Ghoulish Ghouls Sketch Challenge

I decide to play along for my first ever sketch challenge. Every Wednesday a new sketch is available at Freshly Made Sketches I encourage you to try it out sometime...lots of fun but also a challenge...

Here is what I came up with... it wasn't at easy as I thought it was going to be. I guess I am use to being able to move the elements on the card around more freely, so I had a bit of a hard time with this one...

The cute little mummy is from the new Ghoulish Ghouls Stamp set (128063) from the Holiday Catalog. He is stamped on Very Vanilla card stock in StazOn Black ink (101406) and one of the new Googlies (127539) is added to his eye - LOVE those! He is matted in Tangerine Tango card stock.  It is a bit hard to tell on the picture but the Basic Black card stock is embossed with the Houndstooth Embossing Folder (123134) to mimic the pattern paper from the new Howlstooth & Scaringbone Designer Series Paper (126906) and then matted in More Mustard card stock. The sentiment is stamped using the Tangerine Tango Many Marvelous Marker since the Boo actually comes with two extra o's. It is punched out with 1" Circle Punch (119868) and matted with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch (119861) then backed with a piece of Basic Gray 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (126879) adhered with a Glue Dot. Lots of Dimensionals were used to create layers on top of layers.

The finished result if just perfect to give to my youngest who loves Halloween but nothing too scary.....

If you love Halloween too, you should check out this offer HERE It has been extended till September 16th. When you sign up as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator you will get a free Halloween Printer's Tray Project Kit for FREE, but only till the 16th, so don't delay!

Wonderfall Stepped Up!

I am so ready for Fall but this 90 degree weather doesn't seem to be going nowhere for a while, but that didn't stop me from inking up the new Wonderfall stamp set (128087) from the Holiday Catalog. I was inspired by the colors of the new Designer Series Paper Orchard Harvest and even though I don't have that paper ...yet... I thought I would try to create my own using Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Island Indigo, More Mustard, Lucky Limeade and Raspberry Ripple Classic ink.

I was going for simple here. All the leaves are stamped random on Naturals Ivory card stock (101849) on a Lucky Limeade card stock base (122926). The Island Indigo leaf is first cut out with the new Autumn Accents Bigz Die (127812) from the Holiday Catalog and the Big Shot, then stamped. Add a bow of Linen Thread (104199) adhered with a Glue Dot and popped up with a Dimensional for some dimension. The For You sentiment is from the Itty Bitty Banner stamp set (126257).

Now the finished result is ok however I was looking for something that was easily mass produced and this clearly wasn't that card - since I had to stamp it 10 times just for the background, also I was not happy with the ink coverage of the stamps. So I decided I was going to make the card in a full blown version just the way I normally would instead of trying to do simple...guess that is not my thing, ha!

Before I did any stamping I made sure to reink all my ink pads. I guess the transition has been kind of hard on them being in such a dry State before or maybe it is because I really haven't used many of these colors since last Fall...I don't know for sure...but they were definitely dry. I encourage you to check out your ink pads...it might be time to reink...if you don't have the reinkers for your pads you can buy them in my online store for a mere $2.95 each, so affordable. Now look what a difference that made....

Here is the stepped up version. The background with the crisp image has gotten a mat of Cajun Craze card stock. I also used the new Core'dinations Card Stock in Early Espresso (127848) from the Holiday Catalog - it is also available in Cherry Cobbler (127816) and Gumball Green (127847). I embossed it with the new Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127821) then lightly sanded it with new Stampin' Sanding System (129367) followed with the Core'dination Dust Buddy (129366) to remove all the little pieces of dust and fuzz. I absolutely love how it makes the wood grain design stand out. I cut out and stamp my leaves then crumbled them up for a more realistic look. They are adhered with a Glue Dot. A big Naturals Designer Button (127554) finish off the leaves. The For You sentiment is this time stamped on a separate piece of card stock then cut out using the Bitty Banner Framelits die (129267) and the Big Shot and popped up with a Dimensional.

Look at how much more dimension this card has now

I love how it turned out...not sure I will be able to part with it before I made a copy of it..he-he! I hope you enjoyed today's projects. Just shows you how you can take any card and Step It Up to make it uniquely yours.

Spooktacular Offer ending Soon...

****UPDATED****This offer has been extended til September 16th!

Here is what you need to know...don't delay you only have til September 16th!

I WANT IT NOW!  Purchase the Stampin' Up! $99 Starter Kit and receive everything you need to complete the Howl-O-Ween Printer's Tray Project Kit featured above as a FREE product bonus!  As a benefit to having attended the Stampin' Up! Convention, this offer is available to anyone who joins my group starting NOW!  Offer ends September 16th. 

