Images on tile

I found this really neat tutorial on Splitcoaststampers.com on making a tile using an image printed on your computer onto tissue paper. You tape the tissue paper onto regular copy paper and run it through your printer. I like the way sepia photos look, but you can use color photos as well. Then, you trim the image and using Mod Podge and a foam brush, adhere it to the tile with several coats. Before applying the Mod Podge however, you can stamp an image using a Staz-On pad (solvent based and used to stamp on nonporous surfaces) as I did with the greeting I used. I added some "feet", little round sticky-on-one-side pads, to the corners of the tile before putting it on my counter. These would make great coasters!
The picture has a little bit of a glare on it, but I used a photo of my husband and daughter walking on the beach together from our trip to California in 2007 at the spot where we were married. So sweet!

A Stamper In the Making!

While at Ikea, I purchased this awesome, customizable desk and pretty pink office chair for my daughter! I figured she could use it for schoolwork AND stampin'! She loves being crafty like her mama! Here she is in action--stampin' away! In fact, if she wakes up before me, she'll often go in there and create a masterpiece!

Let's Talk Organization!

After being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for almost 7 years, I've accumulated a lot of Stampin' Paraphenalia! I haven't gotten rid of hardly anything--I am too attached--so I've needed to find a way to store some of my goodies, especially now that I have entered the world of die cuts as well!
Here are just a few pix showing how I organize some of my items.
First off, I keep my Sizzlits and Embosslits in a Notebook inserted into baseball card sleeves. They are perfect because I can flip them over and see what they look like through the sleeve! I also keep my Die Cut instructions (some of them contain useful information on assembly and dimensions) in the same notebook. I have some sleeves that are divided into four pockets which are ridiculously perfect for storing Embossing Folders. For now, my larger dies fit nicely in a plastic roller drawer.
My punches started to take over my shelves and desk! I had no idea what to do with them until I saw this great idea online! Ikea (which just happened to open in Charlotte) sells these amazing dowels! They also sell these amazing baskets to hang on them! Best of all, they are AMAZINGLY inexpensive! In fact, after looking at the new Idea Book & Catalog, I know I'll need to purchase another to hold the new punches I am planning on buying!
I am still working on organization, but let me tell you, Ikea is a great place to start if you have one near you.

B is for Baby!

I helped throw a shower for a friend of mine and used the awesome Stampin' Up! exclusive Pennant die to make a "Baby" banner! She was very excited about having a girl so we definitely had to make it pink!
I die cut the pennant pieces and then ran them through the Big Shot again with a Texturz Plate to give them an embossed feel and look. I sponged them with Whisper White Craft Ink to bring the designs out. Then I used the Scallop Circle Punch and a die cut alphabet to dress them up. I used white eyelets and ribbon to connect the pennant pieces and--voila!--we had a Baby Banner! (As always, if you click on a picture, you can see it closeup and really see the texture!)
I am also including a picture of the favors that I made with Pink and White Chocolate on Pretzel rods! There ain't no such thing as too girlie in my book! =o)

The Little Mermaid

This was my mom's birthday card from MARCH! Whew--am I behind?! =o)
Anyway, the cute little mermaid is a stamp sold by The Greeting Farm--Mermaid Anya. I usually only use Stampin' Up! products but couldn't resist this little cutie pie!
To make the ocean, I ran a piece of Tempting Turquoise through my Big Shot machine with the Top Note die, then ran the same piece again in a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder to make the bubbles for the ocean. I used a pair of scallop edge scissors to cut the Top Note in half and to make it look more ocean-y. I stamped the mermaid and colored her in with Stampin' Write markers. Then, I used my Versamarker to draw some accent lines where I then poured some Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder over to heat. (The glitter is a little difficult to see in the photo but really stands out in person!) The greeting is a rub-on, and the sun is made from the Scallop Circle Punch and a Circle Punch (in Summer Sun and Only Orange). I used Confetti White Cardstock as it has specks in it which make it look kind of like sand.

