Ornamental Elegance

If you've seen the front of Stampin Up's Holiday Catalogue you've probably admired the ornament on it and maybe even wondered, "How can I make that?"  Well, you're question has been answered and you can make them now, in time for Christmas!

For only $17.95 you can purchase your "Ornamental Elegance" kit and make 10 homemade, GORGEOUS ornaments to give as gifts or keep for yourself ; )

The Ornamental Elegance Kit (132832) is $17.95 and includes:

• Die-Cut Cardstock Elements
• Cherry Cobbler 3-1/2" Scalloped Tulle Ribbon
• Natural Linen Thread
• Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons
• Large Pearl Basic Jewels

Act fast though for 2 reasons:

1.  Supplies are limited
2.  You want to have them in time to make them before Christmas ; )

To place your order, contact me directly or order online at http://lauragardiner.stampinup.net


Stampin' Up also has 2 more FANTASTIC bundles that make Holiday giving super simple!

Here are the details:
Trimmings & Tags Bundle
Item 132769
$17.50 (a $21.95 value)
Includes

• Gusseted Cellophane Bags (25 bags; 5" x 3" x 11-1/2")
• Snow Festival Designer Printed Tags (25 double-sided tags; 4-1/2" x 3-1/8")
• Cherry Cobbler 1/4" Sweater Trim (10 yards)

Petite Treats Bundle
Item 132770
$18.25 (a $22.95 value)
Includes

• Glassine Bags with die-cut edges (10 bags; 3" x 5" x 1-1/2")
• Handmade Holidays Stitched Felt (8 pieces)
• Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon (10 yards)

Again, check out http://lauragardiner.stampinup.net or contact me to place your order!

Stepping in it up

Tonight I want to share 2 more cards that I did while playing around with my friend's "Delightful Decorations" stamp set and coordinating Ornament punch.  I wanted to show how one can take a really simple, yet pretty card and "step-it-up".

Here is the "plain" one:

And here is the "stepped up " one:

Can you spot the differences?  There are 3.  No, just kidding, I'll tell you!   For both cards, I based the colour scheme on Stampin' Up's "Be of Good Cheer" DSP; Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler and Gumball Green.   For the first card I used the Scallop Edge Border punch on the Cherry Cobbler strip while on the 2nd I used the Scallop Trim Border punch.  I also embossed the Very Vanilla base with my Perfect Polka Dots TIEF (although it's quite difficult to see here).  Finally I added a little more colour and a bit of bling on the ornament by adding a 3/4" green punch out and a Basic Rhinestone jewel. 

Which one do you like better?

Happy Stamping!

Delightful Decorations

While preparing for a workshop I was doing last week I started playing around with my friend's "Delightful Decorations" stamp set and Ornament Punch along with my package of "Be of Good Cheer" DSP.  Here is one of the cards I came up with:

I had a lot of fun going "back to basics" with this one.  The workshop I was running was the very first Stampin' Up! workshop for all of the attendees so I thought back to the first Stampin' Up workshop I went to 9 years ago.  I dug out one the card that I made there to show you....yes, I hoard cards....

One of my very first Christmas cards....created 9 years ago

At the first party I attended I was amazed at how easily I could create a hand-crafted card.  All I needed was a little bit of paper, some ink and a few stamps.  That evening I went away with all I needed to create my cards for that year and I haven't looked back!  While I tried the craft store route when I first moved to this area, I got very frustrated and was very happy to get hooked up with a Stampin' Up demonstrator.  She has since become a good friend too!

When I look at this "old" card I realize how far Stampin' Up has come in the past few years.  The punches they have certainly make it easy to create an even better looking handmade card!

Here are the supplies I used:

Stamp sets: Delightful Decorations, Tidings of Joy (single stamp)

Paper:  Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, and Be of Good Cheer DSP

Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green

Other:  Ornament Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon, Dimensionals

Happy Stamping!

