Happy New Year!

Couldn't let 2011 come to a close without at least ONE blog post! Ha! So I grabbed the first thing I saw on my stamp table that I had made and snapped a photo. As usual, bad lighting. (New Year's resolution No. 87 -- use better lighting for blog pix!)

This is a card I made at one of our monthly stamp clubs earlier this year. Looking at it now, I see it needs some bling, so I'll have to take care of that and come back and post an "after" photo in 2012.

We made our own "ink pads" with Distress reinkers and baby wipes. I used Broken China and Peeled Paint and I think also a little Tumbled Glass. The butterfly stamp is from a retired Stampin Up set (Bold Butterfly, maybe?) and the "thanks" is from a current SU set. The scallop card base was cut with a Sizzix die.

I'm moving out of the closet in 2012 and into my own stamp room at long, long last, and I'm VERY excited about it! Hopefully this will translate into lots more stamping in the coming year!

Hope everyone has a happy and safe new year!!

Supplies: Butterfly and thanks stamps, Stampin Up; Distress reinkers in Broken China, Peeled Paint, Tumbled Glass; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Bazzill cardstock; baby wipes; dimensionals

Happy Valentine's Day!

We made these cute plates at our monthly stamp club a few weeks ago. The circle pops out so you can change the image in the plate for each holiday or season. The large hearts were die cut with the Cricut, as was the "love" sentiment. The smaller hearts are from the new Stampin Up small heart punch. The stamped heart images are from the SU I Heart Hearts set and the brad is also SU, from the new mini catalog. Plate from the dollar store. I have it displayed on the table in our foyer.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!!

Soft Sky wedding

I know, I know -- more bad lighting! I made this card in the middle of the night for one of my husband's co-workers, and the only place I could snap a quick photo of it without waking up anyone was in the dining room, where the lighting isn't all that bright.

This is about a 90 percent CASE of a card I saw on SCS. I loved the Soft Sky and Chocolate Chip color combo and the layout. About the only differences are that instead of tying a bow in the middle of the satin ribbon (didn't want it to look any more feminine than it already did with the doily edge punch at the bottom), I stamped the word 'congratulations' and punched it out with the new SU Modern Label punch and I used the adhesive pearls differently than they were used on the original card.

The only downside is that now I have even less Soft Sky cardstock! Eeek! Don't know what I'll do when my supply is gone! It's sooooooo pretty!!

It's swap time again at the LSS. The theme this month is birthday. And as usual I have no idea what I'll be doing. I'll have to post my card from last month's swap later this week. It turned out much better than I expected. I love it when that happens! Hee!

Supplies:

Stamps: Together Forever set (SU); congratulations (Wedding Centers set, CHF)

Paper: Very Vanilla, Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip (all SU)

Ink: Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip (SU)

Accessories: Oval Coluzzle, SU Modern Label punch, adhesive pearls, Paper Trey satin ribbon, Martha Stewart doily edge punch

Rainy Day Brayered Roses

I made my first attempt at the brayered roses technique on the mother's day card I made for my mother-in-law a few weeks ago. I snapped a quick photo of it outside as we were leaving to go have dinner with her, and unfortunately it was overcast and you just can't really see the great colors in the roses. But the technique was pretty much foolproof and the results were fabulous! I really hope Stampin Up releases more embossing folders in the upcoming new catalog (which will be revealed to demos this week!!) Though I don't know how they could top this one -- I love it!

I took a beginner Copics class last week to learn some of the basics of using these markers. I have quite a collection already, but I wasn't using them to their full potential. I've been experimenting with blending and shading since the class, so maybe I'll be happy enough with one of the "experiments" to post here soon. And next time I'll be sure to use better lighting! ha!

Supplies:

Stamps: Paper Trey (mother), Stampin Up (rose on envelope from Fifth Avenue Floral set)

Ink: Summer Sun, Regal Rose, Cameo Coral

Paper: Shimmery White, Cameo Coral

Accessories: Brayer, oval punch, scallop oval punch, dimensionals

Onesie Card

It's been a baby-filled summer, so after having seen so many cute onesie cards I finally had to make one myself. The top got a little smushed so I had to make another one, but this is the one I photographed. I think next time I'll try the Cuttlebug polka dot folder instead of the polka dot background stamp and see how it looks. I used textured white cardstock for the scalloped trim around the neck and legs. It was also on this project that I discovered, much to my horror, that I didn't have any small white brads. How is this possible?! So I found some very light pink Bazzill brads that worked well. (And I have since picked up a pack of small white brads at AC Moore!)

So far the sneak peeks I've seen from the new Stampin Up catalog are fabulous! And I'm SO glad they have finally included the Cheers To You set in the U.S. catalog! It will be one of the first sets I get. Also loving the Halloween rub-ons!
Supplies:

Stamps: Think Happy Thoughts (polka dot circle), Many Happy Returns (tickled pink) and Polka Dot background, all Stampin Up.

Cardstock: SU Pretty In Pink, textured Whisper White

Ink: SU Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose

Accessories: Bazzill brads, SU Scallop Circle punch, SU Three For You flower punch, SU 1 3/8 circle punch

The Big Reveal!

Tomorrow is the big day for Stampin Up demos and groupies alike -- the unveiling of the new catalog at convention! I'll be glued to the internet waiting for all the details to come in! We've seen a few sneak peek stamp sets, ribbons and papers, plus the wonderful scallop edge punch. But there are at least two other new punches coming that I will HAVE to own. One is a curvy tag punch and the other is a wider oval punch. They look to be the size of the other 15.95 punches. The punches that I keep stored on the back of my closet door in an old shoebag that looks like this. It holds 20 of the large punches, and as you can see, it's completely full. Which was fine since I have 20 SU punches that size. But now with more coming, where am I going to put them? Yikes! It's not like I'm going to get rid of any of the punches I already have since are all essential.

But the worst part of seeing all the nifty new stuff in the catalog? Knowing we can't order until Aug. 11! Argh!