Stampin' Up!

Stamping 411 – French Foliage Poinsettia

October 29, 2010 By Connie | 33 Comments

It is time for another Stamping 411 sketch challenge! This one I decided to mix up the background a little bit and use 4 different patterns in the Jolly Holiday Designer Paper Pack to represent the background of the sketch.

I started with a base of Cherry Cobbler cardstock. On it, I layered Very Vanilla cardstock. Then I cut the four patterns from Jolly Holiday into 1" wide stripes and placed them on the Very Vanilla. I cut a Top Note from Old Olive cardstock and stamped Merry & Bright from Bright Christmas in Basic Black in the corner. I wrapped the Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon around the back and made a bow for the front.

For the Poinsettia, I stamped the leaf from Stampin' Up!'s French Foliage 11 times with Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink on Real Red cardstock and cut them out. I used the larger leaf and stamped it twice with Old Olive Classic Ink on Old Olive cardstock. I punched a 1 1/4 circle from scrap paper and began adhering the petals to the circle…back row along the edge and then filling in closer to the middle of the circle on top. I added Pearls to the center for some extra bling…and three graduated sizes along the top of the Top Note diecut. I used Stampin' Dimensionals behind the circle for the Poinsettia and also popped up the Old Olive leaves.

I love how this turned out! Let me know what you think! Make sure to check out what the rest of the Design Operators did on Stamping 411 this week with the sketch!

Have a great weekend…I get to go with my future daughter-in-law to shop for the dress! Woohoo!

Create with Connie and Mary – Halloween Theme

October 28, 2010 By Connie | 1 Comment

Today is another Thursday Challenge over on Create with Connie and Mary...and it is an EASY one! Anything Halloween! Grab your Halloween stamps and play along! Just upload your creation over on Create with Connie and Mary…we love to see what you do. Make sure to identify it as CCMC-122 and list Create with Connie and Mary in your post.

I obviously didn't get the message that everyone on the Design Team was going to do a 3D type project this week! It didn't HAVE to be a 3D…they just all did one. I finished mine at the stamping retreat last weekend and I like it, so I'm sticking with my card! Although…I guess I could make it into a tag for a bag! lol!

I started with a base of Confetti White cardstock and layered on Tangerine Tango cardstock that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Spider Web Impressions Folder. I used a couple scraps of Wicked Fun Designer Paper and layered them on Basic Black cardstock.. For the center, I punched a 2 1/2 Circle and then stamped the Halloween sign from Dark & Dreary with Basic Black on Whisper White and punched it with the Decorative Label punch. I stamped it again in Tangerine Tango and punched only the 31 number in the center with a 1/2 circle punch. It is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals. I decided I needed a little bling and added Rhinestone Jewels on the top and bottom of the circle. And, finally, I stamped the spider from Dark & Dreary with Basic Black on Whisper White, colored him in with the Tangerine Tango Stampin' Write Marker and cut him out. He is also popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals.

I love how it turned out! Make sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team has done with this week's Thursday Challenge over on Create with Connie and Mary! And…come play along! Everyone is welcome!

If you haven't checked out the Create with Connie and Mary site yet, now is the time to do it! We feature new Holiday Mini products every week. There is a new project posted every day and there will be an average of two fabulous tutorials each and every week. NEW is a project sheet for every project not having a tutorial! We like to have lots of fun so we have challenges and prizes for our subscribers. Our sites stay up long after the session is done, so you will always have access to the site and the tutorials. For more information and to see our Preview Week projects please visit at Create with Connie and Mary!

Day of Gratitude

October 27, 2010 By Connie | 3 Comments

I know, I know…bad blogger! I haven't posted since Saturday! My customers know that I've had company for a week…and then was at our semi-annual scrapbook retreat over four days of the weekend! Yes…four days of indulging in my stamping addiction! I did get a lot done…100 Christmas cards are almost done, just need one piece cut out and glued on (TV time). Several projects for Create with Connie and Mary are done for the next couple weeks…you won't want to miss them! (It's not too late to join if you aren't a member!) The time goes by SO fast, though! We had a GREAT time and now I can't wait for March and the next one! My poor girlfriends had to travel home in the terrible weather we had yesterday, though…I know Linda's flight was delayed a couple hours.

