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Flight of the Butterfly

Flight of the Butterfly was one of the FREE sets we received at Convention!  I’ve used it a couple times for small swaps, and decided to use it for my Technique Class this month.  The technique is called Stained Glass (I can’t put my hands on the Technique Junkies Newsletter it is from…I’ll edit when I know.)  I like how this technique really looks like designer paper in the background!  You can use different methods of coloring, I decided to use watercolor crayons for a softer look.  In addition, I used the Twill background stamp on the Sage Shadow cardstock.  I stamped the butterfly in Chocolate Chip on So Saffron and cut it out.  Then stamped the greeting in Chocolate Chip on Whisper White…wrapped a ribbon around and adhered to Lavender Lace Cardstock.

You MAY have noticed that I’ve been tweaking my Blog.  The Archives are now residing in their separate home, but they are all still available for viewing.  Amy Celona and I have been trying to figure out why my pictures are not showing up in Google Reader (for some people).  We’ve narrowed down that the problem might be from when Amy transferred my Blog posts from Blogger to WordPress.  HOPEFULLY…CROSSING MY FINGERS…that this post WITH picture shows up in Google Reader properly.  If not…well…I’m just going to CRY!

Tomorrow is my Stamp Camp, so don’t know if I’ll have time to post.  I still need to write up the directions for our projects!  I’m so sad (and angry) right now that my beloved OSU got thorougly TROUNCED by USC.  Didn’t even look like we showed up for that game…sad…sad…

Blogger’s Challenge 64 – Designer Series Paper

Today’s Blogger’s Challenge is using Designer Series Paper.  I love it…I’ve always used it a lot on 3D type items I make, but I find myself using it more and more on cards.  It adds a lot of depth and texture and simplifies the process of creating since you have the colors already determined in your paper. 

For today’s project I used a small open-end envelope to create a gift card holder.  I folded it and then decorated the flaps and front with designer paper.  I used the new set WOW flowers and stamped the Happy Birthday circle with Riding Hood Red on Pink Pirouette and layered it onto Riding Hood Red, then an Old Olive Scallop Circle.  The center is a green Rhinestone Brad. Inside has a pull out to place your gift card.

 I hope you have a great weekend.  Today I need to finish up projects for my Upsy Daisy Stamp Camp this weekend.

Top Note purse

How’s this for cute?  The gals at my New Catalog Stamp Camp last month made this little purse gift card holder.  (Thanks to Sheryl Dickinson for the inspiration.)

How?  I had them cut a total of four Top Notes with the Big Shot machine AT ONE TIME…two Riding Hood Red and two Bali Breeze.  Then trimmed the perforated part off one Bali Breeze and one Riding Hood Red top note and then cut off just a sliver of the top of 3 of them, and trimmed right under the notch for the fourth one (inside pocket).  Then they cut two graduated sizes of circles with the Coluzzle in Bali Breeze and Basic Grey.  They put together the circles then score twice in the center, about 1/2 apart.  The placed the trimmed Top Notes on each side of the scored circles, made the pocket and then added Taffeta ribbon for the handle and the Die Cut flower in the center with a clear Rhinestone brad.  CUTE!  And a perfect holder for a gift card to someone special!  Hope those instructions make sense!

Inside they stamped Heard for the Heart and Happy Birthday with Basic Gray ink.  FUN!

Convention Swap

ONLINE ORDERING IS HERE!!!  Woohoo!  Stampin’ Up! has just implemented another great feature for demonstrators.  Now you can go to my Website and click on the Shop Now button (upper right corner) and place an order any time day or night.  Or, I do have a button on the left hand side of this Blog!  I’m such a fan of internet shopping and this is a WONDERFUL tool for customers to use.  I’ll get an email from Stampin’ Up! saying that you placed an order so I can make sure to follow up with you.  But…make sure you are on MY website…not anyone else’s, ok?

