Ok...Time to let the cat out of the Bag!!!!

LOL!! If you didn't see earlier today...this is my second post for the day....be sure to scroll down for some Christmas goodies!

Even though Christmas is in three days....it is NOT too early to think about Valentine's Day.....

You have the opportunity to purchase a brand new-never released before bundle at a 20% discount!! I know...I had to pinch myself too!! lol! I have been having so much fun with this bundle in secret in my studio...now I can shout about it! hint: Remember those adorable little hearts on the chest of my gingerbread men???? Oh yeah....they came from a brand new punch in this bundle!!!! Can you believe it????? Here are the details:

Oh my......isn't is sweet????? I stamp set, coordinating punch, and coordinating designer series paper???? Oh my!!! This bundle price is only available until January 31st. Click HERE to download the flyer.

Here is a card I whipped up in no time...thanks to the entire kit! One of the stamps lines up perfectly with the new Heart to Heart punch! I {luv} that!

Card base is close to cocoa. I stamped the birds from Love You Much in chocolate chip. The designer series paper is from Candy Lane Designer Series paper - isn't it divine???? The sentiment is from All Holidays, stamped in riding hood red on very vanilla. I punched it with the 1 inch circle punch before putting it behind a piece of styled silver hodgepodge hardware. And that row of hearts.....You guessed it! I stamped the trio heart stamp and punched it out with the new heart to heart punch and adhered them down randomly and with stampin' dimensionals. I'll give you a "bird's eye" view....lol!

Just a reminder - tomorrow is the last day to save 10% off retiring stamp sets and get the free shipping on orders of $70 or more as well as the first day you can order this wonderful bundle!!!

I have had so much to share.....

but where have I been??? I just realized that I haven't posted anything since Wednesday!??!?!? What is up with that??? I have had things that I wanted to share and I guess I haven't had the time to even post it! Sorry :(

I will show you two things today and one is a tutorial!!! Will you forgive me now???? Pretty please.......

First, remember last week when I showed you the gingerbread man tags that I gave to a friend? Well, I also went to dinner that night with my cousin and friend. It was the three of us...we had such a good time! These are the gift tags I took her along with a big ol' cocoa cone to enjoy in the f.r.e.e.z.i.n.g. COLD weather we are having right now!!! So, Fawn.....if you are reading this...make some cocoa and curl up!!!

Aren't they adorable? Santa was made entirely out of punches except for his hat brim...I just cut that from a skinny piece of whisper white card stock. Here is a closer look at him:

Next.....for the tutorial. These are perfect if you need a super quick treat to give or you could even use these as gift tags on presents! My little one had her session one pee wee bowling banquet last Wednesday and we always try to take a little something for her team on Holidays. This is what we gave them this year for Christmas.

Aren't they sweet?

Ok...for the tutorial....

Take a piece of card stock. I think mine was 1x3. Use the slit punch on both ends and slip it through the candy cane like this:

Take your favorite stampeed image that can easily be punched out and adhere to the card stock after it is on the candy cane. I did use sticky strip to adhere the scallop circle to the glorious green card stock. The santa image is from the level 2 hostess set, Deer Friends. He was inked up with stampin' write markers onto whisper white card stock and punched out with the 1 1/4 circle punch. The glorious green layer is punched with the 1 3/8 th circle punch. The real red was punched with the scallop circle punch.

Easy peasy, right????

MAKE SURE TO CHECK BACK LATER THIS AFTERNOON.....I WILL POST THE SALE OF A BUNDLE THAT IS AVAILABLE STARTING TOMORROW FROM THE NEW CATALOG!!!! YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE IT!!!!!!

Celebrate with cupcakes

HI All!

I wanted to make a gift bag for my Dad's Birthday gift, so I thought that I would use Kristina's color challenge as a starting point. I knew in my head that I wanted to use Simple Birthday Thanks to make a cupcake on the bag. That was the primary reason I bought that stamp. I did preform a major stamp surgery on it....I will try to get that up for you tomorrow.... :) For now...the bag.

