Happy New Year!

This card is very sparkly, but I just cannot photograph it in such a way that it shows the sparkle and glimmer. At any rate, Silver Glimmer paper against black cardstock and black satin ribbon looks very rich in real life! I stamped the sentiments in Versamark and then embossed with silver embossing powder. The Happy New Year stamp is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set and the Celebrate stamp is from the Outlined Occasions set in the SAB cattie. My hope is that you will be able to celebrate many wonderful things in 2012, including good health, unlimited happiness and success in all your endeavors. Have a Happy New Year and stay safe.

Cricut "LOVE"

My Cricut, Sure Cuts A Lot and SU Framelits & Everyday Enchantment DSP all worked together to create this elegant card. I also threw in a scrap of Poppy Parade DSP for the larger of the two hearts and used punches for the decorative edge and corner. The next time I make this card, the "love" will be cut a little smaller as I feel it is a little over-powering. Have I mentioned that I really like the Everyday Enchantment DSP? I am sure I have, but isn't this a pretty pattern? And not only is this a great valentine, but if I hadn't stamped the "be mine" sentiment, this would make a nice wedding or anniversary card, too. Speaking of nice, hope you are having a nice evening.

Calypso Coral Thinking of You

When I first saw Calypso Coral, I thought the color was way too bright and I surely would not be using it. Once again, I was wrong--lol! It seems that with the help of the Everyday Enchantment DSP, I am using it very often. To change things a little, I used Domestic Goddess DSP which is in the IB&C. The stamped flower image is one of the images in the Sprinkled Expressions set in the SAB cattie and works with the flower print DSP. Now that I am looking at the card, I am going to add a punched Pool Party little flower or two to the cascading flowers on the stamped Coral flower image. The Calypso Coral baker's twine is a nice little finishing touch. I find myself using the twine more and more and I just might be adding to my limited baker's twine collection. Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time!

Everyday Enchantment DSP

We had a wonderful Christmas with our family and friends and today I spent some productive time in my scraproom. The Everyday Enchantment DSP in the SAB cattie is so pretty--at least most of it is! As with any DSP paper packs I buy, whether from SU or any place, there is always a pattern or two in a pack that I do not care for at all. Needless to say, you will not be seeing many of my creastions using those papers. This card includes a DSP pattern (I like) and a stamped image from the coordinating stamp set, Fresh Vintage, also in the SAB cattie and free with a $50 purchase during Sale-a-bration. The stamped image was colored with Pool Party, Lucky Limeade and Poppy Parade SU markers. I even used butterflies from my Beautiful Wings Embosslit and they aren't on the card to hide little mistakes! They go along with the butterflies in the DSP! Have a great last week of 2011!

Merry Christmas

A Joyous and Merry Christmas to all!

Granddaughter's Valentine

When I went downstairs last night, I found some time to play with my new SU stuff. The embossed heart is thanks to one of the Heart Framelits being placed cutting side up on the Big Shot sandwich. I chose this particular sized heart as "granddaughter" (from the Loved Ones set in the new Mini Occasions catalog) fit perfectly. The "love you" is from the Three Little Words stamp set in the IB&C. The stamp actually says, "I love you" but since I did not want to use the entire phrase, "love you" was inked with a marker. And here is where I will admit that I should have used Pretty in Pink cardstock to match the ribbon, but I had an "oops" moment. The good thing~~Sydney will love it just because it is pink! Have a great day and don't get too frazzled doing all the last minute things that need doing.

Hearts & More

I am officially done with Christmas cards, gift tags and favors. Last night as I was going thru all of the Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers doing a last minute "what do I still need to get" check, I got distracted by my SU stuff. I decided that it is time to plan my next class which will be held on January 7th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. At that class we will definitely be making a love/heart-themed card, similar to the one on the right, in addition to using some of the new items in both the Occasions Mini and the Sale-a-bration catties. (I understand that people are receiving their mini catties in the mail--yeah!) So mark your calendars for the 7th and enjoy today.

Christmas Cookies

We had a fun-filled couple of days with our granddaughter. We frosted and baked cookies and here's a photo of some of them. We played "Stampin' Up" and she was the Stampin' Up teacher. She helped John wrap presents and played beach, fair and so many other things. Sydney is back home with her Mommy and Daddy this afternoon and now it is time for me to get things ready for Christmas. Hope you are having a great day and enjoying every moment of this happy time of year!

Remember the Baby Card. . .

. . .I posted a few days ago? I changed my mind--lol! Our healthy great niece was born on Friday and her name is Adeline, named after her daddy's grandmother. Since Adeline is not a name that you will find too often on personalized items, I wanted to send a card with her name on it. I used my Cricut and the SCAL program and between the colors, the font, the stamped sentiment and pretty pink ribbon, I am pleased with the way it turned out. While I was making cards, I then stamped a card for her Grandpa & Grandma--the first grandchild for them. I used Pink Pirouette and Chocolate Chip cardstock, ink and ribbon. The "Congratulations" is from the Curly Cute set and the words "grandma" and "grandpa" are from the Loved Ones set in the new Mini Occasions. New babies are such a beautiful blessing and I so enjoy making baby cards. Actually, I so enjoy new babies! Have a great day!

