Holiday Stamp-a-Stack #3!

The 3rd and final Holiday Stamp-A-Stack will be held on Saturday, December 3 from 12-4 PM. This time we are going to make a gift tag box and plenty of gift tags as well as 10 holiday cards! If you are anything like me, you have great intentions of making homemade gift tags, and then time just gets away from you and you end up throwing some stickers from the store on your presents so you don't get them mixed up. I will have a variety of stamps, inks, punches and scrap papers laying around to make tags so this is your chance!!! The cost is $25 per person and I will need your reservation by Tuesday November 29. I hope to see you there!

Over my head

Last night was stamp club. Usually one of my most favorite nights of the month, when I get to do two of my most favorite things: make stamp projects and visit with some of my most favorite people. Last night was NOT one of my most favorite nights, though. I am WORN OUT. The projects we did this month were just too much. WHY OH WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF AND MY GROUP??????? I ask the question, but I already know the answer: I want to make club projects 'worthy' of the wonderful women who make the commitment to my club. They DESERVE the best, my best. But sometimes I get a little off-course and, like last night, confuse COMPLICATED with BETTER. This couldn't have come at a better time though, because my new mantra for the holidays (which my husband is going to love!) is: COMPLICATED DOES NOT MEAN BETTER.
The card is actually copied from a lady who was nice enough to put it on her blog with directions, although I did make some very minor modifications. Of course in my hundreds of papers I lug around in my bag, I managed to take out the ones with her name and blog on them - I will share that info next time. For now just appreciate her hard work and ingeniuity!!!

All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted

Well Worn Birthday

Sometimes you make a card that is SOOO awesome you just can't part with it. This is one of those cards. I originally made this to give to either my dad or my father-in-law, since their birthdays are about 2 days apart. But I didn't want to send it before I took a picture of it since it is, in my humble opinion, completely and totally da bomb. And I didn't take a picture of it for a really long time, so guess what that means - it never got sent to either guy. Luckily I don't think either one will mind too much! (Sadly, the guys I know don't care about cards nearly enough, IMO)
This card started with a random sketch I have laying around my scrap area, and I layered and twisted and tweaked with my stash of stuff until I got it how I wanted it. It uses a bunch of my still-new-to-me goodies: the Well Worn DSP, Perfectly Penned stamp set for the sentiment, and the Blue Denim Jean ribbon. And after much trial and error with different techniques and spritzes and sprays and distressing tools, I settled on using the Wonderfully Worn background stamp and sponged edges to get the sentiment (and focal point of the card) to look just the way I wanted it to. Gorgeous!!!!! Not sure if the photograph does it justice or not, but I've got it in my stash if you ever want to see it in person!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Perfectly penned, Wonderfully worn
Cardstock: Early espresso, Soft suede, River Rock (I think - it's been a while), Well Worn DSP
Ink:Not quite navy, Soft suede, Versamark
Other Stuff: Blue denim jean ribbon, sponges, Clear EP

Monsters, etc

There are a lot of times when I like to make goodies for my work or for the kids preschool classes, and I sometimes get myself in a little too deep. Meaning, I have great intentions, and come up with some awesome projects, but when I try and re-create them 50 times, I want to curl up and hide under my bed. Of course by the time I realize that I'm already too far in to turn back and I end up hating myself until I get all of the projects done. However, I am learning from my past miscues and the project I'm sharing with you today is super-easy and should not cause me to curse myself before I am done. These are little monster toppers that I am going to use with the 1 x 8 cello bags from Stampin'Up for my kids' preschool Halloween parties. I've even got the goodies to put in the bags already - a Halloween pencil and one or two glow-in-the-dark bracelets!! The Make-A-Monster set is fast becoming one of my favorites, after lingering on the 'I want this set but I want something else more so I push it to the bottom of the list list' for too long. I stamped and colored about 40 of these little guys about a month ago and now I just need to punch and assemble - with over a week to spare - now THAT'S scary!!!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Make a monster
Cardstock: Whisper white, Pick your poison DSP
Ink: Basic black
Other Stuff: Scallop circle punch, regular circle punch, sticky note, markers, 1 x 8 cello bags, mini glue dots

Christmas Class Part II

The first part of my Christmas class series was a huge success! Everyone went home with 10 beautiful Christmas cards, a decorated box to keep the cards in, and a great sense of satisfaction of having their Christmas cards started in October!!! We are going to continue the fun with part II. This time we are going to make 10 more cards (5 each of 2 designs) and make a fully decorated and totally functional Holiday planner that will fit in (most) purses and keep all of your recipes, receipts, lists and anything else important for your holidays in one tidy and beautiful place. This class will be held on Saturday October 29 from 12-4. If you can't make the class you can still buy the kit and stamp the images on your own time. It is a great deal at only $25 per person. I need to cut all the pieces and assemble your kit so I need to know if you're coming by Wednesday October 26. I hope to see you all there!