This is one of the swap cards I made for Convention.  Well, actually the ones I made for Convention used the Pink Pirouette large roses paper from Bella Rose and Baja Breeze, but the layout is the same.  I just forgot to take a picture of the actual Convention cards.

Lots of punches used here…the Scallop Edge punch, the large Star punch, the 5 petal flower punch and the center flower from BoHo punch.  A mini brad in the center holds them together.  I slipped the Designer Paper behind the Scallop Edge square and then back out the other side for a little something different.  The Polka Dot Background is stamped with Pink Pirouette on Pink Pirouette cardstock.  Celebrate is in Basic Grey. 

Sorry this is a short post.  I had a doctor appointment today that took MUCH longer than I anticipated.  Tomorrow I’m making a short trip out of town with a couple girlfriends and won’t be back until tomorrow night, so don’t be surprised if no post tomorrow.  Or…I may just surprise you!

Party Hearty Part 2

Did you enjoy the weekend?  I took yesterday off stamping and worked in the yard, replacing some of the dried out flowers with mums, trimming the bushes and doing general cleanup.  Must say it looks very pretty in my yard right now…well, except for the brown grass!  Although…even it is starting to green up from the little bit of rain we’ve had.  And it was a perfect day for working out in the yard…not too hot!

This is the gift I made to go in the Elmo bag…a scrapbook for Liam’s first birthday.  It is a flip album full of places to put photos and mementos of his special day.  We also got him a really cute driving toy that makes LOTS of noise for mom and dad!  lol!

Anyway, I used the retired Party Pieces Scrappin’ Kit because I love the colors in it!  The Pumpkin Pie band is a belly band that holds the scrapbook closed.  The cupcake (theme of his party) is from Party Hearty and I used beads for the sprinkles on the frosting and Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the flame.   I used my Cricut Base Camp once again for the letters.

Inside I kept the decorating to a minimum.  His mom does scrapbooking, so I’m sure she can add to it as she wants.  I wanted to make sure that she had room for journaling, adding the invitation and any photos of his special day.  He was quite the little ham and I’m sure they got lots of great pictures (can you believe I forgot MY camera?)

Stampin’ Up!’s Scrappin’ Kits make doing these SO easy!  I love that everything is color coordinated.  I didn’t even use 1/2 of the package either!  Plenty of materials to make more.  The new catalog has some really nice ones, too…check it out!

Party Hearty – Part 1

Our friends at the Lake have a grandson that is turning 1 today.  They are having a Cupcake party for him this afternoon.  I worked on a little 1st Birthday scrapbook for him out of Party Pieces Scrappin Kit (will show tomorrow), but decided it needed appropriate wrapping.  He LOVES Elmo…they have the cutest toy that sings "E-L-M-O" to the tune of Y-M-C-A…SO darling!  So, of course, I needed to make some Elmo’s out of punches and left over Party Pieces Kit.  I also used my Cricut for the letters and party hat.

The Elmo’s face on the bag is made with the Giga Scallop Circle Punch, while the matching card is made with Stampin’ Up!’s Scallop Circle punch.  Then I used the 1, 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 inch circles.  Happy Birthday from Family Phrases is stamped in Basic Black.

Have to go get ready to go…come back tomorrow for Part 2!  Have a great weekend!

Blogger’s Challenge 63 – Color Combo!

Today’s Blogger’s Challenge was to use the new In-Colors (or similar) of Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango and Riding Hood Red to create our card!  Wow…those are certainly bright colors combined! 

My card kind of reflects the weather today…blech!  What was in my head just didn’t come out the way I wanted and after tweaking it a dozen times, I just said ENOUGH!  lol!  Anyone else have creative times like that?

