A Quick Card and a Sneek Peek

This was a quick card we did at my last stampers club workshop. This pretty designer series paper is called Paisley Petals and the stamped image is from Four Frames. It coordinates with the Decorative Label Extra-Large Punch which I love and have used often! 

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Four Frames, All Holidays
PAPER - Sahara Sand, More Mustard, Whisper White, Paisley Prints DSP

INK - Cherry Cobbler, Night of Navy

OTHER - 5/8" Blue Grosgrain Ribbon, Decorative Label Extra-Large Punch, Eyelet Border Punch  

Both the stamp set and the DSP will be available with the release of our new catalog this Summer...however, when you spend $20 you can order the paper and/or the stamp set right now! This is a special only during the month of April, after that you'll have to wait for the new catalog in July.

Visit my website (sally.stampinup.net) and click on [SHOP NOW] to see all the stamps and fun paper crafting accessories available. If you have any questions, or need help with ordering, don't hesitate to contact me.


Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper
12 sheets of 6 double sided designs: 
 item 122367 | $9.95
Featured Colors - Bravo Burgundy, Tangerine Tango, Marina Mist, River Rock, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, Early Expresso and Whisper White.

Four Frames Stamp Set
Wood Mount: item 123440 | $20.95
Clear Mount: item 123442 | $15.95


Decorative Label Extra Large Punch
item 120907 | $16.95
Featured in the Occasions Mini
Sale Dates Jan 4 - April 30

Cool Beans!

Grab a bag of Stampin’ Up! products! Only available through online orders on my website, you can choose $5, $10, or $15! The $15 Grab Bag contains at least $60 worth of discontinued products. It won't have stamps or tools, but you can expect to receive any combination of products like the following: 

• Ribbons
• Accents & Elements
• Chipboard
• Designer Series Paper
• Simply Sent kit components

No refunds or exchanges are available, all grab bag sales are final.

I'm Stylin' ;)

I had a little surprise in my email inbox yesterday...My friend Norma gave me kudos in the form of a blog award! Thank you so much Norma, I'm honored to be one of your recipients! I'm surprised she picked me when I've been such a bad blogger lately. I didn't even post ONE thing last month...can I use my birthday as an excuse? lol

As a "Stylish Blogger" I am supposed to share 8 things about myself and pay it forward to 8 other bloggers.

1.  I have been trying to eat better, but the weight loss that should come with it is not happening as fast as I'd like it to.
2. I spent almost the entire day outside Sunday...did a little yardwork, but mostly just enjoyed being outside sitting on my patio watching the wind blow through the tree branches.
3. I am so far behind on laundry I'm wearing my last pair of clean undies today.
4. One of my long time dreams is to go skydiving, I'd really love to learn to fly a plane, but I think skydiving is a more obtainable goal!
5. I ran the dishwasher on Saturday and still haven't unloaded it...that's what kids are for. lol
6. My favorite "holiday" is Halloween!
7. The last movie I saw on the big screen was Tangled.
8. I love life and tend to look at the bright side of every situation.

Here are 8 blogs for you to check out that I really enjoy:

1. Shelli - So Shelli
2. Kalyn - Kalyn's Kitchen
3. Ree - The Pioneer Woman Cooks
4. Amanda - Diary of a Wanna-be Green Girl
5. Elanah - The Real Suburban Housewives
6. Jill- Scary Mommy
   
7. Susan and Janice - 5 Minutes for Mom 
8. Photojojo

Too Many Pictures!

I had a crop yesterday, and I feel somewhat accomplished since I managed to complete a double page spread. I have several incomplete layouts that I pulled out to focus on, but it just wasn't in me to finish any of them.  I also had some fun Easter photos from 2007 to work with...a bazillion of them actually, so that's what I did!

I started with one of my sketches, but mainly I just looked at it for positioning, and moved on. If I'd had a printed copy it would have been the exact same layout, but it's pretty close. I love these Big Designer Buttons, aren't they fun!?

I used the Color Spritzer Tool with a Garden Green marker and refill bottles of ink in Tangerine Tango and Melon Mambo to make drips and spots on my Newsprint Designer Series Paper. I also blotted it with a paper towel, which made some pretty neat textured spots too! You should have seen my paper towel afterwards...looked like I had a MAJOR nose bleed! lol

This is the second page. Because I had sooooo many pictures, I decided to make a mini album right on the page. I cut some card stock 4" high by 7" wide,  scored it at 1" intervals and then fan folded it so I could use it to mount the pictures on.

I used my 2-1/2" Circle Punch to make tabs for turning the pages.

