Oh how I will miss.....

Embrace Life!!

I have a few favorite to show you from the vault today.  Some of the card stock colors and accessories have been retired already - but this stamp set deserves a fond farewell......

Oh how sad it will be to see this set retire........

Wishing you happiness......

Hi Stampers!!!

Are you enjoying our Special Occassion Blog Tour???  There are some mighty fine ideas, huh? 
Today, I want to share a wedding card with you.  I had a TON of fun dressing up my bride and groom!!!

Well?!?!??!??!  Sweet, isn't it?
The black main panel is embossed with the brand new embossing folder, square lattice.  I love that design!!!
All of the white shown here is shimmer white card stock.....it is so beautiful, but is hard to capture with the camera.

The bride is made from cutting a scallop heart from the embosslit die, scalloped heart of hearts.  Her dress also consists of the full heart punch that has been embossed with the manhattan flower embossing folder.  She absolutley needed the clear rhinestone brads blinging up her gown.....accented with a white organza bow!!

The groom's attire was started with a shimmer white heart that was cut with the heart die in the movers and shapers die assortment.  He then was adornes with a tuxedo shirt that was punched with the full heart punch using the bride specialty paper, the striped pattern.  His tuxedo jacket was also constructed with the full heart punch, cut apart to make collars, with are mounted up on stampin' dimensionals.  His shirt was accented with black brads from the vintage collection brads and a bow tie of basic black 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon.  Don't they make an amazing couple together??

Take a closer look at the happy couple:

Don't they look happy???
I would absolutely love to know what you think of my happy couple :)

After you let me know how you feel about this this fine display of wedded bliss....make sure to click on the icon below to continue on the tour....you will NOT want to miss a singe stop :)

Flooded with Sympathy

Hi Stampers!
It seems like lately, I have needed a disturbing amount of sympathy cards.  So my stash of those are completely depleated, I think.  So, I sat down today to do a couple of challenges.  Mine - a sympathy card, Mojo Monday's sketch challenge and lastly, SCS color challenge - certainly celery, tempting turquiose and soft suede.  Here is the sketch that I started with:

Isn't that a great sketch??  It was begging for me to use some of those Kisses love notes from the Occassions Mini catalog - love them!!!! 









Here is what I came up with:

The card base is soft suede, stamped with the baroque motifs swirl.  If you are a customer of mine and you don't own this stamp set.....I have failed you!  This has to be the most versatile stamp set I own.  I layered the Kisses Love Notes with a piece of certainly celery card stock that has been stamped with Dot, Dot, Dot stamp, a single stamp also in the Occassions Mini. The horizontal panel is tempting turquoise that I tied with whisper white satin ribbon - so luxurious!!!!  And, if you are one of my club members, you will recognize the technique used on the flowers and leaves.  The flowers are from fifth avenue flowers and the leaves are from flower fancy - BOTH are on SALE this month!!!!!  I flooded the flowers with tempting turquoise and so saffron and the leaves were flooded with old olive and certainly celery.  see?

The oval panel in the center was cut with my big shot and the ovals die.  The sentiment is from teeny tiny wishes - another MUST HAVE.  I say that a lot, huh?  LOL!!!  I then accented the flowers and horizontal strip with flat backed pearls from the pretties kit.  Take a look at the dimension on this beauty......

And I just had to embellish the inside....

What do you think?  I am very pleased with how it turned out!

RemARKable Going Green Blog Tour - Day 2

Oh wow!!!  Are you getting some great "green" ideas, or what!?!??!!?  I am so priviledged to be a part of such a great team!!

Today, I am going to show you a hostess gift for all of you demos out there....but if you aren't a demo, you can duplicate this idea for a stampin' friend that you would like to give a small supply gift to or you can use this idea for any small gift packaging - like money :)

You love Stampin' Up!'s build a brads, right?????  What is not to love about those babies!?!?!?!?  Well - I couldn't bring myself to ever throw out the container they come in - what an awesome tin with a window lid!  Wanna see what I did with it?

Isn't that darling???  I wrapped the bottom with Noveau Chic designer series paper and then made a belly band to hold it closed.  It wasn't necessary to have soemthing hold it closed, but it looked cute :)
I filled it with some stamping accessories as a door prize.  Let's look closer at that flower, shall we??

I think we shall.....

I absolutely LOVE the floral fusion sizzlet!  I cut the flowers out in velum card stock and sponged then with sage shadow and then used the spritzer tool to add some basic grey color splashes.  And the half pearl from the pretties kit is the perfect center to this beauty.

Before you leave me, spread a little green love and let me know what you think and then click on the icon below to continue on your tour!

