Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Another Tree Card...

Here's another card we made at the card class last week:

I really like the tree from the Forest Friends stamp set (Occasions Mini). It makes such great masculine cards. The thank you stamp came from the "Under $10" page way in the back of the Spring-Summer IB&C on page 208. If you have a wish list from the Occasions Mini catalog, now would be the time to fulfill your wishes! You get to pick an item from the "Under $10" page when you order $40 worth of products (before s/h & tax) from the mini! This sale ends TOMORROW (April 30)! So, give me a call or go to my Stampin' Up! website to place your order NOW!

MAY SPECIALS
* However, if you're looking to stock up on designer series paper and/or textured card stock, wait until May 1... check out the May sale flyer! We're having a buy 3, get 1 free sale during National Scrapbooking Month (May 1-31)! Mix & match any of our designer series paper packs and packs of assorted textured card stock!
* There's also a sneak peek purchase opportunity for you--the Jumble Alphabet stamp set from the upcoming 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog... AND you get a 20% discount off the regular $43.95 price--52 letters for $35.16!
* If that's not enough, how about a special starter kit for ONLY $75! If you have ever thought about becoming a demo, May might just be your month to take the plunge! This is a special scrapbooking themed starter kit that includes an alphabet set (up to a $43.95 value), simply scrappin' kit, assorted textured card stock, craft stampin' pad and all the business supplies you need to get started! Contact me today if you'd like more information about this great opportunity.

Happy Stampin!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Special Tri-Fold Card

Wow! I can't believe it's been over a week since I last blogged! I guess I've been busier than usual. I want to share one of the projects we made at my card class last Monday.

Here's a side view:

And an inside view:

As you can see, there are 2 different pieces of card stock making up the tri-fold card base. The bottom (Riding Hood Red) piece measures 5 1/2" x 6 1/2" and is scored 2 1/4" from the shorter edge. The Very Vanilla layer measures 5" x 8 1/2" and is scored 1 1/2" & 5 1/2" from the shorter edge. Then you lay the Very Vanilla layer inside the Riding Hood Red layer with the shorter flaps together. The larger flap of the Very Vanilla layer is punched with the Eyelet Border Punch.

The oval stamp is from the Oval All set in the Occasions Mini Catalog and is punched out with the Large Oval Punch and layered with a Scallop Oval Punch (which is also available in the mini).
Happy Stampin!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Viva Fiesta!

Today marks the beginning of a 2-week long celebration here in San Antonio, Texas called Fiesta! Being an implant here, I really don't know the history behind this celebration. All I know is that the next 2 weeks are filled with lots of parties, parades and a carnival. I am going to a spouses' luncheon today where we'll be celebrating Fiesta. We were asked to make and bring a "Fiesta" wreath. What is a Fiesta wreath, you may ask? The most I can tell you is that they are brightly colored (the brighter the better) and have flowing ribbons hanging down from them. Here's what I came up with:

I think my favorite part of this wreath are the butterflies. They are attached to wires that make them look like they are flying around the flowers.

Viva Fiesta!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

My Easter Sweater

I hope y'all had a wonderful Easter. We had a quiet day at home after dressing up and going to church in the morning. I thought I'd share the sweater tank top that I knit for myself... and finished in time to wear on Easter. The pattern is called Soleil.
When searching for the yarn to make this sweater, I wasn't planning on getting this color. I was thinking a color close to Tempting Turquoise or Taken with Teal would look nice to coordinate with the skirt. It was a good thing I brought the skirt along while yarn shopping, because this shade of Cameo Coral turned out to be the perfect match! Who knew that yarn companies use Stampin' Up! colors too?! :)

This is the second sweater I've knit. It was relatively easy, since it was mostly knit. I did alter the pattern a little bit. I added length to it so that the lace at the bottom was lower than my waistline (showing my belly button in church is frowned upon). To prevent the armholes and neckline edges from rolling, I had to do a backwards crochet stitch. This was a new thing for me. Thanks to my Stitch & Bitch friends for the suggestion--it really did the trick!
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On the stampin' front, I am currently working on designing the projects for my upcoming Just Cards Class on Tuesday, April 21. If you're interested in coming to the class, let me know! My contact info is on my Stampin' Up! Website.
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Happy Stampin... and Knittin!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Brag Book... a great Mother's Day Gift!

