Sketch Challenge Froggie

Yep...it's the Unfrogettable frog, again! I just think it's the funnest stamp set ever!! I know it may not be new to many of you, but it's new to me, and I'm having a blast with it. I haven't even gotton to the darling dragonfly or the toadally awesome toadstool yet. This card is for a sketch challenge on MJ Albright's blog, beautylieswithin! REALLY great blog, plus she's giving away blog candy, so you'll want to hop over and check out her great projects including this fun sketch,HERE! Thanks MJ for a super fun sketch = ) !!

I am so excited about the new DPs in Stampin Up's Spring Summer Collection! The papers I used for this card are from the Ginger Blossom pack. The color combos in this paper are really fun ~ Groovy Guava, River Rock, Ruby Red and Cameo Coral. I love my SU markers and use them all the time. My family totally surprised me by getting me a set of 24 Copic Markers for Christmas! I really enjoy coloring, so the Copics just give me more ways to color!! I used Copic EO2 fruit pink for the body of the frog and it looks a lot like guava!!

Only one more day till we can start ordering from that new Spring Summer Collection Catalog! I can't wait, my wish list just grows and grows everytime I look through the catalog!! What's your favorite new set from the catalog? Mine is found on page 47...Blooming with Love! Here's the link to the NEW SU SPRING SUMMER COLLECTION CATALOG!

Supplies for this card:
Stamps: Unfrogettable
Paper: River Rock (textured & plain), Guava (textured and plain), Ruby Red, Shimmery White, Ginger Blossom DP
Ink: Timber Brown Stazon, Ruby Red
Accessories: RR double stitched ribbon, Corner Rounder, Ruby brads, SU & Copic Markers, Blender Pen, Sakura clear glaze & stardust pens

Wishing you a Safe, Happy & Blessed New Year = ) !!!

I've Been Tagged...Twice!

First...before the tag, I wanted to show you this beautiful card I received from Dawn Easton (TreasureOilerDesignz)! Dawn was the grand prize winner of my blog candy last month and she was nice enough to send me this sweet card! Thank YOU Dawn, I LOVE it = )!!

And...yes, I've been tagged, not once, but twice (lol), by Dawn, from Dawn's Special Creations and Diane, from Diane's Designs, to tell you 7 random things about myself! By the way, Diane's giving away some blog candy, so if you hurry, you just might make it in time to get in the running! Guess what? I was tagged by Nancy Riley (stampinat6213) back in October and since not much about me has changed....just click HERE if you'd like to read those 7 things! I'm supposed to tag 7 more people...hmmm...going to have to give that a little thought. But for now, be sure to check out Dawn, Dawn, Diane & Nancy's blogs....lots of great things to see!!!

Have a great evening = ) !

Anniversary Mouse Pocket card

I seriously LOVE this new Happy Heart Day Stamp set from Stampin' Up...it's just so versatile! You can see how I custom mounted this stamp set to create extra versatility, HERE. This time I used that sweet little mouse image to create an anniversary pocket card for my daughter and son-in-law's very first anniversary...coming right up, on New Year's Eve = ) !! When this card is open (see picture below) you find a little pocket to hold money, a gift card or a gift certificate. I used the colors from Katie & Ryan's wedding...pink, silver, black and white (don't you love those colors together?).

The overall size of this card is 4 1/4 square. The inside pocket is 3 x 4". I started with black cardstock, cut at 10 x 4 1/4", scored at 3 & 7 1/4". I used eyelets to close the pocket. A little tip...before placing the eyelets to close the pocket, tuck something inside the pocket so when you set the eyelets, the pocket doesn't close too tightly, leaving room for your gift card or whatever you choose to tuck inside. The method I used for closing the card itself is the same idea as the gift card holder I designed in November...you can see that tutorial HERE. The closure is really simple and easy (gotta love that!) using stretch cord and 2 eyelets... it works really well...the card can easily be opened and reclosed. In this case, the stretch cord wraps around the back of the card, comes up through the eyelets on the front of the card, and ties behind the image. I pulled the stretch cord to create a little tension, but left a lot of give, so the card could easily be opened. It's a little hard to see in the photo, but I stamped the swirl from Priceless, all over the black cardstock, in black ink, to create a very subtle all over pattern. Inside the card, I used the Happy Anniversary sentiment from Hugs & Wishes and the butterfly from Happy Heart Day.

