Crazy About You! Bundle

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!!!  I have an all time new favorite duo! -- Crazy About You Bundle. The options with this word stamp set and the word thinlets are endless.  Perfect for scrap titles, cards for almost any occasion, 3-D items.  LOVE this bundle!

Here, I wanted to showcase the Blendabilities markers, since they are a product you can get for free right now during Sale-a-bration.  I love the black, white and Cherry Cobbler combo, with a little touch of Champagne glimmer paper.  Classy and stunning at the same time.

The flower is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with the Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities and punched out with the coordinating Fun Flower punch.  Other products used: Scalloped Tag Topper punch, Cherry Cobbler Chevron ribbon, Cherry Cobbler bakers twine, Gold Sequin trim, Beautifully Baroque embossing folder, Flowering Flourishes stamp set, 1/2" circle Punch, Rhinestones.

Hope each of you are getting some quality time in with those you love!  Happy Creating, and Happy Love Day!

Perfect Peacock meets the Blendies

Ok, one more before my coffee is finished! :)

I have loved the Perfect Peacock stamp since it came out in the catalog last July, and finally got around to ordering it.  While this stamp is gorgeous meticulously colored in using the Blendabilities markers, I wanted to show a way to use it at my club that required a little less work.  So, here is what I came up with.  Please drop me a comment to let me know what you think!  I have to say, I was really pleased with how this came out!  Gorgeous and not hard to do.

Start by stamping the peacock in Versamark on your black panel, and embossing with white embossing powder.  Then use the darkest of each of these Blendabilites marker sets: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Coastal Cabana, and Daffodil Delight.  I started by coloring the whole tail blue with the Coastal Cabana Blendabilities marker, then used the Rich Razzleberry marker to highlight the feathers.  Much easier than coloring each feather individually.  Those little blue sequins are a new product in the Occasions catalog -- Bermuda Bay sequin trim.  The little scalloped strip on the edge of the black, is a strip of Rich Razzleberry card stock punched with the dotted scalloped ribbon border punch.  We just hid most of it under the black panel so we would have just a tiny border.  The card stock base is Bermuda Bay.

I thought this was a great way to showcase another use for the Blendabilites markers besides traditional coloring.  These amazing markers are available as a freebie with a $50 order during Sale-a-bration!  I am SOOO excited about this, as I love these markers and wanted to get a few more colors that I hadn't gotten yet.

Visit my website to learn more!

Ok! Off to ski with my kiddos!

Sweet, sweet Lotus Blossom!

Happy Monday, Everyone!

My kids don't have school today, so it's a lazy morning.  Plans to go skiing a little later, but thankfully, we don't have to be out the door before 8:30 as on ski lessons day, so Woo Hoo! Going to drink my coffee and post to my neglected blog. :)

The new Sale-a-bration freebie stamp set, Lotus Blossom, jumped off the page at me the first time I saw it.  Such a gorgeous stamp set that is a bit different than any we've had before, because this is a THREE step stampin' set -- yes! three images that you stamp on top of each other to create this three toned flower!  In my opinion, this set is well worth the $50 purchase to get it free.  Another cool feature, when you open your stamp set, you will notice that there is a little tab at the top of each of the flower stamps to help you orient which way is up, AND, they also have the stamps numbered on the image sheet -- 1, 2, and 3 so you know which image to stamp first, second and third.  So, here is how you stamp them for the best results: Stamp the smallest flower image (#1) in your darkest ink (here I used Blackberry Bliss), your medium image (#2) in a medium colored ink (here I used Perfect Plum) and your largest image (#3) in your lightest ink (Wisteria Wonder used here).  So, in a condensed sentence, stamp from your smallest to greatest sized images in your darkest to lightest ink choices.  We made this card in my last stampers club.  Love how easy it is to make a really amazing flower with it.  When the card was completed, I used a little Dazzling details and "colored" on the flower tips to add some dimension and sparkle.  Love how it turned out.  This set would be perfect to whip up a big stack of thank you notes with.  Easy and beautiful!

Sheltering Tree meets white crayon resist

Happy Saturday, crafty peeps!

At my last stampers' techniques club, we did this card featuring a new stamp set -- Sheltering Tree -- from the Occasions catalog.  I LOVED this set from the first time I saw it.  It has great possibilities for every season, and good for showcasing a number of techniques.  I've been wanting to show the white crayon resist technique for a while, and this was the perfect set to do it.  For best results, use glossy card stock.  SU used to sell it but doesn't anymore, however, I think you could order it online or purchase it from Staples or somewhere?  Anyways, I think your ink blends better on the glossy.

