5/28 Another Birthday Card for Teens

We have a teen driver in our house. What is exciting to her is absolutely hair-raising to her parents. Enough said! Onto the card!

Another birthday card for a teen that will be featured at my upcoming Birthday Cards for Teens class in June. I LOVE the bright colors as my teenage daughters do, too. They gave the Big THUMBS Up on this card so I know it's going to be a winner. I borrowed the stamp set from one of my customers and found it delightful to work with. I think I might have to get it myself now that I've played with it.

Shopping is easy at my Stampin'Up website . . . check it out and see for yourself!

Supplies for this card:

Stamps: It's a Sign (114994), Whimsy Jumbo Wheel (109688)
Paper: Green Galore (101768), Basic Black (102851), Tempting Turquoise (102067), YoYo Yellow (102824), Gable Green (102795), Whisper White (100730)
Ink: StazOn Black (101406), Green Galore (102122)
Accessories: Jumbo Wheel Handle (103661), Scallop Border Punch (112091), Striped Grosgrain Ribbon in Real Red (110714), Bold Bright Brads (106957), Dimensionals (104430)

5/27 Basketball Birthday

I have a "favorites" file on my computer that I save cards I am inspired by and one of the cards that I saved to my favorites was this one by Melissa from SCS. What's really kind of funny, is that she said she was inspired by one of MY cards . . . specifically: This One, that I made for swapping at Regionals 2008. I promised her that I was going to have to "case" her version and here it is. (Notice how very little I changed? That's a compliment to Melissa - why mess with perfection!) It will be one of the cards that my customers will make next month at my Birthday Cards for Teens Class.

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I created the backboard with my 1 3/8" Square Punch, then trimmed the edges down so they weren't so wide. Then, like Melissa, my backboard has acetate on it making it look like a real backboard! Cool, huh? Have a great day!

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Stamps: Just Basketball (115004)

Paper: Pumpkin Pie (105117), Basic Black (102851), Cardstock Vellum (101856)

Ink: StazOn Black (101406)

Accessories: Dimensionals (104430), Acetate (114323), 1 3/8" Square Punch (103375), 1 1/4" Circle Punch to punch out the basketballs (104403)

5/22 Sweet Little Dancer Card

What do you do when you have a million things that you should be doing before a long MN weekend? Why, you STAMP - of course! lol!

Actually, I needed to come up with another dance card and I wanted to take supplies with me this weekend so that I could make a few at the lake.

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I had no idea where to start so I turned to a couple of challenges to help me get rolling. First, I checked out the color challenge from the Color Throwdown Blog. Purples . . . dance . . . little girls . . . works for me! Then I needed a sketch. I checked a few of them out . . . but needed one that would work for a fairly large main image. I had pre-stamped images from a Penny Black stamp that a friend loaned to me way back when. I knew I would use those extra images some day and today was the day. Soon I came across the Weekend Sketch Challenge and the card was born.

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I used some textured Eggplant paper that really makes this card look extra awesome. I decided that with the paper special that SU is offering right now that I should get the 12x12 assorted Textured paper in all of the SU color families. So far, I have the Bold Brights, The Neutrals, and the Rich Regals. Elegant Eggplant is in the Rich Regal pack.

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I took some liberty with the sketch . . . again to work with the pre-stamped image. The sentiment is from a stamp by Great Impressions. The ribbon is from my "stash." Have a great weekend!

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Stamps: non-SU

Paper: Lavender Lace (101614) Old Olive (100702), Textured Elegant Eggplant (108696), Whisper White (100730)

Ink: Basic Black (101179), Lavender Lace (101305), Elegant Eggplant (105210), Pretty in Pink (101301), Creamy Caramel (103220)

Accessories: Aqua Painter (103954), Blender Pen (102845), Dimensionals (104430), non SU Ribbon

5/20 A Birthday Card for a Teen

Isn't this card cute?? I'm planning a class for June that will feature birthday cards for teens and this is one of the cards that we will do. I was inspired by THIS CARD at SCS by Stampin' Up demonstrator Donna Meeks. I picked gender neutral colors so that this card could be given to a boy or a girl. I LOVE Kiwi Kiss and so does every single one of my teenage daughters. By the way, they flipped OUT when they saw this card so I know it's a good one! lol! My customers will have the option to choose the sentiment that they want on the "screen." I picked a belated birthday message because . . . well . . . even though I MAKE a lot of cards, I don't always get them sent off in time. oops!

Oh, and another PLUG for the incredible opportunity that Stampin'Up is offering right now for people who want to become demonstrators in May. It's ONLY $75 join our SU family! That is a real deal! Ask me about my sign up special that I am offering to new team members who join during this special offer! Click HERE for more details about becoming a demonstrator in May and read about two more specials available only through the end of this month.

