Seeing Spots

Well, yes, technically you are seeing spots! I used 3/4", 1" 1 1/4", 1 3/8", and even 1 3/4" circle punches, scrap paper, and the It's the Thought hostess set to create this set of cards. I got the idea from the cards hanging on the wall at my up-line's house.

For the giraffe, I used Chocolate Chip and So Saffron. I also had to put the sentiment on another circle to get it in.

For the crab, I used Real Red and only Real Red. I have a feeling I might need to make more of these. I frequently have to apologize for being crabby.... especially at work!

For the flowers in the vase, I used Daffodil Delight and Tangerine Tango. This is the only one I used a punch for. I used the extra large scallop circle punch.

For the bowl of cherries, I used.... Cherry Cobbler.... what else?

For the owl, I used Soft Suede. I also used Crystal Effects for the glasses. I plan to write something inside like "let's forget all about the year older part."

Finally, for the turtle, I used Old Olive and Certainly Celery. Wild Wasabi would work, too.

Thanks for looking!

A Simple, Elegant Thank You

I cased this card from Jen Mitchell.

I really thought the card was so beautiful and simple. I used the set called Artfully Asian (so did Jen!)

I started with a base of Crumb Cake. I put a layer of Pink Pirouette (have you noticed the number of cards I have been making with that color?) Then I added a layer of DSP that is from one of those hostess packs of 6 x 6 DSP. Next I have a layer of Wild Wasabi that has the edge scalloped. I used Wild Wasabi and Pink Pirouette Ink.

Thanks for looking... oh...go ahead... case if you want to! Thanks for the great idea, Jen!

Cupcakes are for Birthdays

Originally I made this card for the Stamping 411 challenge last week. I didn't get it entered in time for the challenge, but I thought I would still share it. I used the It's Your Birthday set for the inside sentiment, simply saying, "Happy Birthday."


The set I used for the card itself is The More the Merrier. I used various pinks, both current and retired: Pretty in Pink, Pixie Pink, Pink Pirouette, and I even used a little Real Red. The cupcake bottoms are Close to Cocoa, Soft Suede, and Crumb Cake. The cupcakes are on a Whisper White base. That is layered on Soft Suede. That is on Pixie Pink, which is on Real Red, which is on a base of Pretty in Pink. I used the cupcake ribbon that I found in the dollar bin at my local craft store!

Thanks for looking...

Love is in the Air...

I guess it's because Valentine's Day is right around the corner, but my mojo is all over Valentine's stuff. I have way more cards than I need, but I keep making them! This one is another for this week's challenge over on Stamping 411. This was the first card I made for this challenge (but I posted the second one first because I was more excited about that one! I know... showing favoritism is bad...) I used the Big on Spring set with last year's Valentine DSP. It is Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Pretty in Pink, and Very Vanilla. I stamped the image in Chocolate Chip on vanilla and used my marker t color in the letters L, O, and E. I then used some of the sparkling red glitter paper from the new mini for the V and used my dimensionals to pop that up. I stamped the sentiment "Happy Valentine's Day" from the Teen Tiny Wishes set in Real Red on vanilla and punched it out using the word window. Then I punched an extra large decorative label punch in red. Finally, I added three pink heart brads on the main image.

I do really love how his turned out. Thank for looking!

Designer Birthday

I made this card today for the Stamping 411 challenge this week. I have to admit that when I saw the sketch, I went to my studio and pulled several sets of stamps that would work for the sketch (alliterative sentence or what? It continues!)

This is one take on the sketch. I used some retired colors and a retired DSP (am I the only one who hangs on to paper forever? If I use it all, then it is gone forever... why am I so afraid of letting go?) Anyways... I started with a base of Ruby Red. I used a strip of DSP that I scalloped the edge on, and I used a thin strip of Cameo Coral. I stamped the sentiment in Ruby Red on River Rock (more alliteration) and used the extra large decorative label punch. Then I used all three of those colors to make little purses using the new Create a Cupcake set and coordinating punch. I used the word window to punch the closures on the purse, and I used the small then medium oval punches to create the straps for the purses, and of course, the needed a brad to snap the purses.

Outside the card it says "There is something fabulous about your birthday." Inside, I stamped the "{must be you}" part of the sentiment. Then I finished by adding "Happy Birthday." All stamps are from Create a Cupcake set.

Thanks for looking!

Be My Valentine

Here is my take on this weeks challenge over on Stamping 411.

