Sweet Scoops Preview

Here is another preview for the card parties I have planned. I got this idea from a card I saw by Lisa Young.



Isn't it cute. I may do a little tweaking yet but I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Upcoming workshops

Here is a preview of some of the projects and a card for my upcoming workshops. I am having a scrapbook workshop on May 10 and May 29 where you can make a two-page layout of your choice of a Christmas or Easter theme.

The Christmas theme is a string of lights made using the Five-Petal Punch, Window Punch and the Swirls and Scribbles die cut. It it time-consuming but well worth it.
I cased this idea from Nicky Foden


Here is a closeup of the lights.



The Easter theme has a punch art rabbit and chick with lots of DSP eggs. I cased this from a design done by Lynsey Allerd. I used different punch art but the idea came from her.


I love the punch art and there are so many bunny ideas floating around the Stampin Up web that I had a hard time choosing which to do. This one could be done with the punches I already had - so it was a winner.



This "bunny-wanna-be" chick is so cute - and simple.


This card is a prototype of one we will be making at my next card party. I cased it from a swap I received at the Milwaukee regional from Stephanie Hendricks. It could be used for welcoming a new baby, showering an expectant mom or celebrating a first birthday. I used the Love Bugs hostess set and watercolor pencils for the images, covering them with Crystal Effects for a special gloss. The punch is the Curly Label. The card stock colors are Certainly Celery, Ballet Blue and Pixie Pink. The ribbon colors are Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery. The card we will make at the parties on May 20, 21 and 25 is a little different (I haven't finalized the design yet :-) but very similar to this one.

If you would like more details about the scrapbook or card parties, let me know. There is always room for one more :-)

Coming Attractions

I have been playing with some new stamp sets that will be available in the new mini catalog May 1.

This is made using the Blissful Bride stamp set. I added a little bit of the Bride specialty paper to the skirt for some glitz. I used Bashful Blue card stock and So Saffron ribbon (DD#1's wedding colors)


This is another card made with Blissful Bride. This time I used Ballet Blue and So Saffron.


A really fun set is the Sweet Scoops. With this one I used Melon Mambo, Chocolate Chip and Gable Green inks. I added the Look Who's Turning 'Happy Birthday' The card stock is Close to Cocoa and Gable Green.

For the ice cream I used the kissing technique. The ice cream color are Gable Green kissed with Close to Cocoa, Crushed Curry kissed with Pumpkin Pie and Pixie Pink kissed with Melon Mambo.
I used Tempting Turquoise paper run through the Big Shotz texture template and sponged it with Close to Cocoa for the background. The bowl is the wide oval punched along the straight edge of a piece of Crushed Curry card stock. The sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Words set.

This uses Melon Mambo and Chocolate Chip inks. The ribbon was attached using a new technique I learned at the conference in Milwaukee. I will have to post directions for that some day :-)

This is my favorite - I made the banner from Pixie Pink and curved it over the end of the piercing tool.

A cute idea I saw on the demonstrator website. I used Rich Razzleberry and Pumpkin Pie for the ice cream scoops.

And something I just had to try :-) The ice cream scoops are Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo and So Saffron.

Lots of Stampin'

Today I held a kids' workshop centered around a mini-scrapbook. Here are two of the little artists. They are decorating gift bags to put their scrapbook in so they can surprise their moms. It was a fun day and I think the kids enjoyed it too.


During April Stampin Up is having a two-step promotion. You can get this stamp set, Garden Greenhouse, for 20 % off the regular price. I purchased the set at the beginning of April and this is the first chance I have had to play with it. This one uses Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Perfect Plum and Old Olive ink. The ribbon is Old Olive 5/8 inch grosgrain. I used Crushed Curry and Pumpkin Pie cardstock and the ticket corner punch.


This one uses Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry and Old Olive ink. The card stock is Pumpkin Pie and Green Galore. The ribbon is some I had from before Stampin Up days.


This one uses Melon Mambo, Bashful Blue and Perfect Plum inks. The card stock is Ballet Blue and Pixie Pink.


And I had to try one in blue and yellow (wedding colors). I may use this for one of the bridal showers. It uses Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Ballet Blue, Perfect Plum and Close to Cocoa. The card stock is Ballet Blue and Creamy Caramel.


And - April is also the end of the Mini Occasions catalog. This two step bird punch is in that catalog and won't be available for order after Friday. I used Ballet Blue, Gable Green, Bordering Blue and Creamy Caramel card stock on this little gift card. I sponged some Close to Cocoa ink on the edges.


