Petite Pennants Punch Baby Card

I used the Naturally Serif Decoritve Strip with my Big Shot to cut out the letters and then layered them on pieces punched with the Petite Pennants Punch.  I stamped the background with the bear from Family Accessories (which coordinates with All in the Family).  The Designer Series Paper on the pennants is from the Brights Patterns Designer Paper Stack.

Petite Pennants Punch Ice Cream Cone

I used the Petite Pennants Builder Punch to make an ice cream cone.  I've seen it done with the the coordinating stamp set (using the straight edged pennant) and Cupcake Builder Punch, but this is done with the scalloped pennant for the cone and uses the Scallop Circle Punch for the ice cream.

The Square Lattice Embossing Folder makes the cone look like a waffle cone and also gives texture to the background of the card.  I used Stampin' Pastels and Sponge Daubers to randomly add very light color to the raised embossing.  A Texturz Plate was used to add swirls to the ice cream.  The ice cream cone is layered on the larger scallop square from the Scallop Squares Duo die.

The sentiment comes from Sunny Fun.  I inked half of it up with my Island Indigo Stampin' Write marker and stamped it.  Then I cleaned the stamp and inked the second half of the sentiment so I could stamp it under the first half.  I punched it out with the Oval Punch and layered on the Scalloped Oval Punch.

Cardstock colors used:  Whisper White, Island Indigo, Pretty in Pink, Soft Suede.

Plant Hope in In Colors

Hi stampers!  Sorry it's been so long since I posted.  I've been on vacation to Michigan.  We went to my good friend's graduation party (she got her Ph.D. -- congratulation Melissa!) and had a great visit with family.

This card uses the stamp set Plant Hope.  I wanted to use some of the new In Colors and thought of this set.  I also used the larger scallop square from the Scallop Squares Duo die.

Pennant Punch Party Hats

I have been having so much fun with the new Petite Pennants Punch.  I love being able to use a punch for more than it's intended use and this one is easy to do that with.

I punched the hats from Whisper White cardstock with the Petite Pennants Punch, then used the Confetti stamp set to stamp them with various festive colors and designs.  I used the flower from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack to punch the pom poms in coordinating colors and I added a basic rhinestone in the middle of each.  I used the Birthday Builder Wheel along the bottom because I wanted the Happy Birthday to be big and bold.



Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Hope you enjoyed today's share.

Flower Garden Embossing Folder in Frame

I ran Calypso Coral and Island Indigo through the Big Shot using the Oval Scallop Frame die.  The Calypso Coral oval was then embossed with the Flower Garden Embossing Folder.  The Whisper White background was embossed using the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder.  I attached the Calypso Coral oval inside the Island Indigo scallop frame and tied Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon around it.  Then I used Stampin' Dimensionals to attach it to the card base.  I used Stampin' Pastels to add a little color to the raised flowers.  It's kind of subtle, but I like the effect.



Petite Pennants Punch Card from Open House

Thanks to those who came out for the Open House this morning.  If you missed it, you missed a good time.  We checked out the new catalog, talked stamps, ate muffins, went through the retired stamps I'm clearing out, and made this cool card:

It features 4 of the 5 new In Colors and the new Petite Pennants Builder Punch.  The design on the pennant was made with the stamp set Confetti.  The Happy Birthday is from On Your Birthday.  The background was embossed with the Big Shot using Texturz Plates and the pennant was attached with white Baker's Twine.  I untwisted the Baker's Twine to make it easier to thread through the holes made with my 1/16" Handheld Circle Punch.  The top two corners of the Pool Party layer were rounded with the Corner Rounder Punch to tie in with the pennant and the bottom two corners were left squared to coordinate with the banner.

We also learned how to make the banner.  I'd tried this once before, but it's the first time I've shared it at an event.  Punching the ends was much easier with the Petite Pennants Builder Punch than the way I did it before.  If you look, you can see the shadows where the banner goes up and down to make it appear wavy.

See, you never know what you'll miss at one of my events.  I'm having a class later in July.  I'll post details soon.  You won't want to miss it!

New Catalog Open House this Saturday

The New Catalog Open House is this Saturday, July 9th from 10:00am to noon.

Make a card (FREE)

See the new catalog

Get your own catalog (FREE or minimal cost - contact me for specifics or find out at the Open House)

See Samples

Purchase Retired Sets

Socialize with other stampers

and more...

