summer challenge

I joined late night stampers group, a wealth of great information. I also needed to get off my butt and do some challenges! The LNS challenge was to do a summer themed card. I also pulled out last week's sketch challenge from SCS, SC 230.

Lots of layers on this one, thankfully I used Summer Tea designer series paper for most of my base and to choose my colors. To make it "summer themed" I used seaside, because nothing says summer like seashells.

While I was on a summer time roll, thought of tropical drinks! Sorry for crooked scan, I was in a hurry and did not have time to take photos and wait for them to download! Hey, I got more stamping to do!!! Notice the rhinestone brads- that was my use of embellishments to fix my mistake. I caught and edge- don't you hate that??! So, I tried to fix it with markers and a little bling.

Big Shot Fun

One of my favorite new things that Stampin Up is doing with demonstrators are Stamping Challenge ideas every month. Now, I haven't gotten around to doing them... but they post the winners or ideas for us to see and use. This one was for a big shot class by Chat Wszelaki. It features using the big shot to make entire project with a little stamping. The box is made from the scallop envelope but she added sides to it.

Then there are little 3 x 3 note cards, I only have the sizzlet simple flower, but you could use any big shot flower or even punch. And of course my favorite- designer paper.

This is a hostess gift for my friend Lois who is hosting a party for me tomorrow. During the month of June-Summer Fun special. Host a workshop of $250-$399 and get an additional $20 in hostess free merchandise and over $400 you get an additional $40. That is on top of regular benefits. A great time to host, so contact me if you are interested.

Masculine Thank you

I needed to mass produce about 10 thank you cards for my son to send out for his birthday gifts. To keep it easy, I went with designer paper for my main base of card. This is some retired paper in a western motif, based on the stars I decided to use a little something stamp set- I used not quite navy craft and then used clear embossing powder and heat set. The thank you is from short and sweet stamp set, which fit perfectly in word window punch. I used 1 -1/4 circle and designer label punch to complete.

I love using designer paper- it gave me my theme and color scheme. Don't forget you have until end of May to the special on dsp-buy 3 , get one free!

Memorial Day

As we all enjoy our long weekend, let us not forget what this Holiday is for... remembering those who serve, protect and give their life for our country. I did not have any Patriotic sets to make a card to honor these solidiers. However, I had this one in my stash of swaps from convention last August. One of the best things about being a demo is swaps! I thought this one truly represented Memorial Day well.

It was done by Debbie Freels, I like her use of spotlighting technique she did on this card too.

Don't forget that you can send cards to the troops through organizations such as cards for heros, which is having a blog hop this weekend and a million thanks. I have done this with two brownie troops and it such a worthwhile experience. I usually do take my old swaps and make them into cards for Ronald McDonald House or send to the troops.

Birthday golf

I cased this card on SCS. I have been wanting to try out the clouds with scallop punch after I saw Kerry do it. I think I still need a little practice to perfect it, but my son won't care that he gets my practice round. My DS turns 12 on May 23 and I made this for him, they grow so fast! Luckily, they age and we don't (lol) At least he is not as tall as me yet!

Graduation

It's that time of year, Graduations are upon us. This is a quick card I came up with for my upcoming card buffet. I did not have any current graduation sets, so this cap is made out of punches- 1-1/4 square and then the round tap is just folded over.
The next one, my friend Lois made for a swap I hosted. She got the great idea off SCS.
Check it out here

This is inside, pretty easy to see fold over one way and then the other then pinch one side in. It would be great for pictures of the graduate too.

Summer Scrappin'

As you know May is national scrapbooking month. I thought I would feature one of my favorite products- our simply scrappin kits. Pages come together so quick and easy, and those who scrapbook know- that is huge to help you keep up with your pages!
Today- my scrappin club meets. This is our last one for a little bit as Summer is coming.
These are some layouts we will be doing with the Simply Scrappin kit; Hoppy Memories. Such great color combo with real red, pumpkin pie, tempting turquoise and kiwi kiss. The page above was last fourth of July when the boys were digging for Hermit crabs.