This is another way to use the two-step bird punch. I used the bird's wings to make the tulipes. The card stock on this is Summer Sun, Pale Plum, Creamy Caramel and Perfect Plum. The sentiment is from the Wings of Friendship hostess set.

Blissful Bride

Today is DD#1's bridal shower with all her college friends so I just had to experiment with the new stamp set Blissful Bride. Her colors are Cornflower Blue and Buttercup.

I saw some cards online that gave me the ideas for this one. The corner punch and the little bit of foiled Bride paper were from those cards. I used the heart corner border punch and word window punch. Ballet Blue ink, Bashful Blue card stock, So Saffron brad and ribbon. DD#2 chose this one to use for her gift for her sister.

This shows some of the other images in the stamp set. I used Ballet Blue and So Saffron card stock, Bashful Blue, Basic Brown and So Saffron ink pads, blender pens and the piercing tool and mat. I don't have the little tool for fraying the edges but I just ran my thumbnail along the edges to give then a little 'fraying'. Both of these are odd sized cards so they will just be placed in the gift bags as they are.
I think I will be using this stamp set a lot in the next 2 months :-)

Stampin Up - Retiring Colors

Stampin Up is planning a Color Renovation with their new catalog in July. They are revamping the Color Families into Color Collections - and retiring some of the colors that have been around for a long time. I have decided to pay homage to the retiring colors through cards using those colors. My first "homage group" is Sage Shadow and Apricot Appeal. I must admit the Apricot Appeal was so close to Barely Banana and So Saffron that I often filed my scraps in the wrong color - Barely Banana is also retiring but So Saffron will continue.
I dug out some Nouveau Chic Designer Series Paper as it coordinates with both the Sage Shadow and Apricot Appeal. SO here goes:
This uses two pieces of DSP I used the Modern Label to punch the tabs for the ribbon ties. The stamp is from the Thoughts and Prayers set.
I have seen this pinwheel on lots of demo cards. I changed it up a little extending the base enough to add a ribbon tie. This is a nice generic card which I think I will use for a birthday tomorrow.
The DSP on this one looks like marble. I had to practice with the scallop edge punch - I have trouble getting it lined up but am proud to say I did not mess up at all on this one :-)

The DSP had a huge floral design on one sheet that I had to try to preserve.
Another one with the large floral design.
And the last one for tonight. I didn't put a sentiment on this one but figured there is plenty of room to do so on the front when I send it (whatever I use it for).
I also needed a juvenile birthday card - so thought I would try some of the other retiring colors - Brilliant Blue, Glorious Green and Really Rust. I thought they worked well together. The stamp set is Look Who's Turning.

Stampin Up Club

Wow! Can't believe it has been almost a month since I have posted. I have been so busy with work and then Stampin Up business :-) Yesterday was our Stampin Up Club. It was a great time! I think the ladies liked the cards and they certainly liked talking to each other. The hostess invited a friend and also her two nieces so we had a big group but they all worked well together.
This was the first card - an easel card for Easter. The card stock is Shadow Sage, Apricot Appeal, Bashful Blue and Very Vanilla. The stamp set is Abundant Hope. We used the 1 3/8 inch circle, Modern Label and Ticket Corner punches. Watercolor pencils and a blender pen were used to color the flowers. This uses a technique called Spotlighting - the ladies loved it!

The second card was a masculine 'flip' card. This was a real challenge- the Elegant Eggplant paper was hard to work with for all the scoring and cutting since the black numbers and marks on the cutting guide did not show up very well in the lighting where we were working. But the ladies worked hard on it and they all made it through. The card stock used on this one is Elegant Eggplant, More Mustard and Soft Suede. We used Elegant Eggplant ink and rick rack. The brads are some I had on hand from before SU days - but you could easily use some of the Vintage Brads on this one. Punches are the Designer Label, Wide Oval and Small Oval.
And our last one was much easier but still something other than the traditional card style. This is called a gate card. The paper is Tempting Turquoise, Summer Sun, Pixie Pink and Kaleidoscope designer paper. The stamp set is Three Little Words (one of my favorite and you can get it free during Sale-a-bration - ends March 31). We used Tempting Turquoise ink.

Now - to get everything cut and ready for a card party on March 30 - but first a 3 day meeting in Chicago and then returning there next weekend for our family Stampin Up club. Busy - but I love it!