Picture Perfect

I mentioned in yesterday's post that we had our first measurable snowfall of the season, albeit not much to measure. As I was letting our chocolate lab outside, I noticed that the feeder my husband built and installed a few years ago really looked like something from a picture postcard. The little berries (a Clematis plant given to me by my friend, Regina soon after John installed his feeder) are much more abundant this winter than in past winters. So I ran in for my little Nikon Coolpix camera and snapped a few photos. As I looked at the photos, my thought was--this would be a great Christmas card. Maybe next year! Have a wonderful Sunday!

Hershey Mini Holder

Woke up to snow-covered grass today--the first real snow of the season. And at that, it is only an inch or so. Of course it is going to be 40 degrees tomorrow, so it surely won't last, but not complaining!! These are some of the little table favors our guests on Christmas Eve. I made a variety of these using the Two Tags die and different papers. The favor on the right was made using Real Red cardstock and the Northern Flurry embossing folder. The ribbon used for these favors is not SU, but I have so much ribbon I decided it was a good time to use it...so, I added whatever I thought would look festive on the table. Inside is a Hershey Miniature chocolate candy which is wrapped in a Christmas DSP. The sentiment is from the Tags Til Christmas stamp set in the IB&C. These were fun and very easy to make. It's a little late to order this die for Christmas, but how cute would these favors be as little Valentines for your kids' classmates or your co-workers? I will be back with a couple of those soon! Have a great weekend and if possible, find yourself a little stampin' time!

Santa Suit Matchbox

So I think this is a really cute idea and easy, too! Once the matchbox is put together, add a strip of white cardstock down the center front. Cut a strip of black cardstock that will fit around the whole box. Cut a square using black glitter paper larger than the black cardstock strip. On the back of the square mark how long you need to make two slits to run the cardstock strip through and cut using your exacto knife. Feed the strip through the glitter square and center it over the white. Adhere the black strip in the back. Punch out a few black glitter circles for buttons and adhere to white strip. Wrap nuggets with Christmas paper and someone will have a festive little surprise. Hope you are having a great day!

One More Thing!

When you go to the Clearance Rack, where it says View, change that to All. Otherwise, you see 10 pages of items, but there are more then 10 pages. If you get to page 10, keep clicking on the little arrow so you can see other products included in the sale rack.

SU Clearance Rack Blitz

SU announced today that they will be offering a number of new items on the Clearance Rack from today thru January 5th, or while supplies last. There are discontinued punches (old style), Big Shot dies, ribbon, paper packs and even 12x12 Real Red Cardstock for only $2.99! These items can only be purchased thru online orders. To see items that are being offered at special prices, click on the SU logo on the right and you will go directly to my store. Then click clearance rack and start shopping.

Two Tags Kiss Favor

Do you have the Two Tags die from Stampin' Up? Until recently I held off purchasing this die as as I thought it was not very versatile. But as I look at our SU demo pages, I see book marks, cards, favors and more made with this die. Here are photos of a favor I made. This particular favor needs two cuts of the same tag. Stamp the image of your choice and embellish as desired. I used Dazzling Details in the centers of my snowflakes. Cut off a portion of the bottom of both tags, fold at the score line and then adhere the bottoms together. Add three Hershey kisses (adhere using glue dots), bring together at the top and tie with ribbon. Need a place setting card for your holiday table? Write names on little tags and tie to bows of each favor. Have a great day!

Quick to Make

Christmas is less than two weeks away and I am happy to say that my cards are mailed--YEAH! But if you are a little behind and haven't made your cards yet, here is one that you can create in no time at all. I used the Christmas stamp from the Easy Events set. I colored in the mistletoe, punched the corners and added retired Old Olive ribbon. If you do not have the Easy Events stamp set, how about stamping a snowflake--or cutting one out on your Cricut or using a Big Shot die--and then stamping Merry Christmas using the stamp from Teeny Tiny Wishes set?Add a ribbon that coordinates with the colors you are using and you end up with a pretty holiday card that you can be proud to call handmade. Have a wonderful day!

Baby Girl Card

As we await the arrival of a new great niece, I wanted to share the card I made for her. The colors are Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla and Early Espresso. I used my favorite texture plate for the lower portion of the card and added the quilted Early Espresso ribbon. The sentiment (from the Petite Pairs set) fit perfectly in one of the images from the Four Frames stamp set. As I am looking at the photo of the card, I am thinking that it needs couple of little pearls in the upper right hand corner--which I will take care of right now. Have a great day!

My Stampin' Up Online Store

Today has been very troublesome as far as my SU website is concerned. For the time being, you will be unable to see my SU website, but the following link will take you to the "store" portion of my website: http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/default.aspx?dbwsdemoid=2031833 You can also click on the Stampin' Up logo in the right-hand column to get to my store. And if you are having any problems, you can always call me or shoot me an email. Thanks for your patience while the website problem is being cleared up!

