New Decor Elements

Hi Stampers! I have some exciting news to tell you today. (I have wanted to post about it for a few days now but just have not have the time!) This past week Stampin' Up! has announced the launch of a new product line - Decor Elements. I am so excited about the prospect of these. The possibilities to these are endless!

Decor Elements are wall graphics, expressions and lettering. They will be available starting July 1, 2008. Express your style and customize your personal space with these easy, cost effective and flexible vinyl wall coverings.

Use your imagination and turn your home into the place you always dreamed it could be! If you think you are challenged in the home decor arena, this is the perfect solution for you! They are easy to apply and non-permanent so check them out today!

Click here to see how easy they are to apply.

If you have any questions or would like to see a brochure when they are available please feel free to contact me.

Happy Stamping~

Love, Heart, Liberty & Soul

Hi Stampers! Things have been crazy busy here this week. I have been helping out at the TaeKwonDo school during the training camp for the competition team this week so other things have had to take a back seat. Next week we leave for WI and the boys will start competing at the AAU TaeKwonDo National Championships the following Tuesday. I am very excited AND nervous. (The boys are not nervous but Mom sure is!!!) While I was helping out at the school I brought along a few stamping supplies with me to keep me occupied. Okay...actually it looked more like I was moving in the place, but really I just couldn't decide what project I wanted to do so I lugged more with me than I really needed. The first project I worked on were these patriotic cards. A few weeks ago my youngest son decided that we needed to do more to show our appreciation for the military of this country. We did some research online and found a website to "adopt" a soldier and their unit. We will be sending care packages and letters. DS decided that we should make some really cool cards to send them to thank them for all they do for us. I couldn't agree more so these are a few of the cards we will be sending in with our boxes of goodies.

These cards both feature the set The Free and the Brave. I am so glad that this set is not on the retired list. I just got it and want to be able to play with it a little more before having to pass it on. After assembling the cards I still thought they were lacking in something. Then I remembered I had a small container of chipboard stars with me so I dug them out in a hurry. To my dismay all the stars were either black, brown or white. The white ones were great but I was hoping to add more to the card so....I just used my stampin' write markers and colored the backside and Viola! I had chipboard stars in any color I needed.

This picture shows a side view and lets you see how much depth and dimension they can add to a simple card. If I had my dazzling diamonds with me I probably would have added some sparkle to them. Oh well there is always next time as I plan to make a bunch of these up.

Happy Stamping~

Stamp set: The Free and the Brave

Ink: Basic Black, Brilliant Blue

Card stock: Brilliant Blue, Real Red, WW

Other: Stampin' Write Markers, chipboard stars

Anything but a flower...

Hi Stampers! I hope everyone is off to a great week! Today's cards feature the set Pick a Petal from Stampin' Up! This set has a bunch of different images which were designed to make up flowers. One thing I love about Stampin' Up! is that the stamp sets are so versatile. Using a little bit of imagination you can create so many other cards which don't even look remotely like the images that the stamps were designed for. The first card is a get well card. I needed to send out a get well card to my grandfather last week and when I went to look in my stash of cards I realized that I didn't have any get well cards left. It's not hard to figure out why with this nasty flu that has been making the rounds this year. I have seen many variations of this card on SCS so I can not take credit for the uniqueness of this. I think it is soooooo cute! I think that this card would brighten anyone's day that received it in the mail.

I have to apologize for the awful picture of the second card. This card also uses the Pick a Petal stamp set. I used the polka dot flower petal stamp to make the wings of the lady bug. They are stamped in purely pomegranate ink and then embossed with clear embossing powder. The body of the ladybug was made using the various sizes of circle punches. I added the flying path behind the ladybug by lightly drawing a trail with pencil and then punched holes along the trail with my paper piercer tool. Black brads were used at the ends of his antennas. This is another great card that can be used for a variety of occasions.

Happy Stamping~

Stamp set: Pick a Petal, Sprinkles

Ink: Groovy Guava, Soft Sky, Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate

Card stock: Groovy Guava, Soft Sky, WW, Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate, River Rock

Other: Groovy Guava Double Stitched Ribbon, Pencil Eraser, Black Brads, Black Gingham Ribbon, Circle Punches, Mat Pack and Paper Piercer Tool

Retirement Lists

Hi Stampers! I hope everyone is enjoying their Father's Day and spending time pampering Dad with his favorites. :0) We will be going out for dinner with my in-laws. Today also marks the day that Stampin' Up! releases it's retirement list. CLICK HERE to view the list by alphabetical order or CLICK HERE to view the list in numerical order.

In honor of the retirement list I am offering a special to my customer. Any order placed between now and June 30th totaling $75 or more before tax and shipping will receive free shipping!! (this offer is not valid on regular monthly club orders)

I am also taking pre-orders on the new 2008 Fall & Winter Idea Catalog. Pre-order catalogs will be $8.00 if payment is received before July 10th, 2008. Payment can be made via credit card or check. After July 10th, 2008 the cost of the catalogs will be $10.00. Catalogs will be delivered in August 2008.

