What's in your mailbox?

Well my niece's mailbox has chocolate! She should have received this little pink mailbox today so I think I'm safe posting it now. Hopefully she thinks it is as cute as I do!

I used double-sided pretty pink designer paper by Bo Bunny to cover the mailbox. For the exterior a 4" x 12" piece was the perfect size. Where the flag is attached I punched a 1/2" circle and cut from the outside edge to the circle so the paper could slip around the flag and be adhered with Sticky Strip. For the front I traced the lid on another piece of the paper with a pen and then cut it out and adhered it to the tin. To finish off, I adhered two strips of May Arts Dark Brown Satin ribbon around the edges of the tin.

Decoration time: First up was the front of the tin and since this is for my niece Stephanie it just had to be glittery! I pulled out my brand new Sticky Cuts Letters and picked the letter "S". I pulled off the backing and adhered it to a piece of Regal Rose Textured cardstock. Next I peeled off the facing and poured some Rose Pink Fine Cosmo glitter all of the letter, using my finger to press the glitter into the sticky letter. The excess glitter was poured back into the container and I removed any little hanger-ons by spinging the back of the cardstock with my thumb and forefinger. It still needed a little something so I added one of the Felt Fusion little flowers with a brad. To finish the front I sponged the edges of the Regal Rose cardstock and the designer paper on the tin with Chocolate Chip Close to Cocoa, layered the letter on Chocolate Chip and adhered the letter to the tin with dimensionals.

Raise the flag: the last touches were added to the tin by decorating the flag. I picked the heart image from the Holiday Blitz stamp set and stamped it in Pixie Pink on Whisper White cardstock and punched out with the 3/4" circle. I adhered a little Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the heart. The heart was adhered to a piece of Pink Passion cardstock and then layered again on Chocolate Chip. Another little flower was added with a vintage brad before gluing the whole piece to the flag. To finish off various brown and pink ribbons from my scrap collection were knotted on the flag pole. Just a note: all the little pieces for the flag were sponged with Chocolate Chip Classic ink.

So what do you think? Is my niece going to love it? I think so!

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Holiday Blitz. Ink: Pixie Pink, Chocolate Chip. Paper: Bo Bunny Bella Journee Paris Romance, Regal Rose Textured, Chocolate Chip, Pink Passion, Whisper White. Other: 3/4" circle punch, Dark Brown Satin ribbon by May Arts, various ribbon scraps used on the flag, Felt Fusion flowers, vintage brads, Sticky Cuts Letters, Rose Pink Fine Cosmo glitter, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, sticky strip, Stampin' dimensionals, pink mailbox tin from Target dollar spot.

P.S. I also made a different tin for my nephew Charlie but it didn't turn out quite how I intended. A boo boo or two but he'll love it for the chocolate inside! :)

Ewe so pink!

So I've done the very purple card and the cool blue ellie card which means it is time for the pretty pink card! Whatever color will be next?! Maybe green... I dunno. :)

Quick notes: the ewe was colored with Watercolor Wonder crayons and a blender pen. A little Dazzling Diamonds glitter was added to the heart and the wool of the sheep. I went a little crazy with distressing and even sponged a little Chocolate Chip Classic ink onto the edges of the flower. I LOVE these little flowers. I wasn't sure I would but I just cannot resist sticking them on everything I am making. Any questions on the rest of the card? Just let me know!

Images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Pun Fun, It's Beautiful jumbo wheel. Paper: Pixie Pink, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Berry Bliss Designer. Ink: Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Black StazOn. Other Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Blender Pen, Sakura Quickie Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, vintage brads, Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, Felt Fusion flowers, Stampin' dimensionals, mat pack, paper piercer.

What? Haven't you heard?!

Paper Pretties is releasing three new stamp sets tonight! The party will be taking place in the Paper Pretties forum (click here) at 9pm EST. Fun to be had by all and maybe a prize or two. :) But in the meantime check out the card I made with the new Sealed with a Kiss set, it's smoochtacular! :)

Quick notes: Image was stamped in black ink on vanilla cardstock and watercolored with Classic ink pads and a blender pen. I then went over the colored areas with coordinating markers to add a bit more definition... a different look for me but I like it! I also added a bit of glitter to the pink headband and belt of the dress with my pink Copic Spica marker and a dash of glitter to the suit button with the yellow Copic Spica marker. For the pearl earring and necklace I used a white gel pen.

The card base is a 5" x 10" piece of Sage Shadow folded in half. The brads are by Queen & Co. which I picked up at the Paper Pretties store. The ribbon is by American Crafts and just delicious. And guess what? I picked it up from the Paper Pretties store too... and they just got in some very fun Valentine's ribbon which can be seen in the Ribbon->Seasonal category. I've been eyeballing the ribbon with the swirls on it... and I don't think I can resist it!

Images copyright Paper Pretties. Stamps: Sealed with a Kiss. Paper: Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, vanilla, Outlaw Designer (retired). Ink: Black, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Sage Shadow, River Rock, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Blush Blossom, Creamy Caramel, Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip marker, Bordering Blue marker, Pretty in Pink marker, Regal Rose marker, Summer Sun marker, pink and yellow Copic Spica markers, white gel pen. Other: large oval punch, designer label punch, ticket corner punch, rectangle handheld punch, photo corner punch, dotted ribbon by American Crafts, brown brads by Queen & Co., Stampin' dimensionals, mat pack, paper piercer.

