Winter Post: Simple Trio

Happy Wednesday evening! I've wanted to play with this new Holiday Mini catalog set, Winter Post, for several nights, but my sinuses have been killing me...me and most everyone else I've talked to in North Texas! I think it's because of hurricane Ike or something. Anyway, I had visions of *elaborate* cards, but had to settle for *simple* for now! lol! But it's good to show the versatility of a set, right? You know, their complex side and their simple side! These are night photos, so bear with me...

Here's the first one with Red Riding Hood, Kraft, and Confetti White. I ran the Kraft piece through my cheap little craft sewing machine without any thread in it, so I could get the stitched holes with an irregular look. The skaters are punched out with the new 1 3/4" circle punch, love that thing! Oh, and this new striped ribbon from the Holiday Mini is absolutely divine!


This card uses the reindeer from Winter Post, which I stamped in Versarmark, then Chocolate Chip classic ink, then embossed with clear embossing powder. I was wishing I had Chocolate Chip craft ink to emboss with because it would have filled in more nicely, and now I just realized I do have that ink in the Craft Stampin' Spots! Doh! Other items include the new paper, yummy felt ribbon, and rub-ons from the Holiday Mini.


This last one is very simple, maybe even too simple for me, but I was pooping out by 11:00. lol! And it needs Vintage Brads, but I'm out, ack! Maybe I'll think of something else to do with it tomorrow night. I do love the felt snowflakes, they are fabulous too. This Holiday Mini catalog is filled with way toooo many goodies, believe me!

Sorry for the spotty recipes, I tried to mention the ingredients that might not be obvious, but please let me know if you have any questions! Thanks so much for stopping by, I appreciate it!

Stampin' Up! Online Ordering Available! Bella Blossoms Mini Gift Bag!

Happy Tuesday! Just a quick note to my customers, starting today you can order Stampin' Up! products online through my Stampin' Up! website! Click here or the link to the right. How convenient to order anytime day or night and have it shipped directly to you!

The first person to place a $50 online order through my Stampin' Up! website will receive a goody bag in the mail from me containing new ribbons, felt snowflakes, and Top Note die-cuts in the new In Colors...all the goodies you need for your own card-embellishment kit!

Just visit my Stampin' Up! website and click the "Shop Now" button in the top right corner under my name. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions!

Now for some stamping...some Bella Blossoms goodness! This is a little mini gift bag I made with a matching notecard and scallop envelope. I thought it would be the perfect thing to put a little gift card in or cash, which is what I usually give as a wedding gift because I enjoyed receiving it as a wedding gift so much! hee! hee!


You may remember the little ribbon yo yo flower I posted with tutorial here. I still love them, and they are so easy to make!

Here is a close-up of the scallop envelope made with the Big Shot and Scallop Envelope die. I made a matching notecard out of Whisper White to keep it simple, and I stamped the Baja Breeze ink off once on scratch paper to make it a little more subtle on the notecard.


Hope you like it! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Mr. Twigster: Laura's Sketch #8

Happy Monday! (Is there such a thing?! hee! hee!) I loved Laura's Sketch #8 over at 2 Sketches 4 You, so I had to go ahead and work on it tonight after I worked on swap cards some more. The prize this week over there is awesome, you'll definitely want to make a card and try! I've won before (not saying that to brag, just to show you that YOU can win if I won!) and my friends Jenn and Savitri have won, probably some more I'm forgetting too, so go give it a shot!!

Now for some Mr. Twigster challenge cards! Isn't he cute, by the way?! Love him!! (And did I mention he's a four-piece set for $13.95?! Available October 1st.) Below here are the challenge cards that my friends and I made in about 10 - 15 minutes at 11:45 p.m. before the crop ended. We all started with a Mr. Twigster stamped on Whisper White cardstock.

Here is my card, I just happened to have that scrap of Pumpkin Pie paper with the circle cut out and it framed him perfectly! I thought it was maybe too plain, so I added that striped circle at the bottom, but I'm really not loving it, think I like plain better!


This is Beverly's card. Love that red rick rack along the bottom and ALL those white brads she used...I told her my grandma was going to love it for her Christmas card this year! (They trust me to take their cards home and photograph them and return them, suckers! hee! hee!)


This is Margaret's card. It's so fabulous with the polka dot and yummy ribbon and perfect metal "believe", love it!


