It's time for another SUDSOL BLOG HOP!

If you've come to my blog from Cynthia Stevenson, you're in the right place!  Thank you for stopping in!

I became a SUDSOL member when I first joined Stampin' Up! last year and have found it an invaluable resource! The patterns library alone is worth EVERY penny! These days, you can find me hosting the Chat and Challenge twice a month, where we chat in our very own chat room and make cards based on sketches or inspiration. Need a class in a hurry?  Just access the Class and Workshop Planners. Demonstrators like to share, so you'll find LOTS of information there. Need a flyer for a special event? I'll bet one of the demonstrators on SUDSOL has created one already - just check out the Advertising and Marketing section! I invite you to check out SUDSOL for a FREE 2 week trial membership! Just click here to give it a try!

My cards for this blog hop feature what else but VALENTINES!  It's that time of year after all!  These are perfect for kids to take to school because they are "love note" size - 3" X 3".

The first card uses no stamps at all, but is nonetheless SUPER cute!

I cut my piece of Real Red Cardstock to 3" X 6" and folded it in half.  I added a piece of Love Impressions Designer Series Paper and a piece of Whisper White Cardstock to which I adhered three little glimmer hearts.

A Basic Rhinestone adds a little bit of dazzle to the DSP and I finished off the card by punching a tag from another piece of Love Impressions DSP and attaching it with a piece of white twine.

My second card uses the "LOVE" stamp from the set "XOXO".  I stamped the image on Whisper White using Real Red Ink and punched it out using my 1 1/4" circle punch. It was matted on a piece of Real Red Cardstock punched with the 1 3/8" circle punch and then matted again on Pink Pirouette Scalloped Circle.

I added some glimmer paper at the bottom of the card for a little bit of bling.  The cards are being made by my DD and her friends and what teenage girl doesn't like a little bling?

My third card uses the hugs and kisses stamp from the "XOXO" set.  This time, I stamped it in Versamark Ink on Real Red Cardstock and embossed it using White Embossing Powder.

My "detail" comes from some Real Red Designer Series Paper with torn edges.

Recently, I was on the SUDSOL design team - what an HONOUR!  You can check out all my cards in my SUDSOL gallery here.

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my blog and hope you come back soon!  If you'd like to keep up to date with what's going on, sign up for my email newsletter (top left of blog) and follow my blog (over to the right).

And now, the summary:

STAMPS: XOXO

INK: Versamark, Real Red

PAPERS: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette and Real Red Cardstock; Love Impressions and Real Red DSP

ACCESSORIES: Glimmer Paper, Punches, White Embossing Powder, Basic Rhinestones

Happy Stampin'!

THIS POST WILL REMAIN AT THE TOP TILL FEBRUARY 1ST. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO SEE WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO!!!

I had so much fun doing the last blog tour that I'm doing it again!!!

Sweet Summer - Get it for FREE!

Make someone special’s summer sweet when you give them this beautiful water-colored card. Get the Sweet Summer set FREE with a $60 purchase—only during Sale-A-Bration!

Click here to get all the supplies you need!

MOJO Monday on a Thursday with a little Springtime Vintage

When I saw the MOJO Monday sketch, I knew I had to try it out, but I was waiting for just the right idea to pop into my head...and yesterday, that's JUST what happened!

I started off with the Springtime Vintage DSP as my inspiration. From that I chose Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz and Baja Breeze as my cardstock colours. There are so many wonderful designs in this DSP pack and they go with eight (yes, EIGHT!) of our cardstock colours. Talk about versatile!

Anyway...here is the card I came up with:

I started with the Crumb Cake base and then used another piece of Crumb Cake in my Big Shot with the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder. I just LOVE that you get a blank canvas with which to work and still get the texture when using this folder.

I chose a piece of DSP with Baja Breeze in it and then matted it on a piece of Baja Breeze Cardstock. I scrunched up the Baja Breeze Seam Binding by tugging on a couple of the middle threads to get it all rouched up. I love this effect and you can do it with MANY of our ribbons. I wrapped it around the panel and affixed it using glue dots on the back.

I stamped the image from Pocket Silhouettes (one of my all time FAVOURITE sets!) on Very Vanilla Cardstock using Pear Pizzazz Classic Ink. I punched out the image using my 1 3/8" circle punch and then matted it using both the small and large scallop circle punches. It was adhered using Stampin' Dimensionals.

The finishing touch is a scrunched up double bow of Baja Breeze Seam Binding. To achieve this look, I dampened the seam binding with just a touch of water and smooshed it up in my hands. I flattened it only slightly to tie the bow.

To add even more dimension, I affixed a Vintage Flower using a glue dot.

If you've read this far, and your name just happens to be Cheryl...this is one of the cards we'll be making at your SAB workshop!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Stem Silhouettes, Teeny Tiny Wishes

INK: Pear Pizzazz

PAPERS: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze and Pear Pizzazz Cardstock; Springtime Vintage DSP

ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Framed Tulips Embossing Folder, Seam Binding, Vintage Flowers

Happy Stampin'!

