Jean's Jewels

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, and welcome to my blog. Today's project is the last Valentine card made at our monthly Stampin' Up workshop last month. It uses the new Sizzlet Doily Die, as well as one of the new Edgelit Die's on the inside. The one on the inside is attached on three sides only so that a gift card can be added. Sure makes an easy way to add a decorative element that's both pretty and functional.

I hope you have a very happy Valentine's Day! Thank you for stopping by.

Workshop Valentine Card

2012-02-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

Hello there! Valentine's day is just one week away now. I'm happy to say that my cards are made since that was the theme of our last workshop.

Our hostess, Darlene, wanted the cards to hold gift cards so I was able to put the new edglet dies to work. Sure made it easy. Just attach the piece cut out with the die on three sides, and you can slip a gift card right in there. It's on the inside of this card. I also used the smallest heart from the new 5 hearts Sizzlet Die, along with the new Framelit Dies. The DSP, Every Day Elegance, is free with a $50 purchase, and can be found in the Sale a Bration Catalog. I love these new products!

The sentiment was printed out using My Digital Studio. You can try this fabulous software for free until the end of this month. Just go to the main Stampin Up website, and put it in your cart. They walk you through it. After a few steps you'll be on your way to creating digitally. I recommend it highly.

Thank you very much for stopping by! Have a fabulous day.

Mini Hershey Holder

2012-02-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome! First off, I apologize for my lack of posting. I just got back from a long vacation in Hawaii that was a gift to hubby and me from our daughters. It was amazing...a trip of a lifetime. I've also been busy preparing for the arrival of our first grandchild. We only have a couple of months to go. Unfortunately, our daughter that's expecting lives in New Jersey. That makes for long flights from here in Texas. Oh well. We'll be racking up the miles.

Today's project is one from last month's workshop. I got the idea from one of my friends that made one for Halloween. Thank you, Vivian!

The Cherub, and inside sentiment were printed from the P.S. I Love You, My Digital Studio download. The outside sentiment is from one of my all time favorite's - Teeny Tiny Wishes. The silver sparkle paper gives it a nice pop.

Thank you again for visiting! I will be back with another Valentine project. Have a wonderful day.

Meet Lucy

2011-12-23T07:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a bright spot for you on this cold winter day! Meet Lucy. I was one of the lucky winners of Shirley's adorable, handmade owls as part of her Winter Wednesday Blog Hop. I was jumping with joy when the package arrived. There was even an adorable handmade card enclosed from those sweet gals, Shirley and Terry SU. They both have the most marvelous blogs. (Click each name to visit). I'm so happy I came across them a couple of months ago. Thank you very much girls!!!

I named my owl Lucy, because she makes me smile. It comes from the I Love Lucy show that makes me laugh, and smile every time I see it. She is proudly perched high in my stamp room where I can look up and see her...so much fun!

Thank you for stopping by. Have the merriest Christmas ever.

Another Tag for the Winter Wednesday Blog Hop

2011-12-07T15:45:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to share the news that I was selected as a co-winner for Shirley's Winter Wednesday Blog Hop last week. That means I get to select one of her cute owl's made with Stampin' Up Designer Fabric. Shirley made her own pattern, and stitched up more than a dozen of those little cuties. I will post a picture when I receive mine. Thank you very much Shirley!!!

I made this cute snowman tag using SU circle punches, the Snowflake Punch, Northern Flurry Embossing Folder, Blushing Bride Stitched Poly Ribbon, and a sentiment from Friendly Phrases. The Pool Party tag and Pool Party shading are perfect for the little guy.

Thank you very much for visiting my blog!

Penguin Tag

2011-12-05T10:50:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome on this cold, cold day. We rarely get snow here in the Southwest, but it seems like we might as well since it's so cold. We did get a very light dusting that didn't stick, and more is predicted tonight. I hope you're staying nice and warm wherever you are!

This little punch penguin was made with several punches: Word Window, Large Oval, 1/2" Circle, and Blossom Builder. The stamp is from Tags Til Christmas. Plenty of room on the back for writing something on. Shirley is having a Christmas Blog Hop, so I decided to finally get around to participating. I did a little for her Halloween Hop, but haven't taken the time until today. You'll enjoy looking at all the cute creations.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Christmas Gift Tag

2011-12-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday! Today's project is a quick, cute gift tag. Here are the supplies: Bigz Two Tags Die, Stocking Punch, Perfect Punches Stamp Set, Scallop Circle Punch, small cardstock and DSP pieces, silver eyelet, and Cherry Cobbler Twine.

We're putting up the tree a little later today, so in the meantime I plan on making more gift tags. I guess I'll put on the Christmas music and get busy!

Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for stopping by.

Christmas Banner

2011-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around all the stores and a bit in my neighborhood so I got in the spirit this past weekend and made this cute banner. I used the Stocking and Stocking Accessories Dies for most of it. The DSP is Frostwood Lodge. It was easy to put together after the pieces were cut out. I used silver glimmer paper for a couple of the die cuts, and colored it successfully using a Copic Marker. The little Jingle Bells look great on the toes along with the Mini Clothespins to attach the stockings to the ribbon. This was a fun project.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a great day.

Gratitude

2011-11-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

I certainly have a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. Our family is happy, healthy, and best of all we are expecting our first grandchild next Spring. We traveled to Tulsa last weekend for an early Thanksgiving celebration, and had a great time with family. Mother Nature decided to send two earthquakes our way that scared us all tremendously, but we're all fine...I'm very grateful for that!

Today I'm working on Blessing Mix favors. I used the Warmest Wishes hostess set for the wreath. The word gratitude is from the Fabulous Phrases set. The Blessing Mix ingredients came from a site I found by Googling called organizedchristmas.com.

Here's wishing you many blessings! Thank you for stopping by.

You Grow Girl

2011-10-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to my blog. Today's card was made for a very special person...my daughter. Yes, that's right, I am becoming a grandmother next Spring. We're all so excited!!!

The CS, ribbon and tiny brads are Stampin' Up, stamps by Stamping Bella, and designer paper by K & Company. I've been working on several baby themed items that I will share with you as we go along.

Have a good, good day. Thank you for visiting.

Halloween Tote

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I bought a bunch of plastic totes at the Target Dollar Spot way back in August, thinking they would be great for Halloween. This was also one of our club projects last weekend. The Dracula comes from Batty for You, the medallion, and belly band were made with Frightful Sight DSP. This tote is ready for Halloween!

Thank you very much for stopping by. Have a great week.

Petite Pocket Treat Holder

2011-10-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello to you, and thank you for visiting! This little treat holder was one of our club projects this past Saturday. I used Frightful Sight DSP, and the new Petite Pocket Die. It goes together so quickly. The little band just slides up over the pocket flap to hold it closed. The cute monster is from the great Spooky Bingo Bits set. Perfect for a miniature Hershey Bar. The Rounded Tab punch stamped with the Boo (also from Spooky Bingo Bits), makes it easy to get to the candy.

Easy and fun for any occasion.

SSC 225

2011-10-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Today's card was made for the Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge. The sentiment is from Word Play that is stamped over the flowers from Upsy Daisy. I just love the Spice Cake DSP. I never would have put these colors together, but really like the results. The two vertical Pear Pizzazz pieces are embossed with the Stripes Embossing Folding. The Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon, and Sizzlet Heart were just the right additions to finish this card.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day!

SSC223

2011-10-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here's another card for the Stamping 411 challenge. I was thrilled to be chosen for their showcase with my punch art Santa. Click on their button on the right to visit. I used the cute bunnies from Forest Festivities for the first time. The DSP is Frostwood Lodge. There is a bit of the new Dazzling Details glitter glue on the bottom of the oval, but the picture didn't pick it up very well. The little holly piece is from Winter Wishes Stitched Felt...cute, cute.
Thank you for visiting today. Have a good one.

Haunted Bird House Monster Mash Entry

2011-10-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hello, and happy Saturday. Today's project was made for Shirley's Monster Mash Halloween Countdown. It is made with the SU Milk Carton Die. I just added a roof that is secured with a tiny clothespin for easy opening. The cute little owl is one of the Hostess Sets from the Holiday Mini called Warmest of Wishes. I love that the Owl Punch works with it. The little door was cut using the Tag Punch. The creatures peeking through the windows are from Spooky Bingo Bits, as is the ghost on the roof. For you ladies that are coming to the October 15th workshop, this is one of the door prizes.

