Holiday Mini Favorites

Now that the Holiday Mini catalog has been around for a little over a month, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite things from this fun catalog.

1.  FABRIC!  Stampin' Up has come out with fabric in coordinating holiday designs.  Two options to choose from, the value and quality of the package is amazing.  Not to mention that each package comes with suggestions for projects, something I can appreciate as I am NOT a sewer.  Page 16.

2. French Foliage.  This has got to be one of my all time favorite stamp sets!  So beautiful and so versitle.  Page 14.

3.  New dies for the Big Shot.  Gotta have the candy die, and the fun new dies for the fabric are just wonderful.  Pages 6, 10, 17, 26, 38.

4.  Seam binding.  A twist on the ribbon, way cool!  Page 21.

5.  New Punches.  I love them all, especially when they coordinate perfectly with stamps!  Page 25.

6.  Letterpress is here!  Think of those fancy wedding invitations with the raised lettering.  Now make your own designs using the Big Shot.  Page 42.

7.  Designer Series Paper.  Whether you do the happy dance for fall, Halloween, or Christmas there is so much to love!  Pages 9, 13, 18, 33.

8.  Single Stamps: Midnight Raven, Sweet Snowglobe, and Christmas Postcard.  Budget friendly while still having a BIG impact, I can't wait to get the Christas Postcard stamp and watercolor it!  Page 41.

9.  Seasonal Sentiments.  An elegant Stamp set that covers many of the upcoming holidays- so fun!  Page 15.

10.  Last but not least..........Tags Till Christmas.  What a great way to make personalized gift tags for all those holday gifts!  Page 9.

I can 't wait to hear what your favorites are!  I am sure I could make a longer list......

Some vintage fun

I love all the beautiful vintage cards I have been seeing on so many wonderful blogs I follow.  I wanted to give it a shot.....

Baby's First Birthday

Just a quick post before a busy day to share the First Birthday card I made for my cousin's daughter.  The first one I made with Build a Bear my mom will be using.

A productive night!

Wow, lots of stuff created tonight!  Tons of fun as the mojo was with me for a good chunk of time in my little room filled to the brim with tons of stamping and scrapbook stuff, along with china, other wedding type glassware, and a computer desk.

Anyway, enough about my overflowing mess, on to the creations:

Took the Motorcycle and stamped it in Basic Black on some retired cardstock and then tore the edges.  Some old scrap paper underneath, and a card base that I ran through the Big Shot with a CB folder.  Laurie added her own creative touch with the sticker and a smart-@$$ comment she found in the Smarty Pants stamp set.

This next one I rant through the Big Shot with a Stampin' Up embossing folder, stamped the Medallion stamped with Soft Suede ink.  Then I passed the card over and had Laurie choose colors from the Chalks palette to ad more color to the card......this massive collection of chalks have every SU color in one package!  How cool is that????                                  

 This set is new to me, called Upsy Daisey. I decided I had to have it after playing with My Digital Studio.  Let me take a minute to tell you one of the many reason I love this amazing software- you get ALL of the Stampin Up stamp sets from the main catalog, ALL of the ribbons, ALL of the punches, ALL of- well lets just say you get EVERYTHING.  Downloads are available for purchase as well so that you can ad various stamp sets and DSP that came out later from some of  the mini catalogs.  Anyway, so after designing my blog heading I had to have this stamp set!  Stamped the main image and sentiment in the new Brilliant Blue ink color, cut out with the Top Note die on the Sizzix Big Shot, added a scrap of paper I had laying around and voila!

I have more to share, but for now I am going to leave it at that and will post some more in the upcoming days.  Tomorrow is a busy day, a birthday party, family dinner, and hopefully bring air conditioning back to my van!

Thanks for looking, leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Just Couldn't Wait.....

Waiting for UPS sucks.  Here are some things I did while I waited: went to work, cleaned the house (OK picked up some...) thought about doing laundry, watched TV, ate breakfast AND lunch, and checked to see if Mr. Brown had been here yet.  Come on, I was getting new toys to play with AND it was during the summer where work is slim until school starts up again in the fall, so new toys weren't supposed to be an option for me!

