Mary's Tales

Veggies, veggies and more veggies

2012-02-11T19:07:00.006-06:00

The produce baskets we have been purchasing every two weeks really are a good deal - and they have sparked my joy of cooking. I admit I had been in a real rut with my meal planning - frozen entree, frozen veggies and maybe a packaged salad. Getting the fresh veggies forces me to look for recipes we might like and pull out some old ones.
The zucchini in this week's basket sent me to my recipe boxes (I have 3 of them) and searching for some old recipes I knew I had. The recipe boxes were in a terrible mess so I spent some time this morning sorting and rearranging them - but did find the recipes I was looking for and another one that looks hopeful for the next time we receive zucchini.

For lunch I made Italian Zucchini Pie. DH was at work and DD#2 is away for the weekend at a retreat, so I decided to pamper myself with some home cooking instead of the cold sandwich and salad that I had planned. You can find my recipe here,
Italian Zucchini Pie

I added a bowl of fresh fruit (the kiwi was also in our produce basket) and had a very nice meal. I did not let it sit for the full 10 minutes so fell apart a little when I served it but the second slice (yes, I had a second one) served up just as pretty as could be.

The other zucchini recipe that I dug out was a Cucumber Salad that had a note at the bottom that you can use zucchini instead of the cucumber. DH loves cucumber so I thought I would see if I could get him to eat this. I had a medium cucumber in the frig so I combined the zucchini and cucumber. The recipe can be found here, Cuke/Zuke Salad. (I think if I used all zucchini it would taste different. The cucumber taste spread throughout the salad so it was pretty hard to tell which was cuke and which was zuke when we ate it).

We also got some fresh asparagus in the basket. I have never cooked fresh asparagus. I grew up on canned and have recently cooked frozen quite a bit. I like it and DH eats it although not his favorite side dish. I planned to make an asparagus risotto but with all the pie crust I ate at lunch thought I should try something lighter and the orange asparagus appealed to me because we also have a bunch of oranges to eat up from the produce basket. Fresh orange zest and orange juice sure do make a difference in a recipe. The asparagus tasted so fresh and almost like summer (considering the temps are frigid and we had a dusting of snow this morning - that was no easy task). Here is a link to the Orange Asparagus recipe.

Our lovely supper consisted of the Orange Asparagus, Cuke/Zuke Salad and a Turkey Mignon (okay - so I did use a frozen entree - these are Schwan's and we love them - turkey wrapped in bacon complete with a little pop-up to let you know when it is done - super quick on the George Foreman!)
And - what did DH think of the meal - he loved the cucumber salad and could not tell there was zucchini in it. After he ate it I confessed and he was shocked. He told me he would eat it if I fixed it like that. ( He also promised to try the Zucchini Pie - maybe lunch tomorrow).
He loved the way I dressed up the asparagus - so I would say the meal was a big hit.

The family ate eggplant - and enjoyed it !

2012-02-07T19:59:00.005-06:00

We got an eggplant in the produce basket this week. The family has never been very receptive to eggplant. So - I began my search for a recipe I thought they might like. Of course, my experience with eggplant has been Ratatouille (not a big hit) or Eggplant Parmigiana (seemed like a lot of work and between frying the vegetable in oil and thick breading defeated my purpose of healthier meals)
I found a community recipe on Weight Watchers online that sounded like it might be the answer. Instead of heavily breading the eggplant, the recipe uses egg white and dried bread crumbs for a light breading. No frying in oils but baking the breaded slices helped cut down the calories/points.
Now - to just get the family to eat it. DD helped me assemble the layers which is always a good way to get someone interested in a new dish. DH was really hungry by the time dinner was ready so that might have helped too. I also made some homemade dinner rolls so there was plenty for him to fill up on if he didn't care for the eggplant. He was not enthused to say the least.

The family concensus was - "That was good!" I even have DH's approval to make it again. It was very tasty - and with the dinner roll and some fresh veggies you have a meal. You can find my version of the recipe here, Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

Orange Chicken and Broccoli

2012-02-04T17:25:00.003-06:00

I still have a bunch of broccoli to use up from the produce basket we purchased almost 2 weeks ago.

We have had kale, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower - experimenting with some new recipes and some old trusted one. One bunch of broccoli was used for a broccoli salad (craisins, sliced almonds, onions and mayo dressing). The other has waited patiently in the soda frig in the garage.

I tried a new weight watchers recipe - with a few changes. The original recipe is Lemon Chicken and Broccoli. I had oranges to use from the produce basket too so I made substitutions for the zest and juice. It was pretty good! I will definitely make this one again. And it was only 5 points (without the rice - that added another 5 - but that is basically a full meal - add some fresh veggies or tonight we had some pickled beets - and you have a meal).

Orange Chicken with Broccoli (4 servings - 5 Points Plus each)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
2 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour (divided)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
1 tsp minced garlic
2 1/2 cup uncooked broccoli, small florets and cut up stems
2 tsp orange zest
Juice of one orange

Cut chicken into thin slices or bite size pieces. Place in a large bowl and toss with the flour, sale and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet until water sizzles. Place chicken in skillet in a single layer and cook until lightly browned - about 5 minutes - turning as needed. Remove to a plate.
Put 1 cup of the broth and the garlic in the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping the browned chicken pieces from the skillet. Add broccoli, cover and cook 1 minute.

In a small cup, stir together remaining 1/2 cup of broth, 1/2 tablespoon flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt, add to skillet and bring to a simmer over low heat.

Cover and cook until broccoli is crisp tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in chicken and orange zest; heat through.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in orange juice.

Serve over rice.

I should have taken some photos but didn't - maybe next time.

SALE-A-BRATION is here!

2012-01-28T08:21:00.005-06:00

Sale-a-bration is here! This is the best time of the year for Stampin Up - lots of chances to get free merchandise and Stampin Up has outdone themselves in the beautiful products they put together.

These is what greeted me when I got home last night. Although I was tired from a lack of sleep the night before (just could not sleep) and a trip to the airport after work with DH to transport some relatives to the in-laws for the weekend celebration of his parents 60th anniversary (can you believe 60 years!), I had to dig into the boxes instead of crawling into bed like I planned.

I had orders for two workshops to sort so I spread everything out on the floor.

The two hostesses really got some deals. For a $150 dollar or more workshop they received a beautiful tote bag - exclusive to the 2012 Sale-a-bration. One of the hostesses used her money to purchase the color caddy - a good choice!
So - that accounts for 3 of the boxes (2 orders plus the color caddy was shipped in it's own box) - so what was in the fourth box????

Yep! More stuff - and this is all mine! I made sure to stock up on all my papers and adhesives - plus embellishments I plan to incorporate into workshops over the next couple months - so I got the beautiful tote too! Now - can't wait to play with some of it - but that will have to wait until tomorrow as we have to celebrate the 60 the anniverary first. Oh, I do have to decorate a basket for the cards - I knew I could find an excuse to play :-)

CASE-ing Masculine Cards

2012-01-21T23:27:00.006-06:00

Recently I hosted a Masculine Card Swap with some other SU demonstrators. Each demonstrator that participated sent me 5 masculine cards. I sent them back 4 cards made by other demonstrators. The extra card from each will be donated to Operation Write Home or another charity if the card does not fit the OWN guidelines.
The best part about hosting the swap was I got to see all of the cards (I believe there were 23 different cards).
The other night I was trying to come up with some ideas for using the new Sweet Shop Designer Series Paper (DSP) and copied (or CASE-d) some of the masculine cards.

This card was made by Jane (my sister and upline). It is so simple yet appealing to the eye.

Here is my card using the Sweet Shop DSP in the squares.
Card Stock - Soft Suede, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Sweet Shop DSP
Embellishment - In Color Brad
Tools - Simply Scored, 1 inch square punch, 1 1/4 inch square punch
I think I'll be making more of these to use up scraps of DSP.

This card was made by Kate. I love how she used three different designs of the DSP.

Here is my copy using the Sweet Shop DSP
Card Stock - Soft Suede, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, Sweet Shop DSP
Tools - Decorative Label punch, Medium Oval punch
Embellishment - Soft Suede 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon
Stamp Set - On Your Birthday
Ink - Lucky Limeade

And here is one that Susan made. I really like the use of the Big Shot Scalloped Envelope die.

And here is my take on it using the Sweet Shop DSP.
Card Stock- Calypso Coral, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Sweet Shop DSP
Embellishment - Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon
Tools - ??? Punch, Scalloped Envelope die
Ink - Soft Suede

And here it shows the little card pulled out of the envelope. This would be a great design to use for a single layer card like a post card.

It was fun working with the Sweet Shop DSP but then I enjoy all the DSP designs!

Homemade Pizza - my favorite!

2012-01-20T06:21:00.008-06:00

I love making homemade pizza and it is really easy to mix up the dough in the bread machine. My daughter requested whole wheat pizza crust so thought I would give it a try it this week. I found a recipe online here

The dough was very easy to work with. The recipe says it will make two 14 inch crusts but I got 3 crusts and one of them is really thick so may have been able to get another smaller one.

My favorite pizza toppings are fresh vegetables. I really like carmelized onions on my pizza so I cooked up some sliced onion and added some red bell pepper. I did not have any fresh mushrooms, so I added some canned ones (a poor substitute but you do what you gotta do).

That was all topped with some slices of provolone cheese. YUMMY!

On the other two crusts my daughter used pepperoni slices, canned mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. Both pizzas were delicious! (I ate too much)

Technique Tuesday is back

2012-01-16T22:56:00.004-06:00

After taking a break in December, Technique Tuesday is starting again on January 17.

The technique for January is Chalk Background (for want of a better name). I used it for the tree. It is hard to see in the photo but there are reds, oranges, yellows and greens in the tree image added using the pastel chalks in the background behind the stamped image.

February's Technique is Baby Wipe Inkers. This gives a vivid mulitcolored image. For the cards here I used Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard and Garden Green.

Technique Tuesday is the third Tuesday of the month. Drop in between 6:30 and 8 p.m. The $5 fee covers the sample, a card make using the technique, instructions and a sheet protector.

Menu Monday - a day early :-)

2012-01-15T16:57:00.003-06:00

I know I won't have time to post the menu tomorrow so am doing it tonight. I am beginning the Wellness Challenge at work this week so meals are going to have to be healthier!
Sunday - Spinach Lasagne
Side Salad
Grapes

Monday - Chicken Alfredo Rigatoni (Schwan's frozen entree - maybe not so healthy :-)
Peas
Orange Sections

Tuesday - Homemade Whole Wheat Crust pizzas
Fruit Kabobs

Wednesday - Turkey Burgers
Italian Potatoes
Applesauce

Thursday - Crock African Chicken and Noodles
Stir Fry Vegetables

Friday - Baked Fish
Ramen Slaw
Corn

Saturday - Raspberry Balsamic Chicken
Baked Potato
Salad

Sunday - Club Salad
Crackers and Cheese

Club Cards for January

2012-01-15T14:15:00.005-06:00

These are the items we made at the club this weekend. It was a fun time!

Gnome Sweet Gnome -
Card Stock - More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla
Ink - Basic Gray and Watercolor Crayons
Tools- Edgelits, Adorning Accents embossing folders, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Blender Pens
Stamp Set - Gnome Sweet Gnome

Here is a close up of the embossed and trimmed edge on the Very Vanilla. You can also see the hearts embossed in the Cajun Craze.

Take it to Heart -
Card Stock - Whisper White, Riding Hood Red
Ink - Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, Riding Hood Red, Cherry Cobbler
Tools - Full Heart punch
Embellishments - Pleated ribbon in Riding Hood Red
Stamp Sets - A Word for You, Take it to Heart

This is a closeup of the pleated ribbon. It is so pretty and easy to use!

Ain't Love Grand - candy pocket
Card Stock - Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Real Red, Real Red DSP, First Edition DSP
Stamp Set - Ain't Love Grand
Tools - Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Large Oval punch, Big Shot, Scalloped Envelope die cut
Ink - Stazon Black
Embellishments - Real Red taffeta ribbon, Real Red flower brad

These valentine cards were very popular. You can see more about them on yesterday's post.

Hearts Abound

2012-01-14T20:49:00.006-06:00

My favorite new 'toys' are the heart framelits and the fashionable hearts embosslits. I've been playing with these making some cute heart shaped cards.

The base of the card is Blushing Bride card stock. I fold the card stock in half and place the framelit on the card stock so one of the straight edges hangs over the fold in the card stock. I run it through the Big Shot and have a little heart shaped card.
Card Stock - Blushing Bride, Marina Mist, Perfect Plum, Pear Pizzazz, Basic Gray, Nursery Nest DSP
Embellishments - Large Pearls, Pearl Jewels, Victoria Crochet Trim, Marina Mist 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon
Ink - Cherry Cobbler, Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz
Stamp sets - Take it to Heart, Tiny Tags
Tools - Embosslits Fashionable Hearts, Full Heart Punch, Heart Framelits, Eyelet Border punch

This one uses the same supplies - just played with different layouts. The background is a piece of Whisper White card stock that I covered with scraps of Nursery Nest DSP. After covering the card stock, I cut out a heart using the framelits.

This is how the card looks opened. It is a cute card that can be used as a valentine or for a wedding, engagement, shower - almost anything.

The large pearls look great with the pearl jewels. The smooch spritz gives is just the right touch!

This closeup shows some of the embosslits hearts - they are adorable. The embossing adds so much to them. And they are so easy to make with the die. It embosses and cuts out 5 hearts in different designs and sizes at one time. A great way to use up scraps too. The hearts look great layered.

I stamped one of the hearts from the Take it to Heart set and trimmed it down close to the image then layered it on card stock punched from Basic Gray using the full heart punch. I added a little tied knot of Marina Mist with a mini glue dot. The 'love' is stamped in Cherry Cobbler using one of the Tiny Tags punches.

This one is mounted on Basic Gray. I like the look of the intersected ribbon with the pearl accent.

I added a white heart inside for the note and decorated it with a couple of the extra embosslit hearts.

This one has a Pear Pizzazz base. I like the tiny pearls along the curve on this one. These cards were a big hit at the club today.

Technique Tuesdays are back!

2012-01-09T22:32:00.004-06:00

Technique Tuesdays are back! I took a break in December but am ready to do again. Check out my calendar blog for dates and techniques I have scheduled.

We will kick off 2012 with Chalk Backgrounds. It's a great way to add some color and depth without layers.
Stamp Set- Elements of Style, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink - Basic Gray, Basic Black
Pastel Chalks
Card Stock - Rose Red, Basic Black, Bashful Blue
Tools - Blender pen, Scalloped Oval, Medium Oval
Embellishment - Neutral brads

Here is a close up of the chalk background image.

A clean and simple card with some color and depth added by creating a chalk background.
Stamp set - Elizabeth, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink- Soft Suede
Tools - Pastel Chalks
Card Stock - Sahara Sand, Soft Suede and Pumpkin Pie
Embellishment - Daffodil Delight 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon

Another card with the chalk background - a variety of color in the tree.
Stamp Set - Lovely as a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink- So Saffron, Early Espresso
Card Stock - So Saffron, Early Espresso, retired DSP
Embellishment - 3/8 inch Very Vanilla taffeta dyed with So Saffron
Tools - Pastel Chalks, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch

A close up of the tree. See the color peeping through the image.

Wedding or shower favors

2012-01-08T20:18:00.004-06:00

I was playing with an idea for a small project for the January clubs - and came up with some cute wedding or shower favors. These could also be used for a Valentine's treat so I probably will do something similar to these for the clubs.

