secret santa gifts to give!

This Christmas I took part in a "Secret Santa" swap with the Stylin' Stampin' Squad. We are a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators who host a monthly blog hop. We have our own little Facebook group page and I have had such a fun time getting to know these ladies and being inspired by them!! Many of us from this group even started our own little blog called Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration and if you are a regular visitor to my blog, you have seen me post many times of things I have designed for this blog. Being a part of the design team has really motivated me to blog more often!

I wanted to share the gifts I gave to my Secret Santa, Annie Lee of Love Me Cards. We were to send 3 Christmas cards each week during the month of December and then a box of goodies at the end of December. Well, my poor recipient had to wait a little longer than she probably had expected!! I was behind a little bit on my cards, so I sent two at once and then she really had to wait for my package to arrive...after the New Year! She assured me that it was worth the wait, which was so sweet of her! I just got so swamped with family, Christmas, sickness, etc. I guess that's true life these days!! Annie posted on her blog the first two cards I sent her (forgot to take pics before I mailed them off...oops!) Both of these cards were CASED, but ones that I had pinned and really wanted to re-create because they were such fabulous designs! 

And, now for the package of goodies...

This was my third "Christmas" card I was supposed to send. Since I was so overdue, I decided I would make her last card an everyday occasions card using some new goodies from the Occasions Catalog. This one uses the new Perfect Pennants stamp set, Watercolor Wonder DSP, and Banner Framelits!

 Tucked inside this chevron printed bag are Kit Kat candy bars...Annie's favorite! I simply folded the bag over on the back, tied it with the 1/8" silver trim (still available in the Occasions Catalog) and added a tag from the Tag a Bag accessory kit. I also added a couple of silver glimmer stars for fun! I really wanted the saying to say "you can never have too much chocolate", but I guess happy = chocolate, right?! ;)

This gift I was a little worried would explode during shipping, but I put it in a Ziploc bag just in case. I had created a tag for some Christmas soap last month during the blog hop and thought it would be fun to match a tag with the Sugar Vanilla Wish Bath & Body Soap. I stamped a "new year" sentiment (from Petite Pairs) instead of Christmas since we were already passed. I just love that Champagne Glimmer Paper! It is paired with Coastal Cabana and I used some Crumb Cake ribbon as an accent.

Lastly, I made Annie a gift card holder to hold a Starbucks gift card! I knew she loved Starbucks, so I thought it would round out the gift nicely! The gift card design was something I had seen online somewhere, but I can't seem to find the original post I was inspired by! If I do, I'll come back to link it up. The belly band with the snowflake slides over it when closed. 

I hope to be able to share my cards and Secret Santa gift that I {will} receive very soon!! And, please come back tomorrow for the SSS January Blog Hop! We'll be showcasing some Valentine's Day projects and cards, as well as some of us are going to share some new goodies from the Occasions Catalog! You won't want to miss it!

Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop - quick & easy gifts for the holidays (and a giveaway!)

Thank you so much for joining us for the December Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop!  This month our projects focus on quick and easy gift ideas for the holidays. As we enter the month of December, we find that the Christmas holidays are fast approaching. From decorating our homes to holiday baking, we realize that shopping days are running low. That's why we want to share quick and easy gift ideas that anyone can create in time for that special someone!

As you hop along, you will see that many of our design team members are giving away some great blog candy this month. Leave a comment for each project and you will automatically be entered in to win!  Winners will be announced Monday, December 16th on our individual blogs, so don't forget to leave us those comments! We love to hear from our readers!

You should have just left stop number 8 on the Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad  blog hop – Diana of Stampin' Fun with Diana. If so, you are in the  right spot. If a link doesn’t work or you get off track, you will find  the full blog hop lineup below.

