Dinosaur Thank You

Good Afternoon!

Today I am sharing my son's Thank You cards. He HAD to have green, and wouldn't you know it, he chose Wild Wasabi. So, I dug back into my retired DSP and found this Apple Cider paper. Then, when I looked for my dinosaur stamps, I realized that I had forgotten to order them!! I had to pull out the retired dinosaurs from the daycare stamps! They turned out cute though!

Fifth Avenue Floral Project Tutorial

Good Afternoon!

This step by step tutorial will walk you through, both with pictures and written instruction, how to make this cute "purse" box with four different 5.5 x 4.25 inch size cards, using the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set, the On Your Birthday stamp set, and the Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper. You will use your Paper Crimper, Scallop Edge Punch, Eyelet Border Punch, Mat Pack with Piercing Tool, Crystal Effects, Microbeads, Jumbo Eyelet, Brads, Aqua Painter, Scissors, and various ribbon, along with standard tools like a Paper cutter, scoring blade, ink pads, etc. The 12 page tutorial will be emailed in a PDF file to you after $7.95 payment is confirmed with Paypal. Thanks for looking!

PLEASE CLICK ON MY PHOTO, OR THE ONLINE STORE BUTTON TO PURCHASE!!

THANK YOU!

Jaron's Color Combination Creative Challenge #1

Good Afternoon!

Today I am sharing with you the card that I came up with for Jaron Winder's new color challenge! You can see his color challenges on his blog, http://www.jaronsjunkdrawer.blogspot.com/ or you can just tune in here and I'll share it with you! The colors for Jaron's FIRST color combo challenge are... Taken With Teal, Old Olive and Soft Sky.

This card is 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 (to fit our 5.5" envelopes). I made the flowers out of the word window punch, and circle punches, the circle and scallop circle were punched in the BIG SHOT. The For You sentiment is from Great Friend in the Occasions Mini.

Here is the inside, I left it blank because I'm not sure what/who I will use it for, yet....


Have a great day!

Inspiration Journal # 6

Good Afternoon!


It's been a very busy week! My husbands birthday was on Thursday, my son turned six on Friday, and his "fossil hunting" party was on Saturday. We made 100 cupcakes in 5 different flavors and we had over 50 people join us at the fossil beds near the Mississippi River! It was soooo much fun, but I'm glad it's over : ) Now I can get back to important things, like stamping!

I hope you enjoy Inspiration Journal page #6! These are so much fun to make. Besides providing inspiration, this project seems to train my mind to look for inspiration in atypical places. Do you know how many nurses outfits would make really cute cards??!

For the front of the card, I used the Kiwi Kiss DSP, and sponged some Chocolate Chip ink around the edges. I used the BIGZ scallop circle die to punch out a scallop circle in DSP and Baja Breeze CS. I stamped the flowers from Simply Said (#115066, $28.95, page 52). I used the Sweet Always DSP to cover the Chipboard flower, and then sponged it in Chocolate Chip ink. I added a Kiwi Kiss Courderoy button to the flower, some 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, and a couple of Chocolate Chip brads in the corner to finish it off!

This is the inside of the card. Again, I used the Simply Said stamp set.

Thanks for checking in today!

Just For You

Good Evening!

This has been a very busy week! I have a quick post for you today. I am going to fill this bottle with red licorice sticks, and give it as a gift. Fun, huh?!

Flower Fancy

Good Afternoon!

It's a drizzly, cloudy day here in Minnesota. Great time to stamp!
Today's card was made using the Flower Fancy (111578, page 80, $36.95) stamp set. The images are watercolored with re-inker drops and the Aquapainter. The sentiment is from On Your Birthday (111664, page 141, $33.95). Paper is Bella Rose DSP. The white dots on the Rose Red scallops were made with the White Gel Pen.

Off to snuggle with my little guy. He will be turning 6 at the end of the week, so I need to get all of my 5 year old snuggles in while I can!!

Inspiration Journal #5

Good Afternoon!