This was my first idea. You could slip a miniature candy bar, gift card or a love note inside.
I used two of the Scalloped Envelopes and glued them together.
Card Stock - Whisper White, Real Red, Pretty in Pink
Ink - Real Red
Tools - Heart to Heart punch, Scallop oval punch, Small oval punch, Crop-a-dile
Embellishments - Real Red 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon, Real Red flower brad
Stamp set - Tiny Tags

This one also uses two of the Scalloped Envelopes but is adhered to make a narrow box. This one would hold a couple of the square Ghardelli chocolates (or similar candies)
Card Stock - Calypso Coral, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight
Ink - Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight, Poppy Parade marker
Stamp Set - Ain't Love Grand
Ribbon - Daffodil Delight 3/8 inch taffeta

Here is a side angle shot to show the dimensions.

And for a little different look I added a piece of Whisper White trimmed down to look like a liner inside the box.

How do you make Christmas special?

2011-12-28T20:07:00.015-06:00

A friend asked on her blog, "How do you make Christmas special?" ( See her blog here )I would have to say the 'traditions' that have developed over the years are one way we make Christmas special for our family.

When the girls were young, Christmas was rarely the same each year - some years I had to work, some years Tom had to work, some years we spent it at my sister's home in Indiana and some years we were at our home trying to make it to both sets of grandparents in one day.

We had a few things we did whenever we were in our own home for the holiday like watching "A Christmas Carol" with all four of us in our bedroom (that way I knew when they were asleep and it was safe to put out the presents and fill the stockings - they rarely made it past Marley's ghost). Most of our traditions were flexible like the "Wehrheim Family Ornaments". No matter where we celebrated or on what date, the ornaments have been a part of our Christmas for over 30 years.

In 1977, my sister Jane got the idea to put up 'stockings' on the mantle for everyone who would be at our parents' house on Christmas Day, She waited until everyone else had gone to bed and since I was a night owl even then - asked me if I wanted to help her. She had purchased a pair of socks for everyone (there were about 15 or so I think) from our parents down to the niece and nephew who had been born that year. There were men's work socks, brightly striped toe socks for my mom and our Aunt Ruth (yes those are not a new fashion statement - they were around over 30 years ago), sport socks and baby socks. We nailed one sock to the mantle then stuffed the other sock inside with some candy or a small toy. The shock on my mom's face the next morning was priceless - who in the world??? It did not take her very long to figure out who although my younger brother could have easily done something like that.

In 1978, Jane and I purchased gold engraved ornaments for everyone and hung them on the mantle. In 1979, we bought little wicker baskets, filled them with candy and placed them on the hearth - one for each person.

Then Jane married and moved to Michigan and did not even get to come home for Christmas 1980 - so I took over. And it became my 'task' every year. I started making some sort of ornament for everyone. One year my mom helped but usually it was my yearly project. (Dad made a special strip of wood to attach to the mantle so we would stop nailing holes for 15, 20 or even 30 ornaments each year)

The knitted snowmen from 1983 is one of my favorites

Then I got married and had a baby - who had time - right? So I announced on Christmas 1989 that Santa was retiring. Both sisters grabbed me by the arms and drug me into the bedroom to have a conference. They did not want the tradition to stop (it had been going on for 12 years by that time) They realized that since they did not live locally the bulk of the burden would still fall on me but they wanted to be elves. So we started planning for the next year.

Quilt square ornaments we designed in 1992

Over the years we have cross-stitched, painted, glued, laced, stuffed, designed - you name it. We also started having Sisters' Weekends in 1991 - and during our weekend retreat we would either start on the ornaments which we took home to finish or complete all of the ornaments over the weekend.

We made these trees on our Sisters' Weekend in 1999 with buttons from our mom's button box.

Some years we have not been able to find a time to get together so we just work on our share at our own pace. A few years we have 'allowed' other family members to help out.

Brother Ron and his wife, Sue, made these birdhouses in 1998

One year, a niece learned how to cross-stitch helping us make some of the family ornaments.

Cross-stitched Santa sacks in 2004

In God's providence in 1995 and 2005 one of our nieces agreed early in the year to do the ornaments for everyone using her skill in painting and stamping. Unknown to any of us (of course) those were the years our Mom ('95), youngest brother ('95), and Dad ('05) passed away. Those years were both very emotional and busy for us and making the ornaments that was one less thing we had to worry about. God is good!

Kelly's painted wooden mittens in 1995

Things have changed - Mom, Dad, Brother Dave, Aunt Nina, Aunt Ruth and Uncle Les are no longer with us.

We have another generation in the family.

We no longer get together on Christmas Day but usually sometime close to that - and even though Mom and Dad are gone - our family has remained very close and involved with each other.

A 'highlight' of the Christmas gathering is the delivery of the ornaments. Usually the grandchildren and great-grandchildren are handed the ornaments by one of the 'aunts' so they can deliver them to each family member. If there are any guests -they get an ornament too.

And our numbers have grown - we are up to 43. In 2010, we gained 3 (one birth and two marriages). In 2011 - we gained two new members through an engagement (congrats Jamie and Dave)and a birth (Luke). We are already expecting a new baby in 2012 (No - not Katie and Jake - Congrats to Nick and Grace).

And we have tweaked our criteria for the ornaments a little - we add the year and the recipient's name.

It is interesting - my sisters and I may not agree on everything - but I think we would agree on one thing - families are important and tradition is a glue that holds the family together. The best part of the tradition is the memories. When I put up our tree and pull out one of the family ornaments - it's not just something pretty to hang on the tree - it is a memory. I think about where we celebrated that year, how we got the idea for the ornament, who helped with the task, where we went for our Sisters' Weekend or the fun we had making them (and with a few, the PAIN we had making them).

The plastic canvas Santa clips were a real pain in 2006

Each one is special - and Lord willing we will continue making them for many years. In 2012, one of the great-nieces is requesting to help us so hopefully the tradition will carry on for many more generations.

In 1977 we did not 'plan' to create a 30+ year tradition (for our 30th anniversary we made some ornaments with snowmen cross stitched and put some music buttons inside so when you squeeze them they play Frosty the Snowman - and we have the '30 years' stitched on the back). We did what we love for the people we love.

30th anniversary musical snowmen in 2007

Preview of Mini Occasions

2011-12-20T21:02:00.003-06:00

I am so excited about the Mini Occasions catalog that is coming out in January. Here is a preview of one of the great new products - Heart Framelits, varying sizes of heart dies that come nestled together in a package. I had so much fun playing with these today.

I used the smallest heart to cut the three hearts along the bottom of the card and also the center of the larger heart. I used the second smallest heart for the larger heart on the card. The stamp is from the I Heart Heart set. The colors are Cherry Cobbler and Sahara Sand. The designer paper is retired. I added some crochet trim and a punched eyelet border.

The second card uses two of the framelits and a new stamp set called Take it to Heart. The center heart and the banner outline are from that set. The sentiment is from Bring on the Cake. I embossed the background with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and added an antique brad (which I got free through an SU demonstrator book-a-thon) to the crochet trim.

Here I changed up the colors a little. I had out the Candy Cane fabrics so thought I would play with that in the framelits. It took a little hand trimming but not bad. The hearts are all cut from the framelits. Colors used are Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi and Pretty in Pink. The tag is from the Tiny Tags set. I looped some linen thread through it and adhered it behind the Baja Breeze heart. And why did I have the fabrics out - I was experimenting with a new idea I had from another demo's site.

I took some tiny glass votives and decoupaged fabric strips inside using Modge Podge. It was a little messy but really turned out cute. You brush the Modge Podge on the right side of the fabric strips and then put them inside the votive so the right side is stuck to the glass. When I finished I brushed more Modge Podge over the inside. I did the one on the right first and used all the strips from the same fabric. With the one on the left, I was trying for more of a 'crazy quilt' design. I'm not sure if they are safe for use with actual lit candles but I have some of the battery operated votive candles that I will use in them.

Next on my list is playing with some of the new ribbon and brads from the Sale-a-bration catalog.

Christmas cards, love them!

2011-12-20T08:22:00.006-06:00

I love Christmas cards and the family newsletters that many people send. Love seeing how kids change from year to year in photos. Look forward to getting the mail with so many cards. I especially love getting handmade Stampin Up cards from my family, friends and customers. This year the popular stamp set was the Beautiful Season. It is cute but since I have the retired Cardinal Christmas I could not justify buying another Christmas bird set.

This card is from my sister who is also my upline SU demonstrator (guess that makes her my boss :-)

Another family member, a niece who belongs to one of my SU clubs, created this card.

And another from a club member . I like the way she stamped it on the So Saffron card stock. Gives it a whole different look.

Even though they all used the same stamp set, each card has a distinct look.

Here are some of my cards on display. I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought I would try it. Started with the china cabinet in the dining room.

Quickly had to move to the kitchen cabinets. And now those are full so am looking for other doors to tape ribbon and clip cards :-)

Menu Monday

2011-12-04T10:53:00.002-06:00

I have started using Pinterest and that has re-kindled my love of cooking. So many recipes there and I just can't wait to use them. I tried a Tomato Basil soup over the weekend that was delish!

So I am going to make Menu Monday blog posts (or try to) so I have these documented and can find them during the week.

Monday - Taco Corn Bread Casserole

Spanish Rice

Tuesday- Baked Cheesy Chicken and Penne

Salad

Wednesday-
Chili
Carrot and celery sticks

Thursday-

Leftovers or frozen pizza

Friday -

Bar-b-q Meatloaf
Mashed potatoes
Corn

Saturday-
Homemade Panini
Potato Pancakes

Sunday -
20 Minute Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
Ramen Slaw

Let's see if I can stick to the plan :-)

Thanksgiving Pies - memories of Mom

2011-11-23T21:14:00.010-06:00

One of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions - baking pies! I can remember my mom filling the kitchen with pie dough and all the yummy ingredients. My mom made the best pies!

The ingredients for successful pie-making, fresh apples, pecans, red tart cherries, pumpkin, evaporated milk and a holiday drink from Starbucks :-) She never had the Starbucks but you have to modify traditions to fit your own family - right?

Mom's cherry pie recipe. She always used the Minute Tapioca recipe with almond extract. Not the prettiest pie, but I bet it is yummy! I use the prepared pie crusts but crimp the edges between my fingers the way she taught me. She always cut the ( ) in the center of the top crust with the dashes down the middle. Hers usually looked better than this one - guess I need practice. I'm sure my brother Bill would say so- his favorite pie and he ALWAYS got the piece with the cherry pit in it- there is always one!

I don't remember my mom ever making a pecan pie - I'm sure she must have since the driveway was lined with pecan trees. I use Betty Crocker's recipe for mine.

Pumpkin pie - wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it! It doesn't show in the photo but Mom always used a knife to check the center of the pie so there was a telltale 'slit' in the center. I do it the same way .

French Apple Pie - another Betty Crocker recipe. Mom usually made a two crust apple pie but my family likes the crumb topping. I don't know what makes it French but the topping is not just a crumb topping that is 'sprinkled' on. It is packed on top and some settles down into the pie. I am not a big apple pie fan, but this one is so good served warm with some vanilla ice cream!

What are your Thanksgiving baking memories?

Stained Glass Technique

2011-11-15T21:53:00.005-06:00

Had a great time tonight at my Technique Tuesday class - Stained Glass. A great group and lots of interaction. Here is the card they made.

Stamp sets - Sail Away, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Card Stock - Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party and Indigo Island, Window Sheets
Embellishments - Dyed Taffeta ribbon, Pool Party; Mica Flakes, Metallic Brads
Punches- Word Window, Modern Label
Inks - Pool Party refill, Island Indigo refill, Wisteria Wonder refill, Stazon White and Whisper White craft ink
I prepared the stain glass for this card since it takes a couple hours for it to dry.

This was a sample I made to show them how it looks to use just one color of ink. I used Melon Mambo. I also used the Dazzling Diamonds glitter on this instead of the Mica Flakes.

For the sample, they made a piece similar to this one with the Lovely as a Tree tall evergreen.

Another example I prepared. On this card the stained glass is used as a background for a stamped and punched ornament. I love the combination of Cherry Cobbler and More Mustard.

Demo Wish List

2011-11-12T23:18:00.007-06:00

For the past couple weeks I have been participating in a "Wish List" among some of the SU Demonstrators. We are having loads of fun! One person posts her wish list of items - stamped images, designer paper, Big Shot die cuts. Someone offers to grant one of her wishes and that person gets to post their wish list. It is as much fun granting the wishes as receiving your own grants.

These are for one of the wishes I granted for a demo in Canada. We have been mailing things back and forth quite a bit. Kathryne wanted Circle Circus stamped on card fronts in Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi and Pumpkin Pie. I have had that stamp set for a while and have to admit I have not used it a whole lot. This re-awakened my interest in it :-) I wanted to do some cards of my own.

So - here is mine. I smudged the Chocolate Chip a little so decided I would use this one. It was fun and I am thankful that Kathryne made the request.

And of course, I have had many wishes granted. Stamp sets I have always thought would be fun but just never had the desire to own them. Or die cuts that I don't own but would like a chance to create with them.

These are some of the die cuts I have received from my wish list. Peek-a-boo frames that I will use for birthday cards with corny jokes printed on them. The answer/punch line will be hidden behind the frame. Tags to use to make book marks or Christmas gift tags for packages. Build-a-bear dies to play with. I have lots of those and will make some cute cards and scrapbook pages with them.

And stamped images.... the Christmas lodge from Jenn and Sarah which I am using to make some decorative boxes with my clubs. Make A Monster images from Kathryne are great for kids' birthday cards. Sincere Salutations and Snow Much Fun from Melanie. Melanie and I did several wish grants on our own - just the two of us - because we each had several things that were on the other person's wish list. And the Homemade and to Die For stamps from Brittany will come in handy for holiday gift giving. And many more - I have loads of things to play with from these new friends and others.

The SU Demonstrators are a great group of people. I am glad Cathy started this Wish List discussion so we can all get things to play with and show off without having to purchase. Of course, I did like coloring the Crazy for Cupcakes that Susan sent me I had to get the stamp set for myself.

Oh, Mica Flakes!

2011-11-09T15:43:00.006-06:00

So, not knowing that the mica flakes from SU come in such a large quantity (about a cup of them in the container) I bought 2 of them so I would have plenty for some shaker cards for my SU clubs. What to do with all those mica flakes??? I have seen some cards using the dyed mica flakes and decided to give that a try.

You need just the mica flakes and some ink refills. I tried Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue and Peach Parfait.

I put some flakes in a plastic bag (about a tablespoon) and added 3 or 4 drops of ink. Then I shook, squeezed, anything to spread the color to the flakes.

I made some birthday cards using them. I don't have the large cupcake die so I had to make up my own. I used the Elegant Lines embossing folder on a piece of card stock and then punched out one-half of a 2 3/8 inch scallop circle. I spread some Tombow glue on the scallop and dropped some of the dyed mica flakes on that. The base of the cupcake is Crumb Cake card stock which I ran through the crimper.

This cupcake has a band of Chocolate Chip scallop dotted ribbon around the middle. I also played with my new tag punch and Tiny Tags. The Happy Birthday is from the Bring on the Cake stamp set.

I paired up the Rich Razzleberry taffeta ribbon with the Peach Parfait. Don't these look almost good enough to eat?

