Come Fly Away

I am so excited that I don't even know where to start!!!!

First thing's first: These pictures show a 5 card class that I am offering open house style on Sunday, August 14th from 2-6 p.m. Come over when you can to make these 5 beautiful butterfly cards. Each card also has embossing on it (a double theme!). Most of the cards pictured show some sort of "thank you" message, but the great thing about these cards is that the message is totally customizable. If you need birthday cards, they can be birthday cards. They can be whatever you want them to be, whatever you need. I love that!

You get to make all 5 cards for $20.00, but wait! There's more! This card class is actually a fundraiser for my great friend who is taking a mission trip with our church to Nicaragua. For each set that you make, $10.00 goes towards Terri's trip. Not only do you get 5 beautiful cards, but you are also supporting a GREAT cause.

But wait! There's more! If you can't make the class, Terri and I can make a set for you for the same deal! I know, I know! It's a great deal.

Now you are probably thinking that is it but it isn't! Not only is this a great cause to support and 5 great cards to have for all your card giving needs, but I am super excited to welcome you all into my new and improved studio!!!!!!

I have always wanted to have classes in my studio, but I had no room to hold classes there. However, I have moved the studio into the basement and I can't wait to break it in!

I am inviting you all to the first class in the new and improved studio. Instead of coming to the front door, simply walk up the drive way and don't turn left to the sidewalk to the front door. Instead walk straight around to the back door (don't worry! There will be signs).

I am really proud of all of this: the class, the cause it is helping to support, and the new studio space, and I am really excited to share it with all of you. I hope you can make it!

As always with my classes, it is very important that you RSVP by August 7th so I have the time to prepare all the materials for the class. I hope you'll join us!

Happy Birthday Cattie Case

Here is my case of one of the cards in the new 2011-2012 Idea book and catalogue! It is from page 66. (I did try to put a picture here, but had no luck... sorry!)

I used a base of Certainly Celery, which I embossed using one of my non-SU embossing folders. Then there is a layer of Pretty in Pink, scalloped along the bottom. On the very top of that I have a piece of Whisper White, stamped with a sentiment from Bring On the Cake, stamped in Stazon, colored with my stampin' write markers. On the bottom of the pink layer is a sheet of Bashful Blue DSP from an old pattern pack. I added a piece of white grosgrain ribbon. Above the sentiment are three flower buttons (ala the card in the cattie). I tied white embroidery thread in each button.

Thanks for this great challenge, Gretchen! I love your work and hope to enter more before the 15th!

Thanks for looking!

Double Challenge Card

This card is the result of two challenges in one. One challenge is the Just Add Ink color challenge, to use Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, and Soft Suede. The other challenge is Stamping 411's sketch challenge.

This started with a base of black. On top there is a layer of cherry. Next, there is layer of suede and on top of that is a layer of vanilla. On top of that, I have another layer of black topped with a layer of cherry that is embossed. Between the two layers, I added a thin black ribbon.

I used my versa mark to stamp my So Many Thanks stamp all over the whole surface. Then I stamped the sentiment from the Oval All set in cherry on vanilla. I punched it with the medium oval punch and then put a black scallop oval behind that. I also used a little Crystal Effects on the butterfly (after I colored his spots in using cherry).

Thanks for looking...

Thank You Color Challenge

This is my take on Stampin' Royalty's color challenge. The challenge was to use Pink Pirouette, Pacific Point, and Pear Pizzazz. I started with a base of Pacific Point. After I folded it, I cut off about an inch from the front of the card. I used my scallop edge punch to punch a strip of the pink and the pear. I used my Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch to punch pink and pear flowers, and I was lucky enough to have these blue brads that match the Pacific Point. I used the Bold Blossoms set and stamped a pink flower and used one of the flower punches I have (one of the ones with the three flowers on it... I don't know which one). I centered that with a sparkly pear brad. I used the sizzix Little Leaves to create some pear leaves to have leaves sticking out from underneath the sentiment. Then I stamped the sentiment from the set on Whisper White in Pacific Point ink. I punched it using the medium oval punch. Then I used the scallop oval punch in pink under the sentiment. I popped the whole sentiment up using stamping dimensionals. In the end, I stamped the butterfly from the Bold Blossom set in Pacific Point on the front, and then one of the inside, too, which shows from the front (because the scalloped edges don't go all the way to the edge of the card front...ooops...)