Masked Ornament

Wow!  Am I ever backlogged on my card sharing on my blog here.  I've been left wondering this week where November has gone and how I'm going to get through December in one piece.  I'm sure many of you are feeling the same way.

It is beginning to feel like winter here and I'm excited about that!  I am one of those (rare) people in my part of my province that actually LOVES it when it snows.  The more the better in my mind....as long as I don't have to drive in it!  Maybe that comes from growing up in a place that traditionally gets a ton of snow.

Saturday morning was so fantastic because we had about 3 inches fall overnight....almost as much as we had all last winter!  My 3 1/2 year old was SO excited he was out the door in his bare feet and jammies ready to make snow angels at 8 am!!!!

Anyway, I'll stop at that or I'll start to rant about those who don't like snow living in a country/province where it snows.....yikes!  There I go....

Right.   Here's a card:

This is a follow-up to my last post and was inspired by my friends at my last Technique's class.  I like the simplicity of it.  It's super-simple for anyone to make this card.  All you need is Stampin' Up's Ornament Punch, Whisper White card stock, some ink, sponge daubers and a Christmas stamp.  I also used Dazzling Diamonds and my Simply Scored tool to add a little more "flavour" .

Here's what I used:

Ink: Old Olive, Raspberry Ripple, Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green

Stamps:  Greetings of the Season

Other:  Ornament Punch, Dazzling Diamonds (with Heat and Stick powder and a heat gun), Simply Scored scoring tool.

Happy Stamping!

Masking with friends

I had my monthly techniques class last evening and we were working on "masking" again.   It was just me and three good friends for this class and because I trust them with my stuff I gave them carte blanche for the first card....literally.....just white card stock and instructions to create something using reverse masking.  I was really impressed with what they came up with and I'm going to share their creations with you tonight.

EC made this first one.  She claims to not have a "crafty" bone in her body but I think she's fibbing. 

Isn't it so pretty?!  She used a combination of Real Red, Raspberry Ripple, Garden Green and Old Olive inks to create the multicoloured ornaments and then "glitzed" them up using Dazzling Diamonds.....which, by the way, are now all over my house : )  Then she added a Real Red matte and a sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  I love it!


The next card was done by my friend, JS, who makes very pretty cards.  For some reason I couldn't get my picture to rotate today, so apologies for all of the cricks in your necks for having to look at it sideways.

She sent me a photo of the completed project this morning. 

This card uses a combination of reds...Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Raspberry Ripple and Rich Razzleberry.  I like how she did the gradation in colour.  She used a Cherry Cobbler matte with a woodgrain texture and then added some of the Champagne Shimmer paper, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine and gold brads to finish it up.

Finally, DF made this gorgeous card for her grandmother's 92nd birthday this weekend.

Perfect Plum is her favourite Stampin' Up colour and so, of course, being given free reign she used it on this card.  She first used reverse masking to create the butterflies on the card stock and then sponged the butterfly punch outs to create 3 different shades before adhering them.  Finally she pierced the perimeter of the Whisper White (although it's had to see here). 

I LOVE all three cards for different reasons and am now setting about to copy them : )  Stayed tuned for more masking and other creations.....I am very backlogged in my blog posts.

And....if you haven't already, don't forget to check out my new blog, "Magpie Sisters", to see what Meg and I have been up to.

Happy Stamping!

Ornamental Doilies

For today's card I used the template that the good ladies at Try Stampin' on Tuesday put out for the challenge this week.  Be sure to check out their blog to see all of the entries.

I thought I was going to use this for a workshop I'm doing tomorrow night for my former upline.  But I changed my mind.  That doesn't mean that I can't share it with you though : )

It's a LOT more fussy and frilly than I normally would do, but I was playing around with my Delicate Doilies Sizzlits die and the Candlelight Christmas Speciality DSP.  I really like the flocked paper (the horizontal stripe), it adds some neat texture to the card.  I decided to stick with just Real Red and Very Vanilla for this card but my Real Red ink pad is so old that it looks pink now when I stamp!  That's the main reason I'm not doing this card for the workshop tomorrow. 

