card making night - May 2012

Last Thursday I hosted my monthly 3/$6 card making night. It was a great group of stampers and I was even able to get in a little stamping fun myself!

CARD #1

Stamp Set: Happy Everything (retired)
Paper: Pool Party, So Saffron, Not Quite Navy
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Pool Party
Accessories: Dimensionals, silver brads
Tools: Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, Small Star punch (retired), 1" Circle punch, Paper Piercing Tool & Mat

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CARD #2

I just loved this card by Jen at Simple & Sincere. I CASED it almost to the T except for the ribbon. I am SUCH a huge fan of Jen's work!! 

Stamp Set: Mixed Bunch, Fabulous Phrases
Paper: Calypso Coral, Whisper White, Certainly Celery
Ink: Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso
Accessories: Dimensionals, 1/4" Daffodil Delight Grosgrain ribbon, Accent Jewel Rhinestones
Tools: 5 Petal Flower punch (for the leaves), Blossom punch, Scallop Edge punch, Jewelry Tag punch

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CARD #3

Stamp Set: Flight of the Butterfly, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Whisper White, Concord Crush, Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade, Cheerful Treat DSP (retiring hostess)
Ink: Concord Crush, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Dimensionals, 1/2" Concord Crush Poly-Stitched ribbon
Tools: Word Window punch, 1-1/4" Circle punch, 1" Circle punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Perfect Polka Embossing Folder

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One more card making night on June 14th before I take a break for July & August! Would love for you to join me at my home in Sherwood, Oregon!

stamp club - April 2012

I had some fun projects to share with the ladies for our April Stamp Club (I'm a little behind in posting...what's new?). Because the Summer Smooches promotion was still going on during that time, I decided to play with the up and coming Bright Blossoms stamp set and Summer Smooches DSP, as well as the new Petite Purse die.

Our first card was a simple one, but I wanted to focus on showing how to use the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (yep, that's what it's really called!). It is a stamp positioner that gives you the ability to place an image exactly where you want it. Perfect for perfectionists like me! (Can anyone relate?) Because the tulip flower is a separate stamp from the vase and stem/leaves, using the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig is a great way to get it perfectly placed without making it look like the tulip bud was floating. I even used the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig for the sentiment "thanks" to make sure it was nice and straight, too. I liked the idea of a square card, so this one is 4-1/4 x 4-1/4 and will still fit in an envelope like the other cards I make (4-1/4 x 5-1/2).

Stamp Set: Bright Blossoms (coming soon in the NEW 2012-2013 catalog), Fabulous Phrases
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Summer Smooches DSP (coming soon in the NEW 2012-2013 catalog)
Ink: markers - Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade, Real Red
Accessories: none
Tools: Scallop Dotted Ribbon Border punch, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

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The second project we made also used products from the Summer Smooches promotion and each of the club members made this cute little Petite Purse (a new Big Shot die coming up in the soon to be released catalog!!) When its say petite, it really means petite. I read on a fellow demonstrator's blog that you can fit 9 Hershey's Kisses in the purse...in case you wanted to know just how small it was. Wouldn't this be cute to hold a small pair of earrings? I used a piece of Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper for the top flap to give it some extra color and design.

Stamp Set: Tiny Tags
Paper: Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango, Summer Smooches DSP (coming soon in the NEW 2012-2013 catalog)
Ink: markers - Island Indigo, Real Red
Accessories: 1/4" Daffodil Delight Grosgrain ribbon, Everyday Enchantment brads (from 2012 SAB), Sticky Strip
Tools: Paper Piercing Tool, Jewelry Tag punch

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For our last project of the night, we made this twist-easel card. It really is a lot easier than it looks! The card is 4-1/4 x 8-1/2. Score in half and then score diagonally on one side. Fold the flap inward. You will need something to help prop the card open (note the flower). I wanted to use the Flight of the Butterfly stamp set since it will be retiring soon, along with the Butterfly punch! Gotta use those retiring products when I can! As a demonstrator it's harder to use the products for events when you're trying to stay current with the products.

Folded closed (fits in a normal envelope)... 

 

Halfway open...

 Open and tucked behind the flower to stay open and on display...

  

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This month's club hostess gifts...

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Each stamp club meeting I give the gals a sketch for them to work on sometime before the next meeting. The sketches I give them come from Clean & Simple Stamping.

Last month's sketch...


This is the card I created for the sketch.
(and actually used for a card night this past week...more details to come)



I thought it was so fun how Kim used the kite as the circle image in the sketch. She's so clever!
Kim - Sending a Smile or Two


The next two cards are both from Janice. I like how she moved the sketch "circle" to the other side here in the first card.



Terri created this great Mother's Day card using the sneak peek Summer Smooches DSP.
Terri - territerbear

I like this simple birthday card made by Danna. Love this stamp set!

 Vicki (my mom) decided to flip the sketch. And she even used some of the products she got as last month's hostess!

Only two more stamp club meetings before we take a break for the busy summer months!

butterflies and birthdays

Remember that goal of mine for the New Year? Less over-thinking the process of making the cards too complicated and more just doing it and actually sending them out! Well, I have good news...I'm on track with that goal! I had a couple of friends I had been thinking about and wanted to send a card to just to let them know that. In the past I would "put it on the list" and most often it just wouldn't get done. Not this time!!

To "get 'er done" and send the card off in the mail, I decided to keep the card simple. I love me some purple, so I reached for this color first.


