All Occasions Sets Class

I am so excited about this class!  Thank you, Nancy for the inspiration!  

Here's the deal... for this class, there are two sets to choose from.  The one above is set A.  Set A has a baby card with a onsie ("Hello baby"), a butterfly card ("friend to friend"), two birthday cards ("happy birthday" with flowers and "wish big" wth a party hat), a thank you card with a peacock, and an anniversary card with a pear ("to a perfect [picture of a pear]").  A pretty, sweet standard card set.

The set above this is more of a holiday/specialty card set.  This one contains 3 holiday cards: one with a Christmas tree ("Holiday Happiness"), one with an ornament ("Merry Christmas"), and one with a snowman ("merry winter").  There is also one with a cake (mine says "For the Newlyweds" but you could change it to birthday), one with a stack of cups and saucers ("coffee isn't a drug, it's a vitamin"), and a bird in a cage ("thinking of you").

Either set is sure to come in handy for you personally, but it's not too soon to begin thinking about holiday gifts!  Set A would make a great gift (if I do say so myself... and I am sayin' so!)

I'm not sure if you can see them in the pictures, but each card has with an oval or a rectangular frame embossed in the top layer of white.  In the ornament holiday card, I colored each of the dots in the embossed oval.  Each set has 3 ovals and 3 squares.

I am offering this class on Friday, October 26th at 5:00.  The cost per set is $20.00.

You can choose one or both sets.  Please let me know which set you'd like to make when you RSVP for the class.

I'd also like to offer you the option of making 10 of the same card.  If, for instance, you fall in love with one of the holiday cards and decide you'd like to make 10 (or 20 or 30) of those for your 2012 holiday card,  I will have all the paper cut and ready for you, a real time saver.   For each set of 10 cards, the cost is $30.00.  You can order as many sets of 10 as you'd like.  Again, let me know your choice when you RSVP.

Please RSVP by Monday, October 22nd.  In addition to cutting all of the materials for you, I will also emboss all those ovals and frames, so I will need a bit more prep time for this one.  (If you would like to make a large number of cards, the sooner you can let me know, the more helpful I would find it... many thanks!)

I look forward to crafting with you soon!

Fall Square Card Class

 I am proud to introduce you to my Fall Square Card Class set.  This is a simple set, four square fall themed cards: a Halloween, apple, Thanksgiving, and pear card set

Each card features a canning jar, something that is VERY trendy right now.  Won't you come join me on the trendy bandwagon and make these adorable cards?

 We'll make these four cards on Friday, October 12th at 5:00.  This should be a fairly quick class.

It's also an affordable class; you can make these four cards for $10.00!

Here are some close ups of a few of the cards...

I think the jar of eyeballs is my favorite!  It's such a great Halloween card!  Inside is the sentiment "happy halloween."

For some folks, fall is all about the fall fruit.  In this great card, there are two apples.  There's another card (not pictured with a close up) that has two pears.

Here is a great Thanksgiving card, complete with a pine cone that pops off the page!  Too cute!  A perfect card to send to that special person who you won't get to see this Thanksgiving.  (Unfortunately, I will need several of these to send to my family.)

If you are interested in making more than one set, please let me know when you RSVP for the class.  Please let me know if you'll be joining me by October 10th so I can prep your materials for you.

Looking forward to creating with you soon!

Leaves and Twine of Gratitude

This is my second card using the same "ingredients,"  but it is different enough that I decided I should create a separate post for it.  I made this card for The Friday Mashup blog challenge.  This week, the ladies of the Mashup provided the challenge to make a fall leaves project, or a project with twine, or mash-it-up and make a fall leaves project with twine.  Stampin' Royalty has the challenge of using the Big Shot and dies.

For this card and the previous one, I used my woodgrain embossing folder.  I inked both sides of the folder with Crumb Cake and put in two pieces of Very Vanilla, embossed them, and that gave me two pieces of the embossed paper, one with the ink on the parts that stick out of the embossing, one with the ink on the parts that are indented (yes, I know there are terms for each of those, but I am not sure of the official terms).