I decided to flip the sketch on the vertical. I actually had a tough time with this one. It is the second thing I tried (I ended up trashing the main part of the first one... ever do that? Get an idea in your head that you think will look great and then it just does NOT look good in real life? Yeah... that was my first try). I was struggling to find my mojo... I am not sure I have found it yet, but this is what I came up with...

I started with a base of Chocolate Chip. On top of that is a layer of Pink Pirouette, which I embossed. Then I have a layer of Cherry Cobbler with the edge punched with a scallop edge punch. Next is a layer of Whisper White. On top of that is the Be My Valentine heart stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Cherry Cobbler. I cut it out and then stamped the sentiment, again in Cherry Cobbler on Pink Pirouette and cut that out. Then I popped that up. I put on a pink organza ribbon. I made a "button" out of Cherry Cobbler. I punched 4 hearts using my 3 heart punch. I used my glue stick to glue them together. Then I used my "button" punch to make two holes in the middle of the hearts and tied a knot using hemp thread. And finally, I "blinged it up" by adding some light pink rhinestones.

Thanks for looking...

Sweet Valentine

This is a second entry for the Create with Connie and Mary this week. I really think I could make lots more. If time lets me, I will!


On to the details here...


The base of the card is Pretty in Pink. Then there is a layer of Basic Gray (I read somewhere recently that gray is the new black). I used the scallop edge punch. On top of that, I have a layer of Pink Pirouette that I embossed with this "sweet" candy conversation hearts embossing folder that I just got (I LOVE IT!) I used a bit of gray ribbon across the bottom and tied three little ribbons to it in pink.


I used the Picture This set and my marker to color the part of the sentiment that I wanted (the whole sentiment says "i {heart} you, friend," but I just wanted the I love you part). I stamped it on Pretty in Pink and punched it with my word window. Next I used the modern punch to punch out a basic gray.


It's simple; it's sweet; I love it, and I am grateful to you for looking!

Lovely Lace

I created this card in response to the Create with Connie and Mary Challenge this week.

I decided to change the direction of the card. I used the same color combination as the last card. I used Pretty in Pink as the base. Then I used a layer of Basic Gray that is edged on both sides with a lacy punch. On top of that I used Pink Pirouette that I embossed with a new embossing plate. For my sentiment, I used the stamp from Holiday Best. I embossed it on Pink Pirouette with a silver (that matches the satin ribbon). I used a sponge dauber and sponged around the sentiment with Pretty in Pink. I layered that on a piece of Basic Gray.

I like it! I hope you do, too. Thanks for looking!

A Haul of Hearts

Here I was attempting to make a Valentine that was not the same old pink and red card. I wanted to use the set I {Heart} hearts because A) I do heart hearts and B) hello... are you listening? I said it's for Valentines day! I mean, I can make a VD card that isn't' pink and red but how do you make one that doesn't have a heart?

I used just about all the hearts from that set and my most recent favorite color combination: Old Olive, Rich Razzelberry, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, and River Rock. I also used the 3 heart punch and the heart punch to punch solid hearts in various of those colors. I did emboss the large river rock heart with swirls.

Thanks for looking....

A Wooden Valentine

I would say that it is difficult to make Valentine's Day cards for dudes. Here is one effort at a good card for guys.

I used a wood-grain embossing folder in Natural White as my background. I put that on a base of Soft Sky (a retired color... sad I know... I love it!)

I used the hearts from the I {Heart} Hearts set, wood-grain, of course. I used Soft Sky, Old Olive, Rich Razzelberry, Blue Bayou, and River Rock, less traditional Valentine's colors.

In the four corners, I put brads that look like screws. I'd say very manly (but pretty cute in my book, too!)

Thanks for looking!

Heart OUT of the Box

This is a Valentine's Day card that I cased from my up line. I wanted to make a few simple Valentine's Day cards for my customers to choose from.



I really like this because it isn't your red and pink typical VD card. The color was inspired by a backpack I saw a student carrying at school (Inspiration is everywhere!) The colors are Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Soft Sky, and Blue Bayou. I used Simply Said.



I ripped off the bottom of the the white card base and put a strip of Blue Bayou.


I popped up both of the flowers, and I popped up the heart of flowers in the middle.



It's different... I like it!



Thanks for looking...

Hip-Hippo-Ray!

