Around the World Challenge #26 - Buttons!

October 1st already... and time for another challenge! This month it's to use buttons on your card/project.

Here is the card I created for this challenge. I cut (with the Big Shot and Flower Fair Framelits) and punched some flowers from the front panel. I embossed the card base with the Decorative Dots embossing folder. My sentiment was stamped in black, and I threaded the buttons with White Baker's Twine and added them to the card base. The front panel is popped up with Dimensionals.

Around the World Challenge #24 - Theme - Animals

This month's challenge is a theme: Animals

I made a Waterfall card with the Life in the Forest stamp set and my Blendabilities Markers:

You can see the different panels as you pull down on the ribbon...

I used the Hardwood background stamp on the Baked Brown Sugar panel as well as the Dots mask (sponged with Crumb Cake ink). I embossed the sentiment with Smoky Slate Stampin' Emboss powder. I love the new Mossy Meadow card stock with Baked Brown Sugar and Very Vanilla! The Neutral Candy Dots and Brad Bases and a bit of Crumb Cake Seam Binding ribbon are the perfect finishing touches. 

Simple Cards Class - aka Embossing is awesome!

I saw a card made by Ilina Crouse and had to make one of my own! I changed the colours, but that's about it. We'll be making this card (and three others) in my Simple Cards Class this weekend. I used the dotty stamp from Dotty Angles (this is in the running for my most used stamp from the new catalogue) and four colours of embossing powder (Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral, Wild Wasabi & Pool Party) on Basic Grey card stock. The ribbon at the top is the soft and yummy Island Indigo 1/4" Cotton Ribbon. The sentiment is from a Hostess Set (Hello There).

August Scrapbook Class Layout

This is one of the three scrapbook layouts we'll be making this weekend at my Scrapbook Class! It features the Be the Star stamp set (and co-ordinating Star Framelits), Confetti Celebration patterned paper, Little Letters Thinlits (my current favourite for titles and sentiments) and the Star mask.

One of the other layouts will feature Project Life and the Happiness Is card collection! I'll share later this month...

Be the Star Partial Cut Z-Fold Card

We made this card in my June Big Shot Class... I used the Star Framelits to partially cut the card base, then finished it with stamps (Be the Star) and patterned paper (Moonlight). A few rhinestones finish it off!

July Paper Pumpkin Bonus Projects

I loved the July Paper Pumpkin (Wish Big) and got a little carried away with the bonus projects for everyone who subscribes to the kit through me. Their packets of extra supplies and instructions with photos went out last week, so I can share what I created here now!

The best news? If you're not a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, you can save 50% off your first two kits if you sign up by September 10th! Just use the Promo Code: HALFOFF2 (www.mypaperpumpkin.com - make sure Canada is selected as your country, then click Join at the top. On the next screen, there is a box for the Promo Code). Then, next month you'll get a packet of supplies and instructions to make some fantastic projects!

The kit came with supplies (card bases, ink, stamps, stickers and stars, ribbon and bakers twine) to make six cards and six small gift boxes like this:

I used those supplies, plus a few extra pieces of card stock and came up with six other card designs:

This last one was my favourite... I also created a set of note cards in one of the gift boxes with the top cut off:

Here is a look at the note cards:

I had lots of fun playing with this kit, and I hope you've enjoyed seeing what I created with it!

Around the World Challenge #22 - Sketch!

Hi! It's August 1st already, and that means it's time for another Around the World Stampin' Up! Challenge. This time it's a sketch:

I created this card for the challenge:

I am loving the new Blendabilities Markers, so on this card I used the Melon Mambo set (good news, it's available starting today!), the Daffodil Delight set and the Old Olive set to colour the Blended Bloom flower. The Blendabilities Markers are designed to work best on Whisper White or Very Vanilla card stock, but I wanted to try them out on my favourite: Crumb Cake. I really like the way it looks... it tones down the colour a bit (although it's looking pretty vibrant on my computer screen). They blended really well on the Crumb Cake, but I did have to be more careful around the lines of the image because it seemed to bleed out more than I was used to on Whisper White. The leaves behind my flower are from Kinda Eclectic and my sentiment is from A Dozen Thoughts. I finished the card with some torn Pear Pizzazz strips embossed with the Delicate Designs embossing folder, some Linen Thread and In Color Sequins.

Thanks for looking! We'd love to have you play along with the challenge... Create a card based on this sketch, post it online somewhere and add it to the Challenge Post!

July Simple Cards Class - Hang in There

This is one of the cards we're making in my Simple Cards Class this weekend (check out my Event Calendar for class times).

The design is based on a card I saw by Kimberly VanDiepen, but I simplified it (since it's in the Simple Cards Class). The Nuts for You stamp set is a hostess set, only available to hostesses, hostess club members or if you place a $200.00 order. I also used the Woodgrain embossing folder, the Party Pennants Big Shot die and Coastal Cabana Thick Baker's Twine. The sentiment is punched with the Petite Curly Label punch. Colours are Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar, Mossy Meadow and Basic Grey.

thanks for looking!

Blendabilities Basics Class & Colour Chart

I'm so excited about my Blendabilities Basics Class... this class is perfect if you've never used alcohol based markers (or tried them but aren't sure about them). You will complete a colour chart, practice colouring the same image with different techniques to see what feels (and looks) best for you, and make two cards. This is the colour chart you'll be making (the rest of my colours arrive Thursday, so I'll complete my chart then)!

I also included a box for the Stampin' Write Marker in each colour for easy reference...

