Bright Winter Song

I just love this little stamp. It makes me smile. I hope it makes you smile too. This card is for yesterday's splitcoast color challenge (CC138) & today's sketch challenge (SC148). I have had far, far too much exposure to bright, bright colors today. I just realized, I used the wrong color for the color challenge...I'm so disqualified!! I thought it called for Taken with Teal, but I think it was supposed to be Tempting Turquoise....oops, my bad! In any case, I'm so ready for some chocolate chip...my all time favorite color. I just can't take any more red, yellow & turquoise in any shade. Other than this card, all I've managed to make today, between errands, is a mess = )! I better get things cleaned up. I'm taking my DH out to dinner for his birthday celebration.

Tomorrow will kick off a full month of Grand Opening Challenges & at the end of the month....Blog Candy! = ) Oh, what fun!!!

Supplies for this card

Stamps: Winter Song (Elyzbells/Amuse), So Swirly Wheel, Merry & Bright snowflakes, So many sayings (hostess)

Paper: Real Red, Taken with Teal, So Saffron, Shimmery White

Ink: Stazon Black, Versamark, SU Markers

Accessories: heat & stick powder with dazzling diamonds (love that stuff), red gingham ribbon & apricot 1/4" gg ribbon, saffron brads, horizontal slot punch, ticker corner punch, word window punch, paper piercer, silver cord

Experimental Birthday

This is a card for my husband's birthday tomorrow! I know, I know, it's not a traditional "man" card. I just wasn't wanting to do an out-doorsy type of card for him. He's kind of a stylish guy with a touch of sophistication and that's what I was trying for in this card. I just hope the swirls are too girly for him. This card is really different from anything I've ever made....but sometimes it's fun to experiment....it's one of the ways I learn. I'm still not entirely sure if I like it or not...but mostly I do = )

Stay tuned....grand opening fun & games to begin Thursday!!!

Inspiring!

Take your pick...I can't seem to photograph the color properly...River Rock just enjoys giving me grief any way it can = )...IRL, the colors actually look somewhere between these 2 photographs, but I'm done trying, moving on to other things. River rock wins this round.

So...this card was actually inspired by 2 very, very talented stampers! The first, is this week's Splitcoast featured stamper, Chat, aka "nightstamper". She has a wonderful gallery on splitcoast and a brand new blog that started about the same time that mine did...check it out HERE! The card I cased from her splitcoast gallery can be seen HERE I thought is was so clever how she used her oval punch to slip the little band through! I substituted the word window, but the effect is similar. Love that...will use it again I'm sure = )

Speaking of talent, the second part of the inspiration came from Cami Turnbow (the famous Cami, who just happens to be part of my up, up, upline, right here in town...and she's every bit as sweet and nice as she is talented, just incase you ever wondered!). I'm sure you've already been there, but incase you haven't, you must hop over to her blog HERE, it's one of the best out there! I cruised through her blog last night and saw that she, like me, is river rock challenged! Made me feel so much better! Except, she's not challenged anymore, because her river rock cards are gorgeous! So, I decide that I really need to get over it and work with river rock again (I like a good challenge), plus I just got the new Holiday Harmony DP (out of the Holiday Mini) and it has some really pretty river rock papers. I don't know what happened, but this card just came together quickly and easily (probably because I was casing an already perfectly wonderful card). BUT...then, I can't get this card to photograph well, no matter what I do. The river rock just doesn't look as pretty as it does irl...So, river rock has found a new way to challenge me...I'm not surprised! Thanks Chat & Cami for the inspiration...you guys ROCK!!!

Supplies for this card
Stamp: Perfect Presentation (hostess set)
Paper: holiday harmony dp, artichoke, pomegranate, vanilla
Ink: artichoke, pomegranate
Accessories: ticket corner punch, word window punch, double stitched rr ribbbon, silver cord, silver brads, silver glitter, dimensionals, 3/4 & 1" circle punches

Finally!