Bring a friend who is new to me and you and your friend will receive a gift from me.

Please RSVP so that I have enough supplies prepared!

Hope to see you Saturday!!

Can't make it to the Open House?  I'll be placing an order later in the day, so if you want to join the group order (main bonus:  save on shipping if your order is less than $69.95), call or e-mail your order by Friday night.

Remember, you can always order online anytime.  Just click the Order Online button at the top of the right side column.

New 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catlog is here!

It's here!!  The 2011-12 Idea Book and Catalog is now posted online:

http://204.228.150.61/catalogs/flash/en-US/20110601_lkjds_ibc/

And did you know that if you go here on my website that you can find links to all current catalogs, plus the recipes for the projects in the catalogs.  It's a great resource if you want to try to create any of these projects for yourself.  Of course, you can always ask me, but sometimes it's nice to just have that info available when you want it.  (You can also download a .pdf file from here in case you can't use the Flash version in the top link.)

Baskets and Blooms Projects

I was completely surprised by the number of Big Shot items that are being retired.  One of the dies that will no longer be available after 6/30 is Baskets and Blooms.  The good news is that now you can get it for 25% off (now $29.96).

Today I have several projects to share with you. These are just some of the things you can do with this great die, but it's a start...

*I know some of you like to sew:  this is the die I used to make the cute little felt basket I had.  I'll try to add a picture if I can find it.  Can't believe I haven't already posted it.  Anyhow, I basically just ran felt through the Big Shot and then sewed up the pieces.  You could use the flowers on the die to embellish or add your own touch.

This is the traditional use for this die -- a basket.  These are shown from the front and the top (you can tell by the kisses about how big the basket is).  The flowers, stripe and tag are all on the die, too.

I left out the bottom panel and re-scored a couple lines to get this cute tote.  If this die wasn't retiring I would have been demo-ing a fancier version at my July workshops.  Showed the tote from the front and the side so you can get an idea of how it goes together.

I used just one basket side to make this card.  I left the basket open so that you can insert something in it.  The sample on the right shows a gift card, but you could put a check, a note, anything small and somewhat flat.

This card was made with some of the scraps I had left over.  You can cut your card stock to size so you only cut out the pieces you need, but I cut these before I realized that.  So, I made a couple of flowers and ran it through the Big Shot using the square lattice embossing folder.  I used a stamp from Hodgepodge Happiness for the sentiment.  I think the flower that is on the die would coordinate nicely with the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch (haven't tried it, but it looks like it).

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  Be sure to check out all of the retiring items and get the ones you want before they are gone!

Fun and Fast Notes Birthday and Congratulations

Here are a few cards made with that great set Fun and Fast Notes:

This top card uses the Fast Flower wheel which is also retiring.

The next two cards use the So Many Stars Builder Wheel.  They also are examples of how you can mix and match the images and words in this set.  Both use the star, but one is a birthday card and the other congratulations.

This card shows how you can use an image from Fun and Fast Notes with a sentiment from another set -- in this case Congrats.



Engraved Greetings Purple

This is a quick, easy thank you card using Engraved Greetings and Punch Potpourri.

The two images (Thank You and Happy Birthday) in Engraved Greetings are big enough to build around as the focal point of the card.  They also are elegant looking, so you could make some very fancy cards with these stamps.

Don't miss out on this great stamp set.  Order it before it's gone for good!



Fun and Fast Notes Concord Crush flowers

 Fun and Fast Notes is a super versatile set.  It has stamps for a variety of occasions.  In includes a sentiment and a matching image that you can color so you can coordinate with whatever ink and card stock you have on hand.  You can also mix and match the images.  Or you can do like I did with this card and just use the image.  I stamped a separate sentiment inside.

I used the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder on the Concord Crush background.  The flowers, which were colored with Stampin' Write markers, were punched out with the 1 3/4" circle punch and then layered on a scallop of Blushing Bride which was punched with the largest size scallop circle punch.

This set retires June 30th.  Be sure to get it before it's gone!

Here's another great use for Fun and Fast Notes:  it's perfectly sized for 3 x 3 cards.

