Good Monday afternoon!

I know, it's been almost a week. I do apologize - but real life has been super-busy - so I've got that, plus not feeling well on the days I'm not so busy! ANYWAY. :) Back to stamping!

Today, I'm going to show you the two cards and one 3D project we did in September at my parties. October's going to be an AWESOME time to hostess; if you're interested, PLEASE let me know! You can even have your party at my house, so you don't have to clean! LOL!

The above card is done with NATURE'S SILHOUETTES, which I purchased by accident. :D It's stamped in Basic Brown on Very Vanilla; we used the backing from the negative space left from the rubber diecutting process to mask the saying and sponge with Really Rust. We sponged the edges with the Basic Brown, and then layered onto Really Rust and Very Vanilla. Super easy!

This pillow box was made completely with the Big Shot. It is SO fun to play with - er, ummmm, WORK with. Yeah, that's it. :D

We used the pillow box die, the pumpkin die, and the leaves #2 die. Cut it all out, stamped the "Happy Thanksgiving" on the pumpkin from HOLIDAYS & WISHES, and assembled it. It's filled with candy corn! :D

Here's the third project:

Everything inked is stamped. We used a Versamark pad, and stamped the angel, the background, the saying on the front, and the saying on the inside - then used gold embossing powder on it. The angel is from the set HOLY TRIPTYCH; the background is one of the ITTY BITTY BACKGROUNDS. The sayings on the front and on the inside are from MANY MERRY MESSAGES. We colored in the angel with Stampin' Pastels, clipped the corners with my favorite, ticket corner punch, and that's it!!! :) It really was a simple card!

Email me for more information about being a hostess - you can earn a LOT of free stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In the meantime, go STAMP something! :D And leave me a comment; I'm lonely.....

Happy Tuesday! :D

Today I want to show you a WOW card that I kind of copied from a card I saw in a gallery, but I changed a lot on it - so it's MINE now. :D We did this card for the New Idea Book & Catalog Open House, and I did it with some homeschooling girls. It's a beautiful card, if I do say so myself.... :D

The only stamp set used is FRESH CUTS - you may remember that there was a "sneak peek" in June, when everyone could purchase this set, and the laser-cut note cards that coordinate with it.

The colors are Sahara Sand and Bravo Burgundy. We stamped the collaged image, then sponged around the edges. It's layered onto another Sahara Sand piece - because of the sponging, it looks like another color.

We put that onto the card, and stamped the vine with flowers; the white dots are doen with our gel pen. (I LOVE THAT PEN!!!!!!!!!) The "for you" is stamped and punched with a small oval punch, then sponged and layered onto a medium oval that's also been sponged.

The last touch is the five petal flower punch; we did the faux stitching with the gel pen again, and punched one of the tiny flowers on the Boho Blossom flower punch out. It got sponged, and dotted with that wonderful gel pen, and we kind of bent the petals up a little bit to give it a little more dimension.

That's ALL there is to this card! It's got a few steps, but only using one color ink makes things super simple.

Here's one more card done with the same set; I did this to show the set's versatility. Colors are Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla, and Apricot Appeal.

That's it for today! What are YOU stamping??? ARE you stamping??? :D Let me hear from you!!!!!!!!

Quick Card for a Quick Post!

Good morning - barely!!! Working away here, starting to get going on the Hostess Appreciation Luncheon for next month - it's not too late to get your invitation, ladies!!!! All you have to do is have SOME type of order for $150 or more between now and the middle of October!!!!! Whether you place it all yourself, or get some friends to go in with you doesn't matter. :) I want you to get to come!

ANYWAY. I'll talk more about that later, or you can email me for more details. :) Because I'm so busy today, this is a QUICK post - but even better, a SUPER-QUICK card! :)

This is my new set - FINALLY :D (cute story related, but not today!!!). I LOVE THIS SET!!!! I also love black-eyed Susans, so these colors are SO me for fall! :D

The set is called INSPIRED BY NATURE. Colors are Chocolate Chip and Summer Sun. Stamped the big stamp, stamped the saying, masked and sponged the saying, sponged the edges, and BAM! :D It's done!

OK, gonna run now. One more blog to update, and then I need to REALLY get going! :D

Have a wonderful day! PLEASE, take the time to STAMP something!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Trick or Treat!!!

Hi, everyone! I'm back from my weekend - weary and unpacked. :D It was a lot of fun, but I'm back and hard at work already.

I wanted to show you one of the things I gave my Secret Sister at our retreat!