P.S. If you are new to Paper Pretties you will need to register on the main website before heading to the forums. See you there!

I'm in a blue mood...

Ellie is back! This time she is dazzling in blue toenail polish! :) This would have made a great masculine card IF I could have resisted using the glitter! Maybe then it would have been an Ebner card... lol!

To the details: Per my usual, the elephant from Happy Heart Day was stamped in Black StazOn on Whisper White cardstock and then colored with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and a Blender Pen before adding a little Dazzling Diamonds Glitter. Hmmm... what else to say... nope, I've got nothing since the rest of the card is exactly as you see it (no tricks!). Have a great week everyone!

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Happy Heart Day, A Little Birthday Cheer, Sanded background. Paper: Night of Navy, Brocade Blue, Sahara Sand, Whisper White. Ink: Going Grey, Black StazOn. Other: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Blender Pen, Sakura Quickie Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Bashful Blue striped ribbon, vintage brads, Stampin' dimensionals.

Purple, purple and more purple...

What do you get when you mix chicken, bacon and some cheese? Alice Springs Chicken (no mushrooms please!) from Outback Steakhouse... and a dash of food coma! But it was sooooo good and so worth the resulting drowsiness! And why am I bringing up what I ate for supper? 'Cause it made me a little late in posting this card, the very purple card that I made for a swap I am in (GreatSwaps!) using the soon to be available Sale-a-bration set Lots Of Thoughts. I know it is horrible but sometimes supper does take precedence over stamping, blogging and blurfing. Yeah that last one sounds like an obscene bodily function that might occur after overeating but it is a little term I learned on SplitCoastStampers that means: the act of blog surfing. So blurf all you want... I don't think anyone will mind. :)

Well, if you managed to follow all of that last paragraph you are probably ready for the quick notes. So here goes: card base is a 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" piece of Elegant Eggplant folded in half. The next layer is Lavender Lace cardstock that has been randomly stamped with the Cheers to You stamp in Lavender Lace. The edges of this layer were distressed with the distressing tool from the cutter kit. The next layer is Always Artichoke on top of which is a Mellow Moss layer that was wheeled with the It's Beautiful jumbo wheel (my favorite!) in the same color and distressed. Black gingham ribbon was knotted about this layer and three black brads were added. I use the template (love this tool) from the mat pack and a paper piercer to poke evenly spaced holes for the brads. Finally the Cheers to You was stamped again on Lavender Lace cardstock but this time in Black StazOn. It was punched out with the 1 1/4" square punch, distressed and layered on a 1 3/8" square of Elegant Eggplant. A rather easy card but I think it packs a lot of purple punch!

Images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Lots of Thoughts (SAB set), It's Beautiful jumbo wheel. Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Lavender Lace, Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss. Ink: Black StazOn, Lavender Lace, Mellow Moss. Other: black brads, black gingham ribbon, stampin' dimensionals, mat pack, paper piercer, distressing tool.

P.S. I'm a bit behind in answering the emails I have received in the last two weeks. I'm hoping to get caught up tomorrow. :) Thanks for being patient!

Chocolate or Veggies?

Normally I would pick chocolate over veggies, but in this case I will admit to really liking this Bella stamp even though she is carrying a basket of healthy munchies instead of scrumptious chocolate. But I must admit to a certain amount of jealousy... she looks like she is warm while I sit here on the couch under a blanket trying to thaw my icy toes. I'd turn up the heat (it's set at 67 degrees) but I just got the heating bill in the mail for the last month and all I gotta say is "ouch!". I think I'll just put on another sweater. :)
Quick Notes: Cardbase is a 5"x10" piece of Always Artichoke cardstock folder in half. Veggiebella was stamped in Black StazOn on Whisper White cardstock. Image was colored using a bunch of ink pads and a blender pen. Additional highlighting of the image was done with various markers (fine point tip). The small corner rounder (without the guide on) was used to create a scalloped edge out of Regal Rose cardstock. Paper piercing and sponging were added to the scallops before adhering the piece to some Basic Grey Infuse designer paper. I added a bit of gorgeous American Crafts premium ribbon before adhering all of the layers. The sentiment "happy days" is from the new Many Happy Returns stamp set.

Images copyright Stampin' Up! and Stamping Bella. Stamps: VeggieBella by Stamping Bella, Many Happy Returs. Paper: Always Artichoke, Real Red, Regal Rose, Whisper White, Infuse 6"x6" Basic Grey pad. Ink: Black StazOn, Real Red, Always Artichoke, Brocade Blue, Close to Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Basic Gray, Regal Rose, Creamy Caramel, Pumpkin Pie marker, Lavender Lace marker, Brilliant Blue marker, Brocade Blue marker. Other: small corner rounder, ticket corner punch, Bold Bright brads, mat pack, paper piercer, American Crafts premium ribbon, Stampin' dimensionals.

Ohh... Almost forgot to mention, the awesome layout was inspired by this card by Christine.

