Friends 24-7

It's great to have friends, and I am fortunate to have a lot of people I consider really good friends in my life. I have friends that I've known for over 20 years, some I've known for a few years and then friends that I just recently met. I have A LOT of online friends that I have either met or will meet this summer. That's the great thing about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is all the wonderful friends I have made in person and online because of our passion for stamping! Here's a card I made today for the color challenge I'm hostessing this week. I have favorite colors and I use them a lot. I can honestly say that the only color in this color challenge that I use regularly is Kraft. The others, not so much. So, this was a huge challenge for me. The colors are: Kraft, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, and Pink Pirouette. On my card I also used Mellow Moss because, well leaves and stems have to be green! I absolutely adore the set Friends 24-7, that's how I feel about my online friends! Since we live all over the US and several in Canada, we tend to chat at all hours of the day and night. We just never know who's going to be online when we get on our message board and that's the fun of it. We share a lot. We help each other through all kinds of life challenges. For this I'm grateful and I truly love my 24-7 friends!
All products from Stampin' Up!:
Stamp set: Friends 24-7
Ink: Basic Black, Perfect Plum, Perfect Plum marker, Pale Plum Marker, Mellow Moss Marker
Paper: Kraft, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Pink Pirouette, Shimmery White
Accessories: Curly Label punch, small oval punch, large oval punch, eyelet border punch, eggplant grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals

I'm off to work on some other challeges and to start planning some pages for the scrapbook retreat I attend next weekend.

Mardi Gras Color Challenge

I belong to a really active group of online demos. Yesterday one of my friend's posted a Mardi Gras Color Challenge. I was gone all day but sat down to play with it today. It was really hard to take a picture of this card because of the embossing but I think I got one that you can see! All products from Stampin' Up!
Stamp set: Fifth Avenue Floral (this set promises to be a fav of mine)
Paper: Taken with Teal, Basic Black, Elegant Eggplant
Ink: Gold craft
Accessories: Gold embossing powder, Black grosgrain ribbon, gold cording (NLA but was in our Holiday Mini)

Today Lent has officially begun, for me that's always a signal that Spring is around the corner. Hard to believe that February is almost over. Until tomorrow....

For a friend..

Friday was a good friend's birthday. I use to work with her and still do on occasion but I didn't get a chance to run by and see her on Friday. I put the finishing touches on her birthday presents yesterday and will drop them off to her today. I had made her a name frame several years ago and had noticed that it faded significantly. Her office is in direct sunlight! Anyway, I decided to make her a new one. She really like bold patterns and bright colors, so this is what I did for her. I also got her a little stand for it since the place she use to hang it on the wall is no longer working for her. I had fun using my Big Shot and my flower embosslits to create this frame. I also used the leaf Sizzlet and Rasberry Tart Designer series paper. Oh, and I did use my Inspiration for cutting the letters. As much as I do love my Big Shot and the alphabets I have with it, I love having my Inspiration to cut any size letter, in any font I have on my computer. The letters were run through the Big Shot and textured using the Texturz plate. It's hard to see the texture in the photo but it looks great in person. While I was at it, I made her a card using matching paper. I love the way this card turned out! All products from Stampin' Up:

Stamp set: Sincere Salutations

Paper: Regal Rose, Rose Red, Pink Pirouette, Rasperry Tart DSP, Vellum cardstock

Ink: Rose Red

Accessories: Pretties Pearl, Fleuerttes, 5/8 inch Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Up Backgrounds Texturz Plates #1, Stampin' Up Beautiful Butterfilies die, dimensionals

**You can't see it on the photo, but the vellum butterfly was run through the Big Shot using the texturz plate. The larger butterfly's wings are popped up using dimensionals.

Have a marvelous Monday everyone!!

Wow..it's been a week!

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted. Now that I look back it was a very busy week and I didn't feel good a few days so I guess I'll cut myself some slack. I do have some fun projects I've been working on so I know I can fill a few days this week with those. Here's a card I created using my new comforter for inspiration! That's part of why my week was so busy last week, I did a ton of "spring cleaning" and outfitted our bedroom with some new furnishings. See the comforter below.

