Thanks A Bunch

I love the Market Fresh Stamp Set.  I think I've only used the grape image so far, but I do love them all :)  The lettuce image is so cute and who doesn't love strawberries!  I think I just have a need for the 'thanks' greeting more than the others.  This card is pretty simple but has lots of 'wow' to it.  To stamp the image I colored it with my Stampin' Write Markers,  I used Mossy Meadow for the leaves and Blackberry Bliss for the grapes.  Then I used the glitter brush pen that I got from Amazon and used it to 'watercolor' the image.  I use the term 'watercolor' loosely because really all I did was drag a little of the color from the stamped image to the rest of the image.  Super easy!  You could also do this with an aqua painter.  I just liked the little added sparkle I got from the glitter pen (even though it doesn't show up well in the photos).

For the greeting I stamped the image again, this time in Versa Mark on the Farmers Market DSP and White Heat Embossed it.  I cut out the little banner and placed it over the image with some dimensionals.  Finally to finish the card.  I mounted it wonky-like on some DSP and attached it to Crumb Cake note card.  A little linen thread and it was done.   Tomorrow is the day you've been waiting for the Holiday Catalog goes live!!!  Whoooo hooo!!!!!  It's an amazing catalog!  Check back tomorrow for a fun, sparkly, project using products in the new catalog! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!! 

Quick Break

Hello! I know you're checking to see a fun project.  I'm running a little (ok maybe a lot) behind this week :(  I thought it would be a brilliant idea for me to schedule 200 things in the same week, turns out it's not such a great idea.  I'm taking today to 'catch up' I'll be back on Monday with a fun project.  Have a great weekend!
Thanks for looking see you soon!!!!

Shaking Dinosaur

 Last week was Logan's birthday.  I wanted to make a shaker card and use the No Bones About It dinosaur set.  I really wanted the full front to be a shaker, so I took two pieces of window sheets cut to 4 1/4x 5 1/2.  I went the really easy route and closed the sides with Washi Tape.  Make sure to add all your shaker bits before closing up the last side.  This actually worked really well.  And the shake around a lot! *NOTE: I used thinner window sheets that Stampin' Up! used to sell.  The thinner sheets have more give and let the shaker bits shake around, not sure it would work as well with the thicker window sheets we sell now.  If you try the washi tape shaker, make sure you use a thinner plastic, you could even try a transparency sheet or even a page protector.* 

 I love that you can see right through the card with this one. I fussy cut the dinosaur and party hat.  I used the Little Letters Framelits for the 'RAWR'.  The colors are kept pretty simple with card.  I used Bermuda Bay, Delightful Dijon and Black.  Simple but perfect for a little boy. 

The inside is simple too, just a greeting and some extra washi tape on the bottom of the card.  To attach the window sheet shaker to the card I cut a piece of white cardstock to 4 1/4 x 6 then scored it at 1/2" on the 6" side.  Then I had a little half inch tab that I could stick the shaker window to.  Logan loved the card and spent lots of time playing with it :)

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

Faux Watercolor Butterflies

Do you love the watercolored look but are maybe watercolored challenged.  I have a really fun and easy tip for you for a simple, subtle faux watercolor look.  You'll love it!!!  I saw the technique done here, but with alcohol markers that I don't own, so I thought how else can I duplicate this look with what I DO have, and probably what you have too.  I filled an aqua painter with some rubbing alcohol and it worked!  I used the Extra Thick White Cardstock for this technique. I stamped my butterflies in Soft Sky and Tempting Turquoise.  Flip your cardstock over and use the rubbing alcohol filled aqua painter and 'color' the back over where the butterflies are stamped.  The alcohol seeps into the cardstock and makes the ink 'bleed' slightly, not a lot, just enough to soften the edges and blend the colors together.  Because rubbing alcohol evaporates so quickly you have to use a very wet brush and keep going over the same spot.   If it's not giving you the look you want you can go directly over the image on the front of the cardstock too. 
   

I stamped the bodies and the antena after I did the watercoloring.  You can see how the colors have softened and become a little muted and watercolor like.  Such an easy fun technique!  I want to try it with our regular white cardstock and see if it gets different results because it's thinner.....

