Lovely As A Tree

I absolutely love this stamp set. I think that I have used this stamp set more than any stamp set I have. I use it for my Fall cards, Masculine cards, Winter cards.... I think this is one of those stamp sets that you look at it that you don't realize all the different things that you can do with it. I used it on this card for a technique class I did a while ago. The technique that I used for this card is called "Faux Leather". It is kinda fun to do. You take masking tape and tear small strips and attach them all over a piece of cardstock. I then took Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, and Close to Cocoa classic stamp pads and rubbed them over the top of the tape. I then took
Versamark and rubbed it all over the cardstock with tape pieces and sprinkled Clear Embossing Powder over the Versamark. I then took the heating tool and embossed it. That is what gives it that shiny look. The tree was stamped with Staz-On and then I water colored the tree and ground using Watercolor Pencils. I made the layout very simple since it took more time to do the Faux Leather background. The supplies that I used for this card were:

STAMP SET: Lovely As A Tree

PAPER: Chocoalte Chip, Really Rust, Whisper White

INK: Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Black Staz-On

ACCESSORIES: Vintage Brads, 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Water Color Pencils, Brush, Masking Tape

This stamp set has been around a long time but it is one that a lot of people go back to. Hopefully this stamp set will not retire when the Last Chance List from Stampin' Up is released on Monday.

Midnight Madness Card

The other day I was looking at some of the comments that were on my blog and there was one from Priscilla who had asked me to join her on her blog which does a "Midnight Madness" sketch challenge. You can check it out by using my side button for Midnight Madness. I had just worked myself up to going out of my comfort zone and try the Mojo Monday cards sketch challenges. And then to be asked to try another challenge I was unsure at first. But after thinking about it for a few minutes. I thought maybe adding another challenge to my retired schedule might be just the thing I need. I never did them before but after trying a few I find that it really gets my creative juices flowing. I am finding that I am enjoying them and they are helping me grow with my stamping. So today I am going to post this card for this week's challenge. I think I did okay for the first time with them. I looked at their cards on the site and they are beautiful. I hope that over time I can stretch my creativeness so that I can make cards as creative as they do. The supplies that I used for this card were:

STAMP SET: Friends 24-7
PAPER: Bella Birds Designer Paper, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Bordering Blue
INK: Close to Cocoa, Pink Pirouette, Barely Banana
ACCESSORIES: Eyelet Border Punch, Hodgepodge Silver Hardware, White Satin Ribbon, Linen Thread, Soft Subtle Buttons- Pink (retired)

I love the look of this card. It is so soft and not a loud card. The colors helped to give it a mellow feel. On the Whisper White cardstock, I took the damask stamp from the set and stamped the damask in Barely Banana and Pink Pirouette. I used the bird from the set and stamped over the damask using Close to Cocoa. I then sponged the edges with Close to Cocoa to make it look more weathered. That detail is so hard to see on the picture but I felt that without it, the card didn't look as old. Well I am excited about trying this new venture. I hope you enjoyed this card. Go and enjoy the rest or your day.

Mojo Monday 88

When I looked at the layout for this weeks challenge, I was completely stumped! I came up with all different stamp sets I could use but the papers I had did not seem to coordinate. Then I tried combining different papers and that did not seem to work. I am not good with my circle cutter yet. (I have to practice more) So I was at a loss to come up with something that was a larger circle than the punches I own. I decided to stop thinking of the circle as a circle and turn it into an object. My first attempt was making a Dahlia Fold flower for the circle but no luck there. For some reason I kept picking up this whimsical stamp set "BUGS AND KISSES" and then it came to me to make it into a magnifying glass. I had seen someone make a magnifying glass on SCS a couple of years ago and thought I would try it. And for some reason everything then fell into place. Sometimes cards are hard to some up with the right combinations and sometimes they fall into place easily. This one was a challenge to me and I am glad that I kept at it until I got one I liked. The supplies that I used for this card were:

STAMP SET: Bugs and Kisses

PAPER: Whisper White, Yoyo Yellow, Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise, Only Orange, Basic Black

INK: Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore

ACCESSORIES: Bold Brights Brads, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Word Window Punch, Dimensionals, Big Shot, Polka Dot Texturz Plate

Although this was not what I had in mind when I started, I like the finished product. I enjoy doing the Mojo Monday because it has made me think more and stretch myself. I like that my cards are not coming out all the same. And I have started to use stamp sets that I had not used for a while. This has been good for me. Go and enjoy the rest of your day!