Oh my goodness....you don't even know how busy these last couple of days have been...all good things, but come on...a girl can only go so long without stamping! I was so glad to FINALLY have a chance to do a little stamping this afternoon. This card is one of several I'm doing for a swap. Each will be just a little different, but this is the general idea. I am really enjoying this stamp set. There are several pieces I haven't even tried yet...like the snowman! I love snowmen....don't be suprised if you see him next! Hope you're all having a great day. Grand opening fun & games to begin later this week = )!!! Thanks again for all the kind and encouraging comments you've been leaving...you bloggers just rock!!!!!!!!
Supplies for this card:

Stamps: Perfect Presentation (hostess)
Paper: Holiday Harmony DP, Pomegranate, Artichoke, Shimmery White, non-su silver
Ink: Pomegranate & Artichoke
Accessories: Silver glitter with 2-way glue pen, rhinestone & silver brads, paper piercer, silver cord, double stitched pomegranate ribbon, mellow moss 1/4" gg ribbon, dimensionals

Grand Opening...coming soon!!

To celebrate the GRAND OPENING of my little blog, I'll be giving away some blog candy and having some fun little contests during the month of November....check back, a little later in the week, for all the exciting details!!! These first couple of weeks have been REALLY fun and I am just amazed at how many of you have stopped by to say hi and leave kind & encouraging comments. Thank you so much!!! I am new to being a "blogger", but I think what you can expect, is for me to post a little something every day, Monday-Friday, but probably not so much on the weekends. That ends up being Time I spend with my family & at church.While I'd seriously love to stamp 24-7...well, you know, that's just not possible. I've been out of town for a couple days & had piano commitments at church this weekend....AND I had a couple of big workshop orders come in....so I need to get my customer's orders ready asap so they can get their new fun supplies and start playing = ) !! I haven't been able to stamp in 3 days and it's just driving me crazy! I have several ideas rolling around in my head. I'll be up bright and early tomorrow, ready to stamp and post something new...so, stay tuned....and don't forget to check back for grand opening contests, beginning later this week!!!! = )

I've been Tagged, by Nancy Riley

I'm honored to have been "tagged" by Nancy Riley, aka stampinat6213 on Splitcoast... one of the nicest and most talented new people I've come accross in the stamping world. Of course, she also has a great blog...iStamp: http://stampinat6213.blogspot.com/! I just can't say enough about her beautiful cards and projects. They're amazing. You just need to hop over to her blog and check them out, you'll be glad you did!! In honor being tagged, I cased one of the cards from her splitcoast gallery (the one at the top of this post). Her original card can be seen at http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/698791 .

Now for the tag...I supposed to tell you

7 random things about myself

1. I have a wonderful family, including my husband & 2 daughters, both in college. What can I say, they are the best! Couldn't ask for a better husband or kids...they bless my sox off = ) !!!! This picture is of the 4 of us (I'm on the right) and it was taken at my daughter's wedding last New Year's eve.

2. I love Smiles. They're free, but worth a million bucks! I spent the first part of my adult life caught up in a very "busy" lifestyle. I had the opportunity about a year and a half ago to make some changes and I absolutely love what I'm doing now. I used to just pass by people, in a hurry to get somewhere. Now, I take the time to look around me, whereever I am, and I try to be the first to smile. It's a little intimidating at first, but once you try it...it's kind of fun! You'll be amazed at how many people smile right back. And it just feels good to acknowledge those around you in a positive way. We live in a "fast food world" and there's just something really powerful about a genuine smile!!

3. I'm a certified scuba diver. I don't get to dive as often as I'd like, but I LOVE diving in tropical waters.

4. I play piano...at church and assisted living facilities. Both are very kind and gracious audiences = )

5. I'm a punch-a-holic! It's nearly impossible for me to make a card without using a punch.

6. I became a Stampin Up Demonstrator in Feb 07 after attending a workshop at my friend Kim's house. I did some stamping before that, but BOY-O-BOY, everything got so much easier once I discovered Stampin Up and Splitcoast!! It's not only allowed me to grow in my stamping abilities, but opened up so many opportunities to meet new friends and get re-aquainted with old friends. It's just been soooooo much fun = )

7. I live in a small town on the Oregon Coast. I graduated from the same high school that my parents and children graduated from. North Bend High School, home of the Bulldogs!! How's that for small town?