The Howl-O-Ween Printer's Tray Project Kit includes:

• Products (shown on the right in photo above) needed to create the adorable project (on the left).  Ink and clear blocks not included.
• You will receive the Stampin' Up! Toxic Treats stamp set (Holiday Catalog) in your choice of wood or clear-mount.   
• Also included is a full pack of Rhinestone Basic Jewels, full Baker's Twine and partial products (enough to create the project) of the ribbon and buttons shown.
• The Howl-O-Ween project kit isn't offered anywhere else.  Be sure to take advantage of this special offer in August!

The $99 Stampin' Up! Starter Kit is a hobby stamper or business demonstrator's paper crafting dream come true! In addition to the Spooktacular product bonus, here are my favorite reasons to get the Stampin' Up! starter kit and become a member of my team:

• YOU CHOOSE:  For $99 you get $125 worth of YOUR CHOICE of ANY current products in the Stampin' Up! Catalog.
• FREE SHIPPING:  The starter kit ships to you FREE, another 10% savings.
• I LOVE THIS CATALOG:  You'll receive 8 copies of the annual catalog as part of your kit.  Share with friends, customers or keep one in every room.  The catalog is THAT good with it's clean and simple design, pretty samples and oodles of stamp choices. 
• TAKE A TEST DRIVE:  Test out demonstrator discounts and benefits from the time you purchase your kit in August or September through Dec. 31. There's no obligation to purchase anything further but the discounts are divine if you do!
• FILL YOUR WISH LIST:  Enjoy a 1 time benefit of 30% off your first demonstrator product order of $150 or more (placed within 45 days).  Stock up on the new, redesigned foam ink pads (better ink coverage), stamps and coordinating accessories and of course all the new fabulous product from the Holiday Catalog.
• EVERYDAY DISCOUNT:  You'll receive an everyday 20% discount on anything you purchase while you remain active.
• PRE-ORDER:  Purchase Stampin' Up! products one month in advance of the customer sales period.  So Cool and definitely one of my favorite perks.
• RESOURCES:  Stampin' Up! offers a monthly magazine, private website and gallery, video tutorial library and much more. 
• JOIN MY TEAM.  Purchasing the kit through me and I am here to help get you started and to offer any support you need for your business.

Again, there's no risk, no obligation to purchase anything further and no penalty to drop!

READY TO GET STARTED?  Visit my website HERE to order your kit on-line and become part of the my team and the Stampin' Up! family.

If you have any question please email me.  I'm here to help!

Crazy about Chevron

Since I got back from Stampin' Up!'s Convention in July, I have been absolutely crazy about anything Chevron and combine that with the trendiest of all colorcombos right now: yellow/gray and you have me swooning! I spent a little time browsing through Etsy the other day looking for a knick knack to go in my diningroom which is...you guessed it...yellow/gray with a hint of teal. I didn't find what I was looking for but saw so many other fabulous creations especially with fabric. I decided that I had to make my own creation with paper using the Chevron Embossing Folder (127749) with Basic Gray and the new In Color Summer Starfruit.

I love how it turned out with all the sparkle. I inked up the Embossing folder inside on one side with Versamark (102283) for a two-tone effect on my Summer Starfruit Cardstock and ran it through the Big Shot (113439) - seriously every crafter needs one of those! The corners are rounded with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch (119861) for a more wide rounded corner. For the banner I cut a small strip of the NEW Howlstooth & Scaringbone Designer Series Paper (126906)  from the Holiday Catalog a bit wider that my card base. Around it I attached a piece of the Summer Starfruit Stitched Satin Ribbon (126846). On top is another banner... I stamped the arrow looking stamp from the Border Banter stamp set (128930) from the Holiday Catalog in Basic Gray Classic Ink on Whisper White Card stock. Underneath is a border of the Silver Glimmer Paper (124005) cut with the Finishing Touches Edgelits die (127010) and the Big Shot. The Happy Birthday Banner is part of the Itty Bitty Banners stampset (126257) and all the sayings in the set coordinate with the Bitty Banners Framelits die (129267), so easy and no need to use the scissor or papertrimmer - Love that! I used the Many Marvelous Markers in Basic Gray and Summer Starfruit coloring directly on the stamp for that multi colored look.

The finishing touch it to create the flower. I punched two Summer Starfruit pieces with the 1 1/4" Scallop Circle punch (127811) which is NEW in the Holiday Catalog. Lightly sprayed them with water using the the Stampin' Spritzer (126185) and crumbled them up. When dry I used the Papersnips (103579) to snip petals in one of the scallop circles - that one will be the top one. Sticking them together with a Glue Dot, adding a big Vintage Faceted Designer Button (127555) on top and a big Rhineston Basic Jewel (119246) in the middle of the button for the final bling, and I had an amazing card to give to a fashion lover.