A little MOJO from long ago

So...I get a lot of email...I mean, I get a LOT of email. And a big portion of that is stamping related - you're surprised, I can tell - LOL!

Whenever I get something REALLY awesome, I always file it under "Stamping Goodness". I have a LOT of "Stamping Goodness"...over 3,000 "Stamping Goodness" to be precise.

Today, I was perusing some of the older goodness and came across a blog post from Dannie who used an older Mojo Monday Sketch to create her card. Well, I was struck by her card and decided to try my hand at the sketch. I made a few changes (there was a ribbon on the sketch and I didn't use any) and came up with this:

I can't tell you how absolutely TICKLED I am with this card! I started off with the idea that I wanted to use black and just went from there. I used the Love Letter DSP (Item # 117162) which also contains the colours Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla.

I stamped some buttons from the set Button, Button (Item # 122040 in Clear or # 122026 in Wood) which I earned during a book-a-thon held by Stampin' UP! last year. I love that Stampin' UP! has special promotions not only for their customers, but for their demonstrators too! This is a GREAT time to join my team since it's SALE-A-BRATION and not only will you get 15% off the starter kit, you'll also get a bonus bundle worth $60 which includes the Colour Coach, a Simply Sent Kit, a Simply Sent Stamp set valued at $14.95 and a punch valued at $23.95! What a great deal!

Thanks to Gretchen Barron and her AWESOME tutorial, I was able to cut my Basic Black Cardstock square to just right size in order to punch it using my Scalloped Trim Border and Scalloped Trim Corner Punches. I added a layer of Love Letter DSP on top of that before adhering my stamped piece.

My card base is Riding Hood Red and the next layer up (cut to 4" x 5 1/4") is Basic Black. I added a piece of Love Letter DSP to it and affixed two antique brads (LOVE!) before adhering the whole thing to the front of the card using a LOT of Stampin' Dimensionals.

I stamped the sentiment from A Word for You (Item # 120528 in Clear or # 117032 in Wood) on Very Vanilla Cardstock using Basic Black Ink and punched it out using my large oval punch (Item # 119855). It was matted on a piece of Basic Black Cardstock, punched using my scalloped oval punch (Item # 119856) and adhered to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

I also finished the inside of the card, using the same papers:

And here's a close up of the sentiment detail:

What do you think?

STAMPS: Button, Button and A Word for You

INK: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red

PAPERS: Very Vanilla, Basic Black and Riding Hood Red Cardstock, Love Letter DSP

ACCESSORIES: Punches, Antique Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

It's time to SALE-A-BRATE! Are you ready???

WOOHOO!!! Sale-a-brate good times, come on!!! We're gonna sale-a-brate and party with you!

It's SALE-A-BRATION and everywhere in Stampin' UP! land, people are already placing orders to earn their free SALE-A-BRATION sets! YOU can get a free set with every $60 you order (in Canada only). Who doesn't LOVE free stuff?

Which set will YOU choose first??? Knowing I would earn most of them, I chose not to pre-order any sale-a-bration sets. I do have the CD that goes with MDS though and it has it ALL on there - WOOT!!!

Here's a card I made using MDS and new goodies on the CD:

I am just LOVING the new Ice Cream Parlour papers and embellishments - SO fun and summery!

Both the stamped images are from sets available in the Sale-a-Bration brochure. If you're one of my customers, you've probably already got it, but if not, you can see it online here. The Birthday Wishes sentiment is from the set "So Happy for You" and the floral image is from the "Sweet Summer" set. Both MUST HAVES!

You can place your orders starting RIGHT NOW and each and every $60 in merchandise orders will get you a FREE set! Order $120, get two sets! Order $240, get 4 sets as well as a free Level 1 hostess set from either the main catalog or the Occasions Mini and $20 in free Hostess Merchandise.

What are waiting for? CLICK HERE and place your order now!!! Sale-a-Bration only lasts a short time!

Every day, do something that makes your heart sing!

Great advice from none other than Jessica Sprague! If you know digi, you know Jessica. She rocks the digi world with Photoshop classes and tutorials. Just last Friday she started doing a livestream chat type thing, which she hopes to continue on the first and third Friday of each month. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this!

Anyway, this is my SECOND post for today, so scroll down to see what's making my heart sing today!

I logged on to my various web sites this morning (google, Facebook, SplitCoast) and came across Mary Jo's lunchtime sketch challenge as well as the CAS challenge on SplitCoast.

Here's the card I came up with:

I used the "Priceless" stamp set along with Peach Parfait and Poppy Parade to create the design. I just LOVE that our In Colours go so well together!

I stamped my images on Whisper White Cardstock and added a piece of Sunny Garden DSP at the bottom of the card. Then I tied a piece of Peach Parfait Ribbon around the card.

I stamped my sentiment using Poppy Parade Classic Ink on Whisper White Cardstock and because it looked a little plain, I addeds some doodling around the edge.