Here are the colors for the challenge:

chocolate chip, close to cocoa, baja blue, so saffron, very vanilla - I will have to make another creation out of these colors....I love them together!!!

I just altered a plain kraft gift bag from the store. How easy is this!??!?!?!

See the cupcake up close? I paper pieced the entire thing with the papers from ski slope out of the Holiday Mini - I can't believe how diverse this paper pack is....it definitely isn't just a holiday pack!!! I ran the cup cake liner through my paper crimper. I didn't stamp the cherry, I just drew a black line on the paper where it was. I used soft subtles brads for sprinkles. The icing is mounted up on stampin' dimensionals. The sentiment is from celebrate everything.

This was fun! Now I need to make a cupcake in feminine colors so I can bling up that cherry with glitter!!!

Tags galore!

HI stampers!

Last night I went to dinner with two good friends. I took each one of them a small gift. I gave both of them a bag of gift tags with another gift. Heidi loves to read so I put a book marker for her in the gift bag I showed you yesterday with the gingerbread man on it. A couple of weeks ago, my friend Heidi, invited us over to make Christmas cookies with her, her daughter, and fawn and her daughter. We had such a good time! The three little girls had a blast....they made sprinkles with cookies, if you know what I mean.... lol!!! Anyway....Heidi had her house decked out for the Holidays and her kitchen was full of her gingerbread man collectibles. It looked so nice...she had mentioned that she collected gingerbread men....so I had to make her a gift bag with one on it as well as a bunch of these tags.....

Don't they look so sweet??

Still noticing the little heart on his chest??? Well...you will have to wait to learn more about that! {grin} You will be in the know next Tuesday, the 23rd. :)

Here is a closer look at this sweet little guy...wouldn't you just love to bite his arm off??? LOL!!!

Another Gift Bag with the Big Shot

HI Stampers!!

I have been on a punch/die cut run lately....I hope you don't mind! I made a little gift bag last night for a small gift I am giving. Wanna see???

Isn't it sweet??? It is made with the exclusive Top Note die. I cut two of those and cut the bottom off to make it flat. The snowflakes are from snow swirled.....I absolutely love those snowflakes...I have used them a million times already! I accented them with white dots from my white gel pen. I made a banner type sentiment for the front by stamping the holiday wishes stamp from the Holiday Collection stamp set out of the Country Living kit. I then cut a V in one end and wrinkled the whole thing up. When I unwrinkled it, I sponged the wrinkles with creamy caramel ink and a stampin' sponge. I made the girls at the wrap it up stamp camp wrinkle up flowers to give them more dimension...and they all freaked out. LOL!!!!! And then I put a little gingerbread man on the front with stampin' dimesnionals...but he is for another day...hehehehe!!!

See all of that dimension?? To make the top note dies into a gift bag, I adhered them to the front and back of a small lunch sack type of bag that had been cut down to fit inside of the die. I meant to take a picture of the small lunch bags so you would know what I used, but I forgot. When I have more time, I will post a picture of those. I bought the package of bags at Target.

See that little heart on his chest......you just wait!...hehehehe!!!! (can you say new stuff coming our way????)

Isn't he cute???

This wasn't my original idea, that is for sure! Stampin' Up! demonstrated these Santas at Convention this past year. I wasn't fortunate enough to go, but I saw lots of pictures of them. They were mostly ornaments or several were put together to form a banner. I have been wanting to do one to decorate a gift bag for some time now.

You will need to use your big shot cut a small pennant from the pennant die. His face is the scallop die. I used the scallops #2 die for the beard and his hat. His eyes and nose were circle punches.

