Bright and Beautiful & More

Hi there!  Sorry that I've been absent the last couple of days.  Been busy with other things called life.  Today I'm sharing samples from the Christmas Card Workshop our team hosted on two different days and locations.  The above card was designed by team member, Cheryl Renth.  She used the Bright and Beautiful stamp set from the Stampin' Up! 2014 Holiday Catalog.  Cheryl chose a rich color palette of Blackberry Bliss and Hello Honey. 

The next card is by Jayne Singleton.  She used a retired set, Come to Bethlehem, in Night of Navy.

Just the right amount of pizzazz was added with the Silver Glimmer banner and a rhinestone in the center of the star.  A stunning card in real life.

Punched out circles make up the tree for Kim Coulter's card.  She also added some bling by using Champagne Glimmer paper for some of the circles and the star.

The "Merry Christmas" stamp can be found in the Sassy Salutations set, which contains sentiments for several occasions in this same whimsical font. 

Who doesn't love snowmen?  Mary Taylor created this darling guy! 

Mary used the Top Note Bigz die for this adorable guy.  The Soft Sky background was textured with the Decorative Dots embossing folder, whereas, the Delicate Designs and Fancy Fan embossing folders were used on the hat. 

Sally Nusbaum's card was erroneously left out of my samples.  She used the Endless Wishes set.  I'll post her card whenever I receive it.  My card was in an earlier post that can be seen here.

That does it for this week.  Hope you have a great weekend and thanks so much for stopping in today!

Hexagon Wreath

Hi there!  Life got in the way of posting this past Thursday and Friday but I'm back with one of the cards that everyone made at our Christmas Card Workshops.  This year we expanded to include a South location besides our North location.  Cheryl Renth, Jayne Singleton, Kim Coulter, Mary Taylor, and Sally Nusbaum comprised the rest of the Demonstrator team.  Our Christmas Card Workshop at the South location was held this past Saturday.  It went very well and we thank you and appreciate you for making this event a success!   A big thanks also goes out to the team for filling in during for my absence while I was attending my family reunion.  The other five cards will be posted after I collect my supplies and samples from the team.

Must get busy on that to-do list.  Thank you for popping in today!

All Stampin' Up supplies used unless otherwise stated. 

Stamps: Sassy Salutations 

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Mossy Meadow, Vanilla 

Ink: Cherry Cobbler 

Tools: Circle from Itty Bitty Punch Pack (retired), Tiny Triangles embossing folder 

Other:  Linen Thread, Dimensionals, glue dots

Upright Diamond Fold

Hi there!  Today I have a fancy fold for you.  This was a make n take project from the girls getaway retreat back in January that I forgot to share.  Cheryl Renth had the kits ready for us, so I don't have measurements.  Here is a link to Splitcoaststampers for directions.  Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper by Stampin' Up! was used on the above sample.  A sentiment from Peachy Keen was stamped onto a banner and secured to some 3/4" Chevron ribbon to make a belly band.  Below is the open view. 

This card will not fit in a standard A2 size envelope since it measures 3-1/2" x 6-1/4".  You could use a legal size envelope - with room to spare.  Pretty cool, huh?  Come back tomorrow for another version.

That's it for now.  Thank you for dropping by today!

Spring Fling Make n Takes

 Hi there!  Sorry for the late post sharing the make n takes from Saturdays Spring Fling 

organized by Sally Nusbaum - with the help of Kim Coulter and Cheryl Renth.  The above 

card is showcasing the new Stampin' Up! Ampersand embossing folder, which is found in the 2014 Occasions Catalog (page22).  A piece of gold Foil Sheet was used, as well as gold Washi tape and gold Baker's Twine.   

Our next make n take also uses a piece of the gold Foil Sheet.  This time it peeks out from underneath a piece of gold Fancy Foil Designer Vellum.  Here again, gold Baker's Twine was used.  

The sentiment is from Perfect Pennants (found on page 27 of the Occasions Catalog).  It was stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed using gold embossing powder.

The same patterns in silver can also be found in Fancy Foil Designer Vellum, as used for the following card.

A different sentiment from The Perfect Pennants stamp set was used - only this time, we stamped the sentiment with silver Encore ink.  The banners were cut out with the Banners Framelits Dies.

