New toys - full of love!

I am having so much fun playing with some new toys! I ordered the letter press plate Lots of Love during the pre-order period for the Holiday mini and just opened it. What was I waiting for?????

This is using it on card stock without any ink. This will make a nice background on a card.

This is a masculine valentine using the letter press and the Filled With Love stamp set. The Filled With Love stamp set is part of a promotion that ends 1/24/11. Check it out at Stampin Up. I pulled out the color coach for the accent color. I like the burst of More Mustard :-)

Card Stock: Bravo Burgundy, Crumb Cake, More Mustard.
Ink: Whisper White, Bravo Burgundy
Stamp Set: Filled With Love


This was an experiment. When I embossed the Pretty in Pink I put a piece of the white lightweight cardboard in the layers. The cardboard got embossed too - so I used the brayer to add some Pretty in Pink, Sahara Sand and Always Artichoke. The color coach gave me the idea of the Sahara Sand and Always Artichoke with the pinks.
Card Stock: Sahara Sand, Melon Mambo, Always Artichoke, Pink Pirouette
Ink: Always Artichoke, Sahara Sand, Pretty in Pink
Stamp Set: Punch Potpourri
Crochet Trim

For this one, I used Classic ink with the letter press. I like the way it looks.
Card Stock: Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Always Artichoke, Sahara Sand
Ink: Whisper White, Melon Mambo
Trim: Always Artichoke seam binding, Pretty in Pink 1/4 grosgrain ribbon
Stamp Set: Greeting Card Kids

This is another using the Filled With Love stamp set. I had the flower in my scrap pile. It was from a day when I was playing with vellum. I used the embosslit and cut flowers from vellum paper and Pink Pirouette card stock. I used some Pretty in Pink ink and daubed it around the edges of the vellum. Layered them with the vellum on top and added a pearl.

Card Stock : Crumb Cake, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Vellum paper, Bordering Blue (retired)

Ink: Always Artichoke

More Filled With Love. This one uses the stamp set and the DSP from the Filled With Live promotion. I also used the red glitter paper from the Mini Occasions Catalog. How neat is that - all the bling of glitter without the mess. I love it!

Card Stock: Wild Wasabi, Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink DSP, Red Glitter Paper

Stamp Set: Filled With Love

One more - another Filled with Love.
Card Stock: Pretty in Pink, Crumb Cake, Always Wild Wasabi, Pretty in Pink DSP

Ink: Wild Wasabi

So - order your Filled With Love soon! The promotion ends 1/24/11.

What to do with all those scraps?

I had a big pile of narrow strips of the inked embossed paper from my playing over the weekend. What do do with them?


I wove them and created a 'mat' of texture to add to a card. I think the embossing helped to keep the strips from slipping.


I did not want to cover it up so I made a simple card. What do you think?

I am offering a new workshop on January 21 and 24. This is a 'Half Sheet Wonder' class. In the class you will take a half sheet of Designer Series Paper (DSP) and make 9 cards using coordinating card stock. For the fee of $15 you receive the instructions for cutting the DSP and for assembling all 9 cards. This is a great way to add to your supply of cards and use up some of that DSP. The cutting instructions can be used on your own as you need new cards.

For these samples, I used the retired DSP Georgia Peach. It coordinates with Old Olive, So Saffron, Regal Rose and Pretty in Pink. DSP makes card-making so easy because you just grab the coordinating card stock and inks and you can't fail.

The sentiments can be replaced with the sentiment of your choice or an image for a plain note card.

Stamp Set: Herb Expressions

Tools: Boho Blossom punch
Embellishment: Pearl jewels


Stamp set: Herb Expressions

Stamp Set: Birthday Bakery
Tools: Tag punch (2 sizes) Big Shot with Lattice texture folder
Embellishment: 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon - Pretty in Pink


Stamp Set: Birthday Bakery
Tools: Ribbon punch, Modern Label punch

Stamp Set: After Thoughts
Tool: Curly Label punch

Stamp set: Herb Expressions

Tools: Scallop Edge punch


Stamp Set: Oval All
Tools: Scallop oval, Large oval, Ribbon punch

Stamp Set: Hello Again

I also played with the Celebrations DSP which coordinates with Pacific Point, Old Olive, Read Red, Pear Pizzazz and Bashful Blue. These are a few of the cards I did using the same template for cutting the DSP.

This is one of the cards I made with the Inked Embossing technique. I love this technique and especially love this combination.
Card Stock: Regal Rose, Very Vanilla
Ink: Regal Rose, Crumb Cake
Stamp Set: A Word For You


This is a close up of the card. See how the Crumb Cake ink makes the Very Vanilla card stock raised areas pop. And the ink is not uniform so it has a vintage look.


Here are a bunch of cards I made using the embossed paper. I have a hard time picking a favorite.



Then I decided to try some different color combinations. These are subtle but the ink just gives it a little more dimension. Here are the combinations I used.
Pear Pizzazz ink on Certainly Celery card stock.
More Mustard ink on So Saffron card stock.
Baja Breeze ink on Bashful Blue card stock.
Pretty in Pink ink on Pink Pirouette card stock.


Here are some cards I made with those. So much fun - and so versatile!

And before I forget - the winner of the Pinking Hearts border punch was Julie K. For the January drawing I have put together a collection of retired Hodgepodge Hardware. All of the items are shown above. The prize bag will have muiltiples of each. To be eligible to win you just need to place an order with me in the month of January. Good luck!

70+ cards !

