Taking time off for Christmas

I'm taking the next week or so off for the Christmas holiday so I won't be posting any projects.  I'll be doing many of the wonderful things of the season brings:  time with family and friends, cooking, eating and exchanging gifts, for example.

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!  Have a holly jolly time with your loved ones, stay safe and warm, and remember the Reason for the Season, Jesus! 

When I return, I'll begin sharing samples of stamps and accessories from the new Occcasions Mini Catalog.


See you soon!  

Margaret

Christmas Cocoa and Ornament Frame Gift

I am blessed to be friends with some wonderful ladies who are Stampin' Up! demonstrators.  You know, it's all about the relationships, and our stamping just happens to be what drew us together!  A couple of my friends got me into stamping (when "I didn't need another hobby") and it's the friends that keep me going, both my friends/customers and my friends/demos.  :)  I hope you too have the same blessing. 

Anyway, this week and last, I've been showing you the gifts we exchanged last week at our "Stamp Therapy" meeting.  Today I have a lovely gift that each of us received from Gayle Enouen which is a beautiful framed Christmas decoration! 

Gayle used a 12 x 12" sheet of the giant flocked white snowflake paper from the Christmas Cocoa Designer Series Paper as the base of her design.  To this she added a large rhinestone to the center of the snowflake.  Then she added three unique ornaments punched out with the Ornament Punch; one is stamped, one has a rub-on embellishment and one was embossed with the Petals-A-Plenty Embossing Folder and the Big Shot.  The centers were touched with just a little silver for accent.  These ornaments were "strung" with the gold elastic cord.

For the final embellishment, a white rub-on greeting was added to the front of the glass in the frame and several rub-on snowflakes were scattered on the black frame.

The colors in this paper are white and Soft Suede, however, the Soft Suede looks like a dull gold in this setting.  What a lovely gift, Gayle; thank you so much.

Are you enjoying seeing these great gifts we shared?  Lots of eye-candy and inspiration from my friends!

I hope you are all safe and warm and making progress toward Christmas, which is only nine days away!  I hope we can all take short time-outs periodically to to soak in the season and the Love that brought it all about.

Warmly,

Margaret

Gift Wrapping and Ornament Punch Tag

This is another gift that I received last week at our Stamp Therapy meeting. Connie Stewart took a box of Andes Mints (mmmmmm!), wrapped them with some Real Red Designer Series Paper from a 6x6" Hostess DSP Pack then added scalloped edging in Chocolate Chip cardstock (appropriate, hmm? lol!) She then wrapped and tied some of the luxurious wide Chocolate Chip Striped Grosgrain Ribbon around the box and added Sizzlit die cut Little Leaves, red berries and a Joy tag done with the Ornament Punch and Delightful Decorations stamp set! Isn't this just the cutest thing?!

What a lovely gift presentation this makes and the preparation is made easy with Stampin' Up! punches and dies! That's just what I need this time of year... tools that make things go more quickly and easily to help me get pretty things like this done in a minimum of time! What a great idea, Connie! And thanks so much for the yummy candy...and I love Andes Mints!

Margaret

Snow Scene Picture Frame

This adorable frame was one of our Make 'n Take projects at last week's Stamp Therapy meeting. Leslie Bumgarner brought one for each of us to do, walked us through it and this was also her gift to each one of us! Isn't it just too cute?!!
Bashful Blue cardstock was stamped in White Craft Ink with the Serene Snowflakes set then heat embossed. The snow base is torn white cardstock with the edges sponged in Bashful Blue then swiped with a Two-Way Glue Pen and sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds for a beautiful sparkle.

The tree is Garden Green cardstock punched with the Scallop Punch then each of the four layers was cut a little smaller; these were adhered with the Glue Stick then applied to the frame over a Chocolate Chip Word Window punch. Touches of Signo White Gel Pen reflect the snow scene.

The child with the giant "snowball" is made from the Wide Oval Punch, hand-drawn eyes and mouth, and a BoHo Blossom punch in chocolate for a puff of hair peeking out from under his cap. The red cap is made with the Ornament Punch with a pom-pon of Ballet Blue. Ballet Blue is also punched with the Word Window punch for the mittens.

This was fun to make and will so cute with Christmas or winter pictures in it! Thanks for such a great project and gift, Leslie! Love it!

Thanks for visiting! Hope you have a good week and are able to stay warm! Make time to have some fun stampin'!

Margaret

Rudolph Chocolate Bar with Punches!