Finally, after I had decided that he just wasn't coming and I would be driving to the UPS center tonight after they were done with their rounds because there was no way any sane person would choose to drive down our road that is completely torn up and littered with big sewer pipes EVERYWHERE!  Not to mention the construction crews who I think get a kick out of watching me maneuver my van through their obstacle course that changes every day!  When I had lost all hope of being able to play this afternoon, my wonderful husband comes back inside with a box and announces "Happy Birthday!"  I screamed in joy, scared the crap out of the cat and....well you know the rest.

Soooooo........Rick goes off to band practice and I sit down to play with my new toys.....

The image is from the Summer Mini catalog, and the embossing folder is Vintage Wallpaper from the NEW CATALOG!  I used the Two Way Glue pen and Dazzeling Diamonds to ad some sparkle to the sash on the dress, and then layered the Whisper White cardstock with a retired Cameo Corral to match the marker color in the dress.

Holy moley are there a TON of pieces in this new set!

Awash With Flowers has 18 pieces to be exact and the clear mount set comes in two of the DVD-style cases to hold all those pieces!  The punch is the Ornamant Punch that carried over into the new catalog.  I first ran it through the Sizzix Big Shot with the Embossing Folder and then cut off the tip of the ornamant.

The DSP is from the Summer Mini catalog, Tempting Turquoise ink, Teeny Tiney Wishes, and the Word Window round out the list of items used to create this card.  I love love LOVE this DSP and definately need to get another pack (or two or three) before the Summer Mini goes away at the end of August! 

And finally, the last of my playing for the night (I think.)  Again, I used Awash With Flowers.  This time, I stamped the image in retired color Creamy Caramel and then used the Blender Pen to pick up Melon Mambo and "paint" the flowers.  I cut out the Whisper White paper using the Top Note die for the Big Shot and layered it on some more retired cardstock that I embossed with the new Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.  Lastly, I made a point of putting Clear Block B in front of the card, check out the curves of the finger grooves!  Later, there will be a side by side picture to compare these amazing blocks to the other ones in the stores, you know, the ones with the sharp corners that you cut your fingers on?  Yep, got two of those today and absolutely NEED the rest of them, well maybe two more!  So do you have a favorite?  Are you inspired?  Please call me or e-mail me for ordering information, I would love to help you get started!  :)

Christmas in July

That's my version of UPS coming to drop off a big box of goodies from Stampin' Up!  For me!  Since we are not working over the summer, it was not looking good for me getting new toys when the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog came out.  Bring on the rummage- I sold some scrapbook things I don't use, still have some left, but so far it was enough to order what I really wanted for now from the new catty.  Still have a wish list a mile long but slowly I will check things off.....for now, I have a TON of new options to play with.....

Off to play with my new toys!  I am so excited, I have been drooling over these pictures in the catalog for 6 weeks now and I put a LOT of time and effort and trips to the Post Office into selling other things to make this happy, it was definitely worth it!                                                                                                        

Gate Fold Card

Tonight I tried my hand at a "gate fold" card.  Here is a link to the original post which I used to get the directions from, I love the easy to follow directions and the pictures to keep it easy enough for me to follow along!
http://www.stampinpretty.com/2009/12/joyfold-and-triumphant.html

And here is my take on the gate fold technique:

The DSP is retired Soft Suede, but not to worry- the color has returned so it is possible to order more!  I also used my Scallop Circle Punch.  I love that there are so many Stampin' Up demonstrators and other crafters out there who are willing to freely share their ideas with others, it makes for a great community experience!                                                                                                                                            

Build a Bear Birthday

Today I wanted to make a card for my cousin's daughter's FIRST BIRTHDAY.  I started with an idea I found on SplitCoastStampers, and went to play.  The first one I wasn't so thrilled with, but I was getting there:

Ok so its a start, right?  I used Island Oasis DSP and embossed the blue with a Cuttlebug folder by running it through my Big Shot.  I have to say that I LOVE the Summer Mini Catalog and will be sad to see it go in two short months!  I stamped the bear from the Beary Best Friends stamp set and colored her in with Stampin' Up Watercolor Pencils, and then used some water to blend the colors.  Put a bit of Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon on it, and there it was. 