Shop at my SU website 24/7!

Here are the supplies that you need to make this card:

Stamps: WOW Flowers (111714), On Your Birthday (111664)
Paper: Basic Gray (108692), Basic Black (102851), Whisper White (100730), Brushed Silver (100712), Walk in the Park DSP (115123)
Ink: Basic Black (101179)
Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch (112091), 3/4" Circle Punch (107217), 1/2" Circle Punch (104390), 1 1/4" Circle Punch (104403), 1 3/8" Circle Punch (104401), Key Tag Punch (107272), Corner Rounder Punch (109047)

5/17 Lovin' the Mojo Challenge!

What a busy weekend! But, what else is new, huh? I had to work pretty hard to carve a little stampin' time into my late Sunday afternoon, but I got it done by turning to one of my favorite challenges . . . The Mojo Monday Challenge. Yup, I admit . . . six days since it was posted, but hey, it's MN and it's a crazy, busy time of year!

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I used the stamp set Loads of Love with the fabulous Designer Series Paper called Manchester. I tried to keep everything kind of soft . . . but watercolored the hearts with a pop of Riding Hood Red ink. I love how it turned out and hope that you've been inspired, too. Have a great day!

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Shop with me 24/7 at my Stampin'Up website!

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Supplies I used on this card:

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Stamps: Loads of Love (115022)

Paper: Creamy Caramel (102514), Close to Cocoa (101341), Watercolor Paper (105019), Naturals White on the inside (102316), Manchester DSP (112464)

Ink: Basic Brown (104315), Creamy Caramel (103220), Baja Breeze (111833), Riding Hood Red (111836)

Accessories: Scallop Square Punch (112081), 3/4" Square Punch - retired, Scallop Edge Punch (112091), Soft Subtles Buttons - retired, Aqua Painter (103954), Dimensionals (104430)

5/15 Charity Card

This is the card my club members made for donations to a local befrienders group this month. It has a more masculine feel to it and it is based on a sketch that was in our last Stampin' Success magazine. It uses the wonderful textured paper called To the Nines. What does To the Nines mean? If you know, leave me a comment as I'm not sure. I want to say, it has something to do with golf . . . or is it about getting dressed up and going out on the town? And what does nine have to do with it? lol!

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http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stampingtoshare/

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Supplies for this card:

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Stamps: Very Versatile(113806)

Paper: Sahara Sand (105328), Chocolate Chip (102128), To the Nines DSP (114038)

Ink: Chocolate Chip (100908)

Accessories: Word Window Punch (105090), Scallop Border Punch (112091)

5/13 Happy Birthday, Honey!

Here's a picture of my handsome hubby who is having a birthday today! Steve is the math genius in our family and spends a lot of time with his daughters helping them with their math homework. We actually all enjoy numbers in our house so it's a nice father daughter bonding time. Steve used to help me with my math in college and I can vouch for his tutoring skills!



This is the card I made for him. It is a gift card and I based it from a design that we are doing at my Many Masculine Card class coming up the end of May. You can see pictures of all the cards HERE.

This is the inside of the card. We both enjoy golfing so the money tucked into the right envelope will come in handy when we hit the links. (Why not give a gift we can both share? lol!) Of course the set, And Many More from the Spring Occasions catalog is PERFECT. My hubby likes to golf, is totally in charge of lawn-mowing, and controls the remote with one hand while enjoying a "refreshment" in the other. Can you see why I couldn't get that set in my hands fast enough! lol.

Last night was Tuesday Night Club and our hostess, Marlys, had a lovely cake made for the event! Unfortunately, one of our club members wasn't able to make it so she isn't in the picture. (We missed you, Lynn!) The gals in the picture are from left to right: Maureen, Kathy, Marlys, myself, Tracy and Jean. The chocolate cake was not only lovely to look at, but also had a surprise layer of strawberry preserves on the inside. DELICIOUS! Thank YOU, Marlys!!

Shop with me 24/7 at my Stampin'Up website!

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Supplies for the card:

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Stamps: And Many Mower (113724)
Ink: Basic Brown (104315), Baja Breeze (111833), Always Artichoke (105219), Blush Blossom (102609)
Paper: Manchester DSP (112464), Close to Cocoa (101341), Chocolate Chip (102128), Very Vanilla (101650)
Accessories: 5/8” Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon (109051), Scalloped Oval punch (114889), Large Oval punch (107305), Horizontal Slot punch (105089), 3/16” Corner Rounder punch (109047), bone folder (102300), Stamp-a-ma-jig (101049), Blender pens (102845)

5/12 A Ballet Card

Every spring I pull out a few retired dance sets and try to create a few dance cards for our Spring Performance. This set called, "Dance" is long retired, but I love the elegant dancer so I will never part with it. I stamped the ballerina with Whisper White ink onto Whisper White paper and embossed it with White Embossing Powder. Then, I took my stipple brush and stippled an aura of Regal Rose all around the dancer. The dancer will turn a bit pink when you do this, but never fear, just grab a tissue and wipe the excess ink off of her. It will not set on the embossed area. This technique is called Emboss Resist. I actually remembered to stamp my envelope, too. Not something I always remember to do so I had to put it in my picture! lol!