After making the above card I had some extra pieces laying around, so I decided to make another card. Instead of using Versamark for inking up the Embossing folder I thought it would fun to use some actual ink.

I think it turned out great. It can be a little tricky to make it look crisp and avoid the ink smearing but if it doesn't work for you the first time just try again. Now for those of you who haven't tried this technique before here is a quick step by step tutorial.

You will need an embossing folder of your choice. You can totally use other ones and not just the Chevron like I did and play around. You will also need some Classic Ink and most importantly a Brayer (102395) for even application of the ink on the embossing folder.

Open up the embossing folder and ink up the brayer. Apply ink to one side only. Make sure the ink is evenly distributed on the folder. Please note on the Chevron folder that both sides are the same. If you are using a different embossing folder you will often have two different sides, so experiment with what side you like the best.

Carefully line up your cardstock to the fold of the embossing folder and let the cardstock fall in place - dont press the paper down. Close the embossing folder while it is still laying on your table.

Now pick it up carefully holding it at the fold of the Embossing folder and roll it through your Big Shot.

When embossed open it carefully... there will still be ink on the folder and it can smear your paper ....now you have a fun piece of home-made Designer Series Paper you can use on your creations. For easy clean up just rinse the embossing folder and brayer under warm water (exception is Versamark...it is sticky so I add a small drop of dish detergent to clean the folder).

I used a lot of the same supplies on these two cards. However it is worth mentioning a couple of things that was different on this one.

The ruffle on the bottom of the card is made by adding a piece of Sticky Strip to the back of the embossed cardstock and attaching 3/8" Basic Black Taffeta Ribbon (119962) in a folding motion. The banner is created by punching out circles in different Designer Series Paper and cardstock with the 1" Circle punch (119868) and folded over a piece of the White Bakers Twine (124262) - they are held together with a Glue Dot so you can easily slide them on the twine. For the Chevron embossed flags they were leftover scraps after I had trimmed my cardstock down to fit my card front. I cut them to 1/2" wide and using the design embossed on the paper I used my Papersnips to make the ends ....just like the circles I wrapped them around the twine and adhered with a Glue Dot.

I hope you enjoyed today's projects. I would love to hear what you think!

Flower Tutorial

Here is a super easy way to make 3D flowers - take a look then give it a try!

The above tutorial is using the Blossom Punch (125603) but you can use any punch in the shape of a circle. Here is one I made for the center of a bigger flower at a Convention workshop this July. It is using the NEW 1 1/4" Scallop Circle Punch from the Holiday Catalog. So easy and so fabulous!

You're Amazing projects

One of the many fun things about attending Stampin' Up!'s Annual Convention is that every day there is a Make n' Take and best of all the Stamp Set and consumable supplies are all part of the registration fee, so you get to take those home with you.

This one feature the NEW stamp set You're Amazing (126722) from the Annual Catalog. There were 2 projects: a card and a scrapbook page using the brand NEW 12" x 12" Divided Page Protectors. They are such great projects, but I didn't get to finish them until the other day. There is never enough time to do it all, so during the class I always focus on getting the things done using the supplies, that I don't have at home.

This it the card - as you can tell it is very time consuming, but it definitely has a big wow factor. Besides the stamp set You're Amazing, I also used Midnight Muse Classic Ink, Versamark, Apothecary Accents Framelits, and to match the Framelits the Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack with the Paper-Piercing tool and Pierce Mat - love love love these NEW products! We also used the Big Shot, Linen Thread, the new Ticket Duo Builder Punch, Pearls Basic Jewels, Dimensionals, Gluedots (to make those little tickets stay in place) and Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, More Mustard, Midnight Muse and Primrose Petal Card stock. The 2 teeny tiny hearts are made by cutting two scallops out of the NEW 1 1/4" Scallop Circle Punch from the Holiday Catalog.

This is the Scrapbook Page we did. I love these 12" x 12" Divided Page Protectors that are NEW in the Annual Catalog. They come in a package of 10 and all of them have a completely different layout.  They make it so easy to do a scrapbook page in no time. Best of all they are inexpensive too! If you notice some of the page elements are behind the plastic and some are on top. Love that extra dimension!