Isn't this a fun card?  The background was made with Washi tape.  Love Washi tape!  It is so easy to use.  Gold Baker's Twine was wrapped around the panel a couple of times and embellished with a strip of Gold Sequin Trim and a button from the Very Vintage Designer Buttons collection.  This time a sentiment from a Sale-A-Bration freebie set is used, called See Ya Later.  Cute, cute, cute!

Our last project has become very popular on the internet.  You may have seen similar boxes.  What a presentation for the recipient!  It  wasn't difficult - just a little more time consuming but so worth it!  Cheryl did a lot of advance prep work, which made it go quicker.  Here again, the same elements are used as those in the above projects.  The sentiments are from See Ya Later and Just Sayin'.  Modern Medley Designer Series Paper (found in the Annual Catalog) was used on the panels and for some of the banners.

Here's a better view of the inside workings of the box.  The great thing about this box - it folds flat for mailing! 

What awesome projects, huh?  I just can't express how much I love being a part of Stampin' Up! and among such creative talent!

Not sure what is going on with Blogger today - spacing is all wonky.  I've tried to fix it but it's not happening.  Sooo, I'll sign off for now.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Bokeh

Hi there and happy Friday!  Here's another technique we learned at the retreat last month.  Cheryl Renth showed us how to do bokey (pronounced bo KAY), which is a background technique borrowed from the photography world.  You can watch this video to learn how to make your own works of art.  The polaroid looking frame and camera were cut from a new product called On Film Framelits, which appears in the 2014 Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog. 

Here is the second sample we did, which is my favorite color combination.

The Silver Glimmer butterfly really adds the finishing touch!  The sentiment from Best of Greetings was stamped and punched out with the Decorative Label punch.

That's all for now.  Have a great weekend and thank you for stopping in to visit!

People Like You

Hi there!  What a great day we had yesterday temperature-wise and fun-wise at our Card Buffet!  Thank you all so much for coming out to support us!  Our February Buffet is next Sunday, Feb 2 at DeLeo's in Florissant from 11 am - 4 pm.  (Yikes! Can you believe next week is February already?)  We were limited on dates because of our schedules and the availability of the room.  Soooo, next week it is!  Come on out and join us on Superbowl Sunday if you're not a football fan or attending Superbowl parties.  We'll have our own Super fun!
Last week I promised to show you the shoebox swaps from our girls weekend retreat.  The first card above is Cheryl Renth's swap showcasing a new set from the Stampin' Up! 2014 Occasions Catalog called People Like You.  It required some watercoloring (on watercolor paper), which is not my forte but I really like this set.  The embossed panel is the new Decorative Dots embossing folder.  Love it!  The colors used for this card are Garden Green, Pistachio Pudding, and Cantaloupe Crisp.  The sentiment is part of the set, too.

Sale-a-bration starts tomorrow!  Woo hoo!  That means you earn a FREE stamp set for every $50 you spend!  If you'd like to place an order and do not have a Demonstrator, please contact me or order from my online store here.

Thank you so much for stopping in today!

Postage Due

Hi there!  I'm back with another vintage card and the last sample from our Christmas Card Workshop.  The "poinsettia" was assembled from pieces punched out with the Mosaic punch.  A bit of texture was added to the flower "petals" by using the Petals a Plenty embossing folder.  Everything has been distressed with Soft Suede ink.  Using a 1-1/4" circle base to build the flower makes the process much easier.  Begin with four "petals" positioned North, South, East, and West with the tips of the "petals" meeting at approximately the middle point of the circle.  The top layer of "petals" are offset.  A Champagne Glimmer flower adds some bling to the center and hides the points underneath.  Adhere the "leaves" to the back of the circle.  The "poinsettia" is then adhered to the card base with Dimensionals.

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted. 

Stamps: Post Card, Teeny Tiny Wishes (outside greeting), More Merry Messages (inside greeting) 

Paper: Always Artichoke, Real Red, Soft Suede, Vanilla, Champagne Glimmer 

Ink: Real Red, Soft Suede 

Tools: 1-1/4” circle punch, Mosaic Punch, Petals a Plenty EF, flower from Itty Bitty pack

Other:  Soft Suede Taffeta ribbon, sponges, glue dots, Dimensionals

Inspiration: Cheryl Renth’s swap – June 2013

Have a great weekend and thank you for stopping in today!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi there and happy Turkey Day!  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!  Love turkey and dressing -  and no pressure of gift giving!
The stamp set used on the above card is Tags 4 You and is paired with Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper.  It was one of the cards I made at Sally, Kim, and Cheryl's Card Buffet.  Here is another one from their Buffet.

