Creative Catch Up

Well as I mentioned before, there have been many things to cross my craft table that I haven't shared here yet. Sadly a few of them found homes before I thought to photograph them, but here are a few things I can share with you now...

This is a birthday card for a sweet little man in our lives. He just turned the BIG 3 and he LOVES trains! I wish I had taken more than one photo, this one is a bit blurry and you'll have to excuse the background, but I am thrilled with the way the card came out *patting self on back* and so I just had to share it with you anyway! ;)

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Headline Numbers*

PAPER - Only Orange, Basic Black, Going Gray, Whisper White
INK - Going Gray Craft embossed with Silver, White Gel Pen

OTHER - 1" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, Corner Rounder, Word Window Punch, Key Tag Punch*, Silver EP

*retired 

One of my newest cool toys is an embossing folder for my Big Shot. They make such a wonderful deep impression and were designed with cards in mind, so you can run a 5-1/2 x 4-1/4 (or smaller) piece through and get great results...but in this instance I used a 6x6 piece of card stock and created a mini scrapbook page. I also dredged the paper across my White Craft Pad to make the flowers pop even more.
The tulips were created using the bird wing from the 2-Step Bird Punch, just punch three of them, edge the paper with a darker shade, and voila. It's so easy!This is going to be GORGEOUS with the right picture on it!

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Extra Postage
PAPER - Almost Amethyst, Brocade Blue, Sage Shadow, Whisper White
INK - Ballet Blue, Whisper White
OTHER - Textured Impressions Elegant Bouquet, Two-Step XL Bird Punch, Dimensionals

Now even though my Mom passed away more than 10 years ago, there are still many special women in my life and I try to celebrate them too! We sent this card to my husbands mother earlier in the month, and she loved it! :) I love the Circle Circus Stamp Set!!!

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Circle Circus, Jayne's Type Alphabet

PAPER - Orchid Opulence, Pale Plum, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
INK - Orchid Opulence, Pretty in Pink, Summer Sun

OTHER - Gold Brad, Summer Sun Corduroy Button, Butterfly Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, 1" & 3/4" Circle Punches, Small Heart Punch, Dimensionals

One of my favorite pastimes is reading. It can be a challenge to find time for it, but at the very least, there are plenty of bedtimes stories read around here...even if we don't always do it at bedtime! LOL This is a bookmark that used to be available in our catalog, but even now that it isn't it would be pretty easy to cut your own simple rectangle, punch a hole and round the corners.  It measures about 5-1/4 x 2". Or even better make one using the Two Tags Bigz Die for the Big Shot!

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Of The Earth, Flight of the Butterfly

PAPER - Whisper White
INK - Bermuda Bay, Summer Sun, More Mustard

OTHER - Brown Grosgrain Ribbon

Lost in a Fog

For some reason April was a whirlwind of a month for me. The month wasn't void of crafty things though. I had club night, ladies night, posted many a sketch on Splitcoast, but between the crazy weather and all the home improvement stuff I was working on, my blog suffered!

I still have several things that I need to photograph and post, so stay tuned for more craftiness to come!

For now I'll leave you with today's sketch:

To see pages created with this sketch, visit the SBSC237 Gallery!

Color Renovation

The new catalog will be here in just a few short months, and the anticipation builds for a new group of In Colors. Well guess what? There's a whole lot more going on. Stampin' Up! has done extensive research on the sales of the existing colors and the decision is in...it's time for a change! So hold onto your hat, get your big girl panties on, and say goodbye to the following colors:

Pink Passion           Almost Amethyst       Glorious Green
Pixie Pink               Bordering Blue          Handsome Hunter
Pale Plum               Brocade Blue             Sage Shadow
Orchid Opulence    Ballet Blue                 Mellow Moss
Lovely Lilac           Brilliant Blue             Green Galore
Lavender Lace        Taken with Teal         Gable Green


Barely Banana        Ruby Red
Yoyo Yellow           Cameo Coral
Summer Sun           Blush Blossom
Apricot Appeal       Creamy Caramel
Only Orange           Close to Cocoa
Really Rust             Going Gray

Well they aren't exactly out the door just jet, but these colors will only remain available through the end of June 2010. With that in mind you'll want to get yourself a reinker and/or pick up some more paper while you still can! Visit my website for easy online ordering.