Well...I am sorry this is very short today...I have a mountain of laundry to conquer. If I get a minute to create today...I'll be sure to post it for you :)

Happy Stampin'

Blogger's Challenge - week 77

Hi Stampers! This week's Blogger's Challenge was do make an ornament or home decor item. I have to admit, I have had NO time this week to create something that wasn't used for a class, club or camp so I am cheating a little. Don't get me wrong...I am not complaining, I just stretched myself a bit this week ;) I love doing this, so it makes it all worth it! :)

Anyway, I am going to show you one of the things we made at our clubs this week. It is a card and an ornament all in one! Everyone loved the icicles across the top of the sentiment...it really does add to the card :)

The card base is baha breeze. We stamped it with the snowflakes from snow swirled. The white dots were added with a white gel pen. The sentiment is also from snow swirled. And there are those sparkly icicles....ooooo...i luv 'em! Oh yeah....the not quite navy piece was punched with the scalloped edge punch....how could I forget that??? The ornament hanger is made from the round tab punch and brushed silver card stock. We hung it with the silver elastic cord in the holiday mini catalog. Make sure to stock up on that good stuff before the end of the mini catalog.

That is all I have for today....we have our Wrap it Up Stamp Camp tonight so I gotta finish getting ready for that.

If you attended all of the stamp camps this year you will be receiving a special gift from me! Wonder what it could be?????? hehehehe!!!!

Gift Card Inspired

Hi Stampers!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately...I have been prepping for clubs and the gift bag and tag stamp camp tomorrow night all week. I was in my local Giant Eagle and was browsing the gift cards....and one from Bath and Body Works popped out at me! I didn't buy it...it was a $25 card, and I didn't need it...but I put the image in my little image bank in my head...lol! It was a plain white gift card with a grayish colored twig tree with a red bird on the branch. Do you know where I am going with this??? hehehe!!! That was it on the card other than the Bath and Body Works logo in red. So...we have a plain white card...grayish colored tree, red bird and red writing......soooooo.....

What do you think? This card was so simple, and I like it! I sure hope Season of Friendship makes it into the regular catalog....Stampin' Up! - are you reading this??!??!??!?! I did change up the inspiration though...I made a red card base.

The card base is real red. I stamped the snowflake from season of friendship in whisper white craft ink and heat set it with my heat tool. The main image is whisper white. I stamped the tree in sahara sand and the little bird in real red. I matted that onto sahara sand. I decided to do a "banner" type sentiment instead of stamping it onto the main image. I stamped it and cut a v into the one side. I adhered it to the main image panel with vintage brads on one end. For the wave in the middle, I stacked three stampin dimensionals on top of each other and then adhered the other end with a small piece of sticky strip. I mounted the entire main panel on stampin' dimensionals. Here is a better angle of the banner and the inside of the card.

What do you think? Sweet and simple, huh?

Well...back to work....I need to get a few things done today before taking the little one to lunch at Burger King to play in the play land with two of her cousins.

Holy Retirement Sale Dinah!!!!!

This will remain at the top of this blog....scroll down for newer posts!

Oh My!!! Stampin' Up! is remarkable!!! I had to pinch myself at the sale Stampin' Up! has put out with the retirement list!!!! Here is the run down:

1. From December 9-23 - RETIRED STAMPS ARE 10% OFF!!!!!

2. ALSO FROM DECEMBER 9-23 - SPEND $70 OR MORE- GET FREE SHIPPING!!!!!!

I had NO idea Stampin' Up was going to put such a sale in motion!!! This is unbelievable!!!! WOWZERS!!!!!

As if this sale isn't great enough.....I was already planning a ONE DAY SALE - Order three retiring sets - get the 4th one 50% off!!! (half off the lowest price set, not good on previously ordered sets.)

So if you combine all three ways to save today - you are in for a real bargain!

click HERE for the retirement list by page number

click HERE for the retirement list alphabetically

click HERE for the 10% off pricing sheet

Scrappin' Saturday 9 (on monday....)

Hi all!