Supplies for this card:
Stamp ~ Happy Heart Day (mouse), Hugs & Wishes (sentiment), Priceless (swirl) Paper ~ Basic Black, Shimmery White, Pretty in Pink, non-su reflective silver
Ink ~ Black Stazon
Accessories: SU & Copic Markers, Silver brads, eyelets & stretch cord, Fiskar scallop scissors, Dazzling diamonds glitter with 2-way glue, stick on rhinestone, Sakura clear glaze pen, Sakura stardust black & silver pens

Here's a great thought for the day ~

"Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see" -unknown

Thankful Frog

This card was for yesterday's sketch challenge on Splitcoast...check out the challenge details HERE! Roxie always comes up with a great sketch for us to try...thanks Roxie! It feels so good to get back into a little bit of a stamping routine! Sketch challenges are my favorite. Such a fun and effective way to learn!! I tried some new things and for the most part, like how it turned out. I hope to find time to do another card or two with that sketch...it's a good one! I'm still enjoying Nancy Littrell's Unfrogettable stamp set that she let me borrow....it is going on my next order for sure! Very versatile set and I've discovered that many of the pieces coordinate beautifully with the new Happy Heart Day set (including the "thank you" sentiment). I'm working on a group of Christmas thank you cards, an anniversary card and a birthday card...so I better get back to work. I'm also getting ready for an open House for my customers on Saturday...to celebrate the New Year and Stampin' Up's brand spankin' new Spring Summer Collection catalog...I love, love, love it (maybe too much....my wish list is sooooo long = )!!!

Supplies used for this card:
Stamps: Unfrogettable (frog) , Happy Heart Day (sentiment), Simply Said (small flower)
Paper: Chocolate, Celery, Pixie Pink, Shimmery White, Apple cider dp (retired)
Ink: Timber Stazon, Pixie Pink
Accessories: SU Markers, Stick-on rhinestones, Mega scallop circle punch (marvy), Culuzzle, Scallop circle punch, 1, 1 1/4, and 1 3/8" Circle punches, Photo corner Punch, Paper piercer, 1/4" Celery gg ribbon, Sakura clear glaze & stardust pens

Have a Great Day = )!!!

Hoppy Birthday Challenge

Is it possible? Christmas has come and gone...wasn't it just Thanksgiving yesterday? I don't know about you, but I have barely had any time to stamp, other than Christmas cards and gifts. I've enjoyed this holiday season, with all the fun activities and festivities... but it felt sooooo good to enjoy a little quiet time at my workbench, doing a card for Jen's iheart2stamp, sketch challenge! I'm always a little sad when Christmas is over, but at the same time...sooooo ready to get things cleaned up, organized and get back to some regular routines. I'm such a creature of habit and I'm ready for some structure again!! My friend, Nancy Littrell, let me borrow this fun Unfrogettable stamp set and run a few cardfronts through her Cuddlebug. Both are items I've been thinking about purchasing and it was fun to try them out first. After using rhis stamp set...I'll definitely be taking the "leap" and getting it very soon = ) ! That frog "toadally" rocks!! And the cuddlebug...well, I just didn't know what I was missing. (Thanks Nance...I so appreciate you!).

It's a little hard to see in the photo, but irl, this froggie has some great texture and shimmer. I drew some spots for his body, colored in the spots with a Sakura clear Stardust pen and covered the remaining parts of his body, legs and eyes with the Sakura clear glaze pen. I've recently discovered both of these pens and they've quickly become favorites! They are an inexpensive addition to your supplies and you'll love how the glaze pen adds a look of "embossing" with no heat and no powders. Don't get me wrong...I still love the look of true embossing, I'm not giving up my heat gun anytime soon. But this little pen just gives you another option for adding smaller touches of embossing, just where you want them! They're available at most of your favortie on-line stamping stores as well as most craft stores for about $2. Glaze & Stardust pens come in a great variety of colors, but I really like the "clear" ones....they're so versatile!

Supplies for this card:
Stamps ~ Unfrogettable
Paper ~ Olive, Chocolate, Shimmery White
Ink ~ Stazon Timber
Accessories ~ SU & Copic Markers, Cuddlebug, pewter brad, brown taffeta ribbon, olive rick-rack, Sakura clear glaze & stardust pens, 1" & 1 1/4" circle punches

Have a WONDERFUL Wednesday = ) !!

Christmas Blessings

"Somehow not only for Christmas, but all the long year through, the joy that you give to others, is the joy that comes back to you. And the more you spend in blessing, the poor and lonely and sad, the more of your heart's possessing, returns to make you glad."

-John Greenleaf Whittier, 1866

"Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful for words"

-2 Corinthians 9:15

Blessings to you and yours...Merry Christmas =) !!

Supplies for this card~

Stamp: Baby Jesus is born, Linen bg (retiring)

Paper: Arichoke, Chocolate, Rust, Watercolor paper

Ink: Stazon Timber brown (retiring)

Accessories: SU Markers (navy, sage, rust, chocolate), Aquapainters, lg oval punch, pewter brad, distressing tool