Need a quick inexpensive small gift with big impact? Here's a fun idea... this was a Make 'n Take brought to our Stamp Therapy meeting last Wednesday by Gayle Enouen. Rudolph was fun and easy to make with our Stampin' Up! Punches! No stamps were involved in the making of this project! : )

This is a 4.4 oz. chocolate bar wrapped in Chocolate Chip cardstock and adhered at the back with Sticky Strip.
Antlers: pipe cleaners
Top "hair": half of a Close to Cocoa Scallop Circle Punch.
Eyes: 3/4", 1-1/4", 1-3/8" punches, Signo White Gel Pen
Nose: 1" red, 1-3/8" Close to Cocoa
Mouth: drawn with Signo White Gel Pen using the Curly Label Punch scrap as a template
Real Red 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon tie
Other: Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Curly Label Punch, Snail Adhesive

He was fairly quick and easy to make. Once you've done one, you can really crank them out! Have fun with it!

Thanks for dropping by for a visit today!

Margaret

Fun and Fast Birthday!

My, this is a change in gears! lol! Like many of you, I've been neck-deep in Christmas prep but today's Blogger's Challenge is BIRTHDAY!! I also wanted to use the Splitcoast Color Challenge this week of Rich Razzleberry, Always Artichoke and Barely Banana. Thirdly, I also needed to get my Technostamper's Monday Sketch Challenge done... so I combined all three for a Triple Play!

Fun and Fast Notes is a great set to cover many different occasions; there are eight stamps, each with a different accompanying sentiment. So useful and versatile!! And fun to color in to coordinate with Designer Paper or color schemes!

The card base is Artichoke; on that is a layer of Barely Banana which has been embossed with the Finial Press Embossing Folder (love it!) and the Big Shot. A layer of Artichoke on Razzleberry is next; this is pierced at the top corners and along the bottom.

The birthday cake, stamped on white, is colored with markers and Blender Pen. A touch of Two-Way Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter really make it sparkle IRL. This is layered on Rich Razzleberry cardstock.

The "birthday bliss" greeting is from the Birthday Bliss set; I used it because it would fit on the Modern Label Punch of Barely Banana. This was attached to a swath of Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Ribbon across the entire cardfront.

Here's Technostamper Sketch #TSSC99 for this week. You can check out the list of other participants this week here.

For the other Blogger's Challenge members, you may refer to the list here; not everyone participates every week but they still will have cool things on their blogs.

Stamps: Fast and Fun Notes, Birthday Bliss
Inks: Rich Razzleberry, Barely Banana, Always Artichoke, Basic Black, Markers
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Barely Banana, Always Artichoke, Whisper White
Accessories: Finial Press Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Modern Label Punch, Blender Pen, Two Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Circle Cutter.
All products from Stampin' Up!

#113500 Fun and Fast Notes Set of 8 $33.95 p.56
2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog

Thanks for dropping by! Happy Friday... have a great weekend!

Margaret

Altered Jars for Gifting

These plastic jars were originally filled with various salty snacks such as nuts and such when I bought them. Once we emptied them, however, I cleaned and saved them with the idea of filling them again with a food gift for Christmas. I recently made Seasoned Pretzels, decorated the jars and filled them up for my gifts for my Stamp Therapy friends yesterday. We had a great day visiting, looking at new products, doing make 'n takes, eating and exchanging gifts! I love these ladies!

Merry Moments Designer Paper is used to cover up the labels and add color to the jars. The birds and branches were die cut with the Big Shot and the Bird with Leaves and Flower die and enhanced with flowers punched with the BoHo Blossoms Punch. The words are from the Christmas Punch Level 2 Hostess set and punched with the Wide Oval Punch. Ornaments punched with the Ornaments punch decorate the sides which are wrapped with the luscious Chocolate Chips Wide Grosgrain Ribbon and tied in back. On the lids I used Designer Paper diecut with the Scallop Circle die and Five Petal Flower punch for the flower and leaves.

These two jars were a little different shape from the previous two so I decorated them differently. I cut the Merry Moments Designer Paper with the larger scallop circle from the Scallop Circle #2 die and a layer of Old Olive cardstock with the Circle Cutter and Cutting Mat as a background for the bird and branches. On these I used the Sleigh Bells cotton ribbon to wrap around the decorative paper and tie in the back because it coordinated so well.

On these jars I needed to cover up the lids completely as one was yellow and one was blue. I used the Sleigh Bells ribbon around the edges of these also. On the tops I put Real Red cardstock circles cut with the Circle Cutter and Mat and Designer Paper cut with the Scallop Circle die. This was accented with a poinsettia punched with the Five Petal Flower punch, shaped and adhered with Mini Glue Dots. These were centered with Barely Banana flowers (Trio Flower Punch). The leaves are an Olive Green flower (Five Petal Flower Punch) cut into individual sections.

Although there was only one stamp used on these four jars, I made lots of use of some of the great tools we have through Stampin' Up! They make papercrafting so much more fun, easier and offer limitless possibilities!!


#113465 "Birds w/ Leaves and Flower" die $19.95, pg. 199, 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog.  Note:  This die has since been discontinued but Stampin' Up! has many more fabulous dies that can be used on a similar project!! 

Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear from you! Question? Just click on "Comments" below!