Isa Pretty Kitty

Introducing... Isa, my other cat! :) I actually have two cats, but have neglected to post a picture of my sweetheart Isa so this little 6"x6" scrapbook page was the perfect opportunity. Yup, like yesterday's post this is another practice page... which I really like and would keep if I were not submitting it for something. We'll see how that goes.

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: One of a Kind. Paper: Regal Rose Textured, Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Berry Bliss Designer. Ink: Black StazOn, Close to Cocoa, Regal Rose. Other: mat pack, paper piercer, clear crystal brads, antique brass jumbo eyelet, crop-a-dile, Boho Blossoms punch, Photo Corners punch, Stampin' dimensionals, sponge.

P.S. If you are wondering if I am switching to making all scrapbook pages and no more cards... well, I really do prefer to make cards, this is just a momentary distraction! So no worries, I'll be back to posting new cards soon! :)

A Wee Bit Behind!

It has been quite some time since I scrapbooked which means I am very far behind and need a bit of practice (yup, this is a practice page, so don't beat up on it too much!). I decided I better get cracking on last years pictures before I make any trips this year. :)

This picture is from my Summer of '07 trip to Spain and Portugal (it's the Royal Palace in Madrid). I actually plan on making a 12"x12" scrapbook for this trip but alas I have a very limited selection of 12"x12" cardstock at the moment, I'll take care of that problem with my next order. Of course I'll get a few other things at the same time, perhaps a new alphabet set. Anyone have any opinions on the new Stampin' Up! Schoolbook Serif set? I like my Big Deal alphabet for some things but it just looks odd on this page with the letter "a" being a different font size then the rest.

Tip: I cut the More Mustard circle with my Coluzzle and circle template. I then lightly scratched (used very light pressure to keep from cutting) the next size smaller circle onto the cutout and followed that faint line as I paper pierced the circle. I tacked the circle into place with a little glue and then used that as a guide as I spelled out "madrid" with the Big Deal Alphabet (my one and only non-retired set!).

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Big Deal Alphabet, Amazing to Zany, Doodle This, Sanded Background. Paper: River Rock, More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, Ginger Blossom Designer. Ink: Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, More Mustard, Black StazOn, Black pen. Other: Flower Fusion felt flowers, gold brads, Coluzzle Cutting system and circle template, mat pack, paper piercer.

Do over comments: If I were to redo this page I would cut the River Rock cardstock to about 9"x8.5", leave off the flourishes and designer paper and layer the river rock on a sheet of 12"x12" Old Olive cardstock (probably wheeled in the same color with the It's Beautiful jumbo wheel). I would also space out the "madrid" a little more so it would make a perfect semi-circle. There would also be a slightly wider border of River Rock on the left side. Hmm... maybe I will do this once I get more 12"x12" paper. We'll see...

A Little Black Dress

Or what I think a little black dress would look like if it were a card... glitzy, stylish and with a bit black of course!

Notes: Stamp flower from the So Many Scallops Sale-a-bration stamp set in VersaMark on Basic Black cardstock. Apply Heat 'n Stick powder and heat before coating with Orchid Fine Cosmo glitter. Punch flower out with scallop circle punch. Next I stamped the flowers from One of a Kind in Lavender Lace on Whisper White cardstock. I punched one of these flowers out with the Boho Blossoms punch and layered on Elegant Eggplant cardstock before adding to the bigger blossom with a large black brad (I think from Making Memories... I bought it a long time ago). The rest of the card is pretty straight forward... any questions just hit he contact me link to the upper right and let me know!

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: So Many Scallops (SAB set), One of a Kind. Paper: Lavender Lace, Basic Black, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White. Ink: Black StazOn, Lavender Lace, VersaMark. Other: Scallop circle punch, 1" circle punch, Boho Blossoms punch, mat pack, paper piercer, large black brad,striped ribbon (May Arts), Heat n' Stick powder, Fine Cosmo Glitter, Stampin' dimensionals.

Well... I'm off to start working on my taxes. Hoping there is some extra refund cashage that I can use for my next SU! order. :)

New Look and a New Card

Just another one of my creations for VSN (Virtual Stamp Night). This one in particular was for the Nail Polish, mud MASK, and Lotion challenge. Just a little mud masking for the birdies to make them beautiful. :)

Quick notes: The little birdie was stamped on Whisper White and then masked with a post-it note (stamp bird on post-it and cut out to create the mask) before stamping the second bird. On a second post-it note punch a small oval. Lay the sticky note over the birds with the opening near their feet and then sponge with Old Olive Classic ink. Color the birdies with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and a blender pen. The rest of the card was a matter of doing some wheeling, sponging and finding the perfect accessories. Yeah... my cards feel the need to be stylish... especially the birdies. :)

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: A Little Birdie Told Me, It's Beautiful jumbo wheel, Rough Texture jumbo wheel. Paper: So Saffron, More Mustard, River Rock, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White. Ink: Black StazOn, River Rock, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive. Other: Watercolor wonder crayons, blender pen, vintage brads, mat pack, paper piercer, chocolate chip wide grosgrain ribbon, kraft taffeta ribbon, small oval punch.

Did you notice? I changed up the look of my blog a bit. I simplified it and put a different banner at the top. Circles are in, ya know! :) The background paper from the banner was downloaded from www.digitreats.typepad.com. I also messed around with my links a bit, hopefully I didn't misspell anyone's name! :) If I did, let me know.