Sense of Time

This card uses the retiring set Sense of Time (Item # 113804, $22.95).  I'm still surprised that this one is being retired.  It's my favorite card for milestone events (like the card I posted recently for a 50th birthday).  I can see using it with silver for a 25th wedding anniversary (or gold for a 50th).

This card also uses the Texturz Plates Kit #4 (Item # 114531, $9.95 for 3 plates/6 designs) that are retiring.  I've mentioned I like to use this plate to simulate a wood background.  This time I was going for leather.  The eyelet was set with my Crop-o-dile.

The eyelets have retired and are no longer available.  Retiring stamp sets are available until June 30, but accessories are only available while supplies last (but not past 6/30).  Order today (click the Order Online button in the upper right corner or contact me directly) so you don't miss out!  You can also click on the Say Goodbye button in the upper left corner of the page to check out the items that are retiring.

Sunny Fun Watercolor

I'm taking a break from projects using items on the last chance list to share this card made with Sunny Fun.

I used my aqua painter and Classic ink to watercolor the kids since they are playing in water.  I used Stampin' Write markers to color the frozen treats because I always think they get a little darker and brighter on a sunny day right before they start melting away.

The frozen treats are layered on the Postage Stamp punch and adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals.  I used the Scallop Edge Border punch to create the waves.  The Designer Series Paper behind the kids is from Brights Paper Stack.

EDIT 6/23/11:  I belong to this great group called Late Night Stampers.  It's a community of stampers who share what they love.  Every week they have a challenge.  I've entered a few times and have found it's kind of fun to challenge yourself to follow the theme of the challenge (guess that's why it's called a challenge -- hey, nothing gets past me, lol).  Last week's theme was Water, Water Everywhere and this card was my entry.  Guess what:  MY CARD WAS SELECTED AS THE WINNER!!  I am very excited (just in case the red capital letters didn't give it away)!  There are lots of talented stampers in that group, so I consider it a real honor.  Anyhow, I just wanted to share my good news with you.

Late Night Stampers (LNS) is open to all stampers who want to share their talents with others.  There's another group called LNS Demos, which as the name implies, is only open to demonstrators.  But, if you've ever thought about becoming a demo (or even if you haven't before now), I'd love to be your upline.  I have thoroughly enjoyed being a demo and I love all of the extra opportunities available to me.  Stampin' Up has set up an entire online network (don't know if that is the correct terminology) where demos can share ideas.  It's an awesome resource.  Plus SU sends us a magazine every month (that demos get for free) full of great information.  There's more, but this is already pretty long.  If you'd like info about becoming a demo or about LNS please contact me.

Hope you have a great day!



Define Your Life (plus Eastern Blooms and other sets)

Each of the three cards today uses the gratitude stamp from the retiring set Define Your Life.  I will put a nice thank you verse inside and then use them for Project Give Thanks.

You could use any definition.  It just depends what you plan to use the card for.  Sending a card for no particular reason?  Use because.  Anniversary?  Use together.  Job well done?  Use quality.  There are 26 definitions in this set so you're likely to find a definition to fit your need.

This card also uses Eastern Blooms, which is another retiring set.

The following card uses the stamp set Fifth Avenue Florals.  Colors are Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil Delight.



This card uses Sprinkles, which retired last year.  But if you want it, I have a brand new set I'd be happy to sell to you.



Don't forget, buy Define Your Life before it's gone and get your choice of either a free pack of cardstock ($6.95) or a free stamp set (you choose from a selection I have on hand - value up to $17.95). Order Define Your Life and an alphabet set ($43.95) and receive 2 free packs of cardstock (one for each stamp set ordered) PLUS a free stamp set (OR two free stamp sets and a pack of cardstock). You must contact me directly to take advantage of this special.

Simple Flower Embosslit and Cute by the Inch

This card uses two retiring products:  the hostess set Cute by the Inch and the Simple Flower embosslit.  Both the Simple Flower embosslit and the Flower Burst embosslit are great because they cut and emboss the flower in one pass through the Big Shot.  It's quick, it's easy and it looks great!  Can't beat that.

The colors are Night of Navy and Crushed Curry.  The Crushed Curry flowers were made with the Simple Flower embosslit.  The Night of Navy flower was made with the scallop punch.  I just cut in towards the center at each scallop.  Just be careful not to go too far or your petal will come off.  The center was made with the circle from the Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack. 

