My New Banner and Email Button with My Digital Studio

I've spent a few quiet moments (during Anna's nap yesterday) fiddling with my birthday present (Thanks, Mom!)... My Digital Studio. What I created this time is my blog's banner and email button.


Patty Bennett has some lovely tutorial videos posted on YouTube and I also used a website called techknowl.com to work through some of the HTML glitches. My only bugaboo at this point is the image size, listed beneath my email button. I can't, for the life of me, figure out why that shows up. My image is kept in a site called ImageShack, so maybe that's where the glitch can be fixed. Anyhoo, too much tech talk for me. Let's talk about the images from My Digital Studio!


I'm excited to use this software for my blog, as I can change the banner and buttons to go with the seasons (or my mood). For winter, I've chosen some images from the Winter Post set. I've got that set in rubber form, too, and I love it. Among my favorite images are the snowflake and the deer. Being a Colorado girl, I had to use the deer. My mom's had a fawn or set of twin fawns born in her yard almost every spring!


I also added a series of punches. To make the layers, I found the square punch, enlongated, made for an easy canvas. I used card stock and Designer Series Paper in each layer. For the white "vellum," I just decreased the opacity of my white card stock from 100 to 50.


I also added one of my newest cards, "Happy New Year! and Congratulations!" to the banner. I added the Photo Corner Punch in Basic Black card stock to the upper left corner and then I added the Modern Label Punch and Silver Brad and made it look like a tab.

Oh, and did I mention that I'm My Digital Stuio Certified?! I've earned a couple of fun freebies for achieving that certification. I'll post those shortly.

Thanks for your visit! I'm thrilled to be tinkering with this new software. Please let me know if you have any My Digital Studio questions. Click on my new Email Me button and drop me a line!

"It's been a quiet week here in Lake Woebegone..."

That couldn't be farther from the truth! I *LOVE* getting to stamp when Garrison Keillor does his radio show on our local NPR station (which is where I got the above quote). Unfortunately, the entire broadcast isn't available as a podcast, so it's a treat I only get to enjoy occassionally...

Thought I'd post a little of the craziness around here as an excuse for my lack of stamping and posting. First, I was busy with the kids' Christmas outfits. I started making Jordan's Christmas dress when she was an infant and now it's grown into a tradition that she really enjoys. We have a lot of fun together, picking out the pattern, choosing the fabric and embellishments, etc. This year, it was George's turn to pick the fabric and the kids' outfits were perfect... I know there will come a time when it's no longer "cool" for Mom to sew, so I'm taking advantage of the opportunity when it exists.
As you can see, I have my hands full...

...but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Monochromatic Sketch

I created this card for the 365 Cards Sketchy Sunday Challenge. Here was the sketch to follow:

I took the sketch quite literally and had one of those stamping moments when the card in my head looks better than the card in my hands. The punchline is that I was so sure this card would turn out as well as the one in my head that I made two! :) Rather than scrap the whole mess and not even talk about it, I thought I'd share some of my favorite elements.

First, I like how the ribbon at the bottom turned out. I used Bashful Blue for my overall color scheme and all I had was narrow grosgrain. By twisting it gently (and adhering the flat portion before each twist), I was able to approximate the look of rick rack. I'd like to fiddle more with that in the future.

I also wish I used my Paper Piercing Tool more. It adds such impact and it's such an easy tool to use (and inexpensive to purchase -- under $4!). I liked the texture it added to the white "stems" of my flowers.

I love the look of the vellum as it's textured in the center of my flower. I ran the vellum through my Big Shot with the Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and punched it with a one-inch circle punch. A silver brad holds the vellum to the Bashful Blue circle.

I am glad I ran the Bashful Blue "stems" through the Big Shot, too, using my Polka Dot Texturz Plate. In person (I'm not sure it showed up in the picture very well), it adds more lovely texture.

If I were to recreate this card, knowing now how the idea in my head translated to the card in my hand, I'd use some Bashful Blue Patterns Designer Series Paper to break up some of the huge white space between the Pretties flower and the paper blooms...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: None

Inks: None

Paper: Bashful Blue and Whisper White card stocks

Accessories: Bashful Blue Narrow Grosgrain, Pretties kit, Boho Blossoms punch, 1-inch Circle, Big Shot, Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plates

Thanks for hearing me think aloud and helping me to see the glass as half full... Happy nearly-Monday!

Happy New Year! and Congratulations!

I made this card for my husband's younger brother, Matt, and his new fiancee (!!), Laura, to celebrate their engagement.

