Last post of the year...Thank You cards

So here is the last post of '08 for me. I'll be back tomorrow with the first post of the new year. Here are some Thank You cards I made. Don't recognize that stamp set from the catalog? That's because it's a new one that will be in the new catalog. Only 19 days until that's released!!!
The stamp set is called Sweet Stems. The DSP on the card is also new, it's the new Raspberry Tart DSP. I used the shadow block technique. I did a tutorial on it in September.


Supplies:
Sweet Stems and Short and Sweet stamp sets
Sahara Sand and Rose Red ink pads. Old Olive and Rose Red Markers
Rose Red, White, Old Olive cardstock. Raspberry Tart DSP
1 1/4 square punch, sponge, Old Olive or Rose Red ribbon, dimensionals.

Thanks for looking, see you in '09!

Tutorial Tuesday-Fun with Punches

Today's Tutorial doesn't really show any special technique, but it's a fun card and it uses one of my favorite accessories.
For this card, I'm coloring directly on my stamp with Handsome Hunter and Yoyo Yellow. The punches that I'll be using are the scallop square, corner rounder, large oval and small star. I'm using silver cardstock for the base of my card and a peice of Handsome Hunter, 4.25x 1.5. And scraps of white and yellow that I'll be punching. I have my hobby blade and mat in the picture. I didn't use it in the card. I had plans to but as the card evolved I didn't need to use it after all, so just pretend it's not there.

Use your markers to color directly on the stamp then stamp it on the white cardstock. By the way I'm using the Say it with Scallops stamp set. It's this year's Ronald McDonald House stamp set. SU donates $2 of every stamp set sold to the RMH.

Punch it out using the scallop square punch.

Using the large oval punch with your Handsome Hunter cs punch on one of the sides but not all the way in. We're just adding a little interest in the card with fun dimensions.

This is what it should look like after you've punched it.

Punch a small star with the Yoyo Yellow cardstock.

Put a dimensional on the back of the star and place it over the star on the stamped image.

Tie some ribbon around your hunter peice and adhere it to the base of your card.

Use some more dimesionals to put the greeting on.

You're done!

Tomorrow is the last day of the year can you believe it!

Thanks for looking, see you tomorrow!

A contest entry

Every month SU sends its demonstrators a magazine with ideas and business tips in it. They also hold contests for demos. The January contest was projects made with die cuts from the big shot. So I made this super cute purse (See I told you had other plans for that Candy Lane DSP). Again I have to apologize that I don't have measurements for this purse. I will make an effort in the New Year to always have measurements for my 3-D projects.

It is made to hold cards and here's the one I put in it, I put 4 of these with envelopes in it.

Thanks for looking see you tomorrow!

Thank You!

I had a few thank you cards to make for some generous friends so here's what I did. It's a pretty simple card, no ribbon, no brads, there is crystal effects on the bird for a little dimension.

Supplies

Itty Bitty Background and Spring Song stamp sets

Staz-on and Chocolate chip pads, Ballet Blue, Close to Cocoa, Always Artichoke, Creamy Caramel, Pumpkin Pie markers

Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Ballet Blue, White Cardstock

Crystal effects, dimensionals

Thanks for looking, see you Monday!

Another look at Love you Much

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

The Love You Much Bundle went on Sale December 23. It's a great bundle, here's what you get the stamp set Love You Much, a package of the Candy Lane DSP and the Heart to Heart punch. SU is offering this bundle through January 31 for 20% off, so it's only $41.48.

Here is another card I made with this set. For this card I used the Parisan Summer DSP instead of the Candy Lane DSP ( I have other plans for that). I stamped the birds on DSP then cut it out and glued them over the image I stamp on the cards. This stamp set is so cute and versitle.

Thanks for looking see you tomorrow!

Christmas Cards

I thought I would share with you the Christmas cards that I mailed this year. I did 2 different designs, unfortunately the other design didn't photograph well so I only have 1 to show you. I embossed this image in both silver and gold embossing powder. It's so pretty in person. The base of the card is silver cardstock so it's adds and extra bit of shimmer. I also used gold cardstock and the Parisan Summer DSP and some burgundy ribbon.

I won't be posting tomorrow, have a very Merry Christmas, see you Friday!

Tutorial Tueday-embossing resist---and a Sneak Peak for the 2009 catalog!

Just a super quick tutorial for today. I'm sure your busily preparing for Christmas. Today we're doing embossing resist. I'm using a stamp set that will be in our new catalog. BUT you can order it beginning today. With the stamp set you'll also get a package of some of our new DSP and a new heart punch. The punch is so cute, it has 3 hearts on it. For more details on the Love You Much Bundle-oh did I mention it is 20% off, click here. Check back on December 26th too, I'll another example from the stamp set!
So for embossing resist you'll need glossy paper, clear or white embossing powder, classic ink pads and a sponge or sponge dauber.

Stamp your image in versa mark and emboss it.

Using your sponge or sponge dauber, sponge ink over the embossed image and the embossed part with 'resist' the ink and your image will appear.

Attach it to your card and your done!

Thanks for looking, see you tomorrow!

Bread Box

What a cute simple box this was to make. I don't have the dimensions for you though. I'm sorry. I've already given the box away, but the box is big enough to fit a mini loaf of bread. The base of the box is Ruby Red cardstock, I also used the Holiday Treasure DSP and some rub ons to complete the box.
Inside the box is a loaf of Cherry Eggnog Bread. This bread is so good. I made it a couple years ago and have been making it every year since then for my family and as gifts. The recipe is below if you would like to make it too.


