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