2/29 Workshop Yummies!

When I had my Birthday Bonanza Stamporama this past month, quite a few of my customers requested the recipe for my Coconut Cranberry Bars so, since I can't remember who wanted the recipe and who didn't, I decided to share it on my blog and those who are interested can print it out, and those who are not, can exit out! I think I originally got this recipe from a Taste of Home magazine. It's quick to make and has become an old standby at our house.

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Coconut Cranberry Bars

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1-1/2 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/2 Cup Butter, melted

1-1/2 Cup White or Vanilla Baking Chips

1-1/2 Cup Dried Sweetened Cranberries

1 Cup Flaked Sweetened Coconut

1 Cup Pecan Halves

14 oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk

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Combine Graham Cracker Crumbs and Butter. Press mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Combine remaining ingredients. Gently spread over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes about 3 dozen.

2/29 Just One Flower Stamp

In March, I am having a Christian Inspiration Class and this is one of the five card designs we will be making. I used direct to paper with black craft ink on the Wild Wasabi card stock. I believe that Easter is about coming out of the darkness, so I attempted to show this with a black card base bleeding outward into the Wild Wasabi. That easing of the darkness culminates in a bright white center with tulips to represent Easter morning.

This card also fits the challenge at SCS which was to use just one flower stamp on your card. A sentiment was optional. And with a limited supply challenge . . . the challenge was to not use background stamps, designer paper, or Cuttlebug embossed backgrounds. Limited Supply Challenges are fun for me because they usually take me back to the basics of stamping . . . back when I didn't have a room overflowing with options. It also helps me relate to my newest customers who are looking to create beautiful cards with just the basics - stamps, paper and ink!
Here is a link to the Limited Supply Challenge for today.

Supplies I used to make this card:

Stamps: Never Ending Joy
Paper: Basic Black, Wild Wasabi, Regal Rose, Whisper White
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Real Red, Regal Rose
Accessories: Foam Tape, Black Brads, Tag Corner Punch, Positioner, Real Red Marker, Basic Black Marker

Tips for Making this Card: DTP (direct to paper) is achieved by lightly dragging your ink pad across your card stock. I used craft ink, but any kind of ink can be used. You can create depth with your tulips by inking them first in Regal Rose and then edging the sides and bottoms with a red marker. The sentiment was makered in Basic Black one word at a time. I used the positioner to get it just right across the bottom of the card.

2/28 Black Rock Notes

I love the challenges over at SCS because it gets me outside of my box. This card combines two of this week's challenges - the Color Challenge and the Ways to Use It Challenge. Our Color Challenge was to use River Rock with Black. You can read about it and find links to the gallery HERE. The Ways to Use it Challenge was to let music inspire your card. You can read about that challenge HERE.
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The Ways to Use It Challenge had me thinking about my Elegant Notes set. I also had some music note paper by DCWV that I purchased a long time ago from JoAnn's. No better time to use it, right? Adding River Rock was a cinch once I had my theme figured out. I made this card long to fit in the long notes envelopes that SU sells. The charm is out of my stash of odds and ends that I keep around to use on my cards "someday." I've stopped hoarding as my motto for 2008 is "Someday is Today." The brads are also from JoAnn's and oddly enough, they match the River Rock paper perfectly!
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Here are the supplies I used to make this card:
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Stamps: Elegant Notes
Paper: Textured River Rock, Basic Black, Die Cuts With a View Music Notes Designer Paper
Ink: StazOn Black
Accessories: River Rock Double Stitched Ribbon, a Charm, Foam Tape, Ticket Corner Punch, Brads

2/27 Birthday Memo

I love office supplies so it was only natural that I ordered Office Accoutrement. Now I can make cards that have an office-like theme . . . like this birthday card. The big cut out flower is also part of the Office Accoutrement set so that makes it a perfect set for someone like me. I don't have much luck growing flowers . . . but I sure can stamp them!!!