I was so excited awhile back when I found a great deal online for Bath & Body Works hand soaps. For me this is one of those splurges that I love to have in every bathroom and my kitchen...so many yummy scents! I bought a boxful of mostly holiday scents...some for me and some for gifts! Now, I could just tie a bow around it or stick it in a bag, but I wanted to take it just a step further and add a fun little tag to give it the WOW factor. But, seriously ~ it's super easy & quick...I promise.

{MAKE SURE TO READ THROUGH TO THE END OF THE POST FOR A GIVEAWAY!}

When I first saw the Winter Cranberry bottle I instantly knew it was the perfect match for some Cherry Cobbler goodness!

I dressed it up using some Silver Glimmer Paper which matches the sparkle on the trim and the words of the bottle. I used my favorite (surprise!!) Festive Flurry stamp set and coordinating Framelits.

To get the middle "star" shape on the snowflakes, I stamped the smallest snowflake using the Silver Metallic Encore Pad and then embossed it with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder for a little extra sparkle. I cut out the center with my Paper Snips. If I owned some of the Frosted Finishes Embellishments, that would have been a great replacement for the center!

I stamped Merry Christmas and made banner notches.

I finished it off on the top of the bottle with some Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding and Silver 1/8" Ribbon. I just love the look of the big bow.

Tag measurements & quick "how to":

And, because we're talking easy holiday gifts! I whipped up a few easy-peasy Rolo candy wrappers. These were a hit at the craft bazaars I used to do a few years back. A couple of years ago, I created a quick little tutorial. I wanted to try them again using current product ~ Season of Style DSP Paper Stack and Tags 4 You stamp set with Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Crumb Cake Seam Binding, & Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon. I plan to give these to some of the staff at my kids' school.

OK, and now for the some blog candy before you leave!!

LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST BY SUNDAY NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT!

{winner will be announced on Monday's post!}

You'll have a chance to win all you see in the picture: 

Tag A Bag Accessory Kit (current product)

4 handmade Christmas greeting cards (by me!)

Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder

Holiday Frame Embossing Folder

Spool of Old Olive ribbon

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL WITH YOUR COMMENT!

Time to hop along and visit Bree at Craft-Somnia.

Blog Hop Participants:

1. Dawn S. of Dawn's Creative Chalet
2. Darcy J. of DJ's Stampin' Place
3. Annie L. of Love Me Cards
4. Cynthia R. of Ink-a-Doodle Creations
5. Jamie H. of Unique Ink
6. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
7. Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya
8. Diana E. of Stampin' Fun with Diana
9. Heidi B. of Stuck on Stampin'
10. Bree R. of Craft-Somnia
11. Anastasia R. of Stampin' Blondie
12. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
13. Darla R. & Nancy K. of Stampin With Darla and Sisters

SS Inkspiration Card Sketch - for the birds!

What fun it is for me to announce a new adventure for myself and some fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators as just last week we launched a new blog together! Stylin' Stampin' Inkspiration will be filled with lots of inspiration as we share with you 5 days a week! Each of the design team will be popping up throughout each month to share with you some of the fun we have in our craft rooms! To follow our new blog, click on the picture below! We will continue to have our monthly blog hop, as well, so keep looking for that on the second Thursday of each month!

Today's post from Stylin' Stampin' Inkspiration consists of a Card Sketch created by one of our design team members, Breelin Renwick. I knew we were open to playing with the blank space and adding whatever we wanted to the background, but I kept seeing WHITE SPACE and in all honesty...I love a card with white space, so I kept it with just that.

This card was made specifically for the consignors of my recent Craft Cleanout Sale that I hosted in July. I just placed their Stampin' Up! order last week and all of their new goodies should be here by Tuesday! I thought I would stick one of these cards in each of their bags to let them know how much I appreciate their support in joining me for the third year in this annual sale that just keeps getting better and bigger!