Here's another look with the mini book opened up. I had a lot of fun working on these pages! :)

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Word Play, Well Scripted
PAPER - Very Vanilla, Poppy Parade, Pacific Point, Newsprint DSP, Sunny Garden DSP

INK - Ruby Red (to edge the paper), Tangerine Tango, Garden Green, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight

OTHER - Sizzix Naturally Serif Alphabet, Decorative Label Extra-Large Punch, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Sweet Stitches Big Designer Buttons, Pop Up Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, Yellow Grosgrain Ribbon, Color Spritzer Tool

A Small Change with BIG Impact

This is my small area in our shared "studio." It has evolved over the last two years and I truly love my space, but there is so much more I'd like to do in this room to make it more functional. One thing I thought would be simple was mounting a towel bar to the wall to hang my punches on. I have seen many other crafters post pictures using this idea and I have been in love with the idea ever since.

BUT...yeah, here's the thing...I used a stud finder to check for studs to mount the bar, and it wasn't going to work. POO! So I've had these bars stashed in the corner with the intention of figuring out an alternative, and I have! After the patio cover we built last Summer I was looking at these leftover pieces of plywood and my light bulb went off...I could mount that to the wall and then it won't matter where the wall studs are!

I bought myself some pretty fabric to cover the board and had my handy husband screw it right to the wall. We mounted two bars, and loading them up with these punches I was able to empty out two of my "skinny" drawers. I'm so happy!!! :)

Isn't it awesome? Here's a closer look:

Scrapbooking With Faux Silk

Happy Friday friends! My stampers club members are coming over tonight to make the two cards I shared with you yesterday, and now that I've posted today's sketch on SplitcoastStampers I can reveal the 3rd project.

This 8.5x8.5" scrapbook page based on the sketch above. I kinda cheated with the photo I slapped on. You can click on the picture to see a larger version if you like. It's my daughter hanging on the head/horns of a Texas longhorn statue. LOL I had another photo in mind originally, but couldn't find a print of it...I will probably switch it out and add journaling in the white space this weekend. :)

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Bliss*
PAPER - Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Early Espresso

INK - Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, Early Espresso (Markers - Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie)

OTHER - Orange Ribbon, Tissue Paper, Key Tag Punch**

*Only available FREE in the Sale-a-Bration Mini Catalog
**Retired (oops)

I'll be showing them the Faux Silk technique which is the piece under the photo stamped with flourishes. It's such a pretty technique, and WAY easy to do! Here's a closer look:

All you need is a good stamp, tissue paper and a glue stick!

• Cut a piece of card stock to the size you want 
• Cut a piece of tissue paper and leave it slightly larger than the card stock
• Stamp all over the tissue paper
• Crumple it up 
• Smear the glue stick all over your card stock piece 
• Smooth the tissue paper over it
• Trim off the excess tissue paper
• Step back and admire your awesomeness!

Try it with different colors, it's so easy! You can also stamp directly on the card stock before you layer the tissue paper...the image underneath ends up much softer, but you'll want to stick with a light color for the bottom card stock piece so it is still visible.

Wanna see more pages created with this sketch? Click this link:
SBSC274 Gallery

Mini Catalog Creations

Have you seen the Occasions Mini Catalog yet? I decided to use a couple of the new stamp sets featured to create these cards for my next club meeting. Also, you should know that the Sale-A-Bration Mini Catalog is also in full swing. For every $50 spent you can choose a SAB freebie!

This is a fun birthday card using the new Take a Spin stamp set and the little Game Spinner Hands to make it functional. Too fun!!!

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Take a Spin
PAPER - Real Red, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Celebrations DSP

INK - Marina Mist

OTHER - 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Game Spinner Hands


This one is my fav! I love the color combo and I think using the rock-n-roll technique for the flower petals was pure genius, yay me! lol

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Build a Blossom, Word Play
PAPER - Whisper White, Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight, In Color DSP (Hostess level 1)

INK - Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight

OTHER - Blossom Petals Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Framed Tulips Textured Impression Embossing Folder, Decorative Label Extra-Large Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Crafty Kids

The first week of February we were hit with an INSANE winter storm that had our whole family banished to the house for FOUR DAYS!!! There was no school, and Gabe and I stayed home from work!
We really enjoyed ourselves the first couple of days, but cabin fever struck and we were tired of TV, tired of board games, tired of everything...but then, AH HA! Why not get ready for the inevitable school V-Day party!? So I covered cereal boxes with paper tied on the ribbon, and the girls finished them out with punched hearts and some stamping! They are always ready to create!!!