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

August Paper Pumpkin

If you're a Paper Pumpkin Subscriber you know how much fun it is to anticipate that box and what might be in it for the month.  One of the most exciting thing about Paper Pumpkin is not knowing what's coming.  I know for some of you that's what's holding you back.  You like knowing what's coming.  Every month I'm blown away!  They keep getting better!  This month's kit included supplies for 6 cards (3 of each), and 3 treat boxes! I cut the lid and sides off of one of my boxes and now it's a gift box for a set of cards!  Wrap it in a fun cello bag and you're good to go! 

 Gold is so so so trendy right now.  I love that our kits follow those trends.  I love the black tags and the white ink. Makes for a fun chalk board effect! 

Now is the BEST time to try Paper Pumpkin.  You can get your first 2 months for half off!  It's a amazing deal and one you don't want to miss. You can sign up here to get started.  Hurry though this half price offer ends on September 10!  Remember Paper Pumpkin makes a great gift too!!!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!! 

Merry Snowflakes!

 I'm having lots of fun with the new stamp sets from the new Holiday Catalog!  We're just over a week away from debuting the catalog!  Yay!!!  This stamp set (Holly Jolly Greetings) is one of my favorites and you can get in in a bundle with the framelits (Christmas Greetings) and save!!  To start this card I masked off a part of the white cardstock with some washi tape.  I just took a strip and stuck it diagonally on my paper.  Then I stamped the snowflakes with some Tempting Turquoise ink.  Then I lightly sponged the rest of the white with some Soft Sky ink.  Finally I did some 'glitter splatter'.  This is my new favorite way to use glitter!  Simply mix a small amount of tombow with a small amount of water and use a paint brush to 'splatter' the mixture on your card.  Sprinkle with glitter.  Boom!  Glitter Splatter!  LOVE IT!!!!  Once the glue was dry I carefully pulled off the washi tape and I had a perfectly masked area!

I cut the greeting out the greeting with my framelits and some Silver Glimmer Paper to match the glitter splatter.  I white heat embossed the 'Christmas' on a strip of back and attached that to the card along with the 'merry'.  The rest of the card is pretty simple.  I added a couple of strips of scrap paper to tie the whole card together.  This is such a fun set!!  Can't wait to do more with it!! 
Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Swaps Galore

 A couple weekends ago I attended not one but 2 Stampin' Up! meetings.  First my upline Amber had a meeting, then my downline Michelle had a meeting.  Even though I didn't do swaps for Michelle's they still gave me some, they're so sweet!!! The first couple pictures are the make and takes from Amber's meeting, the rest are swaps from both.  Enjoy the great ideas! 

 Amber's Card

 Cassie's Card

 Michelle's Card

 Cyndi's card (I think???)

 Vicki's Card

Nikki's Card

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

For You Jewelry Lovers

Who doesn't like things that sparkle?  Really would you trust someone who didn't like something sparkly?  Ummmm, no!  When I first saw these Iced Rhinestones in the Holiday Catalog, my first thought was a ring.  The Iced Rhinestones are really pretty, they're like a regular rhinestone but with a ring of little rhinestones circling it.  The ring was easy to make, and ring bases are easy to find at your big craft stores.  These rhinestones come in two different sizes and the largest is about half an inch in diameter.  It's a good ring size.  I used some Crystal Effects on the ring base and stuck the rhinestone on it.  Let it dry, give it plenty of time, once it's dry it's ready to wear!

After I did the ring and loved how easy it was I decided to make some matching earrings too.  Follow the same steps and you have beautiful matching earrings.  Post earring bases can be found the same place you found your ring bases.  I found it easiest to stick the post earrings in my paper piercing pad so they had the flat side up.  Leave them there to dry.  Easy, simple beautiful gifts!!!

Thanks for looking, see you soon! 