(I'm having some blogging issues now... I can't link you to Stampin' Royalty and am getting uber-frustrated! Sorry, Stampin' Royalty folks!)

Thanks for looking...

Who's Got the Blues?

These are two attempts at the color challenge on Pal's Paper Arts. This is my first one...

I started with a base of Confetti White. I used circles punched in in 3/4", 1", and 1 1/4" in Not Quite Navy, Marina Mist, and Bashful Blue. After I punched the circles, I used three different embossing folders: two different sized polka dots and one with multiple circles. I also used Lovely Labels (which is, I am sure, retired). I stamped it Not Quite Navy on Bashful Blue, but I did stamp it off once first to lighten it up a bit. I popped that up using stamping dimensionals.

I went with the dot theme again here. I started with a base of Bashful Blue, then a layer of Not Quite Navy, then a layer of Whisper White. I used 1" circles of all three of the blues. This time, I stamped the "Thank you" on Bashful Blue in Marina Mist. I punched it out using a 1 1/4" punch. I also popped it up using stamping dimensionals. Finally, I wanted to add some of my Bashful Blue brads (alliteration!). I thought a row of brads curving around the edge of a circle would look cool. I am not totally thrilled with how it turned out, but overall I am happy with the card.

Thanks for looking!

Stamp Collector

Here is my take on this week's color challenge on Inkspirations Challenges. The challenge was to use Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, Baja Breeze, and Whisper White.

I had yet to use my So Many Thanks stamp (bought before it retired because it really is so cute) or my Fabulous Florets set OR even my postage stamp punch.... and I can't say that now.

I saw some cards like this on Splitcoast and decided to make my own for his challenge. I am pretty happy with the results.

This is a side view. I popped up the "stamp" on each base of color.

For the center stamp, I used my stampin' write markers to color the various words on the So Many Thanks stamp.

Thanks for looking...

Simple Santa

This is another take on Paper Player's Challenge of Christmas in July. This is a very simple Santa. I started with a base of Sahara Sand. Next there's a layer of Real Red, then a layer of DSP (retired), then a layer of Taken with Teal (retired), and finally a layer of Whisper White. I used the Santa (what really drew me to the set), from the Holiday Hoopla set. I stamped the hat first. I used versamark and red tinsel embossing powder. Then I stamped him in Stazon and colored his face in. Then I stamped the sentiment, a dollar stamp from one of those dollar bins at my local craft store. Then I used a red grosgrain ribbon to finish it off.

It's very simple, but I do like it.

Thanks for looking...

Sweet Tree

I created this card for the Paper Players Challenge, Christmas in July. I love how it ended up!

I started with a base of Old Olive. I used a piece of DSP, retired (of course). The top is Very Vanilla, and there is a ribbon of Cherry Cobbler seam binding. I have a giant scallop of cherry and then a 1 3/4" vanilla circle. I used the tree from Holiday Hoopla, which I bought before IT retired! I stamped the tree in Early Espresso, the center of the tree in Old Olive, the skirt of the tree, stamped separately on vanilla in cherry and cut out. I also stamped an olive gift and a More Mustard star, both on vanilla, and cut those out and popped them up using stamping dimensionals. Finally, I added "merry" in cherry on vanilla using my jewelry tag punch and Tiny Tags set. I also added an olive and cherry tag. I
L-O-V-E this look. I fixed them into place with another dimensional.


On the inside, I used the "Merry Christmas" sentiment from Four the Holidays (I have no idea if that is retired, but it's a perfect set!) It is in cherry, too.

Thanks for looking...

Sympathy for this Challenge

I think this is my final attempt at this week's sketch challenge on Stamping 411. I used a base of Not Quite Navy. I used a layer of DSP (don't remember the name of this paper, but as a new cattie just came out, this is retired). I have another layer of navy, topped with a layer of Crumb Cake, topped with a layer of Very Vanilla, stamped with this sentiment from Thanks for Caring set in navy. I also sponged the edges of the vanilla with the navy.