The retirement list comes out tomorrow....and I am going to offer a ONE DAY SALE!!!! It will be tomorrow only so be sure to check back here to see the list and what the sale is!!!!












First off...let me say I had this Scrappin' Saturday done to the point it is now early last week....but I need to pull out my cd's to get the date for these pictures and haven't had the time to do that. I remember exactly that we took these pictures before church one day...she was in such a good mood...but I don't recall the exact date. So I will post this and do the journaling later. I have millions of things to do today so I will give brief details. sorry :(


The base is very vanilla. The solid paper is pink pirouette. The designer series papers are parisian summer. (so elegant) I cut the four large scallops on the left had side with the colluzzle ( a little measuring, a little pencil marking...and voila! scallops!). The flowers are cut with the flower layers die and the big shot. Their centers are buttons from the designer series buttons pack. I tied a piece of linen thread through the centers of the buttons and actually through the entire flower before adhering them to the page with pop up glue dots. The scallop circles around the pictures were made with the 3/16th inch corner rounder with the guard taken off after a circle is cut from the colluzzle. I also used my scalloped edge punch for the straight scalloped edges. My title was cut with my VERY neglected cricut machine. I have had mine for over 2 years and used it a handful of times...what a waste of money! I just don't get it out. oh well...here are the shots of these pages:

Blogger's Challenge - week 76

Hi All!

I have a really quick post this morning.

This week we were to do a color challenge. The colors were tangerine tango, bashful blue, kiwi kiss, close to cocoa and whisper white. Perfect colors for frosty day designer series papers!!!

The first thing we made at my last giftable stamp camp. It is a box made sort of like a pizza box with the top note die used for the lid and base! These were so fun to make! The sentiment stamp is from the country living set, only available until December 31st....you won't want to miss out on this one!

My next thing in these colors is a home made bow. I have been working on holiday packaging and I whipped this up last night. It is from the frosty days designer series papers.

**Retirement list is coming Tuesday! Be sure to check back here for the details! :)

A Sketchy Thank You

LOL!!! I have been up since 4:00 am....so bear with me. lol! I participated in today's online sketch challenge. I made a thank you card....hence, "a sketchy thank you"....oh my. Let's just get to it!

I was working on a project with Parisian Summer designer series papers....such an elegant pack of paper. I had some scraps laying there and thought I will use one of the larger pieces for my card today. The card base is very vanilla. You can only see 1/8th of an inch on the front though. The designer series panels are a toile print from parisian summer, I told you they were very pretty papers! lol! I layed them with a thin mat of close to cocoa. Those three panels are adhered to pink pirouette. I then took the kraft taffeta ribbon and wrapped it around the layers and tied a bow instead of my usual knot. Then the whole panel was adhered to the card base. My sentiment comes from Say it with Scallops, the Ronald McDonald House Charity set. I really think this set is a must have for simple to put together cards. It was for me anyway. It was stamped with close to cocoa ink on very vanilla. I punched it with my square scallop punch and adhered it to the card with stampin' dimensionals. I bet you thought I wasn't going to use stampin' dimensionals, huh? I probably could not do a project without them.....I don't care for one dimension.....

Hey! You didn't forget about the retirement list coming did you????? It comes out next Tuesday, the 9th of December! Hard to believe it is retirement time again!

Elegant Neutrals

Hi Stampers!

Guess what??? I was up still prepping for my big shot clubs Sunday and the kiddo was in my room watching tv and I thought.....maybe I could get a card in today! I cut and cut and cut for the big shot club (that is a hint for you clubbers....lol!) and then thought I need to get inky! So I pulled out some neutrals that were in the color challenge today and thought hummmmm..... what will I do with basic black, sahara sand and very vanilla?!??!?! That's why it is a challenge, huh? So I got to it......here is what I came up with!

What do you think? Six layers???? Oh My!!