Thank you very much for stopping by! I appreciate your time and love your comments. I hope your October is fabulous.

SSC222 Stamping 411 Challenge

2011-09-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

I was so inspired by a sweet Santa made up of different punches that I saw on our SU demonstrators web site that I had to try one for myself. I also saw one on Patty Bennett's blog that was designed by Susan Adam's. I'm not sure who came up with the original design, but would like to thank them for sharing. I changed mine up a bit by using our silver Glitter Paper, adding rosey cheeks, and using a different embossing folder for his hat. The original hat had white with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter added, and a cute pom pom for the tip. I used the Boho Blossom punch for the tip because I didn't have any pom poms. The DSP is from Frostwood Lodge which can be found in the new Holiday Mini Catalog. The ribbon and mini jingle bells are in the new catty as well.

It was a little strange to make a Christmas project in the midst of everything else Halloween, but I had to make it while it still fresh in my mind.

Have a great week, and thank you for dropping by. I'll be back soon with another Halloween project.

Countdown to Halloween Milk Carton Box

2011-09-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome! I finally made a six sided box using two die cuts from the Mini Milk Carton Die. I've been seeing them for weeks. Mine is quite simple, but cute. The skull, and eeek are from Spooky Bingo Bits. They are stamped on one of the dies from the Lots of Tags set. The DSP is Frightful Sight, and the ribbon is the 1/8" Basic Black Taffeta. I added a silver eyelet to the tag for the first time in ages. The glitter cat is from a bag of confetti. I just popped it with dimensionals. This project was made for Shirley's Monster Mash Blog Hop. Be sure an visit her wonderful blog for many great ideas.

I also recently made the Halloween banner at the request of one of my daughters. It is made with 4" coasters, painted with craft paint. The letters were cut out with my Cricut, and all the embellishments are stickers by Recollections.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for stopping by.

FBW 171

2011-09-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful Sunday we have going on here! I'm working on several projects today, but thought I would take the time and post this super easy card. I have been experimenting with the fabulous My Digital Studio quite a bit lately as I am entering the MDS contest that takes place in a couple of weeks. Danni's FBW challenge is an open one this week, and I needed a flat card for mailing, so I printed DSP from the Urban Garden set stamped (digitally) with a sentiment from Define Your Life. All I did was cut it out and mount it. I added the punched, embossed butterfly, and that was it! After all the detail work that I've been doing on my contest entries, this was a breeze.

Thank you for visiting today. Have a great week!

Monster Mash Hershey's Kiss Wrap

2011-09-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome! It's week 5 of Shirley's Halloween Countdown Monster Mash Blog Hop. I ran across this super easy, cute idea for a Hershey's Kiss Wrap while blog browsing. The idea came from my upline, Angie Kennedy. I changed it just a bit by using the pumpkin stamp from Got Treats. Although you can't see them, there are 5 little kisses nested inside. They are Hershey's new Air Delight Kisses. I saw the name, and knew I had to try them, but was a bit disappointed. They are good, mind you, but not as good as I thought they would be. All the same, it hasn't kept me from eating quite a few while working on this project.

Thank you for visiting my blog! I hope you have a wonderful day.

Monster Mash Week 4

2011-09-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, and thank you very much for stopping by. One of my crafty friends showed us how to make little treat purses a couple of weeks ago. She found the idea and pattern on Frenchie's blog. I made a couple of them in a Halloween theme for Shirley's Monster Mash Blog Hop. The DSP is from Frightful Sight. I sponged the edges to cover up those annoying white bits that you sometimes get when folding paper. The clasp is the Decorative Label folded in half, and the little ghouls are included in the Batty for You stamp set.

Have a great weekend, and be sure and remember our special heroes tomorrow.

Danni's Birthday Month FBW

2011-09-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor Day! Today's card is for Danni's Flutter By Wednesday Challenge. This week the challenge was to make a celebratory card. My sentiment from the Perfectly Penned set just fit the bill perfectly. The stamp is a digi that I've had forever, and I'm sorry to say I don't know it's origin. I do know it was a freebie. She had a cute crown, but I colored it with a Silver Spica Pen, and it didn't look right. Thank goodness I had some crowns by Jolee to cover it up. The DSP is Berry Blossoms. I'm trying to use it up before Autumn actually begins since it's so summery. I also added Silver Mini Brads (love those!), Jewels Basics, and Pearls Basics.
I thank you for taking the time to visit, and for your wonderful comments. I hope you have a good week.

Bagalope for Shirley's Monster Mash Blog Hop

2011-09-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

TGIF, and thank you for stopping by. Shirley at Look at my Cute Stuff is hostessing a monster mash blog hop. Although this is her third week, this is my first entry. Remember way back when bagalopes were popular? Maybe I'm really dating myself with that question, LOL. Anyway, I started with a black envelope. I ran it through the big shot using the SU Spider Web Embossing Folder, then sponged it with a Whisper White Craft Ink Pad. The cute spider is from the Kidoodles set. It's punched with a circle punch then mounted on a piece of CS punched with the

2-3/8 Scallop Circle. I colored the hat and mask with Spica Glitter pens. Very, very easy, and it holds quite a few goodies. Speaking of goodies...the pencil is in one of the new 1" x 8" Cellophane Bags in the new Holiday Mini. They are quite the bargain at 50 for $2.50. The Frankie stamp is from Batty for You.

I hope you have a great weekend!

3 Challenge Card

2011-08-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! Today's card was made for three challenges - Danni's FBW#168, Clean and Simple's FTL155, and Color Lab's Color Challenge. I used Spice Cake DSP which you can order starting September 1st. It's in the new Holiday Mini Catalog. The flower and butterfly are from Summer Solstice, and the sentiment is from Upsy Daisy. This was an open week for FBW, and the colors for the ColorLab Challenge were Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Suede, and a touch of More Mustard. This was an easy card to pull together using the CAS sketch.

Please remember that the Summer Mini comes to a close this Wednesday, along with the buy three, get one free DSP promo. Let me know if you missed out on anything, and I will be happy to place an order.

Thank you for dropping by. I hope your week gets off to a great start.

Monkey 71: Autumn + Sketch

2011-08-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, and thank you for visiting my blog. I am happy to report that things turned out just fine for my Jersey kids. They said that the wind was blowing so hard that the windows sounded like they might break, but they didn't. There still might be flooding, but the worst is over. Thank God!

I started this card with a stained glass technique that has been around a while. I saw a video on Frenchie's Blog, and it looked easy enough. The only problem was that I didn't have any regular Elmer's Glue, so I used some Elmer's Wood Glue that my husband had. Bad idea! It was very thick and hard to work with. I also used too much reinker, I think. Frenchie suggested using only one color, but I didn't listen. Since this was my first attempt, I went ahead and used it on my card. I will try another, but will follow the instructions next time. I used Gently Falling stamps on the acetate background. The sentiment is from Pursuit of Happiness. The speckles on the More Mustard card base was done with the Sandy Speckles Stampin Around Wheel, and the last addition was from Glimmer Brights Brad collection. I was wishing I had some gold, sparkly brads, but didn't. Although this didn't turn out quite as I had envisioned it, I still had fun. I love Autumn, and the only way I can get part of it here in the Southwest is to create it myself.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. Take care.

Thank You

2011-08-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

I've been working on thank you cards today along with watching Hurricane Irene updates. Our daughter and son in law live in New Jersey, so needless to say we are concerned. Their location shouldn't get directly hit, but they will probably get the wind damage and flooding. They are well prepared, and promised to keep me in the loop.

I used Berry Blossoms DSP, and Bold Blossoms for the sentiment. Aren't those tiny little mini brads cute? They are shown on page 199 of the new IB&C. The decorative oval was cut out from the new Designer Frames Embossing Folders Set. I punched out the sentiment with the Extra Large Oval Punch. It fits perfectly in the oval Designer Frame. The Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon was perfect for this project. I also stitched along the mat with my Mini Janome Sewing Machine. I could sure tell that I haven't done that in a while because I couldn't keep the stitching straight. I'd better use it more often.