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I love this color combo . . . Blue Bayou, Basic Gray, Soft Sky, Groovy Guava and River Rock and a hint of Whisper White. The Soft Sky is textured - so rich! The ribbon was gifted to my by one of my customers who heard me mention that I loved the double stitched ribbon . . . but only had three of the six colors and Blue Bayou was not one of them . . . even though I loved it! How do you have everything?? Thank You, Katherine!! (You are just so sweet to me!!!)

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The design of this card is based on a sketch challenge flipped onto it's side. You can see the sketch challenge at SCS HERE. Thanks for stopping by my blog . . . I appreciate you!!

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Supplies I used to make this card:

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Stamps: Office Accoutrement, It's Your Birthday

Paper: Blue Bayou, Whisper White, Basic Gray, Textured Soft Sky, Groovy Guava, Whisper White and a River Rock like color from the Ginger Blossom Designer Paper Pack

Ink: Blue Bayou, Basic Gray, Groovy Guava

Accessories: Foam Tape, Blue Bayou Double Stitched Ribbon, Positioner

2/26 Brayering Away

I enjoy using a brayer whether it is to apply an even coverage of ink to a background stamp or to apply different shades of color to my card stock and use it as gorgeous background for my image. My March Technique Class will feature several different ways to use your brayer. Here is one card that I made as I contemplated what we could do with our brayer. I used Barely Banana ink, Pumpkin Pie ink and Regal Rose ink. It makes for a gorgeous backdrop to a beautiful stamp from the Summer by the Sea set. Thanks for stopping by to take a look!

Card Supplies:

Stamps: Summer By the Sea Paper: Basic Black, Barely Banana, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie Ink: Barely Banana, Pumpkin Pie, Regal Rose, StazOn Black Accessories: Brayer, Ribbon, Foam Tape

2/23 Always Pretty!

Today the Inspiration Challenge at SCS was to take a look at this picture from Country Living Magazine and let it inspire your card art. The first thing I noticed was all the green and then the pink of course. I always zone in on pinks . . . three daughters, a girly girl myself . . . pink is way up there on my color agenda.
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My Blossoms Abound was still sitting on my desk from last evenings card making frenzy. I just picked it up, cleaned it off (I've never been very good about cleaning my ink off immediately!) and then a stampin' away I went. I used Pixie Pink stamped off once for the base of my lilac. Then, full strength Pink Passion for the second part of the flower. The stem is Garden Green and Gable Green.
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I noticed some lovely swirls on the pillows and that inspired me to pull out my Baroque Motifs set. I stamped the swirl in Garden Green onto Gable Green paper. The base of my card is Garden Green. I decided to try my hand at a dotted border . . . isn't it lovely? That's SU's white gel pen on Pink Passion paper. I had some sheer ribbon that matched the Pink Passion paper perfectly so that was tied into a bow and what do you know . . . instant fluff! I love fluff. The next layer of paper is Pixie Pink and then my image panel both of which are corner notched with the Ticket Corner Punch and then popped up with foam tape.
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My next thought was what do I put in all that white space in the lower right hand corner of my image panel. I saw the oranges in the basket and my thoughts went round. Hmmmm . . . what do I have that is round? That's when I remembered my brand new set that I just put together . . . my Always set! I knew it would be perfect and it was! I stamped it in Garden Green, added a flower to the middle stamped in Pink Passion, punched it out with my circle punch and popped it up on foam tape. Now all that I needed to do was grab my Pretties Kit and put all the finishing touches on. Half-back white pearls in the corners and a stick pin with pearls and crystals. It's just soooo pretty!!!
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Supplies I used to make this card:
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Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Blossoms Abound, Always
Paper: Garden Green, Gable Green, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Whisper White
Ink: Garden Green, Gable Green, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink
Accessories: Sponge to edge the Gable Green panel with Garden Green ink, Foam Tape, White Gel Pen, Sheer Pink Ribbon (from my stash!), Pretties Kit, Ticket Corner Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch

2/22 Joyful Blossoms

Can I hand write on a card and still call it elegant? Hmmm . . . maybe, maybe not. Well, here is my valiant try at "Signature Style." Faith Hofrichter, aka Markie's Mom at SCS, edged her card with the tiniest letters all around her image panel. You can see her darling card HERE. I couldn't begin to make my hand written border look that good. One thing about handwriting . . . you really can't fake it! Guess I'll stick to stamping my words from now on!