The main image is the beautiful tree from wonderous gift. I stamped it onto very vanilla with black craft ink. I then embossed it with irredescent ice embossing powder and my heat tool. I then sponged all around the tree with sahara sand leaving a halo of very vanilla around the tree. It is matted with sahara sand with sponged edges and then matted onto basic black. Next, I pulled out my matt pack and piercer to get the holes lined up for my black brads from the vintage pack of brads. That whole panel is mounted up on stampin' dimensionals onto the next three layers.

The sentiment, also from wonderous gift, is stamped in sahara sand onto very vanilla. That entire layer is sponged before layering onto sahara sand, which is also sponged. I took very vanilla tafetta ribbon and tied a bow very close to the sentiment, leaving room for the tree panel. I actually tied this box and then adhered the tree panel.

Now with cards that have a dark base...

this one is basic black....can't get any darker than that, huh? I cut a layer for the inside. wanna see that?

Here is a closer look at that embossed tree...isn't it sparkly????

Don't forget about the retirement list....it comes out in one week!!! OH MY!!!!

Wow...I got to stamp...a little!

First, we have some business matters to tend to today. :)

1. The last day for the Holiday Extravaganza is TODAY!!! Wow...what a sale??!?!?!

2. Today starts the sale in the Catalog Sampler. (Buy $20 in merchandise and get 20% off any stamp set in the sampler!!!)

3. Drum roll........

Can you believe it is retirement time already???? Oh My!!!

Well, I was up in my stamp room getting the project together for my Big Shot Clubs on Sunday and decided that I needed to whip out a card real quick! For you Big Shot club members....I sure hope you love what we are going to be doing this month!!! We are only doing one project instead of two....but it is a big one! Intrigued???? You will see on Sunday..... :)

So back to the card I got to whip out. I puled out my Home for Christmas set that has never seem air let alone ink. lol! I really wanted to watercolor it but I had the little one under toe and knew that wasn't going to happen easliy....or sanely, on my end! lol!

The base is baja breeze. I stamped the door front tone on tone. I drew in some snow with my white gel pen and sketched in some of the bow with a real red stampin' write marker. I also colored in some decorations on the pine around the door. The sentiment is stamped with chocolate chip along the bottom. The designer series paper is from Ski Slope. I ran a piece of whisper white card stock that had been punched with the scallop edge punch along the bottom. I tied a piece of chocolate chip 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon around the panel.

Here is a closer look at the snow on the tree....I'm not sure if you can see....but i blinged up the snow and the red with dazzling diamonds and a two way glue pen. It really makes the card....bling!!!!

Another Update!

Wow!!! These bundles have been popular!
As of right now these bundles have sold out:

All in the Family Bundle
Mission Embossable Bundle
Santa's Stocking Stuffer Bundle
Curvy Label Bundle

You can still buy all of the items in the regular catalog, just not in bundles or at bundle prices.

Quick Update!

Hi All!!

Nothing to show you....we have been overwhelmed here with life...I know....everybody seems to be that way lately! lol! If I get a chance to stamp that is unrelated to my camp on Sunday...I will share, I promise!

Now, the real reason I am here.

The ALL IN THE FAMILY BUNDLE IS SOLD OUT!!!! If you are eyeing one of these bundles, don't delay. Stampin' up! has only made a certain number of each bundle to sell at this incredible discount!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!!!

Hi Stampers!

I have three cards to show you today. they are all Thanksgiving cards...and I figured if I didn't post them for you...well...they would be in the "aside pile"...lol!

The first one is just the two previous quilt cards except I used really rust for the card base and juntos, from the Spanish supplement catalog, for the quilt. I love this type of card!!!

These two cards were ones I had taught at last month's Big Shot Club. We used the pennant die to create the flaps for the card enclosure. We used the smaller ones because I wanted more of the insert to show. If you want less of the insert to show, just use the larger pennant on the die! I love using the big shot dies for things other than their intended purpose.