Stamp Set: Apple Blossoms - sentiment (retired hostess set)
Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, Lucky Limeade, 2011-13 In Colors pack
Ink: Elegant Eggplant
Accessories: Pearl Accents, Stampin' Dimensionals
Tools: Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die (one of my favorites!), *NEW* Adorning Accents Edgelits Die, *NEW* Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

I added the Dimensionals behind the butterflies to make them "fly" off the page...


I wanted to play with my new "toys" I got from the Occasions Mini Catalog, so I thought this card would be the perfect chance to get out my Adorning Accents Edgelits Die & Textured Embossing Folders to match! The Edgelits die cuts and then the Embossing Folder created the embossed look above the cut. I hope to use these more in future projects. It took a little bit of mastering and I feel like I have a little more to learn yet, but my first time was fun, so I'll get them out again!

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My kids and I went to a birthday party on Friday and sticking with my butterfly kick, I got out my never-been-inked-before Flight of the Butterfly that I had purchased back during the Online Extravaganza in November (I snagged it at 50% off!) It had been on my wish list for awhile, so I knew this was the perfect chance! This is a two-step stamping set, so I got out my Stampamajig to line up everything perfectly...love that thing! If you don't know how to use the Stampamajig and you are a proud perfectionist (like me!) ask me how!!

Another quick and simple card, but perfect for a sweet little 4-year old girl!

Stamp Set: Flight of the Butterfly
Paper: Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Cheerful Treat DSP (hostess exclusive)
Ink: Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette
Accessories: pink rhinestone brad, Stampin' Dimensionals
Tools: Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch

We brought our little 4-year old friend a purse filled with a couple of goodies for a mother-daughter date. I wrote a little poem to go with the gift, typed it up and added a few little flowers to give it a little something extra. I'm pretty sure her mom (my good friend) probably appreciated the poem and gift cards for the date more than she did, but there were a few little goodies in there just for the birthday girl like nail polish and lip gloss. What 4-year old wouldn't want that?

Hope you all have a wonderfully blessed weekend!

Card Making Workshop

On Sunday, my dear friend hosted a card making workshop at her house. I ran it a little differently than your standard workshop. She had wanted her guests to be able to come and make some cards, and I was up for that for sure! So, everyone brought $5 and I had all of the supplies prepared for them to make 3 cards. This is normally how I run my card making nights. Any chance I get to pass on my love for creativity, I'll take it! There were a total of 6 ladies who came and I think they all had a good time.

Here are the cards we made...

This card I had made for my open house a few weeks ago. Since I had so many leftovers that I had already prepared, I thought it would be perfect to use at her party!


This card I made using the Petal Pizzazz stamp set that I was able to borrow from a friend. I love the colors of Certainly Celery and Regal Rose together.


The last card we made kind of evolved out of many trials and errors. I just couldn't get the card to look the way I wanted. In fact, I thought I had decided the "right one", but I still didn't think it was right, so I used a design that a friend of mine had used for a baby thank you and adapted it for the birthday bear. Plus, I got to use my early Christmas present Big Shot die cut machine from my parents!!


All in all it was a fun afternoon with friends!

New Catalog Open House

Last night's open house was quite the small turn out, which was a bummer because of all the preparation I did, but something I understood with it being summer and all. There's just so much to do when the weather is gorgeous!

However, the gals that were able to come said they loved the card I had designed as the free "make n take", so that was worth it. Plus, I have lots of leftovers for my next card making event! I absolutely am biased towards the color purple, so of course I fell in love with the color combo that I chose.

FRONT

INSIDE

All products listed are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted
Paper: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry (new in-color!), Old Olive, Cottage Wall DS paper
Stamp Sets: Flight of the Butterfly, sentiment from Really Retro (retired)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Rich Razzleberry polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals
Tools: 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, piercing tool, scallop edge punch

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Just a few snapshots from the event...

These are York peppermint patties...
Just a little treat to say thanks for coming!

And, of course there has to be door prizes! With only three gals coming (other than my upline and her friend), they each got a door prize!

Door Prize #1 - 18 sheets of 6x6 recently retired designer series paper, including Good Morning Sunshine, Sweet Always, & Rainbow Sherbet (congrats, Kim!)
Door Prize #2 - Recently retired "in-colors" card pack, including 8 card bases, 1 yard of ribbon, and a handmade card using some of the in-colors (congrats, Sarah!)
Door Prize #3 - Same as above (congrats, Angie!)

Just a Simple Thank You

This past Saturday, our local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) leadership team that I am a part of put on their first annual Rummage & Bake Sale Fundraiser to raise money for our MOPS program. We had a handful of MOPS moms volunteer their time (and stuff) to help us out, so being the one in charge of "CARE" I wanted to make them a little thank you card for their help. At first, I was going to use some pre-made cards I had, but after seeing this week's sketch challenge over at Stamping 411 and how simple and "do-able" it was, I opted to create the cards instead. I knew I was going to have to make 10 cards, so it had to be somewhat simple so that I wasn't working on them all day long!

Here is this week's sketch challenge over at Stamping 411...


And here is what I came up with...


Paper: Lovely Lilac, Sage Shadow, Whisper White, Good Morning Sunshine DSP (retired)
Stamp Sets: Flight of the Butterfly, Short & Sweet (sentiment)
Ink: Lovely Lilac
Accessories: dimensionals (to "pop up" the butterfly)
Tools: large oval punch, scallop oval punch, ticket punch