I'm really hoping to take advantage of Stampin' Up's Ink-credible offer and get myself a whole new colour family of ink pads!!!!  It's such a great deal and the "Brights" family is top of my list, although my "Subtles" are showing their age too!  I'm finding that after using the new firm foam ink pads I don't always like going back to the old ones.

Anyhow, in other news, my sister-in-law and I have launched our new blog, Magpie Sisters.  As the name might suggest, it is a place for us to share our favourite things, new finds and other randomness in our lives.  I hope you check it out and become a follower : )

Happy Stamping!

Watercolor Winter Shimmer

Tonight's card is one I did a few weeks ago for a workshop (yes, I'm a little behind in my postings).  The technique I used on this card involves Shimmer Paint and 2-step stamping.

Watercolor Winter and Shimmer Paint

Simply Scored detail

Use Frost White Shimmer Paint to add some shimmer to your card

 I really liked the result.  Here's what you do:

1.  Stamp your first image using Classic Ink.  In this example, I used the poinsettia from "Watercolor Winter" stamped in Cherry Cobbler.

2.  Using a sponge dauber, dab Frost White Shimmer Paint onto the second stamp and stamp over top of the first image.

It's that simple!!!  It's such a pretty effect too.  Very subtle.

I realise that not everyone has the resources or the space to have Big Shot machine so instead of using a TIEF to add texture to the Very Vanilla background I used the Simply Scored tool.  Again, so simple and subtle.

Here are all the details of the supplies I used on this card:

Stamp Sets:  Watercolor Winter, Greetings of the Season

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla card stock

Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade

Other:  Simply Scored tool, Frost White Shimmer Paint

In other news, stayed tuned for a new blog that my sister-in-law and I are working on....Magpie Sisters!

Happy Stamping!

Mickey Mouse Birthday

One of our neighbour's turned 1 this week!  His birthday party is today and the theme is Mickey Mouse.  I couldn't resist pulling out my circles and creating a little Mickey silhouette for his card!

Isn't it cute?!  I love the "Mickey" colours too....Real Red, Basic Black and Whisper White.   I really like the little party hat especially.  I used my Pennant punch and Red Glimmer paper to do it and topped it with the little "star" from the "Pennant Parade" stamp set.  Here's a look at the inside:

We're off to his party right now so I'll have to be quick with the details:

Ink: Real Red, Basic Black

Paper:  Real Red, Whisper White, Basic Black, Red glimmer paper

Stamp Sets: Friendly Phrases, Pennant Parade, Occasions Alphabet

Other:  Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Circles Bigz Die, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Perfect Polka Dots TIEF, Pennant Punch, Real Red 1/8" Grosgrain ribbon

Happy Stamping!

Halloween Treat!

My son had his first Halloween party today at preschool!  He was terribly excited and dressed up as a giraffe....so cute!  I tried to convince him to be a horse because his little sister is dressed as a cowgirl but he didn't bite : )

He was allowed to bring treats to school so we had fun using Stampin' Up's cookie stamps to make sugar cookies for his classmates. 

I put them in 4 x6 cello bags and used the Top Note die to create little "toppers" for the bags in Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black.  Then a stamped an owl from the Owl Occasions stamp set in Pumpkin Pie and Basic Grey ink.  I was really pleased with the result and for a moment felt like a "super mom"....Stampin' Up product is so easy to use and coordinates so well that it makes it pretty simple to make something cute!

Happy Halloween!

Congratulations on MDS

My friend, and downline, AP, received a promotion today and I'm really excited for her!  I wanted to send her a congratulations card immediately and so  I turned to my My Digital Studio (MDS) program to create a card for her.  I've been using the program a lot more lately and I'm having fun with the FREE downloads that are available this week.  I used one of them, "A Split Second", to create her card for her.

