Monday, November 22, 2010

Happy Birthday dear friend


Have you ever been lucky enough to have a friend that you can go for months (or even years) and not talk to and then you can just pick up the phone and start talking like you had just talked the day before? I've been lucky enough to have two of them in my life and one of those ladies is having a birthday this Thanksgiving. I started this card with such gusto and faded fast . . . but I still think it's pretty enough for a close friend. The 'Just Believe' stamp set is soooo pretty and elegant, the perfect way to describe my oldest friend!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Just Believe
Cardstock: Early espresso, Rich razzleberry, Whisper white, Pretty in Pink
Ink: Early espresso
Other Stuff: Beautiful wings embosslit, Pretty in pink & rich razzleberry ribbon, vintage brads, Perfect details texturz plate, dazzling diamonds, basic pearls

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Candy buttons!


This idea has been floating around in my head since I got this new stamp set, Button, Button, which will be in the new Occasions Mini in January. There's lots of fun 'stuff' on this card: the button stamp (punched out), rhinestones, a jumbo wheel, and some puffy paint!
Heading to the chiropractor tomorrow to hopefully fix my ailing back . . . not good timing considering we need to move our furniture tomorrow night since the carpet cleaners are coming on Friday. When it rains it pours!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Jolliest time of the Year, Button, button, Christmas chatter jumbo wheel
Cardstock: Whisper white, basic black, Crumb cake
Ink: Basic black, real red
Other Stuff: 1" circle punch, Basic black 1/8" ribbon, basic rhinestones, black, real red, blush blossom & blushing bride markers, dimensionals, puffy paint (non SU), wheel guide

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Party time


I got to make some really cute contemporary invitations for a holiday party. Not my style, per se, but they sure did turn out nice, IMO. I digitally whited out the identifying information (how cool is it that you can do that?!?!?!?) so that I could share the design with you.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Contemporary Christmas Tree (unknown source, not SU)
Cardstock: Whisper white, Basic Black, Tempting turquoise, Old olive
Ink: Old olive, Tempting turquoise
Other Stuff: Basic rhinestones, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Versamarker, Old Olive & Tempting turquoise markers

Monday, November 15, 2010

Quick & easy gift card holder


This was the 6th and final project that we did at my stamp-a-stack this Sunday. I was playing around with several different ideas when my Stamp club order came in. When I placed my order, I meant to get a pack of 8 1/2 x 11 Crumb cake cardstock. I accidentally ordered 12 x 12. Duh. Oh well, I put it to good use with these gift card holders, which turned out so cute, and are so easy. The Joy of Christmas stamp is from the Perfect Punches set, which is really growing on me.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Perfect punches, Fireside Christmas
Cardstock: Crumb cake, Deck the Halls DSP
Ink: Always artichoke
Other Stuff: Scallop circle punch, Word window punch, Martha Stewart score board, Velcro closures

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Contemporary Christmas


Tonight's card is inspired by some invitations I just put together using a unique color combination for Christmas: Tempting turquoise and Old Olive. The invitations are very contemporary, and I really like this color combo, even though I didn't think I was going to. Isn't that one of the best parts of being a stamper/crafter??? The different ideas that come at you from all facets of your life mean that there's always something new to create - things that you never thought about until someone else mentions it to you and all of a sudden, it just clicks!!! Now if I just had about a week off to work on all the different things I want to work on before the holidays . . .

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Snow swirled
Cardstock: Whisper white, Basic black, Old Olive, Tempting turquoise
Ink: Tempting turquoise
Other Stuff: Old olive marker, Tempting turquoise and basic black ribbon, Ticket corner punch, Basic rhinestones, Perfect details texturz plate, Scallop trim border punch, Platinum shimmer paint

Friday, November 12, 2010

Snowflake votives


Variations of these votive candles seem to be floating around the internet these days . . . I had to CASE them and add my own touch. This was our second stamp club project this month and a big hit! This would be a quick and simple (and inexpensive) hostess gift . . .