Isn't he adorable?? I've been inspired by several different bloggers for him, but the final design is all my own. :) He was about 8 inches tall, and held a large Lindt candy bar. It's all punches, sponging, free-handing, and free-cutting!

Colors are Old Olive, Bordering Blue, Basic Black, and Whisper White. I used my white gel pen to put the reflection into his eyes; isn't he a docile-looking Frankenstein?!?!? :D

I'm going to run again - I have to keep stamping, to have new things to show you! What are YOU stampin'?!?!??!?! Goodness! I certainly hope you're taking the time to STAMP something!!!!!!!!!

Incentives and A Sample :)

Good afternoon!!! I'm offering two separate incentives in this email, plus showing you the card I made for Kenn for our anniversary last weekend.

FIRST INCENTIVE!!!! For the first FIVE people who order from my online site: I will send you five handmade cards and envelopes for your own use! It's safe, easy, and convenient!

Now, for that sample.... :)

I used a brayer inked with different colors and masked the background off with torn copy paper. The couple is from SUMMER BY THE SEA, done on watercolor paper with marker watercoloring. I then cut it out with my paper snips and gave it a little separation from the background with dimensionals. The saying is also from SUMMER BY THE SEA. I LOVE my Sketches sets!!!

And my SECOND INCENTIVE: For anyone who joins my team between NOW and OCTOBER 11, I will give a gift certificate for $25 worth of product from me! Just EMAIL ME for the online application password! I would LOVE to have you join my team, and there are GREAT benefits! :) Contact me today!

OK, I'm off - lots to do still; I'm going to be gone this weekend, and have a Christmas card class and a workshop back-to-back when I get home, so I've got to get organized. :D Take the time to STAMP something today!!!!

Notice anything NEW on the blog?!?!?!?

That's RIGHT! :D Our ONLINE ORDERING is in place!!!!! I would link you directly to the ordering page, but I need you to enter through my website in order for you to get the best pricing, and for me to get the credit. :) All you have to do is CLICK HERE, and when the site opens, click on the SHOP NOW button at the top of the page! :)

You can get gifts for others and great products for you, ANY time you want - or have someone get YOU a gift, easy as can be!!!! I think you'll be thrilled with how easy the website is to use.

HAVE FUN SHOPPING!!!! :D

A couple more scrapbook layouts from last month!

Good Friday afternoon! :) I wanted to post SOMETHING, so here you go. :D I'm working on Kenn's anniversary card for Sunday, but obviously I don't want to post it where he might stumble across it. :D SO, lucky YOU, get to see the final two 6x6 scrapbook layouts from August's class! :D

The first one is done on Going Gray card stock, which is ONLY available in assorted packs anymore. For THIS layout, I liked it better than our Basic Gray, but overall, I do like Basic better. :D

Anyway. Obviously, there's NO stamping on this layout! It's all Coluzzle and punch work. :D Oh, and some cutting. :D That's designer series paper from Summer Picnic, the only color on the page. :D The tiny circles are all punched, and the larger picture mats are cut with the Coluzzle. SUPER simple!

Here's the second one!

I'll admit, this was my favorite for the class. :) It's just SUMMERY!

That's Green Galore, YoYo Yellow, and Only Orange as colors - with a punch of Whisper White added in. :) The lime is from TART & TANGY. This one used square punches and the ticket corner punch. :) We embossed the Whisper White to make "tiles" out of the squares; once stamped, we squished the whole thing into a Versamark pad, and then into Glassy Glaze embossing powder. Heat it up, and Voila! it's beautiful and smooth! :D

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!!!! Take a bit of time to stamp something, but enjoy your loved ones - or your peace and quiet, whichever one you get this weekend! :D

A couple more Big Shot projects!

These are PILLOW BOXES, made with the Big Shot and the pillow box die. Imagine that! :D The one on the left is cut from the Level One Hostess Gift Paper Pack, kraft color. It's got a belly band made of kraft card stock, and Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon. The tag is a large circle punch, punched from kraft card stock, layered with the scallop square punch turned on an angle to fit the SINCERE SALUTATIONS greeting on it - I am SO stoked this works with this set!!! - in Pretty in Pink. I stamped and sponged it with Chocolate Chip. SUPER easy, and so cute!

The pillow box on the right is cut from Taken With Teal card stock, and embellished with snowflakes that are diecuts, too. The punched tag is the large oval punch, stamped with a sentiment from HUGS & WISHES and edged with Taken With Teal ink, as well.

These projects are SO EASY with the Big Shot! You could crank out a LOT of party favors, wedding favors, Christmas gifts - literally! :) Contact me today to get your Big Shot!