The leaves were cut with the leaves #2 die with chipboard. The class learned how to cut and cover chipboard in one step! Perfect edges every time!!!! i {luv} chipboard! :)

Would you like to buy your Big shot kit over a four month period? Be sure to ask me about my new Big Shot Clubs forming in January!

Holiday Extravaganza!!!

Well....the day is finally here! Today starts the Holiday Extravaganza from Stampin' up!.



Quanitites are very limited so don't selay in ordering. You can order directly through Stampin' up at my Demonstrator Business web site....click HERE. Then click the "SHOP NOW" button at teh top right hand side of my site.



CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SALE FLYER.

I will more than likely be placing an order later today, so if you want to email me directly with your order, I will happy to add it to mine. That will probably save you shipping.

Happy Stampin!

I should be saving this....

....but I promised that if I could get into my room...I would share it with you!

Well, since this post is so late today....it is safe to say the hubby didn't get home from work early last night! He didn't get home until 10:00pm! He had to meet with a Caterpillar ( big truck engine) repair man - can't even get into how much trouble he has had with this truck since he got it brand new a year and a half ago.....let's just say we are anxious to get the next new one, hopefully in another year or two at the longest! And when that man was done, he needed to get two new tires on the front end...with the weather they have been having out through the Laurel Highlands, that was a must! So....he got very little sleep last night....I got no stamping done....and we are both cranky! LOL!!!

I could not take it anymore....I snuck upstairs to get to work...of course the little one realized I was missing after about three minutes, so this page spread too way longer than it should have! lol! But anyway, here it is:

The bases are regal rose. The designer series paper is from the Georgia Peach collection. I will get into more detail with the individual pages.

This is the left hand side. These pictures are of my little girl painting her first picture. When I saw the watercolor books....I had to buy them for her! I had been watching out for a craft that we could do together. I love to create with my hands....and I want to share that with her. At the point of these pictures (May 2007) we didn't know how into crafts she would actually be...but let me tell you....she loves to create stuff! That makes me very happy. Creating is a great stress outlet for me and I was so glad to see that she will follow that path, I think.

The scallops along the designer series paper is old olive card stock punched with the slit punch. I wanted bigger scallops than the scallop edge punch could give me...so back to my slit punch! There are flowers stamped and scattered all over the layout. All of the flowers are from Eastern Blooms. I stamped them in pink pirouette, pretty in pink, regal rose and so saffron. I cut them all out and scattered them around. My title used the taffy alphabet. I stamped it with pretty in pink ink onto whisper white card stock. I cut each letter out with my hobby blade and cutting mat. I then adhered them down with my 2 way glue pen.

Here is a closer look at the title and some of the flowers. I used the smaller old olive button, from earth elements buttons, and so saffron buttons, from fresh favorites 2 buttons, for the flower centers. I tied some white crochet thread through the holes before adhering them with mini glue dots. They are mounted to the page at different heights. I did accent the edges of the flowers with glitter - it is hard to see that in the picture though.

Here is the other side. It holds the art piece!

She saw me putting this on the page and she demanded it back! She said..."I didn't finish painting that....Give it to me...I have to finish it!" argh!!!!

I also used the Define Your Life stamp set to stamp the "memories" stamp above the artwork. If you are a scrapper, I think this set is a must! It is wonderful for cards...but for scrapbooking...it is awesome!

I really should have written above a ruler for my journaling....I just went to it....I took no prisoners! That is why it is sooo crooked! I guess maybe I should computer journal more....but I am old school that way. I do some computer journaling, but very little. Someday, my daughter will appreciate my chicken scratch...maybe! lol! I am a stickler about my recipe cards too...they are all hand written. Maybe she will share my love for cooking too. I do love to cook and bake, but I don't do it enough to really mention...lol!!! (just ask my hubby.....)

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK BACK TOMORROW....STAMPIN' UP! IS HAVING A HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA SALE...I CAN NOT WAIT!!!!!!

Ok......Ok....

