Crazy Stamp Girl

So, last month, Sue issued a call for people interested in a Stamping Challenge. Here’s what she had to say:

This is my summer challenge. I have many cards that I have created and they are just sitting here. I also have many scraps and little goodies that I would like to give away.

So here is my proposal. For those of you who sign up. Each Friday of the summer, I will send out four packages. Each package will have at least one handmade card that I would like you to post on your site. It will also include goodies for you to create something with.

Your mission will be to create something from the goodies I send you and post them on your site. Then send me a picture or snail mail package and I will post it on my site and link back to your site to show how you made the project.

So, I signed up because this sounded like a fun thing. I had forgotten about it for a couple of weeks and then this past Monday a large manilla envelope showed up in my mail box! I had to force myself to wait until the kids were down for naps before opening the envelope.

Once I was able to sit down and take a peek inside, my brain immediately started dividing things up into groups. I’m not sure if Sue intended these things to be grouped this way or not, but here is what I created. (To see more info about each card, click on the picture or title.)

Soapy Boatloads of Love

Girly Invitations

Sanded Metal Tools

Thanks for checking out my creations!

Technorati Tags: Dish Soap Technique, Pop Can Embellishment, Stamping Challenge

I was part of this week’s summer challenge on Susan Daly’s blog “Stampin Daly”. She sends out a packet to 4 people each week and those four people have to create something with the contents of the packet. My next several posts will be the cards I created with the supplies inside the big brown envelope.

But first, one of Susan’s cards, and I must say I like this one. Here is her card creation:

Check back soon for my challenge cards. I really enjoyed this - it is not something I do very often and it was a challenge. But I had a great time!

Taken right from the Stampin’ Up!® home page. Hot off the presses:

Décor Elements

We are thrilled to announce a new Stampin’ Up! product line: Décor Elements.

Our Décor Elements product line is self-adhesive vinyl art for walls, mirrors, windows, or other hard, smooth surfaces. It is an extension of our Definitely Decorative home décor line, which is another way to express your creativity–just on a larger canvas than a card or scrapbook page! Décor Elements takes that same idea and uses a different medium to accomplish the same mission, making your home a beautiful representation of your style. And it’s inexpensive compared to painting, framing art, or buying new furniture!

This natural extension of our products is also right on trend, and our artwork converts from stamp sets to vinyl art images with ease. You’ll love the unique experience of Stampin’ Up!’s Décor Elements vinyl art. Décor Elements images and techniques available also coordinate with our existing products. We brought you Two-Step Stampin’, so why not two-step and three-step vinyl art that will really catch your attention? For example, apply a vinyl frame to a wall or window, and then apply a letter inside it.

Vinyl art is a hot trend that will continue to become even more popular than it currently is, and this is only our initial offering. By starting with a carefully-chosen sampling of products, we’ll be able to expand and adapt to what’s popular and what customers like best. We’ll be able to evaluate and change the product offering quickly and efficiently.

Whether you want to spice up the walls of your home or frame a home décor piece for display, Décor Elements is easy to apply, easy to love, and easy to remove.

Click here to read the Decor Elements Application Instructions OR

click here for a training video available on the Stampin’ Up!® home page.

Please check out the new Decor Elements brochure available in my sidebar. Once you decide that you just can’t live without it, please email me to schedule a workshop!

Technorati Tags: Decor Elements, new product, Stampin' Up!, vinyl wall art

Technorati Tags: faux suede, stamping tutorial, technique

It’s finally time! I have finished my very first virtual stampin’ class and I’m ready to share it with you!

Mini Scalloped Note Cards

These adorable little cards fit perfectly in the 3”x3” mini square envelopes and would be just perfect for tucking in a gift bag or slipping into a lunch box or carry-on suitcase.

This online class includes:

• Slit Punch
• Berry Bliss Designer Series Paper and the coordinating cardstock cut & prepared
• 4 mini square envelopes
• Priority Shipping to your doorstep
• Access to the Virtual Stampin’ Studio for full-color printable tutorials and real-time ability to ask questions and get help while you’re working

What you need:

• Circle cutter (Coluzzle or other)
• SNAIL (or your favorite adhesive) to assemble cards
• Stamps & Ink of your choice (I used the Heartfelt Thanks set and the Warm Words set , with Pretty in Pink, Purely Pomegranate & Close to Cocoa ink)

If you need to purchase any of these items along with your class kit, I would be happy to add that in for you.

Are you interested? Would you like to be a part of the first online class at the Virtual Stampin’ Studio? It’s easy, just contact me with your registration and payment of $35.00 by July 10. I’ll get the supplies ordered and your class kit mailed to you.

Then on Friday, July 25 you’ll be able to log in to the Virtual Stampin’ Studio to view and print the tutorials & ask me questions.

All ready to go? Then register here with your information and I’ll send you a bill using a secure payment site.

Register Now!

See you there!