I finished the inside of the card too:

I cut my piece of Whisper White Cardstock to 4 X 5 1/4 and just ran the edges of the paper directly on my Poppy Parade Classic Ink Pad. I added the little strip of Sunny Garden DSP toward the bottom and stamped a swirl in the top left hand corner.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Priceless

INK: Peach Parfait and Poppy Parade

PAPERS: Whisper White and Peach Parfait Cardstock; Sunny Garden DSP

ACCESSORIES: Peach Parfait Ribbon

Happy Stampin'!

MDS Monday - Banana Bread

It seems I sparked some interest when I posted my banana bread cupcakes last week...I also got a few comments from people who weren't too happy with the fact that I didn't post the recipe...not mentioning any names *coughcoughkarenandpaigecoughcough*

So...here it is, created in MDS (man I love that program!) just for you!

Enjoy!

Also, don't forget that today is the VERY LAST DAY for you to get the "Filled with Love" bundle from Stampin' UP! You can get a head start on your Valentine's cards!

CLICK HERE to start shopping!

I'm sorry for your loss...

I love doing custom work...especially when I have full creative license!

A little while ago, I was tasked with creating some understated cards so that our local children's hospital cardiac unit would have cards to send to bereaved parents. Nathalie knew I made cards and so she asked me if I would make some for the cardiac families. Of course, I said yes. The Hospital for Sick Children is VERY important to us and I like to give back whenever I can.

When I make the cards that I sell at the hospital, I cover my costs (with just a little bit for my time) and the rest of my "fee" gets donated right back to the hospital. It's the least I can do since they continue to take excellent care of my two cardiac kids.

As I was thinking about creating the cards, I remembered that Nathalie said that she didn't want any words on the front of the cards, so I wanted a set that was elegant. I chose the Level 2 hostess set "Fast and Fabulous". This set is SO versatile. There are no words in the set, but it can easily be paired with any of our sentiment sets, such as Teeny Tiny Wishes, Fabulous Phrases and Word Play to name a few.

For this set of cards, I wanted to use Whisper White as my background and add just a touch of colour, which I did using Baja Breeze and Blushing Bride.

I stamped the outline image in Not Quite Navy/Regal Rose and then filled it in using Baja Breeze/Blushing Bride. The 2 1/2 X 3 1/2" piece of Whisper White was adhered to the 2 5/8 X 3 5/8" piece of either Baja Breeze or Blushing Bride Cardstock using snail and then affixed to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals. I tied the Baja Breeze Seam Binding/Blushing Bride Ribbon in a bow and attached it by wrapping it around the polka dot layer using glue dots. The polka dot layer was attached to the card base once again using Stampin' Dimensionals.

What do you think?

STAMP: Level 2 Hostess Set Fast and Fabulous

INK: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy/Blushing Bride, Regal Rose

PAPERS: Whisper White, Baja Breeze and Blushing Bride Cardstock

ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon, Blushing Bride Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals (yeah...I pretty much use these on EVERYTHING!)

Happy Stampin'!

Old Colours Don't Retire...

...they just go DIGITAL!

Do YOU have My Digital Studio? If not, what are you waiting for? It's your resource for Stampin' UP! retired colours! Love Kiwi Kiss? It's there! Can't live without Handsome Hunter? You got it! It's also just awesome for scrapbooking (no wasted paper - if you do something you don't like, just hit the undo button!) and card planning (make a sketch!)

Today is my littlest man's birthday. I can't believe he's already 8 years old - WOW!!! He tasked me with bringing treats to school so that he could celebrate with his friends. I used my mom's banana bread recipe and baked them into tiny cupcakes - they were a hit!

Of course, I couldn't just take NAKED cupcakes to school! They didn't need icing, because they're JUST. THAT. GOOD. However, since I am THAT mom (I may have mentioned this before - LOL!) I did have to decorate them though, so here they are:

While I was making the little picks in My Digital Studio, I used Perfect Plum and Elegant Eggplant since purple is Jonathan's favourite colour.

When I printed them (on my OLD printer), they came out looking more like Orchid Opulence - OOPS!!! Oh well...it did the job. And did I mention my printer is OLD?? Yeah...

Anyway...I made two sheets of scalloped circles - one with the sentiment and the other with the stars from Extreme Elements - and punched them out with...yes! my scallop circle punch - LOL!

I loaded them up with glue dots and sandwiched a toothpick between them. The kids in Jonathan's class LOVED them!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Digital Extreme Elements (this set is also available as a wood mount set)

INK: Digital Versions of Perfect Plum and Elegant Eggplant

PAPERS: Whisper White on which to print the images

ACCESSORIES: MDS, Scallop Circle Punch

Happy Stampin'!

SALE-A-BRATION is right around the corner! Time to Party Hearty!