Congratulations, you two, and welcome to the family, Laura!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Circle Circus, Eight Great Greetings

Paper: Taken with Teal, Basic Black, Vellum Paper

Inks: Encore Silver

Accessories: Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plates (Polka Dot), Basic Black wide grosgrain, silver elastic cord, Stampin' Dimensionals and Punch-a-palooza: 1 3/4-inch circle, 1 1/4-inch circle, 1-inch circle, 3/4-inch circle and Scallop Circle

Phew! That's a lot of punches! Hope you enjoy; I made another card to give as a hostess gift for a New Year's Eve party I'm attending. The colors say "classy" and "Happy New Year!" to me...

I hope 2010 means lots of good things for you. I appreciate your visit!

A Damask package...

My final entry into the 365 Cards Challenges for the week is this little Damask package. I have two lovely damask elements in this card. First, I ran a piece of Whisper White card stock through my Big Shot, using the Damask plate in my Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plates set. It adds a subtle richness that the photo doesn't quite capture. It is also necessary to experience in person the flocking detail that is part of the Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper that I used. This white damask pattern on the red paper is actually raised and flocked, making a rich texture to touch. Finally, to top off the textures of this card, I chose the silky Whisper White Satin Ribbon to tie it up like a Christmas gift. To make it all stand out, I chose Basic Black card stock as the body of the card.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: None!

Papers: Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper, Whisper White and Basic Black card stocks

Inks: None!

Accessories: Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plates, Whisper White Satin Ribbon

I hope your Christmas is wrapped up with lots of special joys! Thanks for your visit!

Tied up in Knots over Christmas

*LOVE* the 365 Cards Challenges! They are always just what I need for inspiration. For this challenge, we were to use knots... Once again, I fed card stock through my Big Shot to add texture. I did this with both the Brushed Silver and Night of Navy pieces.

On Whisper White, I stamped the tree from the Snow Swirled set (inked in Night of Navy). Using Mini Glue Dots, I adhered knots of Night of Navy and Whisper White grosgrain with Silver Elastic Cord threaded through and knotted. The body of the card is Bordering Blue. The sentiment comes from the Sincere Salutations set was inked in Encore Silver and stamped on Whisper White.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Snow Swirled, Sincere Salutations

Papers: Brushed Silver, Night of Navy, Bordering Blue, and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Night of Navy Classic and Encore Silver

Accessories: Night of Navy and Whisper White grosgrain, Silver Elastic Cord, Mini Glue Dots, Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plate

Thanks so much for visiting!

Super Sketchy Sunday Entry

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! I hope you've all had a lovely weekend and that your travels will be or were safe. I've enjoyed all sorts of family this weekend. My beloved sister and her family are here visiting from out-of-state and so is my husband's brother and his new fiancee! Hooray! Congrats, guys! We've been stuffed to the gills with all sorts of Thanksgiving treats and we're getting ready to gear up for Christmas! Look out, December, here we come!

In that vein, I've gotten to steal away for a few minutes to create some Christmas-themed cards. The first was for the 365 Cards Super Sketchy Sunday challenge. Here's the sketch:

This is the card I designed:

I turned the sketch on its side, as you can see. The ornaments are cut out from the Merry Moments Designer Series Paper. I've just used snips of grosgain for the remaining lengths in the design. To add a little texture, I fed my Very Vanilla piece of card stock through my Big Shot with the Backgrounds I Texturz Plate. I like the subtle background these Texturz Plates afford. The word, "noel" comes from the Many Merry Messages set. It was inked in Chocolate Chip and then Real Red was sponged around the outside. The Ticket Corner Punch adds a little detail to the Very Vanilla and Old Olive pieces for the tag. They're adhered to the body of the card with Stampin' Dimensionals, as are the ornaments. I cut out one too many ornaments, but opted to place my extra inside the card for a fun surprise (you can see a red bit just inside the card)...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Many Merry Messages

Papers: Merry Moments Designer Series Paper; Very Vanilla, Real Red and Old Olive card stocks

Inks: Chocolate Chip and Real Red Classics

Accessories: Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plate, paper snips, Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon, Real Red narrow grosgrain, Ticket Corner punch and Stampin' Dimensionals

Soccer Moms Unite!

Whew! Soccer is ov-ah! What a relief!

Don't get me wrong... Soccer has brought my husband and children much joy and good exercise. I will say, though, that it has been a challenge to have him coach the two older kids' teams and have a two-year-old in the mix. Plus we sure had some rainy days this season!

The kids were darling and all commented on how much fun they had this season. We hope to see everyone back next year!

To thank the fellow Soccer Parents who helped order trophies, set up our team party for the end of the season, bake treats for the party, etc, I came up with some simple "Thank You" notes. I love this design, as I can tweak it to use elsewhere...

I made this card in both Bravo Burgundy and Orchid Opulence (for the parents on Jordan's team; their team color was light purple).