Cookie in a Jar

Not much time to post today (thanks for your patience, I plan on getting back to my regular, daily posting routine after Jan 1st)...but I wanted to share this great idea for a last minute gift and a fun recipe for you to try! I made some like these as thank you gifts for my hostesses earlier this fall (a slightly fancier version)...and shared this idea with my customers at November workshops. It's easy to create any theme (Christmas, Birthday, Thank you etc) depending on the papers and stamps you use. Because you need paper that is 12" wide, to go all the way around the jar, Stampin' Up's Simply Scrappin' kits are perfect...they include everything you need: textured cardstock, DP and self adhesive die-cuts! You can add stamped images if you'd like...but if you choose not to, you can easily do an entire jar just using the kit (and maybe a little ribbon). You do need a good extra sticky adhesive to adhere the ends of your strips to the jar. I used SU's Sticky Strip..I love that stuff....it's got great holding power!! The Jars I made this fall for thank you's included a layer of textured cardstock behind the DP and a coordinating enclosure card. The great thing about this idea is that you can decorate the jars (and lids) a lot or a little...it's up to you! I print the baking instructions and either adhere them to a tag/card or adhere them directly to the back of the jar (this also covers the seam where the papers meet). My daughter, Meg, made the darling jars in the picture above, using pieces from the Winter Bright Simply Scrappin' Kit. You can google "cookie in a jar" and get a ton of recipes, but if you want to keep it REALLY simple...here's a recipe that starts with a cake mix.

Here's what you need:

German Chocolate Cookie in a Jar

Ingredients
Wide Mouth 1 quart canning jar
1 Betty Crocker Super Moist Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
¾ cup of shredded sweetened coconut
¾ cup of mini chocolate chips
¾ cup of thinly sliced almonds or finely chopped pecans

Directions for assembly
Pour cake mix into jar and press down firmly
Add coconut, chocolate chips & almonds
Place lid on & add instructions & decorations to the jar & lid…waa-laa!!


Label to attach to the jar (baking directions) ~

German Chocolate Nuggets

Pre-heat oven to 350*
Lightly grease your cookie sheet

In a large bowl, add ½ cup oil
& 2 eggs to the dry ingredients

Mix well by hand…dough will be thick

Form into ping-pong sized balls and
space evenly on cookie sheet (12 per sheet)

Bake at 350* for 10 minutes

Allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes
then transfer to cooling rack

Stamping Supplies for the Jar

Stamps: Merry & Bright (retired from the holiday mini)

Papers: DP from Winter Bright, Whisper White, Real Red, Wasabi

Ink: Stazon Black

Accessories: SU Markers and Blender Pens, 1 3/8" circle punch & scallop circle punch, Paper piercing tool, Sticky strip adhesive, Die cuts from Winter Bright

Hope your day is filled with Christmas Joy = ) !!!

Stamping Therapy

These cards are both for Jen's Stamping Therapy Super Saturday Blog Challenge...the ONLY challenge cards I've done for the past 10 days! I was ready for a little "stamping therapy" ...and what a better place to go, then to Jen's Stamping Therapy blog! She always comes up with something fun and useful for her challenges. I needed to finish up a couple of Christmas cards and her layout/sketch was just perfect. Thanks Jen = ) !!

Supplies for the first card~ Stamps: Sidekick sayings and So Swirly wheel Paper: Olive, Pomegranate, Vanilla, non-SU reflective gold Ink: Versarmark Accessories: Gold ep, Heat tool, Gold stretch cord, SU markers, Sakura clear glaze pen

Supplies for the second card ~ Stamps: Jolliest time of the year, So swirly wheel Paper: Bashful Blue, Real Red, Whisper White & DCVW Ink: Stazon Black & Versamark Accessories: SU markers and Blender pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter and 2-way glue pen, Sakura Stardust and Glaze Pen, Paper Piercer, non-su striped ribbon

Thanks again to Nancy Littrell and Kim Miller...the Santa card was made from a great stamp set Nancy loaned me and fun DP and ribbon that Kim gave me in an little elf package...thanks girls, I appreciate you both times a million!!!

Have a great day = ) !

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye!

...one of my favortie songs from The Sound of Music! With the Stampin' Up Retirement list out, many of our favorite stamps and accessories are only available for a very short time, and sadly, we're saying so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye to some really great products! This simple little 4 1/4 square card I made this morning features 3 of my personal favorites from the retired list ~ 1) It's Snowtime stamp set, 2) Spring Bouquet flower punch and 3) Dashing designer paper! I also used the silver non-stretch cord that retired last June and I'm still kicking myself for not ordering a couple extra spools of that. I enjoy using both the stretch and non-strech silver cording, but now both have retired...I learned my lesson and ordered extra of the stretch cord when it retired from the holiday mini last month, but I'm down to my last little bit of non-stretch cord, and when it's gone, it's gone! Same for all the items currently on the retired list. So...just like Santa, you should be checking that retired list twice...retired stamp sets are only available until Dec 31st and the retired accessories, only until Dec 31st or while limited supplies last !! A link to the retired stamp sets can be found HERE and a link to the current retired accessories list HERE. Any questions on the retired items, feel free to email me: youcanstamp@hotmail.com



I normally try to post a little something everyday, but Christmas is in full swing in our home and I'm lovin' every minute of it! I'm sure you'll understand if I'm not posting as frequently...I'm guessing most of you are up to your eyeballs in holiday festivities too! I am missing the SCS and various blog challenges I normally take part in, but there will be plenty of time for that after Christmas. For now, I'm totally enjoying my time with family and friends. My daughter Meg has made some great projects...can't wait to show you those. She's amazing!! Maybe tomorrow, I'll give you a little peak at some gifts she's been working on.