When I saw it, for some reason I just fell in love with it. When I got up yesterday morning, I grabbed my pencil and pad and sketched it out because it dawned on me that the pattern was perfect for a card! I had the set Puns from the Past from the minute it came out in the Fall/Winter catalog but I hadn't used it. As soon as I got through with the sketch, I knew this set would be perfect for it!

All products from Stampin' Up!:

Stamp set: Puns from the Past

Paper: Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip, Basic Black

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White Craft

Accessories: 1 3/4 inch circle punch, White embossing powder, heat tool

Easy peasy card, and I love the way it turned out! I may have to try another one today using a different color palette! Enjoy your Sunday everyone!

Gifts I sent my friend

You'll know I participated in a cupid swap with some online demo friends. Today, I'm going to show you the things I sent my secret friend. The first one is a card folio. I had so much fun making this project and will be offering it as a class soon. The folio is made out of cardstock and holds, mini 3x3 love note cards, regular A2 sized cards and legal sized cards. I also included a matching beaded pen. I used the Rasberry Tart DSP on this project (it has become a fast favorite of mine). The picture shows the folio closed, open and then all the goodies inside as well.

Her gift she opened yesterday was a CD envelope album and I also sent her a book on making mini albums. I knew she enjoyed making mini albums like I do and thought the book would giver her some new ideas. I was so excited that she loved it all.

I spent today doing some cleaning out and rearranging. Not a fun job but a fairly productive day. I had hoped to stamp, but that didn't happen. I'm hoping to get back to the stamp room tomorrow and work on some projects for upcoming classes, workshops, and club meetings!

Have a great week everyone!

Two more days of Cupid gifts

Yesteday and today, I opened my last two days of Cupid gifts. I have to say that I was blown away by what my Secret Cupid did for me. Her gifts were beautiful and honestly, I'm quite speechless. She wrote in her note that she was intimidated when she learned she was going to be my cupid. While I appreciate the fact that she holds me in "high esteem" (her words), I can't imagine why she would be worried because her gifts are amazing and she is truly a wonderful stamper and a great friend. Pam, you rock and I can't thank you enough for the wonderful gifts you gave me. They truly made my week (and made my DH a little jealous too..LOL)!

Here's my day two gifts. I would have posted last night but was feeling a little under the weather. The best thing is I have a spot in my stamp room for this framed art! I had a strip of wall just begging for something to be put up there and now I have it! Pamela, took three square frames and using the Bella Birds paper made a nice background for her art. She then used the new Birds & Branches die and the Sweetest Stem embosslet to create the art. She added in a great quote from the Friends 24/7 stamp set as well. So, now I have great one of a kind artwork for my Stamping room walls made by the one and only Pamela! Oh, and to top if off she sent me a little box of chocolates too....who wouldn't love a gift like this??

Below is today's gift. There are two shots, one is the packaged tin and one is after I opened it up. Inside the tin is what I like to call a day at the spa...there are some great Cherry Blossom products from Bath and Body works, a nail file, some clear nail polish, and a lip balm. These were all painstakingly covered using the paper from the Sweet Nothings Simply Scrappin' Kit which happens to be a favorite of mine (I wonder how she knew that)! Anyway, all I can say I WOW and I can't thank Pamela enough for being my Secret Cupid! From reading the posts, my cupid has been enjoying her gifts as well. I'll be sharing those projects tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Dear Friend

Tomorrow is one of my dear friend's birthday. Yes, she is a Valentine's baby and today I had lunch with her. She always gets a lot of Valentiney birthday cards so I wanted to make her something that was totally different. I love this set from the Spring/Summer catalog called Friends 24/7. That would describe our relationship for the past 35 years! Yes, we've been friends since Junior High School. We got way back and we share a lot of memories and secrets. I love the way this card turned out and she loved it too which makes it all the nicer.
All products from Stampin' Up!
Stamp sets: Friends 24/7, Friendly Words Wheel
Ink: Chocolate Chip. Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze, Versamark
Paper: Kraft, Baja Breeze (textured), Whisper White, Chocloate Chip
Accessories: Old Olive marker, Kraft Corduroy button, hemp twine, dimensionals, jumbo wheel handle, Chocolate Chip marker, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plates, Chocolate Library Clip, sponges

Happy Birthday Dear Friend!