Isn't it great!  The background paper, tag and zigzag are from the kit and I used Kiwi Kiss (remember that colour!) polka dots to add another layer.  I'm discovering, quickly, how many things I can do with MDS....including creating Christmas cards for my parents!  My husband has been working on a scrapbook using MDS too!  It's great!  I especially love how many Stampin' Up stamp sets and papers the program comes with.

You can receive a FREE trial of MDS 2 simply by clicking on the "My Digital Studio" tag on the sidebar or by going to my Stampin' Up website.  You'll also find this week's FREE downloads there as well get 50% off of Digital Scrapbooking Kits this week!  So great!

Happy Stamping!

Fancy Friends kit

I hope no one blows away tonight!  It certainly is blustery here already in this corner of Ontario....and Sandy has hardly arrived.  After stocking up on some groceries I've hunkered down for the night to create some goodies for my son's preschool Hallowe'en party tomorrow.  But before we get to that I've got a great new item from Stampin' Up! to share with you. 

The "Fancy Friends" kit!!!!  I think it would make a great gift for a person in your life who is new to stamping but enjoys sending handmade, personalised notes.  The great things about these kits is that ANYONE can use them and make beautiful cards.

Isn't it pretty!?  I'm certainly going to invest in this!

Here are the details:

Get everything you need to make six cards for only $17.95 (item 132319)! If six isn't enough, add Note Cards to your order (item 107311)-we've already included extra rhinestones in the Fancy Friends kit.

To assemble the cards:

1. Stamp the doily image in Daffodil Delight or Old Olive ink three times on the card and once on the envelope, re-inking between uses.
2. Stamp "Friends" in Daffodil Delight or Old Olive ink on the front of the card.
3. Adhere the flowers to the card. Adhere Rhinestone Basic Jewels to the centre of the flowers.

To purchase this kit, simply click on the "Shop 24/7" icon on the sidebar or contact me directly.

Happy Stamping!

Blooming with Kindness Stamp Sale

Here's a card that I did a few weeks ago when planning a technique's class.  We were working on masking and I created a bouquet of mums using the flower from the "Blooming With Kindness" stamp set.

The stamp really is so pretty!  The whole stamp set is great actually!  You can now purchase just this flower stamp as an individual stamp!  Stampin' Up has made a number of stamps from sets available for purchase individually as well as some never before seen stamps.  Click here or on the 24/7 icon on the side to see what's available.

And, if single stamps wasn't exciting enough you can purchase them as well as all of Stampin' Up's stamp sets, background stamps and personalised stamps for 15% OFF on Monday, October 29th!!!!  What a great deal!

Happy Stamping!

Pretty Poinsettia and Big Stamp News

Here's a card I made for a fellow demonstrator to thank her for letting me borrow her "Watercolour Winter" stamp set.

I literally put it together in a minute from some scraps I had on my desk and an image that I had been experimenting with.  I embossed the Lucky Limeade strip using the Delicate Design TIEF.  Here's a close-up of the poinsettia:

I love the Watercolour Winter set partly because it is a 2-step stamping set.  I stamped the poinsettia in Real Red ink first and then took the "outline" stamp and sponged it with Frost White Shimmer paint to give it a little sparkle.  I like how understated it is.....it's actually more overstated in the photo than in "real" life.

If you love this stamp set you can get it for 15% off on Monday, October 29th!  That's right....ALL  Stampin' Up Stamps are 15% off on Monday.  You can place your order online by clicking the "Shop 24/7" link on the side bar or by contacting me directly.

Stampin' Up has recently released a number of SINGLE stamps for already great prices and these too will be 15% off.  Just place your order on Monday to get a great deal!

Owl Occasions For You

I'm really behind in my blog postings!  It's just been one of those week's where I hardly get a chance to sit down let alone to any blogging.  So, I'll keep this short and sweet tonight.   This is a card that I made a couple of month's ago for my brother and his wife to go with a housewarming gift.