The Yum Factor

When I was perusing the new Stampin' Up! catalog and saw this recipe set I just new I had to have it! Maybe for all those "healthy" recipes that I should be making... or maybe for all those yummy desserts that I just love to bake. :)

But how to incorporate this set into a card? As luck would have it one of the challenges for Split Coast Stampers Friday night VSN (Virtual Stamping Night) was to make a criss-cross card... which is totally perfect! Now I just need to write a recipe on the card and mail it to a friend. Hmmm... research... I'll have to make sure the recipe is a good one. :)

Quick notes: Check out the tutorial for all the details on making the card holder. I used the Outlaw Designer paper (so sad that SU! retired it) and a couple of jumbo brads and natural hemp twine to accessorize. Edges of the designer paper and labels were sponged with Really Rust Classic ink.

For the recipe card I colored the little dessert cup with markers (Rub Red, Really Rust and Creamy Caramel). A line of holes were paper pierced across the bottom of the card (ties it in with the paper piercing on the card holder).

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: From the Kitchen Of. Paper: More Mustard, Really Rust, Creamy Caramel, Outlaw Designer, Whisper White, Naturals White. Ink: Black Stazon, Really Rust, Ruby Red marker, Really Rust marker, Creamy Caramel marker. Other: antique brass jumbo eyelets, mat pack, paper piercer, linen thread, natural hemp, small oval punch, round tab punch, crop-a-dile.

A Saturday Snowflake

You didn't think I was done with the cute stamps from Paper Pretties did you? This one is Sophia making a snow angel and she is stylin' in her polka dot hat and boots.. I'm kind of jealous of her polka dot hat... I don't have a polka dot hat, do you? I have striped hats, knitted hats, a fleece hat, dark hats, light hats but no polka dot hat... and I think I need one! Maybe it would make the process or removing snow from my driveway all that much more fun. :)

Quick notes: card base is a 5 1/4" x 10 1/4" piece of Regal Rose cardstock folded in half. The next layer is a piece of Certainly Celery that was embossed with the Snowflakes embossing folder and the Cuttlebug. It was brayered with Whisper White Craft ink and coated with Winter White embossing powder and set with a heat gun. Purty, ain't it? This piece was adhered to the card base along with a strip of Regal Rose Prints Designer paper. A piece of green polka dot ribbon was then added. The main image is Sophia from the Snowflake Kisses set. She's been watercolored with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and a blender pen and layered on Always Artichoke. Brads were added to the three corners and then the main image was adhered to the card base with dimensionals. Finally "MWAH" was stamped and punched out with the 1/4" circle punch before being layered on a 1 3/8" circle of Rose Red. Paper piercing and a couple of small crystal clear brads were added before the sentiment was attached to the card.

All images copyright Paper Pretties. Stamps: Snowflake Kisses. Paper: Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Rose Red, Always Artichoke, white, Rose Red Prints Designer. Ink: Black, Whisper White Craft. Other: Winter White embossing powder, heat gun, green polka dot ribbon (Michael's), 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Snowflakes embossing folder, Cuttlebug, brayer, mat pack, paper piercer, silver brads, small crystal clear brads, Stampin' dimensionals, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, blender pen.

Fantastic Friday!

It's the beginning of a three day weekend for me. Yippee! Definitely cause for celebration and to celebrate here is a fun and funky party bird to kick off the weekend! And yes, I'm pretty sure this is a bird... unlike in my last post where the Squirrel is actually a skunk! But to me he will always be Spike regardless of his species! :)

The notes: Start with a piece of Cutie Pie designer paper, round the corners and paper pierce. Sponge a little Brocade Blue Classic ink on the edges and mat on a slightly larger piece of Bashful Blue cardstock (whose edges were also sponged). Cut a piece of blue polka dot ribbon and knot around this layer before adhering to a Wild Wasabi card base. The card layout is based on the sketch challenge posted to Split Coast Stampers on Wednesday: SC159.

For main image: Stamp bird from Pun Fun on Naturals White cardstock, avoid inking the included sentiment. Color image with markers (Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, Certainly Celery and Pumpkin Pie). Apply Dazzling Diamonds glitter to bird with 2-way Glue pen. Sponge a little Certainly Celery around the little bird's feet and Brocade Blue along the edges of the image. Mat on Brocade Blue (more sponging in Brocade Blue on the edges) and add a Bashful Blue brad to each corner. Adhere to cardbase with Stampin' dimensionals. Such a happy little birdie... let's name him Fred. :)

For the sentiment: Ink sentiment from Lots of Thoughts in Black StazOn on Naturals White cardstock and then punch out with small oval. Next punch designer label from brocade blue and punch 1" circle from Bashful Blue. Sponge edges of all pieces with Brocade Blue ink. For the designer label also apply glue with 2-way glue pen along edges and then add Dazzling Diamonds glitter. Adhere pieces together (oval with dimensionals) and then add brads.