I started with a base of Pacific Point and scalloped the front edge, then added the layer of Tangerine Tango and scalloped the edge of that, too.  I stamped the entire flower in Kiwi Kiss on Whisper White, then removed ink from the flower petals with my sponge dauber.  I then used sponge daubers to add more Riding Hood Red and Tangerine Tango ink to the flowers.  After I stamped it, I cut the Whisper White to remove the left flower.  I added the Pacific Point striped ribbon (love the new ones!) and then punched 3/4 and 1" circles from the various colors to add along the side.  This is where a greeting was supposed to go, but nothing fit right.

I’m off to check out the rest of  the Blogger’s Challenge participants.  Hope you enjoy your weekend.  We are headed to the Lake again on Saturday.

Go Bucks!

Roll with the Punches

Real quick post…I have several deadlines hanging over my head that I need to finish up.  I’ll be in my Studio working most of the day!  At least it is cool there…we are having a major heat wave here.  But I did want to share a post today.

My Technique Class enjoyed doing this Technique, Roll with the Punches, a couple months ago.  The step-by-step directions are available in the current August/September 2008 Technique Junkies Newsletter!

I used Jersey Shore designer paper and Rough Edges jumbo wheel, along with the Wild Wasabi ink and ribbon, unfortunately all are retired now…but it is easy enough to change out the colors.  I like the bold word "Enjoy" from Enjoy Every Moment and I added a punched star with mini brad in the center of the O.  I used the slot punch to punch thru the top Enjoy layer, then wrapped my ribbon thru it and tied with Pumpkin Pie grosgrain…I like that little different look using ribbon.

Tomorrow is the Blogger’s Challenge Friday again…another card I need to get done!  Have a great day!

Eastern Blooms

Sorry I’ve been MIA for a couple days.  Monday and Tuesday I spent all my free time prepping for my Technique Class last night.  It went well…I think they enjoyed the techniques and cards we did.  The techniques must have been easier last night, because most were done within a couple hours!  I’ll have to make them a little tougher next time.  lol!

Watercolor Roll (Technique Junkies Newsletter, June 2006 issue) was one of the background techniques we made last night.  I try to make up a few variations of the technique so they can see how changing colors can make the technique look entirely different.  This soft pink and yellow was one of the extras, so I converted it into a card this morning.  I thought I’d use the other side of Eastern Blooms…the softer side…it is such a pretty set.  We received it free in our goodie bag for attending Convention and used it in our Make & Takes there!

For the rest of the card, I overstamped the flower with Pink Pirouette over the Watercolor Roll background and layered it onto Cameo Coral.  Then I stamped the flower again on Very Vanilla with Cameo Coral ink and cut it out.  I stamped the flower with Mellow Moss and cut out just two of the "leaves" to tuck behind the blossom.  I placed one of the large Pretties Kit half pearls in the center.  Tied the 5/8 wide Vanilla ribbon around it and mounted it all on Pink Pirouette cardstock…one of the new In-Colors!  I’m pretty happy with how it turned out!

I featured Eastern Blooms in my September Card Kit.  You get four sample ideas for using this set when you purchase the Card Kit, plus all the materials to make 12 cards.  Check it out!

Top Note cello bag topper

I purchased these key chains for a few people at Convention this year and need something nice to "present" them.  The Top Note die came to the rescue again! 

I ran Bashful Blue cardstock and the floral DSP from Summer Picnic thru the Big Shot AT THE SAME TIME!  (You can do up to 4 sheets of cardstock easily!) Then I trimmed the perforated edge off the DSP with my scissors, adhered it to the Bashful Blue layer, then stapled that around the cello bag.  I wrapped the Old Olive grosgrain ribbon around the topper and added Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Whisper White flowers from my Big Shot and a rhinestone center!  I love it…and the recipients have loved them, too.  So much better to give a little item packaged prettily, than just handing them the object!  I know I don’t want to open things like this!  lol!

We spent yesterday at the Lake, it was a gorgeous day!  Sad that we’ll probably only get to enjoy the boat for a few more weekends this year.  This summer has FLOWN by!  I’m crazy busy, too, until end of October…then the holiday rush is on.  Oh my!

Enjoy your Labor Day holiday!