With Mother's Day just around the corner (May 10), I recently held a class for this project:

Stamp Sets: Great Friend, Baroque Motif, Define Your Life, All Holidays
Accessories: Big Shot, Serif Essentials Alphabet die, Scallop Circle die, Background 1 Texturz Plate, Jumbo Eyelets, 5/8" grosgrain ribbon and sanding block.
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Using clear translucent envelopes for the inner pages gives you a place to simply slip in 4x6 photos for a wonderful Mother's Day gift that any mom or grandma would LOVE to show off! You could even step it up a notch and create mini scrapbook pages. If you'd like to give this project a try, check out the tutorial for the basic brag book construction on SCS.

If you haven't noticed the April Special flyer to the right, be sure to check it out. When you order at least $40 in products from the Occasions Mini catalog (before s/h & tax), you will get to choose a stamp from page 208 of the Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog--up to a $9.95 value--for FREE! You can also earn a free stamp from that page if you host a workshop with $150 in sales (along with the usual hostess benefits)! If you'd like to place an order or host a workshop (in your home or via catalog/email), please give me a call or shoot me an email... or order online through my website. This offer ends April 30!

Happy Stampin!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Moe Monster Knits for a Baby Girl...

Are you wondering what in the world the title means? No, it's not a typo! Well, I have been knitting more baby stuff... the adorable hat pattern is called Moe and you may recognize the monster baby booties.
I had already made the hat and booties when I went shopping for the dress... isn't it perfect?! This sweet little ensemble was for a woman in my husband's office who just had a baby girl--Chloe.
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Here's a close-up of the card:
Stamp Sets: Forest Friends, Nursery Necessities, Frames with a Flourish
Accessories: Organza Ribbon, Eyelet Border punch, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds 1Texturz Plate
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Happy Stampin!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

"Create" on canvas!

As Randy on Idol would say, Check this out!

Because we live in military housing and know we won't be here forever, I wanted to attach the Decor Elements Create Definition to a movable surface. So I applied it to a pre-made stretched canvas that I found at a big box store.
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Prior to applying the DE to the canvas, I first painted it with a mixture of white acrylic paint and Baja Breeze ink refill. My first attempt at this step was not exactly successful. Since I have dabbled in many different crafts over the years, I thought, Hey! I have white acrylic paint in my stash! *Note that this paint has probably been in my paint stash box for half of the 17+ years I've been married AND has been moved half a dozen times. So, it wasn't a surprise that it was a "bit" clumpy and didn't create that nice smooth surface I was hoping for--but not because of a lack of me trying. :) After a few hours of trying to pick off the little clumps and wondering if the little marks from where the clumps used to be on the canvas added "texture & interest" to the look, I ended up ditching the clumpy paint--both huge bottles of it--and going out and splurging another $1 to buy a brand new bottle. And, boy, did that make all the difference in the world!
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In all its' glory, this inspirational canvas is hanging above my creative crafting space. It would be a perfect addition to the decor in anyone's creative space--whether it's on the wall or on another surface.

Be Creative, while you're
Happy Stampin!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Tree of Life... from Forest Friends.

Here's a simple "manly" card I made yesterday using the tree from the Forest Friends stamp set in the Occasions Mini catalog. It's a get well soon card for someone who just found out he has cancer.

I used the marker to stamp technique: inking the trunk and branches with a Close to Cocoa marker, then inking the leaves with an Always Artichoke marker and, finally, huffing (breathing hot, moist air) onto the stamp and stamping! I love this technique!
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Do you notice the texture on the striped designer paper? That is one of the new (in the Spring-Summer IB&C) textured cover-weight card stock designer papers: To the Nines! If you check out page 158 in the IB&C, you will see there are 3 styles of this type of paper to choose from (Parisian Breeze, To the Nines & Sweet Slumber), along with another style that has a glossy design (Rockability). When you see these papers up close and have a chance to touch and feel them, you will be amazed!
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Happy Stampin!