The same DSP was used, along with the Harvest of Thanks stamp set.  These items can be found in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog.  All products in the Holiday catalog will be available until Jan 2, 2014.
Didn't have a chance to post yesterday - had the granddaughter visiting.  She, my brother-in-law, and I played Old Maid.  Boy, it's been a long time since I played that card game!  lol  I taught her how to play War.  Remember that card game?  She enjoyed learning it. 
Must go to get ready to feast with the family! 
Have a safe holiday and thank you for stopping in for a visit!  I am truly grateful for all of you!

Christmas Collectibles

Hi there!  I'm back with another card made at the Card Buffet last month hosted by Sally Nusbaum, Kim Coulter, and Cheryl Renth.  This is a Z fold card.  (Directions can be found by doing a Google search.)  Three sizes of the Window Frames Collection Framelits were used for the front layers.  The gold layer was cut from Stampin' Up!s foil sheets found in the Holiday catalog (page 28).  The ornament was stamped using an image from the Christmas Collectibles set (page 35 of the Holiday catalog), then punched out with the Christmas Ornament punch.  As in yesterday's card, the envelope is lined to coordinate with the card.

That's all for now.  Must pack up for our Card Buffet at DeLeo's tomorrow.  Have a great weekend and thank you so much for stopping in today!

Color Me Christmas

Hi there!  Today I'm sharing a card I made at the Card Buffet hosted by Sally Nusbaum, Kim Coulter, and Cheryl Renth last month.  When I first saw the Color Me Christmas set in the Stampin' Up! Holiday catalog, it didn't appeal to me.  Since then, I've had a change of heart.  There have been so many cute cards made with this set posted on the internet!  Love this sentiment from Christmas Messages, too!  The card base was cut from our Circle Thinlits die.  Below is what the card looks like open.

Notice the lined envelope?  We used the new Envelope Liners Framelit die to make the liner, which can be found on page 37 of the Holiday catalog.  (You can peruse the catalog by clicking on the picture of the Holiday catalog on the right side bar.)  The Season of Style Designer Series Paper was used for both the card and envelope.

Must run for now.  Thanks for stopping in today!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone!  I'm jumping right in with a card perfect for today.  Isn't this cute?  I made it at a Holiday Card Buffet earlier this month hosted by Sally Nusbaum, Kim Coulter, and Cheryl Renth.  They are some talented ladies and good friends.  The Circle Thinlits was used for the big eyeball.  Below is the open card.

The "hair" was hand cut and additional eyes were made from punches for the inside of the card.  My granddaughter should get a kick out of this card!

Here is another card made at the same event.

The Envelope Punch Board was used to make the "file folder".  Some Washi tape was added on the front edge and to one of the coffee cups, which are from Perfect Blend set.  Those spiders....Cheryl made her own stamp using our Undefined stamp carving kit.  Wasn't she the clever one!  The insert can be used for a gift card, a message, a photo....  So many possibilities for this type of card!

Before signing off, the last Thank You Thursday special is...

If you want to place an order TODAY, please go to my online store here or contact me (information on the right side bar and in the header).  Don't forget about the Weekly Deals seen here.  The Weekly Deal prices are good through Monday, Nov 4th. Thank you!

Have a safe Halloween and thank you for stopping in today!

Fall Regional Swaps

Hi there!  Hope you had a great weekend!  Mine was awesome!  Had a family reunion on Saturday, which was a lot of fun seeing all the cousins - and their kids and now grandkids!  We had a good time despite the rain and drop in temperature.  Sunday was our Card Buffet and that was fun, too.  We have the best friends/customers!  Thank you all for coming and supporting us!
Well, today I'm sharing some of the swaps received at the Fall "Regional" held September 28th (organized by Sally Nusbaum).  The one above is by Denise Wisdom.  I love how she added some ribbon to make a "scarf" for the snowman!  So clever. 

Isn't this file folder made by Cheryl Renth the cutest?  It was made with our new Envelope Punch Board.  So glad I bought one - love it!  The snowflakes were cut out with our Festive Flurry Framelits found in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog.

Ann Nahm was the designer of this understated beauty!  The Glimmer paper star really adds a nice sparkly finishing touch!