The remaining colors are being re-categorized into 4 groups of 10. We'll have 5 NEW colors in addition to the In Color Collection and some In Color's from past catalogs are making a comeback!!!

Image - "Rainbow Ocean" by Thelma 1 at deviantart.com

Chocolate Bunnies Rule!

Isn't this cute? The Chocolate Bunny stamp just screams "EMBOSS ME" so I did! I think it makes him look like real chocolate!!! I also embossed the entire card front with a floral background stamp. After adding satin ribbon, the whole card is shiny and delicious!!! But don't eat it! ;)

Stampin' Supplies:

STAMPS - Chocolate Bunny, Bella Toile
PAPER - Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink
INK - Chocolate Chip Craft, VersaMark

OTHER - Green Satin Ribbon, White Embossing Powder, Clear Embossing Powder

Here we have a simple little scrapbook page perfect for showcasing a fabulous egg hunt picture! It's a 6x6, my favorite brag book size, so adding a photo (or even 2) is a cinch!

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Inspired by Nature

PAPER - Green Galore, Kaleidoscope DSP, Whisper White
INK - Green Galore

OTHER - Large Oval Punch

Coaster Creations

This is a simple tumbled tile that you can buy at any hardware/home improvement store. They have a distressed finish and rough edges. And I'm guessing they're about 3x3" although I admit I haven't measured them.
For stamping on tiles the trick is to make sure they don't have a shiny smooth surface, or that they don't have a coating on them...these were actually very "chalky" when I bought them, which is normal. You just need to rinse them and let them dry before you attempt to make them beautiful.

I did two different versions both using the Medallion Stamp that I love so much, but the possibilities are endless! If you'd like to give it a go, I'm having a class on Saturday March 26th at 2:00 PM. Visit my website for the details!

Mmmm Mmmm Yummy

Can you believe my Gloria will be 13 on St. Patty's Day!? Where has the time gone? Cuz we all know I'm NOT getting old! LOL
We had her party last Saturday and I attempted to make a "Wonderland cake." It was the theme since we kicked off the party with Alice In Wonderland in IMax 3D...loved it!!!

Anyway, she really likes the topsy turvy cake styles so it was fitting for a "Wonderland cake." I just didn't have time to make a rabbit/pocket watch/tea cups/grinning cat...etc. so I decided "funky shapes" would have to suffice. It's a collaboration of myself and the birthday girl. We had a lot of fun getting it decorated, but what a relief when it was finished!

This little basket is pretty punchy. It's sportin' a sweet little bird punched with one of our new punches, it's only available until April 30th and it's quite popular!  I also used the Scallop Trim Border Punch I got FREE with my last order...can't beat that! And I even used a Circle Punch to make the basket handles, too easy!

Oh, and lookie what's inside...

Stampin' Supplies:
PAPER - Creamy Caramel, Pixie Pink, Pink Passion, Kaleidoscope DSP
INK - Creamy Carmel (to edge the basket)

OTHER - So Saffron Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, XL Two-Step Bird Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch*

*Get yours for FREE when you spend $50 on anything!

Here Comes Spring

 

For Stamper's Club we always do three projects. Usually a 6x6 scrapbook page, a card, and a 3D item of some sort. This month we did a bigger page and 2 cards...one packed full of techniques!

An 8.5 x 8.5" scrapbook page. I punched a stamped image from Enjoy Every Moment with the 3/4" Circle Punch and it made a perfect center for this flower from the Pretties Kit, then I also punched the center of the journaling image so I could edge it in Certainly Celery first. The butterfly was just punched using a nice stripe from Welcome Neighbor before edging it in Pixie Pink!