I know...i did not get a scrapping Saturday posted. We decided to take our little one to the mall for dinner and to see Santa and ride the train...twice...lol! If my hubby gets home early enough to night...i am dying to scrap...i will post it here for you if i can get to it!

BUT.....I do have something to share!!!!

Stampin' Up! has told us there will be a SALE to end all SALES beginning on Wednesday!!! (two days from now...) It is so big, they haven't even told us demonstrators what is going on.

Here is what I do know:

-the sale will run from Wednesday November 26th - December 1st.

-there will be bundles of products at Clearance prices!

-from what I understand....it will be while supplies last!

The second I know what is going on I will keep you posted...but for now...make sure the first thing you check on Wednesday morning is my DEMONSTRATOR WEB SITE. (click there to get it.) I will be placing orders for all of you or you can click on the "SHOP NOW button at the top right hand side of my personal Stampin' Up! Web Site.

WHOOOHOOOO....I can't wait to see what is going to be on sale!!!!

Scrappin' Saturday

please don't give up on me just yet.....i will do everything i can do get a spread done and posted today....it might not be until later this evening...but i will do my best. i don't want to cash in my "extra" just yet...lol! ;)

Blogger's Challenge - week 74

Hey All!!

Sorry I missed out last week on the Blogger's Challenge...I was overwhelmed with stuff, I just could not get it in....even though it would not have been hard at all...it was a color challenge: chocolate chip, baja breeze, and whisper white. Could it have been anymore for me???? I just couldn't squeeze it in....

But this week is a theme challenge. It is the theme of "giving thanks." Well.....as promised, I will go into more depth in the mechanics for yesterday's card...as well as today's. Here it is:

I am telling you....this big shot/top note die is addicting!!! I can't stop!!!

Well, I didn't take step by step pictures....but I am sure you can follow along here. First, you can not be afraid to mark your dies with sharpie markers.

Here is my top note die. You can't really see in the picture, but I too a silver sharpie marker and a ruler to the die. I laid the ruler across it at the points. I then drew a line from the die out to the edge. I did this on both sets of points. If you aren't super anal about the "quilt block seams" being pretty close to the points...you could skip this.....me....too anal! And besides...the sharpie marks WILL NOT hurt your dies. This is not the first die that has met up with my silver sharpie, and probably will not be the last...lol!

OK...next, take a 4x5 piece of card stock, I used whisper white. You aren't going to see it anyway...so just use what you have lots of. I then drew in the center line, both vertically and horizontally. I measured both edges and made a mark...then connected those dots. I wanted the meeting in the center point to be exact....an exact 90 degree angle. (can you tell I had a math major in college???? lol!) So, anyway, do that to both the front and back of that 4x5 piece of card stock.

Next.....cut out 24 one inch blocks of designer series paper. Here I used autumn vine.

Next, adhere them one at a time, starting in the center and working outward....just like laying a tile floor. hehehe! I did mine in a random pattern....but you could very well do a definite pattern too.

So when the blocks are all in place, turn your "quilt top" over on the top note die and line up your lines on the quilt with the sharpie lines on the die. Next....cut it in your Big Shot. i {luv} my big shot!!!

You're done...your quilt top is finished!!! You could add faux stitches to it...sponge it...what ever your heart desires...I liked mine just as it was....

Now after all of that....did you happen to notice the card base??? What!??!??!?! You didn't even see it???? Well....I think it looks pretty cool too, if I could toot my own horn a little bit. It is sage shadow card stock. I first swiped the base with my sage shadow ink pad and then swiped over it with my whisper white craft ink pad. Kind of like faux wood...but this is more of a white washed look. I thought it was pretty, anyway. lol!

Now another thing...if you haven't bought any of the felt ribbon from the Holiday Mini catalog....it is from the alpine originals ribbon collection....you must get it! It is so.....I don't know how to describe it....it is not near as stiff as you might think...it is soft, very nice to tie with...anyway...I just love it!!! And I wanted you to see it up close. lol!