Pawsitively Praying for You

Hmmmm?????  Wonder where that title came from????  lol!  I am in desperate need of praying/thinking of you and sympathy cards lately.  Not good.  I pulled out this week's sketch challenge over at scs and immediately wanted to use the level one hostess set, Of the Earth for the square images.  But, I dug around looking for something else that might stike my fancy, just in case....no luck....I had my mind set on Of the Earth!  I really like this set....the bird images and the single stem flower are just gorgeous, in my opinion.  I also wanted to card to have a spring feel to it. 

wanna see????

I knew I wanted to use soft, springy colors.  I went to my store stash of designer series papers and pulled out the Pawsitively Prints pack.  It was designed to be used with the Build A Bear dies made exclusively for Stampin' Up!.  The delicate patterns lend thenselves well to the clothing prints.  I have also found that they are wonderful for so much more!!
The card came together pretty well.....just about exactly what I had in mind.  Here is a closer look at the goodness.

I even stamped the inside.....sorry this picture is fuzzy - for some reason, my camera would not focus right on it.  ARGH!!!!!!  I didn't stamp a sentiment, though, I may use this as a note card to send to a friend.  If not, I can always add the sentiment when I need to send it out.  Makes me feel that I made it just then.... ;)  hehehe!

Tip Alert**** One more thing!!!  If I weren't going to use a padded envelope to mail this card, I would definitely cut a piece of card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 and run it through the paper crimper to lay over the front to protect the pearls from the postal service machines.

stamps: Of the Earth, Matchbox Messages, Thoughts and Prayers
card stock: certainly celery, blush blossom, very vanilla, pawsitively prints designer series paper
ink: pretty in pink, old olive ( both stamped off before stamping)
accessories: 5/8 inch vanilla satin ribbon, pretties kit flat backed pearls, stampin' dimensionals

What do you think?

This has to be one of my favorites!!

HI stampers!

Boy, it has been a while, huh? The Holidays and my extra things have consumed me....but I did stamp today. And I must say - I think this is one of my favorite cards I have made in a while. I did base it loosely on today's mojo monday sketch. It is so loose...that the sketch card is square and a rectangle sentiment that covers it on one side...mine is rectangle - but it does have a square main image - and my sentiment is in the middle of the circle image. I can slide by on that, right?? Do you want to check out the sketch?

Here is my take on it.

I used Pocket Silhouettes to make a wreath pattern around a 1 3/4 inch circle mask that I made with my 1 3/4 inch circle punch and some Dotto repositionable adhesive. The three colors of green that I used to make the wreath with is Certainly Celery, Old Olive, and Always Artichoke - all classic ink. And then I thought.....I need some berries on this beauty! So, I pulled out Itty Bitty Backgrounds and stamped the larger dot stamp with Craft Real Red ink and embossed it with my Heat Tool and Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder. PERFECT!!! Just the amount of bling my wreath needs!

Next is my sentiment panel. It is cut from the Exclusive Stampin' Up! Matchbox Die. I inked up my sentiment from the Level One Hostess set, Holiday Best. I inked it up with two Stampin' Write Markers in Old Olive and Real Red. I then stamped it on the die cut and sponged the edges lightly with Old Olive. I punched the top and bottom with the smallest hole on the Crop 'O Dile to thread my ribbon, from Mistletoe Collection, through. The ribbon needed a little pick me up....so I pulled out my Pretties Kit. That was just the touch I was looking for! I adhered the entire sentiment panel to the center of the wreath with Stampin' Dimensionals.

The card base is Old Olive. The Designer Series Paper is from the Simply Scrappin' Kit - Christmas Jingle. The mat card stock is Real Red. I decided that the horizontal panel needed an extra touch also, so I adhered two flat back pearls from the Pretties Kit with mini glue dots.

I decided to decorate the inside also....I love that special touch that adds to cards.

What do you think of today's card...I really do love it and I hope it looks just as good on here as it does in real life :)

I am in love......

with the Love You Much Bundle!! I think the images are so cute and the paper....well....I LOVE that...and the punch...what is not to love about a sweet heart to heart punch?!??!?!?

My little one has a fascination with Toy Story and Toy Story 2 so I had a little stamp time this morning....lol! (Good thing I bought tons of Disney movies before she was born for myself....she has since claimed them all for herself!) I sure hope I have, or can buy, the next movie that she wants to get into....hehehehe!!!!

This card has a lot going on...but I had a ton of fun making it!!!

