Just Add Milk

I have my friend Mindy to thank for today's project.  She told me that you could put enough hot cocoa mix for one into our skinny cello bags, the ones in the Holiday Mini.  What a great idea.  And what super, sweet, easy, and fast these gifts can be!  I just tied mine to another larger cello bag filled with marshmallows.  You could stick this in a cute mug and you're good to go.  I used a funnel to get the hot cocoa into the cello bag.  I put about 2 tablespoons in each bag.  Don't they look yummy!!?

My tag couldn't be easier.  I stamped the greeting and punched it out with my label punch and gently sponged the edges just a little.  So sweet!  Of course you could always make a more elaborate tag but this is a great idea for last minute neighbor or co worker gifts. 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Beary Christmas

The post from Sunday was supposed to be scheduled to go up on Monday, not sure what happened.  But I didn't forget Monday just got the post up on the wrong day.  So today I will show you the card I did for the MDS contest.  This is a tri-fold card.  The first fold is after the second bear and the second fold is after the tree.  So when it's all folded all you see is the first two bears.  But when it's opened you see the whole card.  Everything was done in My Digital Studio, the bears are made with punches-yes you can even build with punches in MDS.  The tree is decorated with brads and star (from a punch).  The presents are made from punches too.  I had a lot of fun making this card.  I considered sending it out for our Christmas cards this year, but decided against it.  Maybe next year :)

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Possibilities

I know that you've seen these pictures scrapbooked a million times.  I have to say that these are some of my favorite pictures of Megan, ever!  So naturally they're my favorite to scrapbook.  A couple of months ago Stampin' Up! had a My Digital Studio contest.  I entered, but didn't win.  No worries though, I didn't really have high hopes, but thought it would be fun to enter.  You had to enter a scrapbook page and a card.  This is the scrapbook page I entered.  I'll show you the card tomorrow.  The page is pretty straight forward.  Lots of layers and embellishments but nothing too fancy.  I think over the weekend I was MDSing (yes that's a word) for hours!!!  I was able to finish an entire calendar, though that only took about an hour, maybe a little longer.  But the rest of the time I was just playing.  I'll share soon!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!! 

It's Questionable...

I'm not sure how I feel about this card.  I love the idea of it and it looked MUCH better in my head.  But as I was making it, it didn't come out like I thought it would, BUT now that I've had a chance to look it over and let it sit there I think I am liking it more.  So very strange.  I'm still not 100% sure on it, so if you have any thoughts, I'd love to hear them!  I started this card with a vellum base.  It's so pretty and elegant.  If you do a vellum base for your card make sure that you line the inside with some regular cardstock to write you message :)  On top of the vellum I used my Simply Scored and did lines diagonally down on the cardstock, which just gives a fun background.   

For Dasher, I stamped him in Crumb Cake then used my Soft Suede marker on the small tip end and highlighted some of areas where shadows might be or just to highlight some of his antlers.  Once I was done with that, I used my aqua painter and our Dazzling Details and painted on some sparkle!  It's very hard to photograph but it just makes it look like sparking snow.  I mounted that on more glitter, some of our silver shimmer paper.  SO PRETTY!!!  To finish him off I used some pearls on his antlers.

I did the greeting the same way that I did Dasher, Crumb Cake ink and a Soft Suede marker.  So what do you think.  Like it or hate it.  I think it's growing on me.  I'll be honest though I was NOT thrilled with it while making it and it almost ended up in the trash.  I like the big greeting on it too, but as you can see, it's not going to be an easy card to mail, this is one of those hand delivered cards :) 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!

Gobble Gobble Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!  Happy turkey day!!! I hope you are celebrating with family and friends!!!!  I had Logan make some pine cone turkeys this year.  He used some retired DSP and I think they're cute!  a little wonky but CUTE!!!!  Remember you don't need to fight the crowds tomorrow on Black Friday, just head over to my website and shop Stampin' Up!'s Online Extravaganza!!! Remember stamps make a great gift-give your wishlist to your family and friends this year!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Simple Snowflake

Still need some ideas for your Christmas cards this year?  Well look no further.  I have a simple, sweet, cute and lovely little Christmas card here.  Plus they're so easy you could make 100 in no time!  Normally I'm not a big fan of these simple cards but I saw a sample like this on Stampin' Connection (a demo only site) and I couldn't help myself, I had to copy it, it was so cute!!!  I used the snowflake punch and punched out a snowflake out of the base of my card, Island Indigo.  I attached a piece of Pool Party behind that.  I used my white gel pen to out line the snowflake in faux stitching.  And your card is just about done.  I told you easy peasy!