This is Valerie's card. I love the color combo she used and that fun kick with the Kiwi Kiss polka dot paper. Let me tell you, Valerie packs/brings the least of all of us, yet all night long when we need something, she reaches down and pulls something fabulous out and says, "I have this, will it work?" And it's always something unique and special and perfect!!


Okay, I should try to get to bed, but I haven't even caught up on my Google Reader yet, ugh! Today, I *finally* got to work with the students!! Yay!! I had really started missing being in the classroom after so much testing and analyzinig scores and grades and grouping students and making spreadhseets, etc. I'll be working with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade in reading and math. We had a close call where I almost had to take thirteen 7th graders for an hour and thirteen 8th graders for another hour and teach them novels. Yikes! That was close! lol! They're great kids too, but I just *heart* the little ones...who let you love them and love you back! lol!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I appreciate all your sweet comments on my cards and the rockin' cards my friends made too! Y'all are the bestest and put a smile on my face everyday!

Have you stamped something today?

Mr. Twigster 2S4Y Recipe
Stamps: Mr. Twigster
Cardstock: Red Riding Hood, Kraft, Confetti White, Ski Slope Holiday Mini DSP.
Ink: Staz-On Brown, Red Riding Hood, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Baja Breeze.
Accessories: Aqua Painter, Alpine Holiday Mini ribbon, Big Shot, Go Go Alphabet Die, Vintage Brad, Spiral Punch, Dimensionals.

Cute and Curly: Merry Christmas

Happy Sunday! Are you ready for some Christmas cheer? Seems like I've been leaning that way a little bit recently, it is my favorite holiday. I will have to squeeze some Halloween in here, though, I do love it too, and I just came back from a Halloween workshop held by my bff and downline Lori, who did an awesome job! We made the cutest Frankenstein card and sour cream treat holder. I put a little Snickers inside, but I can't guarantee it will make it safely through the night, doh!

Anyway, the Christmas card I made above has to be one of the quickest and most simple cards I've ever made (scraps, of course), but it's one of my most favorite cards ever! Do you ever have some like that, where you just *LOVE* everything about it and can't stop looking at it! lol! I used that precious Cute & Curly set that comes with the Curvy Label punch, some hostess level 1 Real Red Patterns DSP, a tiny snip of Bella Rose polka dot Kiwi Kiss DSP, and a silver star brad from the Styled Silver HPH kit. I think it may end up being a style I make and send out for the holidays this year.

Now, for some more cuteness. I cropped last night, and we always like to do our challenges, you know. Valerie happened to bring some repositionable adhesive die cuts from a retired Simply Scrappin kit for us, because she said...BRACE YOURSELF...she never uses them!! **GASP** They are so awesome, and I love the bright colors in this one. I still have this one, I'm hoarding it, it's way too good to use! So anyway, for one of our challenges, we had to use them to make a Christmas card. (We did another challenge with the Holiday Mini set Mr. Twigster I'll be sharing tomorrow, I'm such a tease, hee! hee!)


So here are the challenge cards. This is mine, so simple, but it's another all-time favorite for me:


Here's Beverly's, who was getting a little tired toward the end and wanted to leave early, but that didn't work out {insert evil grin here} once the challenges started! I love the twill and silver snowflake brads she added, so awesome!


This is Valerie's, who grumbled about the challenge and using these wonderful pieces, crazy girl! (You know I love ya, Val!) She did a fabulous job anyway, love how she stacked the words down the side and used the snowflake as a letter in "joy"!


And this is Margaret's, who got the most actual scrapbooking done, I believe, she's a rock-star scrapper! I love that paper and ribbon she added and the way the star really stands out!


We had a blast, as usual. Be sure and check back Monday night for those Mr. Twigster cards! I'm just about to finish up three sets of swaps, but waiting for some more Dimensionals to come in this week. Why don't I order more than 1 pack at a time, consideirng how many I use?! I read on Kristina's blog earlier that she's waiting on an order to come in also...an order of 6 packages! Live it, learn it! lol!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have you stamped something today?

Recipe
Stamps: Cute and Curly
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Whisper White, Bella Rose DSP, hostess level 1 Real Red Patterns DSP.
Ink: Real Red, Old Olive.
Accessories: Curly Label Punch, Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, Dimensionals.