 Isn't it cute?!  I purchased Stampin' Up's "Owl Occasions" stamp set on a whim but I have to say, I'm really glad I did.  It's so much fun to play with and offers a lot of possibilities.....just wait until I use it for Christmas!

Here are the details of the supplies I used:

Stamp Sets:  Owl Occasions, Itty Bitty Banners

Paper:  Lucky Limeade, Early Espresso, Whisper White and International Bazaar DSP

Ink:  Early Espresso, Rich Razzleberry, Marina Mist, Lucky Limeade

Accessories: Bitty Banners Framelits

Happy Stamping!

New Clearance Items and Blog Candy Winner

A quick post to let you know about some great new deals to be found on Stampin' Up's clearance rack.  Some favourites like Naturals Ivory envelopes, the old "mat pack", Simply Scrappin' kits, lots of ribbon and many more items can be found at deep discounts.  Check it out on my demonstrator website http://lauragardiner.stampinup.net .  You can place your order online or directly through me.

And....drum roll please....the winner of my very first blog candy giveaway is.....

CARLY!!!!

 

Thank you to everyone who became a follower of my blog this week.  I really appreciate the support!  I hope you continue to follow me and tell your friends about Idlewood Cards.

I used random.org to randomly generate a winner for this giveaway.  Congratulations to Carly!  I will be in touch with you to arrange to get your blog candy out to you.

 

Stay tuned for more cards soon.

 

Happy Stamping!

Pile of Leaves

My son went on his first field trip today!  It was all very exciting.  His preschool class went to a local Heritage Farm to learn a little bit about farming and livestock today.  He LOVES tractors and was so excited this morning!!!  He had a great time and we both learnt a lot!

While the day started off cold and rainy (not great for an outdoor field trip) it ended up as a gorgeous sunny fall day.  When I was creating this card for my Technique Tuesday class I was thinking about jumping in leaf piles on a clear, autumn day.  We worked on the "masking" technique last night which is a great technique for making a leaf pile : )

Create a leaf "pile" using the masking technique

In a previous class a couple of us were talking about the colour combination in Stampin' Up's Orchard Harvest DSP....Raspberry Ripple, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade and Early Espresso.  Those colours seem an unlikely combination but really do work together.  My friend mentioned that the Island Indigo is like a clear blue sky on a fall day....so I went all "artsy" and captured a fun afternoon of raking and then jumping in leaves on this card.  Have I mentioned how much I love fall?!

The layout comes from a sketch that I saw on Sketch Frenzy Friday last week.  It's so simple and lends itself to so many options.  Be sure to check out all of the other cards created with this sketch by clicking here.

For the sentiment I turned to my trusty "Teeny Tiny Wishes" set and used the Bitty Banners framelits dies to "frame" it.  The card was missing something so I pierced the perimeter of it using my new Paper Piercing Essentials Pack.  It's SO much better than the old one that Stampin' Up used to offer because this one actually has a set of holes that goes down the entire long side of the card!

BLOG CANDY ALERT!

If you haven't already, become a follower of my blog by noon (EDT) on Friday, October 19th and you will be eligible to win some blog candy.  Click here to see what you could win.

Happy Stamping!

Freshly Made Ornaments

I've recently started following the Freshly Made Sketches blog.  This challenge blog is SO my style; clean lines, simple designs; I really like it.   Though I've been following it I have not had a chance to enter a challenge yet.   Last night, in another late night stamping session (and yes, "Jesus Freak" was playing in the background again) I created a card using this week's sketch.

Here's the inspiration:



Be sure to check out all of the samples this week!!

Here is my card:

For this card I turned to some new product again, mostly from Stampin' Up's Holiday Catalogue as well as some "old" favourites.  It's been a while since I've used Baja Breeze and it was nice to use it again on this card.  The colour combination in the Snow Festival DSP pack is so great!!!  I used Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green and Baja Breeze for this card.