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Short and Sweet, I Love Soccer (Retired)

Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White, Basic Black

Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Going Grey and Basic Black Classics

Accessories: Blender Pens, Basic Black wide grosgrain ribbon, Word Slot Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Coloring Page!

The challenge at 365 Cards for which I created this little guy was to color in a line image, using colored pencils or pastels. I used my Blender Pen to color with my Stampin' Pastels...

I had more fun adding little touches to this card. The stamps are from Snow Buddies, which is a Level 2 Hostess Set from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The flourish at the bottom of the card (and on the Bashful Blue oval) is supposed to be wind. I thought it would make fun ice skating tracks! I used my Stamp-a-Ma-Jig to help me place that on both the Crushed Curry and Bashful Blue pieces. I used VersaMark ink on both for a subtle touch.

The snowflake hanging from the "Merry Christmas" is from the Snow Buddies set and I was tickled to discover that it fit the Boho Blossoms Punch perfectly! I added a punch of Bashful Blue to make it pop and adhered the silver elastic cord to each side of the card stock with a Stampin' Dimensional.

I used a Stampin' Up! resource to choose my colors. When the New In Color choices come out each year, Stampin' Up! provides us with a variety of options for other colors to use with them, be they In Color or from the basic Color Families. I use this resource a lot. Contact me if you'd like a copy!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Snow Buddies and Many Merry Messages sets

Papers: Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, Soft Suede (see his hat), Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Whisper White

Inks: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, and Old Olive Classics and VersaMark

Accessories: Blender Pen, Stampin' Pastels, Silver Elastic Cord, Boho Blossoms, Ticket Corner and Small Oval punches, Circle Scissor Plus, Hobby Blade, Glass Mat, Paper Snips, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig

I really appreciate the visit! Drop me a line; let me know you were here!

Feeling a Little Blue...

Actually, I'm not, but I *LOVE* blue! The Ad Inspired Challenge this week at 365 Cards was right up my alley. I'm sure I've got this very ad tucked away in my inspiration journal.

As I type that, it sounds really presumptuous, so I'd better explain. Years ago, it was recommended to me that I keep a journal (in my case, a composition book covered in pretty paper) of favorite color combinations, pictures of things that inspire me, quotes that I like, etc. It was excellent advice and I love to add to it! I'm a major fan of tearing things out of magazines and catalogs, so this gives me some license and reason to do it. I have all sorts of things in my journal, from the aforementioned pages to quotes from the Mary Engelbreit calendars that my mom gives me every Christmas. I also use a 1-inch Circle punch to punch circles of card stock in colors I'd like to tinker with (or that I've seen elsewhere). Some day, I'll take a photo of the journal and some of its bits and post them here. Until then, I'll return to the Ad Inspired Challenge.

Here's the ad:

And here's what I came up with:

I love the clean lines of blue with white and so I tried to replicate that using one of my faves, Night of Navy, with Brilliant Blue. I used Whisper White Craft ink on Night of Navy for the circles from the Circle Circus set (and heat-set them so that they'd dry quickly). I punched them out with a 3/4-inch punch and then using a Stampin' Dimensional, adhered them to a 1-inch punch of Whisper White card stock. The circles on the Brilliant Blue piece are also from Circle Circus (I used VersaMark for those). For a high-value, sure-to-be-a-favorite, VersaMark is a must-have for beginner and advanced stampers alike.

"Thanks" from the Thank You Kindly set is simply inked in Brilliant Blue Classic ink and stamped upon Whisper White card stock (and adhered to a bit of Night of Navy). The Brilliant Blue piece is also adhered to the rest of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Circle Circus and Thank You Kindly

Papers: Night of Navy, Brilliant Blue and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Whisper White Craft, Brilliant Blue Classic and VersaMark

Accessories: 3/4-inch and 1-inch Circle Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thanks so much for looking!

A Negative Snowflake

It's been a while since I was able to participate in a card recipe challenge, so when this one arose and I had the time to participate, I was really excited!

The recipe was as follows: 4x4 card, red background, snowflakes (pattern, embellishments, any #, and any variety), one ribbon, and one stamped sentiment.

I had fun first embossing the Rose Red card stock using my Texturz Plates (Stampin' Up! Backgrounds 1). Then I used the Jumbo Snowflake Punch on Brushed Silver card stock. I love the color and feel of this card stock, but I also love that the color is throughout, so that a punched design (in this case) is silver through and through. I thought it would be fun to use the negative image, rather than the punch. Simple, simple and twice the fun! Now I've stashed the snowflake to use in another project (or I could adhere it inside this card). Hmmm...

To finish it off, I attached a piece of Basic Black Wide Grosgrain and tied a simple knot. I want it to look like an ornament!