Fabulous Flowers with Cute & Curly...again

Happy Saturday! I have to hurry and finish getting ready for the crop tonight, but wanted to make a post before I go! This is another simple dimple scrap card from the other night...I think it's the last of the Fabulous Flowers pieces I had stamped and laying around, lol! (See it here in the mess!) The piece of patterned paper from Summer Picnic happened to be just that size, so I made it work. It was kind of blah until I added the black. I forget about adding black sometimes, and it really can make things pop.

I was trying to come up with five swap card designs today that I can work on mass producing tonight. I finally managed to "settle" on three. Why does it feel like so much more pressure when you're designing for a swap, vs. just fun for yourself? Anyway, I used Grand Soiree, Party Hearty, and Say It with Scallops, because those three swaps are due on the 20th. I'm dying to use Mr. Twigster, but he's not due until the 30th. Maybe I'll get to him tomorrow...

Hope your Saturday is going great! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Recipe
Stamps: Fabulous Flowers, Cute & Curly
Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black, Summer Picnic DSP.
Ink: Real Red, Basic Black.
Accessories: Kiwi Kiss Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, 1/8" Circle Punch (for those little Kiwi Kiss dots), Dimensionals.

Merry and Bright Kristina Inspiration #21...take 2

Happy Friday! Thanks for all your sweet comments on the little tree card from yesterday! I loved those colors so much, I used them to make another Merry and Bright card before going to bed last night.

I had the striped paper scrap and that little chipboard circle (the dot to an "i" from Target $1 Spot letters) laying in my pile of desk scraps, so I decided to use those. I don't know if you can see, but the green stripe paper has a Coluzzle circle cut line still in tact where I decided not to cut it out and use it. Underneath the snowman where you can't see, it also has a baby carriage stamped on it and a snowflake punched out of it that ended up on this card (the Baja Breeze print side). I just love this stamp set, soooo glad it made it into the new catalog.

Do you have big plans for the weekend? Or are you resting from last week's big holiday weekend? I'm going to a crop with my peeps tomorrow night, but I'll mostly be working on swap cards...including my new Holiday Mini Catalog swaps! I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but my Holiday Mini pre-order came in on Thursday, and I didn't even open any of the packages! *hanging head in shame* I got all involved in Kristina's fun colors and using up scraps on my desk, crazy huh? But I'm heading in there tonight to come up with some (hopefully) fabulous designs! (I will not take a nap, I will not take a nap, I will not take a nap...!)

Have a fun Friday night and thanks for stopping by! Have you stamped something today?

Recipe
Stamps: Merry and Bright
Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Whisper White, Holiday Happenings Hostess DSP.
Ink: Staz-On Black, Regal Rose, Pacific Point.
Accessories: 1 3/4" and 1/8" Circle Punch, Pacific Point Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Clip Assortment, 5/8" Regal Rose Grosgrain Ribbon, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Dimensionals, Target $1 Spot chipboard dot.

Merry and Bright Kristina Inspiration #21

Running late, back with more details after I go walking with dh and Nick the dog!

Edited: Okay, I'm back. I almost forgot about Kristina's Inspiration Challenge and I took a nap (sleeping 5 hours a night during the week isn't working out so great for me!). When I woke up and checked the deadline was 7 pm MDT, that left me about 30 minutes to make the card, take and edit the photo, and post it. Yikes! I got it posted on her site at 6:59, schwooo! That was close.

I threw this together very quickly. I think I may go try another one or two. hee! hee! I was wishing I had a Pacific Point button, but now I'm thinking maybe if I had just colored part of the one tree Pacific Point. The button is covering a big blob of green ink where I colored too sloppily. I was trying to color fast and messy and more artsy like Brent Steele does at Convention, but it never really works for me. I like things neat and tidy and inside the lines.

Thanks for stopping by and have a super duper night! It's almost Friday and the weekend!

Have you stamped something today?

Recipe
Stamps: Merry and Bright
Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Whisper White, Rose Red Prints (retired).
Ink: Black Staz-On, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss.
Accessories: Regal Rose 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Aqaupainters, Kiwi Kiss Button, Mini Glue Dot, Border Scallop Punch.

Fabulous Flowers with Cute & Curly

Happy Wednesday! Here's another card I sort of threw together last night with parts laying on my desk. Okay, I know I always say that, so I decided to take some pictures as I was going along to show you! It was night, so the lighting isn't good for the photos, but you can get the idea.

First, I picked up the images I had layered from Fabulous Flowers and not used here a long time ago. There's sort of a messy place in the ink where something was on the stamp that bothered me before, but I thought maybe I could use some glitter to disguise it. I also had the Cute & Curly piece I had punched out with the Curly Label punch from the night before that didn't end up working on the Sock Monkey card down below.