So…here is a project that I made up for our Stamping Festival Stamp Camp a few weeks ago! I love the quality of the Mini Lunch Sacks that are in the Holiday Mini and paired it up with Day of Gratitude stamps, some apple cider, caramels and a cute little thank you note. Who wouldn't like getting this little gift? Everything tucks easily inside the little Mini Lunch Sack.

I cut a piece of Autumn Spice DSP and added the Early Espresso Dotted Ribbon Punch piece along one edge for a scallop. I stamped Gratitude greeting from Stampin' Up!'s Day of Gratitude on Very Vanilla and punched with the Decorative Label Punch and sponged along the edges with Early Espresso. I popped it up on front of the DSP with Stampin' Dimensionals. I stamped one leaf in Cajun Craze and cut out and stamped the same leaf on the 3×3 note in Cajun Craze. The other leaf was stamped in More Mustard and cut out. Both cut out leaves were tucked behind the greeting. Thank You on the note is in the same Day of Gratitude set and stamped with Early Espresso.

When you place the cider inside, you do need to fold the top of the packet down. Then I folded the Mini Lunch Sack to the front, punched two holes with the Crop-a-Dile and tied with 1 1/4 Early Espresso Striped Ribbon (LOVE that ribbon!) and a Cinnamon Stick on front for a cute little accent and added spice for the cider! A quick and easy little project!

Well…I have a BIG day of prep work to do for classes the next couple days! I was hoping to get that done over the past weekend, but the time just went by SO fast! Hmmm, wonder if we could stay for a WEEK next time! lol!

Create with Connie and Mary Saturday Challenge

October 23, 2010 By Connie | 1 Comment

It's time for the Create with Connie and Mary Saturday Challenge (CCMC-HM4)! This challenge is for our subscribers to participate and earn a chance to win one of two $75 gift certificates or one of two free subscriptions to the next Edition of Create with Connie and Mary. This week is a DOUBLE challenge…one using a color combination in Deck the Halls…Early Espresso, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede and Crumb Cake AND making it a One of a Kind Card…one that you'd probably only make one of for a special person. I know I had fun with it…I think our Guest Designers did, too!

This week on Create with Connie and Mary, we've been focusing on Bells & Boughs, Christmas Collage, Christmas Postcard, Bell Wheel and Vintage Frames from the Holiday Mini Catalog. A big selection to choose from! It's not too late to join this 8 week subscription! We are just getting started. You'll have access to all the previous posts and tutorials long after the session is over!

So here is my card using these colors…a little of the Deck the Halls Designer Paper in the background and one-of-a-kind elements.

I started with a base of Always Artichoke cardstock and layered on Cherry Cobbler cardstock. I ran a piece of Very Vanilla thru the Big Shot with the Finial Press Impressions Folder, then sponged on Crumb Cake Classic Ink on the highlights with a sponge dauber. I added the holly pattern from Deck the Halls DSP in the upper left corner and tore the edge…sponging it with Soft Suede Classic Ink. I used the Distressing Tool on the edges and wrapped the Always Artichoke Seam Binding Ribbon around and tied a bow. It was adhered to the base card. Then I added the largest Pearls to the ribbon.

I took my 5 petal punch and punched out two Cherry Cobbler and one Real Red flower for EACH flower, sponged up the edges with Soft Suede and made "veins" with my Stylus. I adhered together and put in a Gold Glimmer Brad in the center of each flower. They were placed on the front with Stampin' Dimensionals. I punched out another flower with Always Artichoke, made the veins again and sponged with Soft Suede, then cut them up to use as the leaves under the flowers.

I stamped Merry Christmas in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla and punched with the new Decorative Label punch, then sponged the edges with Soft Suede. I punched the Decorative Label again with Early Espresso cardstock. Then cut it in half and put one half under the top half and the other behind the bottom half for a layered look. I placed it on the front with Stampin' Dimensionals. I thought it made a very elegant looking card and I love the punched poinsettias!

Check out what the rest of our Design Team Members have done this week with the sketch challenge:

Mary Brown – StamperCamper's Corner

Cristena Bagne – Gettin' Crafty

Rochelle Gould – I stamp, I create, I have fun!

Jenn Picard – A New Ink on Life

SSC174 – Day of Gratitude

October 22, 2010 By Connie | 8 Comments

Time for another Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge! Another fun and pretty easy one. So…get your stamps and paper out, make your creation and post it over on Stamping 411! We love to see what you do!

