A Peek Into My Stamping Room

Last of the Bloggers Swaps

This is the last two cards of my bloggers swap.   I have to say these cards were just fabulous!  I loved them all.

Here is a unique card from Tracy Harp - her blog is found HERE.  Tracy used such a unique fold.  I have included 3 pictures so that you can get the full effect of the card.  It is awesome!

Supplies Used:  Polka Dots and Petals, Petals Jumbo Wheel, Friendship Flowers stamp sets; Regal Rose, Rose Red, Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, Shimmery White Cardstock; Regal Rose, Rose Red, Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery Classic Ink Pads; Brads, piercing tool, celery grosgrain ribbon, rectangle punch, dimensionals, ticket corner punch, 1/8" hole punch

See what I mean?  Cool fold and concept for this card, don't you agree?  Well, here is my card, everyone seemed to like it but I think it needs a sentiment.  I will probably add a thank you and send it to a customer of mine.

I finally used almost all of this designer paper.  You should see all the different kinds of designer paper I have hanging around.  I need to really use up this stuff but it keeps hanging around.  Just another thing I can't buy any more of.

Supplies Used:  Doodle This & Doodle That stamp sets; Taken w/ teal, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Petals & Paisley Designer papers; Slit punch, Rose Grosgrain, Jet Black Stazon, Regal Rose, certainly celery, pretty in pink, apricot appeal markers; stampin' dimensionals.

I used my slit punch to make the scalloped strip of paper.  This is a really good way to use up scraps! 

Hope you are enjoying the weekend.  The weather is wonderful here and I am going to enjoy it!  Tonight I have my bookclub meeting.  This past month we read, The Persian Pickle Club.   It was a really cute book with a surprise ending.  I like books like that.  Hopefully this month will be something lite and fun like last month.  Sometimes our books get a bit heavy and I am ready to have some lite reading, know what I mean?  So enjoy the weather, the weekend and your family!  I know I am!!  Talk to you soon.

More Bloggers Swaps!

This is a Bloggers Swap I received from Ana Wohlfahrt - you can see her blog HERE.  Aren't the colors great? I don't own any of the sets used in this card. AHHHHH!  I can't buy anymore stamps!!  Do you see her hand-drawn doodles around the flowers?  Cute, very cute!!

Supplies Used:  Sassy Stems, French Flair Background, On the Spot stamp sets; Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, Bravo Burgandy, Choc Chip, Marigold Morning, Very Vanilla Cardstock; Basic Black, More Mustard, Pixie Pink Classic Ink Pads; Designer Label Punch Box, Spring Bouquet Flowers punch, Word Window Punch, Rose Grosgrain, Taupe Grosgrain, Mustard Grosgrain; Crestaly Effects, Hodgepodge Hardware, Pop-Up dots, Crafters Tool kit

This card is by Robin Desko.  You can see her blog HERE.  I really love the layout and colors of this card.  I haven't used this set very much so this really inspires me!

Supplies Used:  Print Pattern, Aida Cloth, Small Script, Flower Filled stamp sets; Certainly Celery, Pretty In Pink, Almost Amethyst & Shimmery White Cardstock; Pretty in Pink, Certainly Elery, Almost Amethyst & Apricot Appeal Classic Ink pads; Large & Small oval punches, Coluzzle Cutting System, Paper Piercing tools, White Gel Pen, Ticket Corner Punch, Glassy Glaze enamel, Dimensionals, Soft Subtle Brads.

I only have two more cards to post from this swap.  One uses the most awesome layout!  The other swap card is mine!  Talk to you soon and enjoy!

Spring Blogger Swap Cards!

I participated in another bloggers swap and got the best cards yet.  Here are two cards - in no particular order!

This card is by Michelle Laycock. Its quite beautiful and I love the sparkles on the one flower!  You should definitely check out her blog because she is the one that started it all!  Michelle has the very first stamping blog! 

Supplies Used:  Polka Dots and Paisley Stamp set; Cameo Coral, Night of Navy & Certainly Celery Classic Ink pads; Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, Certainly Celery cardstock; Ticket Corner Punch, word window punch, dazzling diamonds glitter, narrow organdy ribbon, celery grosgrain and hodgepodge hardware.

This cute card is by Simone Collins.  Her blog is HERE.  This card is so cute!  I love the Big Blooms stamp but I can't buy anymore stamps!!

Supplies Used:  Big Blooms, Polka Dots & Paisleys, Jumbo Petals Wheel; Versamark, Pretty in Pink, Tempting Turquoise, Regal Rose Classic Ink Pad; Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, White Ruby Red, Petals and Paisleys Designer Paper; Soft Subtles Brads, White Grosgrain, Circle Punches, White Signo Pen, Dimensionals

Tommorrow I will post a few more of the bloggers swap cards.  They are really good.  Have a great day and enjoy!