So, for awhile now, I have been meaning to make this framed hippo for my friend. She and her daughter have a hippo thing. They like hippos. Don't judge. It is very small, really. The frame holds a piece of paper 3 1/2" by 2 1/2". The picture makes it look very large. Seriously, the hippos are like one inch each. But, it's cute. The background is River Rock. I used a scrap of paper I got from the craft store. I used a white gel pen to color in the teeth and the flower on the smaller hippo. I am giving it to my friend, but I believe she is giving it to her daughter so I put the "love you" sentiment in Wild Wasabi on a very pale gray using my word window punch and then used the same dark gray I cut the hippos out of under that.



Thanks for looking...

Long-necked Giraffe

Don't ask me why, but I've been wanting to make a giraffe card for a while now. Maybe it's because I got this giraffe grosgrain ribbon for one dollar at my craft score...

I used the Fox and Friends set and the little giraffe there. I stamped him on Very Vanilla in Barely Banana and colored in the spots with Chocolate Chip. I put him on a piece of Chocolate Chip that I embossed with lines. Then put put that on another later of vanilla. Then that was put onto a last layer of chocolate that I embossed with leaves. Then I added the giraffe ribbon. I put the whole thing on a base of Barely Banana.

I made a second one with a slightly larger giraffe. It's from a set I found at Target. I like the mamma and baby giraffe. Very cute. This one uses the same colors with less layers.

There's no sentiment and I'm not sure what I am going to do with them, but I'll figure it out.

Thanks for looking...

Floral Favorite

Yes... if you are counting, this is my THIRD entry for this week's challenge over on Stamping 411. I don't know why I have just really hit on this sketch. As usual, I am made two of the same card, but I made significant changes to the second one.

This is the first one, a vertical presentation of the image from Elements of Style. I layered the image on a piece of Pretty in Pink. Behind that is a piece of DSP from Raspberry Tart. The base is Rose Red. I used the colors from the DSP set, which include a retired color, Kiwi Kiss. I used the method I saw on Dawn's blog a while ago and used q-tips to color in this image. I used Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, and Kiwi Kiss inks. The hummingbird is stamped in Kiwi Kiss and popped up. The sentiment is is Rose Red from Teeny Tiny Wishes. I meant to put another layer of DSP under the pink, but the flower image is so big, I just didn't have the room.


This second one, I used a mosaic technique. I actually saw a graphic at church that had this layout and I loved it and wanted to incorporate it in a card. This seemed like as good a place as any. I used all the same colors as above, but I did rip the DSP before I put it down. I also added a loop of pink grosgrain ribbon.

I was pretty excited with how it turned out.

Thanks for looking...

Skipping to Spring

And here's card number two for this week's challenge over on Stamping 411. I wanted to switch away from sympathy card path that I've been on and do something a little brighter. I stuck with the sketch offered by Stamping 411 and used my SU DSP. I think it's called Sunny Garden. It's the matching paper to Cottage Garden, which is my favorite DSP. So, there's a base of peach parfait. There are two different DSPs on the front. Another DSP layer under a piece of white, which is stamped using Watercolor Trio. I added a few butterflies, popped up, of course, using the embosslet. See them? One is on the right, it's So Saffron on the peach paper towards the top, and the other one is peach on the lower left corner on the stripped paper.

Thanks for looking...

I do NOT have a problem....

I have two more sympathy cards here. But there is no need to worry... I am not obsessed with sympathy cards! I have had several reasons lately, however, to give some sympathy cards to co-workers, and I really like to have some on hand because it's important to me to be able to give someone a card to offer my condolences and to let the person know I really do care.

So, what we have here are two cards following the same sketch from this week's Stamping 411 challenge. The one below and on the right was my first of the two cards. I like it. I started with a base of Crumb Cake. Then I used a textured, non-SU paper as my first layer. I split it in half with some old olive ribbon. Then I used a layer of Early Espresso with a layer of Very Vanilla on top. Again, I used the back of a wooden block, the part that shows the picture of what the stamp looks like, to stamp a rough block of color in the middle of the vanilla paper. On the one below, I used Crumb Cake. On the card on the left, I used River Rock, which I do like better because it ties in the green of that patterned paper. Finally, I stamped the leaf from the French Foliage set in espresso. On the one below, I added a brown button (Chocolate Chip, I believe). I tied some twine in the holes of the button.

On the card above, it's very similar, but I did stamp a sentiment from the Close as a Memory set on the front (it's on the inside of my first card). I also added 4 snaps, and a circular paper clip with a piece of Crumb Cake ribbon tied to it. I did use only a piece of the textured green paper, and I ripped the top of it.

I stamped a sentiment on the inside of the second card, too. It's the longer sentiment from the Close as a Memory set.