If you would like the recipe for the Seasoned Pretzels, please leave me a comment on this post. You'll find the recipe there! If you wish to leave a recipe for me/us, I'd love that too! Thanks for sharing! :)
Margaret

Santa Gift Bag!

It's that time again, isn't it! Time to think about how we're going to present all those gifts we've been making and buying! Here's an idea my friend and Stamp Therapy buddy Leslie Bumgarner brought for us to make at our last get-together: a really cute Santa gift bag!

The base for this creation is a white handled sack. A piece of Blush Blossom cardstock is cut to fit the front then a Real Red piece of cardstock is cut for the "hat" portion. Finally a piece of Whisper White cardstock is cut for the beard, mustache and hat trim and run through the Big Shot with the Perfect Details Texturz Plate to give it some nice texture.

Black circles punched with the 3/4" Circle Punch are used for the eyes; a touch from the White Signo Gel Pen gives a twinkle to the eyes.

The Holly Jolly stamp on the tag is from the Christmas Punch Level 2 Hostess set and is punched out with the Curly Label punch. This is layered on Real Red then Black cardstock and tied to the handle with Black Gingham Ribbon.

The nose is a 1" circle punch out of the Blush Blossom cardstock then the edges sponged with some pink ink, as are his cheeks. A 1" circle is punched from Real Red cardstock for his mouth underneath his nose and mustache.

This will be such a fun way to package up a gift and will be eye-catching under the Christmas tree!

Thanks for dropping by today! Hope you have some time to stamp and create soon!

Margaret

"Winter Post" Christmas

Hello again! I have been gone for awhile! I hope you missed me! LOL! It's good to go and it's good to be home again! We went to Branson, MO for a few days; it was cold but dry and lots of fun! We saw three shows: The Miracle of Christmas, Mark Lowrey, and The Twelve Irish Tenors. They were all very good but I think Mark Lowrey was my favorite. : ) We also got to shop and I finished all my major Christmas shopping except for my DH's! That was an unexpected bonus!

Enough of that...now, back to stamping!

I received this card in a swap but it doesn't have a name on the back, so if it is yours, let me know and I'll give you credit! I thought it was so pretty but I didn't have this set until just recently; it's a great set! I love the old fashioned skaters and word fonts used to give this set a vintage feel.

The card base is Brocade Blue layered with Pale Plum that is stamped with the snowflake in VersaMark ink. The ribbon is Brocade Blue 1/2" grosgrain. Beneath the ribbon the greeting from Heard from the Heart is stamped in Rich Razzleberry ink. I love that saying because Christmas is all about our hearts and the love of God brought to us through his Son Jesus.

The skaters image is stamped in Basic Gray on Natural White cardstock and colored. This is layered on a Scallop Circle die cut in Rich Razzleberry. The finishing embellishment is the snowflake stamped in Brocade Blue onto Naturals White cardstock and embellished with the 2 Way Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.

The picture of all the stamps in the Winter Post set can be seen in a previous post here.

Thanks for dropping by today! Hope you're having a good weekend!

Margaret

It's a Razzleberry Christmas!

I've admired this Winter Post set ever since it came out; I finally have it! It not only makes beautiful Christmas cards and projects but can be used through out the winter for various occasions as well as scrapbooking! That snowflake is especially lovely.

This is a card I designed for a recent workshop quick and simple Make 'n Take project. The white snowflakes are stamped with White Craft Ink onto the Rich Razzleberry for a beautiful contrast. The skaters are stamped with Rich Razzleberry onto Kraft cardstock, the corners treated with the Ticket Corner Punch, then the edges shaded with Razzleberry ink using a Sponge Dauber. The Ticket Corner Punch was used on the white cardstock layer beneath that, as well as the Razzleberry snowflake layer. The base card itself is Kraft cardstock.

The lovely sentiment is from the Christmas Punch set. It was designed to fit the Wide Oval Punch, which I have used to punch it out.

The "airy-ness" (is that a word?) of the White Organza ribbon gives the finishing touch to the card.

I've only used two of the images from this set on my card. You can see the other wonderful images to the right. The "Dec. 25" image fits into the Designer Label Punch, and the reindeer will fit in several punches, including the Ornament punch! I'll have more cards to post with this set soon.

Stamps: Winter Post, Christmas Punch (Level 2 Hostess set)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry Classic, White Craft Ink
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Kraft, Whisper White cardstock
Accessories: Wide Oval Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Sponge Dauber, White Organza Ribbon

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day here in the USA or wherever you live! Thanks for dropping by!

Margaret

Autumn Days Christmas Card

Yes, I know tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day; no, I'm not rushing the season! lol! This card is made using a stamp from the Autumn Days set; this set is even more versatile than you might think at first glance!