Stampin' Supplies:
PAPER - Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, Welcome Neighbor DSP*
INK - Basic Black Craft, Pixie Pink Craft, Always Artichoke Craft, Certainly Celery Craft, Crushed Curry
STAMPS - Enjoy Every Moment
OTHER - Crushed Curry Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Butterfly Punch, Pretties Kit Flower

*Get yours for FREE when you spend $50 on anything!

I try not to use more than one stamp set when I make a card (aside from sentiments). But on this card I wanted different foliage to go with my birdie so I pulled out Paradise again. I really LOVE this set! :)

Stampin' Supplies:
PAPER - Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
INK - Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Bermuda Bay
STAMPS - Paradise, Oval All, Cheep Talk
OTHER - Scallop Oval Punch, Markers

This little card is packed with techniques. After a good rub with my Embossing Buddy, I stamped the flower petals on Bravo Burgundy Card Stock and heat embossed them with White Embossing Powder. Then I bleached out the flower petals with some household bleach and a Q-tip. After some drying time I scribbled on the darker areas with a Perfect Plum Watercolor Pencil, and inside the flower with Pixie Pink. I used an Aquapainter to disburse the color and soften the look. The center of the flower is dry embossed as well as the pink card stock layer...I used my Big Shot of course!

Stampin' Supplies:
PAPER - Gable Green, Pixie Pink, Bravo Burgundy, Summer Sun
INK - VersaMark, Basic Black
STAMPS - Pick a Petal
OTHER - Textured Impressions Perfect Polka Dots, Textures Plate Kit #4, White EP, 1" Circle Punch

Marking the Territory

I've been having fun using my markers lately to ink up stamps and add detail. These particular projects are for Ladies Night tonight and we're gonna have FUN!

I love the Good Neighbors Stamp Set* from the Sale-a-Bration Mini. This is such a sweet little card to show it off too! I stamped the two story house in StazOn so I could watercolor it, and since I used a marker for the little yellow roof, I was able to make the chimney brown!

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - *Good Neighbors,  All Holidays

INK - More Mustard, Old Olive, Real Red, Close to Cocoa, StazOn
PAPER - Kraft, Real Red, Very Vanilla

OTHER - Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Scallop Edge Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Corner Rounder

*Get yours for FREE when you spend $50 on anything!

 

What can I say about this? I really enjoy 6x6 pages because they are so easy to whip up and my brag book is filled with a large variety of different pages. The square of card stock in Cameo Coral is exactly 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" and when using an embossing folder for your Big Shot, this is the maximum width. It was designed with greeting cards in mind. You can emboss an entire card front lickity split!

Stampin' Supplies:
PAPER - Tempting Turquoise Textured Card Stock, Cameo Coral, Welcome Neighbor DSP*
INK - Basic Black Craft, Basic Black Marker
STAMPS - Stem Sayings
OTHER - Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Textured Impressions Perfect Polka Dots, Oval Punch, Corner Rounder

*Get yours for FREE when you spend $50 on anything!

Ladies Night is every month on the THIRD Thursday from 7-9PM. You can join my Meetup group to get email reminders of all events, and it makes RSVPing a snap!

It's Not 2009 Anymore

...and it's not January anymore either! lol

That was one of the projects for Stamper's Club last month, and I should have posted it sooner, but I had it "packed away" in a pile of crafty stuff and it was overlooked! You'll be happy to know it is unearthed from it's hiding place and now happily resides on a shelf where I can see it every day! :)

I used cardboard drink coasters and covered the surface. Then stamped a large image from the Brocade Basics Stamp Set in Rich Razzleberry...YUM! The calendar pages are each also stamped with another image from the same set, but this time I stamped off before I stamped the page, then I went ahead and stamped it two more times without re-inking. I love that look!

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Brocade Basics
INK - Rich Razzleberry
PAPER - Rich Razzleberry, Welcome Neighbor DSP*

OTHER - 1/2" Library Clips

*Get yours for FREE when you spend $50 on anything!