I just LOVE the "Party Hearty" set and you will too! It's so versatile as you can see in this card:
Who would have thought to use the party hats as a banner? Brilliant! And banners are SO in right now! Cutting out the little party hats to MAKE the banner is a little time consuming, but I'm sure you'll agree that the result is WELL worth it!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Party Hearty
INK: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Wild Wasabi, Riding Hood Red
PAPERS: Whisper White, Pacific Point, Riding Hood Red
ACCESSORIES: Pumpkin Pie Ribbon, Punches, Markers

Happy Stampin!

Stampin' UP sells FABRIC?

Oh yeah! You bet they do! And it's FABULOUS too! You're going to love it - check it out:

Sweet Stitches:

Springtime Vintage:

And if you CLICK HERE, you can check out the cool PDF with tutorials to make some fabric goodness! Then, when you're ready to ORDER the fabric to MAKE the fabric goodness, CLICK HERE and you can shop right from home!

Are you ready for Valentine's Day?

Have you looked at the calendar? Valentine's Day is less than a month away! Are you ready?

In order to help you GET ready, Stampin' UP! is offering you a FABULOUS Filled with Love Bundle.

You will receive either the Clear Mount or Wood Mount Set as well as an EXCLUSIVE pack of paper available ONLY with this special bundle. As an added bonus, there's a free pack of bitty buttons in it for you! But wait...there's MORE! Are you one of my newsletter subscribers? If you are - GREAT! You've probably already received it. If not, then you want to click on the top left hand box and sign up right away! There's a special offer available only to my newsletter subscribers. Don't worry that I've already sent it out, if you sign up now, I'll be happy to send it out again, just for you!

Click here to shop now!!!!

It's a special OCCASION!

If you're already one of my customers, you're in luck! You've already got your Occasions Mini and Sale-a-Bration catalog. If you're not, please contact me and I can get one (or both!) out to you RIGHT AWAY (Canadians only please)!

The Occasions Mini starts today, which means you can now officially order all the amazing goodness you can find here. If you're like me and you LOVE to see the catalog in person, just let me know!

Here's one of the cards I made using the new Sew Suite stamp set. It's just one of many fun sets to be had.

I stamped my image in Basic Grey Ink (it's waterproof) on Whisper White Cardstock. I smooshed some ink (Melon Mambo) into the lid of my ink pad and used my Aqua Painter to colour in the spool of thread and the little pin cushion.

I punched out the image using my large scallop circle punch and used my Melon Mambo marker to doodle around the edges of the punch.

The measuring tape was stamped in Melon Mambo Ink on Whisper White Cardstock and trimmed to fit the front of the card. It "measures" to 12 inches, but it's actually only about 6" long.

The Designer Series Paper is one piece cut and flipped to show off both sides. I just LOVE that our DSP is double sided. Twice the possibilities for the same price!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Sew Suite

INK: Melon Mambo, Basic Grey

PAPERS: Whisper White and Melon Mambo Cardstock, Sweet Stitches DSP

ACCESSORIES: Pink Taffeta Ribbon, Scallop Circle Punch

Happy Stampin'!

Wednesday Sketch Challenge at SCS

Since it's Wednesday today, that means it's Sketch Challenge day at SplitCoast Stampers. Today's sketch looked fun and easy, so I thought I'd give it a try!

My Caroline let me borrow her "Sew Suite" set which will be available beginning next week in the Occasions Mini. I swiped her "Sweet Stitches" DSP too with the promise of creating some samples for the Studio. I hope she likes what I've come up with so far!

For today's card, I stamped the bobbin and pin cushion on Whisper White Cardstock using Basic Grey Ink (it's waterproof) and used ink squished into the lid of the ink pad and my Aqua Painters to colour in the images. The little pin cushion is hiding behind the spool of thread thanks to the masking technique.

I punched my image out using my large scallop circle punch and it was adhered to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

My card base is a piece of 5 1/2 X 8 1/2" piece of Melon Mambo scored and folded at 4 1/4". The next layer up is a piece of 4 X 5 1/4" piece of Whisper White. The patterned paper is from the same sheet, I just cut and flipped it over. Have I mentioned that I LOVE the fact that our DSP is double sided???

The little ruler from the "Sew Suite" set was stamped in Melon Mambo Ink on Whisper White Cardstock. It actually goes to a 12" measure (but is only about 6" long), but I cut it at 9 1/2" to make it fit the card.

A length of Pretty in Pink 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon hides the seam between the two pieces of DSP.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Sew Suite

PAPERS: Whisper White and Melon Mambo Cardstock; Sweet Stiches DSP

INK: Basic Grey, Melon Mambo

ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

ATC Tuesday - Curtain Call Colour Challenge # 62

So, Stacey's Curtain Call popped into my inbox yesterday and I tried my hardest to make a card, but all I came up with was this ATC:

I already had the image stamped on Whisper White with Staz-On, so I went ahead and coloured it using my Watercolour Crayons. I know, I know...but I don't own the stamp set (it was borrowed and returned), so I couldn't re-stamp it on watercolour paper...that's why it looks a little worn in the middle of the dress. Of course, the little worn part just adds to the vintage look of the ATC (at least that's what I keep telling myself - LOL!)

