Here's a warm and cozy card for today. It has been a very snowy day and although it is pretty, I am SO ready for spring. When Mom, Tammy and I got together to scrap/stamp on Saturday I made 11 cards using two 12x12 sheets of patterned paper. Don't know why I ended up with an odd number, but oh well. LOL I like to challenge myself sometimes to really stretch my supplies. I used an older stamp set by Stampin' Up! called Espress Yourself. It is one that I don't use often, but is perfect for a cozy card. I stamped the mug in Color Box chalk ink, then stamped the steam with Creamy Caramel Classic Ink from SU!. I filled in parts on the mug with the Versamarker and Pretty In Pink marker to add some depth. You can't tell in this photo, but I added Crystal Effects on the pink heart for some shine and dimension. I told you I was so addicted to the Kraft cardstock. I am panicking as I only have a few sheets left! (Click for a closer look to see the detail.)

Snowy Friday

Even though this picture of Macy was taken in December '07, I wanted to share her precious little face. She is the little heartbeat at my feet that so often reminds me of the joys of life. She is my "baby". I don't have anything craft-related to share today. It's Friday and after a long work week, I'm always whooped on Friday. Mom, Tammy and I are scrappin' together tomorrow so that should be fun...as long as too much snow doesn't fall tonight. Hope everyone has a nice weekend and stay warm! Greetings from SNOW-HI-O!

Birthday Goody from Cindy

I got this adorable stamp from my dear friend Cindy as a belated birthday gift. Cindy always finds the cutest things! This one is called Stamp Shop and is made by A Muse Stamps. I wanted to make a quick card using the color Wild Wasabi. I added a Ka-Jinker Jem with a white brad for a bit of bling. Those little cuties were from Joan and Connie. There is an actual tool you can use to add them to your projects, but when we were browsing in Archivers I told them to just use a brad since there is a hole in the center. Little did I know they were going to sneak some in their shopping basket for me! Thanks girls! I feel so spoiled!





Until next time...

Edited to add: Not sure why, but the "click on picture to get a closer look" just isn't working...Sorry! I'll try to figure it out soon.

Boho Scalloped Circle

Here's another way to use your Stampin' Up! scalloped circle punch....create a "boho" style punch-out with a few quick steps. If you like the flowers in the Boho Blossoms punch on page 181 or the stamp sets Boho Backgrounds and One of a Kind on page 109 of the Spring Summer Collection then this will coordinate with that look. Remember, you can click on any picture within the post and get a close up look. Ok, here's the step by step...

Step 1: Turn your scalloped circle punch upside down so you can see exactly where you are punching. I do this with all my SU! punches. When you actually punch the shape out, you may need both hands. The scalloped edges make it a bit harder to punch than a simple circle.

Step 2: This is what you get once you punch the scalloped circle out.

Step 3: Place the scalloped piece back in the hole of the cardstock and tape lightly with regular household tape.

Step 4: Place the cardstock back in your scalloped circle punch, but line up the "points" of the punch in the center of the "scallops" of the scalloped circle piece you already punched out. Hope this makes sense. Sorry this pic is a bit blurry, too. Ok, now punch again. It will take two hands for sure as you are also punching through those little pieces of tape.

Step 5: Tah-dah...see how cute that punched piece is now?!? I love it! My mom would be so proud if I share this "paper scraps" tip, too. She is the Queen of Paper Scraps! LOL You can a)use the "confetti" pieces in a shaker card, b) use the punched piece as a stencil to create a fun background, c) obviously, use the punch-out on a card/scrapbook page or d) use all three on a project (how about a shaker card with a stenciled background and Boho flower?). See, you really can get your money's worth from your supplies(*wink wink*)...use those scraps! I tend to throw out the little confetti pieces or later find them on the dog or my fuzzy slippers. Sort of like glitter...it travels places. LOL

The Final Project: Here's the card I made using my Boho flower. I used Kraft cardstock (shocker! it's my current fav), white craft ink and the stamp set True Friend (page 106). Do you see the other little "trick" in this photo? The Blue Bayou stitched grosgrain ribbon got a little makeover. I simply pulled the white string out and used it to make the "fringe" on the focal piece. I have seen this idea in our Stampin' Up! publications and finally decided to try it. So, you can not only have two punches with the Scalloped Circle Punch, but you can also have two kinds of ribbon from the stitched grosgrain ribbon, too. Leave me a comment and tell me what you think of this idea. Even better, create a project using this technique, e-mail me a pic of it and I'll post it here on my blog. Thanks for stopping by! Hope you learned something new today! I can't take credit....I know I must have seen it somewhere. Unfortunately, the older I get, the less I remember. So, I just say "thank you" to the original person who came up with it....whoever and wherever that might be. :)

Stay tuned....tomorrow I'll show you what fun fun fun little goody I got in the mail from my friend Cindy. It's just so cute! Of course, it's stamping related....

One More Valentine

I received this adorable Valentine from my friend Wendy and just had to share it. There are so many fun things on her card. She used the Cuttlebug to add texture to her patterned paper. I really like the delicate doily and the added detail of how she punched the circles in each scallop of the pink layer. Who can resist that little cotton bunny tail or the fun glitter on the heart? See, didn't it make you smile, too? Thanks Wendy for such a cute Valentine & for letting me share it. This stamp is from CC Designs and you can get it here.

Stay tuned...tomorrow I will show you another fun use of the Stampin' Up! scalloped circle punch.

My Sweetie Pie

Although Valentine's Day has passed, I still wanted to share the cards I mailed to family and friends. It has become my tradition that a picture of us taken at Christmas is mailed in our Valentines. This version is a bit different than the ones I actually mailed. I'll confess that I was feeling really selfish about using my last roll of chocolate chip grosgrain, so I made the other ones with no ribbon. EEK! I also used the slit punch on the edges of the striped paper and simply tucked the picture under the flaps for easy removal. I ran my cardstock through the Cuttlebug to get that awesome texture (love my Cuttlebug!). I am so addicted to the kraft cardstock right now, too! Paired with the striped paper and the colors in our photo, I was pleased with the result. (*remember, you can click on the photo for a closer look)I am lucky to have my sweetie pie Kevin and our super funny dog Macy. Hope each of you has a love-filled blessed year ahead!

Why blog?

Well, I finally did it! I officially have a blog....a place to share my papercrafting creations and life's little blessings....and it's FREE! I hope that you'll visit often and find some tidbits or projects that inspire you. I feel so blessed that God gave me a desire to create! What is exciting to me about this new blog is that I can share anything and everything here. I am still a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, but I will post projects using products from various companies. I don't think creativity is bound by one brand, company or style. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the creative ride with me!