Strength & Hope

As part of the Making a Difference program, Stampin' Up! is proud to partner with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation in the Strength & Hope Campaign.

Throughout the 2011 Summer Mini Catalog sales period, Stampin' Up! will donate $2* from the sale of each Strength & Hope set and Strength & Hope digital kit to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

Being a demonstrator has some great perks, like being able to see and order new products before the merchandise is available to everyone else. It is a beautiful stamp set and it helps raise funds for Cancer Research that is just awesome!

In May I am planning a class around this stamp set so that I can do my part in helping sell and raise funds for the cancer research.

I am looking forward to creating more cards with this set.

Non-Blue Project

I said I would be back a couple of days ago but Friday was gloomy and cold so most of the day I was a bum. I did need to make a couple of cards for a baby shower so I eventually got around to creating and I was determined to make a project that didn't have any of my favorite blues in it. That ended up being harder than I had originally anticipated because the shower was for a baby boy. Saturday and Sunday passed in a blurr and here we are, it is Monday.

I decided on So Saffron and Chocolate Chip for the colors and I used two stamps that I got for free during Sale-A-Bration, Baby Steps & A-Z. These stamps are single stamps sold in the Main Idea Book & Catalog. I just adore those elephants! There is only a few days left to earn Sale-A-Bration sets, let me know if you want to place an order.

I had to make a second card for my mom. I decided to go ahead and use blue on this card, I was trying to match the gift bag. HeeHeeHee! I guess I just couldn't do it! Well the bag had an adorable little puppy on it so I got out a retired stamp set for this one. My love for polka-dots came through on this card. I punched several 1" circles and attached them to the card front. Punched more circles for the main image and here we are. Oh, besides the sentiment. I used the Word Window and the Modern Label punches. The colors are Marina Mist, So Saffron, Riding Hood Red, Early Espresso.

Big Shot Die Club

Last night was my Big Shot Die Club and the die of the month was the Simple Flower Embosslit.

I had real good intentions of making lots of samples with the die but life got the better part of me. So some of those half finished projects are still on my messy desk. I was able to finish two projects before work on Thursday and one right before people showed up at my house. I will show you a couple of them.

My first sample is a See's Candy Bar wrapped in a piece of Bashful Blue card stock that I stamped with an image from the Just Believe stamp set in Marina Mist ink. I then tied a ribbon around the candy bar and tied a knot. I cut the die with Bashful Blue paper then brayered it with Marina Mist ink, added a rhinestone and glued it right on top of the knot. So simple and it used one of the many See's Candy Bars that are sitting on my kitchen counter.

Our church was selling them for a fundraiser and I took a couple of boxes to sell. One of those boxes made it to my kitchen counter and there it stayed. So I just paid for the box of candies because I felt bad that I never even tried to sell them. I figured I should start using them for SU! samples, projects, and gifts. I can't waste such delicious chocolate.

The second sample is the one that I created right before people arrived at my house. I guess I am in a blue mood because it is another shade of blue. This one is Baja Breeze and Basic Black. I used the Fancy Favor Box, First Edition DSP, and Basic Black Satin Ribbon. The rhinestones and the pearls are perfect for the center of these flowers.

Well I promise to be back with something that isn't in the shade of blue tomorrow.

One of many...

I've neglected my blog for the past week. I did do some creating for a friend of my grandma's. She wanted some scrapbook pages done. She actually asked me to do them a while ago but I kept putting them off, well I finally got around to making them. So between getting those pages done, Disneyland, San Diego, and taking care of my little family, I just didn't have time to create for my blog.

Yesterday I was determined to make some projects but I wasn't getting very far. I think I had too many ideas floating around in my head because I would be working on a project and then remember another project I wanted to work on so I would pull out the stuff for that idea. That happened several times before I realized I was never going to get anything done. I did manage to finish this card, after I stopped starting new projects before finishing the last one.

I saw a card by Ann Schach on her blog that inspired me, only problem was I didn't have the texturez plate she used or anything similar. So on my last order I added the Texture Plate Kit #4. My card is different than her card but yet has some similarity. After I textured the More Mustard piece I brayered it with Early Espresso. The Plane and Simple Stamp set was perfect for this card.

I hope to finish one of my other half done projects tonight but we shall see.

