Cards, cards, cards, cards!

I have gotten so far behind showing our Club projects! I'm going to post 4 of them right now and catch up! I love this time of year when I can create Christmas and winter holiday cards!


The first card features a technique I've been wanting to showcase - having the image appear through a "window" on the card front. Here's what I used:


Acorn stamp from The More the Merrier

1-1/4 and 1-3/8 inch circle punches

Soft Suede cardstock and polka dot ribbon, and classic ink

Naturals Ivory cardstock

Old Olive marker

Blender pen

SNAIL

Polka dot texture plate with Big Shot

First, I ran a piece of 5-1/4 x 4 inch Naturals Ivory cardstock through the Big Shot with the larger Polka Dot texture plate. Then, I used the 1-3/8 inch circle punch in the upper right corner, but not too far toward the edge. Next, I tied a knot in the ribbon and attached to the front of the Naturals Ivory piece. Then, I held the cardstock to the front of the Soft Suede base, and as carefully as possible (probably held my breather a little), punched a hole through the Soft Suede using the 1-1/4 inch circle punch. You'll end up with a thin circle of Soft Suede that frames the Naturals Ivory.


I stamped the acorn image on Naturals Ivory using Black Stayz On, and colored with the marker and blender pen (with Soft Suede ink). I punched it out using the 1-3/8 inch circle punch, and adhered it inside the card, making sure it lines up well with the "window." A simple, but fun card to create!


The snowman card is my personal favorite among these 4. Thanks to Kim Allen for sharing this one at a demonstrator meeting! Here's what I used:





Bermuda Bay cardstock and polka dot ribbon
Black cardstock
Whisper White cardstock
Circle punches - 1 inch, 1-1/4 inch, 1-3/8 inch
Crop-a-dile
Black marker
Pumpkin Pie cardstock
Tombow adhesive
Two-way glue pen
Chunky clear glitter
Greeting from Snow Swirled


Cut a piece of black cardstock 5 x 3-3/4 inches, and adhere to a piece of 5-1/4 x 4 inch white cardstock. Adhere to the Bermuda Bay card base. Cut a piece of white cardstock 3-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches. Rip the top edge along the 3-1/2 inch side. Apply Two-way glue pen to both ripped edges, and then apply the chunky glitter. you'll invert the smaller ripped piece, and adhere slightly underneath the larger piece, giving the look of snowy ground. Stamp the greeting on the bottom of the larger glittered piece using black ink.

Use the circle punches to make the snowman from white cardstock. The larger circle goes on the bottom, the smallest on the top. Tuck the bottom circle in between the two pieces of snowy ground. I used the Crop-a-dile to punch black buttons, the marker for the eyes, and cut a tiny piece of Pumpkin Pie for the nose. I used Tombow to adhere the scarf to the "neck". This is an easy one to make a bunch of, and very cute!


This is probably the easiest of the 4 cards. I can see this one made with various colors for any occasion where a gift is involved. Here's what I used:




Soft Suede cardstock and ink
Old Olive cardstock and ribbon from the Sleigh Bells set
Christmas Cocoa specialty paper
Modern Label punch
Merry Christmas greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes
Stampin' Dimensionals


Adhere the piece of 5 x 3-3/4 inch specialty paper to a piece of 5-1/4 x 4 inch Old Olive cardstock. I used 3 pieces of ribbon for this one. The shortest goes across the small side, the medium across the long side, and the longest piece was used to tie a bow around the small-side ribbon. I stamped the greeting using Soft Suede ink on white cardstock, and punched out using the Modern Label punch. I adhered the greeting to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals. I did adhere the pieces to the card base before tying the large bow, so I wasn't trying to put SNAIL on the back of something bumpy.


Last but not least, I really wanted to use some of the Shimmer paint from the Holiday Mini-Catalog, so I designed this card. Here's what I used:


Frost White Shimmer Paint
Sponge dauber
Snowmen from The More the Merrier
Greeting from Snow Swirled
Snowflakes from Christmas Punch
Stampin' Dimensionals
Night of Navy cardstock
Bordering Blue cardstock
Ticket Corner punch


First, I finished the edges of the Night of Navy pieces (5-1/4 x 4, and 2-1/4 x 3-1/4), with the Ticket Corner punch, and a piece of Bordering Blue, cut 2-1/2 x 3-1/2. I poured a little of the shimmer paint in the bottle's cap (a little goes a long way) and dipped the top of a sponge dauber in the lid. You can dab your stamps with the sponge dauber, and then stamp on the cardstock. I applied the snow under the image using the sponge dauber. Apply the snowflakes and greeting in the same manner. This will take a few minutes to dry. In this case, the Night of Navy paper is so dark that the white shimmer paint appears to be silver. I used Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere the snowmen image to the card base. Fun stuff!