Here are all my cupcakes together. I think I will make a few more since I have plenty of the dyed mica flakes left. What ideas do you have for the mica flakes?

Card #4 for the Christmas Stamp-a-Stack

2011-10-23T13:48:00.001-05:00

I have decided on the fourth card design for the Christmas Stamp-a-Stack I am holding in November. Isn't this a beautiful card?

Card stock - Always Artichoke, Real Red, Whisper White
Stamp set - Greeting Card Kids, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink - Many Marvelous Markers
Embellishments - Real Red taffeta ribbon, Mica Flakes
Tools - Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Blender pens

Won't you join us? Dates are Friday Nov 4th (6:30 p.m.), Sunday Nov 6th (2 p.m.), and Monday Nov 7th (6:30 p.m.)

$15.00 for all 8 cards - envelopes are included. Everything provided - just come join the fun :-)

New Workshop Added - Christmas is coming!

2011-10-12T09:33:00.007-05:00

I am offering a Christmas card workshop on several dates in November - Friday, Nov 4 (6:30 p.m.), Sunday, Nov 6 (2 p.m.), and Monday Nov 7 (6:30 p.m.) Pick the date and time that fits your schedule and come have some holiday fun! You will be making 8 cards in 4 basic designs (2 of each). Cost for the workshop is $15 which includes envelopes.

Each card design has 2 options so you can make the two cards the same or make one of each option. Here are some photos of what I have planned so far (may have some minor changes when I get out my supplies).

The first card design will use the Stitched Stocking stamp set and coordinating punch. It also features the eyelet border punch and the mini brads (love those things!)

The second option uses the lace border punch - reminds me of the Victorian gingerbread in my childhood home. Brings back lots of Christmas memories. This one also uses the baker's twine for the stocking hangers.

The second card design uses the stripe embossing folder and the quilted satin ribbon. The Occasions alphabet stamps and Cherry Cobbler baker's twine are featured on this option.

For the second option, I chose the Four the Holidays stamp set (there are 4 holiday greetings to chose from).

The third design highlights my favorite The Sounding Joy stamp set. The option on the left is tied with the Poppy Parade cotton ribbon. The right sports the Cherry Cobbler ribbon and a miniature jingle bell.
Now I just have to decide on the fourth card - something with the Mica Flakes I think - I have seen so many cute ideas with those.

Looking forward to sharing these wonderful products with you - pick a date and come join the fun!

Another OMG album

2011-10-09T08:41:00.008-05:00

Another of the OMG albums. This one was a little challenging. The wedding colors are black and white with a little pewter. The person requesting this said I could add a color if I needed but I think I did pretty well with just Basic Black, Basic Gray and Whisper White (and a little bit of Wild Wasabi for leaves).

The dotted piece along the bottom is from the wedding invitations. The stamped images are non-SU stamp sets I had from before SU days.

This is the back of the album. The image is from the new hostess set, Ain't Love Grand. I would put a photo of the couple in their 'getaway' car here.

This is inside the front cover - Basic Black DSP and a set of bride and groom hearts look pretty nice here. If you would like to see how I make the bride and groom hearts, I have a tutorial here. The large open area above the intialed hearts could house one large photo of the couple or a collage of smaller photos.

The center spotlights the wedding invitation. I intend the narrow areas on the side to be individual photos of the bride and groom coordinated with the bride and groom hearts (of course, they can do whatever they want - I do offer to add their photos for a separate fee).

This is one of the side sections that flank the invitation. This could hold photos of the bridesmaids in one section and groomsmen in the other. The circular areas could also hold photos.

This is inside the back cover. The flower is all white but the 5 petal flower is sponged with Basic Gray to make it more visible against the white background. This provides another large areas to place a single photo or several smaller ones.

The section with the three hearts is one side of the open back display. I imagine the bottom section here with the grooms family and maybe the smaller one the groom and parents or grandparents. The opposite side would be for the bride's family.

The inside back has a frame with a window sheet. The sentiment is from a retired stamp set. I imagine a photo of the bride and groom in the circular frame - probably kissing :-)

And here it the little gift card and envelope I made to go along with the album. My customers seem to like that extra little touch.

So, I don't think I did to badly using just black, white and gray. My husband asked if it was for a black tie event - so guess it looks pretty classy. I hope the couple likes it.

Bride and Groom Hearts

2011-10-08T15:33:00.005-05:00

I have been having fun today making bride and groom hearts. This is one of my favorite ways to dress up wedding scrapbook pages or the OMG albums. So while I was working on these I made a tutorial so you all can make some for yourselves.

Tutorial HERE
Here is a happy couple. This is for a scrapbook page for a couple married in January and they had snowflakes for part of the decorations. The snowburst embossingfolder came in handy here. He wore a white tie so I make the groom to match.

Here are several styles of bride hearts. From left to right they are the snowburst, vintage wallpaper, and elegant lines embossing folders. I rubbed some Frost White shimmer paint on them before adding the pearls.

This is for a May wedding. He wore a black bow tie so I used that style. I have used the tiny rhinestone jewels on these. These are for a little gift to the bride for her scrapbooking.

And - these don't have to be just for wedding scrapbooking. What about proms? or any formal occassion. Here I used Real Red card stock and ribbon. So easy to personalize to fit the occassion.

Have you tried these? Do you have other ideas for customizing them? I'd love to hear from you!

Tropical Cruise OMG Album

2011-10-04T19:12:00.005-05:00

I have been busy making OMG Albums (click here to see the tutorial ) - wedding gifts mostly - and a co-worker asked me to make one for a couple she knows. They are going on a cruise next week and the couple will be celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. So, I had to come up without something tropical and crusie themed.

For the cover I came up with a string of flags spelling their name. The bottom three are their initials and 15 for the years. The sun is from a retired stamp set which I stamped with Stazon black on Daffodil Delight then sponged therays with Tangerine Tango.
The flags are cut with the pennant punch.

The back cover is a photo frame with a Wonder Sheet behind it. The flower is made using two 5 petal flower punches. I wrapped some linen thread around the two sides - thought that looked tropical for some reason.
The card stock colors used throughout the album are
Calypso Coral
Lucky Limeade
Pool Party
Island Indigo
Daffodil Delight
Crumb Cake
and a few scraps used for the flags on the front,
Most of the images are retired stamps.

This is the album open from the front. Another 5 petal flower and some Pool Party ruffled ribbon accent the center panel. The sentiment is from A Word for You.

A closer look at the end panels. These each open to reveal more pages for adding photos.

This is a close up of the center. I punched the flowerfrom Daffodil Delight and sponged the petals with Calypso Coral.

This is the section behind the end panels that I mentioned above. The 4 petal flowers are die cuts using the Big Shot (Did you know you can get a free Big Shot this month - ask me how! )

The colors are so vivid and bright - so thankful for the 2011-2013 IN colors.

This is a closer look at thevining flowers. I love making little flowers with the jewel accents. Flowers without the pearl or rhinestone center just don't look finished.

And the flap - more flowers and room for a small photo or journaling.

One of the end pages is all dressed up with a bright tropical flower. The 5 petal flower was sponged with Crumb Cakc to make it stand out.

And another panel is now a cute pocket. It can hold a photo, journal entry or a souvenir like a ticket or some Mexican money.

The back panel was made into a sandy beach. They will be stopping at several islands so maybe they can get a photo from each island to ad to this section.

The beach is just some Crumb Cake paper stamped with some seashells. Everyone really liked this section.

And a little extra I have started including with these albums - a matching gift card. So now they are all set for the cruise!

3's Are Wild!

2011-10-02T22:35:00.006-05:00

I am offering a share of 3 of my favorite tools from Stampin Up - Stamping Sponges, Blender Pens and Sponge Daubers. These are all sold in packages in multiples of 3 - so here's the offer -
for one share ($9.50) you receive:
1 sponge (which can be cut into wedges for sponging on ink accents)
1 blender pen
4 sponge daubers
These can all be found on page 203 in the big catalog.

Let me show you how these are used and what a difference they can make on a card.

Here is a layout using
Card Stock - Perfect Plum, Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink - Basic Gray
Stamp Set - Herb Expressions
Embossing Folder - Designer Frames

Now, let's see what a few tools can do -
First, the blender pen. These are double pointed so you have two tips on each pen. Squeeze the lid of the ink pad down really hard then open the pad. You will have some ink smeared on the inside of the lid. Use that as your palette.
Take the tip of the blender pen and pick up some ink - just a little bit at a time.

Color in the image. When using blender pens, you should use a waterproof ink for the image. Basic Black and Basic Gray both will work for this. When you have finished with one color, just rub the tip gently on some scrap paper until no more color comes off.

On to sponge daubers - very handy! And you get 4 of them in the share. You will notice mine is labeled for the Basic Gray ink (I have enough of them that I don't have to clean them between inks!)

Rub the sponge end on the ink pad to absorb some ink.

Rub the ink as desired on the card stock. I embossed this frame with my Big Shot and I am using the dauber to add ink to the raised areas. I got a little on the background but it just gives it that 'aged' look. It really brings out the embossing. I also rubbed a little of the Basic Gray ink around on the background using the dauber.

You can clean the daubers by first rubbing on some scrap paper to remove as much ink as possible. Then use some running water to rinse it out. Let it dry well between colors (good thing you are getting 4 so you won't have to wait for one to dry before continuing).

One of my favorite things to do with the sponge is to add some shimmer paint. I cut my sponges up into 8 wedges and they are perfect for sponging ink. I have one for each ink color and have it labeled with a piece of card stock stapled to the point. It works very well. The sponge I am using here is one of my extra ones so it is not labeled.

After thoroughly shaking the shimmer paint, press the sponge firmly against the mouth of the bottle. Tip the bottle to get a little bit of the shimmer paint on the sponge.

Dab and rub the shimmer paint over the image. This gives the paper a marblized or 'mother of pearl' look. You can add as little or as much as you like.

Now - I have put together the layout after enhancing with the blender pen, sponge dauber and sponge. The photo does notdo justice to the shimmer paint or the basic gray accents but I think you can see the difference.

Here is the finished card.

This is a closeup of the ink enhancements. Below are some photos of cards that were enhanced using one of the three tools in the share.

On this card, I used the sponge dauber to add color after stamping the flowers and butterflies using black Staz-on ink. If you are using Staz-on or craft ink you have to let it dry a long time to avoid smearing.

A blender pen was used to color in the image on this card.

I used a sponge to add a dusting of ink around the edges of the Whisper White with the sentiment.

This is another example of sponging around the edges. This is one of the easiest was to dress up a card.

I used a sponge dauber to add some color to this image. I used several colors and the dauber allowed me to control the ink a little bit more than a sponge would have. I still colored outside the lines but I like how it looks.

Here I sponged some Basic Black ink around the edges of some heart punches. This gives them more definition. You can use a sponge or a dauber to do this.

So - have I convinced you that you need these tools? If you would like to participate in the share, let me know by posting a comment here or email me at cavmary63@yahoo.com.

Thanks for stopping by!

Simply Scored - So Simple!

2011-10-02T13:28:00.004-05:00

I have been busy making OMG Albums and the Simply Scored Scoring Tool makes it so much easier. If you check out my tutorial from the link to the OMG Albums you will see that I have to score the pages and crease them well to get the album to fold up. Using the Simply Scored makes my scoring much more consistent. I use the markers to set where I need the folds and can do numerous pieces of card stock in a short time.

Yesterday I found a new use - adding texture to the card stock.

I was working on a card for some newlyweds (Sad to say they were married in July but I still have to get their gift to get them and just made their card yesterday. I know the rules of etiquette says the thank yous can be sent up to a year after the wedding date - does that apply to gift giving as well???)

Anyway - I wanted to do something a little special for the tuxedo heart. I had used the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder for the bride and even sponged it with some Frost White shimmer paint so it looked pretty dressy. When I did these for my daughter's wedding last year I had scraps of the Bride and Groom paper but no more of that - so what to do.

I took the Simply Scored and the strip of Basic Black card stock and scored the paper in each line on the Simply Scored. It went so quickly - can't imagine doing that with the paper cutter/scorer - first, because it would take forever to reposition the paper after each score line - and second because I would have screwed up somewhere along the way and made a crooked line or too close to the others etc. From the scored side of the paper it looked nice but nothing special - but when I flipped it over it almost looked like pinstriping - perfect for a tux!

Here is a closer picture of the card -
Card Stock - Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White, Basic Black
Embellishment - Whisper White Satin Ribbon, 1/4 inch Basic Black taffeta ribbon, Jewels
Ink - Frost White Shimmer paint, Basic Gray
Stamp Set - retired Whimsical Words

And speaking of my daughter's wedding last year, this is an OMG album I am making for her and my son-in-law for their first anniversary gift (Yes - it was in June - I am behind on that too :-) But I want them to pick out the photos that go into this one). The pinstripes show up a little better in this photo.

Card Cube - The One That Put Them Over the Edge

2011-09-25T18:50:00.005-05:00

This is the card that put some of the club members over the edge :-) It was harder to teach them than I thought it would be :-)

Card Stock and Ink colors - Not Quite Navy, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White (paper only)
Ribbon - Peach Parfait
Stamp Set - Look Who's Turning, Bring on the Cake

Here is the card opened. It forms a cube - or really half of a cube. If you would like to try this for yourself, I have a tutorial at http://marystutorials.blogspot.com/

How did they get through it - lots of CHOCOLATE! But they saved the It's A Wrap papers so I could use them again :-) We had a good time!

Peekaboo Frames - so much fun!

2011-09-18T16:34:00.006-05:00

One of the items in the Stampin Up Holiday mini catalog is the Peekaboo Frames die. It cuts 5 frames with little doors and even scores the fold line for the door - what could be easier! No, I do not have that die - I used my sister's when we were visiting her family Labor Day weekend.

I searched the internet for birthday riddles and found some that I plan to use on birthday cards for children. I copied some into a Word document after creating text boxes that would fit behind the frames.
Card stock - Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Garden Green
Stamp Set - Bring on the Cake

And here is the answer hidden behind the peekaboo frame.

This is a card I made before finding the riddles online.
Card stock -Basic Black, Whisper White, Pacific Point, Garden Green, Poppy Parade DSP
Ink - Garden Green, Pacific Point, Poppy Parade, Pumpkin Pie
Tools - BigShot and Peekaboo frame die, 1 inch circle punch, 1 1/4 inch circle, 1 3/8 inch circle punch
Embellishment - Poppy Parade poly ribbon

And what's behind the door ? A birthday cake! I stamped the 'bring on the CAKE' sentiment inside the card.

I am going to have fun with the Peekaboo Frames. I have some Thanksgiving and Christmas riddles and jokes too.

Card Sets

2011-09-16T06:06:00.006-05:00

For lack of a better name - I am calling these 'card sets'. All cards in the set use the same cuts of card stock and for the most part the same type of embellishments. The differences are from the stamp used, colors, embossing folders, anything to make it unique.
These are ideas for my $2 card party (see more details on my calendar) This way I can cut card stock and ribbon, package in a baggie with the other embellishments and the customers can personalize by their choice of stamps and embossing folders.
These examples are pretty simple but the customers are free to jazz them up by coloring the images, using additional punches, piercing or faux-stitching, or anything that will make it personally theirs.

Most of these use retired ribbon and embellishment (trying to use some of my stash - will never use all of it!) The stamp sets for this set of cards are all retired but I can always find something in the catalog that is comparable :-)
Card stock - So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Perfect Plum, Whisper White
Ink - Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip
Ribbon - retired Wild Wasabi
Embossing folder - Houndstooth used on the Chocolate Chip.

