Friday, September 26, 2008

Fun New Release

Yesterday CC Designs had a new release! Isn't this the funnest image? This set is called My Rubber Ducky and features the monkey and the bear, a rubber ducky image, some bubble and a couple sentiments..including the one used inside this Surprise Pop-Up card, Relax and Unwind. Boy, do I need to do that! My husband insists that I don't know HOW to relax. I think he may be right.
I haven't had a chance to stamp in a few days but really wanted to make a pop up card for the All That Scraps Wednesday Challenge. Of course I'm a couple days behind but at least I found some time to play. I used this perfect tutorial for the pop up card, I found it a few years ago at Splitcoaststampers http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ee/index.php/resources/tutorials/surprise_pop_up_card/ . I adore these cards and really have fun making them. If you haven't tried one, run on over to Splitcoast and give it a try. They are really easy!
The patterned paper is from the new Sweet Bella collection from Stampin Up! I used the scallop edge punch and also the circle scallop punch to give this a feminine feel. The pink is the new Pink Pirouette from Stampin' Up! as well. I hope you are able to relax and unwind today!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Where are the Projects?

I'm still around. I've just not been stamping. I keep "hoping" to get down to my room and get some stuff done, but it hasn't happened yet. As most of you know, we just started homeschooling a few weeks ago. Our school day usually lasts from 9 am - 12:30 pm and then after that there are dishes to take are of, laundry, bathrooms to clean, floors to vacuum, and of course we have to try to get out of our pj's by 2:00! This is definitely a change for us and we are doing our best. But, really, I do have some projects I want to get done. All That Scraps had a pop up card challenge yesterday and I plan on participating...at some point anyway. I've also added another home business to my plate. I'm a new Usborne Books At Home Consultant http://www.ubah.com/ecommerce/default.asp?sid=W2888&gid=66191933. I've always loved their books and decided to give it a shot at selling them. The economy is rough everywhere, but it has been especially rough with my Stampin Up business so I had to branch out and give something else a try. I'm having my kick off on Friday night at 6:30. If you live in the Flint area and want to come, please let me know...I'd love to have you!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Help Find a Cure

Christine, the owner of All that Scraps sent the Design Team a message yesterday, take a peak: "My daughter Savannah brought a note home from school today. Her teacher from last year was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Her teacher this year will be walking in the Chattanooga Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure on September 28th. Her team needs to raise money for this worthy cause. We at All That Scraps want to give to this worthy cause, as I am sure you do to. We are going to donate 5% of all orders placed today (9/18) and tomorrow (9/19). All items count towards the 5%. " I'm sure you know at least one person who has been affected by breast cancer. I know I do. So, run on over to All That Scraps and help with the fund raising for this cause!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Cupcakes A Little Different

OK..you all saw the Crazy for Cupcakes card 2 entries down, and I believe I mentioned that that card was a spin off from a card that I submitted for Jami's New Catty Swap. Here is the one that actually made it to Southern California. You can see that the sketch was flipped vertically, but remains the same. There are no eyelets on this one but I added the circular greeting with a cupcake in the middle. Everything else is the same. So..which do you like better?

Wednesday All That Scraps Challenge

It's Wednesday and time for another All That Scraps Challenge. I haven't had a chance to participate in the last 2 challenges but was able to prepare a sample for this week's. The challenge is a color challenge. Use the colors Ridinghood Red (I used Ruby Red since it is so close), Baja Breeze and Kraft. This is a great color combo which I used on a Christmas card as well...I'll share that one another time.
This card uses some My Minds Eye paper and the Olivia's Birds set. I used the tree branch on several cards during the release for this set and it wasn't until I saw that the other design team girls used it as a sweet little tree, that I decided I had to CASE the idea! So here is Olivia sending you a little wave! The sentiment is from the Sentiment set. The sentiment actually says "A" Hello From Me, but all of it would not fit in the circle, so I chopped off the "A" and it works great. I used SU punches to highlight the sentiment. I also water colored Olivia with my SU ink and an Aquapainter. I don't own any Copics so that is why I keep water coloring everything. Yes, it takes awhile to get a large image done, but I still love the way it looks. Definitely different than Copics but I still like it. I admire all the copic coloring the rest of you gals do, but I just can't take the plunge and spend all that money on them!
Finally, the ribbon in the new Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon from Stampin Up! Again, that color is so similar to Ruby Red, that it works just fine on this project. Anyway, I hope you have a great day today! I'm hoping I get a chance to stamp again. I'm getting very overwhelmed with all the unorganized messes in my room and the rest of the house, so I've been trying to get some stuff picked up rather than stamp. Of course it isn't as fun as stamping!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Another Swap with Jami

We got the o.k. to share photos of our swap submissions for Jami's latest swap, the new catalog swap. This is one of my projects. I was required to use the stamp set A Flower for All Seasons (which I love by the way, not just because of the cute images but because it is pretty inexpensive at just $14.95) and a combo of colors based on the color swatches of Stampin' Up's Sweet Bella Collection shown on page 13. This card uses the new Pink Pirouette cardstock and ink, Old Olive cardstock and 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Chocolate Chip cardstock and some of the new Bella designer paper. The main image was watercolored using my ink pads and an aquapainter. The sentiment came from the set "Family Phrases" and I used the Canvas background stamp on the pink panel. This project was made about 2 weeks ago yet as I look at the frog I have to chuckle because it makes me think of all the rain we have received here in Michigan over the last few days. It started drizzling here on Friday and started raining by Friday evening and didn't stop AT ALL until late last night! I can't remember a time that we had rain non stop like that! Thankfully our sump pump kept right on working!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Happy Birthday Cupcake!