Supplies for my card ~ Stamps: It's Snowtime Paper: Old Olive, Real Red, Shimmery White, Dashing DP Ink: Stazon Black Accessories: Spring Flower bouquet punch, corner rounder punch, silver brads, paper piercer, SU markers, Dazzling diamonds glitter with 2-way glue pen, non-stretch silver cord

Have a VERY MERRY Weekend = ) !!!

Happy Heart Day Custom Mounting

I promised to show you how I mounted this stamp set....so I took a few photos. I'm also VERY excited to tell you that Stampin' Up will be featuring this Happy Heart Day stamp set in their January Valentine Bundle Special ~ From Jan 2-31 when you purchase this stamp set , medium cello bags and 5/8" real red gg ribbon...you get a spool of 5/8" Regal Rose gg ribbon for FREE!!! That's a $7.95 value! What a deal!!

Okay...back to how I mounted my stamps...I custom mounted the elephant and mouse stamps to allow for more versatility. This has worked really well for me.

I separated the elephant stamp into three parts ~ 1) the elephant with one heart flower 2) the sentiment and 3) three heart flowers . I had a couple of spare wood blocks in my stash, so I just used those. Now I can use that darling elephant in everything from birthday cards to baby cards and much more. I love the cute little heart flowers too! I'm sure I'll be using those quite a bit.

The other stamp I custom mounted was the mouse (he's soooo cute, don't you just love him?). I separated the image from the sentiment and mounted the sentiment on the top of the wood block. Again, this allows me to use the mouse for a variety of occasions, not just for Valentine's day. I know you can accomplish the same thing with masking, but for me, this will be a lot quicker and easier. I made a card earlier this week in which the sentiment is stamped at an angle, along side the heart (you can see that card HERE)...which was a fun option too.

When I first started ordering from Stampin Up, I remember thinking it was such a pain to trim and mount my own stamps. But now...I wouldn't have it any other way. I really appreciate having the option to custom mount my stamps the way that will be most useful to me. Keep in mind, Stampin' Up recommends never trimming your stamps closer than 1/2" in diameter, so I was careful to not trim too close on the two sentiments I separated from the images.

I hope that might help you as you decide how to mount your Happy Heart Day Stamp set....it's a great set and even better now that I can use it all year long!

Have a great evening = ) !

Happy Heart Sketch Challenge

This is for Jen del Muro's (iheart2stamp) sketch challenge. It was challenging indeed...and I'm still not crazy about the outcome, but it was a good learning experience. I will probably revisit that sketch when I get a chance. I AM crazy about my new DP (Bali Breeze) and the new Happy Hearts stamp set! And, I have some brand new little Prima flowers!! Jen made the cutest card in the world...you can check it out along with her sketch challenge, HERE.

I'll post pictures tomorrow of how I mounted my stamps from the Happy Heart Day set. It's working really well for me, so I wanted to show you, just incase it might make this set more useful for you too!

Supplies for this card~
Stamps: Happy Heart Day

Paper: Rose Red, Basic Black, Shimmery White, non-SU reflective silver, Bali Breeze DP

Ink: Black Stazon, Rose Red

Accessories: Photo corner punch, Silver cord, Paper Piercer, Regal rose brads, SU markers and blender pen, Sakura clear glaze pen, Sakura Silver glitter pen

Have a Super-de-Duper Day = )

Happy Heart Baby Card

I sat down to make a baby card....and all I could think of was the new Bali Breeze DP and the new Happy Heart Day stamp set. Aren't these colors fun? I wouldn't have thought of putting these together, but this is just another great example of the amazing colors in the new Stampin' Up DPs from the Spring Summer Collection Preview Catalog!!! And wiith that little elephant mounted without the sentiment...it can be used so many ways. I'll show you a little later this week how I trimmed and mounted my stamps. I'm on my way out of town for the day...but wanted to show you this adorable elephant before I left = ) !

Supplies for this card ~ Stamps: Happy Heart Day, Holidays & Wishes (sentiment) Paper: Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, Pumpkin Pie textured, Whisper white, Bali Breeze DP Ink: Black Stazon, Tempting Turquoise, Pumpkin Pie Accessories: SU Markers and Blender pen,Photo Corner Punch, 1/2" circle punch, Word Window punch, Paper Piercer, 1/4" gg ribbon in White, Pumpkin & Turquoise, Olive & Turquoise brads, Crystal Stickles

Have an AWESOME Day = ) !!!

More Happy Hearts

Here's card number two from Stampin' Up's new Happy Heart Day stamp set! Same cute little mouse from yesterday's card...but this time with the new Ginger Blossom DP. Guess what? This is the first card I've made with Groovy Guava! I've admired other cards I've seen made with it...but everytime I tried to use it....things just got ugly! When I saw the new DPs in Stampin Up's new Spring/Summer Preview catalog, I knew I would have to give GG another chance. I'm so glad I did....I'm lovin' it = )! I finally agree, Guava IS Groovy!!! Now that I've embraced GG, I think I'll celebrate by ordering some Double Stitched GG ribbon to use on my projects. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I've customized the trimming of this stamp set to allow more versatility. I knew I'd use the pieces more without the sentiments attached to the images, so that's how I'm mounting them. I'll show you some photos later this week. The elephant from this set is sooo cute. My daughter, Megan (scs, craftyrunnergirl), created an awesome card with him yesterday, complete with blue toenail polish! You can see that card in her SCS gallery, just click HERE. She used the Bali Breeze DP in her card...it's gorgeous! I said it yesterday, but it's worth repeating....these new DPs from Stampin' Up (Ginger Blossom and Bali Breeze) are among the prettiest papers I've ever seen!!!