This is a SQUASH BOOK. A few years ago my upline and about 4 of my sidelines went to a Regional Seminar. My sideline who lives in Massachusetts made each one of us a squash book. I still have it and every once in a while I think that I will make one but I never do. Well, the other day I received my order from Stampin' Up. It had my order of designer papers (I took advantage of the promotion which is going on right now) and I fell in love with BELLA BIRDS. I used this on another project which was posted a few days ago. I thought this was a perfect paper for a wedding. My daughter's best friend is getting married next month and I thought that this was perfect timing to make a squash book for her. So I got the one my sideline gave me and cased it. Thanks Cindy Rae! The first picture is a picture of the front of the book. The bird is part of the design on the paper and I thought it was perfect for the front cover for a wedding. The second picture shows you all the pages inside the squash book and what the book looks like all pulled out. You would place the pictures, where the white squares are. After you place the pictures where they belong, you fold the pages back into the book form. Tomorrow is the bridal shower. I know my daughter will take lots of pictures. I think that when the pictures are printed, I will take some, place them in the book and give it to her. I am sure she will like it. She loves handmade gifts! The supplies that I used for this were:

STAMP SETS: None

PAPER: Bella Birds DEsigner Paper, WHisper WHite

INK: None

ACCESSORIES: White Organdy Ribbon, Adhesive

Here is another way to use the beautiful Designer Papers that Stampin' Up has. And with the special May promotion going on right now. How perfect!

Mojo Monday Week 87

Well, I finally finished my Mojo Monday card. It took me a while until I put things together that I felt looked good. When I work it takes me a long time. I start out with one idea and then as I go, I eliminate some pieces, add others, change colors..... So it never ends up the way it starts out in my mind. I end up with so many pieces of things that do not end up in the card I started. This card has tiny details that are hard to see in the picture. The cherries on the cupcakes were colored with Real Red marker and then I put Crystal Effects on top of the cherries to make them shiny. The cupcake papers were not colored in with marker but were stamped onto designer paper and then cut out and glued onto the stamped image. The icing on the cupcakes are sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds. All in all, I think I am happy the way the card turned out. Here are the supplies that I used:

STAMP SETS: Crazy for Cupcakes, A Little Birdie Told Me
PAPER: Pacific Point, Green Galore, Whisper White, Apricot Appeal, Rainbow Sherbet
INK: Black Staz-On, Pacific Point
ACCESSORIES: 1- 3/4" Circle Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Cupcakes Wheel, Crystal Effects, Real Red Marker, Dazzling Diamonds

After I post this, I am going to finish cards that were leftover from last night's class. I always cut a few more to make sure I have enough. Afterwards I make what I have left over. That way I will always have cards on hand in case I need any. Go and enjoy your day!

Baby Girl

I have been trying to come up with designs for baby cards for a while now. Although it seems that my friends are all having boy babies, I figure sooner or later someone has to have a girl. So being a person who wants to be prepared, I started working on these cards last week. I used a similar layout for a boys card last week but changed the colors and used different designer paper. I still used "WILD ABOUT YOU" stamp set but used Pretty in Pink Classic ink. The designer paper is "TEA PARTY". I used this paper a lot for my Easter cards and Mother's Day cards. I absolutely love the spring like colors. I used a Texturz Plate with Barely Banana cardstock for the top right hand corner because I could not find a pattern in the color that I wanted to go along with the papers I already had chosen. I think that using the Texturz plate in a color that coordinated with what I already had works well. I really like this card. It has a soft, cuddly, and girly feel to it. The supplies that I used for this card were:

STAMP SETS: Holidays and Wishes, Wild About You

CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana, Tea Party Designer Paper

INK: Pretty in Pink

ACCESSORIES: Eyelet Border Punch, Oval Scallop Punch, Large Oval Punch, 5/8" Pink Grosgrain Ribbon, Big Shot, Eyelet Texturz Plate

I thought it was a quick and easy baby card. Just swap more boy colors and patterns if you want to do this card for a baby boy. I have to go and work on wedding cards now. My oldest daughter's best friend is getting married and I want to make a special card for her. Enjoy the rest of day!