This is a layout I cased from Heather Summers. It is not summer, but an indoor water park we escaped to over February vacation this year.

Finally, some cards.... I need to stamp some sentiments on them. But these kits are so versatile that you can use them for more than just pages!

Card Buffet samples

I am officially in my crazy mode, baseball season is in full swing and with two boys playing- that means 4 games a week and some practices. This is on top of regular schedule with music, karate and I my own commitments. So, I apologize for not posting or commenting regularly.

But I have been stamping- these are my samples for my upcoming Card Buffet- on Friday June 12th. I am going to run it a little differently than a stamp a stack- you pick which cards you want to make and how many and pay $1.50 per card (includes adhesive and envelope)by June 5th. I tried to keep them fairly simple, especially with new postal regulations going in effect in May- did not make them too bulky with ribbon or accessories. I could not resist using corduroy button for Father's day card.

I totally cased Amy Kennedy's for the under the stars film strip birthday card off of SCS. The other cased one is the seaside shell gratitude one right from Stampin Up idea book and catalog.

Shell Coaster tiles

A friend wants to do a coaster workshop class and she loves seashells. I played around with the Seaside set (item # 113512 for $25.95) and Define your life set (# 114950, $47.95)- I used craft ink and then baked in oven on low heat for 10 minutes to heat set the ink. I sprayed with acrylic sealer.

Does it make you think of Summer and Beaches?

Happy Mother's day!!!

All the cool kids are doing it! Watercolor roses that is.... you can find a video tutorial on Patty Bennetts blog. It was super fun, so if you have the shimmery white cardstock from SU- go play with it or order it from your demonstrator.

This card is for my MIL from my husband. I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's day. Mine started out with breakfast in bed and the two cutest waiters in town!

Look Mom- No Stamping!

These cards are totally cased- I took two on-line courses with the uber talented Heather Summers, that were called simply punches. These are totally all her ideas.
I finally got off my butt and played around with her ideas to make punch art. The popcorn one does have stamping to make film strip with all in the family set. The popcorn was made using a stencil punched out with 3/4 inch circle.
The panda- was just punches, our school mascot is the panda, so I loved doing this one. Key tip to using punch art is to use Stampin Up's two way glue pen (item# 100425, $3.50)- so much more than just to apply dazzling diamonds!

Blog candy Alert!!! My SBS sister has some up for grabs- so go visit ED!

Happy Anniversary

Today is our 14th Wedding
Anniversary.
My husband got tickets to the Red Sox game (which are extremely hard to come by) so he is there and I am off to take my son to his orchestra concert. We did go to dinner last Saturday.

I did make a card for our Anniversary, but I tucked it into his laptop case without taking a photo first. Of course, I made at a demo meeting last night! Thank Goodness for our great upline Amy and fun projects.

This is another card we did using the cordroy button brads and Petal Pizzazz- makes me like the Pacific point blue, which can be tough to work with sometimes.

National Scrapbooking month

May is National Scrapbooking month. My gosh they have a day or month for everything now a days! Stampin Up is actually running a promotion for to help out scrapbookers- buy 3 and get 1 free.
The qualifying papers are:
* any of the designer series 12 x 12 paper, including speciality series paper
*12 x 12 textured cardstock

the link to the PDF file is here.

Let's face it, we all love our paper!!! Anyways, I have two layouts to show you. I have been on a roll with simply scrappin kits- this one is it's a girl. But, hey they make scrappin soooo easy! I made a scrapbook for my personal trainer who just had his first baby 2 weeks ago.

I have tons of stuff I have been doing, just too super busy to take pictures to post it! Hopefully, you will get to see all the projects over the next week!

Buzzin by

This is the other card we did at Technique Thursday class on water coloring.

This uses just buzzin by stamp set and water color wonder crayons. I think I need to add some dazzling diamonds to the bees wings.

I am probably going to use it for a Mother's day card for MIL- and stamp "just buzzin by to say happy mother's day".