I snapped these pictures before I took them to school...guess I should have taken a few, Nat's eyes are closed. *sigh* But I wanted to hurry since Sydney had wet hair.

We started the valentines too, but only Natalie's got completed in time for delivery to school today. Sydney will work on hers over the weekend and get them ready for Monday. The design is the same for both girls, but Sydney chose a blue paper for hers.

All I did was cut 12x12 DSP down to 4x4. Then folded the sides in and the bottom up to overlap it just enough for the punched label. I so love my Eat Chocolate stamp set!!!

Happy Valentine's Day my crafty friends!

Cold Cards

The card above was one of the projects we did at club last month. I realized yesterday that I'd never photographed it, so I took this photo on my patio in the snow! haha

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - XOXO
PAPER - Whisper White, Real Red, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Red Glimmer Paper

INK - Real Red, Early Espresso

OTHER - Chipboard Frame (Mix & Match On Board), Satin Ribbon, Bitty Buttons, Red Thread


This next card is a copy cat card, or as we say, "I CASEd it."  CASE stands for copy and share everything!

I did my own version of a card from the last promotional flyer (image on right). I thought it was pretty cute and I would have made it exactly the same if I'd had the green ribbon they used.  This was the project for my first "Cards and Coffee" workshop, which was also last month. I plan to be doing these workshops on a more regular basis...I'll be posting more about that soon! ;)

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Filled With Love
PAPER - Whisper White, Pink Pirouette,Love Patterns DSP

INK - Real Red, Pear Pizzazz

OTHER - Scallop Border Punch, Bitty Buttons, Linen Thread, Green Grosgrain Ribbon


I'm so sorry if you missed this promotion, the DSP (item 124156 $9.95 for 12 double sided sheets) and buttons (item 118761 $4.95) are still available for purchase and the stamp set is available as a digital download (item 123995 $5.95), but I guess the ship has sailed when it comes to the actual stamp set. But maybe it will show up in the new catalog this Summer!

Stampy News Update

After I returned home from Leadership I went through a couple of weeks of horrible back pain. couldn't stand upright if I sat too long, and was pretty much useless when I wasn't laying down.
I found out I have scoliosis in my lower back, but my awesome doctor has been adjusting my spine regularly since. I'm pretty much pain free now allowing me to sit at the computer again for more extended lengths of time...so please forgive me for not posting more fun things to share sooner and get ready for multiple posts today!

LEADERSHIP!!!

I arrived in Nashville Tennessee yesterday and made friends with a couple of fellow demos as we exited the plane, one of whom lives in Frisco! :) We're staying at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, this place is AMAZING!!! You could easily wander aimlessly around and never find your way back to your room. lol
The festivities began last night, with a Manager's Reception. All 5 of my roomies are Managers so while they went out on the town, I had dinner with my new friend from Frisco, Dee. We rounded up 6 other ladies to dine with and then sat in on a class "Manager's Reception: Be There Next Year." It was fun as well as motivating.
This morning they gave us a super cute bag before we began a day full of other classes. Here's a pic of my sister Barbara and me in front of the main stage.

A various times during the day prizes are awarded. We each received a button with a color on it, and if the prize patrol calls out your color you get goodies! Mine is Daffodil Delight and I won a stamp set and coordinting punch today! :)

Tomorrow is our last day of classes and the whole thing wraps up with some time to play. We'll get the  Clearly For You stamp set and spend a little time doing make and takes. I'm having a blast!

Crafting with Fabric

Once December is here I usually find myself pressed for time but trying my best to pay it forward and show my appreciation to friends and family. It's always a challenge for me to give something to all the special people in my life, but with just a few minutes even store bought treats can be transformed into something more personal to give. These are both super quick, inexpensive, and easy projects.

I used a Big Shot Die with felt to make this small gesture seem BIG!
The words are inked in different colors with markers before stamping.

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Tags Til Christmas

PAPER - Whisper White

INK (markers) - Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive

OTHER - Red Felt, XL Scallop Circle Die, Square Scallop Punch, Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Crop-a-dile, Gold Cord

For a larger gift, you can decorate simple lunch sacks with your stamps or stencils.

I used a Jumbo Wheel to add a whimsical background before adhering an embossed snowman tag. The "ribbon" is a strip cut from our new Designer Fabric featured in the Holiday Mini.

Make sure you load the bag before you tie the ribbon on. If you don't have time to make homemade cookies, rum balls...etc. Try putting the pre-measured dry ingredients together in a baggie to give. Just tuck an altered version of the recipe in there too so your recipient will know how much of the "wet" ingredients too add and how to bake it.