Among the nice images in the set is this lovely pine bough and pinecones stamp. It is inked up with Soft Suede and Old Olive markers before stamping on Very Vanilla cardstock. This is then punched out with the 1-1/4" Circle Punch and layered onto a 1-3/8" Circle punch of Old Olive cardstock. Square layers of vanilla, chocolate and olive cardstock form a nice backdrop for the image.

The card base is Old Olive layered with Chocolate Chip. A piece of Very Vanilla cardstock is placed about 2/3rds of the way into the Petals-A-Plenty Embossing Folder and run through the Big Shot, leaving the bottom third plain. On this I stamped the nice-sized "Merry Christmas" from the All Holidays stamp set in Chocolate Chip ink.

A beautiful sash of the 1-1/4" wide Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon encircles the front layers of the card and is finished with a simple tie. The pinecone focal layers were added over the ribbon with Dimensionals.

I saw similar cards somewhere on the web but now I don't remember where. If it was yours, let me know and I'll gladly give you credit! Thanks for the inspiration! I love how this card turned out... plus it's another great use of the Autumn Days set! : )

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Margaret

Autumn Days III

While making sample cards with the Autumn Days set, I saw this design by Amy Celona and loved it... so I just had to "case" it! :) Hers was actually a stationery holder but I thought it would be great for a man's birthday card. Since I'm always needing those, I changed a couple of things and adapted it to a card.

The layout features three designs from the beautiful Autumn Traditions Designer Series Paper and the pheasant from the Autumn Days stamp set. They are both just wonderful! Combine those with the circle and scallop circle die cuts from the Big Shot and dies, and you have a card that isn't hard to do but has lots of visual interest.

The pheasant was stamped with Soft Suede ink on Whisper White cardstock, cut out and added to the focal point with Dimensionals. The sharp little Paper Snips make cutting out images like the pheasant so easy... if you don't have a pair, you need them! : )

I loved Amy's original project and thank her for the inspiration! I appreciate those stampers who share so freely of their talent and creations.

Stamps: "Autumn Days"; "Teeny Tiny Wishes"; inside birthday greeting from "On Your Birthday" set
Ink: More Mustard, Soft Suede, Really Rust, Sage Shadow
Paper: Autumn Traditions DSP; More Mustard, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Whisper White cardstock
Accessories: 1/4" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon, Big Shot, Scallops #2 Die, Circles #2 Die, Stampin' Sponge, Dimensionals, Paper Snips, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch

Thanks for visiting! Have a great day!

Margaret

Autumn Days II

Today's featured card is by Amy Watson and was received in an organized swap at the Stampin' Up! Convention. I love the rich autumn colors Amy used to reflect the season and get us in the mindset for Thanksgiving! I also got to meet Amy in person! Besides being a lovely person, she lives in the very same state I do!

I'm featuring the Autumn Days set again today; it is perfect for this time of year and makes such great cards for the men! Wouldn't this great for a person who enjoys bird hunting? The pheasant was inked in Crushed Curry then it looks like Amy used the "Rock 'n Roll" technique of adding an additional darker color to the stamp before putting it to the cardstock. This is usually done by "rolling" the edge of the rubberstamp around a darker color pad to get ink on the edges; another method is to use a stamping sponge or sponge dauber to add the color. Either way, it gives further dimension to the image when two colors are used.

For the colorful background layer, the leaf from the set was stamped in many fall-ish colors: Crushed Curry, More Mustard, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy and maybe another one or two (I don't have her recipe). At any rate, the colors are delicious! This as well as the other layers are placed on Baroque Burgundy cardstock to accent them. The base card of Crushed Curry was stamped very lightly with one of the plant stamps from the set to give a subtle background.

The sentiment is from the "Holiday Best" Level 1 Hostess set and punched out with the Large Oval Punch. Three Gold Brads are the finishing touch. All products are from Stampin' Up! and can be ordered through my Stampin' Up! website here or directly from me.

Thanks, Amy, for a lovely swap card, and so fitting for this season! I'll have some more cards with this set in upcoming posts.

Have a great day, everyone, and hope you have some fun stampin!

Margaret

Autumn Days and Autumn Traditions

As we wend our way toward winter and Christmas, I couldn't resist making a few more autumn cards. I love the warm rich colors of this time of year as well as the cooler temperatures.

I used my new Autumn Days set and the beautiful coordinating Autumn Traditions Designer Series Paper for this card which was designed for a workshop make and take. The background of Sahara Sand was first stamped in Sahara Sand with one of the plant stamps then run through the Big Shot with the "Distressed" Texturz Plate to give it a subtle and interesting texture. (I love those Texturz plates and use them all the time!) A piece of the colorful stripe from Autumn Traditions DSP was then added down the left side before placing it on the Soft Suede card base.

Two of the plant stamps were stamped in Sahara Sand on the More Mustard cardstock then the pheasant was stamped in Soft Suede. A layer of Ruby Red was added before adhering this focal image to the card.