My little lady is coloured using Baja Breeze (dress, bow and socks), Daffodil Delight (hair) and Pretty in Pink (heart). She is matted on Baja Breeze and Early Espresso and then added to a 2 1/2 X 3 1/2" piece of Pear Pizzazz around which I tied the bow and added a button tied with linen thread.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Greeting Card Kids

INK: Staz-On

PAPERS: Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz

ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Button, Linen Thread

Happy Stampin'!

20 - Minute Monday on a Friday - Belated Teacher Gifts

This fabulous idea popped into my inbox a few weeks ago courtesy of a fellow Stampin' UP! demonstrator.

Since we were away at Disney before the Christmas break, DS's teacher will be receiving these when the kids return to school in the New Year:

Fabulous, no?

The card bases are Very Vanilla Cardstock and I cut layers of the same to 4 X 5 1/4 inches before running them through the Big Shot using the Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I wrapped a piece of Always Artichoke Seam Binding (which is carrying over to the Occasions Mini - YAY!) around the embossed layer before attaching it to the front of the card.

The letters were stamped using the Lovely Letters Alphabet and Always Artichoke Ink. I punched them out using my Scallop Circle Punch and adhered them to the front of the using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Easy Peasy! Eight cards in under 1/2 hour! What do you think?

STAMPS: Lovely Letters Alphabet

INK: Always Artichoke

PAPERS: Very Vanilla

ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Embossing Folder, Seam Binding, Stampin' Dimensionals, Punch

Happy Stampin'!

I'm BACK!!!

Did you miss me??? I've been enjoying some Disney Goodness with my family and my BFF (and her family too), but we're all back now...so it's back to business as usual!

Today, I'm sharing an MDS Disney layout that I completed in just about 10 minutes. I just LOVE the pre-designed templates!

I used the Jolly Holiday DSP and selected a pre-designed template for a 6 X 6 card and turned it into a scrapbook page.

For the first time since we've been going to Disney (and we go nearly every year), we took advantage of the Disney Dining Plan - how could we not? It was FREE!!!

You wouldn't think that one sit down meal, one quick service meal and one snack per day is enough food, but let me tell you! It sure is!!! By the time we left yesterday morning, we just barely eked out using the last of our snack credits - we bought Mickey Mouse shaped Rice Krispie treats.

The top two pictures are from our first night at Disney where we enjoyed the most AMAZING dinner at Boatright's Dining Hall in our resort (Port Orleans Riverside). The main course was to die for, but the cake was even more so!!! And did you see that tiny little Mickey Mouse head? Yep! There were Mickey sprinkles on the plate - too stinkin' cute!

The bottom left picture is a mini Mickey waffle from our amazing breakfast at the Crystal Palace inside the Magic Kingdom. This was my Caroline's first time inside the Magic Kingdom and Crystal Palace...to say she was overwhelmed would be an understatement.

The bottom right picture is from our dinner at Chef Mickey's inside the Contemporary Resort. Yep! That's Mickey shaped ravioli you see there...and it was DELICIOUS!!!

Well, this is sure to be the first of many posts about our FABULOUS trip! I do hope you'll come along on the journey.

Have a Scrappin' Good Day!

3-D Thursday...on a TUESDAY???

I was planning on putting up an ATC today, but time crunches being what they are... well... that didn't happen!!!

Today we are headed down to the Hospital for Sick Children for some appointments and since it's nearly Christmas, I decided to take some treats down for the special people in our lives at the hospital.

This is the Ghirardelli Chocolate Box repurposed to hold Rocky Road Bars - YUMMY!!!

I stamped the image from Tags til' Christmas (which is available in the Holiday Mini, but only till December 31st) in Real Red on Whisper White Cardstock. I punched it out using the 1" punch my secret sister gave me (if you're reading, thanks Deb!!!) and then matted it on Pink Pirouette, which I hand cut. The final layer is a punched piece of Whisper White which was punched using the Scallop Square Punch.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Tags til' Christmas

INK: Real Red

PAPERS: Whisper White and Pink Pirouette Cardstock; Candy Cane Christmas DSP

ACCESSORIES: Scallop Square Punch

Happy Stampin'!

Watercolor Wonder Crayons Now Available!

I love using my Watercolour Wonder Crayons and now you can too!!! The new colour kit as well as the full colour selection are now available for purchase!

Contact me today and I'll be happy to order them for you! Or...you can shop online anytime! Just visit my store!

Have you signed up for my newsletter? If not, be sure to do it ASAP! I'll be offering a special ONLY available to my newsletter subscribers. You don't want to miss out!!

Sunny Sunday Sketch - Week 22

Time for another Sunny Sunday Sketch! How was your week? Busy? Are you ready for Christmas yet???

Today's sketch and card ought to help you at least get your Christmas cards out the door!