I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, surrounded by family and friends! I look forward to sharing the new Occasions Mini-Catalog and Sale-a-Bration items with you next month! Happy New Year to everyone!

Pumpkins and Ornaments!

I'm finally getting caught up here after several challenges recently, and realized how far I am behind in sharing the cards I've made! It's long past Halloween, and practically Thanksgiving (hard to believe), but I really wanted to share the pumpkin card we made in Club last month.

Here's what you need to make this card:

• Chocolate Chip cardstock - cut 8.5 x 5.5, score at 4.25; 1 piece cut 2 x 5




• Dusty Durango cardstock - 1 piece cut 5.25 x 4; 1 piece cut 1.75 x 5




• Naturals Ivory cardstock - 1 piece cut 3.5 x 3.75; 1 piece cut 1.50 x 4.75




• Dusty Durango polkadot ribbon




• Black Stayz On ink




• Dusty Durango Classic ink




• Chocolate Chip Classic ink




• Old Olive Classic ink




• Blender pen




• Stampin' Dimensionals




• SNAIL




• Scallop Edge Punch




• Texture Plate for the Big Shot that resembles woodgrain




• The More the Merrier stamp set
  
  

First I ran the larger piece of Naturals Ivory through the Big Shot with the Texture plate, then adhered that to the larger piece of Dusty Durango cardstock. Then, you can tie your ribbon around that and adhere that whole piece to the base cardstock.

Our second card featured a Christmas theme. Here's what you need to make this one:

• Delightful Decorations stamp set




• Greeting from Snow Swirled stamp set




• Baroque Motifs stamp set




• Versamark pad




• Irridescent Ice embossing powder




• Heat gun




• Real Red Classic ink




• Old Olive Classic ink




• Ornament punch




• Gold cord




• Ticket Corner punch




• Real Red cardstock, cut 4 x 5.25




• Whisper White cardstock, cut 3.75 x 5, and one 2" wide piece for stamping the ornament




• Old Olive cardstock, cut 8.5 x 5.5, scored at 4.25




• Paper piercing tool (I didn't have one, so used the tip of my Paper Snips)




• Stampin' Dimensionals




• SNAIL
  

Stamp the ornament of your choice using Real Red ink on Whisper White paper. Cut out the image using the awesome Ornament Punch! Yep, no cutting!

Stamp the viney image from Baroque Motifs across the top of the Whisper White piece. Stamp the greeting using Real Red ink on the bottom left side. Stamp a small snowflake from Delightful Decorations around the piece using the Versamark pad. Apply Irridescent Ice embossing powder, and set with the heat gun. I love this technique for added sparkle to projects!

Poke a small hole in a place on the viney image where it would like like an ornament could hang. Using a couple of Stampin' Dimensionals, stick the punched out ornament at least an inch below the hole. Tie gold cord around the neck of the ornament, and thread the tails of your bow through the hole. You can stick the tails down to the back of the White cardstock using SNAIL. Finish the edges of the stamped image and the Real Red piece using the Ticket Corner punch. Adhere the pieces together and you've got a unique holiday card!

Monkeys on Film!

First, I want to apologize for my lack of posts this month. H1N1 hit our house. Everyone is OK now, but creating anything (even dinner) and posting on my blog was the last thing on my mind! Now to the fun stuff!

As a former professional photographer, I love this filmstrip technique! I know, no one shoots film anymore, so I guess this is an "old timey" technique. Guess I'm old timey, too! What you'll need:

• Bermuda Bay cardstock, cut 4.25x11, scored at 5.5 inches, and a piece for photo corners


• Basic Black cardstock - cut 2x4.5 inches, and a piece for the photo corners


• Whisper White cardstock - 3 pieces cut 1.25 inches square


• Black Stayz On ink


• Bermuda Bay Classic ink


• Close to Cocoa Classic ink


• Blender pen


• Spiral punch


• Photo Corners punch


• Stampin' Dimensionals


• SNAIL adhesive


• I used the Monkey from the Sock Monkey stamp set for this card.