This one has the eyelet border to make it unique.
Card stock - Certainly Celery, Rose Red, Marina Mist, Perfect Plum, Whisper White
Ink - Rose Red, Perfect Plum
Embossing folder - Houndstooth
Tools- Ticket corner punch, Eyelet border punch , Sanding block used on the Rose Red
Ribbon - 1/4 inch grosgrain Certainly Celery (not sure if it is still available or not)

I thought I would try a little something different for the sentiment on this one.
Card Stock - Pretty in Pink, Daffodil Delight, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White
Ink - Not Quite Navy
Ribbon - 1/4 inch grosgrain Pretty in Pink (not sure if that is still available)
Embossing folder - Polka Dots
Tools - Ticket Corner punch, Modern Label punch

I have a lot of the 1/4 inch grosgrain in a variety of colors. Not sure which ones are still available but they do have a wide selection of this ribbon - and you can always use the white ribbon and dye it to match.
Card stock - Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip
Ink - Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery
Ribbon - 1/4 inch grosgrain Certainly Celery
Embossing Folder - Vintage Wallpaper
Tool - Ticket corner punch

I think this is my favorite color combination. I don't have a lot of this ribbon left so when it is gone they will have to find something else to use. I guess some white ribbon might look nice on the bold colors.
Card Stock - Island Indigo, Rich Razzleberry, Perfect Plum, Whisper White
Ink - Island Indigo
Embossing Folder - Elegant Lines
Ribbon - Retired IN color dotted ribbon Rich Razzleberry
Tools - Ticket corner punch, Modern Label punch and Word Window punch

So - does anything strike your fancy? Why not join us at the $2 card party. You can make as many cards as you like within the 3 hour time frame (or come to more than one session if you need more). You can choose what kits/colors you want. You do not have to make one of each or anything like that. If you want a group of cards that are all the same - you can.
All supplies are provided and envelopes too. I plan to come up with a couple Christmas designs in case someone wants to get a head start on their Christmas cards.

Special Treats

2011-09-11T20:26:00.005-05:00

I played around with some special treats the other day. These would be great for classroom treats - too bad my girls are past that stage. Maybe I'll make some for my co-workers for Halloween.

The cylinders are easy to use and work well with M&M's and tic-tac mints. I also found out that chapstick tubes and the Twizzler pull apart candies do not fit in the cylinders (have to eat all of those Twizzlers myself). A holiday pencil, a rolled up dollar bill, or a gift certificate would fit - just some ideas I have seen on other blogs.
The mini milk carton is one of those Big Shot dies that I don't own but my sister does :-) - Yes, I cut that out when in Chicago last weekend and put it together at home. It holds about 6 Hershey nugget candies.

The cylinders have a sticky strip on the flap closure which makes it super easy to use. I topped them off with some holiday stamps and a little bit of ribbon - and that's it!

For the milk carton I took a strip of Spice Cake DSP and wrapped it around to decorate it. Then I stamped a sentiment from the Oval All set in Pool Party and mounted it on a scallop of Pool Party. Added a Very Vanilla ribbon to hold it closed and that was it!
This would make a nice little treat for a special friend or favors for a special party. I may have to invest in that die!

Joy to the World - Christmas Stars

2011-09-11T19:59:00.006-05:00

When I first saw the new stamp set "The Sounding Joy" in the Holiday Mini, I knew I wanted to make these Christmas ornaments.

The star shape of the Joy to the World verses is perfect for these ceramic star ornaments.
Ink - Stazon Black and Forest Green
Stamp Set - The Sounding Joy

The verses were stamped in the Forest Green. Joy was stamped in Black Stazon. It took me several (well maybe 8 or 9) tries to get the verses looking decent. But once I figured out a few tricks it went well. The nice thing is the Stazon ink comes off with rubbing alcohol or wet wipes if it has not dried.

Let Earth Receive Her King was used on this one.
If you like these and would like to make some of your own, watch my calendar (link to the right of this blog). I will be scheduling some workshops for these soon.

I can't take total credit for these as my sister had the idea of stamping on the ceramic ornaments several years ago. We made these ornaments for our family members that year. The stamp is from the retired "City of David" stamp set.

Another recycling (reuse) project - for Halloween

2011-09-11T19:47:00.003-05:00

Another re-use project. I saw this on someone blog as I was browsing through. Sort of cute - and worth the try.

Can you tell what I re-used? Post a comment with your answer. I filled it with the Mica Flakes - so they aren't snow on this card - maybe ectoplasm???
Card stock - Basic Gray, Whisper White, Basic Black
Stamp set- an alphabet set that I found several years ago on E-Bay - not SU
Mica Flakes

Another angle. Figured out what it is?

And another. .....

A Couple More from the Holiday Mini

2011-09-10T18:52:00.006-05:00

One of the perks of having my sister back in Chicago is getting to 'share' our Stampin Up tools and ideas. On the road trip last weekend I took along a few things that I bought from the new catalog which she did not have and while there I played with some of her new toys.

I stamped and embossed the background of this card at her house, then put it all together today.
Card Stock - Wisteria Wonder, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Ink - Soft Suede, Wisteria Wonder
Stamp Set - Simply Soft (hostess set)
Embellishments - In Color Brads, Soft Suede 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon
Tools - Big Shot and the new Snow Burst embossing folder

Here is a close-up of the bow. I wrapped the ribbon around the piece of cardstock then made a loop with a second piece of ribbon. I gathered that loop between the brad prongs (easier said than done - but it turned out okay).

The Snow Burst background is very subtle and really goes with almost any card theme. Here is just adds some texture and I don't think it looks wintry at all.

One of her new hostess stamp sets is Faith in Nature. I have not gotten this one yet (still haven't decided if I will). I stamped the pear image in Chicago and finished it up today here at home.

Card Stock - More Mustard, Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White
Stamp Sets - Faith in Nature, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink- Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz, More Mustard
Embellishments - More Mustard button, Certainly Celery 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon
Tools - Medium Oval punch, Small Oval punch (retired)

I used a sponge dauber and added some More Mustard ink to the pear. Then added some Pear Pizzazz to the right hand edge of the pear and the leaf. It is fun to color outside the lines!

I pulled the ribbon through from the front and tied a knot before pulling the second end through the button. Just something a little different.

I did not want to do the usual layered ovals - so tried three ovals staggered and layered.

It is fun playing with my sister's toys and also fun having pieces ready to go and spark the imagination when I sit down to make some cards.

Bakers Twine Holders - A Recycling Project

2011-09-10T17:41:00.006-05:00

I saw these on another blog and had to try them. Always looking for ways to recycle the many plastic containers that I have from brads, buttons, etc.

These are now Baker's Twine Holders- with color coordinated flowers on top (Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and Whisper White). Cute (and so easy!)

I took one of the small containers that Stampin Up uses to package brads and buttons and peeled off as much of the label as I could. (Be sure to use the ones that are not divided into sections - will have to think of something else for those).

With the Crop-a-dile, punch the smaller hole in the side of the container. It is so easy with the Crop-a-dile! I was surprised.

Take the inner core of an empty ribbon spool - be sure it is not too tall to fit in the container - some of them are just too big. I punched out two scallop circles (2 3/8 inch) from card stock or the thin cardboard that comes in the DSP packages (more recycling). Adhere to each side of the spool. I guess if you wanted to you could punch a hole in the center of the scallop that matched the inner core and assemble it that way. I did try to use the cardboard that comes on the spool but it was so thick I could not get as much Baker's Twine on so I went back to my card stock.

You can see my scallop cardstock spool with the Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine wound around it. I have used quite a bit of the Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White but just a small piece of the Early Espresso. The Early Espresso just fit on my scalloped spool.

Decorate the top as desired. Insert the end of the Baker's twine through the hole in the side of the container and place the spool in the container, Close the lid. Now - isn't that clever. The twine is easily accessible without tangling and knotting up.

And here are a few fun pictures from a road trip with DD2 last weekend. We drove to Chicago to visit family and while there went to a really nice park next to the train station near Grandpa's (the restaurant where we ate). Here DD2 joined some children reading a book and playing with a train.

And this is the Bear Fountain. It has numerous animals depicted down the column. It had actually resided in another area and was moved to this location when the park was created.

We had a great time and Grandpa sure does know how to cook! Or maybe Grandma was hiding in the kitchen.

Memories

2011-09-08T16:47:00.009-05:00

Reading the blog of a young mom today and her story of the birth of her second child brought back so many memories of my own daughters and the little girls they were. So I am going to be a little nostalgic tonight :-)

Sisters! My girls are 18 months apart. As my doctor told me when I found out DD2 was on the way - "It is hard on the parents, but great for the kids." They were playmates from the beginning - which really was easier on me since I did not have to entertain either of them.

Nighty-night! Ready for bed, all fresh from their baths. One of my favorite times of the day.

Tea time! They loved playing house and pretending.

Too Cool! What more can I say???

Hugs! Easter morning. I learned after their first Easter to not let them play with their Easter bonnets until Easter morning - they played with them on Saturday and then on Easter morning were tired of them and refused to keep them on their heads. After that, they did not get them until Easter morning.

Cowgirls! Ready for a birthday party for one of their playmates - with horse rides of course!

Angels! Love their expressions.

And more recently - Mother's Day - my lovely young ladies! So proud of both of them. And, of course I have to post something I made.....

This is a card I made for a friend who just had her third little girl. "Let the fun begin"!
Card stock - Pretty in Pink, Basic Gray, DSP is retired
Stamp Set - Retired Fast and Fun
Embellishment - 5/8 inch Satin Pretty in Pink, miniature brad
Tools - Scallop Eyelet punch

Baby Booties

2011-08-31T22:16:00.003-05:00

I love finding alternative uses for the Stampin Up punches. The stitched stocking punch is not just for Christmas - you can make baby booties from the stockings.

Pink stockings and add a few tiny pearls and a bow - what a cute card for a sweet little girl.
Card Stock - Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Ink - Pretty in Pink
Tools - Stocking Tag punch, Eyelet border punch
Stamp sets - Stitched stocking, A Word for You

Blue stockings for a little boy.
Card stock - Pear Pizzazz, Marina Mist, Whisper White, Nursery Suite DSP
Ink - Marina Mist, Basic Gray
Stamp sets - Stitched stocking, Alphabet set is not SU
Tools - Stocking Tag punch
Embellishments - 1/8 inch taffeta - Marina Mist

Here I cut off the cuff at the top of the stocking and glued it down lower to make it look even more like little baby socks.
Card Stock - Pear Pizzazz, Pretty in Pink, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Ink - Regal Rose, Pacific Point, Basic Gray
Stamp Set - Stitched Stocking, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Embellishments - 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon Whisper White

And - what about a hobby horse? I have a hobby horse pattern somewhere. Wouldn't it be cute to make a hobby horse for a little one's birthday and present it with this card?
Card Stock - Regal Rose, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Wisteria Wonder
Ink - Wisteria Wonder, Regal Rose
Stamp Set - Stitched stocking, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Tools - Stocking tag punch, Eyelet ribbon punch, Petite Pennants punch
Embellishments - Ruffled ribbon Wisteria Wonder, Mini brads, Baker's twine Whisper White

Aren't those some fun, versatile uses for the Stitched Stocking stamp set and Stocking Tag punch?

Stitched Stockings - - early Christmas

2011-08-30T22:20:00.005-05:00

I played a little with the new Stitched Stockings stamp set and Punch Stocking Tag. Getting ready for Christmas!

The punch is multiple pieces, a stocking, toe, heel and cuff. Makes it very easy to decorate the stockings.
Card Stock - Cherry Cobbler, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi DSP
Ink - Wild Wasabi, Cherry Cobbler
Stamp Sets - Stitched Stockings, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Tools - Punch Stocking Tag, Modern Label, Word Window, Round Corner
Embellishments - Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Mini Jingle Bells

Here I used the lace border punch to hang the stockings. It reminds me of the gingerbread woodwork in the home I grew up in.
Card Stock - Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, Wild Wasabi
Ink - Wild Wasabi, Cherry Cobbler
Tools - Lace Ribbon Border Punch, Stocking Tag Punch
Embellishments - White Baker's Twine, Miniature Brads

Here I used the brads again as nails for the stocking. The edge is made using the eyelet border punch.

And as always there are ideas for this set that are not Christmas but those will have to wait for another day.

Jazz It Up Again

2011-08-28T20:18:00.011-05:00

Here is another attempt at 'jazzing up' a card.

This is a very plain and simple card - not too thrilling.
Card Stock - Whisper White and Regal Rose
Ink - Soft Suede
Stamp Sets - Happiest Birthday Wishes and Simply Said

Here I mounted the sentiment on a rectangle of Regal Rose. I also added the Regal Rose to the flowers. This is a two step stamp set. I have found that I need to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig with this set to get my stamps lined up closely.

A notch more - I used Soft Suede for the card base instead of the Whisper White. I also trimmed around the sentiment. I mounted it on Regal Rose and trimmed that to the same shape. I added a Boho Blossom flower of Regal Rose on Soft Suede with a Whisper White brad.

Since the card base was Soft Suede and that is too dark to be able to write a note, I added some Very Vanilla stamped with a single flower to the inside of the card.

And here I have taken it another step. The DSP is some retired I had on hand. The torn corner with the DSP behind it is an idea I got from the Idea Book and Catalog. It just adds a little interest.

I put some Crystal Effects on the flowers.

The ribbon is 3/8 inch taffeta in Soft Suede. I put down a strip of Sticky Strip and then folded the ribbon back and forth to make the pleats. The rhinestone is colored with the Regal Rose marker but it does not show up very well.

I added the shadow flowers by stamping off on scrap paper a couple times to get most of the ink off the stamp. I like the look it gives around the border. Sponging the paper edges also gives the card a little more interest and dimension.

I moved the sentiment inside and sponged around that as well. So with just a few tools and a little time you can take your simple card idea and 'jazz it up'.

Stained Glass Technique

2011-08-25T19:53:00.003-05:00

The technique for November's Technique Tuesday is Stained Glass. Here are some cards I made to learn this technique. For more details on Technique Tuesday - click here.

This is probably the card we will make at the class. The sentiment could be changed to Happy Thanksgiving or even Merry Christmas - -or any generic sentiment like Get Well or Thinking of You.
Card Stock - Old Olive, More Mustard, Cajun Craze
Ink - Stazon White, Cajun Craze ink pads, Old Olive, More Mustard, Cajun Craze ink refills
Tools - Medium and Large ovals
Embellisments -Dazzling Diamonds, Hemp Twine
Stamp Sets - Lovely as a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Additional materials- Window Sheet, Tissue Paper

Here I used a retired sentiment stamp which was given to me by a friend.
Card Stock - Old Olive, More Mustard, Cajun Craze
Ink - Stazon White, Cajun Craze ink pads, Old Olive, More Mustard, Cajun Craze ink refills
Tools - Eyelet scallop punch
Embellisments -Dazzling Diamonds, 1/4 inch taffeta Old Olive ribbon
Stamp Sets - Lovely as a Tree
Additional materials- Window Sheet, Tissue Paper

This closeup shows the effect better but still does not do it justice. You can see the dazzling diamonds in the background. The 'glitter' is all captured underneath the window sheet so no messy glitter all over from handling the card.

