Stampin' Up!'s Friends Fur-Ever!!!

I fell in love with the little Scottie dogs in this set when it came out in July but just hadn't found the right way of highlight the little guy.  My friend, Lela Meinke - Serenity Stamper to those of you on SCS - solved that!  I was over at her house one day and she had used him with the Loads of Fun stamp set.  I can't remember if she had used the jet ski like I have above or if she had used the snowmobile but either way, it inspired this card!  Too cute!  My next challenge is to put him on the ATV and do the masking tape technique in camoflage colors!  I'll let you know how that turns out but in the meantime, isn't he just adorable????  Thanks Lela!!!!

Stampin' Up!'s Elegant Thank You...

I made this card on the day that I was playing around with the Scallop Border and Scallop Corner punches.  In a video, Bonnie Thurber of Stampin' Up! showed how to make a simple scallop square (say that three times fast!) using the Scallop Corner punch.  Just cut a 2" square and then punch the top, then the bottom and finally the two sides.  It perfectly makes this little scallop square!  I dusted off my Flower Fancy set which hasn't been used in a long time but I just love how this turned out.  The pearls fit perfectly into the center of the flowers too!

Keep your eyes out for an upcoming Technique Tuesday where I will show you how to get the Scallop Border and Scallop Corner punches to work for you!

Lots of Layers using Elegant Soiree

This card was inspired by a card that caught one of my friend's eye on a website.  I thought it would be a great card to use the Clearly for You stamp set in the Occasions Mini Catalog along with the Elegant Soiree Designer Series Paper.  I especially like how the circles on the background paper perfectly line up with the scallop circle.  Totally not planned but so effective anyway!

Technique Tuesday - Reverse Image Stamping....

Do you ever have an idea for a card like this cute one where you want the animals facing each other but the stamps were made where they both faced in the same direction?  That is the case with this card!  The bunny on the left - I'll call him "Thumper" - actually faces to the left if you stamp him.  But I wanted him to face "Bambi" but how do you make that happen?  Here's how: 

Remember all those scraps of rubber that you kept from when we had to cut our images out?  Here's where that rubber hoarding will pay off.  If you didn't hang onto them, as you get new stamps, look for a piece large enough for stamping images onto.  Mount it onto a block of wood or clear mount it.

Ink your image and stamp down onto your blank piece of rubber. 

Then immediately stamp the blank rubber onto a piece of cardstock.

Now you have Thumper facing the opposite direction!

Always in Need of Masculine Cards, How About You?

Several of my hostesses ask for masculine cards and I am always in need of them as well.  This card was CASE'd from Bonnie Thurber at Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Conference but she made a little album out of it.  I changed it up a bit and made it into a masculine birthday card.  I think it turned out pretty well.

My Valentine's Day Card...

Now that Valentine's Day is over, I an show you the card that I made for my husband.  It was a simple but effective way of showing him just how much love I have for him!  So much that I had to tie it up with linen thread!

Here's the inside of the card.  I didn't want the linen thread to show so I used the Dotted Scallop Ribbon punch to hide the thread and placed another heart inside.  Sorry but I am not sharing the note I wrote inside to him - it wasn't G rated!!!! 

Ahoy Mateys!!! Stampin' Up!'s "Beware Pirates" Strikes Again....

I love this set!  Perhaps it is because my husband's family can be traced back to Privateers which were just government sanctioned pirates!  It is also one of the things that my daughter loves to tell people about her heritage.  With the exception of the "Arrrrrr" stamp, the other images were stamped in Versamark ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I just love how they stand out on the Crumb Cake and Night of Navy cardstock.  Lacing the Linen Thread up the side of the pieces added the perfect touch!

What You Can Do with Punches!

Isn't this just a clever card?  But I cannot take credit for it.  It is the work of Jackie Toppa, a very creative demonstrator who does fantastic things with punches.  I demonstrated this card at a recent workshop and everyone just fell in love.  One thing I highlighted is the ability to color your clear rhinestone brads using a Sharpie marker.  It is hard to see in the picture but the drawer handles are pink!  Three punches are used on this card, can you figure out what ones?  If so, leave me a comment with your guess.  I will send a small prize to the first person who guesses correctly!

Technique Tuesday – Hello Spring!!!

I have decided to add a new feature to my blog – Technique Tuesday! Each Tuesday, I will post either a technique or a specialty card with instructions on how to do it. This week, I decided to show a Surprise Tag card which my thoughts headed to spring after an interesting winter.

You will need:
 1 ¼” Circle Punch
¾” Circle Punch
Corner Round Punch
Gold Eyelet
Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon (from Occasions mini)
Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding Ribbon (from Occasions mini)
Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper (from Occasions mini)
Stamp Set: Sweet Summer (from Sale-A-Bration catalog)
Cardstock:
              Very Vanilla:        4 ¼ “ x 5 ½” card
                                                3 ¾” x 2 ¾” – Cut 2 this size
                                                3 ½” x 1 ½”
              Baja Breeze:          4 x 2 7/8”
              Not Quite Navy:  4 ¼” x 3
              Designer Paper:   4” x 5 ¼”

Measure ½” from top and both sides of one of the two rectangle pieces and draw lines on the back of the cardstock.  Line up edges of 1 ¼” punch with the top line and the lines on the sides as shown above and punch out.

Line up top of punched circles with cutting track in cutter and cut between the two circles. Turn cardstock around and repeat on bottom of punched circles.

You should end up with a piece as shown above (shown from the front without pencil lines).