And for goodness' sake, take time to STAMP something - then bless someone else with your stamped project! :)

Big Shot - really versatile, so much fun, and available from me NOW!!!

Hi, everyone! So, I'm both lazy and busy - not a great combination. :D But I'm here today to give you FIVE samples of things I've done with my new Big Shot.

Stampin' Up! and Sizzix have joined together; not only are we carrying the Big Shot - with the SU! name on it, even! :D - but we have exclusive dies and hard-to-find dies, as well. If you're interested in hearing more about it, please email me!

On with the show. :)

This is a Not Quite Navy card cut with the scallop circle die. I cut the strips for it - Riding Hood Red, the IN COLOR red :), and Whisper White - with the die as well. The stamp is from the level 1 hostess set, PUNCHES THREE; I punched it with the scallop square punch, a NEW punch this fall! There's a square layered behind it that you can BARELY see of Not Quite Navy, then I punched a Riding Hood Red scallop square and put it on the diagonal behind the stamp. I stippled white craft ink onto the card, to give it a little personality. :)

Here's the next sample....

This is the HERITAGE HOLIDAY stamp set, new in this IB&C. I really like it!! :)

The main card is Old Olive; I double-punched the bottom of it with the scallop edge punch, just like we do with the scallop circle. :) The single scallop behind it is another IN COLOR, Kiwi Kiss.

I took a Riding Hood Red scallop diecut and cut it in half, and embossed the greeting on it.

The Santa face is stamped on our Shimmery White card stock, and I used my aquapainter to put the color into his face and hat. He's punched out with the new large circle punch.

On to the next one!

SUPER simple!!! The base card stock is Very Vanilla; I used Creamy Caramel ink in DTP, and used one of the little background stamps from ITTY BITTY BACKGROUNDS. The saying is from SWEET SERENDIPITY. The leaves are diecut from Pumpkin Pie card stock, and I just took a stylus and put the veins in, and ran a little Pumpkin Pie classic ink over them with a sponge. See how easy?!?!??! :)

Next!

You really couldn't get much simpler than this card. I took the other half of the Riding Hood Red scallop circle die and punched 1/8" holes in each scallop - you can tell I only "eyeballed" where to put each one. :D Put it down onto glossy white card stock. Next, I cut another scallop circle out of Bella Rose designer series paper, and did a dahlia fold on it. The bottom green - what IS that little piece of a flower called, anyway?!?!? - is a scallop circle punch cut in half and folded into thirds. The leaf is our large oval punch - again, a brand new punch this fall!!! - that I folded in half. I cut one end into a point, then ran it through my crimper STILL FOLDED. Adhered everything down, and stamped the sentiment from SINCERE SALUTATIONS in Riding Hood Red.

Last one for today!

The last two posts - before the scrapbook layouts, I mean :) - were card to show you how I was using some of the "negatives" of the diecuts. Here's another. :) I LOVE this card - so simple!!

I had obviously cut two snowflakes out of this piece of Whisper White card stock. I put a piece of packing tape over the back, and used our fine blue glitter from the COSMO stack to pour into the openings. Then I adhered that strip onto a Night of Navy strip; the Brocade Blue (looks a little bluer in this scan!!!) I stamped with another stamp from the ITTY BITTY BACKGROUNDS set, to make it look like it was snowing. :) The "warm wishes" sentiment is from HUGS & WISHES, and I embossed it. EASY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, now you've seen what's going on HERE. :) What are YOU up to??? How can you see one of these Big Shots working for you?!?!? :) Call me, email me, leave me a way to contact you - I want to know how I can help you out!! :)

Go STAMP something!!!!

Happy Labor Day!

It's kind of sad to see how many professions aren't taking the day off! But we'll celebrate, anyway. :D

Here's another layout from August's Scrapbooking class - can you BELIEVE it's September 1 already?!?!??!

Yes, that IS the Sock Monkey! :) We paper pieced him, and put him up on dimensionals so you can slide the picture onto the mat behind him easily. The mats we corner rounded, and used the scallop edge punch to make it a little fancy. :)

The background stamping is the word "celebrate" from CELEBRATE EVERYTHING, and the party hat from SOCK MONKEY. Colors are Real Red, Whisper White, Basic Black, and Going Gray. I think it's a really cute layout!!!

What do you think?? Is anyone OUT there??? It's been awfully quiet lately. Maybe I need to introduce myself, and why Stampin' Up! is where it's at for me. I think I will - watch for an upcoming post!

In the meantime, take the time to STAMP something - you KNOW I am! :D