Soft Garden Greetings

This is the fourth card in my upcoming 'Simply Stamped' class. I used a dorman stamp set "Garden Greetings". It's still available to order, but isn't in the current catalogue. This one is definitely simple... I stamped the background (a pre-cut and scored Whisper White notecard) with three different flower stamps and three colours (Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue). Then I used a one inch strip of Pretty in Pink cardstock for the sentiment and a Soft Suede flower.

I have some spots available in both nights of this class, so if you'd like to make these cards, let me know! It's only $10.00 for six cards.

Delightful Decorations

This is another card from my upcoming "Simply Stamped" Class. In this class, we're making six cards (two Christmas, two that can be Thanksgiving but other sentiments will be available and two general cards) for only $10.00! They are all quick and easy cards with no techniques... just basic stamping. There is still room in both classes... send me an e-mail if you'd like to sign up!

This card uses Delightful Decorations, the Ornament punch and the silver cord from the Holiday Mini, as well as a dormant background stamp (Polka Dots).

Very Merry Dasher

This is another card from my upcoming "Simply Stamped" class. I stamped the snowflakes using the Frost White Shimmer paint from the Holiday Mini catalogue, and Dasher is one of the best selling stamps for Stampin' Up! It is an individual stamp found on the last page of the catalogue (p. 208). The snowflakes and sentiment are both from a level 2 Hostess Set - Christmas Punch.

There are lots of spots available in this class, and it's only $10.00 for six cards! Please e-mail if you're in the London area and you're interested...

Sketch #74

Here's the sketch for this week... one page 12x12, multi-photo layout:

and here's my layout (adapted to 8.5x11):

I'd love to see what you create with this sketch... link me up in the comments.

Simply Stamped #1

My next class (after the Technique Class this weekend) is called Simply Stamped. I have two dates: Sunday, October 4th and Monday, October 5th, and we'll make six quick and easy Simply Stamped cards... no techniques, no fancy products. This is a great beginner class, but it's also great for someone who wants to get a good amount of cards for a small investment in time and money. The class will be $10.00, and if you bring a new friend to the class, you both get a prize from my basket, plus you get to make another set of six cards for free!

So this card uses Season of Friendship and some nice fall In Colours (Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and Soft Suede with a Ruby Red bird). I will have all of my sentiments available to choose from, so you could easily make this a Thanksgiving card.

Let me know if you're interested in this class. My e-mail is in the sidebar and in my blog header.

Faux Silk Embrace Life

I haven't used this set (Embrace Life) for a while, so I thought it was time to pull it out again... it's perfect for this Faux Silk technique I'm showing in my Technique Class this weekend.

Supplies: Stamps: Embrace Life - 114958, Garden Greetings - 113716; Inks: Jet Black StazOn, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Chocolate Chip; Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper White; Blender Pen; Stampin' Dimensionals

September Technique Class - Faux Linen

This is one of the cards we'll be making this weekend at my Technique Class (Friday the 18th & Sunday the 20th). We make a technique sheet (instructions on one side, samples on the other) plus two cards/projects. This one shows Faux Linen. I'll post the other card we're making later this week... If you're in the London area, and you'd like to make this card, I still have room in the classes (especially Friday), so send me an e-mail! My technique class is free the first time you come. It's $5.00 or a $25.00 order after that (and free for my Stampers' Club members)

supplies (all SU!): Stamps (Kind & Caring Thoughts - hostess set, Polka Dot Background - dormant); Cardstock (Glossy White, Dusty Durango); Inks (Old Olive, Dusty Durango); Sanding Block, Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon, Big Shot and Top Note die.

You can order online by going to my website and clicking Shop Now.

Birthday Cupcakes

This card is the fifth card in my Birthday Cards for Kids class (tonight). This one is pretty simple on the outside (the cupcakes are shimmery IRL because we're using inks and Blender Pens to colour on Shimmery White cardstock)



but the fun is on the inside:

This cupcake (also coloured with inks on Shimmery White cardstock) pops up when you open the card!

supplies (all SU!): Stamps (Crazy for Cupcakes); inks (Jet Black StazOn, Melon Mambo, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry,  Bermuda Bay, Pretty in Pink);  cardstock (Naturals Ivory, Melon Mambo, Shimmery White, So Saffron; Razzleberry Lemonade DSP; Punches (Scallop Circle, Modern Label, Eyelet Border)

Sketch #73

I think I might start posting my sketches on Saturday instead of Friday... it seems to work better with my schedule now that the kids are back in school.  So this week's sketch is a single photo 8.5x11 sketch that would easily adapt to 12x12 or a card.

I created a layout for this week's sketch! I dug into my stash and used some OLD papers and chipboard letters and mixed them in with some of my Stampin' Up! stuff... I added some Crystal Effects to the cherries after I stamped them to make them shiny.

SU Supplies: Thouroughly Modern DSP, Uniball Signo White gel pen, Tart & Tangy stamp, Crystal Effects.