Using Stayz On ink, stamp the monkey head on each of the Whisper White squares. To help create the illusion of motion, I skewed the image a little differently each time I stamped. Color the monkey using a blender pen and Bermuda Bay, Close to Cocoa inks.

Punch both long sides of the Black cardstock using the Spiral Punch. Line up your punches so that they are directly across from each other. Adhere the stamped images to the punched black strip. I adhered this to the card at an angle, again for the effect of motion.

Using the Photo Corner punch, create large black corners, and adhere smaller Bermuda Bay corners on top. I attached these to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

This is a really easy card to create, and lots of fun! I can see this made with a tremendous variety of colors and images. Have fun!

Stamping with Bleach

I was delighted to discover that Dusty Durango (one of Stampin' Up!'s current In-Colors) bleaches to Crushed Curry (another In-Color)! What a find!

This card is extremely easy to create. Here's what you need:

• Chlorine Bleach


• A bowl and a paper towel


• I used the stamp set Fifth Avenue Floral


• Dusty Durango (8.5 x 5.5 for base, 3.75 x 5) and Crushed Curry cardstock (4 x 5.25)


• Crushed Curry polka-dot ribbon

I experimented with a few different stamps before settling on one from Fifth Avenue Floral. The outline stamps seem to work well with this technique. Find a bowl that is wide enough at the bottom to lay your stamp in. Fold and place a paper towel in the bowl. Pour just enough bleach in to saturate the paper towel, but not so much that it forms a puddle. Lay your stamp in the bleach, and stamp as normal on the cardstock. It's so much fun to watch the image bleach your paper!

Note that not all cardstock bleaches, or looks good when it does. I tried this same image on Rich Razzleberry, and it bleached a light pink - almost white. Gorgeous! Soft Suede bleaches a golden color, and almost glows.

Allow your stamped image to dry, then adhere Crushed Curry ribbon. I cut a piece just long enough to wrap around the edges, then use a smaller piece to tie the knot. That way, you can place your knot wherever you want it.

Next, adhere the stamped image to a piece of Crushed Curry cardstock, and adhere that to the Dusty Durango card base. Easy as pie! It is a bit smelly, so make sure you have plenty of ventilation when you use this bleaching technique!

A rainy day and a Waterfall Card

It's finally raining here - we really need it! Reminded me to post this Waterfall card! This is a card that moves. Just pull the ribbon, and the little stamped images look like a water wheel as the piece moves down. With this card, you can use your favorite cardstock colors stamp sets - doesn't have to the be same as mine! I can see this card done as an invitation, with the time, place, etc. stamped on each square. Here's how to make it!

What you'll need:

• Natural-colored cardstock (like Whisper White, Very Vanilla)


• Colored cardstock


• Matching ink


• Your favorite stamp set (I used Party Hearty)


• Small piece of ribbon


• Adhesive


• Paper Snips


• Tiny scrap of the colored cardstock


• Brads or eyelets

Cut 1 piece of the neutral cardstock 5 1/4 x 4, and 4 pieces 1 7/8 x 1 7/8. Cut 4 pieces of the colored cardstock 2 x 2, 1 as 5 1/2 x 4 1/4, 1 as 9 x 2, and 1 as 3/4 x 4.

Stamp your desired background image on the 5 1/4 x 4-inch neutral cardstock. Use the brads or eyelets of your choice (I used Vintage Brads), and attach the 3/4 x 4-inch colored cardstock to the stamped image. The brads will go on either side of the colored cardstock, so that it is NOT glued in any way to the neutral cardstock. Make sure you attach the strip a couple of inches up the neutral cardstock. Next, you can adhere the background image to the card base.

Stamp the 1 7/8-square inch pieces of neutral cardstock, and adhere them to the slightly larger, colored cardstock.

Score the 9 x 2-inch piece of colored cardstock at the following inch marks - 2, 2 3/4, 3 1/2, and 4 1/4 from one end. Pre-bend at the scored lines. Slide the long end of the strip under the horizontal strip with the brads at either end. Place a small amount of adhesive at the other end of the strip (on the back), and stick it to the bottom of the strip with the brads. This is the only point you'll adhere the long strip so that it can move.