Today's post is dedicated to Jaron Winder, a talented individual who has inspired so many of us. I was fortunate enough to be able to see Jaron in action earlier this month, before his recent layoff from Stampin' Up!. I will be sharing much of what Jaron taught us at the MPLS Regional throughout the next week or so, so keep checking in, as you will be amazed at his talent and creativity!



In entry #5 in my Jaron inspired journal, I have two techniques to show you. The first is to bring color to the flowers from the Pretties Kit. I've always been a little bit frustrated when trying to blend colors, but not anymore!! Jaron showed us this cool trick...

He used circle punches layered over flowers (you could use die cut flowers,

or flowers from the pretties kit) to create layers of color. This was a *WOW* moment! You could here lot's of appreciative "wow's" among the 500 Demonstrators and guests who were watching Jaron's presentation! I sponged So Saffron lightly over the whole flower, then I added my ring of Pink Passion. I used a stipple brush to blend it in a little more, but not too much because I wanted to duplicate the flowers in my inspiration magazine picture. I added a darker layer of So Saffron on the inside of the Pink Passion, and then Kiwi Kiss in the center.

Here is a close-up of the front of the card. I used Kiwi Kiss, Pink Pirouette, and Very Vanilla cardstock. I sponged Kiwi Kiss around the edges of the Very Vanilla. The sentiment is from the hostess set, Sweet Little Sentiments.

To pleat the ribbon, first apply a strip of double stick tape to the cardstock. I would suggest something REALLY sticky, like Sticky Strip. Next, attach the end of the ribbon to the beginning point. I like to use my piercing tool to help hold and shape the ribbon as I go along. Lay the tip of the piercing tool on the ribbon at the point that you would like to fold it back (photo on left). The ribbon will adhere to the sticky strip here. Then, pull the piercing tool out of the fold, and lay it on top of the ribbon (photo on right), now you are going to fold the ribbon back over the piercing tool, and attach to sticky strip, like shown in the photo below. Keep repeating!

Here is the inside of the card. I apologize for using a retired stamp, but the flower was such a good match!

Inspiration Journal #4

Good Afternoon!

Here is Inspiration Journal Sample #4

This is too fun!












I used the elephant from Wild About You. I covered it in glue and sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds glitter. I used the Bigz Scallop Circles #2 and the circle cutter to make the circles. For the bling in the corners, I removed the rhinestones from four of the Rhinestone Brads and glued down with Crystal Effects. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but I scored a border around the Gable Green Cardstock. The white dots on the scallop were just made using the White Gel Pen.

To make a plaid background, tape 2 strips of scrap paper to some grid paper (the grid paper will help you space your lines evenly). Slide your cardstock (I used Pirouette Pink cardstock and Regal Rose Ink) underneath the scrap paper. Line it up with the grid paper, and sponge the ink. After sponging each line, move cardstock over and sponge your next line (I moved a half inch, so that my lines were each 1/4")

Now, turn your paper and sponge lines going the other direction to make plaid.

Here is the inside of the card. The sentiment is from On Your Birthday, and the flower is from Wild About You. I colored the stamp with markers...

Inspiration Journal #3

Good Afternoon!

Here is page 3 of my Inspiration Journal. It really is a challenge to for me to work with these bright colors! That, and I must admit, we have another glorious day outside! The little ones are taking a short nap after playing at the park all morning, and I am trying to get done as much as possible so that we can go back out and enjoy the weather. The colors that I used are Green Galore, So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, and Blush Blossom.

Here's a closeup of the front of the card. I ran the So Saffron Cardstock through the Big Shot, using the Textures Plate. The butterflies and vines (stamped on Blush Blossom) are from Pretty Amazing, and the sentiment is from Upsy Daisy.

I'd love to see pages that you guys create using magazines or catalogs for inspiration! Get creating and send me an email!! I know that we have some great stampers out there.... Joan? ... Tonie? ... Pam? ...

Inspiration Journal #2

Good Afternoon!

Here is page 2 of my Inspiration Journal. The background is Very Vanilla layered onto Really Rust. The daisy is Whisper White and More Mustard, and the sentiment is stamped in Ruby Red. I got all of my colors in, except the Creamy Caramel, but looking at the photo, I think I might go back and sponge some Creamy Caramel onto the front of the card (not the daisy). I used the piercing tool and the Mat Pack to poke the holes around the border.