I looked at it,  yep, there it was.  Thing is, I wasn't too thrilled with it.  I like the concept, it was getting there, but something was off and I wasn't sure what.

So I went back to SplitCoast and looked around again, pulled up my original inspiration from my favorites on there and compared notes.  For one thing,  They "did more" with the ribbon, a small piece that made a little loop.  Plus, there were brads, I love brads!  Finally, there was a border punch too. 

So back to my table I go with the first card next to me and the new ideas in my head.  I played and colored and changed some stuff.  First, I colored the bear with Stampin Write Markers instead of the watercolor pencils.  Paid more attention to lining up the balloon to where I thought it should  be (good thing paper is double sided so I could do it twice and choose the option I liked better!)  Then to play again with the Big Shot, ad my layers, the ribbon and then the brads.  Finally, I taped everything together.  Much better I think, I am sure that Emery could care less, she is more into the wrapping paper, but I like the card now and hope mom will too!

I Scream You Scream

So this amazing wonderful stamper showed me how to unmount my stamps AND gave me a whole sheet to get started with.  This is my thank-you card for her, inside will be a Dairy Queen gift certificate.  Now if I can manage to go there and not order anything for myself.....

I don't have the "good" camera today,

its at the zoo with Rick, but the embossing folder is Perfect Polka Dots, the sentiment says "thank you" from Teeny Tiney Wishes and the ribbon is More Mustard.  I used glue dots to attach the popcicle stick because I don't have any Sticky Strip which would hold way better!  Finally, I cut the "bite" out with the Scallop  Circle Punch and then used the same punch again on Whisper White card stock to give it the look of the first bite.....YUM!                                                                                                                                       

Christmas Turns Summer

So simple!  Took the Ornament Punch, cut off the tip, cut strips of paper for the stems, a sentament in Tempting Turquoise from the Oval All stamp set, punched out with the Oval Punch and then layered on a punched out piece using the Scalloped Oval Punch.

Summer Fun

All Paper is the DSP set Island Oasis from the summer mini catalog.  Also used the Crop-A-Dile to make the holes for the ribbon.

Super easy!  Used a sticker I had in my collection, Stampin' Up! flowers in my favorite color, Melon Mambo, and a small strip of paper at the bottem from retiring DSP- Soft Suede.  I am thrilled that the color is returning for one more year, can't wait to get my hands on the new DSP!                                                                                                             

Butterfly Sizzix

Sizzix Butterfly embosslit, quite possibly one of my facorites!  Paired with some DSP from the Summer Mini catalog and a saying from Curvy Verses stamp set!                                                               

Motorcycles!

Stampin' Up! is now offering the chance to buy some stamps individually, like this motorcycle available through August 31st in the Summer Mini Catalog.  Available in wood mount only.  Love it!

And still more cards!

Woohoo for mojo!

More cards

This last one is a sneak peak from the 2010-2011 catalog!  Its a level 2 hostess set: Cute by the Inch.  The paper is from the Summer Mini catalog that runs through August 31st.

Marathon MOJO

I got my mojo back today!  Its been gone for so long I almost forgot what it felt like....I swear I was buying stuff I loved and looking at it like it was totally foreign....welcome back mojo, hope you stick around.......

Some of my favorite stamp sets and colors!

Today I got the chance to spread out at a really big table and create.  Play with cards, ribbon, papers and of course, stamps!  I made four cards today, but have two to share, one I want to play with a bit more and the other is not yet done.  I was stamping at a friends house and when I got to the point of putting it all together, I remembered I had some wonderful Soft Suede DSP at home that would go perfectly with the anniversary card.  So for now, all I will say is an anniversary card, pedaling past, Melon Mambo and Tempting Turquoise.  The background paper is one of the new colors coming next month- Early Espresso.  Click here to see the NEW COLOR RENOVATION!

Next up, another of my favorites from the 2009-2010 catalog and returning next year in the 2010-2011 catalog: Flight of the Butterfly.  I am creating another gift stack again and both of these will be in there!  All of the stamps came from one set (how cool is it to create a card without having to jump from set to set or to be able to get started with a few purchases and not have to buy it all now to create something wonderful?)  The scallops are from the Stampin' Up! scallop border punch.....I still can't get over the quality of their products and the punches are definitely no exception, clean cuts each time and a guide printed right on the punch to line up the design all the way down the page with ease!