Next, adhere the small, stamped image you want to appear at the bottom of the long strip. You'll adhere this all around to the bottom square of the long strip. For the remaining 3 small images, place adhesive on only the top, and adhere at the next scored line up from the bottom image.

Finally, punch a small hole in the bottom of the long strip (centered). Cut a very small piece of your colored cardstock - maybe 3/4-inch by 1/8-inch. Thread a small piece of ribbon (about 3 inches) through the hole, folded in half, so that the loop is on the back. Place the tiny piece of cardstock through the loop, pull tight, and your ribbon is in place - without adhesive!

Now, when you pull by the ribbon, the long strip will slide down, and as it does, each stamped image will slide with it. It really does look like a waterfall or paddle wheel!

This card sounded complicated the first time I read the directions, but after making one, it's really easy! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Watercolor Rose - Beautiful!!

I just love the Watercolor Rose technique! It's a whole lot easier to create this effect with my Stampin' Up! products than those college watercolor classes! Here's what I used:

• Base cardstock is Rich Razzleberry, with matching ribbon, and reinker on an old CD


• Accent color is Old Olive, top color Whisper White


• Shimmer cardstock for the rose


• Versmark pad


• White embossing powder and heat gun


• Aquapainter (and a paper towel)


• Big Shot dies - Top Note, Little Leaves, Texture Plate


• Paper Snips, Stampin Dimensionals, SNAIL


• Stamp set - Fifth Avenue Floral

First, stamp the large rose from Fifth Avenue Floral onto the shimmer cardstock using Versamark. Apply white embossing powder to the image and set with the heat gun. Next, moisten the entire image with an Aquapainter. You can get a small amount of the Rich Razzleberry ink on the brush to "pink" the whole image a little." Then, little by little, I added color to the image by picking up reinker with the Aquapainter. If the image has been moistened well, the ink will flow around it. I inked one petal at a time. The embossing will hold the color in each petal. It takes some time to create the final product, but you will love it! You can use the paper towel to wipe off the Aquapainter if you've gotten too much ink on it. Use varying amounts of ink on the Aquapainter for lighter or darker values. Let the image dry (it will take a while).

I used a Texture Plate and Top Note die for the Whisper White paper, then cut out the image with paper snips. You can trim easily around the perforated edge. I adhered my ribbon around this piece, then used SNAIL to attach to a layer of Old Olive behind, which was also cut with the Top Note die. Great layering effect! I adhered this to the card base using SNAIL.

Using the Little Leave embosslit die, cut two sets of leaves from Old Olive cardstock. When your rose is dry, you can attach the leaves to the back using SNAIL. I used Stampin' Dimensionals to attach the rose to the card - really pops it out!

Variations: Use any color you wish! I think an orange and a yellow or pink would look great together! If you have a favorite hybrid tea rose in your garden, choose inks that best match and create your own roses! You could also skip the step of embossing, but I think it really adds a finishing touch to the card. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Container

This sour cream container is a quick, easy way to create a cute little treat holder! It uses Designer Series Paper, and you can get 4 from a 12x12 sheet. The patterned paper is pretty, and saves you the step of decorating it. Here's what you need:

• Lightweight paper, cut 4.25x5.50 inches.


• Sticky strip


• Decorative ribbon or greeting to place on the outside.


• Stampin Dimensionals

Place a piece of Sticky Strip along one entire short side of the paper (on the reverse of the side you want to show). Place another piece of Sticky Strip halfway across a long side, meeting in the corner with the other piece. Finally, place a last piece of Sticky Strip on the opposite long side in the middle, covering about half of that side.

Remove the Sticky Strip's orange plastic liner on the short side and corner only (not the one by itself). Roll the paper into a tube and stick together. Seal one end of the tube by pushing the sticky strip side against the other side of the tube. Fill with treats. Peel the plastic liner from the remaining piece of Sticky Strip, and push to seal. Make sure you turn the tube a half-turn so that it's sealed in the opposite direction of the other end. Use the Crimper to crimp both ends of the tube to make it look "factory" produced. I embellished mine by stamping on Whisper White cardstock and punching it out with the 1 1/4 circle punch. I punched another layer of cardstock using the 1 3/8 circle punch, and another using the Scallop circle punch. Sandwich these together, and adhere to the container using Stampin Dimensionals. I also attached a single-knotted piece of ribbon with a Stampin Dimensional.

This is a quick, easy treat container to create, and oh so cute! You can use any patterned paper, and any color to match the season or person receiving the gift.