Pennant race

Pennant races make me think of baseball, but since my Phillies are out of it now I'm applying it to the card I'm sharing today. This card uses one of the new 'in' things this year in stamping/scrapbooking: pennants. This has the Perfect pennants die, the Pennant parade stamp set and the Petite pennants punch (try saying that three times fast!)all on one card! The color combo is pretty cool too: Baja breeze, Rich razzleberry and Island Indigo. I was able to use three different types of ribbon in three different colors, which just goes to show you that when you have a bunch of Stampin' Up! stuff the stars really can align that way when you need them to!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Pennant parade, Word play
Cardstock: Baja breeze, Whisper white, Rich razzleberry, Island indigo
Ink: Rich razzleberry, Island indigo
Other Stuff: Rich razzleberry & Island indigo markers, Petite pennants punch, circle punches, Perfect pennants die, perfect polka dots EF, Rich razzleberry 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Baja breeze seam binding ribbon, Island indigo ruffled ribbon

Funky fall

The Spice Cake designer series paper that Stampin'Up! has in their holiday mini catalog uses a color combination that is absolutely 'out there' and completely AWESOME in my opinion. They use 'normal' fall colors like Soft suede, More mustard and Very vanilla, and then they go totally crazy and add in Pool party, of all things!!! It kicks the whole thing up a notch and modernizes the entire look. It seems like EVERYONE has been making a variant of the card I'm sharing today, using these colors together. I'm throwing my creation into the mix as well. This was the second project we made at Stamp Club this month, and I changed up the 'typical' card I've seen by embossing the leaf in gold and adding a fabric flower to the mix. Funky, yet lovely, right???
Stay tuned . . . I am hoping to figure out a date for the second installment of my Christmas card class. I'm thinking the last weekend in October or the first weekend in November, but I'm only doing it ONCE this time!!! If you have an opinion either way of when to have it, send me an email, text or comment on this blog.
Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: En francais, French foliage
Cardstock: More mustard, Soft suede, Very vanilla, pool party. Spice cake DSP
Ink:Soft suede, more mustard, soft suede, pear pizzazz, pool party, versamark
Other Stuff: Gold embossing powder, sponges, Fun flowers die, Spice cake fabric, vintage brad, glue dot

It's fall, y'all

I've been on a big home-organization kick lately. If you know me at all, you know that while I am very organized and 'with-it' for my job, not so much at home. I have LOTS of things that need organizing, and I am sure there is at least one person out there who is shaking their head saying 'Yeah, that's the understatement of the year!' (Hi Mom!) Anyway, so far this fall I have cleaned out the garage (all three bays!), my pantry, the junk drawer in the kitchen, my son's closet, the kid's toy area, and tomorrow I am taking the day off and tackling my bedroom closet (wish me luck!). Anyway, this relates to stamping because I just cleaned out my tote bag that I take to work and realized that there are about half a dozen cards in there that have not seen the light of day on this blog!!!!! So I am going to do my best to play catch-up and show you some of the cards I've made and failed to share with you.
Today's card is one that we made at our most recent stamp club. It is a criss-cross card with a coaster we made thrown in for good measure. I thought that this would be a really cute way to do place cards for a holiday meal or wedding, where you could have a favor in with the card (the coaster is the favor I chose, since I wanted to show the ladies at club how easy it is to use the Sizzix dies to cut through not just paper, but fabric and other materials like cork like butter). I'm thinking of using this for my very own Thanksgiving festivities, although it would mean taking time to actually make 10 or so of these, and while I'm good at coming up with these ideas, follow through to completion is not my strong suite. Although those turkeys sure are cute . . .

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Fabulous phrases
Cardstock: Soft suede, very vanilla, more mustard, pool party, pear pizzazz, early espresso, whisper white, cherry cobbler, cajun craze, Spice cake DSP
Ink: Soft suede
Other Stuff: Punches: Tab, Owl, 5 petal flower, scallop circle, heart to heart; glue dots, cork sheet, multipurpose adhesive sheets, 3 1/2" circle die, Spice cake fabric

Just be happy

Last night I was up in my stamp room and I actually had a somewhat original idea. The little acorn is CASED from a bunch of different cards I've seen here and there, but the rest of the card is pretty much mine. It put an extra bounce in my step, something that's been lacking lately. I didn't have any really good Thanksgiving sentiments that I thought fit the card, so in a moment of inspiration I inked up the Pursuit of Happiness stamp set for the first time. I love the way the cards turned out and have decided to take it's advice and just be happy in the moment.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Day of gratitude, Pursuit of Happiness
Cardstock: River rock, soft suede, pool party, very vanilla, more mustard, basic black, Spice cake DSP
Ink: River rock, Soft suede, Melon mambo
Other Stuff: Pool party, more mustard and soft suede markers, So saffron glimmer brad, black brads, paper piercer, paper crimper, ornament punch, large oval punch, medium oval punch (retired), small circle punch from itty bitty shapes punch pack, square lattice EF, sponge dauber, Gold glow smooch spritz

Notepad holder

Here is my most favorite project that we've made in Stamp Club so far. It's a notepad holder made out of a file folder. I used a tutorial from Splitcoast stampers and then decorated it myself. I find myself using this almost every day for different notes to myself and it makes me smile every time I pull it out of my bag. These colors, Pool Party and Island Indigo, make me happy.
I wish I had more cards to show you but it seems like lately I've been so busy with the ribbon share and my Christmas class and my sister's bridal shower that I haven't made anything original in a while. I'll have to try and take a picture of the favors I made for the shower this week.


Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Delicate doilies, Jaynes type alphabet
Cardstock: Pool party, Island indigo, Whisper white
Ink: Pool party
Other Stuff: Circle punches, Perfect pennants die, scallop trim border punch
Non SU: file folder, velcro closure, notepad

Holiday Class and Ribbon Share!

It's been a while since I've posted, but I promise that I've been busy and I think you'll like what I've come up with! I've got TWO exciting announcements - A Holiday Class series AND, by popular demand, a ribbon share. First, the Holiday class:
The plan is for the Holiday Class to be a series of classes, once a month until Christmas. At each class we will make 10 Holiday Cards (5 each of 2 different designs) and a 3D project relating to the holidays. The goal is that you will have 30-40 handmade cards ready to send out for the holidays by early December (depending on if we have 3 or 4 classes). Each class will be $25 and will include all supplies except adhesive. The first class will be held Sunday October 2 from 1-4:30(ish) and we will be making a cute card keeper box in addition to the 10 cards. You don't have to come to all the classes, so you can come try it out and see if you like it. Because I need to order some supplies, I need to know if you will be attending the class NO LATER THAN FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23!!!! Send me an email or a comment on this blog if you would like to attend.
The second big anouncement is a ribbon share. Do you love Stampin'Up! ribbon but don't really need 10 or 15 yards of one color? Then this ribbon share is for you! For $30, you get 43 YARDS of ribbon in a variety of colors and styles - perfect for having just the right color for all of your cards! Here is exactly what you get:
1/2" Stitched Poly ribbon: 3 yards each of Concord Crush and Pear Pizzazz
5/8" Satin ribbon: 3 yards each of Real Red, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Bashful Blue and Chocolate Chip
3/8" Ruffled Ribbon: 2 yards each of Island Indigo, Pool Party and Wisteria Wonder
1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon: 2 yards each of Cherry Cobbler, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango, Marina Mist, Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, and Basic Black.
WOW!!!! Call, email or leave me a comment to sign up today!!
I'll be back later this week with more projects that I've been working on!

Vacation oops

Hi all! I did an 'oops' with my vacation plans as far as my blog is concerned. I got a new laptop for my birthday (woo hoo!!!) and brought it with me to the beach, but forgot to transfer the pictures of my cards to the new computer - duh!! So I have no new cards to share with you until I get back. Sorry! You'll just have to make do with some pictures of my kiddos on vacation, since that's all I've got. We missed two beach days thanks to Hurricane Irene (the waves were too dangerous) but we really dodged a bullet with that one, thank goodness. We spent half a day at the Brevard Zoo and a whole day at Disney's Hollywood Studios and we sweated our butts off but had a lot of fun too. The kids got their faces painted in the late afternoon so that's what those pictures are. See you back in a few days!


Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)Stamps:Cardstock:Ink:Other Stuff:

Fall anyone??

Like most north Texans, I am SO OVER this summer. Seriously, the 100 degree plus days have just worn me out. I haven't even been stamping much lately
:-( But I did get a boost when my goodies from the new holiday mini showed up. One of my favorite things was this single stamp, Leaves of a Tree. I've been using my markers and different color combos and loving all of them. Poppy parade has not been one of my favorite colors, but I really like it paired with fall colors - it gives such a nice "pop" of color (heh heh).
I've only got a couple more days of hard labor at work (a total of 14 days straight, not that I'm counting or anything) and then I'll be off for what is probably my most earned vacation in a decade. I'm planning on doing a lot of digital scrapbooking and getting some of my Christmas gifts done well before the holidays (as they haven't quite gotten done the past couple years). No fear, I'm still planning on blogging so check back often starting next week!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Leaves of a tree, Fabulous phrases
Cardstock: Poppy parade, Peach parfait, Early espresso, Very vanilla
Ink: Early espresso, Peach parfait
Other Stuff: Markers (poppy, peach parfait, daffodil delight, early espresso, soft suede), Houndstooth EF, Daffodil delight taffeta ribbon, Early espresso striped ribbon (retired but you can still get it in soft suede), curly label punch

A pick-me-up

A card can really make a difference sometimes. A lady I work with recently had her apartment broken into and she was really devastated. Having been through a similar situation when my sister and I lived in the 'hood, I had some idea of how awful and violated and scared she felt. You can't fix that, but you can try to let people know that you understand why they feel how they feel and give them hope that they will feel better in time. With this type of situation she was lucky because all she lost was stuff, and stuff can be replaced. But it's still scary, and it makes you mad that people came in and took stuff that you worked so hard for and meant so much to you. But in the end, it's really not the end of the world and stuff can be replaced. I made her this card and she almost cried when she opened it. She kept it at her desk the rest of the week and whenever she started to feel really down she read it again and told me it made her feel better and it reminded her that it really is just 'stuff.' The sentiment is from a new set in the catalog this year, Pursuit of Happiness. In case you can't read it on the card itself, it says "Everything will be okay in the end. If it isn't okay, it isn't the end." Words to live by.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps:Inspired by nature, Pursuit of Happiness
Cardstock: Basic gray, Whisper white, Wisteria wonder, Flirtatious Specialty DSP, Elegant eggplant
Ink: Markers: Elegant eggplant, Wisteria wonder, Old olive
Other Stuff: Frost white shimmer paint spritz, Basic gray satin ribbon, Scallop edge border punch, dimensionals