Stamp Sets	For the Birds (wood #132001 / $32.95, clear #126407 / $24.95)
Ink	Black Stazon Pad (#101406 / $7.95), Daffodil Delight Ink Pad (#126944 / $5.95), Marina Mist Ink Pad (#126962 / $5.95), Wild Wasabi Ink Pad (#126959 / $5.95), Blender Pens (#102845 / $9.95), Real Red Stampin' Write Marker (#100052 / $3.50)
Paper	Whisper White (#100730 / $8.50), Wild Wasabi (#108641 / $6.95), Real Red, Polka Dot Parade DSP (#126902 / $10.95)
Accessories	Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430 / $3.95), Pearl Basic Jewels (#119247 / $4.95)
Tools	SNAIL Adheisve (#104332 / $6.95), Paper Snips (#103579 / $9.95), Paper Piercing Tool (#126189 / $3.95), Stampin’ Pierce Mat (#126199 / $4.95), Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack (#126187 / $7.95)

*to order any of the supplies you see above, visit heidiboos.stampinup.net

I started with the uber-adorable stamp set For the Birds and stamped the image in Black Stazon because I knew I wanted to use the Blender Pens to create a softer look and didn't want the black to bleed. I "squeezed" the ink pad while the lid was closed and then using the blender pen, I "grabbed" the ink from the top of the lid and colored away. Blender pens come in packs of three and they are two-sided. These last a long time! You can always wipe off the ink color you used by writing on a piece of paper until the ink color disappears and they are good to go for the next color!

Black Stazon ink is best for most every surface and is perfect for watercoloring. The thing about Black Stazon ink is that it "stains" your rubber. However, in my experience I haven't noticed this to effect the stamped image if there is black on the rubber. I don't always clean the stazon after every use, but if you do like to have clean rubber stamps at all times, the Stazon Cleaner (#109196 / $4.95) is a must have! Roll the cleaner right onto the stamp until you begin to see the black juice up. Wipe off onto the Stampin' Scrub (#126200 / $16.95) and voila - your stamp looks brand new again!!

 Happy stamping this week!

stylin' stampin' squad card swap!

I had the honor of meeting some of the lovely gals from the Stylin' Stampin' Squad while at Convention. I had decided that I wasn't going to create general swaps, but prior to attending Convention, I signed up to participate in a smaller swap with my monthly blog hop group! We each signed up in advance for what stamp set we would be using on our card so that we could come home with all different samples to use at our events, showcasing products from the Annual Catalog. We all met together on the last day of Convention right before closing session began!

 {my swap card}

Stamp Sets	Flower Shop, A Dozen Thoughts
Ink	Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight
Paper	Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray, I Am Me DSP
Accessories	Coastal Cabana 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim, Dimensionals, Pearl Accents, Dazzling Details
Tools	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Labels Collections Framelits, Paper Piercing Pack, Paper Piercing Tool

These ladies have some great talent...love their cards!
 
{Shellie Grindy at Craft Smashup}

{Pam Steckman at Stampin' in the Sun}

{Jennifer Campbell}

{Tonya Ball at Stamp with Tonya}

{Breelin Renwick at Craft-Somnia Momma}

{Rose Castillo at Stamp with Rose}

{Pamela Wu at Stinky Tofu}

{Diana Eichfeld at Stampin' Fun with Diana}

{Annie Lee at Love Me Cards}

{Kim Ryden at Stamping with Kim}

Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop - New Catalog Release Party!

I am so happy it's another month to do some blog hopping with friends!! This month the Stylin' Stampin' Squad is excited to share with you some of the new and exciting products from the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog! I put an order in a couple of weeks ago to update my color collections and added a couple of new stamp sets and punches, plus a new pack of DSP while I was at it. Of course, there is still an ever growing LONG list of things I want from the catalog...isn't there always?

I pulled out the new Birthday Basics Designer Series Paper and gathered together all of the coordinating colors (Basic Gray, Bermuda Bay, Crisp Cantaloupe, Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Very Vanilla) and started to play!