For the greeting I stamped it in Island Indigo, then again in versa mark and embossed it with white embossing powder.  The two different inks give it a slight shadow look, that looks so pretty in person!  Now that I'm looking at the card I think I may add some Rhinestones to the center of the snowflake, I think that would look so pretty!  But that's basically it.  Simple Snowflake!  

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!

Round Two

Here's round 2 of the swaps from our meeting last week.  Enjoy!!!

 This one was Liz K's.  So cute and sweet! 

 This is Michelle C's.  So cute!!! Wow that's alot of cutting on the little girl too!!!

 Here's the last one from Kim Madrid.  She did the faux tile technique, so cute!!!

 I always love Corrina's cards, they're simple but so pretty!!!

 This is Amber's, I love the embossing, the sponging, everything!!!!

Finally this is Liz L's.  She did such a good job.  I love white stamped on black and I love how she highlighted the flowers from the embossing folder!

Great job ladies!!!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

The First Round

Since there's so much going on I decided to split up the swaps from our meeting last week into 2 posts.  First TODAY beings Stampin' Up!'s Online Extravaganza!!!!  There are amazing deals on My Digital Studio, and so much more!!!  Don't forget there are sales just for today only!!!!!  Head over to my website to check out the 24 hour specials and the rest of the Online Extravaganza!!! Click the 'shop now' link on the top right hand corner. 

Time for our swaps, the theme was Valentine's Day.

 This was Kay's swap.  I have that set and I'm not sure I've ever used it :)  I love the scalloped edge!

 This one was Carmelita's.  I love this one!  It's one of my favorites!!!!

 This was Kim Madrid's, she had 2 new recruits so she did 3 swaps total.  Great job Kim!!!

 This is Nichole's.  So cute! And a great use of the heart set!!!

Here's another one of Kim's.  I love that little car!!!  And the black ribbon, I think I must buy that now :)

I'll have the rest of the swaps tomorrow.  Until then, thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Online Extravaganza!

Just a reminder that Stampin' Up!'s Annual Online Extravaganza will begin on Monday, November 21st! There will be incredible deals for EVERYONE!!! Don't miss the 24 hour sale starting on November 21. There will be special deals that are only available for 24 hours!!!! The extravaganza will run through November 30, but the 24 hour specials will only be available for one day! Head over to my website Monday morning and click 'shop now' in the top right hand corner for all the deals!!!

Half Stampin' Up!

Last night was our demonstrator meeting, soooo much fun!!!!  I can't stand it!!!  We had a little 'class brainstorming session' and all that I'll say is my classes next year are going to be AWE-SOME!!!!!  But in the interest of time, let's get to today's project!  Before we get to it, let me share with you how this project came to be.  Logan has been wanted to knit a rug for his play corner for a while.  Well you know me, I'm paper crafty not yarn crafty.  So it got put off and put off.  Well my Mom picked up at the store those kids knitting kit things.  You know it's a circle with pegs around the top, you thread the yarn over them and it's basically easy knitting.  They were too small for a rug, so we thought we'd make placemats or potholders for Christmas gifts.  This interested Logan for about 10 minutes.  Well by this time, we'd already started something.  So I finished it and followed the instructions and turned it into a hat.  Well the only person the hat fit was Megan.  The problem was the yarn was in boy colors.  So what's a stamper to do?  Embellish the hat with girly things of course!!!!  Fortunately for me the hat was the same color as the Baja Breeze big buttons in the Holiday Mini catalog so it worked out well :)  Here's my little model wearing the hat.  She's not a huge fan of hats but she likes cameras so lucky for me she kept the hat on long enough to get a picture :)

For the hat, I used the Baja Breeze button and threaded some Baja Breeze seam binding through it.  But it still needed something else so I added another button with some bakers twine.  SOOOOO stinkin' cute!!!!  I actually love this hat, I think I'm going to make a larger one for me so that Megan and I can have matching hats, how cute would that be!!!!???!

Here's a closer shot of the button embellishment.  Now if SU sold yarn you know this would be a 100% SU project but, as of now yarn is not and at least will not be in the next mini catalog :)  Which is just as well for me.  I'll have highlights from the meeting next week.  Our swaps were great and the demos were great as well!!! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!!

Love You!