Most Demonstratable Card!

At our monthly Taste of Stamping this week, my card was actually voted Most Demonstratable! Other demonstrators (who made cards for our swap) voted this card as the best for showing other people how to create. Thanks, everyone! Here's how I made it:

Base color is Melon Mambo, next layer is Old Olive, Whisper White on top. Stamp set is Simply Said, Big Shot die is Cherry Blossom Embosslit.

• Cut a piece of Old Olive 5.25x4 inches.


• Cut a piece of Whisper White 5x3.75 inches.


• Ink flower image from Simply Said, stamp it off on your grid paper, then stamp on Whisper White cardstock. Clean the stamp before you ink it with Old Olive. Also stamp off the Old Olive. Then, when you ink the coordinating outline flower image, don't stamp it off. It will be a little darker and show up nicely against the solid flower. Stamp the outline flower over top of the solid flower. This gives a "designer series paper" effect.


• I used Old Olive striped ribbon across the card to separate the inked bottom from the top.


• Use the Cherry Blossom die to cut a Melon Mambo and an Old Olive flower.


• I used a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen to color the raised center of the flowers.


• Adhere the flowers to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.


• Stamp the desired greeting on the card using Melon Mambo Classic Ink.

This is a great way to show a Big Shot die, and a 2-step stamping technique, and is an easy card to create!

Congratulations Rising Star Jessie!

Jessie Benjamin, my upline, was named Rising Star #8 last night! This means she was the #8 New Demonstrator in the whole country this year! That is quite an accomplishment, and I am so proud of her! I was very excited to share the evening with her, Kim Allen (Jessie's upline) and Jessie's sister, Ragan. Thanks Merrie for texting us the details from the annual convention in Salt Lake City, Utah!

Jessie is off to a new beginning in Charlotte. We will miss her in Wake Forest, but I am sure she will do great things in Charlotte!

Recycling is Great!

Anyone who has come to my house to stamp knows I don't have a craft room. That's OK. I am always finding ways to make the best use of the space and resources I DO have! This lead me to a great find in my garage loft - an old CD holder that fits ink pads!

This CD holder has been in the loft since we moved here 6 years ago. Running out of space in my canvas storage bins, I wondered it we still had that CD holder, and if it ink pads would fit nicely in it. I cleaned it up, Rick hung it in the laundry closet, and behold - a new ink pad holder!

Now, I have all my ink pads sorted by color family, and the refills next to the pads! I even stuck my ribbon up there. Now, I have lots more space to fill in my canvas storage box. I don't think I'll have any trouble filling it with Stampin' Up! products!

The punch bar is an old towel holder we took out of our half bath when we redecorated it. It fits the larger punches beautifully! I love recycling and reusing (the Girl Scout in me)!

Don't forget your attics and storage spaces! You never know what you'll find that can be reused for a great purpose!

The Tree is up!

Rick and I got the Thoughts & Prayers tree, and the Henry David Thoreau quote on the wall of our living room! It looks great! It wasn't easy, though. The tree comes in 6 pieces. After talking to my upline, I learned the way I should have done it, and not how I did do it! So, I want to share with you the easiest way to apply your Definitely Decorative products.

First, use your applicator tool (I actually used my Wake County library card) to burnish the Definitely Decorative sheet on the grid paper side. This will make sure the image sticks to the transfer sheet. My directions did NOT say to do that! What I ended up having to do was manually transfer each limb and leaf as I pulled off the grid paper. It would have been much easier to burnish the whole thing first, then peel off the paper!

Next, lay your image on the surface you're transferring it to with the transfer paper out. It's very sticky, so make sure you've got it where you want it, and smooth carefully from one side to the other. I marked spots on the wall lightly with a pencil first, and made sure it would be level before trying to stick the image to the wall. Then, I rubbed the image with my library card, and carefully peeled off the transfer sheet. That part was easy!

Now, we have new decor on our wall that we did ourselves! It's vinyl, and won't come off until we pull it off. You can wipe it with a cloth if you need to, and it will still stay on! If you do peel the image off, it isn't really reusable, because it will stretch and be difficult to reapply.

Contact me if you have any questions about this affordable, easy way to decorate your home!