Next I added my sentiment.  I stamped the sentiment from Day of Gratitude, cut it out using Apothecary Accents, sponged the edges, then cut out two more of the same shapes.  I cut each in half, one vertically, one horizontally and pieced them around the edges to create a boarder all around the main sentiment.  Then I punched in two holes and added my garden twine.  Next I added three leaves and an acorn, all cut out using the Autumn Accents die.  I stamped the big leave using Wonderfall.  I stamped it in More Mustard, balled the paper leaf up, flattened it back out, pressed my Pumpkin Pie ink pad down over the leaf, and then sponged the edges and parts of the center in Cajun Craze.  I folded the brown leaf in half and then embossed it with the woodgrain embossing folder to create veins.  The little leaf is in Bravo Burgundy that is sprayed with smootch spray so it's a bit sparkly.  Finally, I made my acorn.  I used two acorns, one in More Mustard, one in Chocolate Chip.  I trimmed the top off the chocolate one and embossed that with the lattice square embossing folder and added it to the top of the mustard acorn.  I'm really happy with how this card turned out!

Thanks for looking!

Getting Twiney with It

This is the first card I created for two different challenges.  The first is The Friday Mashup.  This week, their challenge is to create a project with a fall leaves theme, or create a project with twine, or mash-it- up and do both.

The other challenge is Stampin' Royalty's weekly challenge of using the Big Shot die cuts.

I believe this card effectively does both.  I do love it!

Colors:  Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Bravo Burgandy, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake
Sets:  Wacky Wishes, Wonderfall
Other: Garden twine, Apothecary Accents framelits, Woodgrain embossing folder, lattice embossing folder, stampin' dimensionals, smootch spray, Autumn Accents die

Thanks for looking!

Big Shot Ornaments in Blue

 This is the second ornament I made in the fashion of the ornament on the front of the holiday mini.  This one I made in blues and silver.  I also have learned from this one.  My next one will be different.  I'd add a 6th point on the next one.  This one looks a bit like a star fish to me, but this is what I did this time, and I still am proud of it.  Let me give your the specifics...

The base ornaments are Night of Navy stamped on Bashful Blue.  The tulle is silver.  There are loops of silver beads on top of the base ornaments.

It's hard to see in the pictures, but there is a bunch of glitter on each ornament.  The little ornaments are stamped in silver ink on Night of Navy paper.  My rosette is make with Bashful Blue.  Then there's a white button with a cross of silver beads on the top.

Overall, I can say that the picture does not do this ornament justice.  In real life it is gorgeous!

I made this ornament to answer the challenge call at Stampin' Royalty this week; the challenge was to use the big shot and die cuts.  And this definitely does that!  I used twenty each of both sized ornaments.

Thanks for looking!

Sunday Stamps Guest Designer, Baby!

 I am pretty psyched about the opportunity I've been given to be the guest designer this week over on Sunday Stamps!  It's pretty awesome to be given the chance to work alongside of some really great artists.  Thanks, ladies!

So this week, we've been given a color challenge.  To create a project using Gumball Green, Marina Mist, and Soft Suede.  This is what I created....

The base is Soft Suede.  Then I added a layer of Gumball Green.  Next, I added a layer of Marina Mist DSP (Polka Dot Parade).  Above that is Whisper White.

I used two sets here: So Sorry and Reason to Smile.  I stamped the sentiment "So Sorry" in Soft Suede.  Then I added the additional sentiment of "that bad things happen to good people" in Gumball Green.  The flowers have been colored in using my blender pen and Marina Mist in; I wanted to give the flowers that soft, watercolor look.  The stems are Gumball Green.

I added white polka dot ribbon to divide the polka dot Marina Mist and the white layer.  I actually made two cards. On the second card I just used a white grosgrain ribbon.  I'm thinking I like the polka dots the best.

Inside, I added a layer of white printer paper with one Soft Suede flower.  It adds just one more layer of sweetness to this card.

Here's the second one... don't get me wrong.  I think it's sweet, too.

Thanks for looking!

A CASED Dynamic Duo

After being inspired by a friend to try it, I made my own version of the ornament that is featured on the front of the holiday mini catalog.  (Thanks, Nancy!)

I didn't own all the materials that Stampin' Up used to make this ornament, but I made a quick trip to a fabric store and found this really cool fabric.  It is tulle like, it's cherry cobbler like, and it has some cool sparkly things on it.

I made this thinking of the Dynamic Duo's weekly color challenge.  This week, we were given the challenge of using Cherry Cobbler and the color of your choice.  I chose Old Olive.  

Upon a closer look, you can see the Polka Dot Parade DSP I used for the rosette.  I found a Cherry Cobbler colored button  in my giant container of buttons, and I found an Old Olive colored pearl for the center of that.

