Happy Friday and Hopping tomorrow!

The day has come and I am so happy to be here on FRIDAY!  It has been a long week and I am tapped out - emotionally and financially!  But, tomorrow is a new day - and a BLOG HOP day!  The first Saturday of every month I will be participating in a blog hop - just of Stampin' Up! ideas.  This month is going to be Halloween and Fall ideas.  You are certainly in for a treat from some great fellow demonstrators.  

So for a sneak peak, I'll share the little treat I enclosed in Nathan's box I just sent a couple of weeks ago.  It is a little Halloween goodie bag.  I am almost certain they don't have Candy corn in Mozambique!

Stamps: Grateful Greetings

Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Top Note Die, Petal Cone Die, Postage Stamp punch,

Perfect Polka Dots impression folder

Here is the lineup for the blog hop tomorrow - I am stop # 12.  You can start anywhere and end anywhere and if you get lost along the way- please check back on the list and you can link to any of the blogs!  See ya tomorrow with MORE luscious Halloween ideas!

1. Start            Hopping Just for the Fun of it
2. Pretty Inky
3. My Creative Impressions
4. Stamping with Janice
5. Krafting With Karen
6. Scrappy Stamps and Ink
7. My Little Patch of Dirt 
8. Stampin ' At Dawn
9. inkedx2
10. Paper Fairy
11. Stamp With Jane
12. Life Is...
13. RaissaStamps
14. Bluegrass Stamper Studio                    
15. InkPaperStamps
16. The Love of Stamping

S'more fun with July club

This was a project I wanted to do for a year.  Well, I finally got to it!  It is a s'mores kit.  I have admired them for a while and knew that the In the Stars stamp set was perfect!  

It is made with a Top Note die cut and scored the long way.  The stamped images were colored in with Watercolor Pencils.

Stamps: In the Stars

Colors: Night of Navy, More Mustard, Old Olive

Accessories: Watercolor Pencils, cello bag

Fancy Fold Pinwheels

 This card was a fancy fold card.  It was quick and easy to put together.  I started with the 'window' card idea with the punched pinwheels then built larger layers and ended up with this card.  The card size is 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" but instead of cutting the paper 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, you cut it 4 1/2 x 11.  Then you fold it at 5 1/2 and then score the front side at 4 1/4" from the non-scored edge.  You then will fold it up and run adhesive inside and hold down the top fold.  The other layers were 4" then 4 1 3/4" squares and finished off with the postage stamp punch.

stamps: Sweets for the Sweet, Happy Greetings
colors: Riding Hood Red, Pale Plum, Lucky Limeade
accessories: postage stamp punch, ticket corner punch, Lucky Limeade 3/8" ruffled edge ribbon, basic rhinestones

some oldies!

I realized today as I 'clean house' per se, that I have not shared some club cards for a while.  I will play catch up for a couple of days with some oldies, but goodies!  These samples are from July club.

This first card was to get myself to use the Blossom Petal Punch.  I borrowed it from my friend (and oops, I still have it!) so I thought I should actually use it!  There is very little stamping on this card.  It also spotlights the Designer Paper Packs that go with each color family.

Stamps:  Four Frames, Petite Pairs
Colors: Pear Pizzazz, Rose Red, So Saffron
Accessories: Blossom Petal builder punch, 1 3/4" scallop circle punch, Decorative Label punch, Stripes impressions folder, Sweet Button embosslit die]

It's a Wrap - swap style

I participated in an all demo swap with stamps from the new Idea Book & Catalog.  I kept this card from blog-world until now to share with you.  I fell in love with this set right away and saw great potential with it.  You can use it to wrap around mini candy bars but I was swapping cards so I had to make it a card - This is what I came up with.

 

Stamps: It's a Wrap Occasions

Colors: Whisper White, Basic Black, Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Island Indigo

Accessories: Polka Dot impressions folder, Scallop Trim border punch, Cupcake builder punch, Dazzling Diamonds

After I got the first card done, I decided it wasn't as hard as I thought, so I created another one!

Stamps: It's a Wrap Occasions, Baby Bundle

Colors: So Saffron, Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi

Accessories: Scallop Oval die, Finial Press impressions folder

A 'little' spotted break from card crafting

Ok, so I am going to take a little shameless plug here to show off my latest adventure.  This adventure was not the one I envisioned myself taking at this point.  However, here is my story.

Once upon a time (like almost every day) Mike was subbing a newspaper route in the wee hours of the morning.  This happened to be the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.  As he was in an apartment complex throwing their papers, he heard a very small whining sound and followed it with his 'hound-like' ears (this plays a part).  To his surprise, he found a very small puppy under a car.  ABANDONED!  Well, as many of you know, I have a wonderful daughter in law, who among her many talents is an animal lover and has worked animal rescue for a long time.  That little voice in his head told him he better save that puppy or chance who knows what for leaving the small creature there to die in the parking lot - so we became the puppy rescue.