Explosion Card

This is a card that we made in m technique classes in February. I found the tutorial for this card on Dawn's Stamping Thoughts blog and thought it was really neat. Although it looks very difficult to make, it is easy to do once you figure it out. I used to do Origami with my Kindergarten and First grade classes and the fold seemed very similar. I used "FLOWER FANCY" stamp set and the versatile "RASPBERRY TART" Designer Paper. I think it is a really cute card and one to give to a special friend or relative. The supplies that I used for this card were"

STAMP SETS: All Holidays, Flower Fancy

CARDSTOCK: 12' x 12" Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Raspberry Tart Designer Paper

INK: Cameo Coral, Rose Red Kiwi Kiss

ACCESSORIES: Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Adhesive

I love making different cards. Ones with different folds or anything that makes them a little more special. I think when people recieve a card that they see took a little more time, it makes them feel even more special. A reminder that this card was also used with Designer Paper which is on special until the end of May. If you want to see more information about this promotion, click on the May Promotion icon on the side of the blog. Have a great day!

Stampin Up has a promotion this month that for every 3 packages of Designer Paper, Designer Specialty Designer Paper, or 12" x 12" Textured Cardstock that you buy, you will receive 1 package FREE! Well I took advantage of that promotion and this card uses one of the papers that I bought. It is called "BELLA BIRDS" and it is gorgeous. I think it has a vintage feel to it. That is why I chose to use the Eyelet Border Punch and the soft White Organdy Ribbon to embellish the card. The color palette that is used in this package of designer papers is very soft and I absolutely feel in love with it. I decided to use "that bird" again from "FRIENDS 24-7" stamp set which has become a favorite of mine from this catalog. It seems that I keep going back to it and using it on a lot of my cards. Besides, the paper is called "BELLA BIRDS" so I feel that use of the bird was appropriate! Although this card is very simple, I really like it. It reminds me of the patterns on some of my Grandmother's quilts and so I get a very comforting feeling when I look at this card. The supplies that I used on this card are:

STAMP SET: Friends 24-7

CARDSTOCK: Bordering Blue, Whisper White, Bella Birds Designer Paper

INK: Close to Cocoa, Bordering Blue

ACCESSORIES: White Organdy Ribbon, Dimensionals

This paper also gave me the feeling that it would be good to use for wedding cards and items that were made for a wedding gift. Perhaps I will work on something like that next. The day here is really nice which is a welcome change after the thunder and lightning storms we had yesterday. I hope you day will be just as nice today. Enjoy your day!

May Technique Class-Part 3

This is the last card that we will be working on in my May Technique Classes. This is a Gate Card. The first picture shows how the card opens. The second picture shows how the card looks from the front. A Gate Card opens equally from the middle. This card uses "CRAZY FOR CUPCAKES" stamp set and "RAINBOW SHERBET DESIGNER PAPER". The Rainbow Sherbet Designer Paper is a wonderful paper to use for those occasions that you want to give a celebration type look. For example: graduations, birthday parties, retirement parties, ect. I hope my classes like the three cards that we are going to make. I think that learning how to make three different cards that open differently will help them make cards that their friends and families will enjoy receiving. Have a great day!

Finally, It Is Mojo Monday!