Another attempt- all in the same colors as the previous two except I tried Stazon black ink this time. Hard to see the image on this as my background got darker than I wanted. I need to get some pastel ink refills and try this one again.

You might be able to see the image a little better in this shot. The card looks better in person :-)

And - since the mica flakes come in such a large quantity I tried using that instead of the dazzling diamonds. I like it on this card because it reminds me of chips of sea shells.
Card Stock - Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, Island Indigo

Embellishments - Whisper White 3/8 inch taffeta dyed Pool Party, Mini Brad

Inks - Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Stazon white

Tools - Word Window, Modern Label

Stamp Sets - Teeny Tiny Wishes, Sail Away (from the mini catalog so it is not available after Aug 31 - hurry and place an order if you want this stamp)

Additional materials- Window Sheet, Tissue Paper

I tried to get a better shot of the mica flakes but not sure that worked. These really are cards that you have to see in person. Hope you will join us on November 15 for this technique.

Array of Sunshine

2011-08-23T21:38:00.008-05:00

The cards today feature one of the new hostess sets at Stampin' Up - Array of Sunshine. Maybe I should dedicate these to the people who have experienced Hurricane Irene in the past week.

Stampin Up has changed their hostess rewards program. When you host a qualifying workshop, you earn hostess dollars that can be used to purchase the hostess sets (like this one) which are only available to hostesses or you can use the dollars for anything in a current catalog.

The stamp set is made up of flowers and leaves (the sentiment is not part of the set - it is from Herb Expression)

Card Stock - Not Quite Navy, Whisper White
Ink - Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade, Not Quite Navy
Ribbon - Organza dyed using Poppy Parade ink pad
Stamp Sets - Array of Sunshine, Herb Expression

Card Stock - Lucky Limeade, Whisper White
Ribbon - Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon
Stamp Set - Array of Sunshine

This is a totally different look. Here I stamped the flower twice and cut it out in layers.
Card Stock - Whisper White, More Mustard, Soft Suede
Ink - More Mustard, Soft Suede
Embellishments - Whisper White 5/16 inch brad, Dotted Scallop ribbon in More Mustard

This is such a fun set!

Tissue Box Inspiration

2011-08-23T21:13:00.007-05:00

Some time ago I posted a card that was inspired by the design on a box of tissues. The first one was posted here.

Well - it happened again. This box of tissues just made me think of a background for a masculine card.

I used a brayer to add Early Espresso ink to a piece of Soft Suede. It was okay but not what I had hoped for.

Card Stock - Soft Suede, So Saffron, Marina Mist

Stamp Set - Bring on the Cake

Ink - Early Espresso

Embellishments - Marina Mist 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon, Linen thread

So this time I used Crumb Cake as the background and added Soft Suede and Early Espresso with the brayer. The colors are a little different than my inspiration but the effect is closer. Not too bad for a masculine card :-)

Card Stock - Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Lucky Limeade

Stamp Set - Bring on the Cake

Embellishments - 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon dyed with Lucky Limeade, Star brad (retired)

This card was also inspired by a tissue box. I had the empty tissue box (burgundy with a navy swirl design and then a gold accent design on the end) laying around my craft room for months but it has been discarded before I could get a photo - and of course, not another one like it in the house!

Card Stock - Bravo Burgundy, Night of Navy, Crumb Cake

Ink - Night of Navy, Bravo Burgundy

Embellishment - Night of Navy satin ribbon, Gold embossing powder

Stamp Set- Elements of Style, Tagtastic

And while looking through the house for a burgundy tissue box, I found another one that 'inspired' me in DD's bedroom. I'll have to try it and post more photos at a later date. Where do you get your inspiration?

Embossed Gingham

2011-08-23T21:06:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite new products is the Stripes embossing folder. I have used it for several cards as a striped background but my favorite way to use it is to make embossed gingham.

This is a Christmas card I posted earlied to show the new quilted satin ribbon. The gingham is made using Cherry Cobbler ink in one direction and Always Artichoke ink on the other direction.
Card Stock - Whisper White, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler
Stamp Set - Four the Holidays
Embellishment - Quilted Satin ribbon
Tools - Big Shot, Stripes embossing folder

This is one of a card for one of my clubs. This uses Cajun Craze for the gingham. I used the new denim ribbon in blue on this. Denim and gingham - I love them!
Card Stock - Night of Navy, Cajun Craze, More Mustard and Whisper White
Ink - Cajun Craze
Embellishments - Denim Blue Ribbon, Big Designer Button
Stamp Set - Happiest Birthday Wishes, Pennant Parade
Tools - Big Shot, Stripes Embossing folder, 1 1/4 inch circle punch

And another color combo -
Card Stock - Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Early Espresso
Ink - Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso
Embellishment - Early Espresso Quilted Satin ribbon
Stamp Set - Bring on the Cake
Tools - Big Shot and Stripes embossing folder

One more......
Card Stock - Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White
Ink - Elegant Eggplant
Embellishments - Baja Breeze seam binding, Rose Red button
Stamp Set - Bring on the Cake

I had so much fun playing with the gingham. Can't wait to do some more!

Holiday Mini - Spice Cake Paper

2011-08-22T21:25:00.008-05:00

One of my favorite things in the Holiday mini catalog is the Spice Cake Designer Series Paper. I have had such fun playing with it, making some samples to show off at the September clubs.

I really love how this card turned out (had no idea when I started). I thought I was going to try something masculine with the striped paper but it just didn't go there. Some times cards just have a mind of their own!

Card Stock - Soft Suede, Whisper White, More Mustard
Stamp Set -Array of Sunshine (Hostess set)
Inks - More Mustard, Soft Suede
Embellishments- More Mustard Dotted Scallop ribbon, Whisper White 5/16 inch brad

The dotted ribbon is reversible and I used the solid side for this card. I ruffled it by putting a piece of sticky strip on the card front then gathered up the ribbon and pressed it to the sticky strip.

The stem actually had a larger leaf on it in addition to the small one you see here. I stamped the flower on a scrap of paper, cut it out and adhered it over the larger leaf. I stamped a second flower and cut out the center and added it with dimensional to make it 3-D.

Here I wanted to show off one of the new punches.

Card Stock - Pool Party, More Mustard, Soft Suede
Ink - Pool Party, Soft Suede
Stamp Set - Bring on the Cake
Punch - Lace Border punch

Here is another layered flower. I stamped the Posy design in Soft Suede and in More Mustard and cut out the sections then layered on the 2 3/8 inch scallop punch of Pool Party.

Card Stock - Soft Suede, Pool Party, More Mustard, Whisper White
Ink -Soft Suede, More Mustard
Stamp Set - Happiest Birthday Wishes, Posy Punch

The punch art flower was inspired by the flower on the DSP.

Card Stock - Pool Party, Soft Suede, More Mustard, Whisper White
Ink - Soft Suede
Tools - Ticket Corner punch, Five Petal Flower punch, Boho Blossoms punch, 2 3/8 inch Scallop Circle punch,Fancy Flower punch
Embellishment - Soft Suede Dotted ribbon (retired), In Color Printed Brad

Here is a fun fold card made using the DSP. The flowers are made like the one on the previous card except I turned the Five Petal Flower punch a little when assembling. I also used the 2 1/2 inch circle punch instead of the scallop circle. I like the 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon on these cards but I didn't have any to match so I dyed some in More Mustard and Pool Party using the ink pad and a sponge.

Here the card is open. The sentiment comes from the Herb Expressions stamp set.

Jazz it up

2011-08-21T14:00:00.010-05:00

I have been wanting to do something to show how you can take a simple, basic design and jazz it up with just a few little touches. So here goes my first attempt.

This is a basic card. The image is stamped in a single color and mounted on a card with some colorful DSP. The sentiment is simply stamped and mounted. A nice looking card and would definitely brighten someone's day.
All of these cards use these products:
Card Stock - Very Vanilla, So Saffron, Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Autumn Spice DSP (retired)
Stamp Set - Lovely as a Tree
Ink - Chocolate Chip
Tools - Word Window and Modern Label punches

So this is jazzing it up a little. I used two colors for the stamping by rubbing the stamp pad against the stamp in the specific areas. I added a ribbon (Old Olive 3/8 inch taffeta) and I used dimensionals to pop-up the sentiment. I did turn the card sideways just to make it a little different.

Here I have jazzed it up another step. I colored the image using chalk pastels. To do this I stamped the image in a lighter color (Crumb Cake) and then using cotton swabs (had to steal those from DH's vanity in the bathroom) sponged on some autumn colors among the leaves and added some brown to the trunk and green to the grass. Then using the Stamp-a-ma-jig, I lined up and stamped the tree in Chocolate Chip over the chalked image.
The Very Vanilla 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon has a little strip of 1/8 inch Old Olive taffeta ribbon tied into the bow.
I added a Cajun Craze brad to the sentiment.

These next two cards are not necessarily 'jazzed up' versions of the previous (more like the same level) but show other ways to make your card special. For this one I used So Saffron card stock for the image background instead of the Very Vanilla and since I did not have any So Saffron ribbons that would work I dyed a piece of Whisper White 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon using the So Saffron stamp pad and a sponge.

This was my attempt for a truly masculine version. I used the pastels to color the image as before. To distress the edges of the Very Vanilla card stock, I took the scissor blade and ran it along the edges. This breaks down the fibers and gives it a ragged texture. Then I rubbed the edges along the Chocolate Chip ink pad. I added some Hemp Twine instead of a ribbon.

Hope you like all of my versions of this card. Each one uses the same design, dimensions and supplies - but all have some unique features.

Little boys and their toys

2011-08-21T13:33:00.007-05:00

Little boys is another area where I never have enough cards. I got this new stamp set - I Dig You - specifically to make cards for those little boys on my birthday list.

I used my new Sizzix (but non-SU) embossing folders for these too. The stamp set has 'chunky' designs so it is easy to color in the different areas with a marker before stamping.
Card Stock - Night of Navy, Cajun Craze, Old Olive
Ink - Old Olive, Night of Navy, Basic Gray, Cajun Craze
Stamp Set - I Dig You

Another card using the same supplies. I am watching for more ideas for this stamp set :-)

This would work for a young man. This is the 4th embossing folder in the sets I bought online. This one looks like a splat.
Card stock - So Saffron, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango
Ink - Pacific Point
Stamp Set - Happiest Birthday Wishes
Embellishment - So Saffron brads

And another with the same supplies.

Let's hear if for the boys!

2011-08-21T12:13:00.006-05:00

I am always looking for masculine card ideas and never have enough on hand so was so glad to find some embossing folders through an online craft store that work for masculine cards. These are not from Stampin Up although SU has recently added a houndstooth and a striped embossing folder that would work for masculine cards. The polka dot also works well for men especially if you reverse it and it looks like pegboard.
But I just had to share these - they are Sizzix brand.

This one is like a sunburst. Here I placed the 'sun' at the bottom of the card so it looks like a sunrise.
Card Stock - Basic Gray, Pool Party, Whisper White
Stamp Set- Happiest Birthday Wishes (new hostess set)
Ink - Basic Gray

This is a checkerboard design but the edges have a distressed look. That is more noticeable on some cards below. I like adding ribbon but don't always think a bow is very masculine. This little loop of ribbon seemed to work better.
Card Stock - Basic Gray, Pool Party, Whisper White
Stamp Set- Happiest Birthday Wishes (new hostess set)
Ink - Basic Gray
Embellishment - Basic Gray 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon (retired), Designer Printed Brad

This is one of my favorites of the embossing folders. It is full of circles and they are all 'distressed'. I added one of the large eyelets in the center of one of the circles.
I used two stamps on this one which is so easy with the clear mount and the acrylic blocks. You can just put both stamps on the acrylic block and use it like one large stamp- or I could have stamped the first then done the second one in a different color.
Card Stock - Old Olive, Sahara Sand, Pacific Point
Ink - Old Olive
Embellishments - Large eyelet, 1/4 inch taffeta Old Olive ribbon
Stamp Set - Happiest Birthday Wishes

Here is that checkerboard embossing folder again - you can see the distressed part of the design better on this card.
Card stock - Sahara Sand, Old Olive, Pacific Point
Ink - Old Olive
Embellishments - Large eyelet, Hemp twine
Stamp set - Happiest Birthday Wishes

Another with the checkerboard embossing folder.
Card stock - Old Olive, Sahara Sand, Tangerine Tango
Ink - Old Olive
Embellishment - Hemp twine
Stamp Set - Happiest Birthday Wishes
Tools - 1/16 inch hole punch

So - now I am stocked up on adult masculine cards. I also have some little boy cards but that will be another post.

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas

2011-08-20T15:09:00.009-05:00

I finally got to play with some of the pre-ordered items from the Holiday Mini Catalog (HMC) The HMC sales begin Sept 1. I also grabbed a few of the items that are new in the Idea Book & Catalog (IBC) that I haven't had much chance to explore. Christmas is just around the corner, you know! I had so much fun!
I have marked the new items with HMC or IBC to indicate where you can find them.

Simple - but too cute! I used the new stripes embossing folder (IBC) and inked it with Always Artichoke the first time, then cleaned it and inked it with Cherry Cobbler. When I placed the paper in the folder this time, I turned it 90 degrees.
Before stamping the sentiment with Basic Black I sponged on some Whisper White craft ink - a trick I found in the IBC (p.115) Your IBC is a great resource for ideas and techniques. They do not include the supply list in the back any more, but there is a link on the web site so you can look them up or print a copy if you want - Stampin Supplies.

Card Stock - Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Ink - Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, Whisper White craft ink
Ribbon - Cherry Cobbler Quilted Ribbon (HMC)
Stamp Set - Four the Holidays
Tools - Big Shot, Stripes embossing folder (IBC)

This card uses a new alphabet set I got free through the Sale-A-Bration campaign this spring. Demonstrators receive free stamp sets based on their total sales. I got to choose 2 stamps sets (any value).

Card Stock - Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Stamp Set - Occasions Alphabet (IBC)
Ink pads and markers - Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke
Ribbon - Cherry Cobbler Bakers twine (IBC), Cherry Cobbler Quilted Satin (HMC)
Tools - Big Shot, Stripes embossing folder (IBC), Small Oval punch

For this card, I was practicing my 3D stamping technique. It is hard to see how it really looks from the photo but it turned out pretty cool - I will definitely use it again. If you would like to learn the 3D stamping technique - join us for Technique Tuesday on October 18. You can see the details on my calendar blog.
Lovely as a Tree is the other free stamp set I got through Sale-A-Bration. I have always liked it but never had a chance to buy it - and now I got it free!

Card Stock - Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake
Stamp Set - Lovely as a Tree
Ink - Whisper White craft ink, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke
Embellishments - Linen thread, Mini brads (IBC ), Mini Jingle Bells (HMC)
Tools - Big Shot, Stripes embossing folder (IBC), Ticket Corner punch

This card features several of the items in the HMC. The Designer Series Paper (DSP) is called Frostwood Lodge. It has three designs of this bark type paper (Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso - both on white - and there is Early Espresso with a lighter brown background). It also has plaid, houndstooth, and gingham designs in Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Marina Mist and Early Espresso.
The little 'adornment' is made using one of the Big Designer Buttons (HMC ) The button in Soft Suede has a diameter of 1.5 inches.

I used the little pine cone stamp from the Lovely as a Tree on Whisper White. In the HMC there are circles of adhesive frames to make shakers in no time. It also has the mica flakes that I used inside the shaker frame. The circle on top of the shaker was cut from one of the plaids designs in the Frostwood Lodge DSP.
My daughter barely tolerates my 'addiction' but she did say the shakers were 'Pretty neat!"