Thanks for looking...

Stylish Sympathy Cards

Once again, it's the kind of card you never want to need. It is beautiful, I will feel proud to give it, but still... you don't want the people you care about to be suffering.

I got this idea from the most recent (I think) Stampin' Success magazine. I really loved the simplicity of it. Yet it is so beautiful!

This card had the center square "stamped" using the acrylic block that you stick your stamps on. However, I hate to admit that I don't have a Stampin' Up acrylic block. I have a block that I got from my local craft store and it is rectangular and it has wavy edges... it so won't work for this card. I actually did this one with the back side of one of those dollar stamps from the store! It worked!. But I also tried the card with a solid piece of card stock. I must say, I like the uneven stamped image on the "i'm so sorry" card.

I used River Rock as a base. A layer of Early Espresso, a layer of Very Vanilla. On one I stamped the square in River Rock. In the other, there is a layer of River Rock. The leaf is from French Foliage. The sentiments are from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

Thanks for looking...

"Timely" Valentine

I have to admit... I love how this turned out...


I bought the level 3 hostess set Occasional Quotes when I had the chance. And I haven't really used it much. WHAT? I know... it's crazy. But I was trying to wrap my head around some simple Valentine's Day cards for some wonderful ladies who come to my classes, and I decided that this phrase would work really well for Valentine's day ( I initially thought it would only really be good for a wedding). It says, "Love begins in moment, grows over time, and lasts an eternity."

I also recently bought a new embossing folder that is all clockwork gears. I thought that it matched the saying perfectly. I embossed the top 2/3rds of a piece of Cherry Cobbler. Then I heat embossed the sentiment on the card using a clear embossing powder. Then I stamped a frilly, cute heart from the I {Heart} Hearts set on Confetti White and popped it up. I put all that on a card base of Confetti White. Inside, I stamped "love you much" in Cherry Cobbler from the Well Scripted set. I divided the tow areas with a simple grosgrain ribbon.

Simple was the name of the game here, but it's not laziness. I am designing cards for ladies, and I am thinking that the ladies may be giving the cards to men, and men like it simple. Not too girly and cutesy, right?!? Thus... a card is born.

Thanks for looking...

Super Simple Valentine

This was a super simple Valentine's Day card. I used the new Be My Valentine a-la-carte stamp from the new all occasions mini. I stamped it in Real Red on white. Then I stamped the banner in black and cut that out and popped it up. I placed that on a layer of red and put that on a basic black card base.

I got this cool ribbon in the dollar bin at my local craft store. I thought it was pretty cool as the hearts are a sparkly, glittery red. I wanted that to pop a little more so I put a strip of white down the center under the ribbon.

Inside, I put a layer of printer paper and used a heart that I punched out (using the three heart punch) and I punched it from the sparkly red paper that's in the new mini cattie.

It's simple, but it was easy, it was made from all scraps, and I think it's cute!

Thanks for looking...

It's an EXPLOSION... of love...

I am THRILLED to be able to introduce to you my January class... the explosion box, but don't worry! No real explosives are used in the making of this box. It may, however, knock someone out in it's cuteness value alone!

The outside seems to be a simple box... cute, but simple. All four sides are decorated, three with embossed hearts, and one with a tree that has pink leaves (maybe not accurate, but cute none-the-less) with sparkly red hearts.

But then... when you lift the lid off...

There is an explosion of pages! Each of the four flaps has 5 "pages" of a mini-scrap book. Each of the pages is covered with either a super cute designer paper with hearts and glitter and adorable areas to either journal or write notes to your special Valentine. The pictures are good, but when you see it in real life, it is SO CUTE!!! Seriously, this would be a great gift for your special Valentine, for a parent, for a child, for anyone you want to show a little extra love. This will hold pictures, notes, coupons and more. Seriously, whoever you give this to will LOVE it!

BUT WAIT... there's more! If you are thinking to yourself, "But Lisa, I don't have a Valentine. What about me?" If you decide you don't' want to make a red and pink heart inspired explosion box, I have different color options for you! If you want it, you can make an explosion box with more springy colors, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Sahara Sand... all pretty colors. It would be great for a spring type gift, Mother's Day, Easter gift.

This is one that is sure to please....

Once again, you have choices. You may choose either Friday, January 21st after 4 or Saturday, January 22nd at any time. The cost will be $15.00 per box. Please let me know that you are coming, which day you are coming, and which of the boxes you'd like to make.

I am looking forward to a new year of crafting with you all!