Thoughts and Prayers

When I saw this set in the new catalog, I knew it was one I would have to have. I fell in love with it immediately. Besides the two beautiful images, the words stamps on this set are exactly what I've been wanting for a long time. I don't like making sympathy cards just because of the circumstances in which you make them. But, as we all get older they become more and more of a reality. This set, has just the right words that most times we find it hard to say. For that I am very thankful. All products from Stampin' Up!

Stamp set: Thoughts and Prayers

Paper: Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Parisain Breeze Specialty DSP

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Eyelet border punch, dimensionals, Chocolate corduroy button, white get pen, sponge, Dog tag punch

Tomorrow is a busy day for me but I hope to get a card posted that I made for a friend for her birthday. Have a great Friday everyone!

Cupid is in da' house...LOL!

So I joined a cupid swap with some of my fellow demos a few weeks back. We have a little group we call Swappers Anonymous...we formed it last year before the Stampin' Up! convention when many of us signed up for probably way more swaps than we should have and we were all kind of stessing at the same time. I have to say that I have so enjoyed being a part of this amazing group of ladies who I'm proud to call my friends! This cupid swap runs three days, today, Friday and Saturday. We had to send our Cupid a small gift for each day for them to unwrap. On Friday, along with the gift we put in a card or a tag that identifies you as their Cupid. It's all so much fun and yesterday when my boxed arrived I was so excited! Luckily Ron was here so he scooped it up and took off the return address label so I wouldn't have a clue as to who has me! Anyway, back to the post...I got to open my first gift today and it's amazing. See for yourself...my cupid gift was wrapped in this bag that is covered with the Stampin' Up! designer series paper, Bella Bleu. Inside amoungst the crinkle paper.. was the little bag on the left which is also made from Bella Bleu paper and it is filled with some of the Stampin' Up! Pretties flowers and pearls! Next is the little scalloped book that is stamped with the Rooster from the hostess set, Rustic Rooster. Inside the pages are covered with more of the Bella Bleu paper and the pages have the Corinthians verse (Love is patient, Love is kind) printed on them! Last but not least, is a tin covered in Bella Bleu that once held Build a Brads but now holds yummy Hershey's Nuggets. The nuggets are wrapped in coordinating paper and tied up with a Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon. It's just a stunning set! THANK YOU so much to my wonderful cupid! I can't wait until Saturday when her identity is revealed so I can truly thank her! I realized today as I was getting ready to post this that I neglected to take a picture of my first day gift that I sent my cupid. I do have pictures of days 2 and 3 and will post them on Saturday and Sunday after my cupid has opened her gifts and knows who I am. I will also be back later today to post a card I made with the new Thoughts and Prayers set. Have a Terrific Thursday everyone!

The Triathlon of Card Making...

I had hoped to get way more done today than I did but I spent an hour looking for a stamp set that has gone AWOL! Seriously, it's missing and I have no idea where it might be. I finally gave up and decided on a different project for my club ladies when we meet on the 21st.

I did spend time today working on this card and it encompasses so many different elements that I don't know where to begin. When I was playing around with the faux metal a week or so ago, I made this little flower one and hadn't done anything with it. I decided I needed to use it. I had been wanting to try the paper medallion so I thought the flower would be a good center for the medallion. The medallion took me a little longer than I thought it would but I think part of that is the fact that I'm a visual learner and so when I don't actually see someone do something I find it hard to copy it. I got the directions off page 5 of the SAB catalog but even with their little pictures I had trouble. The last element is the great "quilted" top note. I have my friend and fellow demo Amy to thank for that. She told me how to do it one night when we were chatting and I just hadn't gotten around to trying it, but somehow I managed to get all three of these elements on this card and I actually like it! This card uses two SAB sets, the SAB designer series paper and the SAB ribbon offering. So, there's my card making triathlon story. All products from Stampin' Up!:

Stamp sets: Congrats (SAB), Polka Dot Punches (SAB)

Paper: Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Delicate Dots DSP (SAB), Metallic Silver

Ink: Basic Black, Versamark

Accessories: Silver embossing powder, 1 inch square punch, Celery Poly Twill ribbon (SAB), Top Note Die for the Big Shot, glue dots

I hope you enjoy this card. Hopefully, I'll have something new to post tomorrow. If not, check back Thursday for sure.

