Go Big Blue!!!!

Are you ready for this?!?!?  We're ready for some Kentucky Fried Cards around here!!!  Around these parts there's pretty much no choice - you have to take one side or another - tonight is the biggest UK - U of L game in a LONG time!  So for now.....GO CATS!!!!

But, since you probably didn't come looking around here for game time opinions....here is a daintly little wedding card for your enjoyment! 

I made this card with a bunch of scraps of various sorts.  I colored the car on here with my Copic markers and added some Silver Smooch on some of the metal pieces of the car and the tin cans.  The smooch makes a really nice realistic metal look on the image. 

The other scraps just came from my scrap bags, so there wasn't much to making this card! 

Stamps:  Ain't Love Grand

Ink:  Memento, Copic

Paper:  Retired DSP, Real Red Glimmer paper, Neenah White, Real Red

Announcing....Owen Patrick Durham!

We would like to announce the birth of our sweet new baby boy, Owen Patrick Durham, born Friday, March 23, 2012 at 9:04 a.m.  He was 7 lbs 11 3/4 oz. and was 19 3/4 inches long. 

He is the most darling little baby boy in the world!!!

We will try and add more pictures and I promise to have more posts with projects soon!  I am a little busy with our own version of the hunger games right now!!!

Button, Button

Who has the button?  I do!

If you are a music teacher (like me!), you probably just sang that! 

So, here I don't really have the button, just the stamps that look like buttons!  One of the perks of being a demonstrator is that you sometimes receive stamp sets for free as a result of participating in a challenge to the demonstrators.  Such is the result of this stamps set.  I probably would not have purchased this set otherwise. 

Hence, when I was trying to think of some new ideas for thank you notes for baby boy gifts, I decided that this was a perfect stamp set for this occasion!  It has all the look of baby without being overwhelmingly cutesie!  Plus, it was super simple to make using several pieces of scrap paper!  Even better!!!

Stamps:  Button, Button, Thank You Kindly

Ink:  Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Soft Suede

Paper:  Soft Suede, crumb Cake, Very Vanilla

Accessories:  Blue Gingham ribbon (retired)

3 days to go!

Here we are at the baby shower this week for our little bundle of joy!  3 more days until he arrives!  Not that I'm counting....really!  ;)

 I saw a challenge recently to use up some doilies on your cards and layouts, so I thought that this doily would actually make the perfect base for the rose from the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set.  (I keep playing with my new Copic markers, so this is a great set to color....).  I colored the flower making the inside have the darkest hues and the outside the faintest colors.  I added some Smooch Illuminate top coat - it really went super shiny in the picture!  It is not that bold in real life - it is actually much more subtle and pretty! 

The doily is spritzed with some Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz. The rest of it is just scraps!

Stamps:  5th Avenue Floral

Ink:  Memento, Copic

Paper:  Regal Rose, Basic Grey, retired DSP

Accessories:  Doily (Wilton), Basic Grey Satin Ribbon, Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz, Rub-on (retired)

A new card and a new room!

I made this card out of scraps from last year's projects - or mabe even the year before!  I still love this springy paper and had some scraps that were diagonally cut.  It proved to be a challenge, but I liked how it turned out in the end.  I colored the lily with some new Copic markers.  I added some Gold Smooch on the stamens and a few petals from last year's Sweet Pea line.  I used one of the Petite Pairs stamps for the sentiment - I had a co-worker whose father passed away recently and thought she might appreciate this card.

Stamps:  5th Avenue Floral, Petite Pairs

Ink:  Memento, Copic

Paper:  Pretty in Pink, Retired DSP, neenah

Accessories:  Sweet Pea petals, retired die cut, Gold Smooch

4 days until the baby is here, so here is our daughter in her new big girl room!  Now, that is what I call Pretty in Pink!!!  :)

5 days to go!!!

Here are a few pages that I added to the baby to be album for Owen.  They are obviously not very exciting to see, but that is what this album is.  Just a planning for the baby album.

Here is the last ultrasound we took.  It always amazes me what they can see - they said he already has a head full of hair!!!

And this is just some journaling about the way I'm feeling and things we are doing to prepare for the baby's birth. 

Hopefully soon you get to see real pictures of the baby!!!

Sweet Shop Scrapbook page

I bet from the first glance you wouldn't have thought this page was created using the Sweet Shop specialty designer series paper!  That is what I really love about this pack of paper!  Not only does the paper have all of the cute little candy looks, if you turn it over, you find some very neutral patterns that can be used for nearly anything!   

