Sledding in Spring?

Hi friends.  I am preparing pages for my upcoming Scrapbooking event and I thought I would share them with you as I complete them.  You will be able to tell how far behind I am in capturing these memories - these photo's are from last winter (as in 2008).  Shhh, don't tell.

Holiday Lounge Designer Series Papers seemed perfect for this page.  I added Black and White striped ribbon, some black buttons, and ornaments from our Tree Timmings set stamped in Ruby Red Classic Ink to coordinate with the papers.  Sahara Sand and Ruby Red letters on Basic Black cardstock gave me the title.  The Round Tab punch gives an interesting background shape for the letters to sit on.  Yes, that is the Scallop Trim punch - again, that favorite punch makes an appearance.

The snowflakes are created with our Snowflakes Set #2 Sizzlets Dies.  I painted them with ModPodge and dipped them in Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  It only take a few minutes to dry and they really sparkle! 

I'm off to finish my next set of pages - thanks for visiting!

Lookee Here!

I'm so excited!  The UPS man has left me a "present" - that's right, a big ol' cardboard box filled with Stampin' UP products.  WOOT!  Stamp sets, papers, accessories - oh, my!  I can't wait to get started.  The Designer Series Papers are just gorgeous!  And the Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware is going to be fantastic!

I have been asked by many of you, "When are you going to host another scrapbooking event?"  The answer is VERY soon.  That's why I have all these wonderful new papers and such!  Check out the April schedule on my website (you can get there by clicking on the link at the left).  I will post my pages as I complete them.  If you are not available to attend the event as scheduled, kits are available for purchase so that you can create these wonderful memories too!  Finished cards and kits for cards viewed on this site are also available for purchase.  Just leave me a comment or send me an email!

Don't forget, the end our our Sale-A-Bration event is days away!  Don't miss this opportunity for fantatastic FREE merchandise!

Day Three - Klompenstampers Blog Hop

It's still Wednesday, isn't it?  I'm not too late, am I?  I have had a hectic Wednesday and am so glad to be here with you.  I hope you feel that today's post was worth the wait!

When I looked through our current catalog for the first time I was "ga-ga"!   There's no other word for it .. assuming "ga-ga" is even a word.  I loved everything and wanted it all - scratch that, NEEDED it all!  I told my daughter she could pick out a new pack of Designer Series Paper.  Being the "girly girl" she is, Raspberry Lemonade Razzleberry Lemonade (update - it was just pointed out to me that this DSP is NOT Razzleberry Lemonade.  I'm so embarrassed - I thought it was!  This must be a retired paper that I grabbed thinking it was Razzleberry Lemonade.  I bet this card would look great with that paper!) was her choice.  I think she made a wise selection, don't you?

The materials list for this project included our Just Buzzin' By stamp set.  As you can see, I paper- pieced the flowers (lifting the centers on Dimensionals) and used the greeting too.  Adding Basic Black and Whisper White made the colors in the papers really POP.  And our Circle Scissors Plus made getting the right sized circles for this card - well, simple.  Don't you love the flower and brad combination?  The flower is from our Filigree set and the rhinestone brad is from the Circle Ice collection.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed your visit!  I had a great time participating in this Blog Hop.  I'm so glad I was given the opportunity!  Be sure to leave me a comment before you move on to see Edna at www.stampinsister.com.

Day Two - Klompenstampers Blog Hop

Good Evening!  I know I am posting the night before the day I'm suppose to (does that make sense?).  I am so excited to be participating in the Hop that I just can't help myself!  I just have to post early!  And ... since it is so late in the day here in Michigan I figure no one will see this post until tomorrow anyway.  (The fact that this reaches different time zones around the world goes un-noticed.  LOL.)

Here's my second posting to share with you!  I just recieved my Stampin' Up Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die and I had to play with it.  Doesn't it make beautiful butterflies?  The die actually cuts four gorgeous winged friends and I used two on this project.  The papers are from  ... yep, you guessed it - Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper.  You can order a package for yourself on my website, just click on the link to the left.  It's filled with gorgeous papers and colors.  On this card I used Pretty In Pink cardstock and ribbon.  Update:  I did put an extra length of ribbon folded over on itself on top of the ribbon befreo i tied it.  That makes the ribbon look fuller.   And it makes four "tails" instead of two.  Notice the Whisper White card stock border?  That was created with the cutest Pinking Hearts Border punch (along with the DSP this is also in the Occassions Mini Catalog).  The polka dot leaves are from our Extra Large Two-Step Bird punch. 