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Pun Fun, Lots of Thoughs (SAB set). Paper: Wild Wasabi, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, Naturals White, Cutie Pie Designer. Ink: Black Stazon, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue marker, Brocade Blue marker, Certainly Celery marker, Pumpkin Pie marker. Other: Soft Subtles brads, mat pack, paper piercer, small oval punch, 1" circle punch, designer label punch, small corner rounder, Blue polka dot ribbon (Michael's), Stampin' dimensionals, 2-way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

Ho hum ho hum... whatever shall I post?

Why a new card of course! What did you think I was going to say? Another picture of a broken cabinet door? Nope, I haven't broken any other doors or anything else for that matter... although I have probably just jinxed myself. Please let whatever breaks next be something cheap or easily replaceable! :) But enough about my klutziness and onto the good stuff...

I stink this squirrel from Pun Fun is way too cute (my way of saying that you will probably see him on future cards). I stamped him (I should probably give him a name) on watercolor paper with Black StazOn and then colored him with a blender pen and various Classic ink pads (Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Rose Red and So Saffron, Sage Shadow). I ticked one corner with the ticket corner punch and then sponged the edges with Mellow Moss Classic ink. He (maybe Sam?) was then layered on a piece of Rose Red cardstock and a brad was added to the ticked corner. The edges of this layer were also sponged but with Rose Red Classic ink. Next I cut a piece of So Saffron cardstock and wheeled it with the It's Beautiful jumbo wheel in Mellow Moss. The edges were sponged with more Mellow Moss ink and some grosgrian ribbon was added. At this point both layers were adhered to the Mellow Moss card base. Maybe Chuck? As in how much wood can a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood. Naw, he's a squirrel not a woodchuck.

Lastly some accents were created using the new Boho Blossoms punch, So Saffron Prints Designer paper and antique brass Build-a-brads. I'm actually in shock that I used three of these brads on one card... talk about breaking the habit of hoarding! :) Oh, almost forgot the flowers were punched and then sponged with Rose Red Classic ink before being assembled and attached to the card with Stampin' dimensionals. Yup, Spike (I like this one, so it is official) is surrounded by flowers but I think he can handle it, especially with a name like Spike. Heh heh.

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Pun Fun, It's Beautiful jumbo wheel. Paper: Mellow Moss, So Saffron, Rose Red, watercolor, So Saffron Prints designer. Ink: Mellow Moss, Rose Red, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, So Saffron, Sage Shadow, Black StazOn. Other: Boho Blossoms punch, ticket corner punch, antique brass Build-a-brads, blender pen, vintage brads, Mellow Moss grosgrain ribbon, Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' dimensionals.

*** Edited: Ack! I just realized this image is actually a SKUNK! Now the sentiment makes sense... LOL!. But I'm still going to call him Spike! :)

In other news: Paper Pretties is having an Out With the Old, In With the New sale at their store. In order to make room for new products from CHA they are moving items into the Sale category on a daily basis. Just a little heads up for you shoppers out there.

And Baby Makes Three!

Do you want a sneak peek? At a card I made with one of the Sale-a-Bration stamp sets that Stampin' Up! will be releasing soon? Of course you do! :) It's a darling little circle card made with the So Many Scallops set and some of the new Wild Wasabi striped ribbon. Yum... I like new ribbon!

Oh and you probably want some details on Sale-a-Bration too, well here goes:

When: February 1st - March 17th

Customers: For every $50 purchase a customer makes, the customer will receive a free Sale-A-Bration product (one of 5 stamp sets or a set of rub-ons to choose).
Hostesses: In addition to our regular hostess benefits, hostesses will receive a free Sale-A-Bration stamp set for workshops that reach $300 or more.
Recruits: Anyone who joins as a demonstrator during Sale-A-Bration can choose any stamp set--a value of up to $47.95--from the current catalog.

Quick notes: Start with a 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" piece of Soft Sky cardstock and fold in half. Use the Coluzzle and the circle template and cut a circle from the one half of the cardstock, making sure to leave a bit of the circle template overhanging at the fold. Be careful to only cut to the fold line and not beyond. Refold the cardstock and line the template up with the circle already cut and cut a second time (this cuts the back of the card). When cutting I used the second largest circle size and this created a 4" x 4" card. Decorate as desired to create a cute little card!

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: So Many Scallops, Itty Bitty Backgrounds. Paper: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, Naturals White. Ink: Black StazOn, Soft Sky. Other: Wild Wasabi striped ribbon, mat pack, paper piercer, scallop circle punch, small corner rounder, Coluzzle cutting system, silver brads, Stampin' dimensionals.

P.S. I've had a couple questions on the status of my kitchen cabinet. The diagnosis is good... after removal of the "bandages" the door is holding together, almost as good as new!

New Stampin' Up! is in the House!

The new stamps have been trimmed and mounted (I need to sharpen my craft scissors) and stacked in a pile (I've run out of shelf space), the paper filed in my paper holder (protects from drool) and all the new accessories are within reach (my ribbon racks are overflowing)... which means it is time to get crafty! :)

Of course one of the first things I grabbed were the new Felt Flowers which come in the loveliest colors of Rose Red, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie. I picked two of the flowers to use and like that I had a color combination for my card. :) After that it was a matter of deciding the layout, which was super easy because I altered one that Jen had posted to her blog a couple weeks ago.
You can see her sketch here. Next I needed to choose the stamps and well I wanted to use some of my new toys so picking the It's Beautiful jumbo wheel and a sentiment from Smarty Pants was a snap. Finally it was a matter of stamping, a whole lot of sponging of Old Olive Classic ink and adhering all the little pieces together to create one cheerful and fun card. I like it. :)

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Smarty Pants, It's Beautiful jumbo wheel. Paper: Old Olive, Bravo Burgundy, River Rock, Bali Breeze Designer. Ink: Black StazOn, Old Olive. Other: River Rock double stitched ribbon, gold brad, Felt Flowers, Stampin' dimensionals, sponge.