Tea Bag Holder

I love the 3-dimensional projects you can make from paper, stamps and ink! The possibilities are endless! My club members never do the same project twice! This month, they created a teabag holder. So cute!! Don't drink tea? I bet it fits a Ghiardelli chocolate really well! Here's what I used to create the holder:

Cardstock - base is Rich Razzleberry, inside is Certainly Celery.

Ribbon - Rich Razzleberry, Gold cord

Vintage brads

Stamp set is Fresh Cuts

1. 
   Cut Rich Razzleberry 3.50 x 7.75 inches, and score at 3.50 inches.



2. Cut Certainly Celery 6.50 x 7 inches. Line it up on the 6.50 side and score at half an inch, and 3.50 inches. Fold at the 3.50-inch scoreline, and score the folded cardstock at 3.25 and 3.75 inches.



3. Place Sticky Strip on the half-inch score of the Certainly Celery, and fold the cardstock over to make a sleeve. Punch half circles at either end of the sleeve using the 1 1/4 circle punch. Stamp flower and plant image using Certainly Celery ink on the sleeve.



4. Pre-fold Rich Razzleberry cardstock at the score lines. Fold the sleeve at the vertical score lines, and adhere the back of the sleeve to the cardstock base using Sticky Strip.



5. Using a 1/16 hole punch, place 2 holes through the base and sleeve along the "spine." Run a piece of gold cord through the holes, and tie on the outside of the spine.



6. Run the Rich Razzleberry ribbon underneath the gold cord. You will not need to use any adhesive on the ribbon.



7. Stamp large image onto Whisper White cardstock, and adhere using SNAIL to a layer of Certainly Celery. Adhere the stamped image to the base using Stampin' Dimensionals on all 4 corners. The Rich Razzleberry ribbon will run underneath. The dimensionals and gold cord will let the ribbon "float" and will prevent it from falling out.



8. For a finishing touch, I stamped the flower from the set onto Whisper White using Certainly Celery ink, cut it out with Paper Snips, stuck a Vintage Brad through the center, and adhered that to the front with a dimensional.
   

This is an easy project to create, and makes a unique gift for tea lovers! Try your own color combination. You can also use Designer Series Paper for the inside sleeve. Have fun!

Let's Rock and Roll!

I'm featuring the Rock n' Roll technique in one of my cards this month. Club members will make this card in the few days. The stamp set is Simply Said, a very versatile set!

The card base is Barely Banana. I cut a piece of Real Red 4 inches x 5.25 inches. The image is stamped on Brocade Blue, cut 3.75 x 5 inches. I used a white gel pen to color the flower petals, and the eyelet setter on my Crop-a-dile to do the embossing across the bottom. The ribbon is Real Red striped. Love the Ticket Corner punch for the corners!

I've talked about this card before, and wanted to show a different color variation and technique. I inked the two large flowers in Barely Banana, then without stamping off, rolled the edges of the stamp in a circular motion in Real Red. That is the Rock n' Roll technique! I've also used 3 colors on one stamp. Just try to ink from the lightest color to the darkest so you don't contaminate your light-color ink pad.

Enjoy making your own card using this technique, and let's Rock n' Roll!

Lovin' the new In-Colors!

My new favorite color is Rich Razzleberry. It is one of the new In-Colors featured in the brand new Stampin' Up! catalog. I created a card this week for a meeting of the Chocolate Chip Inkers, using this new color with Crushed Curry (another new In-Color).

First, I stamped the flower image from Fifth Avenue Floral onto Watercolor paper using Black Stayz On. I used the Stayz On so I could color the flower without smearing. I colored one petal at a time for better color control. Using an Aquapainter, I wet a flower petal first, then using Rich Razzleberry re-inker and a blender pen, added color to the petal. I started dark first, then worked out toward a lighter color. You can use the Aquapainter if you need to blend a little more. I used Classic Crushed Curry ink and a blender pen to color the flower stem and pistils. Let the flower dry a little while you work on another part of the card.

The card base is Rich Razzleberry, as is the ribbon. I used Crushed Curry for a layer behind the flower image. I stamped the greeting using Black Classic ink onto the Crushed Curry.

Next, I put a little Two-way Glue on the top of each flower pistil, and applied Dazzling Diamonds glitter. If your flower isn't dry, the glitter will stick everywhere.

Ribbon tip: I cut a piece of ribbon just long enough go around each side of the flower image, then used a separate piece to tie the knot. That makes it easier (in my opinion) to tie the knot exactly where you want it. In this case, I wanted the knot directly over the flower stem.