"Very merry" from the Short and Sweet set is the "one stamped sentiment" that I was allowed. The snowflakes I stamped on the envelope are from this set, as well.What a fun, quick and easy card! A pack of four of these would make the perfect gift for a hostess, teacher, hairdresser, mail carrier, etc!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Short and Sweet

Paper: Rose Red and Brushed Silver card stocks

Ink: Encore Silver

Accessories: Jumbo Snowflake and Horizontal Slot punches, Basic Black Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Sizzix Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plate, Mini Glue Dots


Thanks for the visit!

Christmas Sketch

I've had a lot of fun tinkering with the Merry Moments Designer Series Paper. One of my favorite designs is the evergreen boughs. For the sketch this Sunday, I opted to use my Number One Go-To Set, "Lovely as a Tree" for the focal point. For fun, I chose non-traditional colors (using my Color Coach; you know how bad I am with color!). Finally, I stamped the flourish stamp (it's to signify wind blowing) from the "Snow Buddies" set on the backside of the More Mustard card stock and used that as my guide to pierce the design to the left of the pine tree. I am going to make several of this card, as it will be useful for "Thank You!" notes, cards for the men in my life, etc. Truthfully, it doesn't even have to be for Christmas giving!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree (How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...)

Papers: Elegant Eggplant, More Mustard, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, and Bravo Burgundy card stocks and Merry Moments Designer Series Paper

Inks: Old Olive

Accessories: Paper Piercing Tool (a *steal* at $3.50!), Paper Snips, Natural Hemp Twine, Ticket Corner and 1/16-inch Punches

My Hat's off to You!

This sweet snowman is courtesy of a Hostess set I earned for an order I put together early last month. The name of the set is "Snow Buddies" and it can be found in the Holiday Mini Catalog. The challenge from the 365 Cards folks is to include a hat... Here's my take:

Studio Suggestion: I used the Round Tab Punch to punch the Basic Black card stock and snipped it in half to create the bowler hat for my snowman. The cute hat band is the Merry Moments Designer Series Paper.

Studio Suggestion #2: To make the snow effect on the ground, I tore a piece of Vellum and then dusted it with my Stampin' Pastels (blue).

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Snow Buddies, Fun & Fast Notes

Papers: Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Old Olive and Whisper White card stocks and Merry Moments Designer Series Paper

Inks: Basic Black Classic Ink and VersaMark

Accessories: Round Tab and Word Window Punches, Stampin' Pastels, Blender Pen, Paper Snips

Thanks so much for your visit!

A Patch upon the Knee...

I've thoroughly enjoyed a relatively quiet weekend, which has afforded me some time to catch up on some 365 Cards challenges. This challenge was to create a card that included a patch. I need some gift tags for baby gifts, so I opted for some baby overalls with a flower patch on the knee:




Stampin' Up! Supplies:


Stamps: Short and Sweet

Papers: Apricot Appeal, Pretty in Pink, Almost Amethyst and Whisper White card stocks


Inks: Classic Black and white Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen


Accessories: Trio Flower and Scallop Edge Punches

Studio Suggestion: You can't see it from my photo, but I used the Scallop Edge Punch on the left side of the little piece of Almost Amethyst that greets the recipient on the inside of the tag. It ties together with the scalloped edge of the Apricot Appeal as well as with the scallops of the flower punch patch.

So glad you popped by!

Quick and Easy Christmas Ornament

The folks at 365 Cards have prompted me to consider Christmas ornaments, so here's what I've created. The challenge was to make any type of ornament, and I opted for a quickie:

This simple ornament was created using the Jumbo Snowflake Punch and Night of Navy, Bordering Blue and Brushed Silver card stocks. I adhered it using Two-Way Glue (I like the precision of the tip) and I added a bow and a length of Elastic Silver Cord with which to hang it.

This makes a simple addition to a card, a fun take on a gift tag or an easy stand-alone gift for a hostess, mail carrier (Hi, Aunt Linda!), hairdresser, teacher, etc!

My Digital Studio... Happy Birthday to Me!

For my birthday, my mom gave me "My Digital Studio," the new papercrafting software from Stampin' Up! I am looking forward to do some hybrid scrapping with it (as I'm still very much in love with paper scrapping) as well as design work.

You see, in addition to creating projects in hard copy that you get printed (like scrapbook pages, for example), My Digital Studio can be used to *PLAN* projects! I love the ability to tinker with stamp sets, card stock, ink, ribbon and embellishment colors and sizes. One of my favorite things is to resize stamp images. Do you wish you could make that bird stamp just a little bigger (or smaller)? Done!

I will be taking the above page, which I created with some of my favorite pictures of our dumpling, Anna, and adding a few embellishments to it. Already, I've got photos matted on Apricot Appeal card stock and an accent stamped in Apricot Appeal ink and mounted on Designer Series Paper. I could call it "Complete" at this point... Talk about simple!