Father's Day Card

Hi Stampers! Today's card is in honor of Father's day which is this coming Sunday. I made this cute origami shirt from a pattern I had copied last year. I have seen may cards made using this pattern and love the way they all turn out. I have seen some really wild Hawaiian shirts over at SCS. This would be a great thing to make for other masculine holidays too. It could easily be turned into a birthday card, retirement card, etc...

Happy Stamping~

Stamps: All Holidays
Ink: Basic Black
Card stock: Certain Celery, Basic Black, Certain Celery DSP
Other: 5/8" Certain Celery Grosgrain Ribbon, Black Gingham Ribbon, Cuttlebug & Paisley Embossing Folder

Sailing Away

Hi Stampers! Living in sunny Florida I sometimes take for granted the beautiful scenery we have here and the gorgeous sunsets. Today's cards are a tribute to those beautiful summer night sunsets. I turned these cards into a few Father's Day cards for family members. I know my FIL will really appreciate this one since they belong to the local yacht club. I saw similar cards done on another blog (sorry I can't remember where) and fell in love with the color combination. I would have never thought to use these colors together on my own, but they really work well together. The colors in these cards are More Mustard, Soft Sky, Basic Black and WW. It is hard to tell in the picture, but the black panel on the card was run through my Cuttlebug using the bubble looking embossing folder. I also distressed the edges of the panel to give it a rustic look.

I punched a hole using the 3/4" circle punch on a scrap piece of paper. Then I used it as a mask and using a sponge I sponged more mustard onto the image panel. Then I stuck the circle punched out on the mustard circle and lightly sponged soft sky around it to make it "pop" more. The end result is very stunning IRL. If you make a card using this color combination I would love to see it. Please post a comment here with a link to your card.

Happy Stamping~

Stamp set: Winds of Grace

Ink: Basic Black. Soft Sky, More Mustard

Card stock: More Mustard, Soft Sky, Basic Black, WW

Other: Black Brads, Distressing Tool, 3/4" Circle Punch, Sponge Dauber, Cuttlebug & embossing folder

A Little Birdie told me....

Hi Stampers! Today's card features a set that I got several months ago, but just had a chance to pull it out and play. I needed a birthday card for DJ last week and wanted something bright and fun. His favorite color is orange so I wanted to incorporate that into his card as well. The background was made using the Birthday embossing template and the cuttlebug. Then I swiped only orange ink across it to give it color on the raised portions. In real life it actually looks like it is tie-dyed. The bird is stamped in basic black ink and colored in with various Stampin' Write markers with blender pens. I outlined him with a going gray marker to give him some depth. I stamped the hat onto only orange paper and cut it out. The circles were colored in with a white gel pen and it is added to the card with a small dimensional. I added white dots around the frame and added some white dots to the orange grosgrain ribbon as well. DJ must have liked the way this card turned out because it was the only one he decided to keep. :0) I'm glad he appreciated it since it was made with love.

Happy Stamping~

Stamp set: A Little Birdie Told Me
Ink: Basic Black, Only Orange
Card stock: Only Orange, WW
Other: White gel pen, Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals, Cuttlebug & embossing plates

Working with Chalks

Hi Stampers! I had several of you email me asking to see some of the cards we did at my last class that featured Stampin' Pastels (chalks) so I decided I would share some of them with you today. All of these cards had been cased from cards I saw on SCS. I fell in love with them and it made prepping for the class so much easier. Thanks to those of you who inspired these!! The first card is done using the Poppin' Pastel Technique. It is such an easy technique to do and gives such beautiful results. The script BG was stamped in certain celery before I stamped the flowers in Versamark and used the pastels. I love the elegant look to this card. This technique would also make great wedding cards/projects.

The next card features The Chalkboard technique. This is a great technique to use on dark card stock to make it "pop". It's hard to tell in the picture but the old olive piece is crimped with the paper crimper. It adds a lot of dimension to this card. This is a super quick card to make up birthday announcements or invitations.

The last technique we did was the chalk line technique I featured on THIS post. I changed the colors up a bit and used a more masculine stamp set. The main image is popped up on dimensionals and the white parts of the bird are colored in with a white gel pen. This made it look puffy and really makes the panel more interesting.