The gorgeous circular filagree (LOVE IT) is from our Vintage Labels set.  I got that set FREE through our Sale-A-Bration event.  WOOT!  I punched it out with our Scallop Circle Punch.  I also punched out three more scalloped circles to create the "flower" from scraps of DSP.  A button sewn in the center holds them together.  I just LOVE making these flowers.  You can add more layers to make them "poofier" (that's a word, right?) or you can use a few layers to make them less poofy.  Like I did here!  I didn't want my flower to detract from the butterflies!  To see a poofy flower ... click here!  My sewing machine was used to stitch around the outside of the card front.  And I've included a couple detailed photographs which I hope will show your some of beauty of this paper collection. 

Thanks for visiting today and please stop by tomorrow.  You can leave me a comment below if you'd like.  Now it's time to see what Edna has created for you to enjoy!  Click here for Edna's Blog!

Day One - Klompenstampers Blog Hop!

Happy Monday everyone and welcome to Day One of our Klompenstampers Blog Hop!  I'm excited to have you visit.  It sure makes this Monday more fun than the typical start of the week, right?

Here is my project for today's posting.  To me is says "Welcome Spring" even if it's chilly outside.

Once again I used our new Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper.  With as often as I use it - you can tell I LOVE it.  This time I layered with no matting.  It gives the card a "shabby" look.  The stitching was done on my sewing machine and it adds to the "shabby" look too.  Since I covered the entire card front this time, your cardstock choice is really based on what color you want on the inside of the card.  Update:  To clarify I covered a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" piece of scrap cardstock in the background paper.  Then I used dimensionals to mount that to the front of my card.  Since it is the same size as my card you don't see any sign of matting.  Also you still have the rigidity of a real card underneath.  Hope that helps!

The chipboard flower at the upper left is covered in our Fine Cosmo Glitter.  It's actually a light blue to go with the card but here it photographed white.  I used Sticky Strip on the glitter and then Crystal Effects to attach the flower.  The small half pearls from the Pretties Kit were glued on with Crystal Effects too.  Great stuff!  The only punch I used was our Modern Label punch.  The string is our Linen Thread wrapped around a few times and tied in a bow.  My greetings were FREE through our fantastic Sale-A-Bration event going on now!  See the link at the left?  Click on it to learn more!  

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed today's project!


Edna's blog will have something wonderful for you to see just click here!

Sleep Over Fun!

Another successful sleep over in the bag!  The sleeping bag, that is.  LOL.  Sabrina enjoyed her 6th annual party with her friends.  It's not a birthday or anything ... just a "girl's night".  Of course we had to time it to the release of NEW MOON.  With the movie as our theme, the decorations came together easily.  Red, black, white, and lots of vampire stuff.  Yes, I know I should have had some fur too but this house belongs to Team Edward.  Here are a few pictures ...

The invitiations were fun too.  I got out all my supplies - purse template, Designer Series Papers, Hodgepodge hardward, Brads, Real Red and Basic Black cardstock, Cello bags, Ribbon, and Pretties Kit Flowers.  What a minute!  Where are all my flowers?!  They were all gone!  So, I did what any desperate mother who was creating the invitations way too late would do ~ I started pulling apart my flower stems.  Not the best plan but in a pinch it worked.  We filled the purses with lip gloss, nail polish, and such.  I think they turned out cute.

Be sure to join me tomorrow on my first Blog Hop!  I'm so excited to be part of the fun.  It runs for three days and you are sure to see lots of fantastic ideas.

Leave me a comment below to let me know you've visited today and I hope to see you again tomorrow!

Sending Love

Hello!  Just a quick post tonight.  Here's another project made at my class last weekend.

Whisper White, Basic Black, and Pretty in Pink compliment our lovely Sending Love Designer Series Paper.  Don't miss out on this gorgeous sparkly paper - it's currently in our Occasions Mini Catalog and will be available only until the end of this month!  White buttons and string provided the perfect embellishment.  Again, our Scallop Trim Punch was used (I reach for this border punch all the time)!  The ribbon is Real Red Polka Dot grosgrain.  The greeting inside is from Well Scripted and on the card front is a saying from Picture This.  Our Level 1 Hostess Set in the Occassions Mini Catalog is sooo cute!  It includes "a STAR is born" (seen here) and "thanks for OWL you do" (I'm sure you can imagine that one) and "to a perfect PEAR" (another cutie) and more.  There are eight stamps in this set.  You can view them by selecting my link on the left - Occassions Mini Catalog.  Check it out! 

