Stampin' Up!

Home for Christmas – TSSC95

November 10, 2009 By Connie | 3 Comments

Mary Jo's Monday's Lunchtime Challenges are always fun. I finished this card yesterday, but had to wait for the glue and glitter to dry, so it just got photographed today. This sketch, TSSC95, was really fun and I think this set is perfect for it!

I started with a base of Garden Green cardstock and cut a strip of the striped paper from Merry Moments Designer paper. I wrapped the Mistletoe Taffeta Ribbon around it and added a hand-cut tag with, A Christmas Wish stamped on it in Basic Black. I punched a strip of Real Red cardstock with the Scallop Edge Punch for under the designer paper.

Stampin' Up!'s Home for Christmas image was stamped in Basic Black on Very Vanilla cardstock and colored with the AquaPainter and Stampin' Write markers in Garden Green, Old Olive, Real Red, Summer Sun, Close to Cocoa, Going Gray and Chocolate Chip. The Very Vanilla was layered onto Chocolate Chip cardstock and placed just under the Real Red Scallop Edge.

Finally, I used a little Crystal Effect on the snow in the bush and along the steps and ground and added Dazzling Diamonds Glitter for some extra BLING! Too bad you can't see the sparkle on the card!

On a personal note…if you would keep my hubby in your prayers. He goes for an epidural on his back early Wednesday morning. Please pray that this shrinks the membrane that is pushing on the nerve and relieves the pain and that he doesn't have to go in for surgery if it doesn't work. MANY thanks!

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Build a Bear tote bag

November 9, 2009 By Connie | 2 Comments

The Late Night Stampers Design Team challenge this week is gift ideas! Although, I originally made a couple of these canvas tote bags for the craft fair I did a few weeks ago, I do plan on giving out a couple of these for gifts this Christmas. I loved dressing up my Build a Bears and had fun shopping for fabrics. (Wouldn't you know it, I just had sold off a bunch of calico fabrics a couple years ago in a garage sale…they would have been PERFECT!)

I used Stampin' Up!'s Build A Bear Bigz die and Beary Essentials Bigz Die and fabric backed with Wonder Under for the bear that I ironed onto the Canvas Tote bag. She has a little Latte flower button in her hair!

I included a 24 count package of Crayons and four Stampin' Up! Note Cards made with the Beary Best Friends stamp set. I left these very simple for the kids to color. The Notecards were just dressed up with a strip of cardstock along one side, and then the Basic Black images stamped on Whisper White and mounted on coordinating primary colors (Yo Yo Yellow, Real Red, Glorious Green or Brilliant Blue). The envelopes were also stamped with the Beary Best Friends images.

It was a fun project to make! Hope you have a wonderful week. I have lots of designing to do for Create with Connie and Julie…hope to get caught up!

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It's not too late! We would love to have you join us over on Create with Connie & Julie. We have finished up our Halloween and Fall ideas and we now have 6 full weeks of Christmas projects. There are two ways to join us, you can place an online order for $75.00 or you can purchase a subscription for only $39.95 US. For more information on the site please click HERE!

Split Step Card

November 8, 2009 By Connie | 6 Comments

A friend just pointed out that I never provided the template I used for the Split Step Card I used in the last Tour de Freaks Blog Tour! Here is the card again.

And…here is the template. It is not to scale to print out, but you can see the measurements, I've listed them, too, in case they are hard to read.

Base: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2

Score long side at 1, 2, 3 1/8, 4 1/4, 6 3/8 only to red cut line, except for center 4 1/4 score line goes completely across.

1" – Mountain fold
2" – Valley fold
3 1/8 – Mountain fold
4 1/4 – SPLIT – Valley fold at steps, Mountain fold at side
6 3/8 – Mountain fold

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Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge

November 6, 2009 By Connie | 8 Comments

it's Saturday! Time for another sketch challenge from Stamping 411. I must say, I love the sketches that Selene has been doing lately! If you attend my classes, you'll see some of these as the basis for future cards we will do! I'm combining this challenge with the Late Night Stampers challenge since the theme is masculine, I thought it fit that criteria.

I can't tell you the last time I used Stampin' Up!'s Lovely As A Tree set. I know it has been in my stamping arsenal since I first began because I made one of my first swap cards at Convention using it! It is just a timeless stamp set…good for every occasion!

I started with a base of More Mustard cardstock. I ran the Really Rust layer thru the Big Shot with the woodgrain texturz plate and then stamped "Thankful Thoughts of You" from Grateful Greetings in the lower right corner. I added a couple strips of designer paper from Autumn Meadows Designer Pack. Then I stamped the tree with Chocolate Chip ink on Vanilla Naturals cardtock and used my sponge daubers to add the Really Rust, More Mustard and Garden Green colors to the tree and grass area. I colored the trunk of the tree with Close to Cocoa Classic Ink and a Blender pen. This piece was layered onto Chocolate Chip cardstock and placed on the front with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Make sure to check out what the other Stamping 411 Operators did this week! I'm sure their cards will be awesome!

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Bloggers Challenge – Techniques

November 6, 2009 By Connie | 14 Comments

Good morning! Today's Bloggers' Challenge was to pick a technique to do. I just had my Technique Class last week, so I chose one of those cards to feature! I showed everyone how to do the Mosaic technique I learned from Technique Junkies.