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Serene snowflakes
Cardstock: Whisper white, Marina mist
Ink: Pretty in Pink, concord crush, marina mist, not quite navy
Other Stuff: Votives, tissue paper, sticky strip, heat gun, circle punch, score board, Pretty in Pink satin ribbon

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Holiday Stamp-a-Stack


Somehow in all the craziness that is my life lately, I have forgotten to post the announcement for my Stamp-a-Stack!?!?!?
The Holiday Stamp-a-Stack will be held this Sunday, November 14, from 2-5 PM at a new location - my mom's house. She has an awesome new stamp room that is huge and can accomodate way more people than my media room. We are going to make 10 cards (2 each of 5 different designs) and a gift card holder. Can you believe you can get a jump on your holiday cards for just $20!!!! Sign up today and come for a fun Sunday afternoon!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Vintage Christmas


Here's one of our club projects from tonight. The bottom part of the card used fabric to give it a little more texture and I got to use one of my new clearance rack purchases, the build-a-brad.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Snow swirled, Bells & Boughs
Cardstock: Always artichoke, Cherry cobbler, Very vanilla
Ink: Always artichoke, Cherry cobbler, Crumb cake
Other Stuff: Deck the halls fabric, Big shot multipurpose adhesive sheets, Build-a-brad, 1/2" circle punch, Champagne mist shimmer paint, sponge daubers, Victoria crochet ribbon, Basic pearls, scallop oval punch

Monday, November 8, 2010

Thanksgiving Planner



In my family, everyone 'takes' a holiday and is in charge of the meal and the general planning of the day. Thanksgiving always has been, and likely always will be, my holiday. I like it, because the only thing that matters on Thanksgiving is being with people you are thankful for, and food. The food is the centerpiece of the whole day, and I like having that responsibility. But with that responsibility comes, for me, a lot of lists!!!!! I have seen some of these little planners on different blogs and on splitcoast for Christmas so I decided to make one for myself for Thanksgiving. I used some retired DSP (Autumn Days??) from last year's Fall/Winter Mini and a plain manila file folder. I should also give a shout out to Hannah Kost (symmetry.typepad.com) who posted a tutorial for this project that I loosely followed. You can do a lot more embellishing, but since this is really all about function for me, I didn't add too much to it so that there's less that can fall off in my purse!!!
We'll see how much I actually use this planner - maybe I'll make a Christmas one too!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Day of Gratitude, Alphabet set (PSX)
Cardstock: Very vanilla, Dusty durango (retired), Chocolate chip, retired DSP
Ink: Early espresso
Other Stuff: Word window & modern label punches, Crop-a-dile, Chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon (retired), Nestie, Martha Stewart score board

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Working hard


Busy weekend spent catching up and trying to get some of the ideas that have been floating around in my head for two weeks out. Also had to prep for stamp club this month and start thinking seriously about my Stamp-A-Stack. I'm SO EXCITED for stamp club this month - think I have some good projects to share. The ladies at club get to see them first, but I'll be sharing those projects later this week.
Tonight's card is another one using those bells from the 'Bells & Boughs' stamp set. I used one of the sketch challenge sketches, which makes things go together so quickly. I also used the Deck the Halls paper and, since it's for Christmas, some Gold Glow smooch spritz for some glamour. BEAUTIFUL!!!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Bells & Boughs
Cardstock: Crumb cake, Very vanilla
Ink: Early espresso
Other Stuff: Circles #2 sizzix die, sponge dauber, Champagne mist shimmer paint, Gold glow smooch spritz, Scallop oval punch, markers

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Easing back in


Oh blog, I have missed you so much! Four days is the longest I've gone since I started this blog without a post. I had a great weekend at Penn State, and both of my work trips are over for the year, so I am back to my regular life, thank goodness! Tonight was the first night in WEEKS that I was able to go up to my scrapbook haven and have some fun, and there was so much I wanted to do that I almost overwhelmed myself. I played with a few different ideas, and then the idea for tonight's card popped into my head. I wanted to use my new build-a-brads that I got from the clearance rack so I decided to do a 'vintage' snowflake card. When I finish this card (this may be one of my personal Christmas cards this year), I'll use the sentiment from the Sincere Salutations set, which is on the formal side, calligraphy-ish. Can you see the Champagne mist shimmer mist I sprayed on????

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Serene snowflakes, Snow swirled (for the build-a-brad)
Cardstock: Very vanilla, Always artichoke
Ink: Always artichoke, Crumb cake, Early espresso
Other Stuff: Build-a-brad, Very vanilla satin ribbon, mini glue dots, Champagne mist shimmer mist, sponge