OOPS...

You'll notice all the links to other blogs and the Stampin' Up! Online Catalog are missing from the sidebar! OOPS, try to add things and you erase it all! That's me! I'll work on it some more tomorrow and add most of my favorite stamping blogs to it as it was WAY out of date.

Here's One...

I was busy this weekend. Friday night my pal Lorien and my mother came over to stamp. Lorien and I are both in some online swaps - we needed to get those done. It was a great thing that mom was here because she loves stamping images and cuttin them out. As a matter a fact, she has drawers of stamped images that she cuts and never uses! So, we put her to work. I also had to get my cards made we will be doing in my Unique Card Fold class. I usually don't post any samples of the cards we will do in my classes until the class is over. I think it is fun to have suspense, but I thought that the people attending might like a glimpse of one. I did this one at 6:00 AM this morning. I was sick all day yesterday and when I woke up early this morning felt great so I went downstairs before the girls woke up. I started playing with these colors this weekend - Vintage Violet, Certainly Celery and Almost Amethyst. I LOVE them together. Most of my customers know I have been too cheap to purchase any In Colors other than Cool Carribean and now Vintage Violet. Hope you enjoy this one.

Unique Fold Class In April

I am teaching a class in April called Unique Card Folds. This is a sample of one of the folds we will be doing. The top strip that includes the torn piece of rust flips up and the card base (the saffron that has the bird on it) flips down. Really easy, but one that most people don't do. We are all so stuck on folding our cardstock in half and that is it, but if you just try a simple new fold, we can really spice up a card. This one was made using Really Rust, Brocade Blue, So Saffron cardstocks and watercolor crayons. I got this color combo from the Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge for this week. I really like the Rust and Saffron together but had a hard time adding the blue. I guess I will have to play with it some more to let it grow on me!

Tropical "Astericks"

Here is another that was done with my new toy. The flowers are die cut with the Cuttlebug. These are called "Astericks". The color combo is one I have been really enjoying lately - Certainly Celery (my all time favorite!), Apricot Appeal and Pumpkin Pie (the best orange ever!). It seems to have a tropical feel don't you think?

The only stamping was done on the "tag". The tag was actually created using Stampin' Up!'s word window punch. I just chopped off one end and punched a hole - instant tag! It is PERFECT for the words in Everyday Flexible Phrases.

Hey Chickie!

So, the Cuttlebug embossing folders emboss a piece of cardstock that is just smaller than the front of a card. It is awesome because with the detail the embossing gives you, you can really spend less time on a card and still have it look great.

For this card I took the embossing one step further and after I embossed the cardstock, I used various sizes of the flower die cut and cut the embossed cardstock out in the shape of a flower-stack them up, add a brad and - VIOLA!

Again, these are Amuse Art Stamps. The bird image is really a single bird I just stamped them in a group. The sentiment is also Amuse-isn't it cute? I love their sentiments.

I've Been Bitten By The Bug!

The Cuttlebug that is! I have been thinking about getting a Cuttlebug for a few months now. (I just love the embossing folders they have.) I asked for one for my birthday but I don't think I gave my husband enough time to actually get one. Anyway, I was given some money for my birthday and today my friend said she had a coupon for Joann's I could have...so, I headed to her side of town and waltzed into Michael's and picked me up one! I was only able to purchase one die set and an embossing folder, but maybe I will order some other goodies tomorrow. Here is the first card I made using my new toy!

The stamps are by Amuse Art and they were images I was able to stamp while at the Spitcoaststampers weekend in Okemos several weeks ago. Don't you just love this little girl in the rain? I used Crystal Effects on the puddle and put some drops on her coat and umbrella for rain. The swirls in the background were made by the embossing folder I got today. I punched the square using one my my Marvy scallop punches. SO FUN!

Sweet Spring Bunny

Here is a preview card for the class I have coming up this weekend. The class is called To Embellish or Not Embellish? This card will be using the brads as the embellishment. I really liked how it turned out. I took the layout and idea from a card that Lori Rose sent me. She is a customer who really makes some cute stuff. I don't see her too often but she always has a smile on her face and I have really enjoyed "talking" with her about all kinds of stamping trends and products. She will be at the class this weekend along with 5 others. There is nothing surprising about this card. The bunny is tucked away in a simple pocket card design. The basket and chick are colored using SU! markers.

Bright Stems

I don't have this flower set. It is called Sassy Stems. I am in another swap which they were wanting people to use this set. I said I would do it but didn't have the stamps. So, one of the ladies sent me to images stamped on white cardstock. I really like how it turned out. I used Pixie Pink cardstock, Black and white. I watercolored it with my aqua painters and ink from the lid of the ink pad. You can't really tell but I used Print Pattern on the black cardstock with Versa Mark. I am not sure why this appeals to me so much. Maybe the colors, maybe the fact that it is really simple to make - either way, I am glad I like it so much because I have been feeling as if I'm in a terrible creative slump!

Sweet Spring Chick

Here is another set from the Spring Mini. It is called Bunny Hugs. It includes the sentiment that reads "Easter wishes with lots of hugs & kisses, the basket, eggs, tulips, chick and bunny. I used Chocolate Chip cardstock, Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery on this one. The row of daisies is made with the Daisy Field roller. It goes perfectly with this set. I made this for a swap I am in on Splitcoaststampers. It is called a Different Kind of Swap. This is my first time participating. I had it on good advice that it is worth getting into. A set is suggested and then a receipe is given that you need to follow. For this one I had to use Bunny Hugs, Chocolate Chip, and Pretty in Pink. I think I also had to use an embellishment of some kind. Of course I chose ribbon-my favorite!

I LOVE 1/2 Price Sales!

Stampin Up! doesn't often offer a sale on it's stamps...maybe once or twice a year. The month of March happens to be when one of those sales is occurring! The Spring mini catalog is incredible. It is filled with beautiful color combinations, adorable stamp sets in so many different styles.

During March if you purchase the new set Polka Dots and Paisley ($17.95), the most incredible double sided paper - which is Petals & Paisleys ($8.95) and a new jumbo wheel - Petals ($7.95) you can pick anything out of the mini catalog for 1/2 price. There are a couple sets in there that are $28.95 and $29.95 - this means you can grab those for just $14 and $15!

Here is a sample I made using all three of the elements you need to purchase to take advantage of that sale. Hopefully I will get more time to play later tonight! I am also considering this for my upcoming class - To Embellish or Not Embellish. Each participant will make 10 cards. There will be 5 designs and each design will be done with one using an embellishment and the other will omit the embellishment. This should give you the opportunity to see how embellishments really spruce up your projects. The embellishment in this one is the metal edge tag. You could just punch out a circle, but I think the tag is really cute!