The base is close to cocoa. I stamped Bella Toile background in chocolate chip. All of the edges in this card are sponged with chocolate chip. I then took a strip of the designer series paper from Candy Lane and stamped it with the three heart trio in chocolate chip randomly. The scallop panel is a stamp from the Love You Much stamp set stamped twice in chocolate chip, once onto pink pirouette and once onto white confetti. I punched the pink layer out with my scallop circle punch and the white layer with the 1 1/4 inch circle punch. The two heart are from the heart to heart punch, the littlest one adhered down with a half of a stampin dimensional. The main image is also from the Love You Much set. I stamped it in basic brown classic ink because I wanted to color it. I colored it with graduating color.....if you registered for the stamp camp on Friday, you will learn, or review, how to color images this way. I punched a flower from the three for you punch in riding hood red and adhered it down over the stamped flower. I then accented the center with a flat back pearl. I wanted to give a little more balance to the layout so I adhered three more flat back pearls from the pretties kit with mini glue dots on the lower left hand corner of the ds.

What do you think? I would love to hear from you....

Until later - Happy Stampin'!

I feel pretty....Oh, so pretty.....

I feel pretty, and witty, and bright..... Are you singing it yet???? LOL!!! I originally heard this on West Side Story....but I do think that Baby's sister sings it in the talent show at the end of Dirty Dancing. You know - when Patrick Swayze (sp???) walks over to the table and looks her dad in the eye and says.."nobody puts Baby in a corner...." Oh my.....what a romantic!!!! lol!! Anyway....back to why I am here. hehe!!!

Here is a card I made a few minutes ago....in between cutting pieces of curly ribbon off of the spools that my daughter found....she claims she was making a cake with colors! I have huge spool after huge spool of curly ribbon....it makes anything look fun! And she found my stash....hehehe!!

I can't get the color to look right in these pictures.... The base is pink pirouette. The flower stack is from the pretties kit, hence the "I fell pretty" bit..... I colored the larger flower with pink pirouette ink and a sponge dauber, I colored it fully to get solid color. The next flower is colored with close to cocoa and a sponge dauber. The top flower was brushed lightly with the pink pirouette ink dauber to keep some white showing through. I threaded the beaded hat pin, also all from the pretties kit, onto a clear rhinestone brad - from the pretties kit, but can be ordered separately now....whooohoooo!!!! I adhered the three flowers together with that clear rhinestone brad. Both designer series paper layers comes from Bella Rose....I am soooo glad they did not retire that pack!!!! I matted both of those layers with a 1/8th inch mat in whisper white. I then adhered the flower stack down with two pop up glue dots (the thick ones). Here is a bird's eye view of that flower.

The sentiment is from A Little Birthday Cheer. It is a one line sentiment, but I wanted it to fit into my curly label punch.....so....I stamped the "happy" and then inked just "birthday" and stamped it aligning it with my stamp a ma jig. Both words were inked with my close to cocoa stampin write marker. I then stamped the vine flower from fresh cuts in pink pirouette, stamping off once. I adhered that down and tied a piece of pretty in pink taffeta ribbon around the edge of the large background panel and the sentiment. Then I had to add three little flat backed pearls, from the pretties kit, with mini glue dots to the bottom corner.

Take a gander...I even decorated the inside of my card a little.....I think I an going to try to do this a little more...it really adds to the card, don't you think???

Scrappin' Saturday 6

Week 6??? Wow...I am impressed!!! lol!

I sure hope you aren't tired of Felt Flurries....because I can't stop using them!! As a matter of fact, I got these pictures reprinted in black and white because I wanted to scrap with the flurries....do you think I have a sickness???? lol!

Here is the spread:

The base is baja breeze textured card stock....Now....If you aren't using our textured card stock in scrapping or card making, you don't know what you are missing! I didn't warm up to it when Stampin' Up! first released it....but now....I {luv} it!!! The designer series paper is from Ski Slope...beautiful!!!! And of course, the felt flurries from the holiday mini catalog. I used both the Big Felt Flurries and layered them with the largest flake in the Little Felt Flurries. There are three different sizes in the little Felt Flurries....can't go wrong with these!!

This is the left hand page. I matted the pictures with riding hood red card stock. I also stamped "winter" from everyday flexible phrases in whisper white craft ink across the top of my designer series paper panel.

You have to get a better picture at the felt flurries layer....

I adhered them together with the large clear rhinestone brads from the pretties kit...love this!!! this gives you a closer look at the "winter" also. What a cute little way to add color in a small way! There are so many phrases in that set...I will definitely do this a lot more!!! Why hadn't I thought of this in the past????