Old Paper, New Ribbon

One of my very favorite papers ever was that which I used on this card. And when I say very favorite paper ever, I mean of all paper, not just SU. The paper came out back when Baja Breeze was an In-color and I bought everything Baja Breeze. So here I am a few years later still buying everything Baja Breeze--LOL! This pleated ribbon is in the new Occasions mini and comes in Pear Pizzazz, Riding Hood Red, Blushing Bride and Baja Breeze. The sentiment is from the Curly Cute set in the IB&C on page 168 and the snowflake is from a retired stamp set. Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time!

90th Birthday

This month my mother-in-law celebrates her 90th birthday. All of her children and grandchildren celebrated with her in October when we traveled to the Phoenix, Arizona area. But now that her "real" birthday is right around the corner, I wanted to make her a card. The pattern paper is just one of the many designs in the Everyday Enchantment DSP which is a paper pack that will be available in the Sale-a-bration catalog. This particular pack of paper has a combination of beautiful colors: Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla--just to name a few. It has a vintage look to it~~perfect for a 90th birthday! The "mom" is from the Loved Ones set which is available in the new Occasions Mini beginning January 4th. The hearts were cut using the framelits. I first stamped the sentiments and then I centered the framelit over that before running it thru the Big Shot. And speaking of birthdays, today is my Mom's 81st birthday! Happy Birthday, Mom! Love you very much and wish you a beautiful day! Talk to you a little later. love, me

Just A Reminder

Just wanted to share with you that December 14th is the last day on which you can place a Stampin' Up order and receive it in time for Christmas gift giving. And don't forget that you can always direct your favorite person to me if you have a SU wish list that he or she needs help with or he/she can shop directly from my SU website: www.stampintimesomewhere.stampinup.net

Two More!

When I make my Christmas cards, I usually make the majority of cards similar. But since I also had the pretty Holly Berry DSP, I wanted to make some cards using that, too. So here are two samples, one with a Real Red card base and one with a Wild Wasabi card base. I also made a few that are Chocolate Chip bases and the Real Red satin ribbon looks gorgeous on those cards. In addition to the DSP, I embossed the Very Vanilla cardstock to add some texture. The sentiment is from the Short & Sweet set which was one of the first stamp sets I ever purchased and continues to be one of my "go-to" sets. Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time!

Mini Occasions Sneak Peek

We put up our Christmas tree yesterday and the living room looks so pretty. But when am I posting today? A Valentine! I know I still need to finish up my Crhistmas cards, but I had to share with you. The layered hearts were cut using the new heart framelits that will be available to you beginning January 4th. And the little hearts--those are from the new heart embosslits die! I am so excited about the heart embosslit. I can see myself using it all of the time. As you know, I oftentimes use the butterfly embosslits to cover little mistakes. Well, these little hearts are not covering mistakes--at least for this card! And did I mention Sale-a-bration? Well, beginning Janaury 24th once again for every $50 you spend you will get a free stamp set from a select group. The stamped "Love" image is from one of the free sets (Outlined Occasions) in the Sale-a-bration catalog. I will continue to post sneak peeks so check back often. In the meantime, if you are one of my customers, you will receive your copies of the new Mini Occasions and Sale-a-bration catties in the mail. And so you know, the SAB cattie has a new look: it is tall and has a matte finish, so don't throw it away by mistake!

My Christmas Cards

I have had a truly productive few days. Not only did I do the majority of my shopping and present wrapping, I also addressed about 40 Christmas cards--all of which I made over the past couple of weeks. For these cards I used the same stamp sets, but placed the images differently on the card. (This is where I will tell you how much I "really like" my stamp-a-ma-jig.) Each ornament is a single image and the string holding the ornament is a separate image, so I put my SAMJ to very good use this Christmas!! The cards were made using either Early Espresso, Rich Razzleberry, Cherry Cobbler or Night of Navy. The cards are all very pretty, but the Early Espresso cards are my very favorite. Once the cards were stamped, I then used my metallic pens and added some gold and silver highlights to the images. The stamp sets I used are from the Idea Book & Catalog: Tree Trimmings (pg. 34); Four the Holidays (pg. 168); and Short & Sweet (pg. 166). If you like the look of the three ornaments but do not want to go thru the trouble of stamping each separately, there is a set on page 31 of the IB&C, Merry & Type, that had I not previously purchased the sets I used on my cards, I most definitely would have purchased Merry & Type. Using Merry & Type would have saved me a whole lot of stamping--lol!!! Have a great weekend!

Fancy Favor Treats

I have been spending the last couple of days shopping, sorting and wrapping Christmas presents. But this afternoon I decided to take a break and make another favor using the Fancy Favor Big Shot die and the Holly Berry DSP that is in the holiday mini. The completed box holds a lot of candy, so I would be sure to use a good strong adhesive when putting it together. I am using the red sticky tape. Another suggestion~~before adding candy, fill the bag with crinkly paper or raffia. If you don't you will go thru an awful lot of Hershey Hugs & Kisses! The Hugs in this bag are peppermint and the perfect color to coordinate with the Holly Berry DSP, as are the candy canes. By the way, the candy cane stamp is not an SU stamp, but it looked cute on the sweet treat tag I stamped and punched. Have a quiet evening and keep warm!