While we're on Christmas trees, this one is by Kathy Morales.  She embossed around the focal image using a Labels Framelit - not sure if you can see that.  It's an elegant looking card with a vintage feel.

That's it for now.  Come back tomorrow for some more swaps.  Must start getting ready for a stamping weekend with other Demonstrators at the Lake of the Ozarks.  This is another fun event organized by Sally Nusbaum.  Woohoo! 
Thanks for stopping by today!

Sally's Fall Regional

Hi there!  Hope you had a great weekend!  I sure did!  Saturday was an all day Demo event.  Stampin' Up! announced they were no longer having Fall Regionals.  Soooo...Sally Nusbaum being the organizer of previous local events for us Demonstrators, stepped up to the plate to plan a St Louis "Fall Regional".  It was FABULOUS!!!  The projects were awesome!  Of course, she had help from Cheyrl Renth, Jayne Singleton, and Kim Coulter designing projects and others helping with various tasks.  You know - it takes a village.  There was kind of an an owl theme with the decor, so Sally's team of helpers was affectionaly known as the "Hooter" girls.  lol  Everyone received the cute little owl bag above packed with treats.  Sally ordered them from Current found here.  This event was run a bit differently than those in the past.  The attendees signed up to bring a food item to share with the group, rather than have it catered.  Wow, we have some great cooks - lunch was the best and so much of it!  Yum!  OK, now for a look at some of the projects we made:

Cheryl had "Fall" so her projects were designed around that season.  The stamp set Truly Grateful used on this card can be found in the Holiday catalog.  Next we have a treat bag. The scarecrow is made from the Top Note die and Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper.

Isn't this adorable?  Love it!  This is what we had to put inside.  Cheryl already had this packaged for us.  The cello bag contains packaged apple cider mix, a cinnamon stick, and some candy corn to fix a warm drink on a chilly night.  (Click on the photo if you want to read the poem.)

See what I mean about the projects?  That's it for today.  Come back tomorrow for "Halloween" by Kim Coulter.  Thanks for stopping in today!

Oops!

Hi there!  I had a great day with my stamping peeps today and really great cards from the shoebox swap that we did!
It was brought to my attention by a kind reader (yay! a reader!) that I posted the same card twice this month.  Oops, sorry about that!  Guess I really liked that card.  lol  So here's a different card to make up for that little blunder. 

This is actually a 3x3 fridge magnet (or it could be a small notecard) showcasing a technique that Cheryl Renth demo'd at Pam D'Urso's stamping retreat last month. It's the white wash technique.  You may have seen it on other blogs.  Line art images work best for this technique.  Stamp your image with Versamark, sprinkle some white embossing powder onto piece, then heat set.  Let it cool for a minute.  Stampin' Up! White Craft Ink, which is a pigment ink, was applied sparingly with an aqua pen - as if white washing.  I prefer dipping my aqua pen into a small well of water, then picking up some White Craft Ink that has been pressed into the lid of the stamp pad.  The water thins the ink and helps to achieve that "white wash" look.  When that layer dries, a color (or colors) of your choice can be applied by using markers and a blending pen to color and shade your image.  In this sample I used the marker around the inside perimeter of each bloom, then  "pulled" the color towards the center of the bloom with the blender pen.  Make sure your project is completely dry before trying to glue it to anything. 

OK, need to get to bed.  Hope the rest of your weekend is awesome!  Thanks for stopping in!

                                                                                                                   

Mosaic Madness Meets Christmas!

Hi there!  Hope you had an awesome weekend.  I sure did!  Had a fun 50th anniversary party on Saturday and our Card Buffet on Sunday.  Fun times! 
Today I'm sharing one of the swaps made at Pam D'Urso's Demo retreat the beginning of this month.  Our challenge was to make a one-layer card and no more than two embellishments.  Talk about a challenge!  This was a tough one for me.  The above card was Cheryl Renth's swap using the Modern Mosaic stamp set to make the poinsettia.  How clever is that?  I forgot to add my sentiment and had to do so after returning home.  The Petite Pairs set was used - don't remember what set Cheryl used. 

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Mosaic Madness, Petite Pairs
Paper: White
Ink: Real Red, Pear Pizzazz
Other: Pearl

That's all for today.  Must tackle my to-do list and probably go to the grocery store.  I've procrastinated long enough and am forced to go shopping since we're out of most of the basics!  Have a great day and thank you so much for stopping in today!