Tonight is my favorite night of the month.  Who can guess what tonight is?  Anyone, anyone???  Well if you guessed it was our demonstrator meeting you'd be right!  Thanks to the free Big Shot promotion we'll have lots of new people at this meeting tonight too, which is always exciting!  Tonight's swap theme is Valentine's Day, so here's the card I did.  I love it.  I think, not certain here, but I think this may be the first time I've used the Postage Stamp Punch?  Can you believe it?  I love all the layers on this card.  And I love the white and Poppy Parade together, it just screams Valentine's Day.  I really wanted to add glitter.  Glitter and Valentine's Day seem to go together in my head, but I held back and kept it simple.  

Everything, is popped up on dimensionals, well everything except the embossed layer. Starting at the top down is the heart, the postage stamp punch, a Poppy Parade layer and a white layer, all adhered on there with dimensionals.  Can you tell I love dimensionals?!!  I've said it before and I'll say it until it happens, but I wish SU would sell bigger packages of dimensionals or sell them in bulk to demonstrators.  Oh I'd be a happy camper then!  I'll have highlights from the meeting soon, in the meantime use your dimensionals!  You know you want too :)

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!!

Oh Christmas Tree....

I got this set waaaaay back during Sale a Bration as one of my free sets, it's Holiday Happiness.  I thought it was so cute and it reminded me of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.  I thought it would make such cute Christmas cards, but for the life of me I'm stumped with how to use it.  I love this card.  But there's no room for a greeting without covering up half the tree.  But it's still so cute and I love that comes with this sets.  The little ornaments are so cute too.  For this tree though I just punched a variety of circles to use for the ornaments. 

The star punch is retired, I'm sorry, I still don't know why oh why it was retired.  I just couldn't part with mine, and if you know me I don't keep anything that's retired, so it was a big deal for me to keep it.  I may add a small greeting along the bottom of the card, who knows.  It's such a cute card, just needs a sentiment.  I love how the edges have the ruffled ribbon just peeking out.  I love the look of that.  Have I mentioned before how much I love our ruffled ribbon :)  Well that's enough babbling from me.  I have a whole to do list for today.  I better get started :)

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Embossing Christmas

I find that I use heat embossing more at Christmas than any other time of year.  Do you find that as well?  Not sure why, maybe it's the elegance of it all.  This is my second favorite card from the Stamp a Stack.  It's so pretty!  The star is stamped on white in Pool Party, then we embossed on vellum cardstock in gold embossing powder.  So pretty!!!!  I didn't realize until today by yesterday was my 900th post!  Can you believe it???  900-WOW!!!!  Now that I'm more aware of the whole thing I think I'm going to plan something really big for my 1000th.  Of course it will be a while before that happens, but I guess that gives me plenty of time to think about it :)  In the meantime I'll be starting my Christmas cards today-hopefully.  I've procrastinated long enough, time to get crackin'!  :)  But they're so cute and I'm so excited for them :)

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

More Stamp a Stack Cards :)

I have a couple more cards to show you from my Christmas Card Stamp a Stack over the weekend.  Tomorrow I'll show you the last card.  I have to say that this year I loved all the cards and I heard lots of good feedback from my customers at the class too.  If you attended I hope you had a good time, if not I hope you can join me next year!  This stocking card was super popular and lots of people said it was their favorite.  I'm glad too, because while I love all 4 cards this one was probably my least favorite of the 4 :)

This one was so cute and the first design that I came up with for my class, months ago actually :)  I wasn't sure what colors I'd be using but I'm glad I went with traditional red for Christmas.  I got lots of great feed back on this card too.  It's so simple but with all the layers and embossing it looks like you must have spent hours making it!!! 

Thanks for looking, see you tomorrow!!!

Stamp A Stack Sneak Peak

Tomorrow is my Christmas Card Stamp a Stack.  I've been doing it now for, gee I don't even know how many years!  But it's always one of my MOST popular classes and this year is no exception.  And this year I think I love the cards so much!  This one is my favorite.  So tomorrow at the class, my guests will get to make 20 cards in just a couple hours!  They'll make 5 each of 4 designs!  So much fun!!!  And I'm ready a day early and I'm going to set up a day early!  I'm even more excited for that!  :)  But like I said this is my favorite one!  I love the pink trees!  So cute!!!!!!  They're stamped and punched out with the Pennant stamp set and punch.  I love that greeting too, it's from the Many Merry Messages set, I've wanted it since it first came out, but it took me until this year to get it!!!  Other items took priority on my wishlist.  :)

One of my favorite parts of the card is the ruffled DSP along the oval.  I just love that, and it couldn't be easier!  To do it I put adhesive around the edge of my oval and just started gluing my DSP down, ruffling it as I went around.  But it's as easy as that!  Simple and so pretty!!!  The trees are stamped in Melon Mambo and Regal Rose.  The Regal Rose trees are the two on top, stamp one then stamp another without reinking to get the lighter tone.  So I couldn't be more excited for my class!!  If you're coming, I'm so excited!!!  I'll post the other 3 cards next week. 

