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!

Honeycomb Watercolor Technique

Hi there and happy Friday!  Hope you've been enjoying the cooler temperatures and have fun plans for the weekend.  My weekend is another busy one.  So without further adieu, let's get to the card.  This watercolor technique began with the Honeycomb embossing folder.  Ink was randomly sponged onto the open embossing folder with a dauber (the side with the Stampin' Up! logo), then lightly spritzed with water.  A piece of watercolor paper was placed into the embossing folder.  The embossing folder was closed and then rubbed with my fingers to transfer/move the ink.  Results will be different each time, depending on the placement of colors and amount of pressure used to rub the embossing folder.  The colors used in this sample are Blushing Bride, Crisp Cantaloupe, and Pistachio Pudding.  Various punched pieces were used to embellish the watercolor background, which is layered onto a Crisp Cantaloupe card base.  A leaf cut from Glimmer paper using the Little Leaves Sizzlit die (now retired) finishes off the card with bit of bling.

Must get packed up for a Crop later this afternoon.  Have a great weekend and thanks so much for stopping by today!

Play Ball!

Hi there!  Thought I'd post today since it didn't happen Thursday or Friday.  Our granddaughter spent the night Thursday -  'nuf said!   So, onto the card.  This is a fun fold step card from Jayne Singleton's Stamp Camp last month.  (Funny how we both made baseball themed cards but different in styles.  Great minds think alike!  I'll post mine at a later date.)  Stampin' Up! Framelits were used for the baseball and banner.  The "stitching" was accomplished with our Chevron punch.  Some Silver Glimmer stars added some pizzaz.  Great card, Jayne!

That's it for now.  Enjoy what's left of the weekend and thanks for stopping in today!

Last Out-of-the-Box Swallowtail

Hi there!  It's a new week and a new month!  AND the new 2014-15 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog goes live at noon (Pacific Time)!!!  Woo hoo!  One of the products listed in the new catalog is the Blendabilities, which was used on the above card.  This time I used the Rich Razzleberry pack.  A video can be found on Dawn Griffith's blog here with instructions for the Out-of-the-Box technique.  Oval mats of Silver Glimmer paper and Rich Razzleberry were adhered to a Pink Pirouette panel, which really helped the colors pop.

Saturday Mary Taylor and I held our New Catalog Open House.  We had a great time with everyone!  (Thank you all for your support - but mostly your friendship!)

The Stampin' Up! web site will be down until 1 pm CST.  Then I'll be able to upload the new catalog for your viewing pleasure - in case you don't have a copy. 

That's all for now.  Need to finish prepping for our Card Buffet being held at DeLeo's on Saturday.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Lovely Christmas

Hi there!  It's supposed to warm up a bit this week - like in the 40's.  Sounds good.  Meanwhile, I'll continue showcasing Christmas cards from our Christmas Card Workshop.  Christmas is just a week away!  Yikes!
The image on the above card was stamped with Stampin' Up!s popular stamp, Lovely as a Tree.  The sentiment is from More Merry Messages.  A bit of bling on the tree and Glimmer paper along the sides add the finishing touches.
Must run.  Thank you for visiting!  You're always welcome!

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, More Merry Messages

Paper: White, Island Indigo, Silver Glimmer, Winter Frost DSP

Ink: Island Indigo, Pool Party

Other:  Silver ribbon, small rhinestones, glue dots

Inspiration: SU! Holiday Catalog

 

Winter Projects

Hi there!  Today's projects are from the Fall "Regional" held this past Saturday.  Sally Nusbaum and her "Hooter" girls did an awesome job orchestrating this event for Demonstrators in the St. Louis metro area.  (The "Hooter" girls became an affectionate name for Sally's team of helpers because of the owl themed decorations.  It has nothing to do with the restaurant.)  Each girl on the design team was assigned a season.  Jayne Singleton designed Winter projects.  You should see this bag tag in real life.  It is so sparkly!  Love it - and how about that Tiffany colored gift bag, too!  It just happens to match our Winter Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP), which can be found on page 29 of the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog.

Jayne's next project is this beautiful card.  Wow, you almost need shades!  It REALLY sparkles in real life!