I just folded the top of the bag down about an inch, used a small circle punch to make three holes across the top of the bag, then threaded the ribbon through...

Lay the ribbon on your work surface and set the bag on top of it (flap side down) centered over the ribbon. Push the ribbon through the holes on the ends from the front to the back. Then push both ends from the back to the front through the center hole and make a bow!

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Tags Til Christmas, Whimsy Jumbo Wheel, Four The Holidays
PAPER - Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Real Red

INK - Bashful Blue, Real Red, Pacific Point

OTHER - Baskets and Blooms XL Die, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Candy Cane Christmas Designer Fabric

Snowglobes and Glitter, How Can I Go Wrong?

I totally adore snowglobes and this little guy is available a la carte! The stamp is called Sweet Snowglobe, it comes with a wood mount block and it's only $8.95 (item no. 120868). I actually used it with the Sweet Treat Cups to give it dimension and create a display worthy scrapbook page full of bling!

We've had so many overcast afternoons, that this photo doesn't do it justice, but it's truly fantastic in person! If you click on the image you can zoom in and see it larger. :)

I started by sponging around the edges on a square piece of Crumb Cake card stock with Early Espresso ink, then I used Shimmer Paint to stamp snowflakes all over the background and followed up with a nice layer of Smooch Spritz. The inside of the snowglobe has Smooch (AKA fun in a bottle) painted on the "snowy" parts, and I filled it with Dazzling Diamonds.

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Jayne's Type Alphabet, Sweet Snowglobe, Serene Snowflakes

PAPER -Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip 12x12 Textured Card Stock

INK -  Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler

OTHER - Smooch Pearlized Top Coat, Smooch Spritz, Shimmer Paint, Circle Punch, Top Note Die, Sweet Treat Cups, Stampin' Dimensionals, Dazzling Diamonds

Now see what you can create with this super simple layout, here's the sketch:

Charming Gift Idea

With the Simply Adorned Charms and Chains you can give something handmade and they're really sweet. The 1x1-1/4" Charm and 24" Chain (pictured above) is on promotion for 20% until December 16, 2010! It's a bundled gift set that also includes Charming pictured below for the special price of $39.88. Use item number 124076 to get them all together. If you place an online order for a Simply Adorned Charm, I'll personally create you a Winter insert like mine below. All you have to do is order this or any of the Simply Adorned Charms in the month of December. But remember, you only have until 12/16 to get the promotional price for the set.

Charming wood mount stamp set - item no. 116519    $19.95

I've had my 1x1" charm for a while now, but had not even removed it from the box until my recent purchase of the Vanilla Pearl Bauble and the 34" chain. I made the snowflake image for the beveled side and my monogram is on the other side. I hear that's what our co-founder and CEO Shelley Gardner did with her's too! :) You can see more Baubles in the Holiday Mini Catalog, they're only $3.95...I think I'm going to need them all! lol

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Serene Snowflakes, Circle Circus, Jumble Alphabet

PAPER -Bashful Blue

INK - Bashful Blue, VersaMark, Marina Mist Marker

OTHER - Silver Embossing Powder, Color Spritzer Tool

I'm cooking up a nice "Valentine's" version as we speak, I plan to make seasonal inserts to switch out. And now that I think of it, why stop there? I'll be making much more than that since they are just little 1x1" squares...so easy to update and change on a whim! I have a feeling I've just found my new favorite necklace.

Holiday Cards

There are from the two workshops I did last month. I really love the Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper, and have used a piece on each of these cards. It's such a great color combo too!

The one on the left has an embossed silver tree in the background...much cuter in person. The ornaments are stamped, gently watercolored and trimmed out. Then I "hung" them on the little branches, and of course put a star on top! :) I made it using only one stamp set, Holiday Happiness.

The center card has an embossed background using the Sizzix Big Shot. And the punched ornaments have hand drawn strings.

The last card is my favorite. I put Smooch on the wreath so it shimmers in all the right spots. The sentiment is edged in Old Olive ink and popped up on a Dimensional, and I just used a ruler and my green and red markers to add some interest and balance it out with a few lines in the corners.

Stampin' Supplies:
STAMPS - Holiday Happiness, Tags Til Christmas, Delightful Decorations, Northern Hearts (hostess), All Holidays

PAPER -Jolly Holiday DSP, Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler

INK - Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, VersaMark

OTHER - Silver EP, AquaPainters, Red Seam Binding, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Ornament Punch, XL Decorative Label Punch, Smooch Pearlized Top Coat, Stampin' Dimensionals, Green Satin Ribbon