Big Ol' Bird Birthday Wishes

Hi all,

Sorry I was kind of MIA yesterday. I was working on taxes, and didn't have any stamping time. Today though I'm going to share with you a card based on a make and take we did at Leadership last month. Hard to believe it's been a month since I was in Orlando.

Many of you know I'm really not too fond of the big ol' ugly birds as I've come to call them but many people find them quite cute and charming including a friend who's birthday is coming up.

This card uses the new So Tweet On Board Chipboard and Good Morning Sunshine DSP. I used a variety of technique to cover the chipboard for this project. The bird body and tail feathers were covered by applying glue stick to the chipboard and covering with DSP and lightly sanding the eges. The legs and beak were covered by coloring with a Stampin' Write maker and the heart was covered with craft ink. So, it just goes to show there are a lot of ways to cover our chipboard pieces.

I hope to have some new SAB ideas for you tomorrow. Also starting Thursday I'll be posting some projects I did for a Secret Cupid swap I did with some of my online demo friends! That will be fun! We sent three gifts to our cupid and someone sent us three gifts and we unwrap one gift a day beginning on Thursday! Fun, Fun!

Toodles!

Springy Polka Dot Punches

I think today's card is a good one because it's kind of bleak and blustery outside my window today. This card reminds me of Spring that really can't be too far away especially if my allergies are any indication! It uses the great new SAB set, Polka Dot Punches. I really love this set because it does coordinate with so many of my Stampin' Up! punches.

All products from Stampin' Up!

Stamp sets: Polka Dot Punches (SAB), Short & Sweet

(Can I just say that I think Short & Sweet is the best sentiment set ever and I think everyone should own it!)

Paper: Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Delicate Dots DSP (SAB)

Ink: Craft White

Accessories: White embossing powder, Eyelet border punch, 5 petal flower punch, small oval punch, large oval punch, dimensionals

I'm off to go work on a sample for my next class. It will be a great Spring Themed Envelope Scrapbook. Have a great Saturday everyone!

Botanical Blooms Note Card Set

I had this brillant idea the other evening. You see, when I went to the Stampin' Up! regional in San Antonio a few months back we made this cute little note card set. I've been wanting to do it with my stamp club members ever since but with holiday projects and everything else, I haven't been able to fit it in. Well, as soon as I got my Botanical Blooms set on my first Sale-A-Bration order I knew it was perfect for the project. I sat down and was able to do this cute three card scallop note card set in under 30 minutes! My kind of project! I love the simplicity of this project yet, it would be a great set for a teacher, friend, or anyone you need to give a little gift too!

All products from Stampin' Up!

Stamp sets: Botanical Blooms (SAB set)

Paper: Very Vanilla, Scallop Notes (pg 157 in catalog), Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette textured, Baja Breeze Patterns DSP, Chocolate Chip Patters DSP, Bella Rose DSP

Accessories: Flower Fusion II felt flowers, Silver brads, Circle Aluminum Metal Edge Tags (large), 1 3/4 inch circle punch, Pennant die for Big Shot (large scallop), glue dots, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon

I'm so looking foward to my Stamp Club meeting later this month when I can share this project with them!

A Name Frame

I'm taking a little break today from SAB samples. I made this name frame for the new vice principal at the school where I use to teach. I still substitute there quite frequently and I absolutely love the new VP. She's fun, quirky, and speaks her mind..kind of like me! She mentioned to some of the office staff that her office looked plain and they all had "those pretty name plaque things". I had made the entire office staff name frames a few years ago. So, today I dug out my retired Crayon Kids set and went to work. All products from Stampin' Up! except I used my Pazzles Inspiration to cut out the letters for her name but I used Stampin' Up! cardstock...there is no other in my house!