I am finally putting up the card I made for Mojo Monday! My oldest daughter loaned me her camera so I could take a few pictures to post. I really need to get my camera checked out and fixed. But here it is! I have been wanting to do a baby card for a while. Especially since a lot of my former co-workers are starting their families. I like to keep some baby cards on hand. This card is not a cutesy baby card but by using the "Wild About You" stamp set, it gives a more juvenile feel to the card. I stamped the images in Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip ink. For the images that I stamped using the Chocolate Chip ink...I stamped off before stamping the image onto the Whisper White cardstock. I felt the images had to be a little softer and not so dark or bold to use them on a baby card. I used "Parisian Breeze Designer Paper" for this card and I have fallen in love with that paper! I think it is a great buy. The one side of the paper is flowery and very feminine and the other side is more bold and has a more masculine feel to it. I think that is a perfect combination for a package of designer paper. I don't think it has one bad design in the package. This would be a good Designer Paper to buy during this month's Stampin' Up special. A reminder that if you buy 3 packages of Designer Paper, Deigner Specialty Paper or 12"x12" Textured Cardstock, you get the fourth package FREE! The supplies that I used for this card are:

STAMP SETS: Wild About You, Holidays and Wishes
CARDSTOCK: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Paper
INK: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze
ACCESSORIES: Scallop Edge Punch

While I was playing around with making cards the other day, I tried the same layout and stamp sets but changed the colors and paper for a girl baby card. I will display that one later. About four hours after I made this card, my husband was talking with friend's of ours. Their son ( a former student of mine) had just become a father to a BABY BOY! So now I have a place to send this card which makes this particular card more special to me. I hope you liked the card. If you would like to take advantage of this month's Stampin' up special, please contact me. I have samples of all of their designs if you would like to see them. Remember to go out and enjoy the day!

Scappin' Kit Cards and Portfolio

Here is another project that we worked on at Susan's 12 hour stamping marathon. Someone brought this idea to work on that they found on the Stampin'Up website which we cased. It is so cute and so very easy to do. It is made with 1/2 of a Simply Scrappin' Kit. From the kit you are able to make a portfolio which holds 8 cards. The portfolio fits into a cardstock case. There was absolutely no stamping done on these cards. The designs come from the patterned designer paper and the stickers which are included in the kit. You only need Whisper White cardstock and your imagination to complete this whole project. What a great gift to give someone!

I apologize for the lack of recent posts but I have been going crazy the last few days with my visiting daughter and all the activities that go along with a graduation. Also my camera is still causing problems. I need to get that fixed so I am able to post new pictures. I will be working on projects today since it is rainy today. I will be able to post my new projects soon. Keep looking out for them. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Love is in the Air

Sorry I haven't posted the last few days but I have been getting ready for my daughter and her husband to come home for a few days. They live in Arizona and they are coming home so she can receive her Master's Degree from Immaculata on Monday. So a lot is going on this weekend with Mother's Day and Graduation, love certainly is in the air! So I thought this card was appropriate for today. It is a small note card- 3" x 3". I originally designed these for my customers to make at my Open House but had a few pieces left over that I could make a few and keep on hand. It is always a good idea to make more cards when you have time and then in those crunch times when you need a card... you have one. This cute little card uses "Candylane Designer Paper" for the background. I used the "LOVE YOU MUCH" stamp set and those cut "Flower Assortment Brads" to make the flower which is in the "V". I colored in part of the "V" to look like water in a vase and then I took Crystal Effects and went over that to give it a watery effect. The supplies that I used for this card are:

STAMP SET: Love You Much
CARDSTOCK: Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Candy Lane Designer Paper, Whisper White
INK: Black Staz-On
ACCESSORIES: Colored Pencils, Blender Pens, Flower Assortment Brads, Crystal Effects

I think that this is the perfect quick and easy card to give to that special someone. Enjoy your day!