Felt Flowers Make EVERYTHING Better!

Isn't that the cutest thing? These flowers are called Sweet Pea Stitched Felt. You get a package of 52 pieces for $7.95, it's a GREAT value!
I thought this was the perfect accessory for this little handcrafted photo frame I did. I was able to use some of the paper I got FREE from the Sale-a-Bration promotion! Totally simple, totally easy to make. Don't you just love it!?

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Stem Sayings, *Good Neighbors (leaf in center)
INK - Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
PAPER - *Welcome Neighbor DSP, Certainly Celery, Bali Breeze DSP (polka dot, retired)

OTHER - Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Sanding Block

*Get yours for FREE when you spend $50 on anything! (s-a-b mini page 6 & 7)

A Page for the Season

I've had these brads from the Occasions Mini for over a month now. They're called Sending Love and I think they are really cute! Apparently so does my 8 year-old Sydney, she helped herself to about 8 of them when I hadn't even opened the package yet.
If you look at them in the mini you'll noticed they have a silver rim...they're brads. Well I guess she wanted to use them differently because she pried the Epoxy centers off the brads and had them fixed in fours on bottle cap embellishments. Yes what she did was cute, but I was not too happy to make this discovery since she did not have my permission.
I managed to recover 5 of the brads and put them back together, but three of them no longer had a brad that I could find. Fortunately they still had plenty of "stick" so I was able to use them like stickers and put them right on my page! So I guess the lesson here is that you can use them either way, and they are a little less bulky this way!

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Jumble Alphabet, Rough Edges Alphabet
INK - Real Red, Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip
PAPER - Real Red Textured Card Stock, Whisper White, Love Sparkles Simply Scrappin Kit 

OTHER - Big Shot Top Note Die, Clear Embossing Powder, Sending Love Epoxy Brads (Real Red 1/2")

P.S. It's Friday, so how about another sketch? I'd love to see what you do with this layout. Leave me a comment with a link if you use this one! :)

January Sales

I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who placed an order with me last month. I sold three I {Heart} Hearts stamp sets as well as raised an extra $61 to send to the Red Cross for the people in Haiti. It may be just a drop in the bucket, but I'm glad I can help! The I {Heart} Hearts stamp set is available through April 30th, but to make it count and have Stampin' Up! contribute $2 from the order you need to get yours before February 28th (see this post for more info).
Again, thank you!!!
Crafty hugs,
Sally

Austin Adventures

Friday's sketch came in handy at my crop yesterday. I made it into a double page spread using 6 photos from 2003. I wish I had done a better job writing the title, but it's done and I'm ready to move on and tackle some more old pictures!!!

This is the page that follows the sketch. I used a background stamp to kiss the solid images from the Pardise stamp set. This gave them the same texture as the leaves stamped right on the page. I think my photo is a little too bright. The paper on the sides has a stripped pattern and the leaves are all different shades of green.

The title page is just a standard linear design that works well anytime you have three photos cropped to 4x4!

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Paradise
INK - Green Galore, Certainly Celery, Garden Green
PAPER - Certainly Celery Textured Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Just Delightful Simply Scrappin Kit (Striped Card Stock)
OTHER - Rose Red Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Rose Red Marker

 

The Paper Lantern Technique

I've been playing around with the paper lantern technique. It's so easy and I love cards with texture!
You can stamp any repeated image, like I did with this flower in Melon Mambo and then pass the card stock through a crimper. After that gently pat the whole thing with a black ink pad, or drag the ink pad to get more dramatic stripes. I actually did both! lol

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Love You Much, Vintage Vogue*
INK - Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Basic Black
PAPER - Melon Mambo, Old Olive, So Saffron, Whisper White
OTHER - Yellow Polka Dot Ribbon, Scallop Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Paper Crimper, Scallop Trim Corner Punch*
*NEW inside the Occasions Mini Catalog

 