Thank you very much for stopping by today. I hope everyone remains safe and happy.

Gently Falling Swap

2011-08-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hello to all you crafty people! I am participating in a swap with my fellow "Chicks" who are in Angie Kennedy's downline. We were required to use new products from the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog. When I saw the beautiful Gently Falling Stamp Set, I knew I had to have it. It goes beautifully with the new Spice Cake DSP. I used my Color Spritzer Tool on the Pool Party mat to give it a rustic feel. I love the way this card came out, as Fall is my favorite season. Go figure for a gal that lives in the Southwest where there is no real change in Autumn. In a couple of weeks I will receive card fronts from 10 other stampers that participated in the swap. I can't wait to see what everyone came up with.

Thank you very much for stopping by! I appreciate your time and comments.

Monkey 70 Guest Designer

2011-08-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, and thank you very much for stopping by. I made my first Halloween card of the year. I wish I could take credit for designing the little monsters, but I didn't. I was recently contacted on my blog from a young woman I've known for many years. She found me via Stampin Connection. (SU demonstrators fabulous web site). When I visited Traci D.'s blog I saw her cute treat bags with one of these little monsters on it. I immediately knew I wanted to try and copy them. You can see Traci's inspiration at: www.thelogicalstamper.blogspot.com

I was invited back as a guest designer at A La Card Monkey. This week they have a Halloween theme plus a sketch. This is such a fun blog!

I used the 1 3/4 Scallop Circle Punch for the monsters bodies by off setting it the second time around. The legs and shoes are made with the Word Window Punch. The background was made with the Cherry Cobbler Reinker using the rolling marbles technique. The DSP is Frightful Sight. I also used Glimmer Brads, the Modern Label Punch and the Ticket Corner Punch. It was a fun project.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Monkey 69 and FBW

2011-08-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome! Today's card was made for Monkey 69, which had a sketch plus a sympathy theme. I'm also entering Danni's FBW that specifies using a punch, and/or die this week. The gorgeous DSP called Spice Cake gives you a tiny sneak peek from the SU Holiday Mini coming out next month. The new In Color, Pool Party, looks great with this new paper design. I embossed the mat with one of the sides of the Perfect Details Texturz Plate. The stamp is from the Thoughts and Prayers set.

Thank you for stopping by!

No Ordinary People FBW

2011-08-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hello, and thank you for visiting my blog! One of my favorite challenges is Danni's Flutter By Wednesday weekly challenge. (Just click on the butterfly to get there). Last week Danni had a fancy fold card that looked interesting. She mentioned that the Multi Panel Card was easy enough so I had to try it. Sure enough it is very easy. I needed a card for our monthly SU Club that took place today, so here it is. I used stamps from Fabulous Florets and Summer Solstice. The little butterfly is shrink plastic cut with the Bigz Beautiful Butterflies Die colored with a Copic Marker before it was shrunk. A Basic Rhinestone, and the Baja Breeze 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon finished up this easy card.

Today's club workshop was bittersweet. We had a surprise luncheon, and surprise - you're the hostess for today for Renee who will soon be moving away. I've known Renee for many, many years, as we used to teach together. I picked the DSP, colors, and sentiment for this card just for Renee. We had a fabulous time laughing, stamping, and lots of eating today. God speed, Renee! You will be missed.

Monkey 68

2011-08-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome. I followed the A La Card Monkey sketch to make this baby card. This week there was a sketch, but no theme. I used my Bear Hugs stamp set for the first time...I've had it well over a year...shame on me. Other SU goodies used were: Stripes Embossing Folder, 2 3/8 Scallop Circle Punch, 5/8 Organza Ribbon, and Mini Clothespins. The DSP is from the Brights Paper Pack.

Click on over to the Card Monkey site by clicking on either of their fun links on the right. Thank you very much for visiting me!

FTL 152

2011-08-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello to everyone! Today's card was made following this week's sketch from the Clean and Simple Stamping Blog. I used stamps from the Upsy Daisy set and the Teeny Tiny Wishes set. I cut a Decorative Label in half, using a scrap of DSP from the Brights Paper Pack. Super, super easy.

Thank you very much for visiting my blog! Have a nice day.

FBW 165

2011-08-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

Hello to all, and thank you for stopping by! I made two cards for Danni's FBW weekly challenge. This week Danni designed her own sketch. Simply click on her icon on the side bar to take you there.

I used the same measurements for both cards. I was going to ditch the Celebrate Today card because I just didn't like it, but decided that I didn't want to waste the materials or the time. I used the Medallion stamp and one of the Perfectly Penned stamps. The butterflies were cut from the Beautiful Wings Embosslit.

I like the way the Luck card turned out. I used the new Houndstooth Embossing Folder and the new Occasions Alphabet for the sentiment. The white panel is also embossed with the Flower Garden Folder. The DSP is Paisley Petals.The butterfly is shrink plastic cut with the Beautiful Butterflies Sizzix Die, then colored with a Copic Marker.

Here's wishing all of you a wonderful weekend!

FTL 151

2011-08-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

I'm just now getting back into the swing of things after a short vacation in Las Vegas to attend a baby shower for a family friend of mine. It was a perfect trip all around! Another friend has become a grandmother to a new baby girl so I used this week's CAS sketch to make a card. Not having baby stamps, I resorted to MDS to make the banner tag using embellishments from the Rock-a-Bye collection. Just a couple of scraps from the Brights DSP Paper Pad, and some Jewels Basic, and this card was finished. Truly clean and simple.

Thank you very much for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!

FBW Melon Mambo Thank you

2011-07-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Does this card look familiar? After visiting Danni's Flutter By Wednesday Blog, I decided to use the CAS sketch again. At FBW we were challenged to use stripes, so I just added a strip of striped Tangerine Tango DSP to the bottom. I used the same stamp sets. The new Melon Mambo Scallop Dots Ribbon was perfect along with the lovely Beyond the Garden DSP. I couldn't resist adding a bit of bling.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a great day!

CAS Get Well

2011-07-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

Hello to you! Here's an easy card for this weeks Clean & Simple Stamping Challenge. I stamped the butterfly from the Strength and Hope set with Marina Mist Classic Ink, then stamped the sentiment from the brand new Perfectly Penned set with Chocolate Chip Classic Ink right over it. The little scrap of Marina Mist Card Stock is crimped. I've been using my crimper much more lately after leaving it lonely for so long. The Old Olive mat is embossed with the Perfect Details Texturz Plate. The Greenhouse Gala DSP is retired, but those of that have MDS know that doesn't matter. It was truly fast and easy.

Thank you for visiting my blog today. I appreciate your kind words and comments. Have a beautiful day!

Imagine the Possibilities

2011-07-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Posted is one of the cards that we made at Dorthy's workshop this past Saturday. It used the beautiful new Pool Party Classic Ink and card stock, along with the new Chocolate Chip Scallop Dots Ribbon. The flowers and grass are from Inspired by Nature, and the sentiment is Word Play. We had an especially good time since we hadn't been all together in a long time. Thank you ladies!

Thank you for visiting today. Have a good day.

Salt & Pepper Card Monkey Challenge

2011-07-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today's card was made for this week's A La Card Monkey challenge. There is a sketch, and color challenge using white and black. I printed the Night and Day DSP using My Digital Studio. I've been meaning to make one of the ruffled flowers for a long time. Barb Mulikan has a great tutorial on her blog. I used the punchable sticky sheets for the flower base...this was a first for me. It worked real good. The Antique Brad and Pearl Basic's added the final touches.

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you have a great week.

FBW #163 Sunshine Butterfly

2011-07-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome. I made this shabby chic card for Danni's FBW Challenge. This week is an open week as long as you have a fairy, angel, or butterfly on your creation. The inspiration for this card came from page 121 in the new IB&C. The pretty scalloped circle was cut with the new Perfect Pennants Bigz L Die, the label with Lots of Tags Sizzlit Set, and the butterfly was stamped first with a Butterfly Prints stamp, then punched with the matching Butterfly Punch. I used a small piece of First Edition DSP. I love the sentiment from the new Pursuit of Happiness set...I'm a sucker for quotes. See the speckles? This effect is made using the Color Spritzer Tool and a Stampin Write marker. I've had mine for well over ten years, and forget to use it sometimes. A little Daffodil Yellow Button with a Boho Blossom Punch, and leaves from the Bird Punch, and three Basic Pearls were the perfect additions to finish my card.