The Petal Cone Again

It's the Petal Cone die again. I've said it before, I really love this die. I've just found so many great things to do with it. It's always great to realize that I didn't just buy a product that I will rarely use. Believe me when I say I have plenty of those items.

I began paper crafting in 2004 after I got married. At that point I bought so much stuff, some of the stuff I really didn't even know what to do with it. I guess I have a problem, an obsessive compulsive need to have, buying problem. In March of 2007 I became a SU! demo and since I love the fact that all their paper and ink coordinate, I just had to have it all. So when you add up the past 7 years of purchasing craft stuff, you can imagine that there has been numerous items that I bought and then realized that I could have lived without them.

Just before Malachi was born I had to get things cleaned out and I donated a lot of stuff to my sister's school. Some stuff I'd never even opened the packages. The other thing that happened with the arrival of Malachi was I realized I didn't want to work full time anymore. That sure did cut into my crafting budget, although it is well worth it! So over the past year I have definitely made my purchases more wisely.

So I said all that to say this, the petal cone has been a good investment for me.

Now to actually tell you about the project, This time I cut part of the bottom of the cone, this shape looks more like a take out box. I used the Sale-A-Bration Bliss Stamp Set, Fun Flowers die, First Edition DSP, and Baja Breeze Seem Binding Ribbon. I filled the box with some chocolate and now all I have to do is deliver it to someone special.

Real Fun Flowers

I was inspired to make this card when I saw Mary Brown's card that she made for the Mary and Connie's Color Challenge. This is a great color combination. This was the first time I had seen Mary & Connie's blog and I am so happy that I found it. They have some great color challenges and layout challenges. I will definitely be visiting their blog again.

I hadn't used the Elegant Lines Embossing Folder in a long time, so it was good to get it out and use it. The fun flowers die is becoming one of my favorite dies. The flowers are so fun, I love the different shapes each flower has.

Plane & Simple

I always look for manly craft items because they are just so much harder to come by. So when I saw the Plane & Simple stamp set in the Occasion's Mini Catalog, it immediately went on my must have list. Not that I don't love all the girly, frilly stuff but you can't give that stuff to a man.

I used one of the stamps for the background, I had to stamp it 6 times to cover the background. I love those clear mount stamps and blocks! It was so easy for me to line them up and stamp them straight without having to use the stamp-a-ma-jig.

For this card I used Chocolate Chip, River Rock, and Very Vanilla.

The Alternative Card

I'm back with the alternative card for my class participants. It took me a little while to get back to my blog because I had to leave for a couple of hours but I eventually got back to stamping. I decided to save the blog post for the morning because it got to late.

So this is the card I made just in case my class participants didn't have a need for St. Patty's day cards. Same layout and colors, just a different stamp set. My sentiment is a little slanted but I was too tired to redo it. This one will have to do for my sample.

St. Patrick's Day

Maybe it's because I'm not Irish but I never give any St. Patrick's day cards out. I do pinch people if they aren't wearing green and I always make sure to wear green on St. Patrick's Day. I would love to have corn beef and cabbage but Eric hates corn beef.

Maybe I should read up on the holiday so that I can have better understanding. Well even though I don't usually give out cards for this holiday I decided to make a card anyway, here it is. I am using this card at my card class but I am also including an alternative for those that don't need St. Patrick's day cards. I will have to share that card but first I have to go and make it, be right back....

Stylish Blogger Award

Wow, I am completely honored that people thought to give me this Stylish Blogger Award. Over the past couple of weeks I received this award from Brenda Keenan, Nikki, Leena Girsa, Nicole Watt. You can see their blogs by clicking on their name.

When you receive the award you are to:
1) Thank the person who gave this award to me and link it back to their blog
2) Share 8 things about myself
3) Pass this award to 8 other individuals that I have recently discovered
4) Leave a comment on their blogs so that they can pass along the recognition!

So here goes!

Thank you Brenda Keenan, Nikki, Leena Girsa, Nicole Watt for reconizing my blog with this award - you made me feel special.

Eight things about myself:

1) I know Sign Language. I wouldn't say I am completely fluent but I could help communicate if needed. I have helped interpret in my church services. I might not have said it just like the preacher but I got the message to the deaf that were there.

2) I come from a large family, I have 6 sisters and 1 brother. I am the oldest.