Where have I been?

Wow! I haven't posted in forever! I have still been stamping but got very caught up in my life. Here I am though--ready to jump back in--so be prepared for a ton of posts to make up for lost time!

This first card (I apologize for the quality of the picture) was made during Stamp Club. We used Textured Designer Series Paper, the Sweet Stems Embosslit for the flower (love these embosslits that not only emboss but cut out your image!), and the Texturz Polka Dot Embossing Template for the polka dots behind the embosslit. We sponged Craft Whisper White Ink over the polks dots to make them stand out. We finished it off with a greeting punched out with the Word Window Punch and some White Grosgrain Ribbon! The colors we used were Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, and Kraft. Pretty and Elegant!

Oh, and don't forget to check out the links to the right for the brand new Catalogs! They are AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Catalogs are officially current as of today! Let me know if you have any questions or would like to place an order!
Thanks!
=o)

Love You Much

I CASE'd this card pretty much exactly from a card I saw on Splitcoaststampers. I used the new Love You Much Bundle which includes the Heart to Heart Punch, Candy Lane Designer Series Paper, and the Love You Much Stamp Set. I added an eyelet to the center of the flower and colored in the stamped image with Stampin' Write markers. I also used the Corner Rounder Punch, and Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, and Naturals White cardstock.

Branch Out

I LOVE this set! It is so beautiful and so soft and SO easy to use!
To make this card, I tore the Almost Artichoke cardstock in the background and stamped it with the same stamp that I used for the leaves. (The tree and the leaves are two separate stamps.) The actual card itself is Chocolate Chip cardstock. I stamped the tree on Naturals White cardstock. This set has all kinds of tree "accessories" to add. I used the tire swing, the Cardinal, and the butterflies. The greeting I used was from Trendy Trees.
This card came out so pretty yet it is so simple and was made so quickly!

Mini Square Cards

I was playing with my new stamps today and decided to make some little square cards. They measure 3.5" by 3.5".
The first card is almost identical to the sample in the Idea Book & Catalog.
I used the new Trendy Trees set, added the paper piercing at the bottom of the greeting, and popped on a button with some hemp threaded through it. LOVE those trees! =o)
The second card uses the new Level 1 Hostess Set, Comfort Food. The yellow swirls in the background are also from the Trendy Trees set! When I saw that stamp, it looked like a background stamp to me--aside from the top of a tree. =o) I used the colors Summer Sun and Real Red, and I embossed the image as well before I colored it in with Stampin' Write markers.

As with all the pix I post, you can see them larger and closer up if you click on them!

I miss Vegas!

So I have to admit that I CASE'd the idea for this card from my Udderly Awesome Stampin' Up! Stamp Group. Those women have the greatest ideas! I did change the dice though. I was putting away some die cut scraps and picked up some square buttons die cut pieces. A lightbulb went on in my head and said, "Make those into dice!" So...I copied the design for the card but instead of stamping the dice in the scallop circle, I used the button die to make two number two dice!!! =o)
I used the new Jackpot Designer Paper, the new Game Night Stamp Set, some Real Red grosgrain ribbon, Very Vanilla cardstock, Real Red carstock, and Basic Black cardstock--oh, and my favorite part--the Buttons #5 die cut! The greeting is embossed and is from the Sincere Salutations Stamp Set.
Roll them bones, baby! =o)

My Pretty Butterfly!

So I LOVE this new Designer Series Paper!!!
I used some of my new goodies to make this card! The Texturz Plates, Stampin' Up! Backgrounds 1, was used for the Small Polka Dot background on the Kraft Cardstock, the Parisian Breeze Specialty Paper (textured patterned paper) was used for the butterflies, the Stampin' Up! Beautiful Butterflies was the die cut used for the butterflies, and the Pretties Kit provided the pin and beads for the butterfly's body. The top layer of the butterfly is only adhered in the middle so it appears as though it is "flapping". I used a Chocolate Chip rub-on for the greeting--they work great on textured paper! I had so much fun making this sweet card! Hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I enjoyed making it! =o)

I love my new toys!!!