Supplies for this card ~
Stamps: Happy Heart Day
Paper: Ruby Red, Groovy Guava textured, Regal Rose, Shimmery White, Ginger Blossom
Ink: Timber Brown Stazon, Ruby Red
Accessories: SU Markers & Blender Pen, Gold cord & brads, Rose 5/8" gg ribbon, Paper piercer, Crystal stickles

Have a GREAT Day = ) !!!

Brand Spankin' New!

Looks what the man in brown delivered yesterday....the new Happy Heart Day Stamp set and Bali Breeze DP from the new Stampin' Up Spring Summer Collection Preview Catalog!!!! It arrived late in the day and we had tickets for a Christmas concert last night. Two Christmas parties today... so, not much time to mount stamps or make cards, but come on....with a stamp set this cute and DPs this gorgeous...I couldn't leave them alone = )! I mounted a couple of the stamps and got a "quickie" card made for Jen's SCS limited Supply Challenge ...to make a simple 3 x 3 card. You can see the LSC145 challenge HERE! Great way to try out my new stamps and papers. I am mounting this set a little differently to make it more "useable" for my preferences...and I'll show you how I'm doing that along with the other great stamps in the set in the coming week!! There's an elephant that's begging to be stamped....but he'll have to wait, just a little longer. I also received another new DP called Ginger Blossom...and it's so pretty! These two DPs from the new catalog are among the prettiest papers I've ever seen!!! Also received the new Eastern Elegance Rub-ons....can't wait to try those out too!! For this card I used one side of the Bali Breeze DP for the heart and the other side for the background...the colors are amazing...you're gonna LOVE these new DPs = ) !!!

Supplies for this card:
Stamps: Happy Heart Day Paper: Rose Red, Basic Gray, Shimmery White (love that stuff) & Bali Breeze dp Ink: Black Stazon, Rose Red Accessories: SU Markers and Blender pen, Silver cord and Silver Stickles (no punches...hey, I think that's a first for me)

Enjoy your weekend and stay tuned for more samples of those gorgeous new DPs, Happy Heart Stamp Set and Eastern Elegance Rub-ons! = )

...with a little help from my friends!

This fun Santa card was made....with a little help from my friends.....Nancy Littrell and Kim Miller! Nancy stopped by this week and we traded a couple of stamp sets for the week. One of the sets I get to use is "Jolliest Time of the Year" and Nancy took home "Bundled Up". Of course, she went right home and made an amazing card with that set...you can see it in here SCS gallery HERE! Same day, a great package arrives in the mail from Kim (she lives here in town, but wanted to surprise me with a "just because" Santa's little helper package). My surprise package contained some really fun papers, stamps, brads and ribbons! New stamp sets to play with...new papers and embelishments....it just doesn't get any better than this! Kim's projects are always GORGEOUS and I love her work. You can check it out at her blog, inkedupkim, and her SCS gallery too! Thanks Nancy & Kim....you guys are the BEST friends ever!!!

Supplies for this card ~
Stamps: Jolliest time of the year, Studio G sentiment
Paper: Real Red, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, DP(?) from Kim
Ink: Black Stazon, Real Red
Accessories: SU Markers, Sakura glitter & silver gel pens, Bashful brads, red striped brads, Bashful & Real Red 1/4" gg ribbons, Silver cord, Red striped ribbon from Joann's, Ticket Corner Punch, Word Window Punch, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter with 2-way glue pen

Enjoy your day...thanks for stopping by = ) !!!

My Simple DP Gift Bag

Here's a simple little DP gift bag I designed for my gift exchange for a Christmas Party we attended last night. It went together so easy...I just looked at what I wanted it to hold (a Stampin Up Gift Certificate and a gourmet chocolate bar), made a couple scores and cuts and it went together so easily, I thought you might enjoy seeing how I made it. It's pictured here with a simple to make, matching gift card holder...which I designed a couple weeks ago...you can see the tutorial HERE. This gift bag's finished size is 4 1/2 x 6 x 1" ... but you could easily alter the dimensions to make your bag taller, shorter, wider etc. This is a cross between a double-pouch bag we were shown at the SU Portland Regionals in October (great tutorial for a very similar bag on SCS Weekly Inking today) and a box we made at my workshops last month.