This is for my mother in law, whose birthday is coming up in a couple weeks. I have one that is similar but not exactly the same, which I can show you in a week or so. I was in another swap with Jami and had to use this set and the scallop edge punch (shown on the bottom of the matted image). This is similar but took a bit less time. Lucky for me, Stampin Up! didn't retire the Summer Picnic paper! I LOVED That paper...remember how much I used it this past summer with all the CC Designs releases? I adore the cherry piece but hadn't cut into it, I don't know what I was saving it for! SO glad I did save it though, isn't it perfect with this image?!?!

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Lucky Again!

SO, do you love this image of Lucky or what? Of all the samples you have seen, which are your favorite images of this new CC Designs release? Because I love the Lucky and Lulu stamps I have to say that I love the new Lucky set. I'm sad there isn't an image of Lulu, but the bear is just as cute and we can't have EVERYTHING we want (or so I tell my kids!). For this one I broke out my corner Photo Corner punch from Stampin' Up. I haven't used this one enough, and I loved it with the patterned paper (from KI Memories, Haunted). I popped it up with a dimensional and then stamped the spider and cut it out. He is also popped up with a dimensional (just one that was slightly shorter than the other). Of course I used the scallop edge punch from Stampin' Up! and some paper piercing. Finally, I haven't used eyelets in awhile but last night I did two cards and put eyelets on both. My crop-o-dile has to get some use doesn't it?!?!
Don't forget... the release party is at the All That Scraps forums starting at 8 pm est and the sets are available for purchase starting at 10 pm..hope to see you there!

Monday, September 08, 2008

Sugarplum Halloween

A short post today! What do you think of Olivia all dressed in her Halloween costume? Isn't she sweet? This card also uses the moon from Spooky Scenes. If there is one thing I am hoping you all discovered from my samples this month, it is that all the Halloween sets work so well together that you may as well get them ALL!!!

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Missing You!

Here is a sample made using Bear Hugs but also a new set for the new CC Designs Release (you can get the sets on September 9!). The tree branch and grass are from Spooky Scenes and the leaf is from a set you'll hear more about tomorrow. What about that sign? I used it on the Lucky card that is below as well. Notice it has a different saying here? The saying is from the sentiment set that was released last month. I LOVE THE SIGNS! I adore the patterned paper here as well, both are from My Minds Eye. Do you think I like the images on this card???

Saturday, September 06, 2008

My Pregnancies Never Looked Like This

Just once, I would have just liked ONE of my 4 pregnancies to look like this card does...soft, pretty, feminine...NOPE, not me! I am not complaining about weight gain, because I never gained more than about 27 lbs with my pregnancies, but from week 6 with ALL of them, I was vomitting like crazy (precisely why I didn't gain much, I LOST so much in the beginning, 20 lbs in 6 weeks with one of them!). I have never handled pregnancies well...now deliveries were pretty good. Except for my last.
Anyway, enough about me, this is about Amy Rysavy! Give a shout out to her, and Christine. Christine asked if any of the DT members drew and apparently Amy does because she created this set with lots of pieces of clothing and a seperate set that includes great sentiments.
I used Pale Plum cardstock and this designer paper is from The Paper Studio.

It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

As always, Christine's sets that include Lucky, Lulu, the bear and monkey are wonderful and always rank as my favorite new releases! The set Spooky, Spooky, Spooky is no exception. Don't you LOVE this image of Lucky?!? The pumpkins from this set are from another new release this month called Sugarplum Halloween, as is the sign. The bat is from yet another set..Spooky Scenes. As you can see all of the Halloween sets work so well together.
Once I got to looking at the sets I got this image for a Great Pumpkin themed card and these images all worked so well! I love how it turned out! The designer paper is from KI Memories and is from their Haunted line. Of course it is available from All That Scraps. There was a lot of paper piecing on this one but it was worth it.
I hope you all have as much fun looking at the new releases this much as I have had playing!

Chocolate is My Favorite

I have to apologize for not posting a sample made with Amy Rysavy's new set! I have a sample all done and ready to go, however I'm having trouble with my camera. (It isn't in focus on close up pictures and it is driving me crazy!) I had taken two photos of the first cards I created for the release, so I have 2 to share today. I'm hoping to work with it some more today and tomorrow and hopefully have it fixed so I can get a bunch of these samples uploaded before the new release is over! So, onto the card...
I love seeing the kids dressed up for Halloween....But I love trick-or-treating almost as much as they do....especially when their bags are full of chocolate!! Admit it - you raid the Halloween bucket too! What are your favorites? Mine must be the Kit Kat's, mini Baby Ruth's and mini Snickers. I also enjoy a simple Hershey's bar as often as I can!!! Next to stamping, chocolate is my addiction. A perfect night for me would be sipping on a Mountain Dew and munching on some good chocolate which stamping!! This sample uses an image from a new CC Designs set called Spooky, Spooky, Spooky. Isn't he sweet? I just love how Christine continues to use some of our favorite characters in different sets throughout the year. I love seeing them come alive! All the patterned papers on this one are from KI Memories. I really like their Haunted line. The large panel is called Skinny Stripe and the paper pieced shirt and pants are the front and back of Pin Dot. The "brads" are actually set like eyelets and I have had them since I first started using eyelets forever ago. I needed some purple brads but didn't have any so these worked just fine. I hope you have a great day and get to stamp!