Take for instance this page about our love of the Shamu show at Sea World.  All of the patterned paper is from this pack.  I love this Pool Party paper - it seems like it is wavy like the waves of a pool or the ocean.  I made waves along this border and wrote my journaling along underneath those waves (I think I may have cut that part off, though!)

Here you can see it a bit better.  Notice that heart strip - this is a strip of the patterned paper.  The white hearts are embossed, so if you flip it over (like I did at the top), you will get the reverse debossed image.  I found some Shamu epoxy stickers on clearance at one of the big box stores a while back, so I couldn't resist adding them to my page.  It lit my daughter's face up to see those! 

Paper:  Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Sweet Shop Specialty DSP

Accessories:  Scallop edge punch, Shamu epoxy stickers (non-SU)

6X6 scrapbook layout

I made a 2-page layout for this month's club meeting and was quite pleased with the result.  I stuck with a monochromatic look with just touches of color to make the colors really pop.  I sponged the edges of the pages with Crumb Cake ink.  Both sides are nearly identical, only a few changes to switch it up.

So here is the left side of the page.  The layer next to the bottom on both sides is a 5" square.  I used the ticket corner punch to punch each corner out and add a little bit of interest.  Both sides also have pennant baners - I've been in a banner mood lately!  Each of those were cut to 5 1/2" X 1" before trimming and adding the pennant bottom.  The photo mats are 2 3/4" X 3 3/4" with the kraft mat being 3X4".

On this left side the only change I made was to add this die cut butterfly and a few rhinestones.  You can barely see it, but there is a hint of some Vanilla seam binding ribbon behind the butterfly to make antennae.

And on this right side everything stays the same.  The only change is the Apothecary Art journaling spot.  I stamped it in Soft Suede and colored the flowers using Marina Mist and Pear Pizzazz.  I added one tiny rhinestone in the center.  To finish, I cut this piece as well as a mat in Crumb Cake using the framelits.

Stamps:  Apothecary Art

Ink:  Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz

Paper:  Crumbe Cake, Very Vanilla, Beau Chateau DSP

Accessories:  Ticket Corner punch, sponges, Framelits, Butterfly die cut, Basic Rhinestones, Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon

Easy peasy spring treat cups!

For our club meeting the other day, we made these easy peasy spring treat cups!  To make this particular treat cup it was very simple.

1.  Cut a spring sheet of DSP to 5 1/2" X 5 1/2". 

2.  Run this sheet through the largest sized flower on the Flower Folds XL die cut.

3.  Fold flower in half gently.

4.  Line up the crease with the half way mark on the 1 3/4" circle punch. 

5.  Punch out the circle and unfold the flower to reveal a complete circle.

6.  Insert the treat cup and adhere with crystal effects.

7.  Punch out a 1 3/4" circle and then a 2 3/8" scallop circle around the open circle to create a frame.

8.  Adhere the frame to the treat cup flower.

9.  Punch a 2 1/2" circle from aluminum foil.

10.  Insert treat into cup and peel adhesive strip from the back of the treat cup.

11.  Place the foil circle on the adhesive and trim the edges.  You're done!

The best part about this treat is that people don't have to completely tear up your gorgeous creation to get to the inside treat!  I always have the dilemma of - shall I eat the yummy treat or just look at the beautiful creation that was given to me?! 

Plus, you can gussy up this design and make it much more creative or use shapes of any sort.  You can even glue these to lollipop sticks and make a bouquet of treats!  The possibilities are just endless!!!

Paper:  Everyday Enchantment DSP, Soft Suede

Accessories:  Flower Folds XL die, 1 3/4" circle, 2 1/2" circle, 2 3/8" scallop circle punches, treat cups, aluminum foil

An Easter card

I've been drooling over this lattice die forever now and finally decided to bite the bullet and buy it recently!  I love the look of the lattice die and I especially love the way you can make this gorgeous cross out of it! 

With Easter coming soon, I envisioned the pieces of this card, I just had to figure out how to put them all together.  I could see the lily going on the Easter card with the cross, I just had to take all of my pieces and lay them in different spots until I found something pleasing to the eyes.  I finally decided on this design.