As I sit and write, uploading pictures and catching up a bit with the DVR, storms rage behind me outside the window.  I love the sounds of wind and rain as it rustles through the trees in the backyard.  I hope when we move I will still have some mature old trees that will rustle in the rain and chirp full of birds!

Enjoy the weekend!

My Digital Studio- so easy!

When I started scrapbooking and then later cardmaking, digital projects were starting to take off.  As the technology grew, I saw some of the programs and thought it wasn't for me, I felt like it "sucked the fun" out of my crafting time and that playing with the computer was nothing fun when compared to playing with all the beautiful papers, stamps and punches I have accummulated.  Then Stampin' Up gave me the oppertunity to purchase my first order as a demo at an incredible discout- what a nice suprise!  I ordered My Digital Studio, still thinking that while I might play with it a little, I would have the program to take with me to parties so that people could see this element of stamping.

Later, Stampin' Up offered a certification program for demonstrators.  I signed up thinking it was a free way to learn how to use my new software, still thinking I would never really use it.  Wow, I was happily suprised!  The certification process was informative and definately worth it.  Not only did I learn how to use my cool new program, I also started to think of other uses for it.  A week later, I sent my dad a birthday card via e-mail and he loved it!

Here's the first card I made using the software, all I did was select one of the 100's of pre-made designer templates already available and voila!  I get all the credit.  I ordered three, one to keep as is, one to alter with my fun stuff (hands on!) and one to mail to some one, probably mom.  The colors are amazing, they match the SU colors perfectly.  Last but not least, my order came with envelopes, to me that was just the sweet extra touch.  What do you think?

NEW NEW NEW!

Today the wonderful UPS person brought a box of new goodies for me to play with from Stampin' Up! I am loving the benefits I find as a demo, I don't know all of them but they seem to sneak up on me and become happy suprises. This time, it was that I could order the level 2 and level 3 hostess sets (one of each) for a very reasonable price! We also get to order from a list of new items ahead of time, not in my budget right now but I did manage to get a few stamp sets. The picture is a card I made with the level one hostess set called "Because I care." It is quickly becoming one of my favorites! The desgin that appears on the paper from the stamp is like magic to me with the incredible detail in the artwork of the images and the wonderful sentiments that perfectly match the pictures!

Yesterday was a lot of fun too with a trip to the strawberry farm in Kenosha.  For $7 a bucket (bushell?  Quart?) you can pick your own strawberries.  If you bring the bucket back next time, you get $1 off your pickings for recycling the container....how cool is that?

Still not much of a voice and today was the most of the "being sick" thus far.  Hoping it goes away tonight so I can go scrapbook tomorrow at a friends house, I can't wait to play some more with the new toys that were delivered today!

Rain rain go away!

Its a rainy Saturday, cloudy and dreary.  Not such a good thing for my mojo to stamp, but I did manage to create a few cards for a friend to give his neighbor to thank her for taking such nice care of his yard!


My blog background for now came off the internet.  I have one that I created in My Digital Studio saved on my computer that I will be using once I figure out how to get the correct HTML codes for it.  For now this works for me, it reminds me of some of my favorite flower stamp designs and the fun layers of flowers and brads!  :)


I still have no voice, so depending on your thought process, that could be either a good or a bad thing.  Most frustrating is we are on the Atkins diet right now, so a nice blizard or some other ice cream concoction is off limits.


Next blog goal is to take pictures of cards and post them....sometime in the coming week.


Happy Saturday!  :) 

Still playing with the HTML Codes

I created a background for my blog using Stampin' Up's My digital Studio. However, I am still learning how to use the blogger and the HTML codes aren't working right for me yet. So for now, I have found a wonderful summer background online. Today's goal: figure out the codes and create some cards to share. Happy Friday!

I love the colors of my blog! They remind me of the beach, definitely one of the calmest and most peaceful places in the world! There is something about the waves- the consistency of their rhythm and the opportunity for renewal and relaxation!