This was my first attempt at this crazy-cool ornament.  Don't worry... I'm sure there will be more.  This is just too cool!  Also, I learned somethings from making this one that I will work on applying to my next one... stay tuned!

Thanks for looking!

A Dude Duo

If you're following along with my blog, you know that I am trying to use the weekly challenges on the Dynamic Duo blog to create 8 different square cards for a future class.  This week, the Dynamic Duo gave us the monochromatic challenge of Always Artichoke and Certainly Celery.  I decided to create a man birthday card.

I started with the white square card base, next is a layer of Always Artichoke, next is a layer of Crumb Cake.  Then I stamped the big lettered leaf from the Wonderfall set in artichoke ink.  Then I stamped the birthday sentiment from Occasional Quotes (also in artichoke) on white.  I punched it out using a medium oval.  Then I punched a scallop oval in celery.  I added one celery brad to the message before I popped it up using my stampin' dimensionals.  No ribbon.  No other "girly" adornments.  This card is all dude...

Thanks for looking!

Indian Corn for Indian Summer

 I have to say, I am loving how these cards turned out!

I created them to answer the challenge this week on The Friday Mashup.  Their challenge is to create an Indian Summer themed project, or create a project using any three colors from Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Raspberry Ripple, Lucky Limeade, or Early Espresso, or mash-it-up and do both.  I decided to mash-it-up.

Immediately when I thought about Indian Summer, I thought about Indian Corn; you know, that multi-colored corn?  I pulled out my Spice Cake DSP, which helped me picked my color options of More Mustard, Early Espresso, and Cajun Craze.  I made two and I had to switch them up a bit.

This card also answers the sketch challenge this week on Sunday Stamps.

I colored the stamp itself using my Stampin' Markers.

Colors:  Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Old Olive (I know... it wasn't in the challenge, but I don't have a Lucky Limeade marker and the olive looks better with this color mix anyway)
Stamps:  Perfectly Preserved
Other: Spice Cake DSP, Cannery Set Framelits, More Mustard grosgrain ribbon, Early Espresso grosgrain ribbon, 2" circle punch, large scallop punch, stampin' dimensionals, lattice embossing folder

I know it's hard to tell from the pictures, but the top two corn cobs are popped up.  I didn't put a sentiment on them because I don't know what I want to use them for yet.

Thanks for looking!

Dynamic Duo meets Paper Players

This is my second card that combines both the Dynamic Duo weekly color challenge and The Paper Players challenge (this week, a sketch challenge).  Again, I have been itching to ink up Blessings from Heaven, and I found my opportunity in the two challenges given to me this week by DD and PP!  What you can't really tell from the picture is that both the message sentiment is popped, the butterfly is popped, and the whole circle on which the butterfly sits is popped.  It's a pop-py card!

Thanks for looking!

Colors:  Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Sets:  Blessings from Heaven, Bliss
Other: Polka Dot embossing folder, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, artichoke brads, stamping dimensionals

Birdie Paper Duo

 I have been trying to find a way to use my newest For the Birds set, and today I decided to put both the Dynamic Duo color challenge (Always Artichoke and Certainly Celery) and the Paper Players sketch challenge together. This card is the product.

Colors:  Whisper White, Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery
Stamp sets:  For the Birds, Perfect Punches
Other:  Medium oval punch, Scallop oval punch, Large oval punch, stamping dimensionals

This is what I put inside to complete the package.

Thanks for looking...

Paper Royalty Mashup

 These two cards are my answer to three, yes, count them, THREE challenges!  I followed the sketch and technique challenge on The Friday Mashup challenge.  Following the picture challenge on Stampin' Royalty, I picked these colors with hearts and print.  The challenge on Paper Players was to use banners (also in the picture challenge on Stampin' Royalty).

I am pretty happy with how these turned out.  I made two, with slight differences in each.  I colored the image in with q-tips and my ink pads.  I figured the card would be perfect for an anniversary or Valentine's Day card.

Colors:  Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla, Real Red, Certainly Celery
Stamp Sets: Elements of Style
Other: Real Red grosgrain ribbon, Giant heart punch, small heart punch, DSP (one retired and First Edition), stampin' dimensionals

Thanks for looking!

Perfectly Preserved Halloween Eyes!

 Yes... I said it.  Halloween Eyes!  This is my take on the Dynamic Duo's weekly color challenge.  This week our challenge was to use Basic Black, Lucky Limeade, and as a dessert option, make a Halloween card.  Have you ever known me to pass up dessert?