Here is a close up of the front of the card. I used the Daisies Bigz die to make the flower...

Time to go volunteer in the Kindergarten class!

Birthday snail

Good Afternoon!

It's a gorgeous day here in Minnesota! 63 degrees!! It was hard to find time to come in and stamp : )
I can't take credit for today's card. I saw a snail similar to this when I was out shopping, so of course I just had to take a picture! I used the Bigz circle die for the body, and various sized punches for the polka dots. I freehanded the stitching around the snail and border... easy as pie! Now, back outside....

Inspiration Journal

Good Afternoon, and Happy Easter!

I'm sharing something fun with you today, and hopefully for many more days to come.

When I was at the MPLS Regional Seminar last weekend, I was able to watch some really fabulous demonstrations by other Demos, and by representatives from Stampin Up!. One of which was Jaron Winder, from the SU! headquarters. Jaron has got to be one of the funniest guys ever!! Anyhow, he shared with us this idea of an Art Journal, as he called it. I've chosen to call mine an Inspiration Journal. It's a collection of photos, magazine and catalog adds and such, that have captured my attention because of the textures, patterns and/or colors. How much fun will it be to let those pages inspire the design of a card?! I am so excited for this! I hope you enjoy this idea, as well as card # 1...

This is the first page of my inspiration journal. I have already filled the left side of every page layout with magazine and catalog clippings and SU! color swatches!!! Now I'm to the fun part of making the cards!!

Below is a closeup of the front of the card. I used the Textures Plates in the Bigshot to make the Chocolate Chip paper (5 1/4 x 5 1/4) textured, like the wicker chair in the photo. The flowers from the Upsy Daisy stamp set are stamped in Whisper White Craft Ink onto Wild Wasabi paper. I know, it's retired, but it the color matched the picture so well! Wild Wasabi was one of my favorite green's and I just can't let it go!! I mixed Crystal Effects with Really Rust Re-inker, and then painted a Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware frame and brads (the ones down in the lower right hand corner). I attached the frame with More Mustard brads. Now, I have incorporated all of my chosen colors into my card. I poked holes around the edges, using the piercing tool and the Mat Pack to line them up, and then tied the (retired Wild Wasabi) ribbon around.

Here is the inside of the card. I just reversed the colors, white paper, and Wild Wasabi ink (stamped off once)...

Thoughts and Prayers

Good morning! Here is another beautiful card from PAM PETERSON in Illinois! Isn't she great?! I love the layout, the springy colors, and the way that she used the Hodgepodge hardware! This has inspired me to use a similar hardware piece in a project that I am working on. I'll share that with you tomorrow or Sunday. Have a great day!

Bubbles by Pam

Good Afternoon!

How cute is this card from Pam Peterson in Illinois? You could adapt this to make it a baby card, an Easter card, a birthday card, or so many other types of cards. It's just fun! Pam is a demonstrator that I met on SUDSOL (Simply Unique Demonstrators Sharing Online), and when we got together at the MPLS Regional Seminar, she gave me a WONDERFUL selection of cards to share with you all.

GREAT card Pam!! I'll be CASING this card for future use!

Happy Easter

Good Afternoon!

Today I am sharing a couple of Easter cards from PAM PETERSON!! The bunnies are from the Egg-cellent Easter set in the Occasions Mini catalog.

Aren't they cute?! Thanks Pam!

Garden Greetings For You

Good Afternoon!

Today I am sharing with you the other 2 cards that I made for the SWAP at the MPLS Regional Seminar. My original card had more layers, but I ran out of time!! I ended up just stamping the "for you" as you see it now, rather than on another piece of paper, and layered. The card at the right shows what the inside looks like. I think that Garden Greetings has become one of my favorite sets, but of course I think that about almost every set!

Keep in mind that if you would like to use this layout, you can make the part that opens up any size that you want. It's fun to experiment!

Have a great day!