Here also is a super simple 6x6 scrapbook page. This Designer Series Paper is so yummy! I haven't found the perfect picture for it yet, but I will! :)

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS -  Razzle Dazzle (It's Good To Dream)
INK - Whisper White, Brocade Blue
PAPER - Brocade Blue, Razzelberry Lemonade DSP, Regal Rose
OTHER - 1/4" Blue Grosgrain Ribbon

More to the Story

When you purchase the cute I {Heart} Hearts stamp set (pictured below) Stampin' Up! will donate $2 to the American Red Cross’ Haiti Relief and Development Fund. The Red Cross is already well-established in Haiti, and this money will be used to provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need.

Product Name	Item #	Price
I {Heart} Hearts – clear-mount  (block D recommended)	118571	$18.95
I {Heart} Hearts – wood-mount	117010	$26.95

I'm glad I didn't get this set yet!! I'll be placing an order for my club next Friday and guess what I'm going to buy!?

*You can click on the flyer to enlarge it*

Hurricane Relief

I am really touched by the generousity of the people who have dropped everything to help the people in Haiti. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to go and offer my support in person, but I hope to make a nice contribution with your help.
For every Stampin' Up! order I receive through January 31, 2010, I plan to donate 100% of my commission to the Red Cross disaster relief.  All orders will qualify...you can use my website, call me, email me, or attend a workshop this month and place an order, you will be making a difference!
I'll post a follow up in February and let you know how much we raised. Thanks in advance for your help!!!

It's CLEARLY Possible

Hopefully you have a copy of the new Occaisions Mini by now! If not, you can download a .pdf version here on my blog. Just click on the image in the sidebar! You also won't want to miss the S-A-B mini. For every $50 you spend until March 31st you can choose something free, see the catalog for the full details!

I'm posting today because I want to introduce you to the wonderful world of Clear Mount Stamps. Many "stamp enthusiasts" have unmounted their stamp sets from wood blocks so they can be used with clings and acrylic blocks. This is certainly a space saver when it comes to storage, but another REAL advantage is simply the ability to see through the block. This helps you place what you're stamping in pretty much just the right spot!

"Starting with stamps in the 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog and the 2010 Sale-A-Bration Brochure, Stampin' Up! now offers our exclusive stamp art in both traditional wood-mount, and the new clear-mount option. Our new clear-mount rubber stamps are the result of extensive research with the intent to maintain the very best image quality in the stamping industry, while at the same time offering the ease-of-use and storability inherent in repositionable clear-mount rubber stamps."

Clear-Mount Rubber Stamp Features

• Nine different sizes of clear blocks available individually or as a discounted bundle.
• Blocks have ergonomic grooves on all four sides for easy grip and traditional wood-mount feel.
• Stamps and blocks are durable and easy to clean with your Stampin' Scrub and Stampin' Mist.
• Optional image labels on stamp backs let you decide if you want to see the image through the block or not.
• Tight die-cutting for easy image positioning.
• Large clear blocks can be used to create collages or spell words with alphabet sets.
• Stamps store easily in standard, DVD-type cases with artwork on front and spine, making organization easy. 

I'll be uploading a little beauty created with my first set of "unmounted" SU! stamps...stay tuned!

Also starting with the new 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog and continuing with all new punch designs going forward, Stampin' Up! has adopted a new body style for our punches! I am really excited about this one, this is going to make traveling to a crop so much easier!!! lol

A few features of the new punch style:

• Low-profile, rectangular punch body allows for easier stacking and storing
• Punches lock shut for easier storage and transport
• Dual labels on top and end allow for easy identification and selection when stored
• Available in three sizes: small, medium, and extra-large
• New punches allow for larger punched images and more intricate designs while providing greater ease of use.
• Extra -large punch images also allow for two-step designs like the Two-Step Bird punch in the Occasions Mini Catalog
• Corner punches allow you to punch a corner design along the inside edges of a page, not just corners
• larger, whole-hand handle design provides better leverage for easier use

Are you excited?  I am!!!