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OK . . . so what inspired me? A piece of broken jewelry that has been in my desk drawer for ages! You know, one of those things that you don't throw away because you think . . . hey, I could use that in a card someday. So, now I had my piece of jewelry . . . it was gold and that led me to my Gold Glory Embossing Powder. Then, I needed an image and I decided to go with Blossoms Abound as spring must be right around the corner - soon, I hope! I dug through another drawer of metallic trinkets and came up with some gold corner pieces that I picked up a long, long time ago at a local stamping store. The reason I decided to go with sage is because I just upgraded to a new sage classic ink pad and it still had it's wrapper on. I was looking for an excuse to use something new and inky. My old sage pad was one of the small flip up lid ones from before the change! Then it was just stamp, stamp, stamp.

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I spent the most time fiddling with my medallion that started with a piece of broken jewelry. I finally decided on the following layers starting with a scallop circle punch from Chocolate Chip Paper. Then I popped on a circle of Sage Shadow and then another circle of Chocolate Chip. Over that went the medallion decorated with some Chocolate Taffeta Ribbon. The finishing touch? A large Ivory Half-back Pearl from our fabulous Pretties Kit.

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Here are the supplies I used to make this card:

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Stamps: Antique Cracking Background (similar to current background called Weathered), Blossoms Abound

Paper: Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla

Ink: Sage Shadow, Gold Encore, River Rock, Mellow Moss

Accessories: Markers - Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Crop-a-Dial to make the raised dots which were then touched with gold encore ink, Gold Glory Embossing Powder, Chocolate Taffeta Ribbon, Pretties Kit, Glue Dots, Scallop Punch, Circle Punches, Gold Corners and Broken Jewelry

2/21 My First Window Card!

I photographed this card from a lot of different angles trying to capture the "window" for you, but it didn't work. It just looks like layers . . . but really, truly it isn't! It's my first window card ever and even though this card took all day (due to numerous interruptions) I am happy with how it came out.

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I used my Cuttlebug embossing folder called Divine Swirl on the red panel. Then I tried out my first set of Nestabilities. I bought this set of large rectangular scallop dies over a month ago, but never quite got around to using them until today. It was a bit of a trick to get everything positioned and aligned, but I managed . . . but just barely as patience has never come to me naturally! I attached a panel of acetate between the white card base and the red panel. The blue that you see is a piece of Cutie Pie paper that is adhered to the inside of the card.

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The image is from the Sale-a-Bration set called Merci. I love the whimsical flower springing out of the heart. It was so much fun to watercolor. I stamped the image onto watercolor paper with StazOn Black ink. Then, using my Stampin'Up Markers, I lightly colored the image. Between colors, I blended with my Aquapainter. I just LOVE how the coloring turned out. Then, I carefully trimmed the image out and sticking it full of Dotto Dots, I put it onto my acetate window.

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My finishing touches were to add a bit of ribbon and a split color oval sentiment.

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My card ingredients:

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Stamps: Merci

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red, Cutie Pie DP, Watercolor Paper

Ink: StazOn Black

Accessories: SU Markers in Summer Sun, Regal Rose, Garden Green and Real Red, Acetate, Nestabilities Large Rectangular Scallop Die Set, Ribbon, Oval Punches, Cuttlebug Divine Swirl Embossing Folder, Foam Tape