I know I've seen this idea out there in blog world.  I loved it and thought of it immediately upon seeing this challenge.  Sorry I can't give credit to the person who inspired me...

Also, I am continuing with my own theme of using the DD challenge each week to inspire one square card using the jar from Perfectly Preserved to ultimately create a 8 card class of square cards.  This one is card 4!  Fun, too!  Thanks for the inspiration.

I have a strip of black with a pinked edge in there, black ribbon, and I also used the Halloween stamps from Mixed Medley.  I struggled to find a way to make the jar stand out a bit more; none of my shaped framelits was working for me.  I ended up simply with a strip of white.  It works for me.

Inside, a lone eyeball and the Halloween sentiment.

Thanks for looking!

Sunday Sketch

Not much time to add tons of details but wanted to get this card in for the sketch.  It's my second time playing with Sunday Stamps, and I was just invited to be a guest designer so I figured I should try my hand at this week's sketch.  I also need man b-day cards, so I wanted to make a guy card.  I try to avoid ribbon on guy cards (too girly), but since it's in the sketch, I just knotted it instead of tying it.

It's all about the argyle, baby!  I used Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, and Very Vanilla.  I also used Happiest Birthday Wishes and Classic Backgrounds.

Thanks for looking!

A Simple Duo

This is my final card for this week's Dynamic Duo color challenge.  This week, the folks over on double D ask us to use Cajun Craze and Always Artichoke.

I've always had challenges with one layer cards, but I've seen lots lately and figured out a way to try my hand at one.  Very, very simple.  I've used It's a Stretch and Sweet Little Sentiments, colored in the flower in Cajun and its leaves in artichoke.  It's sweet, it's simple.  I love it!

Thanks for looking!

This is a Dude Duo

I really took off with this week's Dynamic Duo color challenge of Cajun Craze and Always Artichoke.  I have a bunch of sketches that I want to CASE so I just kept going with the color challenge.

I believe that I CASED this card idea from Jan Tink.  Since I had some artichoke DSP, I decided to use Apothecary Accents pieces on top of a layer of Cajun.  That is on a base of Whisper White.  Since I am forever in need of dude cards, I thought I'd add a birthday sentiment popped up on top of a Cajun modern label punch.

I love the sketch for a guy, and I will be making more of these in the near future.

Thanks for looking!

Thanksgiving Duo

 Each week, I am using the Dynamic Duo's challenge to inspire a square card that uses the Perfectly Preserved set.  In the end, I am hoping for a 8 card set of square cards for a class I'll host.  Thanks for the inspiration double D!

Here's my Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke and Chocolate Chip pine cone card.

Sets: Perfectly Preserved, Peaceful Wishes, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Other: Window Frames Framelits, Apothecary Accents Framelits, piercing pack, gold brads, Cannery Framelits, garden twine, boho blossoms punch, stampin' dimensionals

It's hard to tell from the picture, but the jar is popped up and so is the pine cone.

Thanks for looking!

A Halloween Duo

 I am pleased with how this card turned out!  It's my first card for this week's color challenge on the Dynamic Duo.  Our challenge is to use both Cajun Craze and Almost Artichoke.  I also used the neutral colors Crumb Cake and Whisper White.  I used Stazon black to stamp the image from the Gift Givers set.  Then I used my blender pen and Cajun Craze ink to color in the pumpkins (artichoke for the stems).  

I used my Labels Collection framelits to cut out white, Cajun, and artichoke DSP, and then I cut them apart and puzzled some pieces together.  I put loops of black ribbon behind the white "puzzle" piece.  I inked around the edges of the sentiment pieces, and I popped up that Halloween sentiment piece using stampin' dimensionals.  I embossed the Cajun with a leaf folder for one card,  and I did one with a plaid embossing folder.

Thanks for looking!

An Apple for the Teacher

 Here's my take on this week's challenge over on The Friday Mashup.  We were challenged to create a back to school project, or a project that has sewing on it, or mash-it-up and do both.  I'm not much for the sewing so I just went for the back to school themed project.

I used Real Red and Old Olive with the sentiment on a Whisper White banner.  I also used Cannery Set framelits and Loving Thoughts, the postage stamp punch, 1 1/4" square punch, and the  1 3/8" square punch.  I also used lots of stampin' dimensionals.  I popped up the apple shape on the postage stamp, I popped up the stamp on the square, and I popped up the sentiment.