Below is another project I completed, in which I needed to fit lots of differently-sized photographs. Doing it as a paper scrapping project was nearly impossible (I tried). With my new software, it was a piece of cake! Now I can get these pages printed and look forward to adding accents and embellishments. The hard work is done!


Stay tuned; tomorrow's Studio Sara article shows a page that I completed, including some fun embellishments and "extras" that My Design Studio offers...


Thanks for visiting! Between starting a new preschool teaching job, kids starting kindergarten and third grade, two kids in soccer (and a daddy who coaches both), and my son's sixth birthday, it's been tricky to find time to spend in the Studio. I'm anxious to share my latest digital projects as well as my paper ones. In the paper realm, I've got George's soccer birthday party invitations and thank-you notes to share... Take care and Happy November!

October... Already?!

So please don't read my post from September 10, in which I explain my extended absence from this blog and make promises (I didn't keep) about updating it! :) The preschool class that I am teaching is taking a lot of my time right now, as I find my way and get my rhythm. I was a fifth grade teacher before the kids came along and I wasn't prepared for the learning curve that this new job involves. I'm a first year teacher again, but this time with three kids!

I'm scrapping tomorrow, with the plan (and sincere hope) to finish Anna's first year album. I'm excited to share my new My Digital Studio pieces (my mom gave it to my for my birthday). If you haven't heard about My Digital Studio (AKA, "MDS"), it's the new papercrafting software and downloads from Stampin' Up! What thrills me (among its many cool features) is the ability to resize "stamp" images. Love that bird in the Always set but want to make it bigger or smaller? Can do! Yippee!!

So I leave you again with promises to be more productive with my posts here... Stamping is my creative therapy (and I could use some stress-relief right now!), so I'm anxious to get stamping and scrapping and share what I've made. Thanks for visiting!

Cat and Mouse

Over the summer, I had the pleasure of teaching some basic technology classes for the district in which I started teaching (before DD#1 was born). I had some overdue "Thank You" notes to send and the technology challenge at 365 Cards came at just the right time. The challenge was to be inspired by technology in your card. My additional challenge was to create cards suitable for men and women, as I had both to thank...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Computer Quips, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Papers: Night of Navy, Baroque Burgundy, More Mustard, Bordering Blue and Very Vanilla card stocks

Inks: Night of Navy, Baroque Burgundy, and More Mustard Classics

Accessories: Blender Pens, Twill Tape, Linen Thread, 1/16-inch punch, Word Slot Punch, Paper Piercing Tool

Thanks for visiting! It feels good to be stamping again!

P.S. Oh, and what do you think of my header at the top of my blog? I'm trying to make one on my own that stands out and gives something interesting to look at... Thoughts? Suggestions? Tutorials to make it rock? :) Thanks!

Two weeks?!

Yikes! Has it really been two weeks since I last posted? We were blowing out of here (literally -- kids were buckled into their seats and I was hitting "Publish") on our way to go camping. I can't even really call those last few entries "posts" because they're just pictures with no info.

So -- I start teaching a preschool class tomorrow morning (Anna and I are in a 2-year-old's Mommy and Me). I *promise* that I'll not only post something new tomorrow or this weekend, but I'll go back and fill in the missing info on those last few pre-camping posts. I want to give recipes and credit due to another demonstrator, among other things...

Thanks for your patience! I hope September has gotten off to a good start (I say this, 1/3-of the way through)...

A Bit of Grey...

Dashing out the door; kids are already buckled in... Here's another entry for 365 Cards; this one's for the Sunday Sketch...

Love Circle Circus! I got the idea for splitting the circle from another demo; I'll post her name here later...

School Supplies!

I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!! Here's a card I made with the stamp sets I Heart Lists (I LOVE LISTS) and All in the Family. :)

This Post Brought to You by the Letter "S"

Here's a card I made for the 365 Cards challenge for Monograms. We're dashing out the door right now, so I'll update this post with my "ingredients" later. :) Seems I'm doing a lot of dashing!

Thank Ewe So Very Much

Details to follow...

Layered Stamping

I love this little bird! I also love putting a button in the center of a cut-out on the front of a card. My stampin' friend, Annie, deserves credit for the button idea, as I stole it from her.

--Punch a circle in the lower right corner of the folded Bashful Blue piece, using a 1-inch Circle Punch.

--Ink the flourish in Old Olive and stamp on inside of card, so that the image is visible through punched circle.

--Ink the line image of the flower in Mambo Melon. Then, using a Stamp-a-Ma-Jig, stamp over the Old Olive flourish, but within the punched 1-inch circle.