I was working with My Caroline on Friday and she was prepping for her Stamper's Club. She had this card out and I just fell in love with it:

I liked it so much, I made it in three different colours! Caroline's was done in Not Quite Navy, like the one on the far right, but I like it in Riding Hood Red and Old Olive too.

I stamped Dasher to match the Cardstock on Very Vanilla and then matted him on the same colour cardstock as I used for the base. The Very Vanilla Card Layer was run through the Big Shot using the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and my BIG SHOT.

I wrapped my 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon around the Very Vanilla Cardstock layer before attaching it to the front of the card. I added a little bling by wrapping a length of Silver Tinsel Trim around the ribbon to cinch it. I love it because it's WIRED!!! That means, no knots and it stays put EXACTLY where you want it. The Silver Tinsel Trim is only available in the Holiday Mini until December 31st, so if you want it, don't forget to place your order before then.

Did you know that Dasher is available as a SINGLE stamp? For $10.95 CAD (+tax & shipping), it's one of the best deals in the catalog! Contact me today and I'll tell you how you can get him for FREE!!!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Dasher

INK: Old Olive, Night of Navy, Riding Hood Red

PAPERS: Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, Old Olive and Riding Hood Red Cardstock

ACCESSORIES: Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Silver Tinsel Trim

Happy Stampin'!

CAS - Cute Christmas

You'll have to forgive the quality of the shot, but it was taken at *stupid o'clock* in the dark with a flash. I have a busy day today, but I didn't want to leave you without a little inspiration!!!

I stamped the three ornaments from "A Cute Christmas" in Old Olive Ink, trying to aim for the top half/centre of the card. Then I used Real Red Ink to stamp the Merry Christmas sentiment from the Christmas Greeting stamp set.

A quick little Real Red Grosgrain knot and we're good to go!

See? Simple CAN be stunning!

What do you think?

STAMPS: A Cute Christmas, Christmas Greeting

INK: Old Olive, Real Red

PAPERS: Whisper White Cardstock

ACCESSORIES: Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon

Happy Stampin'!

Just a Quick Little Note

These are some of the teachers gifts for this year. I've seen this idea on Becky's blog a few times but just never got around to doing it...then I saw it again on another blog I follow (my apologies! I can't remember which one!) and decided that Christmas was the PERFECT time to try my hand at it!

These are what's known as "card fronts". When Stampin' UP! demonstrators swap ideas at various events, the format is usually "card fronts". This means that an entire card isn't designed, just what the front of the card would look like if it WAS a whole card. Make sense?

I love these for quick little notes, when you don't need a whole card. So, I thought some of the teachers would like them too!

What do you think?

STAMPS: NONE!

INK: NONE!

PAPERS: Very Vanilla, Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler Cardstock; Jolly Holiday DSP

ACCESSORIES: Holly and Jolly Rub-Ons

Happy Stampin'!

Season's Greetings with the Holiday Lineup!

I almost fell off my chair when my Caroline said she was ordering this set. She says the elves kinda creep her out, so she never uses it...I think she ordered it just so I could borrow it - LOL!

When I saw a similar card by Renee Van Stralen, I just KNEW I had to CASE it! I even copied her colour scheme...sad, I know! Not her colour scheme! The fact that I copied it! I couldn't help it...I fell in love with her whole card.

I did have to use a different DSP because I was out of the one she used on her card. Now, I'm hoarding my Candy Cane Christmas DSP because it's SOLD OUT! In fact, I owe my Caroline a pack (it's on its way), but I just might buy it off her so I can keep using it! We'll see...

So, I stamped my image in Basic Black Ink on Whisper White Cardstock and coloured it in using my Stampin' UP! markers.

The image panel was matted on Old Olive Cardstock that I first punched using the Pinking Hearts Border Punch. I used Stampin' Dimensionals to mount the image panel on the front of the card.

My sentiment was stamped in Marina Mist using the Season's Greetings image from Curly Cute.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Holiday Lineup, Curly Cute

INK: Basic Black

PAPERS: Whisper White, Marina Mist and Old Olive Cardstock; Candy Cane Christmas DSP

ACCESSORIES: Border Punch, Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

It's December 1st...do you know WHERE your Christmas cards are?

Mine are sitting next to me ready to be dropped into the mailbox. This is a first I tell you...a FIRST!!! As long as I've been sending out Christmas cards (19 years I figure, since that's how long I've been married), they have never, EVER, NOT ONCE been ready to go on the first of December. As a matter of fact, on more occasions than I'd care to count, they have been New Year's cards. Sad but true!

However, since my cards are ready to go, I thought I'd help YOU out with some ideas. What do you think?

Here's my first card for you:

It's based on the Sketch at SplitCoast Stampers this week.

