It's been so loooong!

I'm back!

This is a simple card using the scallop circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, pink pirouette cs, whisper white cs, regal rose ink and a half-back pearl from the pretties kit. It is definitely nicer in real life.

The stamp set is the new "Wow Flowers" from the Fall/Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog. If you haven't seen it yet go to www.stampinup.com for a look online. Or I have catalogs available...

This card was cased by a talented stamper on splitcoast stampers. Follow the link on the right to get more inspiration.

Thanks for looking.

Melinda

July Challenge

Wow, I've finished my challenge card early! No procrastinating here. Except my craft area is a total disaster and I'm just not in the mood to clean it up.


Anyway, the card is a 6x3 inch card in barely banana cardstock. I first trimmed off about 1/4" from the front panel of the banana cs. The scallops were made by punching out certainly celery with the 1/2" circle punch then lining the circles on the back side of the inside cover. If your circles go over the top or bottom edges, just trim them off. Super easy.


The square window was punched using the 1 3/8" square punch. The panel was stamped using the flower from "Happy Heart Day" stamp set (it's a versatile set!) on whisper white cs with certainly celery ink then again with cameo coral on scrap ww. I colored in the heart with cameo coral and punched it out with the 1/2" circle punch. I placed a dimensional on the back and a clear bauble from the make a brad kit. "Thank you" was stamped on the barely banana with cameo coral.


Again, sorry for the poor photo. I've been scanning since I can now confirm my camera just does not take good up close shots. A new digital is on my wishlist! Maybe for Christmas...

Afternoon Tea

June is almost over! That means we are closer to the new Stampin' Up! catalog but having to see some great products retire. This card was made using the carousel notes, Afternoon Tea DSP and "Live Your Dreams" stamp set from the mini catalog.

The products in the mini catalog can be ordered until June 30th even though the cover states the sales period ended May 31st.

The card opens by "swinging" the top layer to the left or right. The rhinestone brad at the top holds the smaller cardstock/DSP circle on. I cut the circles and half circles with my coluzzle.

Well, I'm off to the Chain O'Lakes in Waupaca to enjoy this beautiful day!

Thanks for looking!

Stampin' Up!'s New Product Line!

Demonstrators found out yesterday that Stampin' Up! is putting out a brand new home decor' line! It is FABULOUS!!!





Here's a link to the products and pricing:



http://www.verastamps.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/decorelements_web.pdf

So Much Groove

This is one of the cards we made at my club workshop on Friday night. It is just so summery and cheerful. The stamp set is "So Much" with groovy guava, purely pomegranate and soft sky cardstocks and inks.

The flower is stamped in the purely pomegranate on whisper white then cut and adhered with a dimensional. It's difficult to see but there is paper piercing on the strip of pomegranate cs.

Wow, one with no DSP!

Live Your Dreams

This is a double pocket card from Jar full of Joy's blog. We also saw this at Stampin' Up!'s regional seminar in Milwaukee. It fits perfectly in a standard envelope.

I made mine for the boy's babysitter's graduation card. The sentiment is perfect for graduation. The first photo is with the pockets filled. The second photo has the small card and tag removed from the pockets.

This was a quick card with lots of details. The sides are held together with brads, but one could use sticky strip as well. The stamp set is "Live Your Dreams" from the summer mini catalog and the paper is Afternoon Tea, also from the mini, which ends the last day of June! I just used the colors from the DSP for my inks and cardstock.

Here is the link to the tutorial:

http://jarfullofjoy.blogspot.com/2008/04/double-pocket-card-tutorial.html

Thanks for looking!

Good Ol'Summertime

My Stampin' Up! upline gave us a challenge: make a project with the inspiration of "Good Ol' Summertime." It didn't take me long to pull out my "Tart & Tangy" stamp set and ink up the strawberries!

The card base is kraft with layers of whisper white and Summer Picnic DSP. I made the photo corners because I don't have the photo corner punch, yet... They are also paper pierced.


The swirls from "Baroque Motifs" was inked in old olive and the strawberries were markered with old olive and real red, then cut and adhered with dimensionals.