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Supplies:

Stamps: Dance (retired)

Paper: Pink Pirouette (111351), Whisper White (100730), Hostess Level One Paper Pack of DSP (114325)
Ink: Regal Rose (105211), Whisper White Craft (101731)

Accessories: Stipple Brush (101399), Heat Gun (100005), White Embossing Powder (109132), Pretties Kit (109114), Pink Pirouette 1 1/4" Ribbon (111363), Sponge Dauber (102892), Circle Fire Rhinestone Brad (109110)

5/9 Embracing Mojo on a Saturday!

I'm getting back in the groove . . . I'm stamping on a Saturday so I turned to this week's Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge which is pictured on the left. I had a feeling that Embrace Life might work nicely for the sketch challenge. I opted to cut the flower out in place of having a square panel. I used the water puddle color technique that is all the rage right now, but instead of stamping the flower with craft white and embossing, I decided to use black craft ink with clear embossing powder. I really like how it turned out.

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The paper is from the Level One hostess rewards paper pack. I love that Regal Rose and the patterns layer so well together.

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You can shop with me 24/7 at my Stampin'Up website . . . right now we have Designer Series Paper on special: Buy three get one free! Happy stamping!

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Here are the supplies:

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Stamps: Embrace Life (114958)

Paper: Basic Gray (108692), Whisper White (100730), Shimmery White (101910), Hostess Level One Paper Pack of DSP (114325)

Ink: Regal Rose Ink Refill (105223), Basic Black (101179), Basic Black Craft (102192)

Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch (113692), Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon (109064), Heat Gun (100005), Clear Embossing Powder (109130), Aqua Painter (103954), Dimensionals (104430), Mini Glue Dot (103683)

5/5 Bear-y Springy!

I know it's finally Spring in Minnesota when the S'more Displays start coming out on the end caps of the grocery story aisles . . . and they stay on display from just before Memorial Day through Labor Day! haha! We Minnesotans are big on S'mores. In fact . . . my three girls have a beloved pet cat who they named "S'more." Yes, we are devoted to that wonderful campfire treat. (The inside of the card features the big mosquito that is a part of this stamp set. I had to stamp that little bugger just for a reality check as mosquitoes are an unwelcome guest at nearly every campfire activity in MN!)
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To really give the s'more dimension on my card, I put Crystal Effects on the candy bar and white liquid applique heated with a heat gun on the marshmallow. I have the bear coming out from behind a Top Note frame and to accent the frame, I dashed some lines all around it with a brown sharpie. The bear and graham crackers are colored with Watercolor Crayons and an Aqua Painter. I am very new to using Watercolor Crayons and I know I need a lot more practice with them. One think I really liked about using them was that all the Earth Element colors were contained in one convenient tin - I didn't have to have several ink pads open on my desk as I usually do when I am using my Aqua Painter.
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I had to put a picture of our "S'more" for you to see. The reason the girls named him "S'more" is because he has a streak of white along the top of his back and it reminded them of how marshmallow squeezes out of your s'more treat as you eat it!
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Feel free to Shop with Me! 24/7 at my SU website!
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Supplies I used on this card:
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Stamps: Under the Stars()
Paper: Chocolate Chip (102128), Creamy Caramel (102514), Naturals White (102316)
Ink: Basic Brown (104315)
Accessories: Big Shot Machine (113439), Naturally Serif Sizzlit Decorative Strip Die (113453), Extended Spacer Platform (113477), Decorative Strip Cutting Pads (113479), Top Note Die (113463), Crystal Effects (101055), Heat Gun (100005), Misc. non-SU supplies: Sharpie Fine Tip in Brown, Liquid Applique
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5/5 Sweet Treat Holder!

Last night was our Stamping to Share Demo Meeting. Seven Creative Crafters were present and Kathy Trussell provided a project for all of us to do. We got to make a treat hold and Oh, did we ENJOY it when we found out what was going to be inside - CHOCOLATE!!! Yes, this was a HIT project in every way imaginable - seven women . . . seven bars of chocolate and a feeling of happiness prevailed! Thank you, Kathy for such a great project and sweet treat.

This picture shows the treat!

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Supplies we used:

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Stamps: Enjoy Every Moment (113622), Daisy Dash Jumbo Wheel (111255)

Paper: Real Red (102482), Brilliant Blue (100721), Whisper White (100730)

Ink: Brilliant Blue (100691), Real Red (103133)

Punches: Word Window Punch (105090), Horizontal Slot Punch (105089), Ribbon and Circle Punches

Shot with Me 24/7 at my SU website!