Here's how I made my gift bag~

Supplies
Doubles-sided DP (Cerise) 7 x 12”
Paper Cutter/Scorer
Bone Folder
Roll-on Adhesive
Pewter Jumbo Eyelets (2)
Crop-a-dile
¼” gg Real Red ribbon

Directions ~

*please note...in the photos below, you will see a center score line which isn't in the instructinos. I started with a center score, but ultimately decided to skip that step, as it really didn't aid in the design...so just ignore that center score line = )

1. Cut DP 7 x 12”
2. Score very lightly (long) 1/2 and 6 ½” and fold score lines with bone folder.
3. Score very lightly (short) 1, 5 ½, 6 ½, 11” and fold score lines with bone folder.
4. Cut in at 2 center score lines to intersecting score lines to create side flaps

5. Fold and Adhere down the two 1" Flaps...creating a contrasting trim piece for the top edge of your bag.

6. Place Adhesive on outside of short flap and adhere behind back long flap.

7. Place a small strip of adhesive along inner-outer edge of front long flap and adhere to close the side. This will be at an angle….narrower at the top and wider at the bottom

8. Punch a 3/16” hold on each side and set a jumbo eyelet in place.

9. Tie ¼” gg ribbon through each eyelet creating a “handle” for the bag

I added a flower Medallion...Stamped with the flower from In the Spotlight (hostess) in Real Red ink on Very Vanilla and Real Red Cardstock....and punched out with the 5-petal flower punch. I also punched out Vanilla and Red flowers from the Spring Flower Bouquet Punch. Used a small amount of adhesive to hold them in place...punched a small hole with my Cropadile and added a Red Rhinestone Brad! = )

That's it...Enjoy! Let me know what you think = )

I've been ELFed = ) !

Guess what came in the mail yesterday? This gorgeous card along with a box of Christmas goodies from my from my SCS Elf...Nancy Riley, aka stampinat6213 on SCS! Soooo cute how she coordinated and arranged all my little prizes with the Dashing DP and my very favortie little Christmas Snowman! She included one of life's essentials...chocolate! BTW, there may have been a few more pieces included, but somehow between the time they arrive yesterday and the photo was taken this morning, they mysteriously disappeared (lol!)...yummers!!! I apologize for marginal photos below...Nancy's gifts are crisp and gorgeous irl...but it's still a dark, rainy day in Oregon, so photos are challenging. I've added a natural light lamp to my Christmas list (pleeeeeze Santa, I "need" it)! Nancy, you're the best...thank you times a bazillion!!! I don't have much time to post...we're doing renovations on our house and an electrician is supposed to arrive any minute and my electricity will be off for most of the morning....so I'll keep this brief! Nancy included this super cute little note pad all covered in Dashing DP! I'll be making my Christmas lists in style = ) !! Check out Nancy's blog, iStamp, for details on this and other great projects!

....the inside! Isn't that fun and festive?

I love this little snowman...how can you help but SMILE when you see that sweet face! He's one of my favorite sets from the, now retired, holiday mini collection. The set Nancy used on her card (in the first photo) also from the holiday mini and also retired. LOTS of great sets from the Fall/Winter collection will be retiring at the end of this month. Just like Santa, you should be checking that list twice...to make sure you don't miss out on a set that is going, going...and soon will be gone! Click HERE to see that Stampin Up retired list!

Hope your Tuesday is Totally AWESOME = ) !

Elzybells Birthday Sketch

I was having the hardest time limiting my thoughts this morning...too many fun ideas rolling around in there = ) ! One thing I wanted to try for sure was this great sketch from Jen del Muro at iheart2stamp. This card is for one of my favorite people...my friend Barb. Her birthday is next week, so of course, she needs a special card! I also found this fun paper in a bag of supplies my daughter sent home last week (she sent them home so she could use them along with my supplies when she comes home for Christmas break!). I really liked the color and texture in this paper...so I used just a little teeny-weeny little bit (thanks Meg)! My paper supply is getting low...so I really appreciate Meg helping me out by sharing her great papers!! Now I just wish I knew what company made them...but the cover is gone. Speaking of papers...I just pre-ordered some great new DPs from the Stampin Up Spring Summer Collection Preview catalog! Believe me, as soon as they arrive...you'll get to see them = ) !!! As soon as I'm able to link you to that new preview catalog...I'll do that too (SU doesn't have it posted quite yet...should be very soon!).

Supplies for this card ~

Stamps: Winter Song (Elzybells), Amazing to Zany (sentiment)

Paper: Bashful Blue, Real Red, Whisper White, DP (??brand)

Ink: Black Stazon, Real Red, Bashful, Red & Summer Sun SU Markers

Accessories: Paper Piercer, Dazzling Diamonds with 2-way glue pen, 3/4 & 1" circle punches, Bashful Brads, Red Stickles, Red 5/8" gg ribbon

Merry Monday = )

Limited Supply Penguin

This card is for the limited Supply Challenge (LSC144) on Splitcoast! Jen always thinks of the best challenges!! This week she asked us to make a miniature stamp the main focal point of our card or project. A miniature stamp being 1.5" x 1.5" or smaller. With just a few supplies, it's amazing what great cards can be made....just check out the LSC144 gallery to see some amazing examples! I'm not sure I'd call mine amazing...but thanks to that cute little penguin, I liked how it turned out.