Tomorrow is Dorthy's workshop using the beautiful Inspired by Nature set. It promises to be a fun day as we haven't seen a couple of the ladies in a while. I hope you have a good weekend as well. Thank you for stopping by!

Hello Birdie

2011-07-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Today I have a sweet, simple card for you. I got the sketch and idea from one of my past issues of Stampin' Success. It's a monthly magazine sent to SU demonstrators. This particular sketch comes from Diane Harman. I printed my own DSP using the My Digital Studio Cheerful Treat Digital Content CD. It's a Level 1 Hostess Gift from the current Summer Mini. The cute little bird comes from Best of Everything, and the sentiment Tiny Tags. The Bashful Blue flower was punched from the Fancy Flower Punch. I folded then crimped the Old Olive cardstock then cut the leaves by hand. Easy peasy.

Thank you very much for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Pennant Birthday

2011-07-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, and thank you for visiting! Although I've had the Pennant Parade stamp set, and the Pennant Punch for about a month I just haven't put it to good use. Pennants are so popular these days, and the stamp set and punch are so cute, I'd better get on the ball. The birthday sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, a must have set. I also used the Boho Blossoms Punch, the Two Step Bird Punch (leaves), Basic Rhinestones, White Twine, Dimensionals, and Turquoise Glimmer Brads. I like the brightness of the card...nice, happy colors.

I hope you have a fabulous day!

Guest Designer A La Card Monkey

2011-07-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Oh happy day! I have another cute icon to add to my blog. The sweet ladies from the A La Card Monkey blog picked my Christmas in July card as a favorite. Because of that they asked me to design a card ahead of time for this week's challenge...a sketch along with using buttons and/or bows. Many thanks, girls!

I made a medallion using two pieces punched with the Scallop Circle Punch, along with a Real Red Button that came in the Brights Button Pack, then tied a piece of the 1/8" Basic Black Taffeta Ribbon through it. I also stamped the flowers from the Upsy Daisy set in Real Red over a small piece of First Edition DSP. The silver embossed sentiment is also from Upsy Daisy. Please visit the A La Card Monkey blog, and see what the other ladies came up with. The samples are truly inspiring, and it's a great sketch.

I'm so jealous of all the demonstrators at the annual SU Convention this week. I'm sure going to try and get there next year. I've seen some fabulous sneak peeks from the upcoming Holiday Mini. Get ready for some more super products.

I hope you have a wonderful day! And, a special shout out wishing my friend Mary a happy birthday! Have a great one.

Color Round Up Winner

2011-07-14T08:32:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! No creation to post today, as it's Thursday. This is my day with my friends...having lunch, crafting, solving world problems, LOL. Anyway, I'm happy to share that I won last week's Color Round Up at Holly's Rubber Red Neck blog. My winning badge is now on the right hand side. I'm thrilled to have something else to "pretty up" my blog. Just click to go to Holly's fabulous site. She has tons of great ideas. I will definitely keep on doing her challenges.
Have a great, great day. I'll be back soon with another A La Monkey Challenge creations.

Monkey 64 Christmas in July Sketch

2011-07-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

Hello, and happy day! Today's card is for the a la card monkey blog. Click on the cute monkey icon to go there directly. This week the girls have a Christmas sketch. I used my SU Jumbo Jolly Jingles Wheel on the side, along with a Delightful Decoration punched out with the Ornament Punch. I'm trying to get out of my color combination rut by using my Color Coach cards. The green is Lucky Limeade, one of the new In Colors. It's card said to match it with Riding Hood Red, and Daffodil Delight. I'm on the fence being a monochromatic, neutral gal. I plan on visiting and participating in more color challenges to "brighten" up my go to colors.

I hope you have a great day. Thank you for stopping by!

FTL148 & FBW Vintage Butterfly Card

2011-07-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, and thank you for coming by! I designed this card for the Flutter By Wednesday challenge using the Fall To Layout #148 from the Clean and Simple Stamping Blog. The card base is one of the new In Colors called Lucky Limeade. I used My Digital Studio, MDS, to print the mat with the First Edition download. The Ruffled Ribbon is also Lucky Limeade. The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes which I use a lot. I also used the Charming set for the butterfly and circles. Other products used are: 2 3/8 Scallop Circle Punch, Boho Blossom Punch, and an Antique Brad.

I hope you have a good, good week!

SCCSC7401 & CRU#38

2011-07-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hello, and thank you very much for stopping by! I really like doing challenges, as it really makes me think. Today's card was made for two more new challenges I found. As a SU demonstrator, I get access to a wonderful website called Stampin Connection. It's full of ideas, videos, tips, forums, and many more wonderful bits of info. That is where I found these two. The first - Stampin Connection Card Sketch Challenge - I used for the sketch. Next, I used the Color Round Up #38 for my color palette. I would have never put these colors together, and the sketch was also something I wouldn't have dreamt of. That made it a true challenge for me, but we all have to keep the brain engaged. The cute stamps are from the Best of Everything stamped on one of the Bigz Two Tags Die. I also used the smallest flowers from the Paper Daisies Pack, and the bling is from the Jewels Basic. It took way longer than it should have, but the process was fun.

I hope you get to have fun stamping, and/or scrapping today!

New Ribbon

2011-07-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hello, and happy Saturday! My note pad debuts one of the gorgeous new Stampin' Up In Color Ruffled Ribbons - Island Indigo. Of course you can see the other four right next to it all bundled up and ready for my ribbon share. I only have three openings left for each style at this time, but will order more as needed. I also have the new ten colors of the Scallop Dots ribbon, and will post a picture soon. The cost for local pick up is $12.50 for the Ruffled, and $20 for the Scallop Dots. This does not include shipping should anyone want some that lives out of town. You will receive approximately 2 yards of each color. To order full spools of both of these beautiful ribbons would cost over $150 by the time you pay for tax and shipping. Shares are the perfect way to get some of each. Just e-mail me if you would like some. I will fill the empty slots first, then order more. I will see how this goes, then order some of the other new ribbon styles, and colors.

Now on to the pretty note pad. The DSP is Beyond the Garden. There is a partial piece cut using the Top Note Die at the bottom. The border is the Eyelet Border Punch, the sentiment from the Bold Blossoms set mounted on the Lots of Tags Sizzlet Die. The sentiment is cut out with the Extra Large Oval Punch. I used strands of the White Bakers Twine in the heart Bitty Buttons, then added a partial line of bling from SU's Gemstones. Altogether with the new Ruffled Ribbon it will make a wonderful gift.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a great weekend.

New Challenge

2011-07-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

This evening's card was made for a challenge that's new to me. I've been visiting tons of blogs this week via a Stampin' Up demonstrators site called Stampin' Connection, and found several new challenges. This one is a sketch challenge with the theme of Summer fun at alacardmonkey. I'm getting in right under the wire as today is the deadline. I'm not a night owl, but wanted to participate. That being said, the DSP is Play Date that I printed out using MDS. Play Date is retired, but once you have it loaded on MDS it's always available. The strawberry is made with the Embosslits Scalloped Heart of Hearts die, the blossoms with the Boho Blossoms Punch, and the leaves with the Bird Punch. The sentiment is from the For All You Do set.

Thank you for visiting!

Proud Peacock & The Open Sea

2011-07-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, and thank you for stopping by! Today I have the other two cards we made using the rolling marbles technique. I used the same sketch for both cards. The Tempting Turquoise DSP was printed using My Digital Studio. The Peacock card also features one of the new punches from the Summer Mini called the Doily Punch. The two newest punches from the Mini carried over into the new Stampin' Up! IB&C.

Stay cool, and have a wonderful day!

FTL147 & FBW

2011-07-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Today's card will be introducing the new Stampin' Up In Colors from the 2011 - 2012 Idea Book & Catalog that just went live July 1st. Using this week's sketch from the Clean and Simple Stamping Blog, and adding butterflies for Danni's Flutter By Wednesday Challenge, I simply used all five new In Colors. They are: Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, and Wisteria Wonder. The butterfly stamp is from Flight of the Butterfly, and the sentiment is from the new Pennant Parade set. I also used the beautiful new Lace Ribbon Border, but tucked it behind the Pool Party mat to make it more like the original CAS sketch. This was indeed a quick, simple card. I made it 5 1/2 inches square, but would make it smaller if I had it to do over again.