The final touch is the greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Ruby Red, punched with the Word Window Punch then layered onto a Modern Label punch-out of Soft Suede. This made a quick and easy card for my workshop. Seems we can never have enough cards for the guys in our lives and this set lends itself perfectly for this purpose!

Stamps: Autumn Days, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Ruby Red
Paper: Autumn Traditions DSP; Sahara Sand, Soft Suede, More Mustard, Ruby Red cardstock
Accessories: Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Texturz Plate Kit #4, Big Shot

You can order any of these items from my Stampin' Up! website here or contact me through that website to place an order with me personally.

Thanks for dropping by. You are always welcome here! Have a creative day!

Margaret

Mr. Turkey with Punches

This week's Blogger's Challenge (#125) is "Happy Fall!". For some time I've been wanting to make a turkey with punches that was in the October 2008 Stampin' Success, the idea and information magazine that Stampin Up! does for its demonstrators. This challenge was the perfect opportunity (excuse, lol!) to make this little guy on a fall card.

The card base is More Mustard with a layer of Ruby Red on that, then the Soft Suede which had been textured with the Big Shot and a Texturz Plate. Each of these layers has been treated with the Ticket Corner Punch. On the left side of the front, a piece of the striped Designer Paper is layered on Ruby Red cardstock and three Gold Brads are inserted at the top; Mr. Turkey was then added to the right side.

The Bright Blessings Jumbo Wheel is rolled in Chocolate Chip and "Thankfulness" is cut out and layered onto a More Mustard cardstock strip. I shaped this with my fingers and attached it with Mini Glue Dots. A Ruby Red button was also added with a Glue Dot.

The punches used for the turkey are listed below.

Stamps: Bright Blessings Jumbo Wheel
Inks: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Autumn Traditions Designer Series Paper, Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Soft Suede, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Gold Brads, Earth Elements button in Ruby Red (retired), Ticket Corner Punch, Pattern #2 Texturz Plate, Big Shot, Mini Glue Dots.
Punches: Scallop Circle Punch for feathers; 1-3/8" Circle for the body; 3/4" Circle for the head; two 1/4" Circles for buttons; 3/4" Square trimmed for hat; flowers from Boho Blossoms for feet; a petal from one of the Boho Blossoms for the beak; 1/8" circle (Crop-a-Dile) for the eyes.

The list of other Blogger's Challenge members is here. You can check them out to see what the other talented stampers made this week.

Thanks for visiting! I appreciate you coming by!

Margaret

Dasher in Bermuda Bay

Well, I'm a little behind; I've had so many things going on that I haven't had time to stamp or post! But I do have a new card today done for Technostamper's Weekly Challenge, TSSC95.

I'm using my Dasher stamp again today; this is only the second card I've done with it and I'm eager to make some more samples with it. I thought the sketch for this challenge would be great for featuring this beautiful stamp!

Dasher is stamped in Soft Suede onto Sahara Sand the layered only Whisper White. The Bermuda Bay background cardstock was run through the Big Shot with the Flourish Texturz Plate before layering on the Soft Suede card. Dazzling Diamonds Glitter was applied to the "antlers" of Dasher with the Glue Pen.

For the upper portion of the card, Glossy White cardstock was stamped in VersaMark with the snowflakes stamp from Christmas Punch, a Level 2 Hostess Set in the 2009-2010 Stampin' Up Catalog. This was then embossed with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder. Once cool, I brayered then sponged on Bermuda Bay Classic Ink. A piece of Whisper White scalloped cardstock was added to the bottom of this piece and then White Organza Ribbon was tied around it.

The Merry Christmas from Delightful Decorations was stamped in Bermuda Bay onto Whisper White, punched out with the 3/4" Circle Punch then layered onto a 1" Circle Punch out. Dazzling Diamonds Glitter was added to this also, for the finishing shimmer!

Here's the cool sketch Mary Jo had for us this week; thanks, MJ!

Stamps: Dasher, Delightful Decorations, Christmas Punch (Hostess Level 2)
Inks: Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, VersaMark
Cardstock: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede
Accessories: White Organza Ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Brayer, Stampin' Sponge, Scallop Edge Punch, Big Shot, Flourish Texturz Plate, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Dimensionals.

Hope you are having a good week. Have some fun stampin'!

Margaret

Veterans Day Salute

To our courageous and faithful men and women who have served or currently serve in our armed forces, I salute your dedication and service. May you be held in highest regard. We thank you for your service.

For those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, may the memory of their selfless service and sacrifice always be a reminder to us that freedom is not a given, it must be won and protected.

To the families of those who have served and currently serve, thank you for your own sacrifice and service to our country.

You are all appreciated; we are grateful for you. May you be richly blessed. Thank you.