Now....The right hand page. I double matted the larger picture with riding hood red and baja blue. This is one of my most favorite pictures of her that I have taken. I don't know why.....I just love this picture....her little facial expression is just priceless. Sorry you can't see it....I am paranoid that way. Call me old fashioned....lol!! I also stamped "winter" down the right hand side of the page like I did on the other side. My journaling block is whisper white. It is butted up against the inner edge of this page. My hand writing isn't the best but I am an "old school scrapper" I guess. Someday, I hope my daughter can appreciate my hand writing in her scrapbooks and in my recipe box. More felt flurries....surprise, surprise! lol!

See my title? It is so sparkly in real life. These are chipboard letters from On Board Lots of Letters. I sure hope that Stampin' Up! gives us a letter die set this size. Are you reading this Stampin' Up!???? lol!!! I took a sponge dauber and inked the letters up with whisper white craft ink and embossed them with irredescent ice embossing powder and my heat tool. I then adhered them with tombo mono multi adhesive.

Well....another day in my daughter's album and out of my "box." I do have a terrible fear that I will meet my demise and be so far behind in her scrapbooks. To me, this is one of the best material gifts I can ever give her....I want her to realize her simple day to day things as well as holidays and birthdays. Now...if I would just remember to get the camera out when she is sassing me or screaming about something....LOL!!!

Scrappin' Saturday 4

Wow....I am four 2 page layouts further in my daughter's scrapbook than I would have been if I weren't doing this challenge to myself!!! I couldn't get a good 2 page spread picture, so I will have to show it to you in left and right pages.

You know.....I am all over the place with my scrap booking lately. I used to scrap chronologically...ONLY....but lately...I scrap what ever I feel like. lol!! A lot of times when I transfer my memory cards to my computer, I usually get around 100 pictures printed out from various events. So needless to say...I have dates all over the place to scrap. I have resolved to myself not to get any more printed until I get the ones scrapped that I have printed out already.

How do you scrap?

You know...."they" say that if you are really behind, you should scrap current and then go back to the past as you have time. I should take that approach...but then that would go against my resolve....lol!!!

Anyway...with that off my chest...I come to you with Easter pages! Easter Egg hunt pages, actually....not even real Easter day pages!

Here is the left hand side:

The base is so saffron. The designer series paper is the same retired package I used on week 1, flowers for you. These papers are so girly that I have to use them for her scrapbook...that is why I bought them actually. Remember....I did say that I might use retired goodies here...but you can definitely substitute current papers for your layouts. This is the problem with not scrapping current....in the next catalog there will be heaps of springy things, I'm sure....that is why we have two catalogs per year....but I am a free spirit of sorts, so I make do! lol!!!

I matted all of the pictures with whisper white. The main picture on this side of the page also is matted with pixie pink. The designer series paper strips on both sides along the top is adorned with whisper white punched with the scallop edge punch. Along the bottom, between the two rows, I spaced out holes with my mat pack and piercer and adhered pixie pink flowers punched with the three for you punch with "altered brads." Remember when I told you how to make white brads...since Stampin' Up! doesn't sell them.....wonder why not???? Anyway....click here to learn how to make your own white brads.

See that adorable flower accent with the chick???

I pulled out the largest flower from the pretties kit and dyed it to match my project with lavender lace ink and a sponge dauber. I just pulled the dauber from the center outward. I wanted a flower that still had some white in it...not completely one color. I love this about the pretties kit flowers...we can totally customize them to our project. I adhered it to the page with a brad. The little chick is from A Good Egg. I jumped on this set right away because it is definitely a good one for card making and scrap booking.....cute!

I stamped the chick onto whisper white with jet black staz on. I colored in the egg shell with my pretty in pink stampin' write marker. The chick was colored with barely banana and his little beak was colored with apricot appeal. I cut him out with my hobby blade and cutting mat. Now the fun part....blinging him up!!! I used my 2 way glue pen and dazzling diamonds to spruce him up! He was adhered to the center of the flower with a pop up glue dot ( one of the thick gooey ones....) You like?

Now the title.

I was going to use my new sizzix dies but then decided to do something a little different. I pulled out more paper from that same pack and stamped the word "hunt" with versamark ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder and the heat tool. I then cut the letters out. It is hard to see in this picture, but it is a cool look in real life. I accented it with a little flower like the ones along the bottom of the pages.

I can see myself doing this type of stamping lots more in the future. It really adds visual interest to the usual solid color titles, don't you think?

Now onto the right hand side of the 2 page spread.

It is pretty much all the same as the other side color wise except one main photo is matted in pixie pink and one is matted with lavender lace.

This color scheme went so well with my daughter's dress even though there wasn't a bit of yellow in it.

See the egg accents? Those were so fun to create!!!