And, speaking of the new colors, there is an update to My Digital Studio that will install them. Thank you for stopping by! Have a happy, safe Fourth of July.

Out West Rolling Marbles

2011-07-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

July already! It's an exciting time as the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog just premiered yesterday. I have some ideas in the works for some of the new products that I will share (hint, hint) real soon.

Today's card was designed for Vivian's workshop that was held a couple of weeks ago. I showed the ladies a fun technique using marbles and reinkers. You can see the neat effect that came out of it on the Real Red mat on this card. In addition to the Out West stamp set, I also used the Tiny Tags set, and the Tiny Tag Punch. The Photo Corner Punch that's on the top corners is now retired.

I will be back soon with two more cards that we made using the rolling marble technique. Thank you for visiting! Have a great Fourth of July weekend.

FTL144 for ColorLab Challenge #44

2011-06-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hello to you on this fine day! Today's card was made with this week's CAS sketch in mind. The colors came from another challenge blog I found at My Create Ink. I must admit, I never would have chosen this combination on my own. Although I like all three colors individually, it never would have occurred to me to combine them. The DSP is Beyond the Garden, along with Whisper White, Daffodil Yellow, Concord Crush, and Pear Pizazz CS. The Daffodil Yellow mat is embossed with one of the plates from Texture Plates Kit #4. I used the script design which is my favorite. This set is retiring after June 30th, so don't miss out if you want it. Other goodies that I used include: Embosslits Beautiful Wings Die, Sizzlets Little Leaves Die, and Jewels Basic Rhinestones. I printed the sentiment using MDS. I pleased with the way it came out, and will probably go back to the Color Lab again.

Have a great day, and thank you for stopping by!

Hello Friend Hybrid Card

2011-06-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! I've been taking the time to polish up my skills on "toys" that I've had for a while, but haven't learned to use to their fullest potential. In addition to my Cricut machine, the Stampin' Up My Digital Studio is high on my list. I've made a couple of scrapbooks, and several calendars, and have been so pleased with them. Yesterday I purchased some extra downloads that caught my eye. One great thing about the images included, and the extra ones that can be purchased is that they don't retire. I purchased a couple for that reason only. Another plus is that some of the downloads come with extra templates that can be used as is, or for inspiration. I made this card front using the Hoppy Memories Digital Kit. (Included with the software). The template was an invitation, but I changed it around just a bit. After printing it I added a couple of elements before mounting it on my card. Can you tell what was already there, and what was added? That's one of the beauties of MDS. This card needed to be flat for mailing, and was quick and easy.

I hope you have a wonderful day! Thank you for stopping by.

Flip Flops

2011-06-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today I have an easy project using fun foam. The flower layers were cut out with the Stampin' Up Blossom Party Originals Die. I'm happy to report that it's not retiring. I used craft glue to adhere the layers. The flowers are stuck to the flip flops with three large glue dots. They came out bright and fun. Perfect for Summer.

Thank you for visiting today! I hope you have a great day.

Dotty FBW Challenge

2011-06-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, and thank you for stopping by. Today's card was made for Danni's weekly Flutter By Wednesday Challenge. The challenge included using polka dots with our butterfly, fairy, or angel. I've been trying to hone up my Cricut skills lately, and heard about a wonderful blog that I've been visiting: www.shesasassylady.blogspot.com

While there I found another wonderful site: www.lovethatbug.blogspot.com

This creative lady has made a card, and video for each of the images on the Create a Critter Cartridge. She gives specific measurements, so it makes it a piece of cake. I just added a couple of butterflies made with my SU Beautiful Butterflies Embosslit Die, and a SU sentiment inside. I also added a bit of blush on the critters cheeks with pink chalk. Quick, easy, and cute.

As you can see, I've also been playing with my SU My Digital Studio software. My new blog title took a matter of minutes to create. I used the postcard size 9 1/4 x 4 template, then just added a couple of stamps, and embellishments. Now that I know how easy it is, I will keep working with it until I get a blog title that I love.

Have a good, good day!

PPA Color/Masculine Challenge

2011-06-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

This card was made for the weekly challenge that fellow SU demonstrator, Mary Fish, hosts on her blog. I've only participated in this challenge one other time, but I visit Mary's blog often...she's very talented, and creative. This week's challenge was to use Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard, and Night of Navy on a masculine card. I used: The Open Sea, Word Play, and Well Scripted. The Cherry Cobbler mat is embossed with the Perfect Details Texturz Plate. It sure makes a difference.

Have you seen the retiring stamps and accessories list? Be sure and take a look so that you won't miss out on any items you may want. Accessories are only available while they last. You can find the list on the SU Website.

Have a great Friday, and a wonderful weekend. Thank you for stopping by!

Favorite Thoughts Clean & Simple

2011-06-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday. I'm just now getting around to posting this weeks CAS sketch challenge. I made it last Sunday but have been doing a ton of other things this week. The sentiment comes from the Favorite Thoughts stamp set. It isn't available right now, but I'm hoping it's included in the new catalog. The Rich Razzleberry DSP is from the 12 x 12 Brights Collection. The punch is two layers from the new Doily Triple Layer Punch. The crown is by Jolees...perfect for the sentiment. Of course I couldn't resist adding the SU Gemstones.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful day.

Clean & Simple Birthday

2011-05-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today's card is very similar to a previous post only I used this week's sketch from the Clean & Simple Stamping Blog. I like the new set The Open Sea, and it's coordinating DSP called Nautical Expedition. My stash is sorely lacking in the masculine department, and I think the style and colors are perfect for just that. I made two exactly alike for my SILs birthdays. I better put them in a place I remember as both won't come again until 2012.

I'm glad you visited! Thank you.

Flutter By Wednesday for Margie's Workshop

2011-05-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Danni has an open challenge for this week's FBW. There is also a great sketch that is optional. In addition, this will give my Stampin' Up Club members a sneak peek into Margie's upcoming workshop next Saturday the 28th. This page of the mini book features the fabulous, bright, new Stampin' Emboss powder in Melon Mambo, the Fabulous Florets stamp set, and the Beyond the Garden DSP. They are in the Summer Mini Catalog. I know you club ladies are going to love using these new products!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping by.

The Deconstructed Sketch

2011-05-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

While visiting Danni's blog, I ran across a blog that's starting sketch challenges, and this is the premiere sketch. This card uses The Open Sea stamp set, and Nautical Expedition DSP from the Summer Mini. The Cherry Cobbler/White Baker's Twine is also new, and is only $2.95 for 25 yards. The sentiment inside the card is from the Word Play set. I started the image collage by inking a clear mount block with Crumb Cake Classic Ink, then stamped over that with the other colors. This card will be for my husband for Father's Day. Now I'm thinking I'll make a couple more for masculine birthday cards.

I appreciated you stopping by! Have a nice day.

Flutterby Wednesday Project

2011-05-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hello, and happy Sunday. I'm happy to say that today's project is for Danni's Flutter By Wednesday Challenge. I haven't been able to participate in a long time, so this was a great day for me. This week's challenge was to create anything but a card. Click on the box on the right to go to FBW. The tea bag holder comes from my SU upline Angie Kennedy. She has a great tutorial on her blog. I added a butterfly on each one, and an sentiment inside by A Muse. I also changed the outside sentiment to Chocolate Chip. Other than that, I followed Angie's tutorial and design. The stamp set is the new Bold Blossom, and the matching Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch. Both are from the Summer Mini. Each SU color used has a matching Classic Ink Pad so it was so easy to coordinate each one. I'm happy to report that I now have all the Classic Ink colors.

Have a great, great day! Thank you for stopping by.

Clean and Simple Owl

2011-05-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

Hello, Hello, Hello! The sentiment on this card is from the Happy Greetings set in the new Summer Mini. I used this week's sketch from the Clean and Simple Stamping Blog. All the DSP I used were scraps from the Play date pack. Now that I see the owl, it looks a bit creepy. I added wings from the Bird punch, and now that they're glued down, I'm not sure I like it. Oh well...the card only took a few minutes. That's what I love about CAS cards.