Card Stock - Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Frostwood Lodge DSP (HMC)
Ink - Early Espresso, Always Artichoke
Ribbon - Cherry Cobbler seam binding
Stamp Set - Christmas Greetings, Lovely as a Tree
Embellishments- Spice Cake Big Designer Button(HMC), Mica Flakes (HMC), Shaker Frame (HMC), Window Sheet
Tools - 1 1/4 inch circle punch, 1 inch punch, Ticket Corner punch

Another demo used the Delicate Doilies as snowflakes so I thought I would try that. (Of course snowflakes are six-sided and the doilies are eight -sided - but who cares !)
I used the largest shaker frame here to make a little snowflake shaker.
I wanted to add some ribbon and liked the organza but it only comes in white - so I simply dyed some using the ink pad and a sponge. I let that dry for several hours (while I played) so it would not smear ink on the card front.
Card Stock - Not Quite Navy, Whisper White
Ink - Not Quite Navy
Stamp sets - Delicate Doilies (IBC), Delightful Decorations, Four the Holidays
Ribbon - Organza dyed with Not Quite Navy
Tools - 1 3/8 inch scallop circle punch. 1 inch circle punch
Embellishments - Mica flakes (HMC), Window Sheet

I do not have any current snowflake stamps so used the ornament from the Delightful Decorations to get my snowflake on the blue background. Looking at the photo gives me an idea to put a piece of Not Quite Navy as the background for the shaker and stamp a snowflake using white Stazon ink on the window sheet - maybe even put a tiny pearl in the center.

So many cute ideas - and I haven't even started to play with my other new toys - Stitched Stocking stamp set, Stocking Builder punch, Stitched Felt accents and Holly Berry Bouquet buttons. Oh well, tomorrow is another day :-) Now it is time for supper - homemade pizza!

Technique Tuesday

2011-08-19T07:17:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite SU Demo activities is the Technique Tuesday class. It forces me to experiment with new techniques or even develop my own. It also gives me a chance for some to get to know some of my customers. Typically I only have one or two people attend (one month I had 5!) but that is okay since I block that time out on my calendar and if I don't need the time for the Technique Tuesday class, I use it to experiment or work on my own projects. I never complain about having time to myself in the craft room!

This month the technique was Brayer Background. There are many ways you can use the brayer to create a background on the card (maybe I should just have a brayer workshop someday) and they are all pretty simple. The technique I taught uses 2 ink colors and you ink up your brayer with both colors at the same time by putting the stamp pads end to end.
Card Stock: Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso, Bashful Blue
Ink: Stazon Black, Pear Pizzazz, Bashful Blue
Stamp Set: Lovely as a Tree
Ribbon: 1/8 inch taffeta in Early Espresso

The end result is always unique and I have to admit when I was experimenting with the shades of blue for this card I threw a couple attempts in the trash. I also would put my horizon a little lower when I make another card like this one.
Card Stock - Night of Navy, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Ink - Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Night of Navy
Stamp Set - Sail Away
Embellishment - 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon in Night of Navy

This is my favorite of the ones I made. The horizon hits just about perfect for the stamp set. The verital streaks just add to the 'mood' of the card I think but if you want a smoother look you can use the Glossy White paper.
Card Stock- Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso, Whisper White
Ink - Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso, Bashful Blue
Ribbon - 1/8 inch taffeta in Early Espresso

Let me know if you try this technique - and post your results :-)

August Club

2011-08-14T06:04:00.008-05:00

Here are the cards we made at the August Club meeting - so much fun!

This used a chalk-erase technique. The flowers and leaves are stamped using Basic Gray and then you use a cotton ball to rub on some pastel chalks. Use the eraser and make some diagonal lines through the design. Stamp the sentiment using Black Stazon ink above the erased lines. The ribbon is the new dotted scallop ribbon and a three dimensional flower is added for an accent. The three dimensional flower is made by doing numerous images of the same flower and cutting it out in layers - then layering them using dimensionals.
Stamp sets - Flower Fest, Bring on the Cake
Card Stock - Whisper White, Tangerine Tango
Inks, etc - Black Stazon, Basic Gray stampin pad, Stampin Pastels in Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise
Ribbon - Old Olve dotted scallop
Punch - Ticket corner
This fun fold was a hit (even if it was a challenge).
Stamp Set - Delicate Doilies, Occasions Alphabet
Card Stock - Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, Whisper White
Die cut - Perfect Pennants
DSP - Flirtatious
Ribbon -1/8 inch Pumpkin Pie taffeta
Punch - Scallop circle

The card opened - a simple but impressive card.

Sail Away is always a hit. This stamp will only be available until August 31. We used a masking technique to make the clouds. It is hard to see in this photo but the sails were stamped on a scrap of Whisper White and cut out, then added to the card using dimensionals.

Stamp sets - Sail Away, Bring on the Cake (sentiment inside)

Card Stock - Whisper White, Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Gray

Embellishments - Designer Buttons, Baker's Twine in Cherry Cobbler

Punch - Scallop Circle

Our project was this little gift box. The flower and band slide off to open the box.
Card Stock - Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade, Concord Crush

DSP - Cheerful Treat (hostess product)

Die - Fun Flower

Here is the box opened. It would be a nice way to present a gift card or a tiny trinket - or put a couple handmade notecards inside :-) For the club workshop I cut out a bunch of the fun flowers and let everyone come up with their own combinations. I had a bunch left over so had to play a little bit after they all left.

This one uses a scrap of the DSP as an accent on the band of Concord Crush.

The tiny polka dots on the DSP coordinate with the tiny polka dots in the leaves of the print used for the flower. I love those little things about Stampin Up papers.

Here I used a partial flower by placing it on the edge of the paper :-)

The flowers on the band match the design used for the flower.

Most of the cards I made were in this style. I did not add any sentiment (can do that later - or I may just use them as blank notes).

For this one, I layered two strips of card stock (Concord Crush and Melon Mambo) to make a stripe behind the flower. Stampin Up's DSP makes it so easy. Each pack has the colors listed so you know exactly how to enhance it. Those color combinations are great even if you use a small piece of the DSP or none at all.

Burnishing - bold and bright!

2011-08-05T19:48:00.003-05:00

I played with a new technique today - burnishing. You can see my tutorial here

I love how bright these cards turned out. I did most of them with no sentiment and I will add one before sending or just use as blank note cards.

For these cards, I used Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry inks. The ribbon on this card is Rich Razzleberry 3/8 inch taffeta. I used the Flower Fest stamp set for the burnished designs and here I used Teeny Tiny Wishes for the sentiment. My burnished design is mounted on Tangerine Tango and Old Olive. The sentiment is punched with Word Window (Whisper White) and Modern Label (Tempting Turquoise).

This one used Old Olive 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon and is mounted on Tangerine Tango and Rich Razzleberry. I used the Fancy Flower punch for accent.

More Rich Razzleberry 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon and the Butterfly punch were used on this card. It is mounted on Rich Razzleberry, Tempting Turquoise and a card base of Tangerine Tango.

This one uses the 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon in Rich Razzleberry. It is mounted on Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry and a Tangerine Tango card base.

And more of the same - 3/8 inch Rich Razzleberry taffeta ribbon, Butterfly punch, and mounted on Rich Razzleberry, Tempting Turquoise and a card base of Tangerine Tango.

Ain't Love Grand

2011-08-01T20:54:00.006-05:00

Ain't Love Grand is one of the new hostess sets from Stampin' Up. I broke mine out this weekend and grabbed a handful of ribbon from my scrap jar - here are some of the cards I made.

Congrats - Bashful Blue, So Saffron and Crumb Cake. I used the square lattice embossing folder on the piece of Crumb Cake.

Sending love your way - what a cute hot air balloon stamp! I used the new lace punch and wove a scrap piece of Certainly Celery 1/4 inch grosgrain through the holes. The card stock is So Saffron, Certainly Celery and Soft Suede.

Ain't Love Grand - simple but elegant. The oval is embossed with one of the new frame embossing folders. This is in Basic Gray and Basic Black. I thought I would add a modern label sentiment to it but am not sure if it will be a wedding or anniversary card.

I miss you - the new stripes embossing folder works well with the ribbon stripes. Basic Gray and Real Red are a great combo.

Heard it's your birthday - more of my ribbon scraps combined with Real Red, Pacific Point and Daffodil Delight.

Get well - one of my favorites! This uses the other frame in the embossing folder set. The background is Cajun Craze embossed with the square lattice inked with Night of Navy. I used the eyelet ribbon punch for the trim - and the button is made from Night of Navy card stock! So much fun.

This stamp set is only available to hostesses - and you get a great discount on the price! Contact me to schedule a workshop so you can earn free merchandise!

OMG Albums

2011-07-13T22:28:00.009-05:00

My latest craze! I call these OMG albums because everyone says "Oh my gosh!" when they open them. They are full of pages for photos, captions, journal notes.
Here is a link to the tutorial I posted for how to make these - OMG Albums Tutorial

These are for three sisters. Hayley is expected to arrive in September. Hannah and Holly needed their own little photo album. They told me their favorite colors (each had 3 colors) so I used that to pick the card stock. The nursery is decorated in Lavender and Pink with butterflies, flowers and dragonflies.

I was so anxious to get some photos of Hayley's that I did not even clear off my work space. Shame on me - pardon the mess!
This is the front side - it has three panels with flaps between them. I thought the hearts in the center section would be cute with her birth weight, length, date and time recorded.
The card stock is Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink and Wisteria Wonder.

This is just inside the front cover. This opens up to show the previous sections. Here I added a little Wild Wasabi for the leaves.

This is the back of the album. The baby tees stampin round roller is so much fun to work with!

This is the center panel on the back. The flowers look so cute and feminine on the edge - I love them!

Inside the back cover you find die cut butterflies. I love the new lace border punch

This is Hannah's album. The colors are Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron and Elegant Eggplant. The flower is made using the 2 3/8 scallop circle, fancy flower, 5 petal flower and 1/2 inch circle punches. An elegant eggplant brad finishes it in the center.

The retired Razzleberry Lemonade paper matched close enough - even though the yellow (Crushed Curry) and purple (Rich Razzleberry) were not exactly the same.

Here I used a 3 1/4 inch square and trimmed each side with the eyelet border punch. And a few of those flowers I love popped up again.

I used Versamark ink and the flower from the Three Little Words stamp set on this panel. It is hard to see in the photo. The corners are trimmed with the scallop corner punch.

The I Heart Heart punch and ribbon border punch make decorating so easy. The flowers are from the Punch Potpourri (retired) stamp set and punched with the Boho Blossoms punch.

And the center back. I used the window sheets in the frame in all the albums.

Miss Holly's favorite colors are red, green and purple - so I chose Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade, and Concord Crush.

The DSP is from the IN Color Stack (6 x 6) that is no longer available but there are many other lovely patterns and colors to choose from.

The large heart and Potpourri Punch were used here.

Another little square but this time I placed contrasting card stock behind it. And those I Heart Heart hearts show up again.

Here the flower from the Three Little Words set in Versamark was used on the Poppy Parade flaps. I punched the I Heart Hearts in the DSP and let the card stock show through.

Some more butterflies and the lace border punch.

The back opened wide.

Hope you liked seeing these. I have some wedding ones to post but don't want to do so before the wedding :-)

Bye Bye Blue Bayou

2011-07-04T20:26:00.004-05:00

I have lots of retired ribbon and told myself I need to use up some of it before purchasing any new (yeah, right!). Anyway, I had some Blue Bayou ribbon and ink - but no card stock - so had to come up with some ideas for using that.

This explosion card used Pool Party card stock. I took some Whisper White and inked it with the Blue Bayou using the brayer. It worked well. This is the Sail Away stamp from the summer mini - did I tell you how much I love that stamp!

This is Thoughts and Prayers. I used Cajun Craze and More Mustard with the Blue Bayou. I really like this color combo (as you will see in some of the other cards)

For this one I got out some of the Blueberry Crisp DSP (retired) and combined it with Sahara Sand and Not Quite Navy.

This is the same paper with Happy Moments stamp set.

And here is that Cajun Craze and More Mustard combo again with Sail Away.

And one more - this one uses Garden Greenhouse and Bring on the Cake stamps. This was the last of my ribbon - almost wish I had more so I could make more of these cards. I'm sure I can find another ribbon to use one some. I am thinking Indigo Island would look nice with these colors as well.

New Tutorial Posted - Explosion Card

2011-07-04T19:58:00.003-05:00

I dug out some of the past Stampin Club cards for my July 1 Open House and came across this Explosion Card we made last fall at one of the clubs. It is so much fun to make - so decided I needed to make a few today. I have posted a tutorial in case you would like to try one, Explosion Card

This one used the French Foliage stamp set that was in the Holiday Mini Catalog last fall. I am so glad that stamp set is in the new catalog - I get to use it for more clubs and workshops! The colors are Old Olive, More Mustard and Bravo Burgundy - a rich combination.

Today I was determined to use some of my retired ribbons to make room for the new ones. This is some Blue Bayou ribbon. I have the ink but none of the card stock - so I made some using a brayer and the ink pad. I used the So Many Stars builder roller on Pool Party for one section.

Here it is opened - I used the Happy Moments (retired) happy birthday stamp for one section and the Seeing Stars stamp set (retired) for another. Sail Away was used for the focal point on the card.

This one used Lap of Luxury DSP. The card stock used is Elegant Eggplant, Pretty in Pink and Very Vanilla. I used stamps from the Happy Moments (retired) and Bring on the Cake sets.

Here is the open card.

This one uses the Hope and Strength stamp set from the summer mini. For each set sold during the campaign, Stampin Up will donate $2 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The colors are Night of Navy, Pumplin Pie and Cherry Cobbler.

The flower is from the Posy Punch set and punched with the Fancy Flower punch. The Pumpkin Pie DSP and striped ribbon are from the clearance rack last fall.

And finally the Celebrations DSP (retired) which I used for tutorial. Colors are Real Red, Pacific Point, Wild Wasabi and Bashful Blue. The stamps are from the Bring on the Cake set, colored with markers.

The striped ribbon was also from the clearance rack.

Embossing resist technique

2011-06-26T20:57:00.008-05:00

I've been playing with the embossing resist technique. Basically,Thi you heat emboss a design on the card stock with clear embossing powder. Then you sponge ink over the embossed design. I embossed several sheets at a time and then starting sponging them. My 20 yr old daughter was 'bored' so I gave her some and asked her to pick out some colors and sponge.

This is one of her color combinations - Marina Mist, Real Red and Pretty in Pink. The stamp set is the new Delicate Doilies (available July 1).

This card is a combination of Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango and one of the new IN colors, Calypso Coral. The hearts are from the I {heart}Heartsset. The sentiment is from one of the new hostess discount sets, Tagtastic. The whole hostess program has changed. You earn hostess dollars and those can be used to purchase discounted hostess sets or anything in the catalog.

This is the same stamp set but uses the 2011-2013 IN colors (available July 1). Indigo Island, Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, and Pool Party inks were used. The background is Island Indigo. I dyed the ribbon using the Calypso Coral ink refill. This card is a little different in that is a tri-fold. You untie the ribbon and open the first flap....

Then you open the other flap....

The center is covered with a piece of Calypso Coral.