Embrace Life

Just a real quick card today. This card was really easy to make . The layout is very simple and basic. I used the stamp set "EMBRACE LIFE" for this card. The bamboo images were stamped on a surface using a Faux Silk technique. To achieve that look, you stamp your image onto a piece of tissue paper in black. I then chose to color in the leaves with an Old Olive marker. I then took the piece of tissue paper and crumbled in into a ball to make it all crinkly looking. I then took a glue stick and covered a neutral piece of cardstock with it. The crinkled piece of tissue paper was placed over the sticky cardstock. I stretched the tissue paper out over the cardstock but did not smooth it out completely. You really want to see that crinkly textured effect. It gives the card more character. That step was really the hardest part in the making of this card. As you can see there really was not a lot of stamping in making this card. the supplies that I used for this card were:

STAMP SET: Embrace Life
CARDSTOCK: Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Very Vanilla
INK: Black Staz-On
ACCESSORIES: Tissue Paper, Glue stick, Old Olive Marker, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Gray Taffeta Ribbon

I find that when you are doing a more involved technique, if you keep the card design simple the technique will stand out more. I really like this stamp set. At this time of the year, my LOVE AT FIRST STAMP group are going to use this stamp set a lot more. That is because we are making items to raise money for the Relay For Life event that will be held in Easton next month. Our stamping group was involved last year in walking and making items to sell in order to raise money for this great cause. We chose this stamp set because of the message it gives. We are going to create scrapbook pages to sell at the event using this set. I will post pictures of this event next month and let you know how well we did raising money. Have a great day and remember to embrace life.

May Technique Class-Sneak Peek 2

I promised you a sneak peeks of what I will be doing in Technique Classes this month. The theme this month is "FANCY FOLDS"- various ways to fold your cards to make them a little more interesting and unique. This card was made using the Joy Fold technique. My customers have been asking for a masculine card and here it is! This is a card for a man who doesn't have interests in golfing, bowling, hunting, ect. He just wants a plain, bold card wishing him the best on his day. You don't always have to have your cards filled with stuff, sometimes the most simple, bold and direct card is the best. If this greeting is not your style, I will offer you an alternative to change the look of the front. This card is made using the "To the Nines" Specialty designer paper. This cardstock is not only masculine in looks, it is textured. This is a great cardstock to buy especially during the month of May with this month's special. Buy three packages of designer paper, specialty designer paper or 12" x 12" textured cardstock and get one package free. If interested contact me for more details, a look at the samples of paper available, or if you wish to place an order. As for more details on how to make this card, contact me to sign up for this month's technique class. Check my demonstrator website for dates and times. www.dereag.stampinup.net I will be showing you the last card that will be made at the May Technique Class on my blog next week. Now I am going to work on this week's Mojo Monday Challenge. Check back later this week to see my entry. Enjoy the day!

May is National Scrapbooking Month

May is National Scrapbooking Month and here is a cute idea that I cased from the Stampin' Up website. This was one of the projects that my upline and sidelines worked on at Susan's house last Saturday. This was one of the many we made at our stamping marathon. It is a quick and easy way to make a scrapbook within a few hours. The nice thing about this scrapbook is that it folds up like a book but when you open it, it opens up like an accordion. It is able to stand on its own so that all of it's photos can be displayed all at once. It is made with cardstock and a Simply Scrappin' Kit. You would be able to make a couple of these scrapbooks with one kit and still have paper and stickers left over to make cards. This would be a great value. You could make it for a Mother's Day gift, a graduation gift, put prom pictures in it, summer vacation pictures, and much much more.

May Technique Classes

It is time again to give you sneak peeks of what projects we will be working on this month.

This month's theme has to do with using various folds when constructing your cards. This is one of the cards we will be making using the Z- fold. It is a little difficult to see the whole thing but it is really cute! The technique classes will be held on Saturday May 16 at 9-11:30 am, Tuesday May 19 at 9:15-11:45 am, and Wednesday May 20 at 7-9:30 pm. Cost is $10 or $5 if you purchase $25 worth of product. Contact me to let me know if you will be attending. I will show you another sneak peek next week. This class will help you come up with interesting ways to create a card than just folding the cardstock in half, For those of you who have been wanting a masculine card, your wait is over. We will be making a masculine card. I am listening to you.

Buy 3 get 1 Free

Great special for the month of May- Buy three packs of DESIGNER PAPER- including Specialty Designer Series paper or 12"x12" textured cardstock and get one FREE!
Just check out the great papers available in your catalog or use the on-line catalog. I also have samples of all the Designer Papers if you want to check them out before ordering. Contact me through my demonstrator website-www.dereag.stampinup.net or email me.