Using the *new* Label Love stamp set and *new* coordinating Artisan Label Punch, I was able to whip out a few cards I could get in the mail right away!

left to right...
Happy Birthday card - Crisp Cantaloupe, Bermuda Bay, Raspberry Ripple
Best Friend card - Bermuda Bay, Crisp Cantaloupe
Just for You card - Pistachio Pudding, Calypso Coral

Now, I must admit I do love this catalog and there are many reasons why, but one of the big things that jumped off the page for me when I first thumbed through it was the darling kits they are offering!! I ordered the Tag a Bag Accessory Kit Bundle and couldn't wait to play with them. Who doesn't love to receive a gift wrapped up in a pretty package?!

The Tag a Bag bundle includes all you see here...10 large base tags, 3 colors Baker's Twine (20' each), 40 Stampin' Dimensionals, 5 Smoky Slate self-adhesive strips (12" each), 10 mini clothespins, and 10 medium builder tags.

 

I ended up punching out all of the tags and then storing them in the resealable plastic baggie for safe keeping!

My daughter needed a quick gift for her Campfire Girls leader and I knew this was the perfect way to package it! Aren't you just swooning over those chevron pre-printed glassine bags. L-O-V-E!!

I added a butterfly with the Elegant Butterfly punch using Calypso Coral cardstock and then stamped the "thank you" from the Itty Bitty Banners stamp set in the same color ink, die cutting it with the coordinating framelits. Then I topped it off with a Gumball Green dahlia. Everything else came in the kit! So quick, easy, and DARLING!

Here's a peek of the goodies inside...

 

I hope you enjoy the hop as you drool over all of the fun new catalog products!! There is much more to come, so don't forget to hop along to visit my friends and then come on back for more in the future!   

{Click here to visit Bree of Craft-somnia!}

Blog Hop Participants:

1. Pam S. of Stampin' in the Sun!
2. Rose C. of Stamp with Rose
3. Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya
4. Dawn S. of Dawn's Creative Chalet
5. Darcy J. of DJ's Stampin' Place
6. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
7. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
8. Heidi B of Stuck on Stampin'
9. Bree R. of Craft-somnia
10. Diana E. of Stampin' Fun with Diana
11. Annie L. of Love Me Cards
12. Jamie H. of Unique Ink

Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop - "Best Of"

It's the first Thursday of the month and if you have been following my blog, you might know that this means it's time for the monthly Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop!! I had to skip last month due to an overwhelming "to do" list, but I'm back this month to join in the fun!!

Have you heard yet? The retiring stamp set and accessories list it out!! And, part of this month's theme is sharing in the {Best Of} that Stampin' Up! has to offer. We were encouraged to pull out one of our favorite stamp sets that is on the retiring list...or we could choose one of the "Best Of" sets that Stampin' Up! is putting out monthly in celebration of 25 years in the business!! I don't own one of these sets, so I chose to reach for a retiring set that I am bummed will be going way, and ironcially it's called "Best of Everything".

Although this card doesn't showcase any of the retiring colors (the color refresh can be found here), it does show a handful of retiring products, such as the "Best of Everything" stamp set, "Pursuit of Happiness" stamp set (sentiment), and the Summer Smooches DSP. I have to be honest and share that I have been in a bit of a creative slump (hence the lack in posting lately!!), so I had to reach in my own {Best Of} card samples for some inspiration. I created something very similar to this card about a year ago (see it here)...except with all different colors! Sometimes it's fun to be able to recreate the exact same card just by changing up the paper and color choice, especially when the creativity flow is not quite flowing properly. LOL!

Thanks for coming by!

Continue on the hop and visit Craft-somnia Momma!

 

Blog Hop Participants:

1. Pam S. of Stampin' in the Sun!
2. Nancy B. of Lady Stamps-A-Lot
3. Rose C. of Stamp with Rose
4. Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya
5. Dawn S. of Dawn's Creative Chalet
6. Darcy J. of DJ's Stampin' Place
7. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
8. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
9. Heidi B of Stuck on Stampin'
10. Bree R. of Craft-somnia
11. Diana E. of Stampin' Fun with Diana