I chose my colors from the stripe in Thoroughly Modern Designer Paper. I used Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay and Soft Suede cardstock to complement it.

The base card is Bermuda Bay, then I laid down a 2" strip of Sticky Page and added my mosaic pieces. The grout lines were filled with Gold Embossing Powder.

The focal point I stamped the wreath in Soft Suede and the berries in Melon Mambo. The bow was added with the Melon Mambo marker. This piece was layered on Soft Suede and then Melon Mambo cardstock. I cut the little bird from Merry Details Sizzlet Die in my Big Shot!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Should be a good football game on tomorrow with Ohio State playing Penn State! Go Bucks!

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Sweet Centers

November 3, 2009 By Connie | 1 Comment

I just love the Sweet Cups that Stampin' Up! came out with in the Holiday Mini. And the Sweet Centers stamp set that coordinates is perfectly suited for almost every occassion you'd like to use them! I've had many customers wonder what a couple of the stamps are, so I made up several samples for my last Stamp Club meeting so they could see what they look like finished. Here is one that is inspired from one I saw on someone's Blog. Of course, I can't find that person's name right now, so if it is yours, let me know!

I made this right before Halloween last month, and of course, it was hard to find regular colored M&Ms. So, I picked out all the green ones from the Halloween colors! I kind of like this bright green color!

The base of the card is Crushed Curry and I layered on Chocolate Chip cardstock. I adhered the filled Sweet Cup to the Taken With Teal cardstock, then added the stamped and cut out Crushed Curry petals for the flower. I tucked in some Old Olive leaves, too. Finally, I stamped Happy Birthday from Teeny Tiny Wishes on Whisper White and punched with the Large Oval Punch and layered on an Old Olive Scallop Oval. I punched one of the trio flowers punched with Crushed Curry cardstock and added an Old Olive mini brad in the center. It's a fun card I plan on giving to my Mom for her birthday!

I'm off to finish up my Technique Class for tonight. Everything is prepped, just need to clean up my studio a little. It is still in disarray from the retreat a week ago!

INKspired Treasures BLOG

Click here to order online 24/7!

It's not too late! We would love to have you join us over on Create with Connie & Julie. We have just finished up our Halloween and Fall ideas and we are now starting 6 full weeks of Christmas projects. There are two ways to join us, you can place an online order for $75.00 or you can purchase a subscription for only $39.95 US. For more information on the site please click HERE

Autumn Days

November 2, 2009 By Connie | 7 Comments

This card is a combination of a couple challenges. The Late Night Stampers Make a Masculine Card Challenge and Mary Jo's, Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge.

Here is Mary Jo's sketch. And below is my Masculine Card for LNS using her sketch.

I started with a base of Soft Suede cardstock. I added a piece of the woodgrain pattern in Autumn Meadows Designer Series Paper pack. I used a strip of Really Rust cardstock for the punched scallop edge.

For my focal piece, I stamped the Pheasant from Stampin' Up!'s Autumn Days stamp set in Versamark and then Soft Suede Classic ink and stamped it on Whisper White cardstock. It was then embossed with Clear Embossing Powder. I sponged Really Rust Classic Ink along the bottom. I punched a 1 1/4 circle from xerox paper and temporarily placed it in the upper left corner as a mask. I sponged Summer Sun Classic Ink around the top portion, removed the mask and lightly added a little more Summer Sun and Really Rust Classic Inks. I stamped the grass from Autumn Days in Soft Suede, also stamping off once for a lighter dimensional look. I layered this on Really Rust cardstock. I stamped the small leaves from Autumn Days in Soft Suede on Soft Suede cardstock and Really Rust on Summer Sun cardstock, then cut them out and adhered to the bottom left corner. I stamped Happy Birthday from Teeny, Tiny Wishes in Chocolate Chip on Really Rust and punched it out with the Modern Label Tag and added two mini Gold brads on each side. That is popped up with dimensionals.

I think this will be a nice Birthday Card for my father in law! Enjoy the week!

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Gifts of Christmas – SSC123

October 30, 2009 By Connie | 8 Comments

Grr…I had this post ALL done and my editor fritzed out! So…here we go again!

This week's Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge was really fun to do. I had this card done in about 10 minutes! Now…that is my kind of card!

My friend, Annette, who was here for a week, noticed that I didn't have a lot of Night of Navy or Bravo Burgundy cardstock scraps in my basket! I set out to make a card using those colors in her honor! So…here you go, Annette!

I purchased Stampin' Up!'s Gifts of Christmas stamp set because of all the beautiful cards I've seen made with it. Even all alone, the image is striking.

I started with a base of Bravo Burgundy cardstock and stamped the floral image from Stampin' Up!'s Gifts of Christmas stamp set randomly along the left side in Bravo Burgundy Classic Ink. The main image I stamped with Night of Navy Classic Ink on Whisper White cardstock and layered it onto Night of Navy cardstock. I added a strip of Bravo Burgundy that was trimmed with the Scallop Edge Punch, then wrapped the White Taffeta Ribbon around and tied. That's it! Less than 10 minutes from thought to completion!

It would be EASY to make this YOUR Christmas card and you could complete a stack of them in just a short time! This image also looks beautiful with Silver or Gold Embossing!

Enjoy! Check out the rest of the Stamping 411 Operators to see their creations this week! And…take a minute to make the sketch challenge yourself and upload to Mister Linky!

Have a wonderful weekend…Happy Halloween, too!