And here is my card using Stampin' Up!'s Day of Gratitude and Autumn Spice Designer Paper. LOVE this set!

I started with a base of Cajun Craze cardstock. I layered on a pattern from Autumn Spice Designer paper (Herringbone Old Olive), wrapping the Early Espresso 1 1/4 Stripe Ribbon around tied on the front. I stamped the small leaf three times in Cajun Craze, More Mustard and Old Olive, then cut them out. I adhered them to the striped pattern from Autumn Spice DSP and layered that on Early Espresso cardstock. I added a Vintage Brad in the lower right corner.

The greeting from Day of Gratitude is stamped with Early Espresso Classic Ink on Very Vanilla and punched with the new Decorative Label punch. I sponged around the edges with Early Espresso ink and a sponge dauber.

It came together really easy! Make sure to check out what the rest of the Stamping 411 Design Operators did this week!

Create with Connie and Mary – Jolly Old Saint Nick

October 21, 2010 By Connie | 4 Comments

Oh…I'm SO excited! ONE more sleep until it is time for our Fall Stamping Retreat! My girlfriends are HERE…and we will have a BLAST creating up a storm. During the Fall Retreat, I try to make up my Christmas cards…and get time to work on projects JUST FOR MYSELF or for gifts! I have a couple other friends going this time…it will be their first time! I can't wait to see what they think!

Well…enough of that….it is time for the Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge! We had a YUMMY cake to get our inspiration from this time. You can see how each of the Challenge Team was inspired this week by checking out Create with Connie and Mary! I'll give you a hint…even without looking at each other's cards, a few of us picked up on a common theme!

I used Jolly Old Saint Nick for my card because the Whisper White, Marina Mist and Cherry Cobbler color scheme reminded me of snowmen!

I started with a base of Marina Mist cardstock. The ribbons on the cake reminded me of the Dotted Ribbon Border Punch, so I placed three strips of those along the bottom. I ran the Whisper White thru the Big Shot with the diamond Texture Plate and then placed a 1/8" circle in each of the intersections to mimic the diamonds on the cake. THAT took a while to put all of those on it!

I stamped the snowman from Stampin' Up!'s Jolly Old Saint Nick in Black Stazon on Whisper White, then colored with Basic Gray, Marina Mist and Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Write Markers. I add a Cherry Cobbler Mini Brad at the intersection of his scarf. I also used a little Dazzling Diamonds on the snow and top of his hat. It was punched with the 2 3/8 Scallop Circle and then the 2 1/2 Circle Punch. I wrapped Marina Mist Satin Ribbon around and tied a pretty bow! Pretty!

Make sure to check out what the rest of the Create with Connie and Mary Challenge Team did this week! Then play along by uploading your creation over on Create with Connie and Mary!

It's NOT too late! If you haven't checked out the Create with Connie and Mary site yet, now is the time to do it! We feature new Holiday Mini products every week. There is a new project posted every day and there will be an average of two fabulous tutorials each and every week. NEW this Edition is a Project Sheet to print out for every project not having a tutorial! Our sites stay up long after the session is done, so you will always have access to the site and the tutorials. For more information and to see our Preview Week projects please visit at Create with Connie and Mary! Sign up today!

October Tour de Freaks is here!

October 19, 2010 By Connie | 21 Comments

Wow…another month ZOOMS by and it is time for the monthly Tour de Freaks, brought to you by the Control Freak Swappers! You've probably just arrived from Wendy Janson's blog. Aren't her projects fabulous? This month we're celebrating the upcoming December holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza and we have 13 stops on the tour!

My first project is a card. I've been thinking about doing a pyramid of Penguins for a while…in fact, the penguin piece has been sitting on my desk waiting to be finished! So…here it finally is done! Yep…it is made with that OH SO FUN Owl Punch! Can you believe I first thought that I wouldn't use that Owl Punch? Oh my gosh! I've seen such CUTE things done with it…and owls are REALLY popular with kids right now!