Thanks for looking!

Edited 5/29/08:
I was inspired by a card on SCS (as many of my cards are!) to use the swirls and berries. Sorry, I don't have the name of the person who first posted:(

Bright Friend

This is a make and take from regionals in Milwaukee in April. I am stamping new stuff, I'm just sending them out before I can get a photo of them. May is a very busy birthday month and I am a procrastinator...

This card uses the "So Much" stamp set and is folded into a gift card holder. The cardstock is real red, kraft, barely banana and soft sky.

Thanks for looking!

Sporting Stars

This is another card from my masculine class. The colors are Blue Bayou, Sahara Sand, Real Red and Whisper White. I wheeled the main panel using the "Classic Stars" jumbo wheel in Real Red ink. The "All Star" is from "Sporting" stamp set and matted with real red cs. The brad on the right side (should be on the lower left) is a build a brad. I just stamped the star from "Sporting" on ww with blue bayou ink and punched out with a 1/2" circle punch.


These brads are real easy to do and add a neat touch.


I have to tell you I was at a Cricut party this Saturday, thank you Megan, and was that fun! Now I want all of those cartridges. Too bad I have a rubber stamp addiction. I'll need another job to get my Cricut fix!


Thanks for looking!

kwerner color inspiration #7

This is my creation for Kristina Werner's Color Inpiration #7. The stamp set is Stampin' Up!'s "So Much" that I received from the Milwaukee regional. The colors are:

Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Soft Sky and Very Vanilla.

Check out Kristina's blog by using the link on the right. She is my photographing hero! I like to blame my bad pictures on my camera, but I'm sure it's the user...

Thanks for visiting!

You are #1

The photo is crooked but I think you get the idea...


This is another card we did at my masculine card class. I made this one using "Sporting" stamp set, brilliant blue, only orange and whisper white card stock and inks. The "#1" was stamped and then nested on the 3 larger circle punches.

The circles in the background are punched with the 1" circle punch in brilliant blue and then layered. It gives the background some texture and looks really cool on scrapbook pages.

Have a great weekend!

CASE'd Scrap Purse

This is a great idea. I totally case'd this one from Jenn D (see her link on the right side of this blog) who case'd it from Jan Tinklenberg. Jan Tink has a step by step tutorial on her blog, I will get a link soon! She's a popular gal on SCS, so you may find her link there?

This project is made using the Carousel Notes, Afternoon Tea dsp and Live Your Dream stamp set in Stampin' Up!'s Occasions mini catalog. These items can be ordered until May 31, 2008. The outside is made up of the chocolate chip envelopes that come with the Carousel Notes and the inside holds 2 of the notes for journaling, photos, stamping or anything else creative.

I'm making a couple of them for mother's day gifts!

Sending Birthday Wishes

I've been so busy stamping that my blogging has gone to the roadside. This is a card from my masculine card class. I really liked how this one turned out and this is Chad's favorite out of the 5. The dsp is East Coast Prep with wild wasabi, more mustard and whisper white cardstocks.

The stamp set is a level 3 hostess called Older and Wiser (that I LOVE) with a bunch of birthday wishes. I always need birthday cards, especially in May! The candles are markered on directly to the rubber stamp, then huffed to remoisten the ink. I stamp in my basement so my ink doesn't dry out very much. The corners of the whisper white are ticket corner punched with real red eyelets set with the crop-a-dile.

Thanks for looking!

Cupcake cutie

This is a card I made at Sheila's Mount Morris retreat! (Oh, how I need a scrapbooking weekend twice a month...) Enough reminiscing, I borrowed Beth's stamp set, "Short & Sweet" for the darling cupcake stamps. The cakes are colored in with an aqua painter (it's a can't live without tool). Then sprinkled on some dazzling diamonds glitter using my 2 way glue pen.

The colors of cardstock and inks used are: close to cocoa, pretty in pink, and the berry bliss designer paper. The cherries were colored using my real red marker and the main panel was punched using the 1 inch circle punch and raised with several dimensionals. My inspiration for this card came from Kristina Werner's website. She's got some really great projects and is an obvious professional photographer. Her link is at the right!