5/3 Purple Breezes

It's all over SU Blogland! Patty Bennett came up with a way to color the 5th Ave Floral set that makes one positively sigh with joy upon seeing it. You simply stamp the flowers with white craft ink into Shimmery White paper, heat emboss it with White Embossing powder, mist it to dripping wet and then, use an Aqua Painter to touch drops of reinker to your petals. Of course, I am waaaaay too impatient to do each petal individually so I just kind of glubbed and globbed the Aqua Painter all over the place and it still turned out pretty good. I used Pale Plum and Perfect Plum initially. Then, I decided to add a few drops of Baja Breeze into the mix, too. By that time, my rose was pretty much dry, so I just used a pretty wet Aqua Painter to add it in where ever I had some white space. I LOVE it, don't you? I can totally see why this technique is so addicting. Each flower is unique and depending on the amount of water or reinker that you use . . . you can achieve totally different but beautiful results.

I recently became a member at a place called Stampin' Addicts. I set up a gallery and now this is my first Stampin' Addict Color Challenge card. The challenge colors were Pale Plum, Perfect Plum and Baja Breeze. The beautiful sheet of Baja Breeze colored paper that you see in the background is actually designer series paper that is from the pack called Urban Oasis. I LOVE that paper! Don't forget that we are celebrating National Scrapbooking Month and all Designer Series Paper from SU is on special . . . buy three get one free!

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Shop 24/7 with me at my Stampin'Up website!

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Supplies:

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Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral (113734), A Beautiful Thing (113618)

Paper: Perfect Plum (101889), Pale Plum (101658), Urban Oasis DSP (113978), Shimmery White (101910)

Ink: Craft White (101731), Perfect Plum (101437), Baja Breeze Reinker (111844), Pale Plum Reinker (101268), Perfect Plum Reinker (102107)

Accessories: Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon (109070), White Embossing Powder (109132), Heat Gun (100005), Stamp-a-ma-jig (101049), Dimensionals (104430), Aqua Painter (103954)

5/1 Picture the Possibilities in May!!

May is National Scrapbooking Month and Stampin'Up will be celebrating in style with three aMAYzing promotions!! Just IMAGINE the possibilites as you check this information out!

Promotion One:

Buy three packs of Designer Series Paper - including Specialty Designer Series paper - or 12" x 12" textured card stock and get one FREE!! You can MIX and MATCH your packs of paper for endless paper crafting possibilities. See the flier HERE!

Promotion Two:

Become a demonstrator for only $75 with the limited-time, Scrapbooking Starter Kit! See the Starter Kit HERE! See my side bar to read about the questions I had as I contemplated the idea of joining the Stampin'Up demonstrator family. Maybe some of the questions I had are ones that you have, too. The Scrapbooking Starter Kit includes School Book Serif Alphabet, Earth Elements Textured Card Stock, Simply Scrappin' Petal Party and a Whisper White Craft pad . . . all of which can be substituted for products of your choice. The kit also includes all of the business supplies contained in the regular Starter Kit.

Promotion Three:

Buy the new Jumble Alphabet stamp set - a sneak peek from the upcoming 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog - at 20% off! Click HERE to see a picture of the Jumble Alphabet set.

What an amazing array of specials to celebrate National Scrapbooking Month. Please e-mail me if you have further questions! Happy Stamping and Scrapping!

5/1 Many Masculine Cards Class!

Finding the perfect card & gift for a man is always challenging ….until now. Be ready for any occasion with this fantastic set of four masculine “fun-fold” cards and briefcase-shaped gift box. Each card is based on an original template and is created out of one sheet of DP making it a unique card & gift-card holder-in-one!

Dates: Tuesday, May 26 at 6:30pm

Wednesday, May 27 at 9:30 am

Cost: $20

Location: My Home

Please email me to sign up for this class.

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Supplies:

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Stamps: And Many Mower

Ink: Basic Brown, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Always Artichoke, Blush Blossom (optional), Creamy Caramel (optional), Close to Cocoa Stampin’ Write Marker

Paper: Manchester DP, Close to Cocoa 12” x 12” CS, Chocolate Chip 12” x 12” CS, Very Vanilla 12” x 12” CS, Medium Very Vanilla envelopes

Accessories: 5/8” Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon, gold brads, paper snips, My Way punch, Scalloped Oval punch, Large Oval punch, Horizontal Slot punch, 3/16” Corner Rounder punch, bone folder, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Stamping Sponges, Blender pens, Stampin’ Scrub/Mist, Paper trimmer and scoring blade, Crafter’s tool kit (paper piercer and foam mat), pencil and ruler