We were vigilant and posted FOUND signs with photos, walked around asking if anyone knew who's puppy it was.  No one to claim the wee lad.We waited the two weeks after we reported him and still no one!  Which brings me to the new project at our house these days.....................

Well.... I guess the happily ever after is that he has a good home now....................OURS!  I am not the happiest camper, but dang he is the CUTEST little thing ever!  We are pretty sure he is a beagle with maybe nothing else!

And I ask you, with a face like that (and I mean the puppies) could you give him away?  And while I mention the OTHER face....  I really can't say 'no' to my BIG creatures too!  WELCOME COSMO!

2nd Challenge Card

This was my second card I made using the sketch that SUDSOL provided.  Once I got going, I really saw possibilities for cards.  I pulled out my Easy Events set - a new one in the Stampin' Up! 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog.  I have a family member going through a hard time right now, so I decided to make a card to send off.  Cards are such a great way to share a hug across the miles and there are LOTS of miles between us.

I started with my Color Coach to pick the colors I wanted.  I thought Riding Hood Red would be good, then I found Pear Pizzazz and Early Espresso to match.  I took the card base of Pear Pizzazz and ran it through the Big Shot using the texture plates.  I then stamped the Wood-grain background stamp on a strip of Soft Suede with Early Espresso ink.  I quickly punched out a border strip of the Riding Hood Red with the Dotted Scallop border punch and punched a few hearts from CS scraps. Then I stamped the Wood-grain on a Very Vanilla circle and stamped the image on the card which I colored in with markers.  Rounded the corners for a bit of softening to the edges and there you go!

SUDSOL - Chat and Challenge

I had the opportunity to participate in the SUDSOL Chat and Challenge last week.  SUDSOL is the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator sharing spot. The acronym is Simply Unique Demonstrators Sharing OnLine.  It is like your favorite friend - warm, comfortable, and a great place to go for help or advice.  I do not live close to my upline so I go to SUDSOL for help.  Each week they host a Chat and Challenge and post a sketch or color combination or some other challenge.  Last week it was a sketch.  I got to participate for the first time in a LONG time and I was so excited!

Here is the sketch they provided -

And my take - take #1 - I used the new DSP from the 2011 Holiday Mini Catalog - SPICE CAKE.  I love it!  The stamp set was Happiest Birthday Wishes.  The set is exclusive for hostesses. I stamped it three times and punched out with the 1 3/4" Scallop Circle, the 1 3/8" circle and the 1" circle punches.  I added a simple bow with the new Ruffled Ribbon in Pool Party and VOILA!

I will share the 2nd card I completed during the 1 hour time limit for the Chat and Challenge tomorrow.  

Pinwheels!

When I was a kid, I loved pinwheels!  They always made me smile and feel carefree.  The pinwheel seems to be the latest thing - so I showed the Hostess Club gals how to make them showcasing Stampin' Up!'s Designer Series Paper.

The paper is Big Top Birthday and has a fun color pallet - Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise.  The pinwheel was simple, and with a little embossing on the bottom with the Stripe Impressions Folder for the Big Shot and a punched border with the Scallop border punch you have a fun card!

Petite Pairs meets Strength and Hope

This was our super simple card for Hostess Club.  It was Very Vanilla and Marina Mist.  Simple stamping with Petite Pairs and Strength and Hope, a bit of tearing and a splash of ribbon - and VIOLA!  Instant hug to send in the mail.

Another SWEET card

This card was one that the gals made at the August Hostess Club.  It was super fun to make and with the magic of Crystal Effects was spectacular!  It always amazes me to see how ONE or TWO small things make such a fabulous effect on a card.

The colors were bright and happy - Tangerine Tango, Concord Grape, and Daffodil Delight.  The stamp set was Sweets for the Sweet.  I added some poly stitched ribbon on the punched border to add some pizzazz.  The Crystal Effects give such a nice shiny feel to the lollipop bags, you almost want to eat them!

I saw this card idea on the Stampin' Up! demonstrator board - Stampin' Connection.  You gotta love your fellow demos!!!!

WOAH! time flies!

So, I realized today that I sort of fell off the face of the earth!  I apologize to you followers!  I am going to try harder to stay updated.  In any case - here is a fun card for a kiddos birthday.  Or even a big kid too!


It uses the stamp set Something Sweet.  This set is very versatile and can even use the Sweet Treat Cups.  I will create a card with that in a few days so you can see how cool those are!  The colors used are Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point, Real Red, and Daffodil Delight.  I accented with the Perfect Polka Dot impressions folder and Scallop Trim Border punch.  The whole card was quite simple to put together.