I hope you have a great day! Thank you for visiting.

Proud Peacock

2011-05-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Today I have a simple card that uses the Proud Peacock stamp set. It's in the new Summer Mini Catalog. The Beyond the Garden DSP, and Happy Greetings stamp set (sentiment) are also from the Summer Mini. Nice and cheery. The Summer Mini is good from May 1 to August 31.

Thank you for visiting! Have a wonderful day.

Gift Card Workshop

2011-05-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello to you, and thank you for stopping by! Our last SU workshop was all about gift cards. These three were made with all SU materials with the exception of the jewel flourish which is by Recollections. The Baja Breeze card has a pop up insert on the inside, and is made with the beautiful Paisley Petals DSP. If you missed out on that, don't worry. It will return with the new SU Idea Book and Catalog in July. The cute Build a Cupcake card holder was designed from Jen Balcer's tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers. I had to alter it a bit because she used #3 coin envelopes, and I only found #1 size. The simple, masculine gift card holder uses Playdate DSP. The circle sentiment came from the single Thank You Flower by just punching out the center.

I hope you all have a marvelous day!

2011-04-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

Hello, and Happy Easter weekend to you. Today's card gives you another sneak peek into the new Summer Mini Catalog. Those of you ladies in the monthly stamp club should have received it this week. The beautiful flowered DSP is Beyond the Garden that will be available to order May 1st. The floral images that are stamped on the inside of this card are from the upcoming Fabulous Florets set. Another upcoming item is the White Bakers Twine that I used for the banner on the front of the card. Other SU items used are: Matchbox Messages, Well Scripted, and Four Frames stamps. The brads are from the Antique Brads pack.

Thank you for visiting my blog! Enjoy Easter.

Another Clean & Simple Card

2011-04-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hello again! Today's card follows the same sketch as the one below. I also used the same DSP and stamp, but omitted the bird by coloring directly on the frame image with a Chocolate Chip Stamp & Write Marker. The beautiful embossed flower gives you a sneak peek into the upcoming Summer Mini Catalog. It is called Flower Garden. I used the back side making it debossed instead of embossed. The current SU promo - Spring is Blossoming - will expire in a little over a week. I've used the Four Frames set several times during the last couple of days. I can tell that it will be used frequently. The Paisley Petals DSP and the Four Frames Stamp Set will return with the new SU Idea Book and Catalog making it's debut in July.

Thank you for dropping by! Have a marvelous "Hump Day"!

Clean & Simple FTL136

2011-04-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Today I have a card using FTL136 from the Clean and Simple Stamping Blog. Unfortunately I need a couple of sympathy cards, and the only one I had on hand didn't seem right for the recipient. I like the way this one turned out, and will use this sketch again. The DSP and stamp set are sneak peeks from the new upcoming SU Idea Book and Catalog. The paper is called Paisley Petals, and the stamps Four Frames. They are available this month only with the Spring is Blossoming Promo. I'm very happy to report that I had a workshop yesterday, and my hostess, Renee, will receive both for free. The sentiment is from one of my all time favorite set's - Teeny Tiny Wishes. The flower was punched with Boho Blossoms, and the leaves from the Two Step Bird Punch.

As always, I thank you for dropping by! I will be back soon with pictures from the gift card holder workshop. Have a great weekend.

Easter Workshop

2011-03-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon, and thank you for stopping by! Here are two of the projects that we made at our last SU workshop. They use the Easter Blossom stamp set. I love the soft Blushing Bride Cardstock, and ribbon. It goes nicely with the Crumb Cake. The little box was made with the Two Tags Die. The little butterflies were cut with the SU Beautiful Wings Die with Baja Breeze CS. I added a few SU pearls for more pizazz. Gotta love it!

Clean & Simple FTL132

2011-03-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Ah the first day of Spring! It's been a long winter. The sketch for this card is from the Clean & Simple Stamping Blog. I used three SU stamp sets for this card. The sentiment, stamped in Tempting Turquoise is from the Apple Blossoms Hostess set. I used the new Build a Blossom set with the coordinating punch for the flower petals by stamping More Mustard on Daffodil Delight CS. The stems and leaves are from one of my all time favorites - Inspired by Nature. Since I just wanted the green part, I colored directly on the stamp with an Old Olive Stamp & Write Marker, but omitted the blossom part. The middle of the flowers were punched with circle punches, then embossed with the dots folder. The ribbon is SU Tempting Turquoise Grosgrain, and the little piece of DSP is a scrap from the Play Date pack.

Once again, here's wishing you a happy Spring! Thank you for stopping by.

Bevy of Butterflies

2011-03-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist showing off my magnificent orchid plant. Isn't it glorious?! I had made one of the butterfly note pads as a hostess gift at our last SU workshop, using the Bigz Beautiful Butterflies Die. It was such a hit that the other ladies wanted to make some as well this past Thursday, so I made more for friends and family. It's a simple process: I covered both sides of a square coaster with DSP, then cut out the medium butterfly. The inside paper can be cut several layers at a time. Although it takes a little time, it's well worth it. Then simply punch through with a Crop-a-Dile, embellish a little, and you're done. Everyone always needs a little note pad, and these are easy and cute.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful day.

February Thank You Notes

2011-02-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

Last day of February. In a way I'm glad it will be over. With all the crazy weather, and even crazier family issues...I'm ready to March into Spring.

My February thank you notes were a breeze to make with the SU So Many Thanks stamp. It's a single stamp for $7.95. I stamped it partially on Real Red CS to cut out the heart strip, then added a bit of Real Red Grosgrain ribbon to a clip from the Clips Assortment. After adding a bit of Chocolate Chip CS punched with the Scallop Edge Border it was done. Simple and nice.

Many thanks to you for visiting. Have a wonderful day!

Chocolate Ensemble

2011-02-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful time making these chocolate goodies at my SU workshop this past Saturday. The stamp set is "Eat Chocolate" from the Occasion Mini Catalog. I cased the little petal cone box from my upline Angie. The rectangle box is made with three box bottoms from the SU Matchbox Die. I just cut the top a little bit bigger to fold around the matchbox bottoms. As you can see, we added some zig zag stitching with my little Janome sewing machine. All the projects were made with SU DSP from the 12 x 12 Brights paper collection, along with Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, and Very Vanilla CS.

It was truly a fun time! We filled the house with laughter. I'd like to extend a big thank you to all the ladies that came...you are truly fabulous!

Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful day...and "Eat Chocolate"!

Clean & Simple FTL127

2011-02-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

I used one of the free stamp sets from the current SAB promotion called Punch Bunch for this quick card. That little owl is too cute! This was made using this week's sketch from the Clean & Simple Stamping Blog. All supplies are SU.

We've had a few beautiful days in a row, weather wise. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I hope you are having fair weather wherever you are. Thank you for visiting...have a wonderful day!

Baby Gift

2011-02-13T08:42:00.000-08:00

My goodness, I've been a bad blogger! All due to the fact that my MIL isn't well. On a good note, I made this frame for one of my daughter's good friend's that just had her third baby boy. (I blocked out the baby's name...that's what that random blue paper piece is.) I couldn't get too fancy since it all had to be flat, but I know they will love it.

Hopefully we're over all that frigid weather, and are now expected to get into the 70's. That was quite an ordeal. Here's hoping your weather is great. Thank you for stopping by.

Snowmageddon 2011 & Thank You's

2011-02-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

As I sit here posting, the temperature outside is 1 degree, and our pool looks like an ice skating rink. Yesterday we got pounded with snow, wind, and frigid temperatures. Since this is El Paso, everything got closed down, we had power outages, broken pipes...it's a mess. I really don't know how those of you that live with this on a regular basis carry on with daily life.

Last Saturday, I had a fabulous time at our monthly Stampin' Up workshop. (The weather was beautiful.) We made several Valentine goodies. My hostess gift to Mary was the level one hostess In Colors paper pad, and wrapped Ghiradelli chocolates. I saw a version of the wrapped chocolates on our SU Demo website made by a lady named Frenchie...so cute. My thank you notes were made from workshop scraps. Gotta love that!

Thank you very much for stopping by. Stay warm!