The stamped image was punched out using the Postage Stamp punch from the Summer Mini catalog.  It fits perfectly.  If you aren't going to qualify for this hostess set by the end of the month (contact me if you want to try), the stamp set Pretty Postage (also from the Summer Mini) was designed to coordinate with the punch.  The layer under the stamped image is the smaller scallop square from the Scallop Squares Duo die.

The background is Whisper White, which means in real life it's as bright (or brighter) as my watermark.  I had a hard time getting a good photo, but you get the idea.

Fresh Cuts with Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch

This set, Fresh Cuts, will be retiring at the end of the month.

I made the card base with the Scallop Square Bigz Die.  Just fold the cardstock in half and make sure the fold is below the outside edge when you run it through the Big Shot.  That way the fold doesn't get cut, leaving you a scallop square card base.

I stamped the image from Fresh Cuts and then used Stampin' Dimensionals to add a flower made with the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch.  There is a So Saffron flower brad in the center of the flower.

This is what the card looks like without the flower brad.  It's cute, but I think the brad adds that nice little extra pop.   I attached the flower with SNAIL rather than Stampin' Dimensionals so it is flat against the card.

Animal Stories

I love the little animals in Animal Stories.  They are all so cute.  There is an owl (click the link to see a card made with it), a whale (cards below), an elephant (the top card) and a giraffe (great for baby cards).  I'm going to miss this set.

The sentiment comes from the stamp set Smarty Pants, which is full of humorous sayings.

I used the scallop square punch to create the waves and scallop oval punch for the clouds. 

The background is from Circle Circus.



Simply Said

I used Simply Said on the very first card I did in a class as a Stampin' Up demonstrator.  This isn't that card, but it is that stamp set.  I even made the background with one of the stamps from Simply Said.  It's a cute set.  If you don't have it you might want to get it before it's gone.



June Card Kit of the Month

I'm taking a break from presenting projects made with retiring products to present the June Card Kit of the Month.  Card Kits are the Stamping Classes that come right to your door!

Order yours today!

The Card Kit of the Month Program – June 2011

Featured Set: “Fabulous Florets”

Featured Accessory: Basic Rhinestone Jewels

You’ll receive the supplies to create SIX of EACH design shown here – that means all of the consumable supplies that you need to create 12 cards total. You will also receive 2 additional full color photographs of “alternative” cards that you can make with the combined contents of the kit! In addition, you’ll receive detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to complete each of the 4 designs. This month’s card kit items are listed below, and the price of the Card Kit is just $20 – that’s less than $1.70 per card!!

Card Kit Order Deadline is June 20th. You will receive your kits near the end of the month.

Special Offer for June! Purchase the Card Kit and receive the, featured stamp sets “Fabulous Florets” and “Teeny Tiny Wishes” and the Featured Accessory, “Basic Rhinestone Jewels” at 20% off!

The Card Kit ($20) Includes:

 Cut Cardstock & Designer Series Paper Pieces (DSP will vary in print)

 Cut Ribbon and Baker’s Twine Pieces
 12 – Die Cut Large Scallop Squares
 12 – Whisper White Medium Envelopes
 Step by Step Instructions to complete 4 different card designs using the kit pieces

Add-On Products:

 Daffodil Delight Classic Ink ($5.95)
 Wild Wasabi Classic Ink ($5.95)
 Tangerine Tango Classic Ink ($5.95)
 Pacific Point Classic Ink ($5.95)
 1 ¾” Circle Punch ($16.95)
 2 3/8” Circle Punch ($16.95)
 1 ¾” x 7/8” Oval Punch ($15.95)
 1 3/8” x 5/8” Oval Punch ($15.95)
 ½” Circle Punch ($5.95)
 Fabulous Florets Stamp Set: Wood - ($23.95) $19.16, Clear - ($17.95) $14.36 with the purchase of the Card Kit.
 Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set: Wood - ($36.95) $29.56, with the purchase of the Card Kit.
 Basic Rhinestone Jewels ($4.95) $3.96 with the purchase of the Card Kit.

Other Optional Purchases:

 Stampin’ Dimensionals ($3.95)
 SNAIL Adhesive ($6.95)
 Bone Folder ($6.95)
 Paper Snips ($9.95)

Contact me to order your Card Kit today!