This is an easy, fun card to create using one of my new favorite stamp sets! Enjoy! Please contact me if you have any questions!

And, don't forget to check out the new catalog! There are tons of great new stamp sets and accessories, as well as some of your old favorites. The new stamp sets and accessories are noted with a small "n" next to them in the catalog. Want your own catalog? Contact me!

Have a Glass of Lemonade!

Kim Allen provided this great make-and-take during our meeting of the Chocolate Chip Inkers. I LOVE it! My club members loved it, too, so we're going to make this card in July's stamping club sessions! I love the Tart & Tangy stamp set!

This card uses a piece of Vellum cardstock, colored with Rose Red ink, and adhered to the card to create the "cup." The lemons are So Saffron, the card base Regal Rose, and the ribbon Rose Red. Use Sticky Strip to adhere the lemons on the inside of the vellum, and chunky glitter on the cup's top edge for extra "umph!" Great card, Kim!

We'll also do a "Rock and Roll" technique with a very versatile set, Simply Said. Our 3-d project will be a teabag holder. I'll post those when I get the samples made.

We're off to Ohio this week, so I'll "see" you when we get back!

Swapping the Swap

I recently attended a Taste of Stamping, hosted by Kim Allen, leader of the Chocolate Chip Inkers. I planned to create a swap using one of my favorite stamp sets, Seaside. The event was Thursday, and Stampin' Up!'s Last Chance list came out Monday. Wouldn't you know it, Seaside was on the list! That meant I couldn't use it to make my swap. Bummer! I really wanted to use the Brocade Blue, Chocolate Chip, and Creamy Caramel cardstock I had. So, I made up something different! I want to show them both to you to demonstrate how you can take what you have and come up with something else that is equally exciting!

I used Simply Said, which is one of the most versatile sets I have, and thankfully, not on the Last Chance list! I have now made about 6 cards with the set, and they are all completely different!

I stamped the flowers and stems image on Brocade Blue with Black Classic ink, and colored in most of the flowers with a white gel pen. I stamped a couple of flowers in Creamy Caramel ink on Whisper White cardstock, and cut them out. I inserted Jumbo white brads through the centers, and adhered to the card using Stampin Dimensionals. Across the bottom of the card, I embossed using the eyelet setter in the Crop-a-dile. You get a more pronounced emboss than with the texture plates (which I also love). I used Chocolate Chip ribbon to separate the stamped images from the embossing at the bottom.

I did want to show off Seaside one more time, so I am showing my Stamping Club members my original swap card. I stamped shell images in Chocolate Chip on Creamy Caramel cardstock. I ripped Brocade Blue to create a "shore" effect. I adhered them with SNAIL, and layered with Chocolate Chip, as in the other card. I stamped the starfish onto Whisper White cardstock using Chocolate Chip Craft ink. I applied Irridescent Ice embossing powder and heated it. Then, I colored parts of the starfish with Brocade Blue and Chocolate Chip classic inks and a Blender pen. I adhered the starfish to the card using Stampin Dimensionals.

I got a new punch for this card - Photo Corners. I used Jumbo Brads - chocolate chip this time - with the photo corners.

I'm so happy to get to share this card with you and my Club members!

Happy Father's Day, "And Many Mower"

And Many Mower is such a fun stamp set! I used the mower image, stamped with Stayz On, colored with Stampin' Write Markers, and cut it out using paper snips. I didn't want the birthday greeting attached to that image in this case.

I used a brayer to apply Bashful Blue ink to Whisper White cardstock, then applied Baja Breeze at the top of the image for a sky effect. I cut little fringes in Garden Green cardstock, fluffed them up, and applied that to the bottom of the card. I cut the ones behind the mower shorter to make it look like they'd been mowed. I adhered the mower image to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals, and stamped "Happy Father's Day" in black ink on the sky.

It was really a simple and easy card to make! I liked the combination of Garden Green and Bashful Blue.

I hope all of your fathers have a wonderful Father's Day!

I've seen some really nice Father's Day cards created with the golfer stamp in this set as well. It works well with the Manchester Designer Series Paper. Have fun creating your Father's Day cards!

Last Chance List!