I stamped my image from Holiday Lineup using Basic Black Ink and coloured it in using my Stampin' UP! Markers. Another challenge this week called for non-traditional Christmas colours, so I used these colours for that.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Holiday Lineup, Punch Pals

INK: Basic Black

PAPERS: Whisper White, Pacific Point and Early Espresso Cardstock; Celebrations DSP

ACCESSORIES: Stampin' UP! Markers, Punch, Big Shot, Movers and Shapers Die, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Candy Cane Christmas Designer Series Paper nearly sold out!!!

Stampin' Up! announced yesterday that the supply of the Candy Cane Christmas Designer Series Paper is dwindling and they expect to run out sometime next week. If you NEED this Designer Series Paper from theHoliday Mini Catalog order it ASAP!!! They WILL NOT be able to order more so when it's gone, it's gone!!

You can order it through my ONLINE STORE or contact me and I'll order it for you to pick up from me. Either way, DON'T DELAY!!!

It's a CAS kinda day...

So, last night I was out with some girlfriends and today I'm half blind (allergic reaction, one eye swollen almost completely shut), but since I still wanted to create (I know...it's an illness!), I figured I'd better go with CAS (that's Clean and Simple, if you're new to card making). It's a great way for beginning stampers to get started as they don't get completely overwhelmed with fancy designs. I didn't need to be overwhelmed with fancy designs today, so I made this:

I started with a piece of Cherry Cobbler that was 4 1/4 X 11" and scored at 5 1/2". I added a layer of Very Vanilla and a piece of Deck the Halls Designer Series Paper. If you love this paper as much as I do (I've already finished 2 packages of it!), you'll want to get it soon as it will no longer be available after December 31st. And, if you order right quick (before November 30th) and it's part of an order that's $200 or more, you'll get free shipping right to your door!!!

I tied a piece of 1/2" Chantilly Crochet Trim around the card and added a button tied with linen thread. Have you seen the Frank's Hot Sauce ad where the little old lady says, "I put that **** on everything!". Well...that seems to be me with linen thread lately. I never had it and then when I finally got my hands on some...well...I go through it like water! It seems to consistently add just the right finishing touch.

I stamped my sentiment using my "go to" set for sentiments, Teeny Tiny Wishes in Always Artichoke. I punched it out using the Word Window Punch and attached it to a piece of Always Artichoke punched using the Modern Label Punch. It was adhered to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Teeny Tiny Wishes

INK: Always Artichoke

PAPERS: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke Cardstock; Deck the Halls DSP

ACCESSORIES: 1/2" Chantilly Crochet Trim, Botton, Linen Thread, Punches

Happy Stampin'!

ATC Tuesday - Santa Ho Ho!

When Lauren (my DD) was little, she used to call Santa, "Santa Ho Ho" - SO CUTE!!!

So, today, you get Santa Ho Ho - LOL!

This image is from the Jolly Old St. Nick set in the Holiday Mini. I love this set! I'm a "child of the 80's" so it reminds me of images of Santa from my childhood.

I stamped Santa Ho Ho on Watercolour Paper using Staz-On ink and then used my Aqua Painters and watercolour crayons and ink to colour him in. I cute him out and mounted him on Baja Breeze using Stampin' Dimensionals.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Jolly Old St. Nick

INK: Staz-On Black

PAPERS: Watercolour Paper, Baja Breeze Cardstock

ACCESSORIES: Aqua Painters, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA!

This week in the US, my American friends will be celebrating Thanksgiving. Because everyone is SO busy, many of the demonstrators don't have time to do workshops or hold classes. Stampin' UP! makes it up to everyone by holding an ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA!!!

These deals are ONLY available for online orders so you can take advantage of them right from your own home and shop in your jammies. How cool is that?

You can see all the amazing deals in the flyer here and then head on over here to get started with all your shopping!!!

And don't forget - you get FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $200! And, if you spend over $200, you'll also qualify for hostess benefits (a free stamp set and $20 of FREE product!)

This is too good to miss!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Sunny Sunday Sketch - Week 21

Time for another Sunny Sunday Sketch - it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year so when DD asked me to design a class for some of her friends to make Christmas Cards, I was THRILLED!!!

Here's the sketch:

And here's my card:

This is just one of the cards the girls will be making next week. I decided on two 3 X 3 note cards, two 4 1/4 X 5 1/2 cards and one 4 1/4 X 5 1/2 card that is OTT (over the top). My hope is that they will take these cards home and show them to their moms and that then their moms will want to book classes too! How fun would that be?

That being said, if you're a youth leader in the GTA and want me to come to one of your meetings to make cards, I'd be THRILLED!!! The class is only $10 for 5 cards and would make great gifts.

The sketch was made using MDS which you can get as part of the digital starter kit during the AMAZING promotion Stampin' UP! is having. You can get the complete starter kit (either standard or digital) for only $107.50! That's half price! AND...no shipping, handling or taxes! What a FABULOUS deal! BUT, you only have until November 30th. Contact me ASAP if you'd like more details!

To make the card, I used a piece of Always Artichoke cut to 3 X 6" and scored at 3". The next layer is a piece from the fabulous Deck the Halls DSP which is available in the Holiday Mini Catalog, but only till December 31st! To add some texture, I ran the Whisper White Cardstock through the Big Shot using the Vintage Wallpaper Impressions Embossing Folder.