Dasher in Soft Suede

Dasher is such a beautiful stamp! I ordered it right away when I saw it in the new catalog! Seems I wasn't the only one as it is one of the best-selling Stampin' Up! stamps. Another really popular item is the Petals-A-Plenty Embossing Folder; it gives such a luscious deep impression for stunning backgrounds.

For this card today Dasher is stamped in Soft Suede onto Sahara Sand cardstock; these two colors work together so well. Dazzlling Diamonds Glitter has been applied to Dasher's "antlers"; you can see it a little bit in the larger image. This is layered onto Soft Suede cardstock that has the bottom edge treated with the Scallop Edge Punch.

The card base is Soft Suede with a layer of Whisper White added on top. Then over that is a piece of Melon Mambo cardstock embossed with the Petals-A-Plenty Embossing Folder run through the Big Shot die cut machine to give it a deep and gorgeous impression. Tip: Use Mini Glue Dots on the back of the embossed cardstock for good adherence to the other layer without smashing your embossing.

A Whisper White snowflake diecut with a Sizzlet has been sponged with Frost White Shimmer Mist; it is centered with a Silver Brad that has Dazzling Diamonds Glitter applied to make it sparkle!

Stamps: Dasher
Inks: Soft Suede
Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Sahara Suede
Accessories: Petals-A-Plenty Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Snowflakes #2 Sizzlet set of 4, Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Silver Mini Brads, Glue Dots, Scallop Edge Punch.

This non-traditional colored Christmas card was an easy one to make but has lots of panache!

Thanks for visiting today.

Margaret

Autumn Splendor Leaves In Colors III

Here's another card I made from the sheet of Autumn Splendor leaves stamped with this year's In Colors from Stampin' Up! The layout is from this week's Technostamper's weekly sketch challenge.

On the Soft Suede card is layered a piece of Bermuda Bay cardstock that has been treated with the Weave Texturz Plate and the Big Shot. The leaf-stamped layer is sponged with Soft Suede, distressed then layered on Crushed Curry. Underneath that is a layer of the beautiful Autumn Meadows Designer Paper layered onto Soft Suede cardstock. All the edges have been distressed with the Distresser Tool from the Cutter Kit.

The Thank You sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes was stamped in Soft Suede onto Very Vanilla cardstock, punched out with the Word Window Punch and layered onto a Modern Label Punch of Dusty Durango. Vintage Brads accent each end of the sentiment as well as the layer of Autumn Meadows Designer Paper.

Stamps: Autumn Splendor, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Background Basics
Inks: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango.
Paper: Autumn Meadows DSP; Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Very Vanilla.
Accessories: Vintage Brads, Big Shot, Weave Texturz Plate, Distresser Tool from Cutter Kit, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Blender Pen, Stampin' Sponge.

Here's the sketch for the Technostamper Challenge this week. You can see who else participated in the challenge this week right here. If you would like to participate, just make your card, upload it to an online blog or gallery and put a link on Technostamper's page.

Thanks for dropping by today! I hope you have a safe and creative week!

Margaret

Kind and Caring Thoughts Hostess Set

Kind and Caring Thoughts is a lovely Level 3 Hostess set and it caught my eye right away when the new catalog came out. It also has quite a good assortment of sentiment stamps in the set also! I was so happy to get this set myself!

Today I'm showcasing several swaps I received at the Stampin' Up! Convention in August that use this set. The first one is from Rhonda Glaze; it is so soft and pretty. She use Apricot Appeal ink for the flowers and Soft Suede ink for the sentiment. A band of Soft Suede Grosgrain Polka Dot Ribbon with a 5/16" white brad in the center encircles the top layers. The base card is Apricot Appeal cardstock that was folded and then die cut with the Scalloped Square Die and the Big Shot. This is such a soft and delicate card. So pretty!

The second card using this set goes a totally different way. Bold colored flowers of Rich Razzleberry and Dusty Durango combine with soft So Saffron flowers and a multicolored layout to make a festive birthday card. Three additional Rich Razzleberry flowers were stamped, cut out and showy Dazzling Diamonds glitter added then adhered over the same color flowers for a 3-D effect with lots of bling!

A card base of Rich Razzleberry is layered with So Saffron and Mellow Moss cardstock then tied with a Very Vanilla 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, knotted in the center.

This is a card I received in our SSUS organized swap at convention from Nikki Bond from Georgia. It's so pretty! I love it Nikki, Thanks!

The third card with this set is from Mary Petzoldt; this was a convention swap also. Mary used Kind and Caring Thoughts, the sentiment from Refuge and Strength and the Sympathy stamp from Close as a Memory set. These stamps sure go together nicely!

The flower is stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock then covered with White Vellum which has been stamped with the verse in Black Stazon ink. This is layered on Pale Plum then Basic Black cardstock.

The Sympathy was stamped on Vanilla cardstock then layered on black cardstock also. Both were layered onto Rich Razzleberry then onto a black card.