I added a 1" x 4" piece of navy and punched four 1" circles of DSP.

Here's a close-up of those.

I know it's fairly simple, not a lot of extra "stuff" on it, but it's a sympathy card.

I did add a piece of vanilla inside with the longer sentiment from this same set.

Thanks for looking...

...And Something Blue

These cards are a mesh of ideas. The basic idea came from Dawn Olchefske (isn't she great) over on DOstamping with Dawn. I have to give her props because she gives us so much. Thanks again, Dawn!

Not only did she give the basic idea for this card, but she also gave some great measurements for how to use your edging punches to create a "frame." It's hard to tell because my camera SUCKS, and I used all white except for the ribbon, but this one is the scallop edge punch. I stamped the sentiment from Word Play in Basic Gray, added some bling on both the ring in the sentiment and the corner pieces of the frame, added the blue ribbon, and a wedding card is born.

Here's another one with a white ribbon that has a decorative edge on it. It's not SU, but it's very pretty.

Here's one that I turned landscape. Again, I used a different white ribbon that I think is pretty, and I put the ends of it in that dovetail cut.

Did I forget to mention that I have two weddings coming up this month?

This one I custom made for my friend's wedding. Their colors are green and blue. This is another case from somewhere. It's simple and easy.

Thanks for looking...

Kiddie Card

Here is another attempt at this week's sketch challenge over on Stamping 411. Again, I am not crazy happy with it. I used the set Bring on the Cake for the front and the inside (not pictured). I started with a base of Daffodil Delight. I used a layer of SAB paper, then some of the long decorative stickers from the SAB set. For the main image, I have a base of Peach Parfait, a layer of Whisper White that is stamped with Pacific Point ink. I randomly picked "4th" birthday. Inside is the the little rhyme from this set. It follows the sketch, but it is definitely missing something.

Thanks for looking!

In just one word...

My good friend Lynn gave me these really cute silver metal words, and they have been staring at me, begging me to do something with them....

This is the result.... cards with just one word and some other embellishments... I think they are so cute.

Thanks for looking...

Cakes or cupcake?

These cards are an attempt at this week's challenge on Stamping 411. It's a sketch challenge, and while I made several different cards using this sketch, I gotta tell you, I don't really l-o-v-e any of them (please don't tell them that!)

I don't know why... missing mojo is what I attributed it to, but I guess it's the opposite of really flying on a sketch... some of them I have tons of ideas, some of them I struggle with... such is life.

For this first one, I used the sets Bring on the Cake and Simply Sweet (a retired set my sister found for me at a yard sale! She rocks!)













For this second one, I used Crazy for Cupcakes. For both, I tried to follow the sketch as is.

I started with a base of Pretty in Pink. Then there's a layer of Chocolate Chip. I embossed that layer with polka dots, smaller ones on the top one, bigger ones on the second one. I stamped in Chocolate Chip ink on Whisper White and used my Stampin' Write markers to color them in. I used my scallop boarder punch and did a double layer. I used So Saffron brads on each.

Thanks for looking...

Time to get Fruity!

Let me just start by saying... I LOVE this little set! It's so cute, so fruity!

It is a four card set that is packaged in a folder with a gingham tie closure that has fruit pictured on the front.

Inside you will find four cards, and each one features one of the fruits from the front of the folder with more sweet gingham ribbon in matching colors.

I am offering this card set as my next class. You have a choice. Either Wednesday July 20th at 5 pm or Saturday
July 23rd at 9 am. I am flexible with the times.

You'll get to make this sweet, sweet set for $20.00.





Here is a view of what you see when you open up the folder...
























Here are two of the cards and I hope you can see that the cherries (colored in Cherry Cobbler, of course) also have a shine to them (that's Crystal Effects for you!)

And here are the other two cards....

I hope you'll think about joining us! Please let me know if you'd like to come so I can have all the materials ready for you.

Thanks for looking....