Silhouette Kindness (Stamping 411 sketch 115)

I created this card for a sketch challenge (they post a new one every Saturday) at Stamping 411. If you haven't checked out this blog, it's a great resource for anyone interested in stamping. There is a great tutorial today about conditioning your stamps.

anyway, back to the card... I used Melon Mambo Cardstock on the Chocolate Chip card base. I love this grid paper from the Razzleberry Lemonade DSP pack. The sentiment from Heard From the Heart was stamped with Melon Mambo ink on Very Vanilla cardstock. I also used the Melon Mambo ink to stamp the plants from Pocket Silhouettes onto Pretty in Pink cardstock. The felt flowers from Flower Fusion were attached to the stamped pieces with silver brads before I stuck that piece on the rest of the card.

Irridescent Butterfly

I made this card to swap at the Razzle Dazzle Extravaganza in London. It has a simple design, but I loved the way the butterfly turned out and wanted it to be the star of the card.

This card is made with the stamp set Great Friend. I inked the butterfly stamp with VersaMark ink, then Melon Mambo Classic ink, and rolled the edges in Rich Razzleberry. I stamped onto Shimmery White cardstock, and used Iridescent Ice Stampin' Emboss powder to heat emboss the butterfly. I cut it out by hand to pop up on my card. You can see a close up of the butterfly in the picture below. I used the Finial Press embossing folder to create the embossed layer below the butterfly.

I used the Big Shot and my Matchbox die to cut out the label for the sentiment. I used a bit of Dotto to stick the label to my work surface so I could use the Stamp-a-ma-Jig to stamp the frame and sentiment accurately.

Supplies (all SU!): Stamps (Great Friend); Inks (VersaMark, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede); Cardstock (Kraft, Bermuda Bay, Shimmery White, Very Vanilla, So Saffron); Iridescent Ice Stampin' Emboss powder; Matchbox Big Shot die; Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder; Stamp-a-ma-jig. You can purchase any of these items online at www.lizgoldhawk.stampinup.net

Sketch #72

Here is this week's sketch. I've done it as a 12x12 single (small) photo layout.


and converted it to a card for my own take on the sketch.



Twick or Tweet is a fun stamp set from the new Holiday Mini, with four fun little images (with sentiments) for Halloween cards. You can see the Holiday Mini Catalogue by clicking on the picture of it in my sidebar. I've also used the Night & Day Specialty DSP on this card and my favourite Halloween colour combination (Basic Black, Old Olive, Whisper White & Perfect Plum). I love the Top Note die for my Big Shot! I used the Scallop Bag die to create my larger Scallop Circle for this card. I folded a piece of the paper in half, then positioned it on the scalloped portion of the die. My favourite punch right now is definitely the Modern Label punch.

If you create something based on the sketch, please share with me here in the comments!

Happy Birthday Rock Star

This is the fourth card in my upcoming Birthday Cards for Kids class (Sept. 13 @ 7:00 - a few spots are still open). I saw this technique to use the Big Shot to make a half-cut shape first on the Stampin' Up! website (Jackie Topa won a contest with it) and then was reminded of it on Jackie's blog while I was working on the cards for this class, and had to incorporate it! I love this Extreme Elements stamp set, and thought this card would be appropriate for an older boy (or girl with some colour changes). The 'rock star' is from a retired hostess set, but it was perfect, and I couldn't resist using it.

supplies (all SU!): Stamps (Extreme Elements, Extreme Rock Star, On Your Birthday); Inks (VersaMark, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, Sahara Sand); Cardstock (Kraft, Whisper White); Big Shot & Magnetic Movers & Shapers; Black Stampin' Emboss powder

and the winner is...

Thanks so much for all your entries to win the storage unit from CSN Office Furniture! I printed out all the comments and cut them apart...

I crumpled them up and put them in a container...

I had my lovely assistant mix them up and draw a winner...

Congratulations Nancy! I'm sending you an e-mail to verify your address and I'll give it to Jason so they can ship your prize!

Blog Candy!

***This post will stay at the top until September 2nd... please scroll down for new posts!***

I was recently contacted by Jason at CSN Office Furniture and offered the opportunity to select an item from the website to review (and keep) or give away to one of my blog readers. I decided that I'd like to pass the fun onto one of you, so I have some blog candy! I took a look at the website, and found several home office furniture and storage items that I would love to have to help with storage in my craft area, and I hope you will enjoy the product I selected:

This is the Medium Wood/Corrugated Literature Organizer by Safco Products. It retails for $67.99 US (free shipping on most orders to the US), and has 24 storage slots. These will fit 8.5x11 cardstock perfectly, but I can also picture my most used ink pads on some shelves, as well as a stamp set or two (probably my newest) that I'm working with for a few projects, but want to keep off my desk while I'm using them. It would also be perfect for a magazine or idea book... right at my fingertips for inspiration!

So, here are the details on how you can win this Organizer and put it to work in your home: Leave a comment on this post (one per person please) with your name, e-mail so I can contact you, and what you would put on those shelves by 10pm Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 (eastern). CSN Office Furniture ships to the United States and Canada, so anyone in the US or Canada can win! Please tell your friends to come and enter too! I'll announce the winner here on my blog on September 2nd, 2009 and CSN Office Furniture will ship the prize after I get the winner's address!