2/15 Baby Scallops

One of the Sale-A-Bration sets is called So Many Scallops and based on what my customers are ordering . . . it's ranking at the top for most wanted free set! I've been on such a baby kick lately . . . I think it's that Nursery Letters Wheel . . . it just has me on a roll! lol! So, anyway, I decided to use So Many Scallops with the Nursery Letters Wheel. Notice the large scallops? They are featured on several samples in the latest catalog and I wanted to make some, too. I ordered the On Board Ginormous Chipboard Pieces and used the large scallop border to trace my scallop border onto Ballet Blue cardstock. Then, since the scallops are so large, it was just a cinch to cut them out. I used the template again to make my stitching lines with our awesome white gel pen. That really seems to make that border pop.
I added vellum to part of the Nursery Letters so that it would tone that section of the card down just a bit and keep the baby scallop square image the focus of this card. I used wide Saffron ribbon from the Sherbet Ribbon Originals Collection for lovely texture and visual interest. The stars are from my favorite holiday set called Snowfall. It isn't pictured in the catalog but it is available for order from our dormant list.

Here are the supplies I used to make this card:

Stamps: Nursery Letters Wheel, So Many Scallops, Snowfall Paper: So Saffron, Ballet Blue, Whisper White, Vellum Ink: Ballet Blue Accessories: On Board Ginormous Pieces, Sherbet Ribbon Originals, White Taffeta Ribbon, White Gel Pen, Foam Tape, Scallop Circle Punch

2/11 Sweet and Snuggly!

I've been really busy with my Stampin'Up business lately and haven't had a lot of time to stamp in a non-business mode of mind. Well, today, I found some time!! Yeah for me!

When I'm in my non-business mode, I let myself go, my sets are not always current, my ribbon might come from Michaels, and my inspiration can be anything!

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I have a rather large "favorites" gallery at SCS. These are cards that we can flag as favorites. They go into a gallery that I can pull up anytime and I don't have to store the images on my hard-drive. SCS take care of all that storage for me and my husband appreciates that! THANK YOU SCS! One of those cards flagged as a favorite comes from Jovi. Her gallery is just full of "critter" cards. . . . kitties, hedgies, and mice are some of her favorite images to work with. This card HERE is where I took my inspiration from today. I needed to make something "warm" as the weather outside is frightful!!! Hope you enjoy!

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Oh, and by the way, Karel turns 14 today! My oldest girlie is growing up. I gave her a GORGEOUS pair of earrings, Pride and Prejudice, the movie, and this afternoon I'll treat her and a couple of friends to an expedition to Caribou. I am so proud of her amazing self-disipline, her artistic flair, and her love for family. She is always sweet to her two younger sisters and that is a treasure I will always hold in my heart.

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My card supplies:

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Stamps: Flannel Plaid, Gift Tags (retired long ago) Paper: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Brilliant Blue Ink: Basic Brown, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Regal Rose, Brilliant Blue Accessories: Aquapainter, Ribbon from Michael's

2/5 Peppermint Patties & Basket

I was so very inspired by all of the Peppermint Pattie treats and baskets being posted at SCS that I decided to make a little basket of my own. I got the information for the basket template at Cambria Turnbow's Blog HERE. Of course, this little set uses all kinds of punches . . . and I just LOVE to use punches! I am going to share the baskets with my club hostesses this month. I think I need to make a lot more of these very quickly because otherwise the peppermint patties are not going to last very long. My three girls and I are all crazy for these yummy candies.

Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

Supplies:

Stamps: Happy Heart Day, Garden Whimsey Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Regal Rose, 6x6 Prints Pack - Level One Hostess Option Ink: Basic Black, Real Red Accessories: Scallop Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Tag Punches, Red Gingham Ribbon, Stapler, SU Markers

2/1 Christmas Take Ten for February

I joined the Christmas Card Challenge at SCS so that come December 2008, I will be prepared with at least 100 cards. I'm passing that challenge on to my customers with Christmas Take Ten Nights that we are having once a month at my house. This will be my Christmas Take Ten card for February. I was very inspired by a card that my friend JoAnn at SCS made. Here is her Peace on Earth card. She embossed her snowflakes and snowdrifts to make them show up a bit brighter, but I took the easy way out and just stamped with white craft and let dry.

Supplies I used to make this card:

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Peaceful Wishes Paper: Chocolate Chip, Confetti White, Creamy Caramel Ink: Chocolate Chip, White Craft Accessories: Caramel Gingham Ribbon