Okay girls...
TAG, YOU'RE IT!! I can't wait to hear 7 random things about you

Kim: http://inkedupkim.blogspot.com/

Sarah:http://sarah331980.blogspot.com/

Becky:http://beckyo1984.blogspot.com/

Leslie: http://leslierich.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/

Cami: http://cambriaturnbow.blogspot.com/

Jen: https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=32679144&

Lori: http://loricraig.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2007/10/26/wsc-25-merry-christmas/#comment-2132

p.s. I'd love to tag Nancy Littrell, but she doesn't have a blog yet (hint, hint!!)

Supplies for the card

Stamps: Priceless (swirl), In the Spotlight (flower), Perfect Presentation (peace)

Paper: Black, Pomegranate, White, DP Holiday Harmony, non-su reflective silver

Ink: Black Stazon, Pomegranate

Accessories: Satin Pomegranate ribbon, Pink Rhinestone brads, Dimensionals

What do you do when you can't sleep?

What do you do when you can't sleep...that's easy....you stamp (or is that just me?). I just wasn't tired last night. It didn't help that I knew I had a new stamp sitting on my workbench! This darling little stamp arrived in the mail yesterday. She was just calling out to be colored with markers to match the SU Winter Brights Scrapbook Kit! This ended up being a thank you card for my friend Kim Miller(http://inkedupkim.blogspot.com/). Kim is so nice AND she also just happens to be a VERY talented stamper! When we went to regionals, she gave me some Prismacolor Pencils....no special reason, it was a just because. That's a Kim thing, she's a very kind person and I'm blessed to call her my friend!! She likes little birdie stamps, so I knew this would be the perfect card for her.

Oh...speaking of VERY talented stampers, I've been tagged, by Nancy Riley (http://stampinat6213.blogspot.com/) to tell you 7 random things about myself. I'm giving that a little thought...I know you're on the edge of your seat (lol!).... I will be posting 7 random things about myself in the next day or two and tagging a few of my friends too. Stay tuned = )

Supplies for this card:
Stamps: A Winter song (Elzybells/Amuse), sentiment from Vases in Vogue, snowflake from perfect presentation
Ink: Basic Black & Versamark
Paper: Winter brights sbk, Bashful blue, Wasabi, Whisper White
Accessories: Silver & Bashful blue brads, paper piercing tool, dazzling diamonds with 2-way glue pen, silver cord, 1 1/4" circle punch, photo corner punch, white embossing powder & heat gun, SU markers, dimensionals

Pomegranate, Gray & Sky challenge

Here's a card for my friend Tobi...she's having a birthday next week! This is also for yesterday's scs color challenge (cc137) and today's sketch challenge (sc147). These colors really challenged me...but I was determined not to quit until I had completed a card today! I got to use my heat & stick powder with dazzling diamonds, which gave the flowers a little bling = )!! Also, for the sketch challenge, they encouraged using plenty of hardware, so as you can see, I took that to heart & used 13 silver brads on this card...that's a lot for me! So, do you think Tobi will like her card?? I think she will = )

Supplies ~
Stamp set: Hugs & Wishes and In the Spotlight

Paper: Basic Gray, Purely Pomegranate, Soft Sky DP

Ink: Pomegranate & Versamark

Accessories: Silver brads, Double stitched pomegranate ribbon, heat & stick powder with dazzling diamonds (love that stuff), silver cord, dimensionals,corner rounder punch, ticket corner punch, 5-petal flower punch, photo corner punch, horizontal slot punch (have you noticed yet that I REALLY like my punches?)

Wanna See A Trick???