The lily comes from the 5th Avenue Floral set - This is a really terrific set for watercoloring and making gorgeous flowers.  For this lily, I decided to use Pink Pirouette and a tiny bit of Regal Rose.  I actually took my markers and outline the edges of the flower with mostly Pink Pirouette and highlighted a couple of shadow areas with Regal Rose.  I thoroughly wet the image with my aquapen and blended the colors until I was satisfied with the result.  After it dried, I highlighted the stamen with Early Espresso and Daffodil Delight.  And, of course, since I am addicted to glitter, I highlighted a few spots with Dazzling Diamonds! (There can be much worse addictions than glitter and markers, right?!??!)

Stamps:  5th Avenue Floral, Something to Celebrate (retired)

Ink:  Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose

Paper:  Whisper White, Watercolor paper, Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz

Accessories:  Dazzling Diamonds, Basic Rhinestones, Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder, Lattice Die Cut, Little Leaves Sizzlit

Quick little sale-a-bration cards

Are you looking for a quick, easy card and a great way to use up some scraps of paper?  This is the card for you! 

I got the card bases for FREE with my Sale-a-Bration purchase recently.  They are die cut cards with these gorgeous edges.

In trying to make some more quick and easy thank you cards for some really sweet baby presents we have received, I found these scraps of paper from last year's spring mini catalogue and thought they would be great for a baby thank you card. 

I decided to try out the card two different ways - one portrait and one landscape.  I liked them both. 

Now to find some Cherry Cobbler scraps for the other cards.

Guest Designer: Carol M.

Please forgive me for my lack of posts.  At this point in the pregnancy, there's pretty much a lack of anything going on right now!  I have about 2 more weeks left until the baby is here.  I feel absolutely huge.....let me restate that....I AM absolutely HUGE!  But, otherwise, I am doing okay.  I am not doing a great job of keeping up with my housework....or my leisure scrap time.  I pretty much get super tired in the evening and just go and go until I give out.  Thus....not much time for fun stuff like blogging.

Lucky for you, one of my lovely customers, Carol M. sent me a gorgeous array of cards a few weeks ago.  I loved them all....I just have been too tired to get this post done!  Imagine that!

So, without further ado, let's adore some of her marvelous work!

Love the coloring on this Apothecary Art in the framelit!  So springy!

Look how creative this card is!  She has the embossed hearts, the embossed edgelit, and the oval frame inside the framelit - I love that idea - I don't think I had thought of embossing the smaller framelit cutouts with the oval frame!  I love those flowers framed inside, too!

I'm pretty excited about this card - I just got this stamp when I ordered a few digital books, so I love the look of this black and white card.  Very elegant - perfect for a wedding!

Now, hello, Easter!  How sweet is this punch/big shot bunny?  There's a top note die cut at the back along with several circle and oval punches.  But, you know what my favorite part is?  The floppy ear with the bow!  Too cute!

I love the combination of the polka dots in last year's spring paper and the perfect polka dot embossing folder on the white paper.  The butterfly on top just tops it off like a cherry on top!

Here's a lovely quilted look on this card.  She took the postage stamp punch (I think) and left a tiny seam between each and then embossed with the lattice embossing folder.  Darling little banner and bow  - I like that combination of the Pool Party seam binding ribbon and the Calypso Coral organza ribbon coming out from underneath.

I love this little set of stamps.  I don't have it, but it looks like it would be so much fun to color - and the little chick hatching is so cute!  Sometimes I get stamp envy....and then I think about the number of stamps I already have.....too many.....I think I'll be okay!  But I still like it!

Ah, another elegant black and white card here.  Simply stunning and so simple!  I love this flower flourish stamp in the Sale-a-Bration catalogue!  Only one more month to enjoy Sale-a-Bration benefits!

Here's another toy I need to play with some more!  I just got this daisy die cut a month ago and have yet to use it on my cardstock.  I cut several material flowers from it, but I love the full layers of the flower on this card.  Great use of that sale-a-bration paper!

Here's another simple all occasion card - with the lovely embosslit butterflies - you can't go wrong with a pure trail of butterflies!

But, you can get even better with this card!  I love the combination of polka dot embossing folder and large butterflies layered on the layered squares.  Clean and simple, but very elegant and perfect for any occasion!

And, one final clean and simple card to say thanks to you for looking and thanks to Carol for sharing her magnificent talents! 

I can't wait to see what else Carol and Jenny have for us to enjoy!  Jenny is back from Florida, so I suspect Jenny and Carol are planning a little card making haven together soon!  We get to be the lucky recipients of their gorgeous work!  :)  Thanks, Carol!

And remember, you too can share your lovely Stampin' Up creations with me too!  I love to spotlight my terrific customers and their incredible talents. 

I'm signing off for now....got to get some sleep!