Dream Big Color Inspiration

I completed another challenge. This one is for Jenn D's color inspiration http://igotstamps.com/. The colors looked like soft sky, river rock and chocolate chip. I used the circles for inspiration as well. This is a possibility for the masculine card stamp class next month.

The stamp sets are Sweet Shapes and It's All Good. Thanks for the challenge Jenn!

SCS Challenge SC168 Happy

This is my second challenge for the SCS (Splitcoaststampers) card sketch. This is my favorite card I've done using the "Polka Dots and Paisley" stamp set. The sketch was provided to use up your designer paper laying around. This paper retired maybe 2 catalogs ago?! And I think it's almost gone!

The only thing this card needs is some glitter, I'll have to do that now!

Enjoy your day!

Flap Fold Flowers

This is my first SCS challenge! The challenge was to make a flap fold card using instructions from the scor-pal website. It's linked through SCS.


I used my coluzzle circle maker and then scalloped the edges with the corner rounder. I didn't have any designer paper with groovy guava in it so I made my own. The whisper white piece is stamped with images from the "Time Well Spent" and colored with a blender pen and ink pads. The large flower is also colored in with blender pens and attached with a crystal brad from the pretties kit. The flap would be better attached using small magnets or even velcro but I had to use Herma temporary dots, that's all I have!


Almost forgot, want to know the colors? Groovy Guava, Rose Red, Blush Blossom and River Rock!

Thanks for looking!

Dinosaurs

It's been so long since I've posted that I forgot my password. That doesn't mean I haven't been stamping! With sale-a-bration done, I'm going to have a little more time.


This card uses "Prehistoric Pals" stamp set. With 2 young boys, I have many kid friendly stamps for cards and scrapbook pages. Cardstock is naturals ivory, chocolate chip, pumpkin pie, so saffron and always artichoke. Inks used are pumpkin pie, so saffron and always artichoke.


Every Wednesday I get a Splitcoast Stampers email with challenges in it. I completed my first 2 today and what fun. I will hopefully get time to post those later. It's free to sign up and suggest you do so! Follow the link to the right to www.splitcoaststampers.com.


Tomorrow I'm going to make time to scrap! It's supposed to snow again, sigh.

Thanks for looking!

Lemons & Limes

This card should brighten your day! I've had a difficult time lately using some of the bold bright colors. So, I cased this card from a poster at SCS.

The stamp set is tart & tangy with bold bright colors green galore and yo-yo yellow. It's difficult to see in the photo but the main panel lemon and lime are "sugar coated" with dazzling diamonds glitter.

The background stamp on the card base is dotted using green galore ink.

Thanks for looking!

And congratulations to the Iola-Scandinavia T-Birds! The boys basketball team won today and will be playing for the championship on Saturday!

Cheery Cherries

This happy card uses a new stamp set and designer paper coming out in Stampin' Up!'s Occasions mini catalog. The stamp set is called "Tart and Tangy" the paper, "Summer Picnic." The olive twill ribbon is also in this mini catalog and will come in chocolate chip color as well.



Thanks for looking!

Small gift bag

I case'd this cute little one from kwernerdesign blog (listed on the right) who case'd it from Martha Stewart's website. You know, copying another card or item is allowed, even encouraged, as long as you don't take credit for the original design or submit it for a contest.

This bag was made out of SU's "Berry Bliss" designer paper. The ribbon is regal rose wide grosgrain ribbon, very pretty!

This was a little putsy (sp?) but adorable!

Gavin's 7th Birthday

Happy Friday Everyone!

Also a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes out to my oldest, Gavin. He turns 7 today and is just happy. He's telling everyone it's his birthday today and requested that I make him a birthday card. I can handle that!

This one was made especially for him and I like the way it turned out! Just using up some scraps from last catalogs Simply Scrapping hostess kit to make a simple yet cool card.

I used SU's "Short Order Numbers" stamp set for the words and "7". This set comes with more than just numbers, as you can see!

My goal this weekend at the scrapbooking getaway is to complete 25 pages. I will keep you updated.

