawing board and designed this card.  The image and backings are matted using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder.

Supplies:
Stamp Sets- Lovely As a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper- Whisper White, Old Olive, Brights Color Collection Series Paper Stacks
Ink- Old Olive
Accessories- Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch

Holiday Sale

Stampin" Up!'s Holiday Sale begins today through December 2, 2013 with up to 50% off a huge selection of products!  And today there are fabulous doorbusters for TODAY ONLY.  They are:

1.  Stampin' Trimmer catalog price $29.95 is now $20.97- item#  126889.

2.  Simply Scored Diagonal Plate catalog price $11.95 now $8.37.

3.  Many Marvelous Markers catalog price $109.95 are now $76.97.

Click this link to see all of the of the Holiday Sale Specials.

Swaps

Last Saturday I attended the quarterly New Stampshires' business luncheon.  We eat, share ideas, and discuss business.  We share do some show and tells and swap.  I received these three great cards and decided I would share them with you.

This first card was made by Melissa Carver.  I was intrigued by the busy background paper and the embossed image.  I would never have made this combination myself but it works!

This next card was made Sherri Woolsey and her daughter.  I love all of the layers and the use of the ruffled ribbon at the top.  She left off the sentiment so we could add our own.

This last card was made by Kristi Stoughton.  When you open the card, the ornament is suspended and hangs from the card front.  A simple yet lovely card.

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 288- Just Beachy

I bet everyone would think I would make a Christmas card using this sketch.  Nope!  I have been busy all day putting together card kits for my upcoming Christmas Card Stamp-A-Stack which is this coming weekend.  After making 50 kits, I decided I needed a break from Christmas and the cold rainy New Hampshire weather.  Instead I thought warm weather tropics and flip flops.  I love the tropical colors and used one of my favorite combinations- Calypso Coral and Crisp Cantaloupe.  I found my retired Just Beachy stamp set and was off and running.

Supplies:
Stamp Sets- Just Beachy (retired), Teeny Tiny Wishes
Papers- WW, Calypso Coral, In Color DSP Paper Stacks 2013- 2015
Accessories- Grosgrain Ribbon

Wonderful Wreath

I have been designing and making cards for my upcoming Christmas Stamp-A-Stack on November 23rd.  This is card number 5.  I knew I wanted to use this stamp and I tried stamping it in various greens.  It looked flat and uninspiring.  Embossing always feels magical to me so I decided it might be rich looking to emboss it in gold.  My next dilemma was what to use for holy berries.  Punched out red circles did nothing.  Then it dawned on me I could color rhinestones with a red Sharpie.  Doing this added the texture that was needed.  I added a red bow then matted it in red.  I am pleased with the end results!

Supplies:
Stamp Sets- Wonderful Wreath, More Merry Messages
Paper- WW, Real Red
Accessories- Rhinestones, Gold Embossing Powder,Real Red 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

10th Anniversary

This is the card that started it all for me with Stampin" Up!.  I joined 10 years ago today and this was the card I found in the catalog that I just had to make.  I ordered all of the necessary supplies and on a snowy Sunday afternoon attempted to make it.  I had never done any embossing before and remember using the heat tool.  My teenage daughter was the one to point out that I needed to leave the heat on longer so the powder would melt!  I hadn't realized it myself.  I still love this card and Stampin" Up!  It has been a wonderful relationship and I have really enjoyed these last 10 years working as an Independent Demonstrator.

Techno Stamper Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 287- Ornament Keepsake

This week's challenge was challenging!  I don't do many square cards. I thought that maybe a snowflake would work as the circle, however, I have been using snowflakes a lot lately and wanted something else.  That is when I decided to try an ornament.  After that the card came together fairly easily.  I used the DSP from the Winter Frost Specialty Collection.  The ornament is from Ornament Keepsake which is still current- just not in the catalog.  The card stock and ink are Coastal Cabana which are non traditional Christmas colors!

