And the Winner Is...

Exciting news! One of the challenge blogs with which I participate awarded me with a "Spotlight Designer" award last week! The blog is 365 Cards and the challenge for which I won was for a card that was inspired by the 365 Cards blog itself.

Pam, the lovely host at 365 Cards, just updated the blog's look and what struck me most about it was the beautiful colors and how it seemed like a stained glass window. I've been wanting to pop the pieces out of my Lattice Die Cut and make it look like a stained glass window, so this was just the challenge for me!

The 365 Cards blog is also full of these lovely fall colors, so I knew this would be my 2010 Thanksgiving card.

Here's a video with some hints which I hope will streamline your process. My software updated (without my permission) and I'm still learning the new tricks... :)

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes

Paper: More Mustard, Wild Wasabi, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso and Whisper White card stocks

Ink: Early Espresso Classic

Accessories: Big Shot, Lattice Bigz die, Two-Way Glue, Modern Label and Word Window punches, Early Espresso grosgrain ribbon

{Challenge! "Taggies"}: A Little Birdie Told Me...

Hello and welcome to the Studio! Before I go any farther, I would like to wish my dear mom "Happy Birthday!". I love you, Mom, and I hope your day is great!

Today's card is one I submitted for a challenge last week at 365 Cards. The challenge was inspired by those baby toys that have the ribbon tags along the edge.

I have been really enjoying using my Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch. I am *LOVING* the new punch design! I can't get over how easy they are to store...

Anyhoo, I simply punched my bird's wing on the flipside of the floral of the Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper so that I'd get the houndstooth design. The houndstooth design is opposite the floral, but one has to punch the bird's wing on the side you want, or else the wing points up when it's flipped over to show the other pattern.

Next, I punched the branch using the Old Olive piece (it's the flipside of the striped piece I used in last week's Technique Video). Then I punched it again in the Sahara Sand part of that same piece to get the leaves. I used a little Two Way Glue and the tweezers from my Crafters Tool Kit to put it all together (it did feel like a little neurosurgery, I gotta say, but it's worth it).

The ribbons are (in order of appearance) Rose Red 1" Double-Stitched Grosgrain, Bashful Blue 1/4-inch Grosgrain, Chocolate Chip 5/8-inch Grosgrain and Whisper White 1/4-inch Grosgrain.

I also used my Scallop Edge Punch to make the little borders at the bottom.

This was a very easy card to make, aside from the gluing and will be a versatile design I'll replicate for lots of purposes. We've only got a couple of weeks left for the Occasions Mini Catalog, which brought us a lot of these materials. I'm lovin' the Sweet Pea Paper and since it contains Taken with Teal (one of the Retiring Colors), I'm not expecting it to appear in the new 2010-11 Idea Book and Catalog in July. I'll be purchasing more before the Occasions Mini ordering deadline, which is April 30. Refer to my earlier post about the Color Renovation for more info on the exciting new changes with the colors...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: None this time!

Papers: Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper (Occasions Mini Catalog, available until April 30), and So Saffron and Chocolate Chip Card Stocks

Inks: None this time!

Accessories: Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Rose Red 1-inch Double-Stitched, 5/8-inch Chocolate Chip and 1/4-inch Whisper White and Bashful Blue Grosgrain Ribbons, Paper Snips, Two-Way Glue

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!