I tried to find a place to put some sewing on here, but it just wasn't working for me so this isn't a mash-up.  It's all good... they are still a great way to encourage a teacher at the start of the school year.

Thanks for looking!

Pretty in Purple

 This is my first time playing along with two new blogs I've recently learned of.  One is Fab Friday.  They have given us a sketch challenge, that I chose to flip.  This is the first challenge offered by this blog, and I am quite excited to play along with them and the promise of inspiration to come.

As you can see, I did change the direction of the banner.

I am also trying Sunday Stamps on for size.  This week, they gave us the challenge of using Sahara Sand, Wisteria Wonder, and Lucky Limeade.
Some very cool colors!  

These cards use:  Sahara Sand, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, and Whisper White
Stamp sets: Perfectly Preserved, Happiest Birthday Wishes, Betsy's Blossoms
Other: 3/4" circle punch, crystal effects, paper piercer, Cannery framelit set, build a blossom punch, boho blossom punch, ribbon edge punch, glue dots
Head over to the Fab Friday  and Sunday Stamps blogs and check them out!
 Pssstt.... those aren't buttons.... I stacked a bunch of 3/4" circles, glued them together, and then pierced some holes into the stack and layered the top with crystal effects.

Thanks for looking!

Mashup Cuteness

Ohhhh.... it's so cute!  This is a product of The Friday Mashup this week.  Their challenge this week is to make a project with a baby theme, or a product using pleating, or mash-it-up and do both.  I have to admit, I was a bit challenged by this one, but I was also determined to play.

 Here you see my first attempt.  I have a base of So Saffron, then there's a layer of embossed Wild Wasabi.  I used a piece of retired DSP to create a pleat down one side.  The sentiment is from Big on Spring, which is on Very Vanilla.  That's on a layer of saffron.  It's colored in using my markers in Certainly Celery and So Saffron.  The heart is Cherry Cobbler.  There's a little loop of saffron on the side of the sentiment.

The difference with this one is minimal.  The embossing is different, and there's a wider base under the sentiment.

Thanks for looking!

Keeping True to the Duo

 Here is my final shot at the Dynamic Duo weekly color challenge (at least I think it's the last one...)  For this card, I kept true to the challenge colors: Poppy Parade and Lucky Limeade.

I used the biggest framelit of the labels collection in limeade and the next size down in poppy.  I used my paper piercer to create a line of holes on the limeade.  Then, I flipped it over... try it!  It's a subtle difference.  Both the poppy layer and the jar of apples are popped up.

Colors used: Whisper White, Lucky Limeade, Poppy Parade

Stamp sets:  Word Play, Perfectly Preserved

Other: Cannery Set Framelits, Labels collection framelits, versa mark, stampin' dimensionals

Thanks for looking!

Dynamic Duo and Paper Players Combined!

Okay... here is the second altered Dynamic Duo challenge.  This week's challenge is to combine Poppy Parade and Lucky Limeade, but those colors weren't calling to me with this idea, and since we are allowed to substitute close/similar colors, I decided to go with the in colors of Raspberry Ripple and Gumball Green.  The Paper Players are asking us to use leaves or trees.  I think this card qualifies.

Colors used: Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, Whisper White
Stamp sets: Betsy's Blossoms, Petite Pairs
Other: White grosgrain ribbon, scalloped oval, oval,  3 sizes of scalloped circle punches, flower brad, stampin' dimensionals

Thanks for looking!

Dynamic Duo Altered Color Challenge

This week, the designers over on Dynamic Duo have given us the color challenge of Poppy Parade and Lucky Limeade.  Now, I don't have a Poppy Parade ink pad and a limited supply of that retired color.  We can use similar colors, so I went with my new in colors of Raspberry Ripple and Gumball Green and Whisper White.  So charming!

Stamp sets:  Betsy's Blossoms, Petite Pairs
Other: White grosgrain ribbon, scallop oval, oval, stampin' dimensionals

Thanks for looking!  

Birthday Sweets for Color Throwdown

I'm so proud of myself!  I got all my "chores" done so I get to play in the studio!  I checked out all the challenges that I participate in.  Color Throwdown offered this color challenge, and they showed a picture of popsicles, and that's the idea that immediately popped into my head.

Colors used: Gable Green, Melon Mango, Barely Banana, Peach Parfait, Whisper White, and Crumb Cake.

Stamp Sets: Mouthwatering, Itty Bitty Banners

Other:  melon ribbon, Bitty Banners framelits