The stamp set has a large open image egg with lots of different stamps to adorn it with.

I stamped two eggs onto whisper white with jet

black staz on.

For the one, I stamped the zig zag band in the middle. For the other, I stamped the flower/open circle stamp multiple times. I colored them in with stampin' write markers - barely banana, pretty in pink and lavender lace. They had to be blinged up too! I used my 2 way glue pen on the lavender lace part of the right egg and covered it with dazzling diamonds. The left egg, I just put dazzling diamonds on the pink flowers. The lavender lace egg is mounted on stampin' dimensionals.

Boy....I type alot, huh??? I hope you are enjoying Scrappin' Saturdays. I sure am enjoying doing them. If you are behind in your scrap booking, I urge you to try to tackle it just like I am. One week at a time....one layout at a time. It is very liberating to be getting some pages done.

Now, Go Scrap!

Today is THE day....

Officially today, you can order your Big Shot! If you want to get a jump start on orders, contact me right away to order your very own Big Shot!

I have several girls that will be attending my first of four consecutive Big Shot clubs/classes. I thought it would be nice to give them a little teaser of a project that they will be making on Sunday. If you are interested in joining our club, we have local club member spots available as well as long distance spots. Email me directly (regcorn@zoominternet.net)



I have had this card in my mind for a while now for our first Big Shot Club meeting but was unsure of the color scheme that I wanted to execute it in. Along came SCS color challenge to do a monochromatic card....I thought..PERFECT! I snuck upstairs to my little oasis and got busy!



I can't give too many details away just yet...I want my Big Shot Club members to get them first hand...but check out the dimension of those flowers ( flower layers bigz die)...and that yummy riding hood taffeta ribbon....oh my!!! And the pretties kit flat back pearls....the softness of pink pirouette.....the beauty of Bella Blossom designer series papers.....when will it end?!??!?!? I don't want it to ever end....Keep up the GREAT work Stampin' Up! I am lovin' it! ;)

Now, GO STAMP! ;)

Two other challenges met...and a second dose for your eyes!

Howdy! Again today.... :)

Want to know something....my union finally stood up for me to have a lunch break...so I got to stamp!!! I have been wanting to take part in Beate's inspiration challenge as well as Kristina Werner's inspiration challenge. Both are very different but I took them very literally.

Here's Kristina's inspiration challenge:

What is NOT TO LOVE about this picture?????? Here is my take on the challenge:

recipe:

stamps: Baroque Background, Fundamental Phrases

ink: chocolate chip craft and classic

card stock" soft sky, close to cocoa, very vanilla

accessories: pretties kit, clear embossing powder, heat tool, 5/8th inch very vanilla grosgrain, mini glue dots

Now for Beate's challenge:

We were to take inspiration from a Kate Spade note card.

First of all this note card really intrigued me! I really like it, I must say!

Here is my take:

I had so much fun with this!!!! Wanna know a secret? I stamped the little multi colored dots with the end of a new pencil eraser. Now another thing to keep in my stash!!! Where does it end???? lol!

I had a smudge at the top corner...I was planning on adding a sentiment there someday....today was that day! lol!

recipe:

stamps: baroque motifs, pencil eraser, live your dream (sentiment)

ink: black craft and classic ink, summer sun, certainly celery, tempting turquoise, regal rose

card stock: basic black, whisper white

accessories: clear embossing powder, heat tool

Wow...I didn't realize until now there are an awful lot of similarities in these cards....but they are totally different!!!!

I wanna thank each one of you for stopping by to see me...feel free to leave a little love in the comment section of this post (click on the little word "comments" I dare ya!)

We have a winner...Karen!

Poor Karen......she takes so much harassment for being the lucky winner of door prizes at a lot of stamp camps. She has won some really cool things...if I can say so myself. Well....Sunday's Scrapbook Purse Camp was no different. Wanna see what she won?????? I think it is the cutest!

A purse/tote made from two Carousel Notes (page 7 in the Occasions Mini Catalog) and one of their envelopes! I made a bag of punched shapes using the Afternoon Tea paper and some Hodgepodge Hardware in Antique Brass.

The Carousel Notes were stamped with my newest love...Twill Background...in soft sky. I stamped the large flower from the pretties kit with polka dot background in chocolate chip ink. The flower was held on with a build a brad...love 'em! The handles were the smooth and silky chocolate chip satin ribbon from theater originals ribbon. And the handle holes were adorned with jumbo eyelets! Can you imagine....tons of my favorites on one little project!!! whooohoooo!!!!1

Congratulations Karen!!!!!!

Wonder what will be the door prize at the Tart & Tangy Camp.....you will have to come and find out. :)