Acory Thanks

One of the new stamp sets in the Holiday Catalog that I'm just smitten with is a fall themed set, but can really be used year round!  It's called Acory Thanks!  It has a coordinating acorn punch!!!!!  I demoed this card at a meeting a couple weekends ago and I forgot to take a picture of it at home before the meeting.  I didn't come home with the card so I had to take a quick on on my phone before the meeting was done.  I love the background on this card.  I don't even know what it's called but I love it!!!  I saw this technique done here and I immediately tried it.  I sponged layers of Old Olive, Garden Green and Chocolate Chip all over our Extra Thick White cardstock.  After I was done adding the layers of color I spritzed it with our color spritzer filled with water only.  The water gives it kind of a speckled watercolor look, it's just stunning!!!  I can't wait to try this out with different colors.  The acorn in stamped and the top embossed with Gold.  Finally did you notice the BLACK GLIMMER PAPER!!!  I'm so excited about this paper, I couldn't love it more!!!!!
Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Pop Up Again!

 I have the final two cards from my Pop Up Card Class.  This fun Christmas card I'm actually not sure it's considered a Pop-Up card or just a fun fold.  I LOVED it and wanted to incorporate it into this class regardless.  I first saw it here on Julie's blog.  I couldn't believe how easy it was!  Make sure you check out her blog for full instructions.  

   

When you open the card it pops up into this fun diorama card.  I love it!!  It's so unique and fun!!!  The card base is 5.5x10.5 and you score along the 10.5" side at 3.5, 6.5, 7 and 10.  There's a larger panel between two half inch sided panels, that's the panel you want to punch your circle or whatever shape you want.  Add a little Tear Tape along the last half inch panel and adhere that along the first score line.  Really simple and easy!   

The final card we did is similar to this card that I made at craft weekend.  I love the colors on this card.  I just love the yellow and black butterfly!  So so so pretty.  The outside like the rest of the cards is very simple, I think when you want your 'wow' factor inside, keep the outside pretty simple. 

Speaking of that wow factor.  Check out the inside of this card.  I couldn't love it more!!!!  We used the Bold Butterfly framelits to cut 2 black and one Delightful Dijon butterfly.  They're simply folded in half and attached together.  The black ones get attached to the card, one on either side of the score line. 

I think this is my favorite one, but I think it's a tough call, I love them all!!!  This card could easily be modified to any color you can add more butterflies if you'd like.  Keep in mind the more you add the bulkier it will be and won't fold flat.  I hope you give some of these pop up cards a try!

Thanks for looking, see you soon! 

Pop Up!

 I held a Pop Up card class over the weekend.  I had two big goals for this class, this was the first pop up card class I've done.  1) I wanted simple cards that my customers or any stamper at any level could make and duplicate easily.  I think one of the worst parts of stamping is, when you leave feeling like you can't do that on your own.  I really didn't want that to happen at this class.  So these cards are all easy to duplicate, everyone who attended my class also left with instructions on each card.  2) They all had to be cute!  This card is a 4x4 card so they also got to make an envelope to match.

Here's the inside to this card.  Isn't is cool!!!!  I know this looks complicated, especially after all I just mentioned, but it's really easy!  It's a little bit of folding.  DSP works best for this technique, because it's nice and thin!  I googled 'Turkish Map Fold" I came up with lots of helpful links.  Its really a simple fold.  This is a 6x6 sheet of DSP, which is perfect for our paper stacks.
       

 Once they're folded they easily open and close without problems.  You could do this with a larger piece of DSP, and even a larger card.  I thought the 4x4 size was perfect for this.  You still have room to write a greeting. 

 It folds up all nice and flat!!  You could stick this in the mail.  You would have to pay a little extra for postage for the 4x4 size but if you stick it in a standard size envelope you'd be ok :)

 The next card was a card that I saw on Julie's blog.  And I've seen it a couple other places too.  I've been dying to try it out!  I was surprised how easy it was! Why didn't I do it sooner!  It's a standard card base and the inside piece is just 5x6 scored at 2 and 4 on the 6" side.  Accordion fold and assemble.  So simple!! 

When the card is all folded up you'd never know the amazing inside that it has!!??!  This was really easy.  Check out Julie's blog for a full tutorial.  To add the ribbon along the bottom even with the card fold on the left, I just used my Paper Snips and cut a little slit along the side, the ribbon slides right in.  So pretty!  I have the other two cards to share tomorrow! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!  