These cards all use the very same flower stamp but each artist has achieved her own different look by using different colors, layouts and accessories. Isn't that the fun thing about stamping and papercrafting? Everyone creates their own look! How great is that!

Thanks for visiting! Have some fun stampin' when you can!

Margaret

Lattice Die Cards

Today I'm featuring the Lattice Die for the Big Shot Die Cutting Machine. This gives such a pretty diecut! For me, it was love at first sight! lol! I can brag on these cards today because I didn't make them; they are all swaps that I received at the Stampin' Up! Convention in August! Lucky me!

The first card was made by my friend Claudia Perry from Georgia! She used the Medallion stamp in Soft Suede for the background layered on a Soft Suede square card, then layers of black, Crushed Curry and the lattice also in Soft Suede. The focal point is a stamp from the Circle Circus set embossed in clear onto a Crushed Curry circle and layered over a scallop circle.

This is such a stunning card! The narrow black layer really sets off the design and the gold brads are a great touch! Thanks for the beautiful card, Claudia!

The second card is made by my friend Gayle Enouen from Norman, OK. Gayle has a different approach (gee, why didn't I think of this!) cutting her lattice die onto a cardfront and keeping the lattice with the background and removing only the inner cuts. She then layered this over Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper and added inner cuts of Crushed Curry. Small Gold Brads really accent the design! All of this is layered over a Crushed Curry card.

The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes punched out with a Word Window Punch and layered over DSP punched out with the Modern Label Punch.

Another gorgeous card and great idea from a good friend and talented stamp artist! Thanks Gayle!


The third card is from Becky Jensen. Becky used a color scheme of Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive reflected by the Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper she used for both the background and also the flower in the center. The Old Olive cardstock cut with the Lattice die forms a lovely background for the Dahlia-fold flower and the olive in the reverse side of the DSP makes it blend in perfectly.

A medium Ice Rhinestone brad in the center is a sparkly finishing touch for her 4 x 4" square card! Thanks Becky, for a beautiful swap!

I posted a Happy Birthday card I made with the Lattice Die that you can see HERE.

I hope you've enjoyed the cards today from these talented paper artists as well as the focus on the Lattice die!

All products by Stampin' Up!

Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend!

Margaret

Autumn Splendor Leaves In Colors II

I mentioned in my Autumn Leaves post last week that one could stamp an entire 8-1/2 x 11" sheet of cardstock with these beautiful leaf stamps, cut it up and make numerous cards with the pieces. I took my own challenge, lol, and stamped the sheet with leaves in Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and Bermuda Bay, all Stampin' Up! In Colors(c) this year. I have made three cards already and haven't even used half the sheet!

I've varied the backgrounds and colors used behind the leaf layers to bring out different colors. I have quite a few birthdays and occasions this month so all these cards will be very useful.

This first card has Crushed Curry then Bermuda Bay layered behind the leaf piece, then wrapped with Bermuda Bay ribbon knotted in a Silver Designer Hardware Jumbo Grommet. The Dusty Durango card base was stamped with the same ink color using the French Filigree background stamp. (I hope you got your grommets while they were on sale this past week!) I will add the sentiment inside the card before I send it.

For the second card, a background layer of Really Rust has been run through the Big Shot with the Perfect Details Texturz Plate then lightly sponged with the same color ink and the edges distressed. The leaf piece is layered on a distressed Crushed Curry layer then a strip of Dusty Durango grosgrain wrapped around it. This is finished with a Circle Brad (I used a Sharpie pen to add the rusty color in one of the circles of the brad).

On the third card, I ran the leaf layer through the Big Shot with the Perfect Layers Texture Plate then gently sponged some Soft Suede ink over it to accentuate the dry embossing. I also used a Soft Suede card base, a Bermuda Bay layer behind the leaves and Dusty Durango Grosgrain Ribbon, the side without the polka dots.

Stamps: Autumn Splendor, French Filigree, Teeny Tiny Wishes (sentiments)
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Really Rust
Paper: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Really Rust, Very Vanilla, Whisper White
Accessories: Bermuda Bay and Dusty Durango Grosgrain Polka Dot Ribbon, Circle Brads, Silver Designer Hardware Jumbo Grommet
Tools: Modern Label, Word Window, 1" Circle, 1 1/4" Circle punches; Distresser tool from the Cutter Kit, Big Shot, Perfect Details Texturz Plate, Stampin Sponge.

By using various backgrounds, color combinations and accessories, you can come up with different looks. Not that it really matters because the recipients won't be seeing the other cards, but it is fun to use your supplies and creativity to make them all different, isn't it!

Thanks for visiting today! The last Deal of the Week for October will be announced shortly! Check my Stampin' Up! Demonstrator website HERE for the scoop! You may order online while you are there also!