I had fun with my Ornaments Keepsakes stamp set and Framelits die in combination with the Festive Paper Piercing pack.  Yet again, Stampin' Up has done a great job of creating coordinating products that are just so hard to resist!!  Contact me to learn how you can get the Festive Paper-Piercing Pack for FREE!!!!

Delicate Designs Textured Embossing folder and Festive Paper-Piercing close-ups

 

It's hard to see but for the white strip I used the Delicate Designs Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Believe it or not, I've had this folder since June and this is the first time I've used it!  I love it for holiday cards.

 

I stamped the inside with a smaller ornament stamp....it couldn't be just one colour though : )  I realised after I had finished the card that I had neglected to use a sentiment but in the end I really like how the front turned out and I didn't want to clutter it up with a sentiment. 

On another note, just before I started this blog entry my husband came in from outside saying "Quick!! 4 turkeys are walking in between the houses!"  He and my son followed them around the house into the backyard and here is one of the photos I snapped:

Mmm....turkey

These four, a mother and 3 young ones, have been a fixture in our neighbourhood since the spring.  We have not seen them IN our yard until today (apparently they were around yesterday too).  I'm glad they didn't get eaten for Thanksgiving last week : )   For the past 3 hours or so they've just been hanging around in one of our neighbour's yards....even a rambunctious little dog didn't scare them away!

 

Finally, if you haven't already, become a follower of my blog by next Friday, October 19th and you will be eligible to win some blog candy!!!!  Click here to see what you could win.

 

Happy Stamping!

TSOT 87 and BLOG CANDY!

Wow!  I've made it to my 100th post! 

I have to admit, I've struggled over the past week to find the energy in the evening to sit down and actually create.  I've got TONS of ideas floating around in my brain but when 8:00 comes around and the kids are in bed, the dishes are done, the shopping's done and I've got some time to myself it's often hard to find the motivation I need.  Well, I've been promising "blog candy" when I got to my 100th post and I'm not going to delay it any longer.

But first,  I must share my inspiration.  Yet again, the ladies at Try Stamping on Tuesday had a great sketch to work from.  I shut the door to my office and put on my favourite CD...surprisingly, it's not Bach, but "Jesus Freak" by DC Talk  (Bach is too distracting....I just have to stop everything to listen...lol).   Here's the sketch followed by what I came up with:

 

 

Watercolour Winter holly berries

 I had fun playing with this sketch with my music blaring in the background.  I must have been quite a sight....sitting cross-legged on my piano bench, grooving and singing along to the music.  It was fun!

I borrowed the Watercolour Winter stamp set from a fellow demo and had A LOT of fun with it last night.  I may have to get my own set.  There are so many possibilities with it.  I'm working on cards that use "masking" right now for my Technique Tuesday class and this set it perfect for that. 

I used some great new product on this card too....all from Stampin' Up's Holiday catalogue.  The Core'dinations card stock is really fun to work with.  I paired it here with the "Lacy Brocade" textured impressions embossing folder and "Candlelight Christmas" Speciality Designer Series Paper. 

The sentiment is from "Teeny Tiny Wishes".  Can't say I'm a huge fan of the font for this card, however my selection of Christmas sentiments is a little slim right now.  Here's a close up;

And now, on to the blog candy.  All you need to do to be eligible to win this blog candy is to become a "follower" of my blog by Friday, October 19th at 12:00 noon (Eastern).  I'll have a random draw and then post the winner that evening.  Here's what you'll be getting;

Blog Candy!!!!!

 

Happy Stamping!

Butterfly Thank You

The card I'm sharing with you tonight is one that I CASE'd from an issue of Stampin' Success (Stampin' Up's demonstrator magazine).  I really liked the colour combination and the simplicity of this card.  I did this card at my September Make and Take and it was very easy.