Silent Night

Have you been waiting for some Holiday Catalog previews!!??!  I've been stamping away!  I have a few things to share.  I love this catalog so much!!!  There's so many things on my wishlist!  These adorable border edgelits have to be on the top of every one's wish list.  Aren't the trees adorable and there's a matching set that follows the curves of the boarders.  In addition to the trees there's also a sleigh and some houses.  I made a few of these cards for a swap.

You can see all the detail they have and they cut so easily with the Big Shot!  Those that have a Big Shot will love the new Precision Plate in the Holiday Catalog.  This new plate is designed to help you will all your intricate framelits.  You don't need to use wax paper anymore, you get clean cuts and they pop right out of your framelits!  I love the it!!  You do not want to use it with your magnetic platform.  Use it with your multi-purpose platform for best results.  The rest of this card was very simple.  I embossed a few starts, added the greeting and it was done!  I'll be back on Monday with the cards from my Pop up class over the weekend, then a couple more sneak peeks from the Holiday Catalog! 

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

I'm Batman

I'm still on a little superhero theme from the last craft weekend.  When I returned home and had put everything back where it belonged.  I decided to make a card for Kim, she was going through a really rough time during craft weekend.  I'm so glad she was there but I know it wasn't easy.  I decided to send her a little card just to send a little encouragement and a smile.  I knew in my head what I wanted Batman and Robin somehow on my card.  I did a little investigating on Pintrest and found an Etsy seller that makes printed cards similar to this.  How cute are these!!!?!  Oh my goodness!!! Cutest people ever!!!!  The people are just strips of scrap cardstock.  So quick and easy!!!  I think the only punches I used where a heart punch for the eyes, a small circle for the smiles and an oval punch for the bat logo.  I then hand cut the logo from the oval.  Then I just printed the greeting on some white cardstock on my printer.  This is a trifold card so when you open up the first panel......

......Here's the inside.  That opens up again and you have LOTS of space to write a message.  This is really easy to do, to make a full sized trifold card. I used 2 sheets of 4.25x11 each scored at 5.5.  You just overlap 2 sides and the card folds up in to a trifold.  Very cute!!!  I hope Kim loved this card and that it brought a smile to her face.
 
Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

July Paper Pumpkin

Last month's Paper Pumpkin Kit was so cute, they all are though! I generally don't stray too far from their designs.  I love doing my Paper Pumpkins after a long day (usually with the kids) after they're in bed.  I usually set up a little spot in the living room, have the TV on, usually whatever Dan is watching and just make the kits.  They're a great way to be crafty and not have to think too much.  All the supplies are included (except SNAIL and scissors), and they go together so quickly!

I made 2 each of 4 different designs.  I spent some time catching up on lots of past Paper Pumpkin cards so I have a ton now!  I plan to make a fun assortment and package them up and give them to Logan and Megan's teachers.  Kind of a 'welcome back to school' gift.

I love the littel cups in this set, and the little plants.  They're all so cute!!!!  The August Paper Pumpkin should be arriving soon!!  Can't wait.  Don't miss out on getting your Paper Pumpkin!  Sign up today here.  Make sure to mention me as your demonstrator.

Thanks fro looking, see you soon!!!!

Stars

When I returned from the Superhero Academy Craft weekend I decided to get catch up on the Convention streaming.  Pam Morgan made these amazing stars and during the video I pulled out some DSP and made my own.  The one she showed was made with 2 6x6 sheet of DSP, our paper stacks are 6x6, that's perfect!!!  You could also use 12x12 of course.  The 6x6 star was sooo cute but really big!  I cut the DSP down to 4x4.  Now instead of getting 2 per 12x12 sheet you can get 4.  The 4x4 size is my favorite.  But I wasn't done...I thought what about 2x2??? Well it was the most challenging, it's really small, I wouldn't recommend it :)

So how do you make them????  They're actually really easy, but not to explain.  I'm going to link here to Angie Juda's blog.  She has a great video on them.  Plus you can get a sneak peek at some new Holiday Catalog stuff!!!  She shows you how to make the 6x6 size, the others are made the same way just on a smaller scale.  These would be so pretty to hang all over a Christmas tree, but you could make them for any occasion.