As I started putting the card together, it was looking like this because the flower was going to fit perfectly over the hole in the red polka dot paper. I ended up flipping the brown polka dot piece of paper over (see above) to get the pink/red floral side of the paper showing.


So you'll see how true it is, here are many "parts" on my messy desk. I find it much easier to start on a card with a pile of parts to work with. When I finally can't take it anymore and clean off my desk (about once a month!), I always have a hard time getting started again! I don't know where to start when there's nothing to start with! lol!


Thanks for your comments on yesterday's post and Beverly Hills 90210. It really hit hard when I read Alex's comment about "that's an hour of your life you'll never get back"...but it's worse...it was 2 hours!! Doh! I do have to go catch Project Runway (right now I'm torn between Kenley, Korto, and Terry...what about you?) here at 8:00 while I go check out all your fabulous blogs! That's one thing I always do, multi-task! If I do watch a tv show, I'm either stamping or surfing or cleaning, etc. while I do it. And last year I would have added "grading papers" to that list, but not this year with my new RtI job. And yes, I'm loving it, by the way!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have you stamped something today?

Recipe
Stamps: Fabulous Flowers, Cute and Curly, Occasions Collection hostess level 2. Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Bella Rose DSP. Ink: Chocolate Chip, Red Riding Hood. Accessories: Curly Label Punch, Paper Piercer & Mat, Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Blender Pen, Ruby Red Brads, Dimensionals, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds.

Sock Monkey says "Dessert First"

Happy Tuesday! I've been debating whether to post at morning or night, still not sure, but looks like tonight won today! lol! I made this card last night for Kazan's Sketch #8 over at 2 Sketches 4 You. I really wasn't satisfied with it and gave up and went to bed. I thought I'd tweak it tonight, but I never got around to it, so here it is. A little plain, but oh well!

Do you like the little "dessert first" piece? That could so be my motto! My friend Lori gave it to me a few years ago, but I didn't save the original packaging so I don't know who made it. It has retro-looking birthday images, I think the packaging had blue and pink and maybe a crown on it, and maybe the word "etcetera"? Anyway, it had fallen out and was laying out on my desk since I organized things onto my Clip It Up awhile back, and the cupcake was an extra part leftover from this convention swap card, and the monkey had been cut out but never used, so they just kind of merged together. Kind of a Frankenstein Sock Monkey, I guess you could say!

So, did anyone watch the new 90210 tonight? I'm *embarrassed* to say I did. The *young* folks at the office were talking about it today, and we decided to watch so we could discuss it tomorrow. I thought it was really bad. Was the original that bad? Maybe I'm just way too old to *get* it now? Thoughts, please (about the show, not about me being too old to *get* it!).

Okay, signing off now...still need to check out some other blogs before bed! Thanks for stopping by! Have you stamped something today?

Recipe
Stamps: Sock Monkey
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Bella Rose DSP, Holiday Happenings DSP.
Ink: Pretty in Pink marker, Baja Breeze, Staz-On Brown.
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note Bigz Die, Border Scallop Punch, Pink Pirouette Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Aquapainter, Pure Color Pencils, 1/8" Circle Punch.

Big on Christmas SC191

Happy Monday! Schwooo, looks like I barely got this one in on Monday! lol! I started this card yesterday for the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge #191, but it was going nowhere so I abandoned it for Beate's sketch card down below. Decided I'd better finish it up today, and this was as good as it was going to get! lol!

I did have the idea early on to make the cross piece open up, but then I wasn't sure what to put inside! I had a Top Note scrap left over laying on my desk, so I just went with that.


I hope everyone had a super Labor Day weekend! At least we only have a 4-day work week now! Whoo! Hoo! Thanks so much for stopping by! Have you stamped something today?

Recipe
Stamps: Big on Christmas, Sock Monkey (the "just for you")
Cardstock: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Bella Rose DSP, and Always Artichoke, Real Red & Kraft Patterns DSP level 1 hostess.
Ink: Staz-On Brown, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip marker.
Accessories: Kraft Taffeta Ribbon, Paper Piercer & Mat, Photo Corner Punch, Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware (retired), Top Note Bigz die, Big Shot, Pure Color Pencils, Aquapainters, Linen Thread, Always Artichoke Button.