--Use a piece of Scotch tape to cover the blooms on the rubber of the bird stamp. Ink in the Soft Suede ink. Remove Scotch tape (the blooms will be free of ink, thus allowing you to ink in another color). Stamp image on Whisper White card stock.

--Ink the blooms on the bird stamp with Mambo Melon (you can use a Stampin' Write Marker to do this, too). Use a Stamp-a-Ma-Jig to place the stamp exactly over the previously-inked image.

--Once dry, brush Whisper White card stock across Old Olive Classic ink pad. Again, once dry, adhere to Crushed Curry card stock and adhere to Bashful Blue piece.

--Adhere Mambo Melon grosgrain ribbon over left side of the Whisper White/Crushed Curry piece.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Wings of Friendship

Paper: Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Crushed Curry card stock

Inks: Old Olive, Mambo Melon, and Soft Suede Classics

Accessories: Mambo Melon ½-inch Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, 1-inch Circle Punch, Button Latte, Mini Glue Dot

Thanks for your visit!

Super Kaleidoscope Sketch

I'm back in the Studio! I had a lovely time visiting my mom and the kids had a ball, too. I enjoyed a bit of time in my studio this morning and here's the first project I created, in accordance to the Super Sketchy Sunday challenge at 365 Cards.

Here's the sketch we were to follow: --The piece of Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper (A.K.A. "DSP") that I used is two-sided (as are most DSPs) and I used both sides of the same piece of paper. I found the mid-point on the DSP and then measured ¾-inch from one edge and cut the two triangular pieces (mostly yellow in my design, beige in the sketch). They're just the flipside of the orangey floral piece.

--Adhere the pieces of Designer Series Paper to a scrap of white card stock on the back (to make a stronger unit into which to punch the ½-inch circle for the Whisper White Jumbo Grommet).

--Next, I attached a piece of Whisper White Satin Ribbon to an 8 ½-inch by 4 ¼-inch (and folded) piece of Tempting Turquoise. Once that was attached, I added the bit with the Designer Series Paper pieces and grommet.

--To finish it off, I made a knot with another piece of Whisper White Satin Ribbon and attached it inside the grommet with a mini glue dot.

The trickiest part of this card was working with the satin ribbon. You have to be careful not to snag it, as it's really satin! This will be a versatile sketch to use with all of my DSP. Check my "Thank Ewe" card to see another DSP idea…

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: None!

Paper: Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper, Tempting Turquoise card stock, scrap of white

Inks: None

Accessories: Whisper White Jumbo Grommet, ½-inch circle punch, Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Paper Trimmer, Mini Glue Dot

Thanks so much for visiting!

On holiday...

Hey, all! I'm takin' a break from stamping, as I'm visiting my mom in the beautiful Colorado Rockies. I'll be back soon, but thought I'd better mention why there aren't any new posts (and there won't be for a few more days). Considering the number of deer and elk (and babies!) we've seen, I might post some pics here shortly... Take care! I hope your August is going well! Warmly, Sara

Medallion as Sunflower

"Every friend is to the other a sun, and a sunflower also. He attracts and follows." Jean Paul Richter, Humorist and Novelist

One of the challenges this week at 365 Cards is to include a sunflower. I only have one stamp that includes a sunflower, but I thought I'd see what else I could come up with. One of my favorite new stamps from the 2009-10 Idea Book and Catalog (aka, "The New One") is Medallion. It's one of those stamps that, at first blush, seemed pretty limited in its potential. The more I play with it, though, the more I find I can do with it…

--First, ink the entire stamp surface with Summer Sun Classic Ink. Use a Stampin' Sponge to add Ruby Red Classic Ink to the "middle" and Chocolate Chip Classic Ink in the very center. The sponges allow the ink to be more gradual and less precise, much like the coloring of the sunflower's petals. Give the entire stamp surface a few good huffs (heavy-breathing on the stamp) and stamp on a piece of Very Vanilla card stock.

--To add the effect of sunflower seeds, I placed a layer of Sticky Strip on the center of the sunflower and pressed it into the container of Microbeads.

--I used the Distressing Tool from the Cutter Kit to rough up the edges of the Very Vanilla card stock. Adhere it to a piece of Basic Black card stock (which has been cut just wide enough to allow for the Natural Hemp Twine).

--Wrap enough Natural Hemp Twine to go around the Basic Black piece three times and knot. Adhere this to the half sheet of Elegant Eggplant card stock, which has been folded in half.