But I couldn't just stop with making one card, could I? This next card is a super easy and quick card using the Pun Fun stamp set. I'm really loving the fact that SU! came out with a couple of funny stamp sets. I love all the flower sets they have but once in a while I just want something a little more casual and a little less flowery. Of course you'll notice I then used flowery designer paper... ugh! :)

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Pun Fun. Paper: Basic Gray, River Rock, Basic Black, watercolor, Ginger Blossom Designer. Ink: Black StazOn, Basic Gray. Other: blender pen, black grosgrain ribbon, vintage brads, Stampin' dimensionals.

Sweet Sophia

I couldn't resist playing with more of the new stamps from Paper Pretties. This card uses the super sweet Sophia from the Need a Cuddle stamp set. I think it turned out cute... kind of reminds me of an oval picture frame mounted on a wall with a nameplate below it. Not sure if that is good or bad. :)

Quick notes: Little girl from Need a Cuddle was stamped on white cardstock and then colored with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and a blender pen before being cut out with the Coluzzle oval template. The next larger oval size was used to cut a piece of Night of Navy cardstock. Wish I had the Nestabilities but I don't so this will work for now. :) The edges of both ovals were distressed with the Distressor Tool and then the Night of Navy layer was paper pierced. A couple pieces of Close to Cocoa Prints Designer paper were layered on Chocolate Chip cardstock before a piece of Brocade Blue wide grosgrain was added. After which a second piece of ribbon (Chocolate Chip taffeta) was tied around the whole layer and knotted. At this point a sentiment was stamped and glammed up a bit and all of the pieces were adhered together and mounted on a Night of Navy card base.

All images copyright Paper Pretties. Stamps: Need a Cuddle. Paper: Night of Navy, Chocolate Chip, white, Close to Cocoa Prints Designer. Ink: Black. Other: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, blender pen, Coluzzle cutting system, mat pack, paper piercer, vintage brads, Brocade Blue wide grosgrain ribbon, Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, Stampin' dimensionals.

A Belt, a Kitchen Cabinet Door and the need for a Light Bulb
What happens when you combine the above three things and throw in a dash of klutziness? One seriously broken door. Only I could manage to somehow hook the back of my Belt around the door handle of one Cabinet Door while digging through another cabinet for a Light Bulb. Add in a little klutziness and take the Law of Gravity into account and the Cabinet Door never stood a chance of winning that situation... he he he.

Here's a picture of the door not too long after its meet up with my belt.

Oddly enough, I'm not upset by this at all. My first reaction was surprise that I managed to break the door and then a big dose of humor. Of course if you think the broken door is funny you should check out how I fixed it . Luckily I had some wood glue on hand... and it does exactly what the name says. But the key to wood glue being successful is that the parts you are gluing together have to be strongly secured together while the slow bonding process of the wood glue takes place. My first thought was to use Duct Tape (use #317) but I couldn't find the roll that I know I have somewhere in my house so on to plan B: twine and packing tape. First I liberally applied wood glue to the broken pieces of door, using a Q-Tip (good for more than pastel blending) to get the gooey stuff all over the little pieces and in the cracks. Next I used a piece of twine that I had leftover from the Haul 4'x8' Sheet of Plywood on Roof of Jeep Trip to tie the door back together. Finally I used a little packing tape around the top of the door... extra insurance just in case the cats couldn't resist the twine.

Kind of looks like a wrapped gift, doesn't it? LOL! Hopefully once I remove all the restraints the door will refrain from falling to pieces once again... hopefully. :)

P.S. I know this isn't a permanent fix but I'm not too worried about it... 'cause I've got a couple of woodworkers in the family and worst come to worst I hire 'em to make me a bunch of new cabinet doors. And wouldn't that be horrible? A face lift for my kitchen :).

Hello Ellie!

It's a Sunday special! I'm posting a second card for you! Now don't be expecting this every Sunday... this is just a fluke. :)

Quick notes: Ellie the Elephant (yup, I named her) from the Happy Heart Day stamp set was stamped in Black StazOn on Naturals White cardstock before being watercolored with Watercolor Pencils (not the crayons I normally use) and a Blender Pen. Just switching it up a bit for ya! :) One corner of the image was ticked with The Ticket Corner Punch before the edges were sponged with Close to Cocoa Classic ink. Main image was layered on a slightly larger piece of Real Red cardstock (whose edges were also distressed).

The second panel is a piece of Creamy Caramel that was randomly stamped with the flower image in Creamy Caramel classic ink. The edges were paper pierced and sponged with Close to Cocoa ink. This piece was adhered to a layer of Outlaw Designer paper (sponge edges here too) and then a piece of Real Red grosgrain ribbon was knotted about both pieces. Ellie was then stuck to this layer with Stampin' dimensionals and the whole outfit was glued to a 5" card base of Always Artichoke.