First, I cut out a glossy card stock die cut, using my starburst framelits.  Next, stamp the tree in tuxedo memento black ink and let dry a bit.  Next, use a white crayon -- raid your kids' crayon stashes!-- and outline the branches with crayon, and make a snow bank at the bottom.  Next, sponge ink over top -- I used Lost Lagoon.  Rub a paper towel over the top to wipe off excess ink -- the crayon areas will resist the ink, and look like snow.  For that awesome background panel, I used the new FREE Sale-a-bration freebie paper -- the Irresistably Yours Specialty DSP.  It has a glossy (like embossed) pattern in the paper that resists the ink when you sponge or spritz over top.  I love the patterns -- stripes, vines, dots, stars, little flowers, and scallops.  To me, this paper doesn't look all that exciting at all until you use it and you realize how versatile and awesome it is. That sweet little embellishment, is also front the Occasions catalog -- Something borrowed embellishments.  Love these little beauties.  Really adds a touch of flair.  When the card was complete, I added some dazzling details to the branches of the trees and the snow bank to look a little bit 3-D on the snow.  Everyone seemed to love this card and decided they liked that SAB paper after all!

Wishing each of you a Happy Saturday!  Be sure to check out all the fabulous treasures you can get for FREE right now during Sale-a-bration with a $50 order.  I am most excited about the DSP featured in today's project, the Lotus Blossom stamp set, and the HUGE selection of Blendabilities markers you can get for free! Yippee Skippeee!!!

One Last "Wondrous Wreath" for the season!

Happy Monday before Christmas, Everyone!

Here is my personal Christmas card this year!  I loved the Wondrous Wreath set from the first time I saw it.  AND the good news, is that it will be available for a little longer -- it is one of the carry over products in the new Occasions catalog coming out.  Many of you on my list should have received your new Occasions catalog and Sale-a-bration brochure.  Awesome pick of products this year!

Ok, back to Wondrous Wreath!  I used Whisper White, Marina Mist, Smokey Slate, and Silver Glimmer paper for the card stock colors.  Ink colors: Marina Mist, Pool Party, Versamark and silver embossing powder (for the silver berries), and Smokey Slate.  I used the Hardwood background stamp for the background (stamped in Smokey Slate ink) on the right hand card, and used the woodgrain embossing folder brayered with Smokey Slate ink on the left hand card.  I love the Noel and Joy words in this wreath set -- gorgeous font!  Of course, I added some bling using the silver sequins from the little frosted sequins from the Holiday catalog.  So pretty and add such a nice touch.

Happy Christmas to all of you!!!!

Elegant Festival of Trees

Happy Saturday, Everyone!

Quick post today to share an easy Christmas card made with another Holiday catalog favorite -- the festival of trees bundle.  I love how fun the different little trees in this stamp set look.  Some modern looking ones, elegant, and traditional.  Cuteness!  Simply stamp and then punch!

Colors used: Early Espresso, Real Red, Very Vanilla, Champagne glimmer paper, and the retired Candlelight Christmas DSP.  Stamp sets used: Festival of Trees, Endless Wishes.  Other products used: Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, Labels Collection framelit set, cherry cobbler dazzling details -- for the red glitter on the tree.

Ok!  Off to ski with the family!

If you haven't yet, check out the SU Year End Closeout Sale -- items up to 80% off.  Still some amazing treasures in there!!!!

Bright and Beautiful

A family tradition we have, is making gingerbread houses every year with the kids.  In these pics, my son, Bryn, was 4 1/2 and we got together with our close friends for some house making fun. It also happened to be the day that we found out that our long wished for second child was on the way -- our precious little Sabina!  I remember decorating these houses with the kids, with my heart full up to the top with happiness and anticipation and hope....  Preserving memories -- isn't that what scrap booking is all about?!!!

One of the many stamp sets from the Holiday Catalog that I absolutely love, is the Bright and Beautiful stamp set with the matching star framelits.  I wanted to create a starry Christmas layout for my last scrap club class of the year, and here it is!  I used the star confetti border punch (also from the holiday catalog) to punch that little star border out of black.  A sparkly strip of scalloped Champagne glimmer paper -- cut with the retired Tasteful Trim die -- that is currently in the clearance rack for a killer price -- just sayin'!  That 3-D star is several of the star stamps from the Bright and Beautiful stamp set -- stamped in Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede, and Memento Black ink and then cut out with the coordinating star framelits.  I cut out 3 sizes of other smaller stars to make that "sprinkling" of stars across the pages -- glimmer paper, retired black and Cherry Cobbler coordination card stock (embossed with the star embossing folder and sanded), scraps from the Typeset DSP, and a few stamped and die cut small stars, as well as a few gold sequins.

Another of my very favorite products, is the Wondrous Wreath Bundle  -- also from the Holiday catalog.  That sparkly champagne glimmer paper "Noel" is from the wondrous wreath framelits.  There is also the word "Joy"in that set.  Beautiful set that can be used for all seasons.  I love making my journaling block look like a notebook page by using the spiral border punch to punch the edge.  Small thing, but adds to the look, I think.

On the background, I used the star masks and added some random stars to the pages -- using a sponge dauber and Cherry Cobbler ink.  I also stamped the two stars from Bright and Beautiful directly on the pages and used the eclectic paper piercing pack to pierce an outline around the stars -- see the last photo below to see this subtle, but cute effect.

If you haven't checked out the Year end Closeout sale, hop onto my website and see what you have to get.  There are so many gorgeous products from the past in there for a super great price.