Here are the guidelines for the challenge and the supplies I used ~

miniature stamps: Juggling Penguin by Elzybells

any backgrounds, flourishes, or borders optional: Snowflake from Bundle Up

sentiment optional: Merry Christmas from Hero Arts

limit the layers of cardstock: Basic Black, Pretty in Pink & Shimmery White

up to 2 specialty tools: Scallop & 1 3/8" circle Punches

any coloring tools: SU Markers, Sakura glitter gel pen, white gel pen, Stazon black ink pad, Pretty in Pink Basic ink pad

embellishments, choose one type: Black gingham, Pretty in Pink & Silver cord (ribbon)

Speaking of Limited Supplies...the Retired Stamp list from Stampin' Up was released yesterday! We're getting ready for that brand new Spring/Summer Collection catalog on January 2nd!! Just click HERE to see a list of the stamps that we are saying goodbye to. After January 1st, they're gone forever...so if you see something you like, don't hestitate to email me...or call your local demonstrator to order!

I'm off to decorate my Christmas tree

I love this time of year = )

Enjoy your evening!!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my Mom's Birthday! I'm off to have lunch with her...but wanted to share this card before I left. I should mention, the inspiration for this card come from Nancy Riley (stampinat6213 on scs and iStamp blog). She created a gorgeous card back in October. I cased her. She re-cased me. And now...I'm casing her back again. She created one VERY inspirational card back in October!! Here's a link to the card that got things started = ) !!

The Sketch for this card is from the blog ~ iheart2stamp ! Very fun sketch to work with. I can't wait to use it again...want to do something simple and clean...hmmm that might be the next post = ) .

Supplies for this card ~

Stamps: Hugs & Wishes (sentiment), Priceless (swirl), In the Spotlight (flower)

Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Pomegranate, non-SU reflective silver

Ink: Pomegranate, Jet Black Stazon

Accessories: 5-petal flower punch, Paper piercing tool, Pink rhinestone brads, Silver cord, Dimensionals

Have a Wonderful Weekend = ) !!!

Grand Blog Candy Winner!

I made this card for Wednesday's SCS Sketch Challenge....my second card for this challenge. I love this hostess set...Sidekick Sayings. I didn't like it at all when I first saw it back in July, but now...well, it's becoming one of my favorites. I really like the sentiments and the images that have a perfect little spot to add a splash of color or sparkle (or both!). I've used this three different ways in recent postings this month and each one has a completely different look. It seemed like the perfect card to post today as I'm wrapping up the end of my month long Grand Opening Celebration! First, let me say how GRATEFUL I am for everyone single person who stops by the blog and especially those who have taken the time to leave kind and encouraging comments! I started the blog on October 18th and in just a little over a month, my counter reads 14,700!! Now that's a reason to celebrate = ) ! If you ever wonder if it's worth it to leave a comment and if I read them all...the answer is YES!! And I appreciate every single word!

And now, it's time to draw a random winner from each of the weekly winners of the Grand Opening Weekly Challenges! Let's see, the weekly winners are: Nancy Riley, Chat, Regina Davis, Sue, Dawn Easton, Deb and Dawn Easton (again!).

And the GRAND PRIZE BLOG CANDY winner is (drum roll please)...........DAWN EASTON = ) !!!! Check out all her wonderful projects at her (TreasureOiler) SCS Gallery and her blog TreasureOilerDesignz

Congratulations Dawn and thanks again to the other girls who played along...It's been a lot of fun to see your projects!!! Dawn, I just need your address so I can mail your goodies off to you!

Tomorrow, I'll be giving away a $15 Stampin' Up Gift Certificate to one of my customers! I love giving stuff away!! During the month of November, for every $50 in merchandise they ordered, their name was put in a drawing. Tomorrow, one of those names will be drawn = ) !!!

Supplies for this card~
Stamps: Sidekick Sayings (hostess) and Time Well Spent (upcoming hostess set)
Paper: Creative License Kit (hostess), Navy, Wasabi, Sky, Whisper White
Ink: Navy, Sky and Wasabi
Accessories: Navy 1/4" gg ribbon, Rhinestone Brad, Scallop circle punch, 1 3/8 and 1 1/4 inch circle punches, Stickles

Have a Fantastic Friday = ) !!!

Golden Wishes

I wish you could see this card irl...the colors are soooo pretty together! Lots of tiny gold accents that look great with the River Rock and Artichoke....and the Holiday Harmony DP adds a nice little elegant touch. If you're looking for an elegant combo for cards...you might try these, I think you'll really like them! And here's the funny part...I spent months hating River Rock, but not anymore! When it's with Artichoke, I totally love it!! I still can't get a decent photo of it, but that's a whole other challenge. I made this card yesterday, for Wednesday's SCS Sketch challenge #152. It was really a tough sketch for me...but in the end, I like how this turned out, and I think that's what the challenges are all about. I'm glad it wasn't easy, that probably means I learned something new...and I LOVE learning new things = ) !! The SCS Challenge today, "Ways to use it", is to use metallic papers...which I did with this card too. Metallic papers make great accents, especially this time of year...a touch of elegance and bling!!!