Cherry Eggnog Bread
Bread
3/4 cup maraschino cherries, chopped and well drained
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I always put a little extra-I love nutmeg)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 cup eggnog
Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3-4 teaspoons eggnog
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 325. Spray loaf pan (or 4 mini loaf pans) with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in bowl-set aside.
Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time. Add one third of the flour mixture. Add half the eggnog, then another third of the flour mixture, then the rest of the eggnog, then the rest of the flour mixture. Beating after each addition until just combined. Gently stir in cherries. Pour into pan(s).
Bake 1 hour 15 minutes-1 hour 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean and top is golden brown. (For the mini loafs- I checked mine after about 45 minutes and they still needed another 5-10 minutes).
Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.
For the glaze, mix powdered sugar and eggnog until smooth. Drizzle half over cooled loaf, sprinkle with almonds, then drizzle the rest over the loaf.
Eat!

Thanks for looking see you tomorrow!

Our gift exchange....

Just a quick reminder before we get on to the post, you only have 3 days left to get free shipping on your order of $70 or more and the retiring stamp sets will only be 10% off for 3 more days. Don't wait to take advantage of this offer. Head over to my website to place your order.

On to todays post.
One of my favorite demo meetings of the year is our December gift exchange meeting. Instead of our swaps, we do 1 hand stamped gift under $20. It's so much fun to see what everyone made. This is what I made this year.
I found this glass jar at Target and used our decor elements on the side. Then I used glass etching cream, let that set, then washed it off and then peeled off the decor elements. I filled it with cookies and it's so cute.

Here are some other gifts from the meeting.

Karen made this clock-how cool is that!

Jane made this. There are 4 cans attatched to a board so that you can hang it on your wall above your work station. How cute!

Sorry this picture is so fuzzy, This is a shelf that Amber made, so cute.

There were alot more great gifts but I didn't take pictures of all of them. It was a great time as usual!

Thanks for looking, see you Monday.

Now she's sewing.....

Yep that's right, I'm using my SU supplies for clothing now. I actually didn't sew anything. My Mom made the skirt for me and I did the rest. I used the big shot baskets and blooms die to cut the bottom pieces out. The brown material for the dress I got at Jo-Ann's and the flowered material I got at Hip Stitch. Hip stitch is a cute little sewing boutique. I found it from my friend Christina, her friend is a co-owner of it. It's a great store and they have a great selection of fabric. Anyway back to my project.
So I cut a ton of the little basket and blooms die, 1 yard of material all made into little basket dies. The original plan was to sew around the edges of them so that they didn't frey. Well that was a nice thought but there was no way I was going to be able to do it in such a short time frame. The goal was to have this skirt done by Christmas Eve, so I could wear it to church. Of course I didn't start it until a couple weeks ago. So had I planned a little more in advance, maybe I could have sewed them. But it was still pretty complicated to sew them and there was a ton of them to sew. So, geez this is turning into a tongue twister, but my Mom found this 'no frey', glue stuff. So I gave that a go and it worked great. I used liquid stitch to attach them to the finished skirt too.
I put 3 rows of the dies along the bottom then used some SU Chocolate Chip 3/8 inch grosgrain ribbon to hide the top edge of the pieces. I made a bow and attached that over the seam of the ribbon and was done.
All in all it didn't take that long to make and it did turn out pretty cute. I also found a super cute shirt at Target that I'll wear with it on Christmas Eve.

Here's what I used to stop them from freying and to attach them to the skirt.

Thanks for looking see you tomorrow!

Birthday Card

So as promised, I said I would be copying the card I got from a swap that I posted here so here is my version of it. I just love this layout. I probably will make a bunch more too.

Supplies:

Crazy for Cupcakes, Party Hearty stamp sets

Versa Mark ink, Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue ink pads, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Real Red markers

Sponges, white embossing powder, chocolate chip ribbon, horizontal slot punch, brads

Thanks for looking see you tomorrow!

Ornament Gift Box

My bunco group met again last night. Every December we do an ornament exchange. We have to bring the ornament wrapped so I made a box to keep mine in. I got my ornament at Lobby Lobby. I don't know the measurements for this box. I made it a couple weeks ago and didn't write them down when I did it--OOPS!

The ornament is tied to the ribbon on the top of the box so as you lift the lid the ornament lifts out too.

Thanks for looking, see you tomorrow!

Tutorial Tuesday and Ghirardelli Gifts day 4----Top Note Box

Welcome to day 4 of Ghirardelli Gifts! This is a super cute box I found while going through split coast stampers. I used this picture to go from. Here box is a little smaller, I think it says she used a 4x4 square, but I wanted a bigger box so I made up my own dimensions based on the size of the top note.
So lets get started you'll need, 3 top note dies, 2 in cardstock and 1 in DSP. I'm using Old Olive and Holiday Treasure DSP. You'll also need scissors, sticky strip (or the tombow multi purpose glue that I'm using) and a punch. I'm using the large oval, it's for the handle of you box so whatever size/shape you prefer for that. I'm also using a little bit of chocolate chip ribbon to tie at the top.

The top note die has a perforated edge along the side. On your piece of DSP cut along that edge.

Glue your DSP on of your cardstock pieces. It fits perfectly on the perforated edge on that one.

For your box you'll need a piece of cardstock 5 x 4.25. Score it 1 inch along all the sides. Cut the tabs and put glue where the x's are and assemble your box. Set aside for now.

Decorate the front of your top note piece, how ever you like. I used some rub-on's for mine.

Using your punch, punch the top of both top note die's. You may have to do your pieces separately depending on your punch.

Put some glue on the long side of the box and glue to the bottom of one of your top note pieces.

Put glue on the other side and put the top on.

Fill with chocolate.

Use your ribbon to tie a the front and back together and you're done!

Here is another one I made.

Thanks for looking see you tomorrow!