Technorati Tags: class, online, stamping

I have been holding off on sharing this card with you for almost two weeks. I have not yet felt comfortable posting this card, but I wanted to share it with you now. A little over two weeks ago, some friends of ours lost their 8 day old baby girl to a heart defect. They knew about her condition before she was born. She was a strong baby girl - she survived the birth, and made significant progress throughout her first days. She was strong enough to undergo open heart surgery and she made it through beautifully. Unfortunately though as she was recovering and resting the night after, Emily Grace went to be with Jesus. It was surprising for everyone and I just had no words to express to her parents how I felt for them.

I wanted to make a beautiful card for their precious baby girl as she was so beautiful even in her first days. I wanted it to be comforting and calming, but not your typical sympathy card. So, I remembered a card made by MJ Albright that I loved and was inspired by. I’m not especially good with lots of layers, so I went a bit simpler, but I was pleased with the end result.

I think I cried most of the way through making the card (just as I have cried most of the way through posting this). My heart aches for their family and everything they are thinking and feeling. I pray for them a lot and I hope this card will let them know that.

Technorati Tags: angel, baby, hand stamped, sympathy

Last week was my Virtual Studio Open House and one of the contests included leaving a comment and getting an entry in the drawing for a free stamp set. Well, the winner as chosen by Random.org is Shelley!

Shelley wrote:

Love your virtual studio. What a great idea!!
I’ll be back again

Shelley, please email me with your mailing address and I’ll get the set in the mail to you!

Technorati Tags: contest, stamp set, winner

Here is a project that I am really proud of. I didn’t invent it, Jackie Topa did over at her blog: Addicted to Stamping. But I did put my own personal touch on it. I’d introduce the project, but I just can’t wait to show it to you!!!

It starts innocently enough, just a cardstock box; it looks about big enough to hold some cards.

Sneak attack! Take off the lid and it unfolds!

Revealing birthday cards, gift tags, gift-card holders, a birthday list booklet & a book of stamps!

Ta-da!!! Isn’t it just too cool? I love the way it turned out!!! I have been working on this for quite a while and am so happy to have finished it!

I used Tempting Turquoise for the box base & Real Red for the lid. The other colors I used were Wild Wasabi, More Mustard & Whisper White - all of those colors are in the East Coast Prep designer series paper.

The Birthday Central Box shown here includes 3 standard sized birthday cards, 3 small 3×3 gift tags, and 3 gift card holders. Everything is stamped using the Bitty Birthday set or the Rough Edges Alpha set.

To make the box I used this pattern created by Jackie Topa. And, to make the gift card holder, I used this super easy pattern by Cambria.

If you want more information on this project, please email me. I would be happy to share more information with you when you decide to make your own.

Also, if you have not yet signed up for my mailing list, you’ll want to. I will be releasing my first online class soon and you will want to make sure you have all the info delivered right to your inbox!

Edited to add details:

I used Tempting Turquoise for the box base & card/tag pockets. I used East Coast Prep DS paper for almost everything.

The large cards used Wild Wasabi & More Mustard card bases with Real Red & More Mustard accents & mats. The 3×3 cards were Whisper White Card bases with Real Red & Tempting Turquoise mats.

The gift card holders were folded out of East Coast Prep paper using the pattern above, the fronts & inside cards were Whisper White. To tie them closed I used some non-SU grosgrain ribbon because I was out of the colors I needed in SU.

For the Birthdays booklet, I stamped one month at the top of each page in Real Red using the Rough Edge Alphabet (which is retiring).

All the other images are from the Bitty Birthday stamp set.

Technorati Tags: birthday, cards, hand stamped, stationery set

Just a reminder…the Virtual Stampin’ Studio gets locked Friday, June 20 at 10pm and will not be available again until my online class comes out (tentatively scheduled for mid-July).

All entries for prizes & orders must be turned in to me before 10pm Central Time.

Thanks,

Today I am excited to have something new to share with you. One of my good friends & customers, has agreed to share her artwork with you. Her name is Ruth, we attend the same church and somehow she has managed to cope with the stamping addiction without becoming a demonstrator! I don’t know how she does it! I hope you enjoy her work.

Thanks, Ruth, for sharing your cards!

How long have you been stamping? Don’t really remember–between 10-15 years. In 2002 I started doing more layouts because my first grandchild was born. Have four grandchildren now. I don’t think I will ever get tired of making cards.

What is your favorite stamp set? You expect me to choose one favorite?? That’s just impossible, so I will choose the one I feel I have used the most. And that is the word set “It’s Your Birthday” and my favorite within this set is the cursive Happy Birthday which is small and feminine. I also like Noble Deer for men’s cards and You Make Me Happy for background stamping.

What is your favorite technique? Don’t know if this qualifies, but I love to use my write markers to make a multi-colored stamped image, especially with real looking flowers. Don’t know what technique it is called, but I like to mat with stamped background paper (like the green and blue cards).

What is your go-to color combo? olive green and saffron–earth elements reign at my house with rich regals coming in second place!

What is the best thing about making cards? I get bored with long projects, but you can make one style of card in a short period and then switch to something completely different. I end up with a lot more finished projects than doing layouts.

Thank you, Ruth for sharing your talents! Please leave a comment here and let Ruth know how much you like her work! Thanks!