This is another tri-fold. I embossed the French Foliage leaves using gold embossing powder. The inks used were More Mustard, Lucky Limeade and Pumpkin Pie. ( I just looked at the combination of 'foods' and that would not be a very good combo if you were eating, but it makes a great color combo ) The sentiment comes is from one of the retired sets.

Here you open the first flap......

then the second flap to reveal a piece of More Mustard in the center.

While I had my heat tool out I thought I might finish up some of the heat embossed ribbon flowers. I got the ribbon too hot and it started to actually melt.

This is what the adhesive sheet on the back looks like - it was a mess but I think it is salvageable. However, I also got some of the melted hot adhesive on my finger tip.

It sure did hurt! The gooey adhesive did not want to come off my finger. I pull it off but it still hurt. It blistered almost immediately. I soaked it in some ice water and put some ointment on it and it stopped hurting enough that it did not stop me :-)

Technique Tuesday

2011-06-18T21:39:00.004-05:00

This month's Technique Tuesday ( June 21) will be Faux Silk. This is the card we will be making.

The technique uses tissue paper and I have a bunch of tissue paper in various colors so tried a piece of orange that went well with Peach Parfait.

I stamped the flowers in Cajun Craze and Early Espresso. The card stock used is Always Artichoke, Cajun Craze and Peach Parfait. The colors are so vivid on this - I love it!

I've also been playing with the Stampin Pastels. I don't use them much so I forced myself to do a few things with them today. This was stamped on vellum and then sponged on the pastels.

This is the Poppin Pastels method. Using Versamark ink, stamp the image on card stock and then sponge on the pastels. It really does pop - can't tell that from the photo.

For this card I stamped the leaves (have I mentioned how excited I am that this set is in the catalog - I love it!) on Very Vanilla card stock. Then I sponged on the pastels in autumn colors - just smeared them around in the background.

New Tutorials Posted

2011-06-16T21:47:00.003-05:00

I have posted some new tutorials. You can access all my tutorials by using the link on the right or use the link below the photos to go directly to the tutorial.

Altered Notebooks: So many possibilities. This is a simple way to dress up a notebook for yourself or as a gift for someone special.

Waterfall Cards: Once you make one of these you will want to make more and more.

And here is my new punch storage area. The hardware is from IKEA = thank goodness I have two nieces that live near an IKEA. They did my shopping for me. The ribbon spools forthe 5/8 satin and 3/6 taffeta ribbon fit very well in the hanging baskets.

And here is a teaser for the new catalog. I have been dying some ribbon in the new IN colors. These ribbons remind me of my sister's rainbow wedding.

It's here!

2011-06-10T18:25:00.004-05:00

My new Stampin Up Idea Book and Catalog 2011-2012 (IBC) arrived yesterday and I had a much needed day off - so I got to play with my new toys :-) I got the new IN color kit (paper, stamp pads, refill inkers and markers) and what fun I had! These were all inspired by something in the new IBC. The IBC is not just a catalog but it also has lots of ideas and special hints on how to use the products.

This card uses Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party and Basic Black. The ribbon is the 1/8 inch taffeta in Whisper White, dyed using Wisteria Wonder ink refill. The smaller scallop circles are from the triple layer punch that is in the Summer mini but also available in the IBC. Stamp sets used are Friends Never Fade and Teeny Tiny Wishes.

This is Wisteria Wonder and Lucky Limeade. This ribbon is also dyed using the ink refill. To get the faded look under the greeting, I sponged on a little Whisper White craft ink. This is also the Friends Never Fade stamp set. The greeting is from the Bring on the Cake stamp set which was in the mini-Occasions but is also in the new IBC.

This card features all of the 2011 IN colors. The card base is Calypso Coral. The tags from left to right are Indigo Island, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade and Wisteria Wonder.

This card features the Look Who's Turning stamp set. The card base is Lucky Limeade. The hippo is stamped in Indigo Island which I cut out and placed on Pool Party and Calypso Coral. The '5' is cut using the Timeless Type Sizzlet for the Big Shot. A little bit of Baker's Twine (summer mini - but also in the IBC) was added for an accent.

And this is my dining room table :-) We have house guests (DD and SIL) in the craft room/guest room so I have moved my work out to the dining room table.

Good-bye to some favorites

2011-06-06T05:33:00.004-05:00

Some of my favorite stamp sets are on the 'retirement' list from Stampin' Up. After June 30th, these will no longer be available for purchase. So - I thought I would re-post some photos to honor some of these retiring items. If you want to purchase any of these - you will have to do so before June 30th - let me know ASAP!

A Cardinal Christmas stamp set - this is project I did last fall. The folder holds 4 matching cards and envelopes.

Star Punch - the smaller star punch was retired some time ago and now the larger one is following suit. The Seeing Stars stamp set is also retiring ( not used here) .

Simply Said - This card was made to show off the 2010 In Colors. Those will be around for another year and 5 new colors are added this year so that every year there are a total 10 In Colors but they will rotate. The 2010 In Colors will retire in 2012 and 5 new colors will be added.

Pick- a - Petal - such a fun set! I'm sure glad I bought it this year. This was one of our club cards.

Hello Again - a very versatile stamp set. This Bright Hello is one of my very favorite cards !

While it is sad to see these favorites go away (of course, they aren't going away becuase I have those stamp sets ) but I am excited to get my new 2011-2012 catalog and see all the great new stamp sets and products. Don't miss out!

Altered Notebooks - my new addiction

2011-05-21T11:34:00.006-05:00

My newest paper addiction is altered notebooks. I saw this on someone's blog and decided to use them for the club project on April 30. I am doing them again for the other club today and had forgotten to get the notebooks so when I ran out to get them I grabbed a couple different sizes to play with. I always try to have other items to show the club members to spark their imagination.

So - when I got home I played with the notebooks and am really pleased with what I came up with.

This is the club project. It is a small pocket size notebook and had a hole punched below the rings so the ribbon actually wraps around the cover and the ends come through from the back and tie for the bow.

Here is a birthday book. The notebook has 50 pages (actually had about 58 I think) so I put 5 days on each page and have room to record lots of birthdays. I left room at the end of each month for notes or comments.

The first page has January written at the top and then 1, skip three lines, 2, skip three lines, 3 - etc through 5. Page 2 has days 6 through 10, and so on. When I got to January 31 it is by itself on that page. Then I started February on the next page. Now I just need to go through my online calendar and add the names :-) This is small enough to add to a keepsake box full of birthday cards.

And my new prayer journal. This is one of those chubby notebooks. I covered both the front and back and tied on an ink pen with the matching ribbon. How handy is that?

A larger one - full size notebook. It had 3 holes punched through on the left so I used them to do some ribbon adornment. I used the seam binding in Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler and Pear Pizzazz.

This is a close up of one of the bows. I used the Very Vanilla to wrap around the cover. Then took a piece and pushed the ends through from the back. Before tying, I added the pieces of Cherry Cobbler and Pear Pizzazz and tied all three at once.

I also spent the morning cutting ribbon for my current Ribbon and Sticky Pages share. Aren't these colors beautiful! Daffodil Delight, Pretty in Pink, Night of Navy, Marina Mist, Real Red, Rich Razzleberry and Pumpkin Pie. What beautiful flowers these will make. There is still time to get in on this share - check it out here.

Waterfall Cards

2011-05-16T18:31:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite cards is the waterfall card. I have always wanted to try it and when my sister made one to share with my club members, I decided to step up to the challenge. Here are a couple I made.

These both use the Sweet and Sour Designer Series Paper. I love the Pumpkin Pie and Rose Red together.

A waterfall card can tell a story - like this one. The orange slice is being eaten as you flip through the waterall.

A little more is gone. I used the scallop circle in the trio of small punches. I inked the orange from Tart and Tangy stamp set with Pumpkin Pie ink then 'rock and roll'ed it in Rose Red

And here is the last image - almost gone :-) This could be just a fun note card or it could be used for a theme like "Savor life".

For the other card I just randomly stamped the two step Greenhouse Garden flowers and cut out the squares. A lot of the fun in making these cards is going through your stamp sets and seeing what ones you want to use.

I enjoyed these so much I am planning a Waterfall Card Class in June. See Details here.
And don't forget to leave a comment to be in the drawing for some blog candy - 100 6x6 sheets of DSP.

Technique Tuesday and RIbbon Share

2011-05-07T22:53:00.004-05:00

The Technique Tuesday for this month (May 17) is Bargello. Here is the card we will be making.
To see more of my bargello designs, click here

Card Stock: Bashful Blue, Real Red, Wild Wasabi, Celebrations DSP
Stamp Set: Fun and Fast Notes
Ribbon: 1/4 inch Real Red grosgrain

And I am offering a Ribbon and Sticky Pages share so you can try the Heated Ribbon flowers

For $7.00 you receive enough ribbon and a half sheet of Sticky Pages to make 14 flowers.

The ribbon colors are Real Red, Rich Razzleberry, Pumpkin Pie, Pretty in Pink, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, and Night of Navy. You receive 1 yard of each.

Here is a flower I made using some dyed ribbon. This is on a card and the ribbon gets hard and stiff from the heat so they would durable enough for mailing.

And another which I put on a box full of cards for a Mother's Day gift. The center of this one is a retired corduroy brad.

Anyone purchasing a ribbon/sticky page share

Mother's Day

2011-05-06T09:50:00.008-05:00

Our church has a Mother's Day tea every year and this year we have some special guests. I was asked to make some Mother's Day cards for them.

Of course, I jumped at the excuse to play with my toys (like I need one!)

This is what I came up with. I had played with embossed vellum when I was designing cards with fabric and really liked the effect of the embossed vellum layered on a piece of card stock.

You can see my original card in this blog entry.

It is a great way to get a subdued shade of the color. These cards all use the Vintage Vogue stamp set, Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, pearl jewels, Modern label punch, Word Window punch, Slit punch (retired), Square Lattice embossing folder and the IN color ribbons.

This one is Peach Parfait and River Rock.

This one is Poppy Parade and Pear Pizzazz.

This one is Blushing Bride and Baja Breeze.

This is a great way to make lots of cards - choose a design and try different color combinations.

And it wouldn't be Mother's Day without my babies :-) Here they are in 1992 - one of my favorite pictures.

We don't get many pictures of just the three of us - but this one is from last spring. I loved them as little girls - but love them even more as the beautiful young women they have become. They both make me proud!

New products

2011-05-06T09:26:00.007-05:00

These cards all feature a new Designer Series Paper (DSP) that was available through a special promotion in April. But don't fret if you missed it - you can still order it from the new catalog in July. The paper coordinates with about 10 of the Stampin Up colors so it is really fun to play with.

This is my favorite piece and I have paired it with Cherry Cobbler and River Rock. You don't need much else on a card with paper this nice!

Same papers and colors. Notice the label - it is one of a new set of stamps called Four Frames that was also on the April promotion and will be in the new catalog in July. All four stamps coordinate with the Decorative Label punch. What a great idea!

A clean and simple card that looks so great - because of the paper! This is River Rock and Marina Mist.

The summer mini catalog (May through August) has some new triple layer punches. The punch has three settings and each one creates a different layer of the design. The flowers on this card use layers one and three of the Blossom Bouquet punch. Colors are River Rock and Chocolate Chip.
What to do with the scallop ring from the triple punches - you can't just throw them away! I cut them in half and alternated them to make a design down this card. The colors are River Rock and Baja Breeze.

This is a closer look at the scallops. The ribbon hides the seams where I match up the halves.

And more of the paper - River Rock, Chocolate Chip and Tangerine Tango. I like the off-set ovals for 'something different'.

And the last one - Marina Mist and Tangerine Tango. Again - the paper is so pretty you don't need much else. This would be a great quick card done in a variety of colors. Any one of the papers in the pack would look great on this type of card.

Another Keepsake Box

2011-05-06T08:23:00.006-05:00

I made another Keepsake Box full of cards (25 total) for a fundraiser. This one is for a relative (DH's third cousin) who was injured in a car accident and is currently in rehab. The silent auction is next weekend at the end of a Prayer Run. Here is a link to the facebook page for the fundraiser, Prayers for Bethany and Corey Prayer Run

(Bethany is the cousin, Corey is a young man who was in the same hospital as her and had a very similar injury. The families have supported each other through their recoveries)

This is the box. I wanted to use the retired Kaleidoscope designer series paper since her favorite color is lime green and Green Galore is the closest I had to that. It was a great opportunity to use up some retired card stock too (Pixie Pink, Pink Passion, Only Orange and Apricot Appeal)

Here are three of the cards. I did not have any Only Orange ribbon but the Peach Parfait (current IN color) matched what was in the paper so I used that. I love the bold colors and flowers on the papers.

Some of the paper was just pink - so I made a couple cards with that. These both use two-step stamp sets (Fast and Fabulous and Greenhouse Garden) They are fun to do and always look great!

More fun things to do with designer paper. It is so pretty that you don't need much else on the card.

Some of the Tempting Turquoise pieces in the pack. I included the tri-fold for some thing a little different.

The card on the left matches the box lid. These are probably my favorite pieces in that pack. It was fun designing the flower on the right. They remind me of my teen years - psychedelic. The punches around the edge make it look leather.

More interesting ways to use the designer paper - just a couple all purpose cards. A bright and cheery 'Hello'.

Some encrouaging verses. I thought about Bethany and her family a lot while making all these cards - praying continually.

Some more cut outs. The butterfly coordinates with the one on the paper - and it so easy with the Big Shot and die cut. The flower was designed to match the one on the stamp (Fast and Fun) and with the punches it was quick and easy too.

These cards are not as feminine as the others. Some of my favorites for kids.

Some more lime green (Green Galore). Again the designer paper makes the card so easy. The colors in the paper match the Stampin Up card stock and you just grab your colors and put it together.

A couple more fun cards. The summer stamp set is an old one I got on E-Bay. Not even sure of the name. I always love making the pinwheel in the center. The designer paper goes a long way on those! And the patchwork one on the right is another great way to use up those scraps of designer paper or card stock.
Hope you enjoyed looking at the cards - and praying they do well in the silent auction. Prayers for Bethany, Corey and their families.

New Technique - Heated Ribbon Flowers

2011-05-05T19:48:00.003-05:00

Here is a new technique my sister and I learned last weekend. To see the tutorial where I saw this originally Click Here

I did not have any colored satin ribbon so I took some of the white and dyed it with a few drops or Red Rose ink refill in some water.

Card stock : Always Artichoke, Pretty in Pink and Crumb Cake

Here is a close up of the flower. It is so EASY! I plan to do more - and am going to have to order some satin ribbon in 'flower colors' Wouldn't these make cute fall mums? Anyone interested in a ribbon share for the satin ribbon. Watch for details! What colors would you like?

Easter Salads

2011-04-23T16:41:00.004-05:00

I spent most of my day making a Jello Ribbon Salad which I will take to a friend's house tomorrow for Easter dinner. It is a long process but you can get a lot done in between the steps. And it looks so fresh and springy! This is a favorite that my sister gave me. She would make it for the holiday meals and it always looks so pretty!

We had our Easter dinner with the daughters and son-in-law last evening so I wanted something a little lighter tonight for supper. It is just DH and I tonight - and he is in the basement riding the stationary bike - so I just put together a big salad for each of us using some of the leftover ham and some hard boiled eggs. I bought 3 dozen eggs to dye - but we didn't get around to doing that - so will have lots of eggs to cook with over the next couple week. DH likes an egg in his salad and it is one of Weight Watcher's power foods :-)

Now that's a salad! Baked ham, hard boiled egg, olives, baby gouda cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, onion, green pepper, and lots of lettuce. It was 10 points (the ham alone is 6) but it was very filling and I am set for the evening.