Thanks for visiting!

My "Why"

I've been asked questions from "How long have you been a Stampin' UP demonstrator?" to "What prompted you to join Stampin' UP?"  The answer to first question is simple - over 10 years!  WOOT!  The answer to the second is easy too - just a bit longer. 

Since I was young, I've always enjoyed crafting.  I have flirted with knitting (LOTS of blankets made for my brothers as I was growing up), crocheting, sewing (I couldn't hold a candle to my mother's talents), hooked rugs, painting (a complete failure at this one), and of course ... macrame.  Now, don't laugh at that last one because we've ALL done it!  Yes, I made the plant hangers and the owls with beaded eyes.  I know you remember those.  I would kick those out like crazy!  Then I had an inspiration - why not sell those cute little owls sitting on branches!?  After all, my mother told me they were wonderful!  So I made all kinds - big, small, three in a row on one branch ... you name it and I could knot it.  Then it happened.  Either the owls weren't so cute any more or I had exhausted by customer base.  Believe me, every member of my family and all my neighbors within walking distance had an owl hanging on their family room wall (or in their closet somewhere but hey, a sale is a sale).  So ended my macrame days. 

Much later in life, a wonderful thing happened - I met my upline at a church function.  We made a few cards for shut-ins, had a few laughs, and throughly enjoyed ourselves.  It was soooo gratifying to be creating something again!  In the company of friends made it all the better.  I signed up as a demonstrator within weeks.  My initial desire was to "feed" my hobby.  And Stampin' UP has turned out to be all of that and more.  Creativity, friendship, pride, charity, and getting paid for having all the fun I can stand!  I wouldn't leave it for the world!

Stampin' Up! welcomes both hobby stampers and career demonstrators with our customized Starter Kits!

How Does Joining SU! work for a Hobby Stamper?

• Save 15% on the Starter Kit and choose a Bonus Stamp Set (valued to $47.95*). Ends March 31.

• Chose from Two Kits: The Standard Starter Kit (Now $169) and Digital Plus Starter Kit (Now $157 - pictured here) offer over $295 in Stampin' Up! products and include free shipping. Customize the kit with your choice of stamp sets, ink colors and more (of equal or less value).

• Sign Up On-line. Get immediate benefits. Simply email me for my password.

• Fill your Wish List! Receive 30% off your first order of $150 or more plus qualify for hostess benefits. During Sale-A-Bration you'll also earn 3 free gifts with a $150 order (one for every $50 in product).

• Enjoy 20% off every day.

• Imagine being able to view and order select new stamps and products one month in advance of catalog releases!

• There's no obligation to sell or hold workshops and no penalty if you decide to drop. You keep all your goodies.

• To remain active, $300 in total retail sales is required per quarter. This includes your own purchases and customer sales (based on retail prices).

• Join now! The end of the first full quarter isn't until June 30. You would be guaranteed discounts and benefits until then.

• If your sales reach $300 by June 30, you remain active through September 30 (third quarter). Your discounts continue through the release of the new 2010-2011 catalog (July 1) and the new In Colors.

Ah, Vintage!

I think I understand "vintage" a bit better now.  Soft pinks, blues, a host of buttons and pearls, some taffeta  ribbon, and voila ... Vintage!  This time I stayed on task and didn't stray.  I hope you like it!

I used up some retired background paper on this project.  The checked blue/white is from ... well, honestly I'm not sure.  I had a sheet of it laying around and it just seemed right for this card.  The pinks are from our Sweet Pea collection.  The herringbone pattern was trimmed top and bottom with our Scallop Punch.  You would think with as many times as I use the Sweet Pea collection it's a wonder I have any left.  I guess the package is bigger than I thought - which is a good thing since it's so gorgeous!

The stamped squares are actually a combination of two stamps.  I used a solid square inked it up in River Rock (remember that color?) and before I stamped it on the Whisper White cardstock I stamped some of the ink off on scrap paper.  That gave me a square that was one shade lighter than true River Rock.  I then inked up a leaf stamp in Old Olive and stamped it on top of the River Rock square.  Taking scissors, I cut the square out and used our Corner Rounder on all four corners.  If you don't have a solid square stamp - the square with the flowers in our For All You Do stamp set would be a perfect substitute.  I've included the images in that set here ....