Lay tag piece on top of circle punched piece so the tag covers the punched area. Place adhesive at the top, bottom and end of circle punched piece. Also place adhesive just below the tag bottom. Remove tag and line up circle punched piece with the other same-size piece. Check to make sure that tag will slide in and out. If it is too difficult, trim tag a little bit. Punch corners on one end of tag piece and set eyelet.

Stamp blooming flowers inside circle punched area and stamp stems on front of piece. Use a marker to draw the stem up to the flowers in the punched area. Using ¾” circle punch, punch side of piece where tag slides in.

Slide tag into punched piece and stamp buds. Use marker to draw in stems.

Layer piece on Baja Breeze cardstock and then Not Quite Navy. Note they all line up on the bottom.

 

Attach to Designer paper and attach Baja Breeze ribbon around paper and tie knot. Attach Pear Pizzazz ribbon to tag. Attach to card. Now your flowers are ready to bloom! Hello Spring!

Hit a Home Run with this Card!

I CASE'd this card from Scott Nielson, CFO at Stampin' Up! because I thought it was so cute!  He used it as a way to tell us that we had "hit it out of the ballpark" on last year's recruiting challenge.  I had a recent hostess who requested a child's birthday card and thought this would be perfect for a little boy.  The baseball even opens up to a "Happy Birthday" wish and sits up on a spiral of wire.  Such a fun card!!!

My Stampin' Up! Totes are Flying Away!

Don't miss out on getting yours!  I only have a few of the Stampin' Up! totes left from my promotion during Sale-A-Bration!  Contact me to book a workshop to get yours before they are gone!

Stampers for Others Challenge Card...

My wonderful upline, Stella MacKay, started our group and named it "Stampers for Others" so we always are reminded that we should share what we love.  Just recently, she added another component to our group - a monthly card challenge.  January's challenge was to create a Valentine's Card using Real Red, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla and Bashful Blue.  However, we were able to switch up the colors if we wanted.  Here's the card that I submitted. 

I didn't follow the colors at all, did I?  A couple of things inspired me when making this card.  We received some fabric from Shellli Gardner at Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Conference and I wanted to play with it.  Also, one of my customers was asking about how to correctly use the Scallop Border and Scallop Corner Punches to make a frame.  So I put both those ideas together and came up with this card. 

Stampin' Up! Product Highlight - Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets....

Have you tried the new Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets that Stampin' Up! introduced in the 2010 Holiday Mini Catalog and has continued in the current Occasions Mini Catalog?  If not, here's a number of the wonderful uses for them - they are one of my favorite adhesives to use now!

1. RIBBON - Using the adhesive sheets, you can get the ribbon to lay very flat by placing adhesive on the entire back of the ribbon.  This adhesive works especially well with the small 1/8" ribbon.  To use, peel printed side of adhesive sheet back to expose adhesive and place ribbon down. Replace printed side back over ribbon and rub. Remove ribbon and place on cardstock.
2. PUNCHES – Remove printed side of adhesive sheet entirely and place a piece of cardstock over adhesive. Your cardstock should be a bit larger than the adhesive sheet.  Rub to adhere and then punch. Remove adhesive backing and place on cardstock.  This works extremely well for small punches and the layered punches such as the owl.
3. BIG SHOT DIES – Remove printed side of adhesive sheet and place cardstock over adhesive. Place on top of die & run through Big Shot.  Remove adhesive backing & place on cardstock.
4. GLITTER IMAGES – Place adhesive side of adhesive sheet directly onto Die & run through Big Shot. Carefully remove printed side of adhesive sheet, making sure you do not touch the adhesive.  Place the adhesive down onto cardstock and rub well.  I use the side of a bone folder so I get a really good adherence. Carefully remove adhesive backing and cover with glitter.
5. GLITTER BRADS – Remove printed side of adhesive sheet & place brad into adhesive. Rub well on top as well as sides of brads.  Remove, dip in glitter & press to set.  You will need to use smooth brads for this technique.

Are you excited about these adhesive sheets now too?  If so, place your order today.  The adhesive sheets go a long way, so enjoy!  Let me know of any uses that you come up with!

Friends at Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Conference...

 Sharon, Janna, Rose Ellen, Lisa & Amanda

Jackie, Me & Sharon

Here's part of the group of us that were not able to go to the Manager's Reception because we are still Senior Supervisors.   We met up at an Irish Pub in the Gaylord for dinner and had a great time.  Thanks to Rose Ellen's invitation, I made lots of new friends!

Stampin' Up!'s Cardinal Christmas Stamp Set...

I CASE's the layout of this card from someone on Splitcoaststampers.com but didn't note who it was.  I really need to start doing that!  Anyway I have been putting off ordering this set since it was introduced and finally ordered it in early December.  We did this card at a workshop just before Christmas and it really was a hit.  Just goes to show you that just because a stamp set has been around awhile, it doesn't mean you can't still make beautiful cards with it.  Now, a challenge -- go into your stamp sets and find an old set and see what new ideas you can come up with using that old set.  Let me know what you come up with!

Stampin' Up! Artisans Are So Creative!

Each year, Stampin' Up! has an Artisan's Award content where demonstrators submit cards, scrapbook pages and 3D items and compete for this honor.  At convention last July, this cake was on display as one of the creations of an Artisan's Award recipient.  I didn't note who created this but it sure shows that just about anything can be made with paper and a creative imagination!

Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference Swap Card #8....

This was my final Leadership swap card.  I used the balloon from the Crazy for Cupcakes set and stamped it three times.  At first, I started masking them off as I stamped them but then realized I didn't need to do that because I was going to overlay them with stamped colored cardstock.  I thought it was a very versatile birthday card - good for all ages and genders!