A Round Tab Punch trick that is! I love my Stampin' Up Round Tab punch and I use it often. At the SU Regionals in Portland a couple weeks ago, I learned a new way to use it! I can't remember who did the presentation...and I'm so sorry, I would truly like to credit the person who thought of this. I believe it was one of the SU employees, but again, not entirely sure. In the excitement of arriving, visiting with friends and anticipating the big event, we didn't get much sleep, so some of the details are a little fuzzy! In any case, here's how it works:






Step 1: You can either start with a 3 x 3 inch piece of cardstock or a 6 x 3 inch piece that's been scrored at 3 inches to make a 3 x 3 inch love note size. You'll be working with a 3 inch square. First, you slide the round tab punch in as far as it will go from the side...while centering it on your square, then squeeze to punch.





Next, turn your paper & push the punch as far in as you can go again. Make sure you're centered on the 3 inch square. It should look like this:





Squeeze to punch. Whaa-laa! you should have a 2 inch circle punched out!! Isn't that cool?








And here's the fun part...the scallop circle punch fits perfectly inside. So you can use your square to create a 3-dimensional frame or you can create a little 3 dimensional love note....like the one at the top of the post or this 4 1/4 inch card ~





So...get that Round Tab punch out and try! I haven't even figured out everything I can do with this trick yet, but it's going to be fun to find out!! If you don't have a Round Tab punch and would like one...just click on my SU link and I'd be happy to help you out ... it's a GREAT punch. Also...I'd love to see what you do with this trick...be sure to leave me a comment and a link to your card or project!






Supplies used for these cards (lots of punches....LOVE those punches!!!):

Stamp set: Merry & Bright (it's my favorite!)
Paper: Winter Bright DP/Scrapbook kit, real red, bashful blue, wild wasabi, pretty in pink, whisper white
Ink: basic black, real red
Punches: Round Tab, Scallop, photo corner, small & large oval, 1" circle
Accessories: Winter Bright Scrapbook kit self adhesive dye-cuts, red brads & non-su brad, Dazzling Diamonds glitter with 2-way glue pen, bashful blue 1/4" gg ribbon, red gingham ribbon, markers

Quick and Elegant...His & Hers

This first card (hers) was made for Friday's SCS Limited Supply challenge (LSC138...http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=294405). The challenge was to use:

1-floral stamp
1-swirly stamp
1-sentiment (optional)
embelisments: ribbon
quick tools: punches, sponges, cuttlebug, paper piercer
paper: pattern or plain
layers: limited

So...this is what I came up with! The whole idea was to keep it quick & simple...yet make the end result elegant. I think what challenged me the most was the limited layering. Without several layers, it looked really plain. One of the things I love about these challenges is that is forces me to think outside the box, so to speak. I tried several layouts with this card using the usual, expected, traditional 1/4 & 1/8 inch matted layers and I just kept getting stuck. At one point, I literally pushed all those layers aside and just re-looked at my main image piece...then I grabbed a couple of scraps & tucked them behind my main image, and this was the result...and the whole card came together. Adding my new Satin Pomegranate ribbon was the finishing touch (love, love, love that ribbon!!). So, the next time you get stuck...try something entirely different from what you'd planned. Turn the card, move the image piece around, take some little scrap pieces and try using those for layers. The best part about stamping, is that it's just paper & ink and you have all the pieces in front of you...just mix 'em up a bit and see what you come up with!!

paper: basic black, purely pomegranate & very vanilla
ink: black stazon & pomegrante
stamps: baroque motifs & garden silhouettes
accessories: satin pomegrante ribbon, black stickles, dimensionals


The second card (His)...is just a variation of the first one. I needed to make a thank you card for my nephew, Mike, who helped us out at the Portland Regionals, by giving us a ride from downtown Portland back to our hotel (such a nice young man!). He is one classy guy & I wanted the card to be very simple, yet classy (elegant sounds too girly). So I just changed a few things from the challenge card to make it masculine, substituted brads for the ribbon and added some dry embossing on the lower left side (it's hard to see in the picture). I love being able to dry emboss with the cropadile (see previous posting..."embossing with the cropadile" for a quick tutorial on how to). I also used my basic gray paper for the first time. I really appreciated Jen's challenge for simplicity...cards really don't have to be complicated to be nice. Lesson learned...thanks Jen = ) !!!