I started with a base card of Real Red cardstock. I added a layer of Whisper White that is stamped with the Jolly Bingo Bits snowflake in Bashful Blue randomly in the background. Then I ran it thru the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Impressions Folder for some extra texture. I wrapped two pieces of the Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon around and secured in the back. The penguins I punched out the Owl with Basic Black and cut off the ears and the feet. I punched just the feet in Pumpkin Pie cardstock. I punched the vest/belly in Whisper White and layered on top. The beak is just a small square cut in half diagonally. Then the eyes are from the Owl Punch, too. I added a strip of torn Whisper White across the bottom of the Bashful Blue cardstock for snow and added Dazzling Diamonds so it sparkles. I stacked the three Owls on top of each other. Then added a Real Red Santa Hat from Jolly Bingo Bits to the top Owl. The Bashful Blue is layered on Basic Black and placed on the front of the card.

I stamped the greeting from Jolly Old Saint Nick in Basic Black and punched with the Large Oval, then layered on a Real Red Scallop Oval. It is placed on the ribbon with Stampin' Dimensionals. I added a Bashful Blue snowflake from the Northern Frost Decorative Strip Die on the corner with the large Rhinestone Jewel. The top corners needed a little something, so I added some small Rhinestone Jewels to them, too. Love how it sparkles!

My next project is one that my customers who attended my Stamping Festival a couple weeks ago made. I designed a little Mug Mat that they showed us at Convention out of the Candy Cane Christmas Fabric and the large Scallop Square Die. I made a sandwich of the fabric, then batting, then pink polar fleece on the bottom. It is stitched together in the corners with Linen Thread. In one corner, I added the Circles Diecuts from the other fabric patterns and more pink polar fleece. A big Candy Cane Designer Button is sewn on top!

I purchased the Red Mugs at a local "Big" discount store. I added Northern Frost Decorative Strip snowflakes cut with the Whisper White Decor Elements Sheets! I used all the snowflakes around the mug…it looks so cute! TIP: You don't need to use the paper backing that is for walls…only use the front Whisper White sticky sheet. Also, make sure you run it thru your Big Shot with the BACK protective sheet up…then it is easy to just peal off the snowflakes and place them on the mug like stickers! Make sure to have a piercing tool close by to poke out all those little pieces. I found it easier to do while the protective backing was still on the snowflakes.

Inside the mug I had some shredded paper, then a Medium Cello bag filled with powdered Hot Chocolate Mix and marshmallows. I made the tag with the snowman from A Cute Christmas, stamped with Black Stazon and using Baja Breeze and Blushing Bride Stampin' Write Markers. It was punched from the Whisper White with the Small Tag Punch and layered on the Baja Breeze Large Tag Punch. The Crop-a-dile made the hole on top for the Silver Tinsel Trim. That is SO nice because it has a fine wire in it. Too fun!

Hope you enjoy my Tour de Freak projects for this month! The next stop is the amazing Mary Brown! Just check out what SHE did this month!

Christmas Morning Cup

October 18, 2010 By Connie | 2 Comments

Mary Jo from Technostamper's Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge has a clean and simple sketch today that I just had to play with (TSSC 144).

I wanted to use Morning Cup stamp set in a Christmas theme…although I wish I would have used a Christmas greeting instead of the one available in the set. I love the sayings in the set, it didn't really fit with my Christmas theme and I really didn't want to add a third stamp set with this simple card! Pretend that it says Happy Holidays or something else holiday appropriate! lol!

For my clean and simple card, I started with Old Olive cardstock for the base. I used Jolly Holiday Designer Paper for the strips in the background. This sketch is a great way to use up those little scraps! I stamped the cups from Stampin' Up!'s Morning Cup on Very Vanilla with Black Stazon Ink, then used my AquaPainter and Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Write Markers to color them. I added a shadow at the bottom with Sahara Sand marker. I stamped the little Holly from Jolly BIngo Bits in Old Olive Classic Ink on Very Vanilla and used the Cherry Cobbler marker to color in the berries. It is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals on the front. The Very Vanilla piece is layered onto Cherry Cobbler Cardstock. I added a little Rhinestone to one of the cups for a little BLING!

Isn't that a sweet card? And so quick to make up a bunch! I'm definitely going to think about this sketch for my holiday cards this year!

That's it! Pretty simple, huh?

October TOUR DE FREAKS starts Wednesday! Make sure to check back and take the tour!

I have a couple spots left in my next Round of Ribbon Shares! Find more information HERE!

With the new catalog, Stampin' Up! has introduced a lot of new ribbon colors! So, I thought it was time for more Ribbon Shares. Each Group of Ribbon will be wrapped around 1-2 pieces of cardstock so your ribbon arrives wrinkle-free and organized.