Happy Stamping~

Stamp set: Birthday Whimsy, Always, Script BG, Petal Prints

Ink: Basic Black, Certain Celery, VersaMark, Whisper White Craft

Card stock: Lovely Lilac, Certain Celery, Pale Plum, WW, Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Old Olive, Rose Red, Taken with Teal, Apricot Appeal

Other: Apricot Appeal 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Certain Celery Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Crimper, Certain Celery 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Pastels, Pencil, Ruler, Cotton Balls

More Pun Fun

Hi Stampers! WOW! That weekend went by super fast! I am exhausted from all the running I had to do. I don't think I got to sit down for more than an hour on Friday and Saturday. We are getting down to the wire now to get the boys ready for the Tae Kwon Do National Championships in Madison, WI and so we are doing more fundraising and extra practices. They only have 3 weeks to perfect their forms, strengthen their muscles and stretch. Sometimes I wonder if Mom is more nervous about it all then they are!!! Nathan is a 2 time National Champion in his age/ belt division. He thinks of it as fun and can't wait to step out onto those mats again in front of 1,000's of people. I think he feds off the attention. DJ qualified for Nationals last year, but broke his shoulder on June 12th so he was unable to compete. He went and watched his team and I think it was good for him to see the other side of it. He has been working hard this past year to regain his mobility and strength in his right arm and we are hoping this is his year. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers the week of July 4th!!!
Now on to the the great cards I have for you today. These are the second set of cards I created to go in the cute Pun Fun box I made on the previous post HERE. These cards use the Cutie Pie DSP paper and Pun Fun stamp set. I think this little Skunk is absolutely adorable. The flower he is holding matches the DSP on the top portion of the card. That is one of the things that I love so much about Stampin' Up! I love the fact that all the inks, card stock, ribbon, stamp sets and punches coordinate together so well. It really takes the struggle off making things match when creating.

The whale card features some of the Hodge Podge Hardware. There have been rumors that the Hodge Podge Hardware sets that are currently offered in the catalog will no longer be available once the new Fall/Winter catalog comes out in August. If you are a lover of these pieces you still have time to stock up! Contact me today to place your order!

Happy Stamping~

Stamp set: Pun Fun

Ink: Basic Black

Card stock: Bashful Blue, WW, Certain Celery, Cutie Pie DSP

Other: White Gel Pen, Double Stitched Purely Pomegranate Ribbon, Bashful Blue Gingham Ribbon. Hodge Podge Hardware, Brads

eScape with Stampin' Up!

Join Stampin' Up! during the month of June to take a break from the 'e'. This is the month to break away from your computers and cell phones and take time to focus on reconnecting with your wireless network. Take the time to rediscover your passion for card making and remember the joy of seeing someones face as they opened a one f a kind creation made by you just for them. Reconnect on a personal level with friends and loved ones through handmade cards and eScape with us throughout the month of June with the eScape Bundle (item 113700). The eScape bundle includes: Circle of Friendship Stamp Set (pg. 143), Love Note Assortment (pg. 167), Rose Red Classic Stampin' Pad (pg. 165), and 5/8" Very Vanilla Grosgrain Ribbon (pg. 191). The cost of these items purchased individually would be $40.10, but can be purchased during the month of June for just $30.00!!! That is a 25% savings!!!! Contact me today to order your bundle.

Fresh Cut Sneak Peek

During the month of June Stampin' Up! is offer a sneak peek of one of it's new sets that will be available in the NEW Fall/Winter Idea Book which will be coming out in August. During the month of June you can purchase your very own advance copy of the Fresh Cut Stamp set fro $21.95 and add on the new amazing Fresh Cut Note cards for just $5.00. The 4" x 4" laser-cut note card set includes 15 cards and envelopes in Whisper White. Think of all the lovely projects you’ll be able to make for all your upcoming summer events!

As a Stampin’ Up! hostess you can earn the Fresh Cuts stamp set and coordinating Fresh Cut Notes absolutely FREE with a workshop order of $400 or more. Contact me today to schedule your workshop or to place you order.

Pun Fun Cards

Hi Stampers! Today I am posting a few of the cards made to go inside that adorable box that I posted last week. Both of these cards feature the Pun Fun stamp set and the Cutie Pie Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up! I love the images of this set and the colors of this paper. I am thinking that this paper will be retiring soon since the colors in it are based on some of the In Colors which will no longer be available once the new catalog comes out. Both of these cards are simple to make and with the added touches of a white gel pen come to life.

On a side note today is the last day of school here and my oldest son's 14th birthday. Man do I feel OLD!!!! It's hard for me to believe that next year he will be able to get his temps and will start the driving possibility. It seems like only yesterday that he was learning to walk and talk. Now some days I wish he would just be quiet!!! *lol* It is also his last day of 8th grade and next year he will be in High School. I just can not fathom that. Where did all this time go? Why is it that when we are younger we think time seems to stand still and the older you get the quicker time seems to pas by? Anyway - I hope you are all finding time to stamp and play!

Happy Stamping~

Stamp set: Pun Fun

Ink: Basic Black

Card stock: Purely Pomegranate, Bashful Blue, Certain Celery, Whisper White, Apricot Appeal, Cutie Pie DSP

Other: Marvy Scallop Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, White Gel Pen, Purely Pomegranate Double Stitched Ribbon, Apricot Appeal 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Silver Brads, Stampin' Write Markers