Here is a close up of the You're Amazing element. Notice that flower behind the sentiment? That is actually two Paper Daisies that have been inked with a Sponge Dauber and More Mustard Classic Ink then folded in half. How cool it that? You can make them any color you want or just leave them white. Other Product worth mentioning it the amazing Silver Glimmer Paper - what a WOW factor that is and now we also have it Champagne in the NEW Holiday Catalog - can't wait to play with that on a later date! The pennant on the top is one of my favorite elements because it uses one of the NEW In Color Dahlias. They are hard to the touch but look like intricate and delicate flowers. They are flat on the back and attach easy with a Glue Dot. Now you totally know where I got my inspiration for the pennant on the Birthday Parade Card I posted a couple of days ago.

This journal is so easy to make and the back just slides right in to the pocket of the Page Protector. The cover is made by folding a piece of the NEW Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper in half. With the design on the paper it looks like we heat embossed it BUT it has already been embossed for you, so cool and sleek looking! Check out the other designs in the paper pack HERE Inside two pieces of Very Vanilla Cardstock have been folder in half and all in strung together with a piece of Linen Thread using the NEW Paper Piercing Tool. You open and close the pages by winding the Linen Thread around a little flower punched in Early Espresso Card stock with the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack secured with a small 1/8" Silver Mini Brad.

Last element is this fun elephant. If you notice under the elephant you can actually see the shadow of another one. This is made by using a Dimensional behind the cutout elephant and slightly placing him off center from the one underneath. To create the stamped flourishes in the corner, you will need a Stamp-a-Ma-Jig. It makes a big difference in stampin' exactly in the right spot, so all four corners look the same.

Did you love today project? Then think about signing up to be a Demonstrator so you can join me at Stampin' Up! Annual Convention next year where there are sure to be many many more fabulous Make n' Takes. Stampin' Up! currently has an amazing offer for anyone who signs up in August - can you say FREE stuff! - please see more info HERE or contact me for more info.

The Earth without ART...

Stampin' Up is currently running an ad campaign in some of the major national magazines. I wanted to share one of them as this saying is absolutely too cute not to. It just reminds me how big a part art has in my life and how terrible EH it would be, if it wasn't there. 

We just recently moved to Nebraska and 2 months were spent moving, unpacking, getting kids ready for school etc, but it also left very little time for stampin'. I felt very blue just the other day about everything...just too many things to get done. I came to the conclusion,  that I needed to do something for me that day, so I could be a better person, wife and mother and then everything else could wait (laundry everyone?? I am sure it sounds familiar). Anyway, stampin', art, just in general being creative, that is what makes me the person I am and it makes me HAPPY, so if I only have 5 minutes a day to be creative so be it.. I'll take what I can get!

Masking Technique Birthday Parade

My youngest daughter just turned 6 and even though I hadn't stamped in over a month, I wanted to make something special for her and take my time. I decided to use the Storybook Friends stamp set (126737) with the masking technique for a fun birthday parade.

First I stamp the fox with Black Stazon ink (as I will later be using the blender pens to color him, and that will prevent the colors to bleed on the paper)

Then I stamped the fox again but this time on a Post It note making sure it was on the sticky part. I then cut the fox out of the sticky note placing the note on top of my card stock making sure the lines are all lined up. The sticky part of the Post It note holds it firmly in place and it won't shift.

Last step is to stamp the bunny so it looks like he is marching just behind the fox. The Clear Mount Stampset makes it so easy to see where you are placing him and as you can tell from the picture you won't see his foot because it technically is covered by the fox's tail.

Now remove the Post It note and color in. I used blender pens together with Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry and Basic Gray Classic Inks. For that realistic look make sure to add more color where the shadows would normally be. Finishing touches include a pennant using Basic Gray from the Neutrals Designer Series Pack, Daffodil Delight from the Summer Smooches Designer Series Pack, the Silver Glimmer Paper, a small strip of Whisper White cardstock stamped with Hooray in Stazon Black, all of it topped with a Rich Razzleberry button and White Bakers Twine. I embossed a piece of Rich Razzleberry cardstock with the Polka Dotted Embossing Folder for a fun layer between my Whisper White cardstock and the Pumpkin Pie card base. And because my youngest is a girly girl a big rhinestone for the flag. Now I would love to say that the card was a big hit, but all she said was: "Oh it is a Halloween card" ...ha ha...well I guess now I know for next time, it has to be PINK!

Welcome Friends

Well, this is it! I am actually attempting to start a site that I can post updates and cards on. I hope this will help us stay in touch as I transition from Colorado to Nebraska.

Right now, there are not much to see but you can view the Stampin' Up! online catalog and of course SHOP online! Please also check out my official Stampin' Up! website HERE

Feel free to check back often to see what's new - I encourage you to subscribe to my blog so you get new updates delivered straight to your inbox - please see the sidebar to sign up. I will update this blog hopefully several times a week but please bare with me as I try to navigate this new uncharted territory that a blog is...