Things don't always work!

This card is an example of things that don't always work.  I am trying to come up with some baby cards because my nieces are pregnant.  I have to say that I don't have many baby themed stamp sets so I went thru my retired sets and found something.  Well, it just doesn't work.  I could not get my mojo going with this at all.  On the bright side, I really like the Designer Paper - Palette of Prints - that Stampin' Up! has as a special in May.  The papers are really good colors and super cute.

Supplies Used:  Warm Words, All Year Cheer I, Occasionally (retired Hostess Appreciation); Certainly Celery, Rose Red, Almost Amethyst, Apricot Appeal, Shimmery White Cardstock & Palette of Prints Designer Paper; Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst, Basic Black Classic Ink Pads; Ribbon Originals, Subtles Brads, Square Punches

Oh well, my thought was to use the color scheme of the ribbon but its just not working.  I am going to put this color combo aside and maybe I will find something that works with it another time!

Oh yeah!  I have been tagged like 4 or 5 times.  I am not ignoring it but I just don't know what to do about it!  I have some of my most favorite blogs linked here on my blog but I look at even more than that, when I have time.  So take a few moments to click on the links of other blogs.  Its fun!  Hope you have a great day!

Redo!

EDITED:  To add the recipe for my Mother's Day card.  Sorry for forgetting the supplies on this!

Here is my redo of the previous card I posted.  What do you think?

I found this frame at our local Dollar Tree store.  It holds 6 small pictures on the top thingys and a 4 x6" picture on the bottom.  I thought it would really look cute to put this on your desk at work or something like that.  What do you think?  I used my previous card for my mom as the basis for the idea.

Supplies Used:  Rough Edges & Big Deal Alphabets;  Cool Caribbean, Old Olive, Marigold Morning, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink & Petals and Paisley Designer Papers, Paper Snips, Black Gingham Ribbon, Black Brads, 3-flower Punch, Round Tab Punch.

Everyone at my stamp camp today really liked this.  A couple ladies put their child's name instead and that looked cool, too!  Gotta love that Dollar Tree store!

Here is my Mother's day card.  I cased this card from someone on SplitcoastStampers.  Its a great card and really beautiful.  I also made this same card into a thank you for one of Colleen's teachers.  Colleen performed a Tenor Sax solo at the local festival this past saturday and the Choir teacher played the piano for her.  I thought a thank you was in order as the festival was long, hot and boring!!

Supplies Used:  Simply Said, All Year Cheer II Stamp Sets; Certainly Celery, Regal Rose Cardstock; Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Basic Black Classic Ink Pads; Regal Rose Marker; Rose Grosgrain, Black Brads and Hodgepodge Hardware

Colleen's solo was really good.  She was so nervous while she was waiting for her turn that I was getting concerned.  But she played beautifully and was praised for a job well done.  Thank you!  I won't have to hear that song again.  YEAH!  Hope you had a great weekend, too.  Stamp camp was fun, the weather was nice and the mean neighbors across the street put their house up for sale!!  What a great weekend!! 

Mom's Birthday?

So I decided to CASE a card from Stamper's Showcase on Stampin' Up!'s demo website.   I made it to fit in the 5 in 1 Card Cover Template envelope.  I have had this template for awhile but haven't used it much.  I think the card is 3 1/2" x 12" so when you fold it - 3 1/2" x 6.  It is very similar to the Long Notes that are already cut with an envelope in the Spring Mini Catalog.

Supplies Used:  Big Deal and Rough Edges Alphabet; Old Olive, Pretty In Pink, Taken with Teal and Petal/Paisley Designer Paper; Rose Red, Old Olive Classic Ink and White Craft Pad; 3/4" hole punch, Round Tab Punch, 1/16" hole punch, 3-flower punch; Black Brads, Black Gingham Ribbon & White Grosgrain Ribbon, Corner Rounder, 5 in 1 Card Cover Template

I think this will be my mom's birthday card.  I don't have to worry about her seeing this as she can't figure out how to use a computer!  LOL  I am working on my projects for my Mother's Day Gift Idea stamp camp.  I am having alittle bit of a creative block but I am working thru it! Hopefully I can post some more soon. Talk to you later!