Winter Frost DSP and Silver Glimmer paper is used on both projects.  (Glimmer paper can be found in the Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog.)  The snowflakes were made with products from the Festive Flurry bundle - the stamp set and coordinating Framelits die.  The Framelits makes cutting out the snowflake shape a snap!  The center of the snowflake is embellished with our beautiful Frosted Finishes Embellishments (found on page 28 of the Holiday Catalog).  We even lined our envelope with some more beautiful DSP cut out using the new Envelope Liner Framelit die (page 37 of the Holiday Catalog).
See what I mean about the awesome projects!  Come back tomorrow for Sally's Christmas projects.

Now on to some business.  With a new month comes a new "Best of" stamp set.  This month it is Christmas.  Here is a link to go to my online store to order or to see other products and more information.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

We also offer a Holiday Collection of single stamps that can be seen here.

How about hosting a Workshop or just having a catalog party to earn extra FREE products!

Stampin' Up! is offering an extra $25 for Hostesses this month!  Details can be viewed here.

But wait!  There's more!

Yes, that's right....you can become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator for just $25!  Click here for more information (scroll down past the balloons).  This offer begins Oct 7th and only lasts two weeks (until Oct 21).  Get ready to join Oct 7th!  I'd love to have you on my team!  We have FUN!

Are you noticing a theme here?  Stampin' Up! is celebrating their 25th anniversary and celebrating by offering you these terrific promotions!  Please contact me if you have questions about anything.


Now, on a local level - our annual Christmas Card Workshop registration has been extended for another week.  So if you were planning to attend, get your registration in the mail!  Contact me at jsumner731@sbcglobal.net, if you need a form or have any questions.  The date of the Workshop is Oct 26th.

Sunday (Oct 6th) Mary Taylor, Marla Schack, and I are hosting our Card Buffet at DeLeo's Cafe & Deli in Florissant, MO.  If you want to make 8 cards for $12, come on by!  We ask that you please bring your own adhesive.
 
Sorry about the long post.  There's just so much to tell you!  Need to sign off now to work on my long "to-do" list.  Thank you for stopping in for a visit today!

All Things Beach-y

Hi there!  What a crazy, busy week this has turned out to be!  One of the many things that has kept me busy is making invitations (and addressing them using my mad calligraphy skills! ha) for our daughter and future son-in-law's beach wedding.  It will be a small gathering of family present for the ceremony.  The real party will follow a week later here in St Louis!
I chose to make a pocket type card to include an insert with all the pertinent information.  The flip flops were scaled down from a pattern found on the internet.  The white "thong" pieces sparkle with the help of Stampin' Up!s Dazzling Diamonds and the pearl was just the right finishing touch.  The Crumb Cake pocket was sponged with Sahara Sand and Crumb Cake inks to get a sandy beach effect.  It was then lightly misted with a mixture of alcohol and Champagne Mist (now retired) for a subtle sparkle.  The shell is from the By the Tide stamp set.  A little Blushing Bride ink (how fitting, huh?  lol) was sponged inside of the shell for a little definition.
The insert representing the "ocean" was sponged with Marina Mist and Soft Sky inks.  Circle punches were used to make the "wedding rings" out of some metallic cardstock (non-SU).  The "diamond" was from our silver Glimmer paper.
The invitations  look so much better in real life - very sparkly.  They were delivered to the future bride and groom earlier this week to be mailed.  They both were very happy with the final product.  Whew!  lol 

OK, must run to meet with a friend to help celebrate her last chemo treatment!!!  Hope you have a great weekend and thank you for stopping by today!

Snow Much Fun

Hi there!  Going through some cards that didn't make the cut for Stamp Camps, swaps, or this years Christmas card for various reasons.  The above snowman card in non-traditional Christmas colors is one of the outcasts.  I really like the card but it's too labor intensive for my purposes.

Stamps: Snow Much Fun
Paper: Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake, Silver Glimmer
Ink: Black StazOn, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzelberry, Craft White
Other: Blender pen
Inspiration: Joan Daily   www.joansdailystampede.blogspot.com  (Nov 18, 2011 post)

That's all for now.  Thank you for stopping in today!