Remember today is the LAST day to get your FREE BIG SHOT or FREE $100 PRODUCT BONUS!!!!  Head over to my website and sign up TODAY!!!!!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Short and Sweet...and Quick!

If you're looking for a quick, simple, pretty card then I have the perfect card for you today.  I'm a little behind on my Stamp a Stack prep for this weekend.  I think I'm almost done, and I'm actually making better time than I thought I would but there's still alot to do.  So this post is going to be short and sweet.  I saw this color combo on a card recently and LOVED it!!!  I'm going to be using it alot!  Cherry Cobbler and Blushing Bride-who knew!  Anyway this card is pretty self explanatory and other than my crocked greeting I"m pretty pleased with it.  Don't these colors look great together!?!!  Ok, I'm off to get back to work!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!

Box Of Ornaments

In keeping with the cleaning out of my class scraps I found this little box, well the cardstock for it anyway.  At a workshop last month we made this box (used different DSP) but I had the paper already cut to run through the Big Shot so I decided to do a box today.  In the box is what I really want to show you though.  The box is cute, don't get me wrong and I LOVE using pink for Christmas :)  I used a strip of DSP for a ruffled edge to the top of the box, and then made a little lolli or rosette to stick on the front.  But again, nothing too fancy about the box, it's all about what's inside!!!

Inside this little box is a set of 4 Christmas tree ornaments.  SO CUTE!!!!  I used the Petal Card Punch for the boxes.  I've made these before. Remember this post and this one.  I've always wanted to make little ornaments with it though, so with Christmas right around the corner it's the perfect time!!!  These make great hostess gifts, neighbor gifts, teacher gifts, etc.  I know I'd love to receive a sweet little box of these :)

The boxes are easy to do.  You'll need to punch 4 of the petal card punches, adhere the tabs together on each one so that you form a 'chain' of them.  Stick the last two together so that you get a box and then close the top and bottom.  I used some Hemp Twine on top to attach your tree hook too.  The DSP is already so beautiful you don't need to do much to it.  So I just added a little ribbon and a cute bow on the front with some Vanilla Grosgrain Ribbon.  Quick, easy, cute and fun!  What more could you ask for?! :)

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Pool Party Perfection

That's how I feel about this card. Pure perfection.  I love everything, and I do mean everything about it!  There's so much texture and dimension, it's such a pretty card in person.  I'm not even sure where to start.  Let's start from the top and work down I guess.  The whole back layer is embossed with the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder (have I mentioned how much I LOVE this folder?).  There's 3 of the lace border punches layered on top of each other.  I love the look that this gives.  And finally to top the bottom layer off some ruffled organza ribbon.  Soooo pretty!!!

For the top layer.  The doily is from the Flirtatious DSP.  You get cute sheets of Melon Mambo and Pumpkin Pie doilies, BUT they're white on the other side, so you can leave them white or sponge them ANY color you want!  That's what I did here.  I used the white side and sponged Pool Party ink all over it.  I added an Island Indigo flower, make sure to check out the center of that flower!  So many pearls, how could you not love it?!  I rock and rolled the greeting and I think that just might be it :)  I love this card!!!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Late, But It's Here!

Here it is as promised, late but I think this card is worth the wait :)  I've been attempting to clear out some of my old class and workshop supplies. You know sometimes you have extras from a class or workshop.  So I've been finding lots of card pieces, so I'm hoping this week to either get them put away or make something with them.  So here's the first of my 'leftovers'.  I actually really love it!  The 'thank you' are stamped a little crocked but other than that I love this card!  I love the bright Melon Mambo, I think it's always been one of my favorite pinks.  I used the Triple Blossom Punch to add the frilly little border on the bottom there.  So cute!!!    