Supplies:
Stamp Sets- Ornament Keepsake, More merry Messages
Paper- Winter Frost Specialty Collection DSP, WW, Coastal Cabana
Accessories- Rhinestones, Holiday Ornaments Framelits

Calm Christmas

 I fell in love with this stamp set the minute I saw it.  I even envisioned what it would look like completed.  I knew it had to be stamped in Midnight Muse.  I stamped it on WW on the Top Note Die.  For texture, I mounted it on the Pretty Print Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and adhered it to a WW card base.  It is a simple and fast card to make.  It will be one of the five for my upcoming Christmas Stamp-a-Stack.

I also tried it on Midnight Muse without the texture.  I like my first card better!

Friday's card on Wednesday!

This was supposed to my card for Friday.  However, I just could not get it right.  I kept trying different combinations and finally got it right Saturday morning- just in time for a class!

The inspiration for this card was from one I saw on Shelli Gardner's blog (founder of Stampin' Up!) - So Shelli, back in August.  Her card was more ornate.  I simplified it to make it more my stamping style.  I know she would approve of me CASEing her card!

Here is the outside:

And here is the inside.  It is difficult to tell but I used Shimmery White Paper.  The snowflake on the outside of the card is elevated using a Stampin' Dimensional.  On the inside, I decided it would fold better if it was flat and used regular SNAIL adhesive.


Supplies:
Stamp Sets- Festive Flurry, Christmas Messages
Paper- Shimmery White, Smokey Slate
Ink- Silver Metallic Encore Pad
Accessories- Frosted Finishes Embellishments, Rhinestones, Northern Flurry Embossing Folder, Thinlits- Label Card, Framelits- Festive Flurry

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 286 on Sunday!

Here is last week's sketch from Techno Stamper.  It has taken me until today to find the time to create a card!  I knew I wanted to make a Christmas card and the red on this sketch was my inspiration.

I received the Tag It stamp set at Convention and decided this was the perfect stamp to use.  I like using just two colors and this stamp screamed use Real Red!  I did not have a tag to mount it on so I cut out a rectangle and used the Corner Punch to round the edges and used Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere it.  Next I used the Scallop Edge Border Punch for the border on Whisper White.  I used DSP from the Brights Color Collection DSP Stacks.  It added a little texture.  Then I attached it on Real Red and last placed it on a WW card base.

Supplies:
Stamps- Tag It
Paper- Real Red, WW, Brights Color Collection DSP
Ink- Real Red
Accessories- White Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), 3/16" Corner Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Tags 4 You- Christmas

I found a new sketch on Techno Stamper blog which was my inspiration.  I had not used the Winter Frost DSP Stack and decided there was no time like the present!  After comparing all the blues, I was able to determine that Pool Party was the color.  I paired it with Brushed Silver and my card came together.

Supplies:
Stamp Set- Tags 4 You
Paper- Pool Party, Brushed Silver, Winter Frost DSP Stack
Ink- Pool Party
Accessories- Label Bracket Punch

Clean & Simple Stamping Challenge FTL 264- An Oldie but Goodie!

I have been thinking of this challenge all weekend.  When I decided to get down to business and stamp, I found this little bird bath already stamped and colored.  Since today in central New Hampshire has been cold and overcast- a peek as to what is coming, I decided I needed a little happy and went from there.  Daffodil Delight and Pacific Point go so well together.  They gave the pop of color that I wanted.  The sketch suggests (I love how you do not have to do it exactly) 2 rows of ribbon but I decided I wanted DSP and then a scalloped layer underneath.  I put everything together and got "a little happy" to brighten my day.

 Supplies:
 Stamp Set- Touch of Kindness (retired)
 Paper- WW, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Brights Color
     Collection DSP Stacks
 Ink- Black Stazon
 Accessories- Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pen,  Scallop Edge                                                                      Border Punch

Celebrate Stampin" Up!'s 25 Aniversary

Christmas Star Single Stamp 134813  $9.95  Sale Price $7.46

A Gift for Tou Single Stamp 134765  $4.95  Sale Price $3.71