I used the Simply Scored tool to create a little more interest in the top right corner.  The Simply Scored tool is a great way to add a little "embossing" without having the Big Shot.

The Papillion Potpourri set is so pretty and the coordinating punch is just great!

Here are the rest of the details:

Stamp Sets:  Papillion Potpourri, Itty Bitty Banners

Ink and Paper:  Pool Party, Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Whisper White

Accessories:  Simply Scored tool, Delicate Doilies Sizzix die, Bitty Banners Framelits, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Pool Party Baker's Twine, 1' Circle Punch

Stayed tuned for my 100th post and Blog Candy!  Become a follower of my blog to be eligible.

Happy Stamping!

Another Brick in the Wall

Good evening!  It was another gorgeous fall day here in my part of the world.  Have I mentioned how much I love this season?  I love the crisp, fresh air, the changing leaves and all the yummy food that is associated with this time of year.....mmmmm.  But I digress, that really has nothing to do with the card I'm going to share with you tonight.  This is the second card that we did at my techniques class last week.  We were working on using the "Brick Wall" technique and for this card I stepped it up a notch and was very happy with the result.

We started by stamping the flowers from the "My Friend" stamp set using VersaMark ink and then heat embossed it with white embossing powder on Midnight Muse cardstock.  I love the way the flowers just pop off the page.

We finished off the cards with 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon and the new ribbon sliders (available in Stampin' Up's Holiday Catalogue).  You can get a spool of the 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon FREE right now from Stampin' Up....contact me to learn how.

I'm approaching my 100th post!  To celebrate, I'm planning to give away some BLOG CANDY.  Become a follower of my blog to be eligible for the blog candy and stayed tuned for my 100th post in the next couple of days.

Happy Stamping!

Blooming Bricks

It was another gorgeous day here in my part of the world.  I "enjoyed" my first day back at my regular fitness class this morning and boy am I ever feeling it now!  I'm not sure if I'll even be able to roll out of bed tomorrow morning.   Hunching over my crafting desk hasn't really helped but I'd like to share one of the cards I'll be do tomorrow evening at my Technique Tuesday's class.

I find this particular technique a little time consuming but it's nice to do for a unique card that you want to give to someone special.  For this brick wall I used the "Blooming with Kindness" set....which I absolutely LOVE!!!  I decided to stick with a monochromatic look here so that things didn't get too busy.  The DSP is from the "Orchard Harvest" package in Stampin' Up's Holiday Catalogue. 

Not too much else to say about this one except that there is still lots of space in tomorrow's class....just email me and let me know you're coming and I'll have the supplies ready for you : )

Happy Stamping!

Masculine Birthday

We spent last evening celebrating my husband's cousin's 30th birthday at our favourite Mexican restaurant....mmm, so yummy!  We had a great time and it was nice to catch up with extended family again.  I wanted to make a masculine birthday card for this occasion and turned again to my "Clockworks" stamp set.  I've mentioned before that I purchased this set on a whim and I'm SO glad that I did.  I love the "splat" in particular.

Another simple card really.  I did a lot of distressing and sponging edges on this one.  I chose to do a really simple colour scheme too.  Soft Suede and Very Vanilla are the staples with a little bit of Midnight Muse, Cajun Craze and Summer Starfruit.  The sentiment comes from the "Best Dad Ever" set.  Here's a close up on the clock:

 

 

When I first saw the seagull/swirl stamp as part of this set I wasn't sure what I thought.  I've found though that as a background stamp it works really well.  "Clockworks" was definitely a good investment!

 

Happy Stamping!

Falling Leaves

Aah, autumn.  I love fall!  Well, I love all the seasons in their own way but I do have a particular fondness for fall.  I really enjoy going for long walks through the woods and crunching through leaves.  One of my fondest memories was walking home from university through the woods along Medway creek in London.  It was a gorgeous walk and my then friend (now husband) and I enjoyed many walks home from school on fall days.  That seems like a long time ago now.