Fun cool birthday

My daughter is going to one of her best little friend's birthday this weekend, so I had to make him a 'cool' birthday card. Borderlines is becoming one of my go-to stamp sets from the new catalog. I used a card sketch from a Splitcoast challenge that just worked perfectly with the polka dots as well as my new favorite birthday stamp set Bring on the Cake. The colors are fun and cool, perfect for a new 4 year old!
Today is my wonderful mom's birthday!!! Of course I can't share her card with you (yet) since she hasn't seen it yet. I'll save that for another day. Love you mom!!!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Borderlines, Bring on the cake
Cardstock: Bashful blue, Pacific point, Pear pizzazz, Whisper white
Ink: Bashful blue, Pacific point, Pear pizzazz, Real red
Other Stuff: Corner rounder punch, circle punches, Perfect details texturz plate, Markers, dimensionals, sponges

Hello baby

One of my friends had a beautiful baby girl a little over a week ago so this card is in the mail on the way to the happy family. She did the nursery in purples and pinks so of course I had to make a card in the same colors (I also made her a small scrapbook album in those colors too - maybe one day I'll take the time to post those pictures since I actually had the foresight to photograph them before I gave it away, but I'll have to be awfully ambitious one day). Anyway, I digress . . . this card is probably going to be my new go-to card for babies. It's super-cute and appropriate for both boys and girls if you change up the color scheme. Perfect!!! AND, my big super-tricky trick for this card is that I MADE MY OWN BUTTONS. Yes, really!!! It's not hard, but it does take a little foresight because you have to make them at least a day ahead of time so they have time to dry completely. With the new Button Buddies stamp set in the new catalog, making your own buttons is practically a necessity!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Button buddies, Its a wrap occasions
Cardstock: Pink pirouette, Wisteria wonder, Elegant eggplant, Whisper white
Ink: Pretty in pink, Wisteria wonder, Elegant eggplant
Other Stuff: Perfect polka dots EF, Dotted scallop ribbon border punch, 3/4" circle punch, Paper piercer, White baker's twine, Crystal effects, mat pack, Basic rhinestones

Looking forward to fall

As it continues to be hotter than hades, I long for fall, with cool fall nights and warm (not hot!) fall days. So today's card is my longing for fall. I used some new goodies from the new Stampin'Up! big catalog that just came out in July: Well worn designer series paper and the Houndstooth embossing folder.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Plant hope, Wonderfully worn
Cardstock: Soft suede, Cajun craze, Not quite navy, Very vanilla
Ink: Soft suede, Cajun craze
Other Stuff: Houndstooth EF, sponges, Linen thread, metallic brads, mat pack

Christmas in July

It's still July, so I'm able to sneak this in under the wire. It's going to be the hottest week EVER in Texas (seriously, like 106 degrees this week) so just to stay cool I NEED to dream of a white Christmas. Plus, as a Stampin'Up! demonstrator I get to pre-order from the Holiday Mini catalog starting tomorrow, which I am super excited about. The holiday mini never ceases to amaze me and drain my wallet. My goal is to have some sneak peeks for you by mid-August once my order comes in.
Today's card is based on a card I saw somewhere (I can't find the card or where I got it from) but I know I used the same basic design and stamp set although I made it Christmasy so the colors are all different. It's a great way to change up the 'traditional' way to use your stamps.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Elements of style, Borderlines, Teeny tiny wishes
Cardstock: Soft suede, Very vanilla, Lucky limeade, Cherry cobbler
Ink: Soft suede
Other Stuff: 5 petal flower punch, Dotted scallop ribbon border punch, Modern label punch, Glitter brad, Markers, Versamarker, Basic pearls, sponge, dimensionals

Weddings two ways

Lately I've found out about this cool new technique called double embossing, where you use embossing powder on an embossing folder and dry emboss and wet emboss the same image. So of course I had to try it (see top card). I think I like it, but it really does use A LOT of embossing powder and honestly, it's kind of messy. So I tried a variation that I've seen where you ink up an embossing folder and then you end up with a two-tone image (see bottom card). Slightly less messy and one less step since you don't have to heat set anything. But then if you're like me you have an almost heart attack because you can't get your embossing folder clean. I am no neatnik, but I can't have messy stampin stuff!!! The horror! Luckily, several baby wipes and some serious elbow grease did the trick. I'm thinking about investing in a second embossing folder saved for inking if I decide to do this technique more often.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Word play or Sincere Salutations
Cardstock: Real red, Basic black, Whisper white or Basic black and very vanilla
Ink: Versamark or Basic black
Other Stuff: Silver or black embossing powder, circle punches, scalloped oval punch, large oval punch, Red glitter paper, satin ribbon, basic rhinestones, basic pearls, mini glue dots

Any occasion beauty

This new stamp set My Friend is so easy to use. I love when I find a stamp set that I can use with different colors and totally change it up. It's also a great excuse to bust out the new colored embossing powders like Wild Wasabi to give the card a bit more texture. I left a sentiment off this card since I made it just for fun and not for a specific purpose right now. Once I have a purpose, I can just stick a sentiment in the top corner and voila I'm done. LOVE IT!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: My friend, En francais, Borderlines
Cardstock: Island indigo, Wild wasabi, Whisper white
Ink: Wild wasabi, Island indigo, Versamark
Other Stuff: Wild wasabi embossing powder, Island indigo ruffled ribbon, Antique brad