3) I love missions work and would travel just about anywhere to do missions work. Some of the places I have been are Liberia, Papua New Guinea, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Since I have a little one, my travels will stay closer to home for a while but I help a non-profit organization called Reach Worldwide that helps raise support for Missionaries and native pastors/ministers.

4) I love to read. The imagination is a wonderful tool. I also listen to audio dramas on a regular basis.

5) I am a LA Dodger's fan. Mostly because my dad was a fan but I also love the sport. I was a pitcher on my High School softball team. I even named my dog Dodger.

6) I love Disneyland. We have season passes and visit Disneyland at least once a month.

7) I have been married to Eric for almost 7 years. We have a 1 year old little boy named Malachi and we have a cockapoo named Dodger.

8) I've lived in So Cal all my life. I love being so close to the ocean, mountains, and Disneyland.

Now I get to pass this award on to 8 other bloggers:

1) Kelly Green http://www.creativelyinked.blogspot.com/

2) Naomi Ball http://astampersparadise.blogspot.com/

3) Malanie Diaz http://stampingcreationsbymel.blogspot.com/

4) Nikki http://www.inkpaperstamp.com/

5) Heather Dean http://alwaysthinkingaboutinking.blogspot.com/

6) Diane Oliver http://dianeoliver.blogspot.com/

7) Melissa http://inspirationfrommelissa.blogspot.com/

8) Alicia Ring http://glitteringstamps.blogspot.com/

Please take time to visit all the blogs listed here - you won't be sorry!

Springtime Smiles

Tonight was my monthly Stamp Club night. It's always great to get together with the ladies in my club and chat while creating.

This is one of the projects we created. I cased this card from Mary Ellen Byler, I just changed the stamp set and used Pink Pirouette for the card base and layered the Sahara Sand Tulip Frame Embossed piece to the card front. I used the Pink Pirouette marker to color most of the flowers. The ones I didn't color I used a white gel pen to color them in. It makes them stand out on the very vanilla background.

I should have made this week, Spotlight on Easter Blossoms stamp set since that is all I have been creating and showcasing on my blog. I'll make a note to post something else this weekend. Maybe something for St.Patty's day since that is less than a week away.

Easter Eggs

I remember several years ago we had an Easter Egg hunt for two of my friends kids. They each only had one child at the time and we must have had 10 dozen eggs (colored eggs and plastic combined), needless to say the kids baskets were overflowing with eggs. As I created this card that memory came flooding back to me.

I am a little excited thinking about Malachi having an Easter egg hunt although he won't even understand. He'll probably do one of two things, put them in his mouth or throw them. It will be a fun day when he actually knows what he is doing but I don't want to rush it, he is already growing to fast.

I used the Easter Blossoms Stamp set from the Occasions Mini Catalog. I stamped the eggs in Daffodil Delight, Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi, and Marina Mist. I don't know if you can tell but I did stamp one of the images from the set on the Daffodil Delight card base with Versamark. I punched the Happy Easter with the Wide Oval Punch and layered it on a oval from the ovals die. I also tied a bow again, this may become a habit. Although I'm sure I will revert back to knots because they are quicker to make.

Cherry Blossoms

Last Wednesday I traveled up to Sacramento, CA with my husband, Malachi, and two of my sisters. It was night time so there wasn't much to see but on Saturday when we traveled home it was day time and the view was beautiful! It didn't always smell very good but the green hills, the grape vines, and the cherry blossoms were amazing!

As we drove and I stared out my window and I kept seeing the cherry blossoms I kept thinking about this stamp set. I couldn't wait to get home and play with this set some more. Although my tiredness got the best of me and I started this card but didn't like where it was going so I went to bed. I finally picked it up, changed the orientation, re-stamped the little girl in soft suede, trimmed some paper, and added some ribbon and this is the card I ended up with.

I have to plan for Stamp Club this Thursday so I better get to creating.

Big Shot Club

If you love your Big Shot you will want to be apart of the Big Shot Club.

This club meets once a month. At Big Shot Club you will make a project using a Big Shot die or embossing folder. You will also get to take home either a die or embossing folder. Each month will be a new die or embossing folder.

This month you will receive the Simple Flower Embosslit.

This month club will be held on March 24th at 7:00 PM. Club fee is $15.00, payment must be received one week prior to the club date.

Contact me if you have any questions.