The card still needed a sentiment so I picked a stamp from Circle of Friendship and inked it up with Black Stazon and stamped on a scrap of Naturals White cardstock (I like the little specks or whatever are in this paper). I used my handy Crop-a-dile to punch a hole and set an Antique Brass jumbo eyelet. It was a little blah so I sponged the edges with more Close to Cocoa Classic ink. To finish off a piece of Natural Hemp cord was threaded through the circle and knotted around the Real Red grosgrain ribbon. I also used a little piece of dimensional to adhere the sentiment in place because I didn't want it to actually move around. This way it will stay perfect. :)

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Happy Heart Day, Circle of Friendship. Paper: Always Artichoke, Creamy Caramel, Real Red, Naturals White, Outlaw Designer (sorry, it's retired!). Ink: Black StazOn, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa. Other: mat pack, paper piercer, watercolor pencils, blender pen, ticket corner punch, vintage brads, antique brass jumbo eyelet, Crop-a-dile, Real Red grosgrain ribbon, natural hemp twine, Stampin' dimensionals.

In other news... I've been tagged by Denise. I'm really awful at these tagging games since I usually have the best intentions to participate and then procrastinate and forget. Which happened again... Denise's tag reminded me that I never responded to one from a month or so ago that Renee sent my way (sorry Renee!).

So here are Seven Unusual Things About Me:
1.) I like to sing in my car while listening to the radio but only when alone.
2.) I like horror movies but must have a jacket or pillow that I can hide behind during the suspenseful moments. And no nachos and cheese allowed after that one incident... yup cheese everywhere!
3.) I play fetch with my cat Magoo and tried to teach him how to walk on a lease but that didn't work out.
4.) Love all Sci Fi movies and shows except Star Trek.
5.) I buy nice kitchen utensils and stuff but end up using the old ones so I don't ruin the news ones (I still have Pampered Chef stones that I have not taken out of their boxes).
6.) I like to read but have to set aside enough time to read the WHOLE book at one time cause I just can't stop once I get started. Which is why it took me six months to finally read the last Harry Potter book.
7.) Cat hair annoys me but I have two cats that I love... and four lint rollers.

To make up for the one I forgot about, here are Seven Unusual Things from my cat Magoo (aka The Fat Cat).
1.) I snore
2.) I like to drink from the toilet
3.) I like to drink from the humidifier reservoir when the tank is out and being refilled.
4.) I like to chew on fake Christmas trees
5.) I like to play fetch
6.) I like to wander the house and sing
7.) I like to scrounge for scraps... there is never food on the floor in this house!

If you have made it this far in this really really long post, consider yourself tagged. Ha ha ha! Hope everyone had a great weekend! :)

New toys coming soon...

I should have some new toys arriving soon from SU!, but until then I will just have to suffer through playing with the toys I already have. You know... the ones cluttering my counter, overflowing the drawers in my rolling cart and stacked in piles on any and all other surfaces available. I'm thinking I might have to do a bit of cleaning and organizing before I can even play with my new stuff or maybe I will just let the piles grow and teeter precariously over me as I stamp in the minuscule space left on my table. I'll leave it to your imagination which choice I make. :)

In the meantime I actually set aside time today to be crafty and play with many of my neglected sets (which will only become more so once the new toys arrive!). Here is one of the cards that I made. The latest Sketch For You to Try posted by Jen at i{heart}2stamp.com was my inspiration for this card. With the layout taken care of it was just a matter of picking a focal image and deciding the colors.

Quick notes: card base is a 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" piece of Purely Pomegranate cardstock folded in half. The main image was stamped on Whisper White cardstock and then trimmed before adding a brad to the center and adhering to a 1 3/8" circle of Pretty in Pink cardstock. The Wish Big sentiment from Short & Sweet was stamped in Black StazOn on Pretty in Pink cardstock before being punched out with the word window punch. The rest of the layers were cut, paper pierced and/or corner rounded in places and sponged with Purely Pomegranate ink.

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Big Flowers, Short & Sweet. Paper: Purely Pomegranate, Pumpkin Pie, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Bali Breeze Designer. Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Black StazOn. Other: Purely Pomegranate double stitched ribbon, vintage brads, mat pack, paper piercer, small corner rounder, word window punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Stampin' dimensionals, sponge.

Paper Pretties is Partying!

The Party is going on over at Paper Pretties as I type... and what you ask is the big news that they are celebrating? Paper Pretties is releasing their own line of clear acrylic stamps. Yup, that's right and they are really cute, so check 'em out when you have a chance. But first keep reading for a peek at a couple of images from the Snowflake Kisses stamp set that I used to make this totally cute card.

Quick notes: All images were stamped in black ink on white cardstock and then colored with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and a Blender Pen. A little Dazzling Diamonds glitter was added to highlight the snowflake and the snow around the snow angel. A little green rhinestone was added to the center of the snowflake for even more sparkle. Why? Because we like sparkle! The delicious designer paper is from the 6"x6" Periphery paper pad by Basic Grey.