Old Man Happy Birthday

2011-01-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

It's my husband's birthday today, and boy is he getting old. I'm glad I'm sooo much younger (2 years-LOL). I never thought we'd get be in our 50's. Crazy huh?! Anyway, I'm just kidding as he's just as good looking as ever, and the only man for me.

We made this card at one of Jody's classes a couple of months ago. I just added the felt heart and the sentiment. I also added glitter to the candle flames, but it doesn't show in the photo. The card was cut out using the MFT Build a Birthday SVG set with the Make The Cut, and the Cricut. I've been using the MTC quite a bit these days as I'm preparing for a SU Workshop this coming weekend.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a great week.

Clean & Simple Challenge 124

2011-01-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Today's post comes from this week's sketch at the Clean & Simple Stamping Blog. I know I've said it many times, but I love the CAS style.

The little hot air balloon heart came on a card that was attached to some free rub ons I received from Stampin' Up. I simply cut it out, and popped it up using dimensionals. The two clouds are rub ons from the free set. The sentiment is from the Filled With Love set. Although it doesn't show in the photo, I used the script plate from the Texture Plate #4 set to emboss the Basic Gray mat.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, and that your football team wins today. Thank you for stopping by!

Cootie Catcher

2011-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

Good, good day to you! Do you remember those little paper "fortune tellers" that we made as a child? They're also called cootie catchers. I made this one out of a 6" square piece of SU DSP. (Perfect because it's double sided). The punch that I used for the handle, the oval tag, and the stamped sentiment are also by Stampin' Up. This cute little project takes all of about 10 minutes. I was reminded about these by a video on SU's Facebook page. If you would like to see it, just add SU to your FB friends/likes. It was posted about one month ago.

Thank you for visiting today! Your fortune says you will have a great day.

Lasting Memories Challenge

2011-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

One of my fellow Project Tuesday designer's, Karen, hosts a layout challenge each week. I was happy to participate this week. We were to scrapbook our style for her current challenge.

My style is fairly clean and simple just like my card making. I tend to lean towards a more minimalistic look. I like to use stamps on my pages when I can. The sentiment on this one is by Penny Black. The punches are by SU. If you look closely, I added tiny pearls on the border punch, and corners. These are also SU. The black flourishes were cut out using my Make The Cut on the Cricut Machine. I'm bound and determined to get more use out of these fabulous "toys".

I hope you have a marvelous week! Happy Monday, and thank you for stopping by.

Quilted Top Note

2011-01-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello to you, and thank you very much for dropping by. I made this card for my MIL's birthday which is coming the end of February. Since I already had the new Springtime Vintage DSP out, and it's matching colors, I wanted to keep using it. Then the idea of a "faux quilt" came to mind. This technique has been around for several years, and I had yet to try it...why I waited is beyond me, as it's very easy. I punched squares, then adhered them to a Very Vanilla CS rectangle. This was then cut out using my SU Top Note Die. To make it even more "quilt" like, I embossed it with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. The sentiment is from the Perfect Punches stamp set. See the pretty border on the card base? It's the newest embossing folder found in the now current Occassions Mini called Framed Tulips.

Since I'm on a bit of a roll you'll be seeing more creations using my newest goodies. Have a wonderful day!

FTL 122 & FBW

2011-01-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

This card was made for two of my favorite challenges: Clean and Simple Stamping, and Flutter By Wednesday. (Click on Danni's FBW on the right side). I enjoyed making this card, and love the way it turned out. The DSP by SU is called Springtime Vintage, and is now available to order from the new mini catalog. The paper dictated the colors that I normally don't use including Always Artichoke, and Not Quite Navy. The sentiment is from a hostess gift set called Afterthoughts. I also used my SU Eyelet Border Punch, and Beautiful Wings Embosslit. I've used the BW Embosslit so many times that one of the hinges has worn apart. (I will definitely be ordering a new one before that happens). The tiny pearl on the butterfly is from the SU Basic Pearl pack.

Although it looks like a beautiful day, I haven't ventured outside yet. It's been so cold here, that I will make it a point to soak in some rays. I hope you all have a beautiful day, and thank you for stopping by!

Cute Critter Card

2011-01-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011 to you, and thank you for visiting...especially since it's been so long since I last posted. I finally took the time to use my Cricut today. That's been too long as well! I haven't really put my Gypsy up to it's fullest potential, and one of my resolutions/goals is to learn how to use it to the max. I'm having to use baby steps for practicing, so I made a card. The CS, DSP, and ribbon are Stampin' Up. The sentiment was spelled out using my oldie but goody Karen Foster Snap Stamps Set. I like the way it turned out - simple but cute.

It looks like Jennifer at Stamps and Smiles has decided to close the Project Tuesday Blog. She isn't able to give it 100% right now, and doesn't want to continue because of that. I have really enjoyed being on her design team. The other ladies were simply fabulous to work with, and I will miss creating all the fabulous projects for myself and you all. I will leave the PT box on my blog for a while so that you can still visit past projects, and the PT Design Team members.

Have a marvelous day, and thanks again for stopping by. I really appreciate my blog friends.

Project Tuesday Slacker

2010-12-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

Here it is Tuesday, and I don't have a thing for our fabulous Project Tuesday challenge...again. I'm sorry, but real life gets in the way more often than we would all like. My MIL is in a pretty bad state right now, and is in need of our attention. With the holiday season in full swing, I wish all of you the best, and would like to thank you for visiting my blog. I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things soon. Please visit the PT Blog for great ideas, and inspiration. I hope you have a wonderful week!

PPA71 & FTL119

2010-12-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a cute card that I made for the Paper Pals Art color challenge using the Fall to Layout from this week's Clean and Simple sketch challenge. We were to use Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz, and Regal Rose for the PPA challenge. The walrus comes from a retired SU set called Cold & Cuddly. The sentiment is from a fairly new SU set called Filled with Love.

Thank you for dropping by! Have a happy Monday.

Project Tuesday Ornament Box

2010-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, and thank you for dropping by today! Today's Project Tuesday challenge is an ornament and a box. As you can see, I cheated and just made the box. I just couldn't get the ornament to look the way I wanted it to. Please don't take my word for it, and go to the marvelous tutorial. I also didn't add the handle, but I did add a mat to the back as it looked unfinished to me. It's a beautiful project. I used all Stampin' Up supplies for mine.

I hope you all enjoy this last day of November....unbelievable, isn't it?!

Project Tuesday Six Pack

2010-11-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, and welcome to another fabulous Project Tuesday. Our challenge this week is a six pack with a tutorial by Scor Pal. Mine is filled with six, white chocolate covered pretzel rods with peppermint chips that I bought from Target. The DSP is Candy Cane Christmas, and the stamp is from the matching Merry Crittermas set. Both can be found in the Holiday Mini Catalog. I also made a matching tag by using the Bigz Two Tags die, the Scallop Punch, and stamps from the Sweet Season set. What a cute, fun project! Please visit the other PT design team members for more inspiration. Thank you for stopping by!

Project Tuesday Reindeer Baglet

2010-11-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday! Here's a super cute idea for you from Project Tuesday - a reindeer baglet. I altered the measurements a bit because I didn't have a frosted cello bag. My little cellophane bags are flat, and a little wider, but I made it work. I also added Cheerios to the oatmeal, as I figured the "magic food" would be eaten by little critters. I used my SU Owl Punch for the reindeer's head. The antlers come from a SU Snowflake Punch. I wrote out the sentiment on MDS, then punched it using the larger SU Scallop Punch. The DSP is now retired. This was an easy project that was fun to do. I hope you'll try one for yourself...won't the little one's love it!

Thank you for visiting today. Have a fantastic week.

Simply Adorned Necklace

2010-11-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick post before I go to my fun Thursday with the girls. Talk about quick! I stamped the little insert for this necklace in less than five minutes. I copied the necklace pictured on the handmade holiday flyer by Stampin' Up. The stamp set is called Charming. SU is having a bundle promo right now, and this one came with the stamps, the charm, and the chain. I started with a scrap (and I do mean scrap) of Very Vanilla CS then stamped the sentiment background with More Mustard. I colored the flower stamp stems with an Old Olive Stampin Write Marker, and the flowers themselves with a Dusty Durango SWM. All it took was a couple of huffs, and viola, it was done. Then next step was to cut my image into a 1 x 1 1/4 rectangle. I then added two little pearls to the flowers, and slipped it inside the beveled charm. Beautiful! I finished it off with a crystal bauble, and a bit of ribbon. I plan on making more inserts, and giving this as a Christmas gift. It already comes in a great gift box. So that's it!