Margaret

Top Note Message Center

This message center using the Stampin' Up!Top Note die is one of our Make 'n Take projects we made at our last Stamp Therapy meeting demo meeting. Designed by Connie Stewart (her blog post here), it consists of three segments using Top Note die cuts in So Saffron, Almost Artichoke and Bravo Burgundy. The decorative first section, a calendar on the second section and a pad of sticky notes on the third section make this an attractive and useful addition to an office or message area.

This is a fun project made easy and decorative with the use of the Big Shot die cutting machine. It would also make a great gift made in custom colors for the chosen recipient.

Stamps: All Holiday, Note to Self (HM, #116527)
Inks: Bravo Burgundy
Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Almost Artichoke, So Saffron; Almost Artichoke Designer Paper (retired)
Accessories: BoHo Blossoms Punch, Silver Mini Brads, Rich Razzleberry Grosgrain Ribbon, Snail Adhesive, sticky notes, mini-calendar, binder clip. All products by Stampin' Up! except sticky note, mini-calendar and binder clip.

I've missed posting the last couple of days; I've been out of town to attend a funeral.

Thanks for dropping by today! Have a great weekend!

Margaret

Autumn Splendor In Colors

Today I have a quick card that would be easy to make in multiples. I've used the beautiful fine-line Autumn Splendor set again with those big beautiful leaves, stamping them in three of this year's Stampin' Up! In Colors. Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and Soft Suede colors go together so well and are wonderful for full color schemes!

Each of the three leaves is stamped in a different color on a Naturals Ivory cardstock background. This cardstock has tiny flecks in it to give it a natural look and it takes the colors well. The corners were punched with the Ticket Corner Punch to mirror the corners of the Designer Label punch used with the sentiment. I used a strip of the Dusty Durango Polka Dot Grosgrain ribbon with the polka dots turned to the inside for a different look.

The sentiment, from the Falling Leaves set, was stamped in Soft Suede onto Very Vanilla cardstock, punched out with the Modern Label punch then sponged with Dusty Durango. This was layered onto a 1" circle of Crushed Curry then on Soft Suede punched out with the Designer Label punch. A Gold Mini Brad at the top is the final touch.

Stamps: Autumn Splendor, sentiment from Falling Leaves
Ink: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry
Cardstock: Dusty Durango, Naturals Ivory, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Dusty Durango Polka Dot Grosgrain ribbon, Modern Label Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Designer Label Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Gold Mini Brad.
All products from (c)Stampin' Up!

This was a quick and easy card and we all need these at times. You could stamp a whole sheet of cardstock like this very quickly and you would have four full cardfronts in a snap!

Thanks for dropping by! Have a creative day!s

Margaret

Wandering Words Vintage Christmas Card

Wandering Words.. I'm loving this set! It's really fun to stamp with and has it's own unique look! It covers three seasons/holidays plus the stamp with the mailbox could really be used for many more occasions than Valentine's Day! We made this card last night at a workshop and the ladies really liked it. 

The card base is Kraft cardstock. On this I adhered a layer of Soft Suede cardstock which has been run through the Big Shot machine with the Flourish Texturz Plate. I like the textured swirls with this stamp! I made a shimmer spray with the Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint and alcohol mixed into a small spray bottle. This was spritzed over the Soft Suede layer after the edges were distressed with the tool in the Cutter Kit. If you look at this first picture closely, you can see a little of the subtle shimmer; click on the picture to see a larger photo.

For the image layer, I inked the Santa and reindeer stamp with Real Red and Soft Suede Stampin' Write markers and stamped on the Very Vanilla cardstock. The cardstock edges were distressed then it was treated to the shimmer spray; this was then layered onto Real Red which has one edge scalloped with the Scallop Edge Punch. A circle of Soft Suede was placed on the end then a hole punch made a place to accomodate the ribbon tie. Appropriately enough, this ribbon is named Sleigh Bells and
is found in the Holiday Mini. It really complements the warm vintage feel of this card!

Some inspiration for this card is the sample in the Holiday Mini Catalog. That is such a wonderful thing about Stampin' Up!'s catalogs...they are filled with full-color fabulous ideas for using all the great products found in them! When looking for inspiration, be sure to check the catalogs first! Then use your own creativity to do your own thing! : )

Stamps: Wandering Words set (#116507, HM*)
Inks: Real Red and Soft Suede Stampin' Write Markers
Paper: Kraft, Soft Suede, Real Red, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (HM), Sleigh Bells Ribbon (HM)
Tools: Cutter Kit, Big Shot, SU Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plate Set (#114512), Scallop Edge Punch, 1" Circle Punch, 1/8" Hole Punch (retired SU), non-Spray Bottle (an empty Stampin' Mist bottle is perfect!).
All products by Stampin' Up! unless noted otherwise.
*Holiday Mini Catalog

If you are in my area and would like to book a workshop with me and make this card or others, please contact me at funstampin @ cox.net (remove spaces).

Happy Tuesday everyone! Have a creative day!

Margaret