Supplies for this card~
Stamps: Sidekick Sayings and In the Spotlight (both hostess sets)
Paper: Artichoke, River Rock, Vanilla, Holiday Harmony DP, non-SU reflective gold

Ink: Versamark and River Rock
Accessories: Gold EP, Heat tool, Gold brads, Gold Cord, Gold stickles, 1/4" moss gg ribbon, blender pen (with the river rock ink pad)

Hope your day shimmers with happiness = ) !

Week 4 Grand Opening Challenge Winner!

Congratulations Dawn Easton....this week's Grand Opening Week 4 Winner!!!I was all ready to upload a card...then remembered it was time to announce this week's winner...so my card will just have to wait! Instead I'm excited to show you Dawn's wonderful winning project !! it's just darling... which is nothing new for Dawn. She's one talented girl. Check out her blog, TreasureOilerDesignz and her GALLERY at SCS...lots to see there too! She was inspired to make this bookmark from Sharon, aka Notimetostamp's weekly blog challenge....you can find all the challenge details plus a ton of cool things at Sharon's blog, just click right HERE! Many of us were really busy last week and didn't get to do challenges...so there is only one winner this week. Speaking of challenges, I need to jump over the Sharon's blog and get all the details for the bookmarks...after seeing Dawn's...I'm totally inspired!!! Dawn will be giving this sweet bookmark away at her daughter's book fair later this week...isn't that awesome?

Congrats Dawn and thanks Sharon for the providing the inspiration!

Week 1 winners: Nancy Riley & Chat
Week 2 winners: Regina Davis & Sue
Week 3 winners:Dawn Easton & Deb
Week 4 winner: Dawn Easton

One of you will be the winner of the blog candy....drawing to be held in just a few days, on Nov 30th!!!!

Easy Gift Card Holder

Here's a quick and easy Gift Card Holder...one you can make with just a few supplies. I had a lot of little pieces of Designer Paper left over at the end of the month, after my workshop projects...and wanted to design a bonus project for my customers...one that would coordinate with projects they'd already made at the workshops. I also wanted it to be quick, simple, and use only a few basic supplies. The basic design is very similar to the one SU sells in the catalog...which is a great option, but if you're interested in a wider variety of colors and have a few supplies available, here's how you can easily make your own. I added a tag to the one above, stamped from the Perfect Presentation Hostess set.


Supplies needed~
Papercutter/Scorer
Cardstock (6 ½ x 4)
Designer Paper (3 3/8 x 3 ¾)
Roll-on Adhesive
Stretch Cord (15”)
Slit Punch
Corner Rounder Punch
Cropadile & (2) Eyelets
Optional ~ Stamps, Ink, extra Embelishments


1. Cut Cardstock: 6 ½ x 4”
2. Cut 2 pieces of DP: 2 ¼ x 3 ¾ and 1 1/8 x 3 ¾
3. Score Cardstock: 1 3/8 and 4”


















4. Punch center panel edges with slit punch, approx ¼” from each edge
5. Punch all 4 corners of cardstock with Corner Rounder
6. Punch bottom edge of small DP piece and top edge of large DP piece























7. Adhere DP to cardstock…small piece to top panel (line up round edges) and large piece to bottom panel (line up round edges). Be sure you get the adhesive all the way to the edges of the dp on all 4 sides.


8. Punch holes in the lower edges of the top panel and attach Eyelets with Cropadile. *if you don't have a Cropadile or eyelets....just tie the stretch cord around the closed gift card holder and tie a bow on the front flap to close...then, get out your Christmas wish list and add a Cropadile and Eyelets = )!!!
9. String the cord through the eyelets and tie into a bow or knot.
10. Optional ~ add additional embelishments outside and stamp sentiment and images inside the gift card

*Please note...On the very first picture above, the eyelets are placed a bit higher...and that's not ideal. It will close much better if you place the eyelets lower, like the one below (with the joy sentiment). I made the 2 other examples before I'd discovered that they'd close better with the eyelets lower...they are just fine, but the lower eyelet placement is definitely better = )



the inside ~
That's it...Pretty simple, don't you think? It took me longer to write the tutorial than it did to make 4 gift card holders!! I will be using these for a lot of my gifts this year. I'm a big fan of gift cards and it's amazing how many varieties are available. I like to coordinate the colors with the gift card...and on a project this small and simple, it's no problem to coordinate colors and add a few extra embelishments!!

I used Real Red and Old Olive Cardstock and Dashing Designer Paper. Gold and Silver Stretch cord (only available until November 30th... in the Holiday Mini Catalog) and Gold and Silver Eyelets. The 5-Petal Flower Punch and Spring Bouquet Punch along with a Rhinestone brad for the flower medallion. The to/from and joy sentiments (from Perfect Presentation) were stamped on Shimmery White Cardstock in Old Olive Classic Ink.

Hope you're having a Marvelous Monday !

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