Inspiration

No photo to post today but I have some creations that I have to photograph and upload. Hopefully tomorrow I can get that done...

Just wanted to let you know where I get some of my inspiration. I frequent other blogs (hence, why I started my own) on a frequent basis. I will be posting the links on the right hand side of my blog. I think this is bloglitically correct?

Anyway, there is a lady who actually works for Stampin' Up! and posts a "Make a Card Monday" video. She has some great tips (especially today) on punches and shows how to use a Stamp-a-ma-jig. Her link is www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/ Hope this works!

Also, there is a link to a feedblitz on the right hand column. You can enter your email address and the service will email you when I have a new post. Only if you are interested, not sure if there is any spam involved so don't use your office/work email!

This weekend is the Mount Morris retreat. I will be at the Arrowhead Lodge Saturday morning to scrap all day and into the night. See some of you there!!! If you have never been to a scrapbooking/stamping weekend, you have to do it. There are great people to meet, ideas to gain and fellowship to enjoy.

Thanks, Melinda

Sympathy

I am really liking the bashful blue and chocolate chip color combination lately. This is a sympathy card using the "Close as a Memory" stamp set. It has 3 beautiful verses and the flowers shown above.

The rest of the card uses mellow moss, whisper white, chocolate chip cs/ink, hodgepodge hardware, chocolate taffeta ribbon and pewter brads.

More Snow?

I'm sure we're all a little tired of the massive amounts of snow this winter, but this is the pretty kind of snow!

This card uses the "Snow Flurries" stamp set; bashful blue cs and ink, shimmer white cs, chocolate chip ink, chocolate taffeta ribbon and the hat pins/beads from the "Pretties Kit."

This would make a perfect thank you for that snow plow driver!

Masculine Valentine

This is my idea of a masculine Valentine. My DH always has an opinion on my work and said he would not be embarrassed to receive this card. It's a postive for me!

The card uses "Priceless" stamp set; blue bayou ink and cs; shimmer white cs; kraft cs and real red ink.

I've been using this stamp set for many things now and love it's versatility...

A Little Birdie Told Me...

I decided to post this card I made last week because it seems cheery to me. Hopefully this extremely cold weather is out of here very soon.

This card uses Stampin' Up!'s, "A Little Birdie Told Me" stamp set, old olive, tempting turquoise and whisper white cardstock; bali breeze designer paper. The medallion in the lower right corner was made using the 2 larger circle punches and the scallop circle punch.

Thanks for looking and I hope spring is soon on it's way!

Happy Heart's Day

This is another card using the "Happy Heart Day" stamp set. The main panel is colored in with Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Rich Regals and neutral then blended with a blender pen. A bead is adhered to the flower and the scallop was made using the corner rounder punch. Just CAREFULLY take off the plastic guide and line up the corners.

Quilted card

This beautiful card was put together at my upline's meeting. It uses the double sided designer paper, "Ginger Blossom" and the stamp set, "A Beautiful Thing" by Stampin' Up!

Thanks Joy for the neat make and take!

Elephant Valentine

This card uses the new stamp set from Stampin' Up! called "Happy Heart Day." It's included in a promotional bundle for January 2008. I also used the new colored micro beads on the hearts. The new tombow (r) adhesive works great for adhering the beads.

The elephant was colored using the Watercolor Wonder Crayons from Stampin' Up!, the neutrals pack.

Good Thing

This is another card using the "Time Well Spent" level 3 hostess set. It's difficult to see in the photo, but the wings of the butterfly and the leaf on the stem are cut out and lifted up. Of course there is glitter!

Thanks for looking!

It's a New Year

This is an out of the box design for me. The main panel (stars) was done using the emboss resist technique.

I stamped 2 star images from "All Through the Year" stamp set on very vanilla using versamark. The clear embossing powder was sprinkled on the images with the excess shaken off. The embossing powder was heat set. Using sponges, I dabbed on chocolate chip, sage shadow and really rust inks. The embossed stars resist the sponged on ink, just wipe them off with a paper towel.

The photo corners were made with the square punch, cut in half and trim out a triangle with paper snips.