paper: basic black, basic gray, bravo burgundy & very vanilla
ink: stazon black & burgundy
stamps: garden silhouette, so much
accessories: cropadile for embossing, paper piercing tool & mat pack for guide, photo corner punch, black brads, black stickles

Okay...I better get these cards in the mail...that's my favorite part of making cards...putting them in the mailbox and knowing they're on their way to someone special = )

I know it's a little early...but I just love Christmas! This was was for this week's SCS Sketch challenge (sc146: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=293909. I always enjoy doing these challenges because I learn so much from them. I also did the limited supply challenge last night, but I'm going to post that card later this weekend, because I have an idea for another card I want to post with it....so stay tuned, it will be a his and hers card combo = )!

Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Old Olive, DP from the Petals & Paisley collection
Stamp set: (hostess) Perfect Presentation & All in a row
Ink: Old Olive, Real Red
Accessories: Red gingham ribbon, rhinestone & silver brads, non-su red brads, circle punches, piercing tool, cropadile for dry embossing, Old Olive marker, dimensionals

Crop-a-dile Embossing

I made this card earlier this week & used a technique I learned at the Portland Regionals last weekend. Did you know you could dry emboss with your crop-a-dile? Yep, sure can! And it's really easy too. Just use the eyelet "setting" part of the crop-a-dile. I used the small eyelet setting for this card. Gently squeeze the handles as if you're setting an eyelet, only there's no hole and no eyelet. It's just that easy (don't squeeze too hard, or you'll create a hole rather than an embossed circle). The guide that comes with the tool kit/mat pack is VERY helpful for keeping the embossing nice & straight! Don't you love it when you learn something new that you can do with a tool you already have? I sure do. Okay, now you give it a try & have some fun = ) ! Be sure to leave me a comment with a link to your card so I can see what you create!!

Paper: Bravo Burgundy, More Mustard, Really Rust, Very Vanilla

Ink:Bravo Burgundy, Really Rust

Stamps: Holidays & Wishes, All in a Row, Autumn Harvest, Linen Background

Accessories: Cropadile, Paper Piercing tool with guide, Apple Cider DP, Photo corner Punch, Hodgepodge Hardware, natural twill & twine & Burgundy 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, dimentionals

WELCOME to my very first posting on my brand spankin' new Blog! This should be fun...I'm looking forward to sharing lots of fun projects and ideas. So...here we go!!!

I'm still learning about how this whole blog thing works, so this site is very much "under construction", so don't forget your hardhat = ) !

Aren't these little boxes just the cutest things ever? I got this fun little stamp set this week, "Merry & Bright" & it's my new favorite...it's absolutely adorable! I made these as a thank you gift for a workshop hostess this week. They actually stack right up on top of each other (that's why there's a little extra stretchy silver cord going around the little one, it actually holds them all together). The largest one is 3 1/2" square and is filled with 3" coordinating mini notes. The medium is 3" square and is filled with coordinating gift tags and the smallest is filled with hershey's nuggets wrapped in the same designer papers. I used the Designer Papers from Winter Bright Scrapbook Kit along with the textured cardstock. The colors in that kit are so fun together...pretty in pink, bashful blue, real red & wild wasabi. And, I added a little dazzling diamonds on all 3 images....I just love that stuff, it's easy to apply & really adds a spectacular little shimmer & shine!! = )

Paper: Real Red, Wild Wasabi, Shimmery White. DP from the Winter Bright Scrapbook kit

Ink: Basic Black & Wild Wasabi Stamp pads, Real Red Marker

Stamps: Merry & Bright (from the holiday mini)

Accessories: Scallop, 1 1/4 & 1 3/8" circle punches, paper piercing tool, silver & rhinestone brads, dazzling diamonds glitter with 2-way glue pen, silver cord ,dimensionals