Fun in the sun

It's been so hot here now for so long that we are not really having much fun in the sun lately. But we're troopers so we still go in the pool even though the water's been in the mid-90s and not really refreshing. I at least can pretend that we're still having lots of fun in the water with this cute card. I used the new in colors (which ARE fun) and a couple of rhinestones to jazz it up a bit. I'm so glad I have this stamp set - if I ever get back to scrapbooking it will get a lot of use :-)
Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Sunny fun
Cardstock:Island indigo, Pool party, Calypso coral, Whisper white
Ink: Black stazon, Pool party, Island indigo
Other Stuff: In color markers, Scallop border punch, Word window punch, Basic rhinestones, Mat pack, Paper piercer

Happy Dots

I'm having some serious fun with the goodies in my last shipment from Stampin'Up! Two stamp sets I reached for right away were Bring on the Cake and Borderlines. This card tonight is so easy and could be used for anyone: men, kids, ladies (although there are soooo many other great cards to make for ladies). The hardest part of this card was having to clean the stamp between each color :-) This is why I LOVE the clear mount stamps - it was so easy to line up the dots!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Bring on the Cake, Borderlines
Cardstock: Peach parfait, Daffodil delight, Riding Hood red, Whisper white
Ink: Tempting turquoise, Daffodil delight, Pear pizzazz, Peach parfait, Riding hood red
Other Stuff: Markers, corner rounder punch

Put on your party hat

My mojo has been working overtime lately, and I'm lovin' it! I realized the other day as I was cleaning up my stamp area that somehow I had bought all three colors of the baker's twine and had no idea (bad Karla!). So I figured I'd better use the darn stuff and thought back to this time (pre-kids) when I bought a pom-pom making kit online (I know - really??). Well, it was worth something because I reached into the deep recesses of my mind and made a modified pom pom tool to make a little bitty pom pom out of the baker's twine - cute, huh?
And this owl is another thing that just makes me happy when I pull it out and use it. Who doesn't like an owl with a party hat? Another thing I pulled out and dusted off was the So Many Stars builder wheel -I'm going to have to remember that more often for birthday cards.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps:Pennant parade, So many stars builder wheel, teeny tiny wishes
Cardstock: Not quite navy, Cherry cobbler, Tempting turquoise, whisper white, tempting turquoise DSP, Crumb cake, Soft suede
Ink: Tempting turquoise, Cherry cobbler
Other Stuff: Petite pennant punch, owl punch, large scallop circle punch, circle punch, cherry cobbler baker's twine

Monster friends

The other night my son was wearing some cute new pajamas and I really liked the color combo: pumpkin pie, night of navy, and the new in-color Lucky Limeade. So of course I had to go upstairs to my scrapbook room and put my new inspiration to good use. This card is so silly but I absolutely stinkin' love it. I feel like it's been a while since I came up with a card completely on my own, and it felt good :-) The make-a-monster set has been on my wish list a long time, and with a little boy in the house I think I'll be using it a lot. There are so many different face parts that you can combine that you can make a ton of different monsters - fun fun fun!!!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps:Make a monster, Pocket silhouettes (sentiment)
Cardstock: Pumpkin pie, Lucky limeade, Night of navy DSP, Flirtatous DSP, whisper white
Ink: Night of navy, Lucky limeade
Other Stuff: Markers, silver brads, sponges, Curly label punch

Christmas in July

It's never too early to start working on Christmas cards, right? This card might be a bit too involved for mass production but I had a lot of fun with the new Pennant punch and stamp set. With my sister getting married at the end of the year, guess I'd better get started on those mass production cards soon . . . hmmmm.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps:Pennant parade, Perfect punches
Cardstock: real red, Whisper white, Brushed silver, Real red DSP
Ink: Real red, garden green, early espresso
Other Stuff: Petite pennant punch, Scalloped circle punch, circle punches, 1/8" taffeta ribbon, scallop border punch, Frost white shimmer paint shimmer mist, red fine galaxy glitter, basic rhinestones

Simple thanks

Sometimes you just need a quick thank you note. This is one of those easy cards that you can whip up in a hurry, or make a lot of in a hurry. I LOVE when punches and stamp sets coordinate - it makes such an impact and no one needs to know how easy it really is!!! AND, this is a perfect example of how a little bit of patterned paper can go a long way.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Four frames, Teeny tiny wishes, Sanded (retired)
Cardstock: River rock, Paisley petals DSP, Not quite navy, Very vanilla
Ink: River rock, Not quite navy, Early espresso
Other Stuff: Blender pen, Twill tape, Decorative label punch, Scallop edge border punch, dimensionals