In tribute to the fall colours I pulled out my trusty "Day of Gratitude" set to create this next card.  This is another one that I did for my Make and Take this week (we do four cards at each Make and Take) and again, I wanted it to be simple and accessible for anyone.

Isnt' it pretty?!  I simply stamped the leaves randomly in 4 colours that remind me of fall; More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler and Lucky Limeade.  Pretty soon the leaves will be brilliant and it will be Thanksgiving here in my part of the world.   I think this will be a perfect card to give to my mom to thank her for the yummy dinner she will be making : )

I stamped the sentiment in Early Espresso and then punched it out using my Decorative Label punch.  Then I used my cool new "Stampin' Pierce Mat" to pierce the holes around the sentiment.  Stampin' Up! really does think of everything!  Check out the new piercing mats on p.181 of the main catalogue and the holiday one on p. 30 of the Holiday catalogue.

I'm working on another card with a similar theme for my upcoming Techniques class (there is still room in it....contact me for details)....so stay tuned for a variation on a theme.

Happy Stamping!

Birthday Cupcakes

Happy Friday everyone!  I'm looking forward to the weekend and I'm sure you are too.  The start of the school year is always a crazy time and this year is no exception.  I started my regular class schedule again this week and am going to share a couple of the cards that I did at this week's Make and Take over the next few days.

I have so many new, fun products that have been just waiting to be used over the summer that I pulled out for this M&T as well as some old favourites.  For today's card I used all new stuff!

Here it is:

Make a Cake Birthday card

I wanted to something simple for this card.  Something that is accessible to all levels.  We had fun with the "Make a Cake" stamp set and the new Silver Dazzling Details from the new Holiday Catalogue.  I love the Patio Party DSP....it makes me want to eat cupcakes : )  Here's a close up of the cake I "made":

Gotta love the sparkles!

I also love the new In Colours Satin Ribbon!  And this month you can get a spool of it FREE with every $50 you spend on Stampin' Up! product....and what is better than free?!!

Here are the rest of the details for this card:

Stamp Sets:  Make a Cake, Made for You

Paper:  Patio Party DSP, Primrose Petals, Midnight Muse and Whisper White card stock

Ink:  Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals and Raspberry Ripple (Stampin' Write markers)

Punches:  Scallop Edge Border, 3/16" Corner, Scallop Oval, Large Oval, Hole punch

Accessories:  Silver Dazzling Details, 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon

Happy Stamping!

Happy Anniversary

Tonight I've got a card that I made for my parents' anniversary a couple of weeks ago.  The "bones" of this card actually had been sitting on my desk for a couple of months because I just couldn't get it to work in a way that I way happy with.  But, after a number of weeks away on vacation I was able to put this card together rather quickly.  Take a look...

This is a CASE from something I saw on Pinterest....although I can't remember the exact source at the moment.  My original idea (sometime in May or June) was to showcase Stampin' Up's 2012-2013 In Colours.  I took strips of each In Colour and adhere them to the Whisper White matte and then ran the whole thing through my Big Shot using the Flower Garden Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

What brought the card together for me though was the addition of the little flowers that I made using my brand new "Floral Fusion" Sizzlits die.  I really like how they can be layered to create a small focal point.  I finished the flowers off with some Pearl Basic Jewels.

I really liked how it turned out....and it's another project off my desk : )

Here are the details of the supplies I used:

Stamp Sets:  Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  Raspberry Ripple

Paper:  Whisper White, Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse and Gumball Green cardstock.

Accessories:  Flower Garden TIEF, Floral Fusion Sizzlits die, Pearl Basic Jewels.

To those who live in the KW/Cambridge/Guelph area....my fall classes begin again on Sept. 10.  Check out my "Upcoming Classes" page for more information and please RSVP by Sunday, Sept. 9. 

Happy Stamping!