Ohhh... but there is more. Just pull on that blue and white tab to see the sentiment... it's an interactive pull card! :) Thought you would like that!

P.S. I added a bit of distressing to the white layers by sponging Brocade Blue Classic ink on the edges.

All images copyright Paper Pretties. Stamps: Snowflake Kisses. Paper: Old Olive, Night of Navy, Brocade Blue, white, Periphery Designer paper by Basic Grey. Ink: Black, Brocade Blue. Other: Black polka dot ribbon (May Arts), green rhinestone (K & Company), silver elastic ribbon, 1/8" handheld circle punch, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Blender Pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Sakura Quickie Glue Pen, Stampin' dimensionals, sponge, tag corner punch.

Monkeys & Silk?!

I'm pretty excited about this card! Why, you ask? Here goes:

1.) Monkeys are just plain fun, especially when they are blue.

2.) I used my ticket corner punch and paper piercer, which are a couple of my favorite tools.

3.) and most importantly I had time to try my hand at the Featured Tutorial that was posted to SplitCoastStampers yesterday: Faux Silk!

The tutorial has the details on how to create your very own faux silk so check it out. Perhaps make some Blue Monkey Silk Designer paper... it's going to be all the rage I tell ya!

Just a couple of notes: 1.) I used Classic ink pads in Brocade and Bashful blues and a blender pen to watercolor the monkeys and 2.) my glue sticks had turned to rubber (argh!) so instead I ran my white cardstock through my Zyron 900 machine to make it sticky.

All images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Zoofari, Hugs & Wishes. Paper: Brocade Blue, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Tissue. Ink: Black StazOn, Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue. Other: black (vintage) brads, blender pen, paper piercer, mat pack, ticket corner punch, Stampin' dimensionals, Always Artichoke grosgrain ribbon, kraft taffeta ribbon, Zyron 900 sticker machine, silver Copic AtYou glitter pen.

In other news, it is almost party time over at Paper Pretties!
When: Friday, January 11, 08
Where: Paper Pretties

Please note, you’ll need to register as a user to the site, so please stop by a little early to make your way into to the Forum. All you need to do is click on “register” below the member’s login. If you’ve already registered then you just log in and head to the forum!

Once in the Forum, look for “Parties” and we’ll all be meeting there at 7pm CST.

Who: Everybody who loves to stamp!
Why: To celebrate our big announcement: There will be games, prizes, we’ll announce a customer submission contest, and LOTS of fun!!

Royally Pink

Can you think of a better color for a Queen card than pink? I sure couldn't, so here it is, my very pink card for a queen.

Cardbase: Wheel piece of Pretty in Pink cardstock with So Swirly jumbo wheel in Regal Rose classic ink before adhering to cardbase. Do make sure you sound the necessary "Whee" noise as you wheel as it makes the process that much more fun.

Gray layer: First cut a piece of Basic Grey cardstock and randomly stamp with images from Time Well Spent (I used Basic Gray Classic ink). Whistling tunelessly helps the random process, but that might just be because I can't think and whistle at the same time. Next, ink up the Sanded background stamp with Versamark and apply to Basic Gray cardstock. My application method is to lay the inked stamp upside down on the table and then lay the paper on top of it and rub with my hand... sort of a back rub for cardstock... ohhh... we can call this the Back Rub Technique! Okay, back to the topic... adhere a bit of Wide Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon to cardstock. Using mat pack and paper piercer poke three holes through the ribbon and then add black brads. Adhere to card... ya, as simple as that.

The main sentiment: Stamp the Studio G sentiment "You are the queen" in Black StazOn on Pretty in Pink cardstock. Yeah, I have a few friends this sentiment really applies to! :) But in a good way! Next color flower and letters with silver and pink Copic At You Spica pens, adds just the right amount of glitter. Layer image on Regal Rose and Basic Black cardstock before poking a hold through the flower and adding a Pretty in Pink brad. Finally tie some ribbon around the pink Making Memories clip. Some brow furrowing will be necessary as the clip is not into bondage and will try to escape, but with a bit of concentration that rotten little clip can be beaten. Finally attach the stubborn clip to the main sentiment and adhere the whole she-bang to the card base with dimensionals.

Some images copyright Stampin' Up!. Stamps: Time Well Spent (hostess), So Swirly Jumbo Wheel, Sanded background, You Are the Queen (from Studio G). Paper: Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Basic Black, Basic Gray. Ink: Regal Rose, Basic Gray, VersaMark, Black StazOn. Other: Pink Clip by Making Memories, Pink Polka Dot ribbon by May Arts, Copic At You spica glitter pens, Regal Rose Wide and narrow grosgrain ribbons, vintage brads, Soft Subtles brads, Stampin' dimensionals.

In other news... my not-quite-a-cold will soon be history, as I visited the doctor's office today and got a handy prescription for antibiotics. Not-quite-a-cold may actually be bronchitis or could have been joined by its cousin Strep Throat (although I'm doubting that one... but hey, I'll know for sure tomorrow). Needless to say, it will soon be a goner (goodbye and so long, you've visited quite long enough!) and I will be back to normal! Yippy! Can ya tell I am very happy? Now if only I could work up the energy to vacuum my floor... naw... too sick. :)