Clemson sunset

I went to Clemson for graduate school. The school colors at Clemson are purple and orange, and what I've heard is that they chose those colors because that's what color the sky is at sunset. I don't know if that's the real reason they chose those colors or not, but I can say that the sunsets there really are purple and orange, and they are striking. Of course while I was there I never bothered to actually take a picture of a sunset, and I could kick myself for it. Hopefully I'll be able to get back there someday soon (during football season, of course) and get some of those pictures I never bothered to take in the 5 1/2 years I lived there.
The card I'm sharing today is my ode to the Clemson sunset, and the sentiment is for all my friends I made while I was there. It is (probably) an awful coincidence, but I could probably say that, from Clemson, I have maybe 10-12 friends on Facebook. Of those people, there are FOUR (including me) that have had some sort of abnormal growth since I've known them. My (BENIGN!!) brain tumor is by far the least worrisome of the group. So this sentiment was added on purpose, and not just because it fit on the card.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: My friend, Word Play, Fabulous phrases, Perfect punches
Cardstock: Elegant eggplant, Calypso coral, Wisteria wonder, Whisper white
Ink: Elegant eggplant, Calypso coral, Wisteria wonder
Other Stuff: Ticket corner punch, Tab punch, Brayer, Basic pearls

Delightful doilies

These new doilies are going to be some of my favorite new stamps this year, I think. This is the second card we made at the new catalog event and everyone kept calling the doilies snowflakes . . . that's something I'm going to try soon!!! Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I have some other ideas so I think I'm off to create while the mojo is there!!! See ya later :-)

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Delicate doilies
Cardstock: Wisteria wonder, Pool party, Whisper white
Ink: Wisteria wonder, Pool party, Island indigo
Other Stuff: Lace ribbon border punch (new!!!), circle punches, dimensionals

New stuff!!!!

It's been a long hard month between posts, but hopefully now that my computer has been fully virus-scanned and cleaned up, and work is (blessedly!) slowing down for the next few weeks, I'll be able to actually post what I've been working on. As many of you may know, the new catalog for Stampin'Up! came out on July 1. This is always an eagerly anticipated event, and it usually coincides with my summer vacation. But not this year. Since I was home, I decided to have a new catalog 'event' and I have to tell you, it was better than I even expected! We had such a nice group get together on July 1 to stamp and oogle the new catalog while drinking sparkling wine and eating cookies. Seriously, there is little in life that would make me happier. The card I'm posting tonight is one of two that we made, and it features two of the new in-colors (which I LOVE) and a new stamp set called My Friend. This picture also features one of my most favorite new purchases (which is my mom's purchase but I think I will be using - often) a new light box to take the pictures!!!! My plan is to take pictures of all my new cards once a week so I have them to blog all week. We'll see how that goes!!!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: My friend
Cardstock: Calypso coral, Early espresso, Whisper white
Ink: Calypso coral, Lucky Limeade, Early espresso

Can you even stand it???

Back again!!!! I guess I have been making a few cards lately even though I haven't been blogging much, so I'm finally getting around to posting some of my creations. Today's card is one of those creations that I made and thought it was okay, and now when I go back and look at it again, I REALLY like it. We made this in our club last month and I thought it was a great masculine graduation card. I find it really easy to whip together a feminine card for any occasion, but cards for guys always stump me. I'm really excited because there is a FABULOUS designer series paper set coming out in the new Stampin'Up! catalog next month . . . so stay tuned! That paper set, along with some much-anticipated new masculine sets, will be on my first order!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Sail away(?, from the summer mini), Word play, Grunge rock
Cardstock: Real red, sahara sand, very vanilla, not quite navy
Ink:Not quite navy, real red
Other Stuff: Early espresso bakers twine, square lattice EF, sahara sand marker and blender pen

Fun in the Sun

Don't fall out of your chairs . . . but here I am again, back in less than a week!!! It is HOT here in Texas already and we have been making good use of my mom's pool lately, which is supposed to wear the kids out so they sleep well at night. This is working, but it is also wearing mama and daddy out so our whole house is sleeping well these days :-)
I'm hoping to have some more time for 'fun' stamping in the next month or so as stamp club is winding down for the summer. This card is one that is purely fun: who doesn't love a bunch of nice fresh pairs of brightly colored flip-flops??? You know, before they get all grungy from wearing them all day, every day for 3 months. I stepped out of my comfort zone and used a color that I don't think I've used all year: Poppy parade. It looks so nice paired with some of the other 2010-2012 in colors, Pear pizzazz and Peach parfait!!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps:Sunny fun (from the Summer Mini)
Cardstock: Poppy parade, Whisper white, Daffodil delight, Poppy parade, peach parfait and Pear pizzazz DSP (from hostess set)
Ink:Basic black
Other Stuff: Assorted markers, Daffodil delight taffeta ribbon, tiny colored rhinestones (of unknown origin)

Yeah yeah yeah, I know

It's been forever, and y'all probably have given up on me. Heck, I about gave up on me. But what can you do when you have no motivation (and a seriously slow laptop?). You do what my kids HATE to do: you take a break (this is because 'take a break' is a euphemism for a time out for my kids, but I digress). But when the break is over, you get back to doing what you were doing before the break and hopefully appreciate it even more. So we'll see how that goes. Things should be getting very exciting, stamping-wise, in the very near future, like this week. I got the sneak peek stuff and the retired list from Stampin'Up today, and I'm planning on expediting an order so I'll have a BRAND NEW catalog in my hands by the weekend. AND I'm going to the Great American Scrapbook convention on Thursday (not to buy (much) but to get some fantastic and inspiring new ideas, of course!)
So since I've been gone so long, I'm sharing the outside AND inside of a card today. This cheery little pop-up card has been sitting on my desk for a while, but this Bold Blossom stamp set made it into the summer mini so it's still current - woo hoo!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Bold blossom, Dotted spring bg
Cardstock: Daffodil delight, tangerine tango, Pacific point, Whisper white, Old olive DSP
Ink: Daffodil delight, Tangerine tango, Pacific point, Old olive
Other Stuff: Dimensionals, Basic pearls, Brads