Last Stamp Camp Card

Hi there and happy Friday!  I'll conclude the week with the final Stamp Camp card from this past Saturday.  The inspiration for this V-Latch technique came from Barb Mullikin's site.  I wanted to use a standard A-2 size card so a minor adjustment to the top measurement was made.  To make it easier for the girls, I made up a template for them to use as a tool in making the correct measurements.  But if you want to try this, measure in 2" from the right side, then from the top of card measure down 2-1/8", which is the halfway point.  Adhere your 2" DSP strip to the right inside edge of card.  With card closed, poke a hole through both layers at that center point marking. Next place opened card front in your trimmer and make a diagonal cut from the center hole to the bottom corner of the card.  Flip around and cut the inside of card from the center hole to the top corner. (Be careful not to rip your DSP since the thickness of this cut is a little more.)  Now you have a V-Latch card!  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Here is the card open to give you a better idea what it looks like:

  

Stamps: Word Play (W-120308, C-120561)

Paper: White, Real Red, Night of Navy, Silver Glimmer, Big Top DSP – Red w/White stars * (122348)

Ink: Night of Navy

Tools:  Stars #2 die * (113461), Dimensionals, ruler, poker tool, hole placement template, acrylic block

V-Latch Fold Inspiration: Barb Mullikin at  http://www.barbstamps.com posted on May 19, 2011

* Available until May 31, 2012

Remember!  The new catalog comes out June 1st, so get those items on the Retiring Lists you've wanted before they're gone!

Well, if you read my post yesterday you know we took our granddaughter to the park for a little picnic and fishing.  She has become terrified of geese - and of course there were a couple that swam over and got out to come closer to us.  Wow, did that ever send our granddaughter into hysterics!  We could not convince her that we would not let anything happen to her!  Grandpa and I were trying to shoo the geese away.  I must admit, though, it was a bit unnerving when they'd hiss at me!  The geese finally wondered off when they figured out we weren't going to feed them.  But our granddaughter would not focus on fishing for fear that the geese would come back.  So the whole fishing thing was not too successful.  I asked her this morning if she had fun fishing and she told me no but she liked the picnic. lol

Whoo Hoo, my order just arrived so it's time to go!  Must check out my new goodies AND the NEW catalog!!!  Hope you have a fabulous weekend and thank you for stopping by today!

How Un-Canny

Hi there!  I'm making a comeback (Vicks & Nyquil do wonders!) and now doing double time to get everything accomplished before Christmas.  My husband reminds me that what must get done, will.  Whatever is left, is just extra.  And you know what?  He is absolutely right!  I just have to keep reminding myself of this philosphy.

Anyway..... last month I totally forgot to post our monthly Demo challenge that we have at our Pieces of Heart meetings.  Maybe it's because I forgot to take my camera.  I don't have pics of anyone's altered can - just mine since it was photographed at home.  Jayne and I must have been channeling each other because our cans were very similar.

When Patty Schnell issued the challenge, my thoughts immediately turned to Christmas and then to making Santa pants.  Wow, had my plan of action even before leaving the restaurant!  That was a first!  lol 
Real Red cardstock was wrapped around the can, added a strip of black for the "belt" and then a buckle from Silver Glimmer Paper.  A black circle cut in half made the tops of Santa's "shoes".  For the suspenders, I adhered retired ribbon onto strips of cardstock to give them some stability.  The ends were tucked underneath the "belt".   A cute presentation for some treats don't you think?

Sorry for the short post.  Back to my "to do" list to cross off some of those necessary chores.  Have a great evening and thanks for stopping by!  Your visits are always appreciated.

Congratulations and a Buddy Swap

Hi there!  Gee it's already hump day!  This week is flying.
I have been remiss in posting pics of a couple of cards I received last month.  The first one is from Tami Waddell congratulating me for promoting to Supervisor.  Wasn't that thoughtful of her?  I've never met her and she lives in CA.  Love this company!  SU! people are the BEST!  Tami created the card in My Digital Studio (MDS).  I like how she put the plants among the subtle background.  Pretty cool, huh?  Thanks, Tami!

The next card came from Brenda Moore, my August Stampin' Buddy.  I participate in a monthly Buddy Swap.  Karen Graff-Povis does all the work/organizing to send us our Buddy info so that we can send our card out by the 25th of each month. (Thanks, Karen) 

Brenda used the new Stitched Stockings set with the coordinating punch.  The beautiful script is from the Hand-Penned Holidays set, which is so elegant.  How about that red glimmer paper.  Very sparkly! (to borrow a line from "Rain Man")  Thanks, Brenda, for the cute card.

Busy day today.  It's the Wednesday Girls (stamp group) then I'm off to help my friend, Jayne, with Make n Takes at the "Y".   I appreciate you stopping by today!