Newsletters and such

So I have been sending out newsletters to my customers for about 2 years now.  Unfortunately, the company that handles this is changing the fee schedule and I have to adjust my business accordingly.   Isn't it a bummer when good things are messed up by money?   So if you don't get my newsletter after May, just know that you can keep up to date by checking out my blog.  There is a Feedblitz option that you can fill out.  All you do is input your email address and Feedblitz will send you updates of my blog whenever I make a new post.  I use this feature on all my favorite blogs because it saves time and frustration.

So I placed an order with Stampin' Up! today.  Demonstrators get a chance to pre-order the Palette o'Prints for May's Special.  I can't wait to see these Designer Papers.  I have also ordered some other goodies for myself but not too much, LOL!!  This month is my Anniversary month with Stampin' Up!  A became a demonstrator in April 2003 and it has been really fun and a true journey!  I have made so many friends - other demonstrators and customers, alike!   It is only right that I buy myself an Anniversary present, don't you agree?  I will have more cards to share with you tommorrow.  Have a great day! 

Long Awaited.....

Slit Punch tutorial.  I am sure most of you know how to use the Slit Punch to make a scalloped border.  But for those who haven't seen it or tried it, here it goes.

You need a strip of cardstock about 1 1/2" - only so much of the cardstock will fit into your slit punch. 

Starting at one end of your cardstock strip, start punching! 

I am sorry its a little blurry but you can see that once I punched one slit, I then lined up the next punch to start creating the scalloped border.  Sure is easier to show than it is to write out the instructions.

Here is my completed strip of scalloped borders!  Its really easy just be careful to line up the slit punch so they don't overlap.  That way your scallops will look really nice!

Hope you have a great Second Sunday of Easter.  We are on our way to Mass.  Hopefully the Holy Spirit will enter my children in a special way because their fighting and picking at each other is driving me INSANE!!  Talk to you soon.

Happy Friday!

Thanks for the nice comments about my new picture and my daughter!  Alot of you noticed the curls in my hair - I have finally decided to go with nature.  It sure makes life simple to just let the hair be curly, super quick and easy!

Now here are a few cards I worked on last night using the Sketch Challenge for this week over at Splitcoaststampers!  I have had this Fishy Friends stamp set for quite awhile and haven't used it.  I decided that its time to use those stamp sets that have been sitting in my cabinet that haven't touched ink.  So this is my creation.

The color combo came from the Color Coach.  I love using the color coach because I definitely wouldn't have picked these colors to go together but I think it allw orks pretty good.

I used the direct to paper technique on the Brocade Blue cardstock and I cut out that little fishy, punched a small hole and strung some linen thread thru the hole.  I tied the thread on the ribbon. I used the Fishy Wheel on the Pixie Pink strip.  Its very hard to see in the picture.

Supplies Used:  Fishy Friends, Very Punny Stamp sets, Fishy Stampin' Around Wheel; Certainly Celery, Brocade Blue, Orchid Opulence, Pixie Pink, Whisper White Cardstock; Basic Black Classic Ink Pad; Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Blender Pens, Lilac Grosgrain Ribbon, Linen Thread, Cutter Kit Distressing Tool.

Here is another Sketch Challenge card.  The same layout but a much different look, don't you think?  I had to get out my Stamp-a-majig to get the two hearts just right but it turned out very good.  Hope Tammy isn't reading my blog today because this is her Thank You card for my birthday present!

Supplies Used:  Simply Said, Aida Background Stamp sets; Basic Black, Regal Rose, Whisper White Cardstock; Regal Rose, Basic Black, Pretty In Pink Classic Ink pads; Black Brads, Signo White Gel Pen, Black Gingham Ribbon, Stamp-a-majig, 1/16" hole punch

Have a great Friday the 13th.  I am off to shop and have lunch with my mom!  We don't get to spend time together by ourselves so it will be very fun. 

Kids grow up fast!

I can't believe how fast my girls have grown.  That fact was brought home to me last Friday afternoon while Colleen and I were out shopping for her Spring Formal dance.  Colleen will be 14 years old on May 3.  I can't believe she is not my chubby-cheeked Baby Colleen anymore.  See what I mean?

I have to make a few adjustments to the halter part of the dress.  And we are thinking of adding a bit of lace because modesty is still important, right?  Actually Colleen doesn't like the lace idea but her dad and I do.  I also liked the idea of a little jacket/sweater, too.  You should have seen Keith's face when he saw her in this dress.  Shock - he just looked shocked.  Of course, I didn't tell him that this dress was one of the more modest looking ones she tried on.  I can't believe some of the dresses that are out there to buy.  I have lived a sheltered life up til now!

So, what do you think?  Too old for a 14 year old?  I still have my doubts but I am going to do my best with making sure it fits properly and modestly.  Wish me luck!