--The sentiment is made with the "for you" stamp from the Fresh Cuts set. Ink it first in Ruby Red Classic Ink and then in the Chocolate Chip Classic Ink to mirror the colors of the sunflower. Stamp on Very Vanilla card stock. Use the 1-inch Circle Punch to punch it out.
**Studio Suggestion: Stamp the image first and then punch it out. It's easier to flip the punch upside-down to view your card stock and punch out the precise image, rather than trying to line up and stamp the image on your punched piece.**

--Use the Stampin' Sponge and Summer Sun Classic Ink to add a bit of color around the circle. Punch a circle of Basic Black card stock using the 1 ¼-inch Circle Punch. Punch a piece of Ruby Red card stock using the Designer Label Punch and assemble the three pieces.

--To add interest to the inside of the card, I used the remaining bit of card stock with the stamped sunflower as the writing surface.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Medallion and Fresh Cuts

Inks: Summer Sun, Ruby Red, and Chocolate Chip Classic Inks

Papers: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Ruby Red and Elegant Eggplant card stocks

Accessories: Sticky Strip, Microbeads, Designer Label, 1-inch and 1 1/4-inch Punches, Stampin' Sponges, Natural Hemp Twine and Distressing Tool.

What a fun challenge! Thanks so much for your visit! Hope you're having a lovely summer!

Workshop Prep!

A lovely new friend is hosting a workshop this week and here's a peek at what we're making. I'll post what I can before dinner's ready and then I'll show you some more...

She asked that I teach the use of the Stampin' Pastels as part of the workshop. I'm going to use this card to show the pastels on their own and also with the Blender Pen. This is a project for the guests to make, so I wanted to create a card that was simple enough for everyone and one that ensures success, regardless of past stamping experience.

The hostess is also a fan of the Rich Regals and Earth Elements color families, so I was anxious to incorporate her color choices into the projects. Using my Stampin' Up! Color Coach, I paired the Bordering Blue background with the Not Quite Navy Top Note cut-out and Ruby Red piece that backs the Vanilla. The Coach also suggested I incorporate Sage Shadow, which explains the little paper button to the upper right.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Herb Expressions

Paper: Very Vanilla, Bordering Blue, Not Quite Navy, Ruby Red and Sage Shadow card stock

Ink: Staz-on Black

Accessories: Stampin' Pastels, Blender Pen, 1/2-inch Circle Punch, Paper Piercing Tool, Sizzix Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Top Note die, Vanilla Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensional

I'm looking forward to our workshop this week. The hostess is a lovely gal and I look forward to meeting her guests! Thanks so much for looking!

Scraplifted!

So there's another challenge over at 365 that asks us to "scraplift" a card from one of the fab designers there. I *LOVE* Amy's work, so I chose to steal one of her lovelies and give it my own touch...

Here's Amy's beautiful card:

And here's how I mutated it:

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: NONE!

Papers: Cottage Wall DSP (SU!), Rich Razzleberry card stock

Inks: None!

Accessories: Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Butterfly punch, 1/16-inch punch (to make slit for bow), Button Latte, white embroidery floss

Thanks for the visit! :) Thanks, Amy for all of your lovely inspiration!

Ad-Inspired!

Here's a card I created that was inspired by this ad:

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Wings of Friendship Hostess set

Papers: Ruby Red, Apricot Appeal, Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Glorious Green, Tempting Turquoise and Basic Black Classics

Accessories: Butterfly, Designer Label and Scallop Edge punches, Distress Tool from Cutting Kit

Thanks for your visit! :)

"It's twilight." Edward Cullen, Twilight

Ah, Edward... This card was inspired by a challenge at 365 Cards. Create a card with a black body, red-dominant patterned paper and bling.

I couldn't decide which way to go, so you'll see two more variations here. So far, I've just read Twilight and seen the movie. I've got New Moon sitting by my bedside table. The *MOMENT* I saw this challenge, I knew that I just had to use my Whisper White Shimmery card stock. :) I also had fun searching for a suitable quote (from Edward). I'm not sure how easy it is to read; I chose “Bring on the shackles — I’m your prisoner,” for this challenge. I also found “And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…” and “Do I dazzle you?” on this FABULOUS quote website, http://www.twilight-quotes.com/. So much fun!

Here's what I came up with:

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: NONE!

Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Shimmery White and Rose Red card stocks, Rose Red Patterened paper (from a retired Hostess pack)

Inks: Basic Black Craft

Accessories: Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, Pretties kit (rhinestone brads), Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Sizzix Big Shot, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plate, Stampin' Up! Hearts and Brackets die, Designer Label punch, 1/16-inch punch

*To antique the metal frame around the quote, I pounced it in the Basic Black Craft ink and let it dry.*

Here's an up-close of the shimmery card stock... It's hard to get it in a photo, but there's a subtle shimmer (just like Edward's skin in the sunshine) to the heart and the piece on top of the Whisper White. FUN!!!

My variations:

One of these had to have red ribbon to signify, well, you know... The card behind it has a Handsome Hunter background to signify the trees that are Forks, Washington...