Stamp sets: Crayon Kids

Paper: Summer Picnic DSP (background paper), Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Real Red, Old Olive

Ink: Basic Black, Real Red, Old Olive

Accessories: Dimensionals

The "kids" bodies were cut to lengthen them so they could hold the letters. I really love the way this turned out and can't wait to give it to her! I haven't done a name frame class in awhile, maybe it's time for another one? I forgot how much fun these are to make!

Faux Metal Polka Dot Punches

Today I'm showcasing a card that I made using the SAB set Polka Dot Punches and the faux metal technique. Shelli Gardner the founder and CEO of Stampin' Up! wrote on the front of the SAB brochure, "I love all the sets, but I don't think you'll be surprised that one of my favorites is the Polka Dot Punches set. It reminds me of the patterns that are punched into the metal on old pie cupboards..." From that moment on, I knew I had to try the faux metal technique with this set! I'm please with the results and have some other pieces I did at the same time that aren't made into cards...yet. But, I wanted to share this one because it also shows off the new Big Shot Texturz plates so well too. All products from Stampin' Up!
Stamp sets: Polka Dot Punches (SAB), Short & Sweet
Paper: Sage Shadow, Chocloate Chip, Bravo Burgandy, To the Nines Specialty DSP, Brushed Silver
Accessories: Small & Large Oval Punches, Scallop Punch, Silver embossing powder, Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, Pennant die for Big Shot (large scallop), Stampin' Up!
Backgrounds 1 Texturz plates
I hope you like it! The faux metal just doesn't photograph as well as I'd like but hopefully you can see some of the details. Have a great day!

A Little Something

I'm back today with another SAB card! This card uses two of the SAB sets, A Little Something and Polka Dot punches. It also uses the DSP and ribbon available from the SAB catalog!

All products from Stampin' Up:
Stamp sets: A Little Something (SAB), Polka Dot Punches (SAB)
Ink: Black Craft, Black Classic
Paper: Sahara Sand, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Delicate Dots DSP (SAB)
Accessories: Double Rectangle punch, Celery ribbon (SAB), 5-Petal flower punch, Black Embossing Powder, Top Note Die for Big Shot

I'll have another SAB sample for you tomorrow!

Polka Dot Butterfly

Any set that allows me to punch out images is OK in my book. Most of you know I don't mind cutting things out, in fact I kind of enjoy it BUT I do LOVE it when Stampin' Up! designs sets to match our exclusive punches! This card is made using many of the items you can earn for FREE during Sale-A-Bration! The designer series paper, the celery ribbon and the image used to make the butterfly are all SAB freebies!

All products from Stampin' Up!

Stamp sets: Polka Dot Punches (SAB set), Elegant Thank You

Ink: Black Craft

Paper: Sahara Sand, Delicate Dots (DSP-SAB)

Accessories: Black Embossing Powder, Scallop Square Punch, Large Heart Punch, Pretties Kit (hat pin, beads, pearls), Certainly Celery ribbon (SAB), Scallop Circle #2 die for Big Shot, Glue dots, Dimensionals

Check back tomorrow for another great card using this same set but in a really unique way!

It's Time for SALE-A-BRATION

Wow! We have a new idea book and catalog and SALE-A-BRATION to boot! During February and March you can earn free stamps, designer series paper and ribbon from the SAB catalog for each $50 purchase! Plus, if you order from my website:

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/roamingstamper/

you get a FREE Spring/Summer idea book and catalog. To top that off any customer placing a $100 order (on my website) in February or March will be automatically entered in a drawing to win a free stamp set (any price) of their choice. ONLINE ORDERING INFO:
When Placing your order online though my website above, you will see a Red Promotional Box at the bottom of your order form before you check out . Inside this red box you will see the amount of FREE Sale-a-bration items you will get to choose from for your order of every $50.00 in merchandise you purchase. You will need to click on the CLICK HERE in this promotional box. This will allow you to add the Sale-a-bration items to your order. There are no other prompts for this! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!

Just click on my website above to order or click on the picture to the right to see the SAB mini catalog offerings. I'll be posting lots of projects made with the SAB items this week, so check back often!

Have a "SUPER" Sunday everyone!