Thank you for dropping by, and have a fabulous Thursday!

Project Tuesday Genie Bag

2010-11-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, and welcome to another wonderful Project Tuesday challenge. Thankfully this project was a breeze. (Unlike last week's which had my fingers in a tizzy). I used my Jolly Old St. Nick set by Stampin' Up. Isn't he sweet?! His hat trim has white flocking on it, and I put a little "twinkle" in his eyes by using a Spica pen. Just follow the SCS tutorial and you'll have one finished in no time. Mine is sitting ready to be filled with something special in the coming weeks. Can you believe Christmas is just weeks away!

Thank you for visiting today, I really appreciate your kind comments. Have a wonderful day!

3 in 1

2010-11-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

I'm baaaack! I feel like I have gotten a lot accomplished today. Isn't that always a good thing?! This card was made with three challenges in mind: Glitterbabe Greetings, Danni's Flutter By Wednesday, and Just Us Girls. I visit these fun blogs when I can, and it's an extra bonus to participate in their challenges.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy that extra hour we get.

FTL #115

2010-11-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

The Clean and Simple Stamping Blog has their new weekly sketch up today, and I just knew I had to participate. I've been busy working on Project Tuesday goodies, and projects for an upcoming Stampin' Up workshop, and I needed to take a quick break from those. Boy was this quick and easy. I used my SU tab punch to make the snowman into a snow globe. The stamp set is Jolly Old St. Nick. After coloring the snowman, I punched it out then sprayed it with glitter spray. I'm hoping to get two more cards done for a couple of challenges that I enjoy participating in. Thanks for stopping by...I hope to be back soon.

Project Tuesday Tiny Take Out Box

2010-11-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from a glorious five day trip to New Jersey to visit my daughter. The leaves hadn't dropped yet so the scenery was gorgeous. We had such a great time! Now back to our scenery that doesn't highlight the Fall season changes but has it's own beauty with our deserts and mountains.

I must say that this week's Project Tuesday challenge was one of my least favorites to put together so far. Don't get me wrong, I loved how it turned out, but it was quite challenging for me because of the size. Once I had the box together, I happened to run into the perfect item to put into it. How cute is that little bird (A Muse) holding her little red ornament?! And, how wonderful for me that I found the little plastic ornament with red, chocolate covered sunflower seeds in it. It made the assembly frustrations worth it.

I'm so glad you came by and visited today....thank you!

Project Tuesday Tag Box

2010-10-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, and welcome to another great Project Tuesday challenge. This week we were to create a tag box. I used the Tags til Christmas set by Stampin' Up, then punched them out with their coordinating punches. I really try to get all the sets that have punches to match. It makes creating easier, and this one is no exception. As a matter of fact, Stampin' Up is offering several bundles for a discounted price just for the holiday season. This set is one of them.

The tutorial is very good, as usual. The whole project didn't take very long, and I love the way it turned out. Now pop on over to the Project Tuesday Blog to see the other wonderful tag boxes by the awesome PT Design Team. Thank you for stopping by. Have a great Tuesday.

Treat Bags

2010-10-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

My Cricut has been chirping away this past weekend. I used my Gypsy to cut out multiple witch silhouettes using A Child's Year cartridge, and Make The Cut to cut out the tree treat bags. The bags were cut using one of the SVG's from a set of Fall treat bags from Scrap Chick. The stamped sentiment is SU. (Fang-tastic set). I kept them fairly simple since I had a bunch to make. The one pictured is calorie free as it has ribbon inside. (Not one I would choose for myself, unfortunately...love that candy).

I hope you have a wonderful week! Please come on by tomorrow for an awesome Project Tuesday Challenge.

GBG Challenge & Ghouls CASE

2010-10-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

I finally took the time to photograph a card I made for Steph's challenge a few days ago. It's just under the wire as she'll have a new one tomorrow. The border is a freebie from Steph herself. Isn't it fabulous?! I made the pumpkins using SU Oval Punches, then added the new SU glass glitter for the mandatory bling.

The idea for my second card came from Dawn's Stamping Thoughts blog. The little ghosties are punched out from the SU Owl Punch with it's feet cut off. You can see the details on Dawn's blog. This card makes me smile. I love the way it turned out.

I am now pleased to say that I feel a little smarter than my Make The Cut. I've been working with it for a while, and having some success....but, I've wasted a lot of paper on my failures. The pumpkin is a cut file from MFT, and I used the MTC with my Cricut. I think I'm getting over that learning curve hump. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

Well, thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

Project Tuesday Corner Bookmark

2010-10-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to another new weekly challenge by Project Tuesday. For our corner bookmark, I used Stampin Up DSP and punches. The sentiment is by Stamping Bella. Just follow the Splitcoast Stampers tutorial, and you'll have one made in no time. I made mine flat so that I could close the book, but they can be as fancy as you want to get. Please visit the other Project Tuesday DT members for more inspiration.

Thank you for visiting with me today, I hope you have a good one!

FBW #126 & OCC Challenges

2010-10-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone on this gorgeous Sunday morning. It's finally cooling off a bit, and feeling a bit more like Fall. Although as I sit here typing this post I have the door open and can hear Grackles chirping, and a Mockingbird singing.

I made this card for two challenges. Danni's Flutter By Wednesday Challenge asked for a Fall theme along with the required butterfly, faerie, or angel. Our Creative Corner (OCC), challenged us to use at least three embellishments. I have been wanting to try my hand at this ribbon technique for a long time. All you have to do is add Sticky Strip to your base, then pleat the ribbon on top of it. It was so easy, I don't know why I put it off for so long. Oh well, such as life. I'm off to start a roast in the Crock Pot, then to "play" some more. Thank you for stopping by!

Project Tuesday Treat Bag Cover

2010-10-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, and welcome to another fun challenge from Project Tuesday. This week we have a treat bag cover...perfect for this time of year. I made mine for Christmas as I will probably put a gift card inside instead of a treat bag. Hmmmmm, maybe both. All supplies are by Stampin' Up. Anyway, you'll have fun with this easy project so pop on over and check out the other samples by the PT Design Team.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a great day.

Halloween Tote

2010-10-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, and happy Saturday! I started this cute tote a couple of weeks ago, and finished it last night. I purchased the instructions from Becky Roberts at her Inking Idaho blog. The little milk cartons were cut out with my Stampin' Up Mini Milk Carton Die. It actually holds four, but you can't see the other two in the photo. The paper, stamps, and accessories are also from Stampin' Up. Next up, I plan on making a Christmas tote.

Thank you for stopping by...enjoy your weekend!

Project Tuesday Nugget Purse

2010-10-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday! Although I haven't posted in a week, I really haven't been a slacker. I've been busy working in my craft room. We took out the queen size bed that's been in there. Yippee! I'm really coming along.

Our September hostess, Kim, has challenge us to create a Nugget Purse at Project Tuesday. This little cutie literally takes minutes with minimal materials. I made mine to match the pumpkin I told you about last week. They look great on the tray that I made yesterday using Stampin Up designer elements. Click on the link for directions and dimensions for the purse.

I made the pumpkin with 14 strips of DSP. They measure 1/2" by 6". Punch a hole in each end of all the strips. I used my Cropadile and punched through 7 at a time. Insert a brad into the bottom. Fan the strips a bit then add a brad to the top. I made the stem by rolling a piece of CS quilling style, then secured it to the top brad using a glue dot. The tendrils were made from thin pieces of CS that I wound around a skewer to make them curly.

Thank you for visiting! I hope your day is everything you want it to be.

Project Tuesday Clear Sleeve Box

2010-09-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

One of our very own design team member's created this week's Project Tuesday Challenge. The talented Sarah came up with this clear sleeve box that can be made into almost any size. Be sure and go to her tutorial, which is very easy to follow. My only tip is to score your acetate very well. It's a little stubborn when it comes to folding it. I made the little gift card to go with it as well. Fun, and easy!

Thank you so much for joining me! Now go have fun visiting the rest of the design team, and making a box for yourself.