So I ordered some new goodies from Stampin' Up! the DAY the new catalog was released! I was so excited, and I wanted to have some new items to show my Stamp Club next month!
I made this card using the NEW Circle Scissors Plus and Glass Mat, the NEW exclusive Stampin' Up! Big Bold Cupcakes Die Cut, the NEW Texturz Plate Stampin' Up! Background 1, and the NEW beautiful textured patterned cardstock, Parisian Breeze Specialty, for the bottom of the cupcake. The colors I used were Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, and Kraft cardstock. I stamped the greeting Birthday Hugs & Wishes on the inside. To make the circular card, I folded some cardstock and then cut a circle out of it on the fold using the Circle Scissors Plus. I wanted to add some chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon to the card at the top, but I really just felt like it would have taken away attention from the cute l'il cupcake. I LOVE all of my new goodies!!! Stay tuned for more fun samples! =o)

a little Something for you

I got this new Sale-a-Bration set, Yummy, and was thinking of how I could use it. The "a little Something for you" stamp fits perfectly on the Top Note die--which we all know is my all time FAVORITE die!!--so I used the template from this blog post: December Stamp Club Projects! and just turned it the other direction!
I made this card for a very dear friend back in California. I used the new Raspberry Tart Designer Series Paper, Rose Red and Cameo Coral cardstock (and Kiwi Kiss for the leaf), and the Stampin' Up! exclusive die, Birds & Blooms. I threw some white grosgrain ribbon on there, popped an eyelet on the flower, and voila! I was done! Oh, and thanks to my sweet daughter for holding the cards for me--those are her cute little fingers in the pictures! =o)

Happy Birthday, Monkey!

I made this cute l'il card for one of my clubber's daughters! I used my fave Top Note die again! I masked the birthday hat onto the Sock Monkey's head, and I used Stampin' Write markers to color him in! The cardstock is Pixie Pink and Pretty in Pink.

January Stamp Club Projects!

This month, the girls and I used a lot of punches in our projects!
The first project we made consisted of 3 little "purses" made with the Round Tab Punch, the Small and Large Oval Punches, and a brad! We used the new Stampin' Up! Raspberry Tart Designer Series Paper, Kiwi Kiss, Rose Red, and Cameo Coral cardstock. The greeting is from the retiring set, Wonderful Words.
The second project we made was a "Love" card--actually my hubby's Valentine's Day card! We used a large circle punch, scallop punch, and again--my favorite die cut, the Top Note! We used the Big Shot die, Join in the Cheer, for the word "Love". Pink Pirouette and Riding Hood Red (In Colors) were the colors we used. The little man is from the All in the Family set. We colored him in with Stampin' Write Markers.

It's a Girl!

One of my best friends is having a Baby Girl next month, so I volunteered to stamp her Baby Shower invitations! I used Rose Romance (a retired SU! color) and Rose Red cardstock. The "rattle" was very east to make! I used a large circle punch and the scallop circle punch for the top of the rattle, the word window punch for the handle, and two smaller circle punches for the part where the baby holds on to. To complete the rattle, I added a bit of white grosgrain ribbon to the handle! The Baby was stamped from the All in the Family set! I used my favorite Stampin' Up! exclusive die cut--Top Note--for the background!

A faux clipboard!

We made this card a while back in Stamp Club! I love the look of the faux clipboard! We used the Spiral Punch, the Round Tab Punch, the Corner Rounder Punch,and the 1/16" hole punch (for the brads). The background was created using the Watercolor Stampin' Around wheel in Pixie Pink ink on Pixie Pink Paper. To make the clipboard, we used Close to Cocoa paper stamped with the Canvas Background Stamp and rounded the corners with the Corner Rounder Punch. The Round Tab Punch was used to punch out the top of the clipboard. We used regular notebook paper for the greeting. Gold brads finished the look of the clipboard! The little girl was stamped with the All in the Family stamp set!