I used my Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel then stamped and adhered some butterflies on it.  I love the look of the vintage wheel.  I really need to use my wheels more often.  But it just changes the card dramatically, opposed to leaving it white and just sponging the edges.  So pretty!  This is one of those cards that looks so much better in real life :)  But I hope you can still tell how pretty it is. 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Trouble I Tell Ya, Just Trouble

It's a special Sunday Post!  Monday's post may be late but I wanted to share this super cute and sweet page with you that took only minutes to create.  Remember this post back in September? Well my little trouble maker is at it again! Last week, Megan was 'helping' me unload the dishwasher.  Which means I unload it and she tries not to trip me in the process :) Well after it was emptied and I was ready to re-load it (it's a nasty little cycle isn't it!) the phone rang and I went to answer the phone.  I was gone no more than 30 seconds when I returned to her sitting on the door to the dishwasher playing with the drawers.  It's a good thing she's cute!  She was so proud of herself though!!!  I just love this page!  If you haven't already, make sure you head over to the My Digital Studio website and get your free downloads. Tomorrow is the last day to get them free!!  The 'smile' and 'laugh out loud' greetings are part of the free download!  The others are awesome too!!  Make sure you get them today!!!  Big thanks to those of you who came to see me at the craft show at Grace Church on Saturday.  It started out bumpy and the weather was horrible but it ended up being a great day and a big success so THANKS!!! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

It's Back!

I took a break from using the Gently Falling set, but I'm happy to say that I'm back to using it.  It's still one of my favorite sets, I just love it.  This card is really growing on me too.  I love all the texture there it.  Not to mention the sponging.  If you want to change the look of any project, sponging is a great way.  Sponging with a darker color is a great way to 'tone' down a brighter color.  Plus it looks so cool!  Almost everything is sponged on this card.  All the layers are sponged including the leaves. 

I especially love the leaves on this card.  After I cut them out I sponged them (I'm going for a record of how many time I can type 'sponged' in one post)  :) I love doing this especially to images that have been cut out because if you're anything like me there's usually a few imperfections in your cutting (one of the reasons I love punches so much).  But after you sponge around the edges it makes it look cleaner and those edges just blend in with the rest of the card and make it look so much better!  So your challenge this weekend, go sponge something! A card, a scrapbook page, the dog whatever you want!!!!  :)  You too will be impressed with the results. 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Keys....

I love my new key chain, isn't it pretty!!!?!  I've been wanting to make a key chain like this for a while.  I'm normally not a big key chain person.  I don't like alot of clutter on my keys, but this idea has been in my head so long and the longer it was in there the more I loved the idea of it.  Then I saw the example on page 167 of the catalog, and thought this was the year I was going to do it for sure!  I already had a key chain that had a Stampin' Up! tag on it (one I got years and years ago at convention, maybe my first convention), so I just attached everything to that chain.  I used 2 of our Simply Adorned charms and some of our little baubles.  So pretty.  I have my initial in the small one and some pretty eye candy in the larger one.  I love it!!!   Dan isn't too thrilled with my extra girly keys now when he drives my car, but I love them!  

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

So Pretty!!!!

You know that feeling when you make a card and you're finally done and sit back and look at it and are filled with joy and jubilation, and smile because it's exactly how you envisioned it or better.  Well that was my feeling with this card.  I went into it making it for a friend and had every intention of mailing it.  Well after I finished it there was that brief thought, "No way I'm mailing this card, I LOVE it toooo much"  But in the end I did mail it and fortunately she loved the card almost as much as I do :)  So it was worth it.  Share the joy-send your cards!!!  I'm really working on being a sender not a hoarder, can you relate?

I'm not even sure where to begin with this card.  I love the sponging. I LOVE the paper, it's official Beau Chateau is my FAVORITE DSP, LOVE IT!!!!!! I love the pearls and half circles on the card.  I love the vintage look of it all, I just love it!  Almost everything on this card was sponged, now that my sponges are organised, it is sooo easy to sponge everything.  I love the depth and dimension that you get with sponging.  It really changes the look of a card.



I had to send this card in a padded envelope.  There was just so much dimension on this card and it would have been smooshed if I put it in a regular envelope.  I wanted to show you a view from the top, there's lots of dimensionals and the banner is raised.  If you'd like more info or tips on sponging, I'd love to show you at your workshop!  Host a workshop now-12/15 and you could earn an additional $35 in FREE product when your workshop reaches $350!  It's a great deal and I would love for you to earn all that free product!!!  Contact me today to book your class!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!