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Hogs And Kisses

This is the final card I made from the Craft weekend a couple weeks ago.  You can read all about it here.  This card I actually made Saturday night and went to bed not happy with it.  I didn't even finish the front, I really am still not sure how I feel about it.  It was a challenge to make first and foremost, but it also didn't do what I envisioned, at least not in a simple way.  I'm sure there's a really easy way to make this card and I'm missing it.  Perhaps I'll come back to it sometime and work with it some more.  For now it is what it is, and it IS a cute card!

There's a pull tab and when you pull it the little piggy slides and the greeting "Hogs and Kisses" is revealed.....keep pulling though..... 

And another little piggy (that was stamped using this technique I shared here) appears.  The challenge for this card was I wanted the pig behind to be hidden until the slider was pulled out, everything I tried, failed.  I realized that what I needed was some kind of 'shutter' card.  So that's what I ended up creating.  The shutter or the two pieces of cardstock that open up into a V are attached with a mini brad under the first pig.  To get them to open up into that V I trimmed the edges so they were at a point and I trimmed a dimensional into a triangle shape and put it right on the edge where it needs to open.  On one hand that fact that this was even made after a couple drinks and it being really late is pretty amazing by itself!  And, this slidding, shutter card would have been something I never would have even attempted years ago.  So I consider both of those positive accomplishments.  The card though cute and imaginative, isn't without it's issues, for example when you push the slider back the shutter pieces don't close by themselves you have to help it along.  This will be a card that I'll, (time permitting), love to go back and recreate and perfect.  There you have it!  I will note that I do think this card is adorable and perhaps it didn't turn out as expected in my head, but still so cute! 

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

Seriously!

I never, hardly ever, get alphabet stamp sets.  This is actually the first one I've owned for years, I can't even tell you how many years!  I've just never had a need for them.  Then this Layered Letters set came out, and I saw a quadrillion cute things done with it and now I own it.  But how cute is this card?!  I stamped and fussy cut each letter out.  I've mentioned before that I don't mind the fussy cutting, don't get me wrong if there's a matching punch or framelit, I'll use it first, but I don't mind the cutting.  After they were cut I worked on my card base.  I cut a diagonal strip in the white piece and popped it up on dimensionals on top of a Watermelon Wonder piece (that had been covered in Dazzling Details by the way).

I borrowed Kim's set Words Of Truth (thankfully it was clear mount or she wasn't going to let me borrow it) to finish the greeting "you're all kinds of awesome"  I think I say 'seriously' a lot so that's why I went with it :)  Once the letters were stuck on it still needed something, so I covered the letters in Crystal Effects.  This makes them look like enamel letters so cute!!!!  I have one more card from the weekend to share tomorrow. 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Razzleberry Butterfly

First, this card is similar to a card that we'll be making at my pop up card class in a week.  Didn't get signed up?!  Don't worry I've extended the sign up through Monday, sign up now!  The class is Saturday August 15 at 9:30am in Albuquerque.  You'll make 4 pop up cards.  The card we'll be making will be different colors and a little more simplified on the front.  Still waaaayyyy tooo cute and really fun!!!!  This is a pop up card, but I'm not going to share the inside until after the class.  I'm a big meanie like that.

The butterfly is stamped with the new stamp set Watercolor Wings.  You can bundle this with the new butterfly framelits and save some money.  With that kind of deal how can you resist!!!!?!?  The butterfly is so pretty, it's 3 parts and you can stamp them in all different colors or just 2 like I used the bottom layer is stamped in Rich Razzleberry that's been stamped off, the second stamp was stamped in Rich Razzleberry without stamping off.  The final layer was stamped with black.  On top of that I put another butterfly framelit that I covered with some Dazzling Details.  So pretty!!!  Also the new Holiday Catalog has Black Glimmer Paper!  I can't tell you how happy I am about that!!!!?!?!  To finish the butterfly I added a bakers twine bow.  So pretty!!!!! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!