The new Stampin' Up! catalog will be out on July 1, which means that the current In-Colors, some stamp sets and accessories will not be available much longer! The Last Chance List is available at http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ItemList.aspx?categoryID=322. Some items are discounted 25-50% off! Please let me know if you'd like to order any of your favorites before they are gone! You can also order online through my website, www.lisachristensen.stampinup.net. Click on Shop Now in the upper right corner. Your order will be shipped directly to you!

Some of my stamp sets will no longer be unavailable, and they are some of my favorites! I am looking forward to seeing all the new ones on July 1 that will become my new favorites! I have seen the new In-Colors, and I am really excited about them! I'm looking forward to sharing them with you!

Flower Pot card

I made a cool Mother's Day card with my Stamping club, but my mom is in the Club! I wanted to make her a card she hadn't seen. My wonderful upline showed me this awesome Flower Pot card, and I knew it was perfect for my mom! First of all, the card is so cool! Second, my mom has TWO green thumbs, and knows a lot about plants. This card reminded me of her, and of all the fun I had with her in the yard as a kid. I actually liked weeding the vegetable garden!

Anyway, this card is so easy to make! I used half a sheet of Kraft cardstock, cut 5.5x4.25 inches. Score at 3.5 and 1.5 inches. Fold at the 3.5-inch score, and trim a little away from the fold toward the top corner. This will give you the slanted edges of the flower pot. Fold down the 1.5-inch piece, and finish with the Eyelet Border punch. Sponge a darker ink like Close to Cocoa on the pot to give texture and dimension. Tie ribbon around the top of the pot - I used Kiwi Kiss 5/8" striped grosgrain. You've now made a "pocket" for your insert!

Cut a piece of Kraft cardstock 4.5x2.5 inches, and a piece of Whisper White 4.25x2.25 inches. Adhere the white over the Kraft. This is where you'll write your greeting. Use the Cherry Blossom embosslit with the Big Shot to create the flowers - quick, easy, and sooo cool! The colors I used are Pink Pirouette and Baja Breeze. Use Stampin' Up! Little Leaves in Kiwi Kiss with the Big Shot. Hole punch the center of the flowers, and insert a silver brad in each. I used SNAIL to adhere the flowers and leaves to the top of the greeting insert.

Slide the greeting insert into the flower pot, and voila! A note of caution: Before you adhere your flowers and leaves, get the envelope you're going to use and place it underneath. This way, you can make sure you're not placing the flowers and leaves so high that it won't fit into the envelope!

Mini-Photo Album Class Scheduled!

I just loved this Mini-Photo album when my upline showed it to me! It has a belly band of felt flowers and vintage brads, and is about the size of my wallet (without all the pennies in it). It opens to reveal 3 photos and space for journaling. The sample pictured belongs to my upline, so I replaced the photos and deleted the journaling with Photoshop to protect the privacy of her family. Plus, I couldn't resist featuring my own kids!

I would love to show everyone how to make this mini-album, and I have others up my sleeve, too! So, I've scheduled a Mini-Photo Album class on Wednesday, May 27, at my house at 7pm. The class fee is $25. However, if you bring someone to the class with you who is not a current customer of mine, your class is half price!

Please RSVP by May 15 (with payment) so I can make sure I've got enough supplies for you!

These mini-albums make great teacher gifts! I had originally scheduled the class in June, but moved it up so all year-round tracks and traditional school schedules are still in session. I don't want you to miss out on these if you'd like to give them as teacher gifts! Or, keep them for yourself! I plan to make one for myself, too!

Please contact me if you have any questions! Thanks so much!

April Club Projects

First of all, I apologize for creating a blog and then not posting! I plan to change that, because I am so excited about the projects I've been creating recently!

This month's Stamp Club projects include a Mother's Day card featuring a quilt technique, a watercolor card, and a black "alligator" handbag! I love the 3-D projects! The Mother's Day card was created with Raspberry Tart designer series paper, the Top Note die and the Big Shot (love it), Kiwi Kiss cardstock, and Whisper White cardstock. I used a White Gel Pen to create the "stitches". I stamped the Mother's Day greeting from All Holidays on the inside of the card. I love quilting, and this card is definitely easier to create than a fabric quilt!

A watercolor effect is so easy to create with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and an Aquapainter! I love this new stamp set, Scene From a Garden, from the Occasions Mini-Catalog!

I loved the alligator look when another demonstrator showed this to our group of demos. I knew I'd have to share that with my Club members! Do you have a Versamark pad, Clear embossing powder, and a bone folder? Then, you can do this too!