Way out there layout

Tonight's card was made using one of those Mojo Monday card sketches that I printed out in bulk and head to when I need some new inspiration. This layout is kind of out there for me, but upon further review, I think I really like it. I got to use almost all the stamps in the Easter blossoms set on this card too, which gives me a feeling like I got my money's worth (not a problem with this stamp set!) I used all but the Easter egg on one card - that's got to be some sort of record! (I guess I could use the egg on the inside with the Happy Easter stamp . . . hmmmm. This is one of those rare cards (for me at least) where there's a lot going on with it as far as stamps go, but there is not one single embellishment (aside from DSP, if you think of that as an embellishment) on it, which means it's going to be easy to ship, for one thing. I am totally guilty of relying on bling and embellishments to fill up a card, and sometimes with the right design, you can let the stamps speak for themselves. Just one more reason why I love to make cards!


Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Easter blossoms
Cardstock: River rock, Very vanilla, Not quite navy, Springtime vintage DSP
Ink: Not quite navy, Baja breeze, River rock
Other Stuff: 1 3/8" circle punch, Scalloped circle punch, Versamarker, Rose red, Pretty in pink and Pear pizzazz markers, Sponge dauber, dimensionals

Love this little girl

I think I'm up to 14 of the (at least) 17 Easter cards I want to send out. This little girl silhouette is certainly getting good mileage from me. She's so pretty and easy to work with, and I just love highlighting her hair bow and flowers. I think I love that her hair is probably kind of curly, but it could also just be a little bit unruly and windblown. Just like my hair back then. And now. And, unfortunately, my daughter's hair. In silhouette it looks really cute sometimes but most of the time we just look, as my husband puts it oh-so-gently (NOT!) . . . scruffy. And as much as I'd like to, I can't deny it. We're a scruffy bunch. I guess there are worse things in this world, but I'll be honest . . . when my 4 year old daughter yanks her best friend's honey blonde golden hair that flows silkily and remarkably un-knotted all the way down her back, I kinda get where she's coming from :-)

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Easter blossoms, Dotted spring
Cardstock: River rock, Always artichoke, Very vanilla, Springtime vintage DSP
Ink: Always artichoke, river rock,Rose red
Other Stuff: Sponge dauber, 3/8" whisper white taffeta ribbon (I dyed it with the rose red ink), Rose red marker, Basic pearls, mini glue dots, Bow easy

Easter flowers

Now that our household is finally feeling healthy again, I had the energy to go upstairs and have some fun. I made three different Easter cards tonight and could have kept going if I didn't have some more grown-up stuff to do downstairs. I am bound and determined to use as much of the Springtime Vintage paper as I can, and I used another big chunk on this card. I also got to use the dogwood branch which is just gorgeous and has been underutilized by me so far. The only downside of tonight is that I ruined my brand-new pretty in pink inkpad by my own laziness: I forgot to clean off my background stamp and now my pretty in pink is covered with purple :-( Lesson learned!!!!!!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Easter blossoms, Sanded
Cardstock: Pretty in pink,Very vanilla, Rose red, Springtime vintage DSP
Ink: Rose red, Baja breeze, Pear pizzazz, Always artichoke, Pretty in Pink (mixed with purple :-(
Other Stuff: 2 1/2" circle punch, Scalloped circle die (Non SU), Pretty in pink marker, Basic pearls

Pretty spring dress

Hi all! Today I'm sharing one of our stamp club projects that is perfect for today's weather (at least in Dallas) - a spring dress! This card is so easy to do with the scallop circle bigz die and the oh-so-lovely Springtime Vintage paper. I don't think I'll have a scrap of this paper left in a month!!!! Of course the dress has to have a coordinating purse (using the opposite side of the paper - how convenient!). I've made cards like this before with a purse from the tab punch but for this one I used the new Build-a-cupcake punch for the body of the purse and a couple of oval punches for the handle. Finish it off with a couple of basic pearls (my favorite things EVER!), a darling vanilla rosette and some pear pizzazz seam binding and you've got yourself a lovely dress for spring. NOW, if only I had the figure to pull off actually WEARING a dress like that . . . one can dream, right????

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps:Dotted spring BG stamp, Fabulous phrases
Cardstock: Rose red, very vanilla, pear pizzazz, Springtime vintage DSP
Ink: Rose red
Other Stuff: Scallop circle bigz die, Build-a-cupcake punch, oval punches, rosette, pear pizzazz seam binding, basic pearls, scallop edge border punch

New Stamp-a-Stack coming!

Hi blog friends!! Sorry once again for the long time between posts, but it seems to be 'Fever Week' in the Amigh household. We just can't get rid of the pesky thing and it's taking its toll on the whole family. BUT - I have managed to get some cards tweaked and figured out for the Stamp-a-Stack so I can share them with you tonight. I'm doing a private SAS next week (pending final confirmation with the hostess) and then I have Stamp Club the next week, so I'm planning this SAS for Tuesday night, April 12, from 7-9 pm. These cards are simple enough that we should be able to get them done in 2 hours but still something that I would love to send to family and friends. If a weekend would work better, it's possible that I could do something the weekend of April 16, but until I hear otherwise I think I'm going with the 12th. Cost is $25 for 10 cards PLUS envelopes to send them . . . cheaper (and more impressive!) than Hallmark!! Send me an email or give me a call to sign up today!!