More Fabric Cards

2011-04-18T20:25:00.004-05:00

I've been playing some more with fabric on cards (thanks to sister/upline Jane for some ideas). This flower is made from 4 scalloped circles cut out using the Big Shot.

This is a larger scalloped circle. I like the fabric but I really like the piercing on the Baja Breeze five petal flower. It almost looks like leather.

This one has fabric for the cupcake base and the striped layer. A little bit of glitz with the red glitter paper for the heart/cherry and the background on the sentiment.

This was super easy - but adds a little something to a plain card.

I saw some like these from another demonstrator and had to try it. Very simple using circle and scallop punches.

The Big Shot works so well for cutting the fabric. The flowers are from the Herb Expressions stamp set.

Attempting Bargello

2011-04-16T08:14:00.008-05:00

I have known of Bargello for a long time. It is a needlepoint stitch that I have tried in the past - but I had never attempted it with paper before this week. I used some of the Fall Flowers Designer Series Paper that is retired and I had purchased from the Clearance Rack (a great way to get discounted products and many still work with the current colors). I set out to use up the last scraps of that paper and had one fairly good size piece that was striped - so why not try Bargello. For those who have not tried there is a tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers. It shows using wider strips of paper but I prefer the narrow ones because it looks more like the needlepoint designs.

For these cards I used Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Sahara Sand and Really Rust (retired) card stock. The ribbon is retired Kraft (Crumb Cake) taffeta. It is not an exact color match but looks good with the other colors. The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes. The owl stamp is from It's The Thought (retired) and I think I will use this as a graduation card. Hopefully everyone is a little wiser at graduation.

So - having tried that I pulled out some more of my stash of Designer Series Paper (DSP) and played some more.

This card was made using the Sunny Garden.

Thoroughly Modern (retired) also makes some interesting cards.

Blueberry Crisp has some lovely striped paper - the striped paper works best for this technique.

Tall Tales (retired) made some nice backgrounds. I'll be making more of these.

Jolly Holiday worked well and made a nice background and isn't just for Christmas. I think this paper was called Tea Party. It made some nice cards - perfect for Easter!

The Technique Tuesday in May will feature the Bargello technique - won't you join us? May 17.

2011-04-15T19:33:00.003-05:00

I've been playing with Stampin Up's fabric and trying to incorporate that into some of my cards. It has been fun! Here are some of the cards I made - but have to save the one I like best because we will do it at the April club and I don't want them to see everything before our get together :-) The fabric is Candy Cane Christmas and was in the Holiday mini catalog but was held over so you can still order it and the Deck the Halls fabric too. I would have never combined these colors but that is what is on the fabric so I tried it, Garden Green, Baja Breeze and Blushing Bride. The stamp set is Elizabeth.

This uses the Pick A Petal and Thank You Kindly stamp sets. I used Cherry Cobbler and Bashful Blue. The striped piece is the fabric.

This is the new Four Frames stamp set. You can order it in April if you place a $20 order. It will come out in the new catalog in July.

And this did not turn out the way I thought it would but I like it. I layered the tiny polka dot fabric (You can barely see it in the lower right of the card) between Baja Breezse card stock and Vellum card stock. I then ran that through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder. The stamp set is Vintage Vogue. I cut out the flowers and curled the petals with the paper piercing tool. The ribbon is Blushing Bride. I used the retired slit punch to make openings in the top layer so I could run the ribbon across and tie a bow without covering the image. These are not colors that I would use but I think I will have to use them more.

Club in April

2011-04-14T23:06:00.004-05:00

Here is a teaser for the club that will be meeting the end of April. I promised them (some probably think it was more a threat) that we would make a waterfall card. I wanted to use my Sweet and Sour Designer Series Paper so these are the two I came up with. We will be making the one on the left.
Card Stock: Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Pear Pizzazz, Sweet and Sour DSP
Stamp Set: Friends Never Fade, Tart and Tangy
Embellishments: 5/16 inch brads, rhinestone brads, 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon (Rose Red - not available currently), Certainly Celery 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon

Sail Away once more

2011-04-10T20:18:00.005-05:00

I sat down intending to duplicate some of the cards I made for Operation Write Home using the Sail Away stamp - but kept getting more ideas for different cards. So far I have made about 20 of these and no two are the same :-) The colors on all of these are Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Early Espresso and Basic Gray. The DSP is Nautical Expedition. The thin fiber on some of the cards is Baker's Twine. THe DSP , stamp and twine are all in the Summer Mini Catalog which begins on May 1. The ribbon is the 1 1/4 inch striped grosgrain in Real Red. The twine is something I had on hand from before Stampin Up. The brads are Pewter and part of the Metallic set.

The Happy Birthday is from the Punch Bunch set from Sale-a-bration.

The 'happy birthday' is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.

I got this idea from the summer mini. I did two images - one on Crumb Cake and one on Very Vanilla. I cut out the body of the boat and the sails from the Very Vanilla and mounting them on the Crumb Cake image by cutting dimensionals into small pieces. I cut too much off the top so could not finish it the way it was pictured in the catalog. So I will have to try that again :-)

I lined the inside of the Early Espresso card with a piece of Very Vanilla. I made a sailboat watermark on that using Versamark ink. I can't wait until May 1 so I can do workshops with this stamp and these great products!

Cleaning out some scraps

2011-04-10T19:52:00.003-05:00

I told myself I could not make any other cards until I used up some of my retired scraps - namely the Fall Flowers DSP. This paper coordinates with Old Olive and Sahara Sand in the current colors, Really Rust and Soft Sky in the retired colors. I never did have any Soft Sky but did have some odd sheets of Really Rust or Dusty Durango (very similar) so had to use those up too. I did a few just random cards and then had so many small scraps I just decided to make pinwheels - 16 to be exact :-) However, I did come up with some different ideas for the pinwheels. These were mounted on card stock or DSP and I used the linen thread to add an accent. I had some old buttons and one of the sets had the Really Rust and Old Olive buttons - what luck!

To make the pinwheel you use 2 squares of card stock as the base (You can check out my tutorail here - for the ones I made today I used 1 inch squares of DSP and 2 1/4 inch for the base squares) On a couple I decided to take some slightly larger squares and make a second base to add a contrasting frame. This one used 2 1/4 inch squares of Old Olive for the base squares and then 2 3/4 inch squares of Sahara Sand for the frame.

These just demonstrate different ways to use ribbon. I had some 5/8 inch grograin Old Olive ribbon that I used on these. The one of the left has the ribbon gathered by attaching a strip of Sticky Strip then just scrunching up the ribbon as you adhere it across the card.

The middle one had the ribbon wrapped and then a short piece of ribbon tied to that to make a faux bow. For the one on the right I tied a knot in the ribbon and then attached it to the card.

For these I used the ribbon punch and mounted that on a strip of solid card stock.

The one on the right shows a little different way of using the three different oval sizes to mount a sentiment. I like the 'off-centered' look.

So - what fun - right? One package of retired paper down and about 20 more to go. Of course, there are more on the clearance rack - maybe I should stock up!!!

Occasions Mini Ends Soon!

2011-04-09T10:30:00.007-05:00

Hurry before they are gone! April 30 is the last day you can order items from the Occasions Mini Catalog. You won't want to miss these goodies if you haven't already ordered them. (Or if you need to get more :-)

Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper, Big Designer Buttons, Framed Tulip embossing folder Red glitter paper - a great way to add some sparkle without the mess of glitter. Seam binding and adornments. There is still time to get a 'share' of the seam binding, adornments, buttons and designer series paper - for details see Shares and Swaps These last two cards were made by my sister and upline. You can see more of her talent at her blog, Buzzin' by Bee Jane.

Create a Cupcake stamp set and Build a Cupcake punch.

Build a Blossom stamp set and Blossom Petals Punch.

Contact me today to get yours before they are gone! Email Mary

Just can't get enough!

2011-04-09T00:22:00.009-05:00

I just can't get enough of the nautical theme - and what a better theme for some Father's Day cards for the Operation Write Home Father's Day challenge I stamped up 6 ships and then designed these in no time.

The acrylic block background works so well with the boat stamp. It can look like clouds or even a stormy sky. Stamp Set: Sail Away (from the summer mini catalog - available May 1) Teeny Tiny Wishes

Card Stock: Not Quite Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Nautical Expedition DSP (from the summer mini catalog)

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue

Embellishment: Baker's Twine (from the summer mini catalog)

Punches: Tag punch - both sizes, Crop-a-dile

On the Cherry Cobbler paper for this one I used Versamark and a small star from the Seeing Stars stamp set to make a random design.

This uses a sheet of the Nautical Expedition DSP. Next time I will use Crumb Cake ink as the background for the stamped image to try to blend it a little more with the DSP coloring. The ribbon is a retired Real Red grosgrain.

And another sheet of the Nautical Expedition DSP with the retired Real Red ribbon. After tearing the DSP I rubbed some Early Espresso ink along the edge.

Another sheet of the Nautical Expedition DSP was used here. This one has several knots scattered throughout the design so it was fairly simple to line one up so you could see it on the card.

And for this one I tore the edges of the Whisper White and rolled them using the side of the paper piercing tool. I did the faux suede technique on the Real Red and then tore along the bottom edge. I did stamp Happy Father's Day using the Frost White shimmer paint. It shows up much better in real life.

Hope you have enjoyed my little sneak preview. I will most likely be planning a share for some items in the summer mini - probably a combination of the baker's twine and the DSP. Watch for details after May 1.

New toys and an old favorite!

2011-04-08T20:44:00.004-05:00

I finally got some stampin' time - have been wanting to try this idea for over a year and finally got around to it.

Retired Stamp Set: Branch Out
Stamp Set: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Tools: Crop-a-dile, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch
Card Stock: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, Wild Wasabi
Ink: Early Espresso, Riding Hood Red, Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green, Wild Wasabi Embellishments: Large Eyelet, Linen Thread

And this is using some of my new products - available in the summer mini. One of the great things about being a demonstrator is getting to order new products before they are available to everyone else!
Stamp Set: Sail Away (from the summer mini catalog)
Card Stock: Night of Navy, Riding Hood Red, Bashful Blue, Whisper White
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Bashful Blue
Embellishment: Baker's Twine (from the summer mini catalog)

Another using the same colors and stamp set. This also uses Early Espresso ink nad some retired buttons that I had. I wanted the buttons to be raised so I could wrap the twine under them so I put in some large brads and then used a mini glue dot to adhere the button to the brad. It worked well.

And a little different color scheme.
Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Brocade Blue
Buttons: Retired

I love the Sail Away stamp! I will be making more of these for birthdays, get well, retirement - the possibilities are endless !

Technique Tuesday - Acrylic Block Background

2011-04-05T21:11:00.007-05:00

I have been playing with using the acrylic blocks to create a background for the Technique Tuesday in April (April 19) - here are some of my experiments. Which do you like?

Card stock: Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Crumb Cake

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake

Stamp Set: Fast and Fabulous, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ribbon and Button - Retired

Card stock: Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Crumb Cake

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake

Stamp Set: Fast and Fabulous, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ribbon and Button - Retired

Card Stock: So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White

Stamp Set: Elements of Style

Ink: Bashful Blue, Marina Mist

Ribbon: Retired

Card Stock: Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla

Ink: Bashful Blue, Cajun Craze

Stamp Set: Herb Expressions

Card Stock: Very Vanilla

Ink: Wild Wasabi, So Saffron

Stamp Set: Herb Expression

Card Stock: Wild Wasabi, Whisper White

Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Wild Wasabi

Stamp Set: Itty Bitty Bits

Ribbon: Retired

Card Stock: So Saffron, Soft Suede, Whisper White

Ink: So Saffron, Soft Suede

Ribbon: Retired

2011-04-05T20:24:00.007-05:00

For the two clubs in March I 'consolidated' some what for the cards. This was the masculine card that we made

Card Stock: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Crumb Cake

Stamp Sets: Extreme Elements, Look Who's Turning

Ink:Soft Suede, Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive

Tools: Tag Punches, both sizes, 1/16 hole punch

Embellishment: Hemp Twine

The next two cards were using some of the same paper but I changed them up a little because I get bored making the same card for more than one workshop :-)

Card Stock: Pear Pizzazz, Not Quite Navy, Rose Red, Baja Breeze, Springtime Vintage DSP

Tools: Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Big Shot, Framed Tulip Embossing Folder

Stamp Set: I {Heart} Hearts, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Rose Red, Not Quite Navy

Embellishment: Crochet Trim

These uses a lot of the same items - in addition the Punch Bunch stamp set.

Card Stock: Pear Pizzazz, Very Vanilla, Rose Red

Stamp Set: Elements of Style, Very Vintage Stampin Wheel

Ink: Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz ink refill

Embellishment: Pear Pizzazz seam binding, Fleurette, Adornment

This little bunny is cute and can be made into a little treat by inserting a Pixie Stix candy through the holes.

Card Stock: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink DSP

Ink: Pink Pirouette

Tools: 1 3/8 inch circle, Medium and small oval, Heart to Heart, Trio scallop circle and regular hole punches, Crop-a-dile Ribbon -1/4 inch grosgrain Pretty in Pink

Mary's Tales

Veggies, veggies and more veggies

The family ate eggplant - and enjoyed it !

Orange Chicken and Broccoli

SALE-A-BRATION is here!

CASE-ing Masculine Cards

Homemade Pizza - my favorite!

Technique Tuesday is back

Menu Monday - a day early :-)

Club Cards for January

Hearts Abound

Technique Tuesdays are back!

Wedding or shower favors

How do you make Christmas special?

More Previews and a Tutorial

Preview of Mini Occasions

Christmas cards, love them!

Menu Monday

Thanksgiving Pies - memories of Mom

Stained Glass Technique

Demo Wish List

Oh, Mica Flakes!

Card #4 for the Christmas Stamp-a-Stack

New Workshop Added - Christmas is coming!

Another OMG album

Bride and Groom Hearts

Tropical Cruise OMG Album

3's Are Wild!

Simply Scored - So Simple!

Card Cube - The One That Put Them Over the Edge

Peekaboo Frames - so much fun!

Card Sets

Special Treats

Joy to the World - Christmas Stars

Another recycling (reuse) project - for Halloween

A Couple More from the Holiday Mini

Bakers Twine Holders - A Recycling Project

Memories

Baby Booties

Stitched Stockings - - early Christmas

Jazz It Up Again

Stained Glass Technique

Array of Sunshine

Tissue Box Inspiration

Embossed Gingham

Holiday Mini - Spice Cake Paper

Jazz it up

Little boys and their toys

Let's hear if for the boys!

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas

Technique Tuesday

August Club

Burnishing - bold and bright!

Ain't Love Grand

OMG Albums

Bye Bye Blue Bayou

New Tutorial Posted - Explosion Card

Embossing resist technique

Technique Tuesday

New Tutorials Posted

It's here!

Good-bye to some favorites

Altered Notebooks - my new addiction

Waterfall Cards

Technique Tuesday and RIbbon Share

Mother's Day

New products

Another Keepsake Box

New Technique - Heated Ribbon Flowers

Easter Salads

More Fabric Cards

Attempting Bargello

Club in April

Sail Away once more

Cleaning out some scraps

Occasions Mini Ends Soon!

Just can't get enough!

New toys and an old favorite!

Technique Tuesday - Acrylic Block Background