I had more fun dreaming up this card; I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for visiting!

Anna, Our Little Ladybug

Oh, it feels good to stamp again! Anna's birthday is in two weeks and I'd realized that I hadn't gotten invites in the mail yet (family knows when the party is; I just had to make it official).

Ladybugs are the symbol for children adopted from China. Apparently, there was a large population boom of ladybugs in China at a time when there was a lot of happy news that families would be proceeding with their adoptions (the waiting is very hard). In addition to the fact that red is a good luck color in China, this ladybug population boom was seen as a good omen and now ladybugs represent the beautiful children adopted from China. Even though Anna was adopted from Taiwan, we thought this would make a fun theme for her second birthday party.

Here's her birthday invitation, patterned after the paper plates, etc, that I found for her party. I cannot take credit for the darling ladybug; I got the idea from "kaitysmom" on Splitcoast. :)

**Please forgive the tightness of this text; I can't get Blogger to let me double-space it!**

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: NONE! :)

Papers: Pixie Pink, Gable Green, Real Red, Basic Black and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Basic Black Classic and Stampin' Write; Real Red Stampin' Write

Accessories: Scallop Circle and 1/2-inch Punches, 5/8-inch Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon and Basic Black Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, Mini Glue Dots

Thanks for the visit!

Rustic Dreams du Jour

I was enjoying a quiet moment (kids were napping), listening to "Lake Woebegone" from Garrison Keillor. The "country" feel of his stories (esp. the one where he beams his sister with a rotten tomato) inspired this card...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp Set: Dreams du Jour

Papers: Very Vanilla, Sage Shadow, Bordering Blue and Night of Navy card stocks

Inks: Creamy Caramel, Bordering Blue, and Night of Navy Classics

Accessories: Distressing Tool, Very Vanilla 5/8-inch Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Sponges

I started with a sponge and inked over the Very Vanilla card stock with the Creamy Caramel (to give it the aged look). The butterflies were stamped in Creamy Caramel and Bordering Blue, but I stamped the ink off each time first. Finally, the ribbon was colored using my Creamy Caramel and Bordering Blue ink pads (Classic). I drug the ribbon between the pad and a Stampin' Sponge (to keep my hands clean). It gives the ribbon an uneven color, which was the effect I was trying to achieve.

Thanks so much for the visit!

Through the Window...

Here's a card I made for the 365 Cards challenge involving, among other things, window sheets...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Medallion Background and Circle Circus (new!) and Elegant Thank You

Papers: Bermuda Bay, Mambo Melon, Old Olive and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Elegant Eggplant and Mambo Melon Classics

Accessories: Window sheet, Scallop Circle, Scallop Edge, and 1/2-inch Circle Punches, Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig

Thanks so much for visiting!

STILL not stamping...

I plan to put ink to paper later today (I hope)... I'm actually working on putting supplies together for a crop I'm attending at a friend's house on Friday. Our daughter, Anna, whom we adopted from Taiwan, will be two next month. In my Scrapbook Time, we're still in Taipei, picking her up! ;) Gotta get movin'!


Paige commented on my previous post and it got me to thinking...

Wow! You have a lot of sets. How do you organize your sets? Have fun playing when you are done cleaning and organizing.


Thanks, Paige! My plan, now that I've reduced the number of sets on my shelves is to keep retired and non-SU! sets separated from my current SU! sets. I'll alphabetize the sets on the shelves. I've also made a list of all of the sets I own in the hopes of better knowing what I have. Part of why I've got 100+ sets to sell is that I just didn't know what I had. Anyhoo, once they're alphabetized on the shelf (I've got just one big one, so they'll be packed two-deep), I'll make a list in a binder, so that I can tell what I have without having to dig.

Of my current SU! sets, I'm going to make a list alphabetized by set name, too. I'm also going to attach a colored dot to the case that signifies the type of stamp (floral vs. sentiment or Christmas, for example). There's an astounding organization system that I read about (I'll add the link when I find it) and I plan to hijack that. The sets themselves will be organized in order of their appearance in the current Idea Book and Catalog. I'm afraid that I've been a demo for so long now that I view stamps in order of where they'd be in there, anyway.

Things are a mess in the studio right now, but as soon as I'm not thoroughly ashamed of how it looks, I'll upload some pictures. My eight-year-old daughter suggests I post "Before" pictures that I can pair later with "After." No... The only way I'll post "Before" pics is if you can be easily distracted by the "After" ones. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Ugh... Too many retired sets to count...

The time has come for me to clear out some of my retired sets and I had no idea what an undertaking this would become! Check out my posting on Splitcoast, if you're interested: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=447996

Ugh... Want the cleaning to be done so that I can go back to stamping...