The rest of the card was created using River Rock and Very Vanilla cardstock.  Buttons were threaded with pink floss and mounted with Dimensionals.  The half pearl is from our Pretties Kit and was adhered with a Glue Dot.  The ribbon is Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon.  Greetings are from Trendy Trees and God's Blessings which were stamped in Old Olive ink.
I'm sure you recognize our Butterfly Punch!

Thanks for visiting and if you have a moment leave me a comment to let me know what you think of today's project!

Vintage?

Ok, I know this has happened to all of us.  I had in my head that I was going to create something with a vintage feel.  You know the look - soft pinks, blues, distressed vanilla, roses, crinkled ribbon, buttons.  Yeah, right.  Here's what I came up with ....

I swear I don't know how it happened!  I REALLY wanted to use my new Butterfly punch.  Don't you love it?  I didn't even put it away ... I think this punch is going to stay out on my table for a while!  I punched out blue/green butterflies from our Kaleidoscope DSP.  Then I thought, VELLUM!  That's vintage!  So I punched out two butterflies from Vellum Cardstock.  I adhered those to my blue butterflies and added rhinestones.  So far, so good.  Well, then it happened.  I looked through the Kaleidoscope papers and my streak was broken.  The colors are so bright and cheerful they literally screamed "Pick me!"  And in a moment of weakness, I did.  So I started thinking - butterflies, flowers, sunshine, happy colors and I was lost.  I hope to get a true vintage card done sometime this week!

Additional supplies used are Whisper White, Basic Black, and Certainly Celery cardstock.  Scallop Trim punch, Window Punch, Label Punch, retired ribbon (gotta use it up), Pumpkin Pie corduroy button.  Black accents were added with Vintage Brads (Ha!  I knew I had something else vintage), and Basic Black flourish thingy's from our Tulipe Bigz Die.  The greeting is from Happy Together.  You can view other stamps in the set in my posting http://creativestampingideas.blogspot.com/2010/02/happy-together.html.

The layout was from an old Mojo Monday sketch, I think.

Stop back to see my next attempt at "vintage"!

Mojo Monday on Saturday

The surgery is over and everything went well.  I was lucky enough to recieve a picture via email of father and son assembling the LEGO cars.  Hopefully he will be up and around soon making those cars zoom across the floor!

Today's project I call "Mojo Monday on Saturday".  Sad, isn't it?  I guess my life is not my own sometimes!  A big THANKS to the ladies at Mojo Monday for this wonderful sketch. 

The butterfly I used is from a retired nature set but don't let that deter you!  We have lots of new sets with FANTASTIC butterflies!  How about the dragonfly in Nature's Nest?  Or the butterflies in Garden Whimsy?  And our Flight of the Butterfly is on my Wish List ... it's so perfect!  I just got our Butterfly Punch that coordinates with that set so you can expect to see more winged things from me!  I could go on with more suggested sets but let me get back to todays post.

The butterfly was stamped on Watercolor Paper with Jet Black Stazon ink.  I used Pumpkin Pie and Bashful Blue to add color to the wings with an Aquapainter.  Glitter brought in a bit of sparkle and the button/yarn added some whimsy.  The papers are all from our Sweet Pea package available now in our Occasions Mini catalog (see my link on the left) as is the greeting from Well Scripted.  Other colors used here are Chocolate Chip and Bermuda Bay.  The Scallop Trim punch was FREE with our Sale-A-Bration event!

I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.  Check in again soon.  I have a class next weekend so I'll be busy getting projects ready and would love to share them with you!

Get Well Soon!

I know of a little boy who is going in for some surgery this week.  I have never met him personally but I know his parents.  Judging by how wonderful they both are, I just know this little guy has to be a fantastic kid!  After his operation he's sure to need some distractions and what's better than LEGO's?!  So here's my project for today ...

Four of these LEGO car kits fit perfectly in a cute red bag.  I just needed to cut down the height of the bay so that the really cool red "tires" could show!  A strip of Basic Black cardstock punched with the Scallop Trim punch trimmed the top front edge of the bag.  The gift card was created with Pun Fun.  I paper pieced the rocket ship with scraps of color.  The Real Red pieces are raised on Dimensionals.  A Jumbo Eyelet (set with our Crop-A-Dile) is the perfect embellishment for the porthole.  "Get Well Soon" is from Thoughts and Prayers.  It's punched out with our Window Punch and mounted on Summer Sun DSP punched with our Modern Label punch.  I attached the tag on the top with a Mini Library Clip and added the Black and White Wide Striped ribbon to match the bow.

I hope he likes it!  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.