Oh yeah....my sentiment is from Holidays and Wishes. I inked it up with sage shadow ink then went over the word "HAPPY" with my chocolate chip stampin' write marker. I then punched it out with the new wide oval punch and then adhered it with stampin' dimensionals.

I have warned all of you......

....That I am a scrap hoarder! Ever wonder what you can do with 1 inch square blocks of designer series paper???? Do any of you out there quilt??? I know some of my club girls do...... I have dabbled in some quilting. I have never machine pieced anything together, I have hand pieced together a few quilt tops. I have hand quilted a few baby quilts, pillows, wall hangings and the such. Maybe I need to get back into it...in my free time....huh? lol!

I think I may have just found my "new thing." Making this type of card was fun, fun, fun!!! I made a bigger deal out of it than I probably would have needed to....but we will get into that tomorrow...I will give you a tutorial of what to do....ok? Today...you can just look at the candy.....

The card base is old olive. I stamped it with the twill background stamp. I absolutely love this background stamp!!! It is the best stamp, in my opinion, to give card stock a slight look of texture....luv it!!!! I then made my quilt of scraps from the Holiday treasures designer series papers. We will get into the mechanics of this tomorrow. I used a sentiment from the level 1 hostess stamp set, Best Yet. I inked it up with stampin' write markers in old olive, chocolate chip and ruby red before stamping it onto whisper white card stock. I punched it out with the designer label punch and it was a perfect fit into the label holder from the styled silver hodgepodge hardware collection.

Are you wondering how there is only one ribbon end???? I punched a hole in the "quilt" where the right hand side brad would go. I threaded the riding hood red taffeta ribbon through that hole and adhered it to the back of the quilt with sticky strip. I then took the remaining end and wrapped it around the card and then through the brad hole on the left from the bottom and secured it with a styled silver brad. a little clever??? Just a little???? I thought at the time I was really onto something...but seeing it now....maybe it wasn't so clever....LOL!!!

What is the matter with me????

I have done it again! I have used contraband stamps!!! I am sorry.......

But a few weeks ago, my mom, my daughter and I were shopping and I spied this adorable penguin stamp. My daughter loves "pengies" and the image reminded me of the three of us playing. I had it in my cart the entire way through the store...and then decided that I didn't need it. I have tons of Stampin' Up Holiday stamps that I love. Well....my mom bought it for me and slipped it into my bag....thanks mom!!!

Sorry I didn't post at all yesterday. I was wiped out by some sickness. It was all I could do to throw something edible on a plate for my daughter. I wasn't nauseous or anything...I was just so weak that I could barely sit, let alone walk or stand. I'm not sure what that is all about...but I fell better today. I still have a very sore throat....I mean...VERY sore throat. argh!!!! I do not have time to be sick!! But anyway...I did get to make a card today. And I did use those "pengies." lol!! Everything else is Stampin' Up! though.

Isn't it adorable??? Sorry the red looks orangish...it is riding hood red...I swear! The main image was stamped onto stampin' up watercolor paper with jet black staz on ink. I always grab my aquapainters to watercolor....but I thought...throw caution to the wind...use blender pens! lol!! So that is what I did. I colored in the image with a blender pen and the following reinkers: basic grey, riding hood red, tangerine tango, old olive, brocade blue, bashful blue ( snow and shadows)and so saffron (highlight for the twinkle lights). The card base as well as the matts are basic grey. The background panel is riding hood red. I stamped it with snowburst in riding hood red ink. I will feel soooooo bad if this snowflake stamp set retires this year! the edges were then sponged with riding hood red ink. The small old olive squares were also stamped with small snowflakes in snow burst. I then sponged the edges of those with old olive ink and a sponge dauber. My sentiment is from short and sweet and was stamped with basic black ink.

I'll show you the glitter up close:

sweet, huh? I'm pleased with it. My daughter sure is pleased with it. lol!