I stamped the image from Jolly Bingo Bits in Cherry Cobbler and added a little bit of Dazzling Diamonds, because...really...what teenage girl DOESN'T like glitter?

What do you think?

STAMPS: Jolly Bingo Bits

INK: Cherry Cobbler

PAPERS: Whisper White and Always Artichoke Cardstock; Deck the Halls DSP

ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Impressions Folder, Dazzling Diamonds, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

ONLY 12 DAYS LEFT! DON'T MISS OUT!!!

What are the benefits?

• Can I sign up just for the fab discount? Absolutely – there is no pressure on you to sell anything – you can sign up just to get SU products at a great price
• What is the discount? Regularly 20% – but you will receive 30% off of your first order of $200+ PLUS you receive all hostess benefits on your orders too!
• Really? I receive hostess benefits on my own orders? Absolutely – demonstrators get all hostess benefits and take advantage of all promotional offers that customers do
• Can I choose what is in my Starter Kit? Most items are customisable – you get to choose all stamps, inks, cardstocks, markers & ribbons!
  
• Are there minimums? Yes, you need to sell or purchase $400 in product per quarter – your own purchases count towards this & your first quarter is waived
  
• Waived? What does that mean? It means that this quarter ends on December 31st but you will have until March 31st 2011 to buy/sell $400 – with pre-order almost here, that won’t be hard!!!!!!
• What is pre-order? Before the release of a new catalog demonstrators get to order & receive items in the new upcoming catalog a full month before customers - a great perk!
• When is the next pre-0rder? It begins on December 1st – demonstrators get to order from the new Occasions Mini & Sale-a-bration catalogs & receive the new stuff a full month ahead of customers
  
• If I sign up and buy/sell nothing else, will I have to return my starter kit? No – you can sign up simply to get this amazing deal – the kit is yours to keep
• If you are joining for the discount for yourself, think of it this way – the $400 in quarterly minimums is the amount before your discount is applied – so you are only really spending $320 each quarter.
• What else can I earn? On top of the discount, you earn extra rebates on your sales, product rewards and can work towards the annual incentive trip – the next is to Disney – plus earn free stamps during Sale-a-bration

WOW! What a deal!!!

If you've been on the fence about ordering Stampin' UP!'s amazing My Digital Studio, you won't want to pass this up! Why pay $106.95 for My Digital Studio, when you can get the Digital + Starter Kit for $107.50 with NO TAX and FREE SHIPPING? That's just 55 cents more and just look at what else you're getting:

* Three complete stamp sets (including a clear-mount set and clear-mount block)
* Assortment of card stock
* Four Classic ink Stampin' Pads
* Two Stampin' Write markers
* a spool of ribbon
* Designer buttons
* A Décor Elements piece with the applicator
* SNAIL adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals & Mini Glue Dots
* Stampin' Scrub and Mist cleaners
* Box of Idea Book & Catalogues
* Business forms and tools

Ready to get started? Go HERE now and click on the JOIN NOW button! My password is: stampalotmore

Can't wait to work with you!

Today's the day...you can now order your very own customizable Stampin' Up! Starter Kit for only $107.50 Cdn, with NO SHIPPING or HANDLING costs or TAX! Choose either the standard starter kit or the digital starter kit. Either way, you can't go wrong!

Best of all (as if that's not already amazing), you then automatically become entitled to a special demonstrators-only 20% minimum discount, good until April 30, 2011. If you remain active, you can keep your discount even longer!

You also will receive Stampin' Up!'s monthly demonstrator colour magazine, exclusive access to a fabulous demos-only website with thousands of samples, videos, chat boards and more... plus other great perks!

Go HERE now and you can read all about it! When you're ready, click on the "join now" button. With my password: stampalotmore, you'll be ready to go!

Happy Stampin'!

ATC Tuesday - Morning Cup

It's another ATC! WOOT! I just LOVE these things...especially when I can do them using our watercolour paper. Remember...you can get two ATC out of one piece of watercolour paper - BONUS!!!

Today's ATC features my new FAVOURITE set (I think I change fave sets every week - LOL!) - MORNING CUP!

I stamped it on a piece of watercolour paper using my STAZ-ON ink. Have I mentioned that I love, love, LOVE our clear mount stamps? WHY do I love them so much? Because I can stamp several stamps at once, lining them up right on the block. For this one, I chose the coffee pot, the coffee mug and the sentiment and was able to stamp them all at once. FUN!

I used my watercolour crayons and ink smooshed into the lid of my Basic Grey Ink Pad to colour my image.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Morning Cup

INK: Basic Grey

PAPERS: Watercolour Paper; Tempting Turquoise and Poppy Parade Cardstock

ACCESSORIES: Clear Acrylic Block, Poppy Parade Marker, Aqua Painters

Happy Stampin'!