My sister and I spent many hours in the craft room over the New Year holiday. Between us we probably made 100 items. She mostly made card fronts and will take them home and put them on cards out of her own stock. She did a good job of using up lots of my scraps.


I played with some new ideas and techniques. I was in bad need of birthday and anniversary cards for our church family.

This one is for a sweet little girl who turns 5 this week. The vibrant colors reminded me of her vibrant spirit. I was experimenting with a plan for my DSP workshop later this month in which we will take 1/2 sheet of Designer Series Paper and make 9 cards.
Card Stock: Bashful Blue, Real Red, Pacific Point, Whisper White, Celebrations DSP
Ink: Pacific Point, Real Red, Pear Pizzazz, Bashful Blue
Stamp Set: Look Who's Turning


This card is for a wonderful couple celebrating 30 years of marriage today!
All the items on the card were from my leftovers from other projects (made me feel good to use them!)I had lots of red ornaments left from making luminaries. I will have to post pictures of some of the other cards soon.

Card Stock: Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler
Tools: Scallop Edge, Ornament, Two Step Bird
Stamp Set: A Word for You

This is a card that I put together for Technique Tuesday - Vitalized Vellum.
Card Stock: Poppy Parade, Blushing Bride, Early Espresso
Stamp Set: Filled With Love (Special offer on this until Jan 24th!)
Tools: Brayer, Decorative Label Punch , Modern Label Punch
Ink: Poppy Parade
Embellishment: Poppy Parade Ribbon


One of my favorite cards is this one. I seldom use the Extreme Elements stamp set - don't know why! I think this is a great masculine card, especially for older boys and young men :-)
Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz, Rich Razzleberry
Stamp Set: Extreme Elements, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Rich Razzleberry, Early Espresso, More Mustard
Embellishment: Twine



And this is my new favorite technique - inked embossing! I saw one using Whisper White paper with Crumb Cake ink on a blog and just had to try it. It makes such an elegant background on the card. I punched hearts from the scraps for another card and then later tried other colors of card stock with ink combinations. So much fun! I made 12 cards alone with the Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake combo as shown here.

Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke
Ink: Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke
Tools: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing folder
Ribbon: Kraft taffeta ribbon (retired)


So much fun! I have enough ideas to post some every day for the month :-) Keep watching for more!
And cards were not the only creating I did - I actually baked and decorated a birthday cake for my sister - 1/1/11! (Too bad I did not get a picture before we cut it but this shows the checker board pattern)

New toys - and the craft room is open again!

After a couple weeks of house guests, I have my craft room back :-) We have guests coming tonight but with DD#2 gone until Sunday we can use her room for them. The guests are my sister (upline), her husband and son - so we HAVE to have somewhere to stamp :-)

I got some new toys in the last month or so and have not had time to play with them. Loved getting into them this morning and trying my hand at some ideas.

The first is the Technique Tuesday for February - crimped diamond.



Doesn't the crimping make a nice background?
Card Stock: Sahara Sand, Poppy Parade, Very Vanilla, Pear Pizzazz
Stamp Sets: Punch Potpourri, Perfect Punches
Tools: Crimper, Two Step Bird Punch, Large Oval Punch

The next card uses some of the items from the current special offer Filled With Love


Card Stock: Pretty in Pink, Sahara Sand, Wild Wasabi, Designer Series Paper Patterns Love, Very Vanilla
Stamp Sets: Filled With Love, A Word for You
Ink: Wild Wasabi
Tools: Full Heart Punch, Small Heart Punch


Then I opened up some of my pre-order items for the Mini Occasions catalog (starts Jan 4)and played with the Red Glitter Paper.
Stamp Set: Blowing Kisses
Paper: Real Red, Very Vanilla, DSP Patterns Love, Red Glitter Paper
Tools: Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Corner Round Punch, Heart to Heart Punch (Smallest heart only), Small Heart Punch
Ink: Basic Gray



Card Stock: Wild Wasabi, Very Vanilla, DSP Patterns Love, Red Glitter Paper
Stamp Set: Filled With Love
Tools: Small Heart Punch, Decorative Label Punch, Modern Label Punch, Ticket Corner Punch

Another new stamp that I have is a personalized trade mark stamp. I love it! Makes the card look professional.

I have more to play with later today but have to run some errands first. Glad it is warmer but the damp makes it feel cold in the house. The snow is almost all gone and looks more like a fall day outside.

2010 in review

Some of my favorite SU activities and projects of 2010.


Of course - the highlight would have to be the Milwaukee Regional with my sister/upline. We really should have had someone take our picture together :-( - next time!

My first club made it through the whole year and almost all are signing up again! This is one of my favorite cards that we made.

I had several workshops here in my home - a favorite was the kids mini-scrapbook workshop. The kids were all so proud of their work!

My favorite workshop was the mirror workshop. Everyone was so creative it is hard to pick my favorite.

Technique Tuesday is a favorite of many of my customers. Again it is hard to choose a favorite - so I have chosen 2 :-)

Above is the Black Magic technique - love it! I really need to use it more. A New Year's resolution??

Below is the Faux Tearing technique - so easy and so versatile! You can have a Designer Series Paper look to match any combination of colors.

And my personal favorite project was the guest book for DD#1's wedding. This is one of my favorite pages.

And my favorite tutorial http://marystutorials.blogspot.com/2010/08/this-is-tutorial-for-my-modification-of.html

It is my own personal take on the popular pinwheel design.

Looking forward to 2011 - two clubs have formed and the Mini-Occasions catalog and Sale-a-bration have so many wonderful things I don't know where to start!

Peace and Happiness to all of you in 2011! Thank you for following my blog and your comments!