Spring flowers

Here's a card we did at my Stamp-a-Stack last month. I LOVE these colors together; to me they feel very calming and soothing. Maybe that's why my bedroom is basically these colors!! I've been working on some new cards for a Stamp-a-Stack again, now I just need to get some time in the daylight to photograph the cards and get them posted and emailed out so everyone can rush to sign up :-)

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Pocket silhouettes
Cardstock: Sahara sand, Not quite navy, Whisper white, Elegant Soiree DSP
Ink: Not quite navy, Baja breeze
Other Stuff: Ticket corner punch, Scalloped edge punch, Basic rhinestones, 1/8" Basic black taffeta ribbon, Modern label and word window punches

Birthday thank yous

Good news today - MRI showed that my tumor hasn't grown since my last MRI three months ago, so no surgery this year for sure. I'm going back again in 6 months and I guess we'll make a firm plan then. But for now, I can just sit back and take a deep breath and say thank you . . . no worries about my brain until my sister is married!!!!
Tonight's cards are some of the ones I made for my daughter's birthday thank you notes with the Create-a-cupcake stamp set and punch and the Ice Cream Parlor paper that you can get FREE if you spend $50 - but only through March 31!!! I made all the cards and wrote the notes inside, but I'm happy (and proud!) to say that my little 4 year old sat down and wrote her own name in each card that was sent out. I'm starting her early learning to write a proper thank you!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Create-a-cupcake, Confetti, Teeny tiny wishes, Short & sweet
Cardstock: Whisper white, Pacific point, Melon Mambo, Daffodil delight, Old olive, Peach parfait, Ice cream parlor DSP
Ink: Pacific point, Melon Mambo, Daffodil delight, Old olive, Peach parfait
Other Stuff: Extra large scalloped circle punch, various circle punches, Build a cupcake punch, Coordinating markers

Pretty girl silhouette

One of the best parts of becoming a Stampin'Up! demonstrator is that I now have a new approach to my 'stuff.' Before when there would be a pack of designer series paper that I really liked, I would never use it because it was too nice. Now that I'm a demo, I use it (preferably in a workshop) because if I like it, other people will probably like it too. AND I use it on cards that I send (if I actually get them in the mail, but I'm working on that). Now instead of thinking I'd better hold onto this awesome paper because it won't be around forever, I think that I'd better use this paper I bought because I won't be able to use it for my blog or workshops once it's 'retired' and it won't be around forever. Guess what? Stampin'Up! always comes up with new paper that I like just as much or more than the last round of paper so I'm a winner however you look at it. And I make some pretty awesome cards that wouldn't have gotten made a year ago - like the one I'm sharing tonight. It's got DSP galore - a big huge piece as the background. LOVE IT!!!!
On a different note, tomorrow is MRI Monday - I'm going back in to have some new pictures taken of my brain to make sure Little Karla (that's what we've named my brain tumor) hasn't grown in the past three months. Once that's over I'll be able to plan for the surgery, either soon or (HOPEFULLY) next year after my sister's wedding. I really hope we can wait mostly so I don't screw up our summer vacation. Wish me luck and I'll let you know how it goes soon!


Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Easter Blossoms
Cardstock: Very vanilla, Springtime Vintage DSP
Ink: Always artichoke, Rose red
Other Stuff: Sponge daubers, Versamarker, Rose red marker, Very vanilla satin ribbon, Basic pearls, Curly label punch

I'm a maker not a sender

I've come to realize something about myself, and unfortunately I had an 'aha' moment that my realization is not just true for my cards but could possibly be a larger issue in my life. I'm really good at making cards. I am TERRIBLE at sending cards. I made 15 or 20 Valentine's cards and I sent zero. I even had the envelopes addressed and borrowed stamps from my mom (we'll deal with that some other time). sigh. For some reason I have a problem finishing the job. I get thisclose to doing something awesome and then for some reason I just drop the ball. So my resolution for the month is to a) figure out exactly when Easter is and b) actually mail the cute Easter cards that I am making a whole week BEFORE Easter. I'll let you know how I do. There is one slight silver lining since I addressed all those envelopes - I was able to use them to send out my daughter's Thank You cards from her birthday, so it wasn't totally a waste.
Today's card is one of the aforementioned cute Easter cards I came up with. I love this Easter Blossoms set from the Occasions Mini. The little girl silhouette is such a pretty stamp, but it can overshadow some of the other cute images. Tonight I inked the Easter egg stamp for the first time and I LOVE this card. I used a layout from a Mojo Monday sketch I printed one time and some ribbon from my stash. Simple but cute and easy to duplicate!!!!! That's my kind of card. And maybe I'll even send it :-)
Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Easter Blossoms
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Bashful blue, Whisper white, Pretty in Pink DSP
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Bashful blue, Certainly celery
Other Stuff: Large oval punch, ribbon (from my stash), Bow easy, glue dot, dimensionals