The class fee is $50.00 which includes one colour set of Blendabilities (your choice of Coastal Cabana, Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie or Rich Razzleberry), the Blended Bloom stamp and a Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad. If you'd prefer, you can get two packs of Blendabilities and no Blended Bloom stamp instead. If you purchased Blendabilities from me (or are part of my downline and have your own set), you can pay a $10.00 class fee instead. You will need your own set of Blendabilities at the class.

The class is Monday, July 21st @ 7:00pm, and I hope you'll join me! The deadline to register (and pay) is this Sunday, July 13th!

I've included a blank template that I created for my class. It prints on a sheet of Whisper White card stock. I used an ink jet printer (draft setting) but avoided colouring over the lines. A laser printer would be better. If you click the thumbnail, it should be the correct size. Let me know if you find this useful!

Blendabilities are here!

Well, six of the colour sets are available starting today (Coastal Cabana, Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler as well as the skin tone set, the Color Lifter and Memento ink pad--an essential with the Blendabiliites. Watch this video for some tips and how-to:




I've had a chance to play with these, and I'm planning a series of classes focusing on the Blendabilities. The first one will be Monday, July 21st! Here is a card I made with the Old Olive and Daffodil Delight Blendabilities. I used them to colour the Blended Bloom stamp (which is included in my Blendabilities Basics Class). The card also features the Bravo stamp set and Lost Lagoon Stitched Satin Ribbon.

If you are wondering about the other six sets from the catalogue, they just became available for demonstrators (you can get them in your Starter Kit, or discounted on your order) today, and they will be available for customers August 1st.

Around the World Challenge #20 - Colours!

It's July 1st and time for another Around the World Stampin' Up! Challenge! This  month, we're working with colour combinations, and the July 1st challenge features two of our new In Colours:

 Here's the card I created for this challenge:

It features the Choose Happiness and Dotty Angles stamp sets. I created a frame with the Deco Label Framelits, and the sentiment was cut with an Apothecary Accents framelit.

We'd love it if you played along with our challenge! All you have to do is create a card with these colours, post it online somewhere, and add it to the link on the challenge post! You can also see what the other team members have created with these colours on the challenge post.

June Paper Pumpkin Bonus Projects - Pinwheel Party

 The June Paper Pumpkin Kit is called Pinwheel Party and came with the supplies to make 24 pinwheels! They were pre-cut and punched and you can attach them to the paper straws or to the treat bags (also included in the kit). Here's the picture from the kit:

I wanted to make some cards with the kit too... and everyone who gets their Paper Pumpkin kit from me gets any extra supplies and instructions  to make them too! 

For the first one I cut 5/8" off each side of the pinwheel and re-punched holes in the corners to make the pinwheel. I love the stamps in this kit and stamped them around the outside of the white card stock.

This card was CASE'd from one Amy Kunckle made...

I wanted to get away from the red, white & blue theme so I used the blue and grey patterned pinwheel and cut it into strips, and then used Tangelo Twist as my third colour... the big star is from Be the Star.

For this card, I cut the pinwheels apart into triangles (4 triangles), and then cut the triangles in half (8 triangles), and then in half one more time (16 triangles). I created this chevron pattern, then used the stamps around the outside (so easy to do with the photopolymer stamps in the kit)!

This card wasn't one of  the bonus projects included for my subscribers, but I wanted to show it. I was inspired by quilt squares. I used the same sized triangles from the card above to create this 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" card. The quilted panel is 4 1/2" x 4 1/2".

Thanks for looking!

May Paper Pumpkin Bonus Projects - Hey, Man

I received my June Paper Pumpkin Kit this week, and realized I hadn't shared my May Paper Pumpkin Bonus projects yet! I really liked the stamps in the May Kit and will get a lot of use out of them. I also really liked the colour combination and the pattern on the 3x3 cards.

If you'd like to sign up to get the Paper Pumpkin kit sent to your door each month (I love getting Fun Mail!), you can subscribe through me and get the supplies and instructions to make the bonus projects each month. You can use this link: Join Now! You can also pre-pay for the kits as  a regular order item (1 month, 3 month, 6 month or 12 month)... they make a great gift!

 These were the two cards in the kit (supplies for four of the large one, two of the small one). I made one of each, then used the rest of the supplies to make the rest shown below.

 I added some Island Indigo Bakers' Twine for this card, and the blue zig zag piece is the outside part of the stickers.

Mary Fish made a card like this with her kit, and I loved it and had to make one myself! I added the punched stars and the sentiment starburst to the supplies in the kit.

 This card was created by Julie Davison, and I loved it and copied it! The green and patterned sections is the 3x3 note card (score line hidden by sentiment banner).

 This was the second 3x3 card I made... blue starburst and sentiment circle were added to the kit supplies.

This was the last card I made with the kit. The blue zig zag is the outside section of the sticker, and the patterned piece is left from the 3x3 card I used for the card two up in this post.

I am having a Paper Pumpkin Party on Thursday, July 3rd if you want to come learn more about these kits! I'll be giving away one of the Hey, Man kits to someone at the event, so you could make your own set of these cards! Register by Wednesday, July 2nd

Around the World Challenge #18 - Circles

June 1st means a few things... time has almost run out to order from the Retiring Products from the current catalogue, the new catalogue starts tomorrow, and it's time for another Around the World Challenge:

My card features the Embedded Embossing technique (I glued various circles onto a piece of Crumb Cake card stock, then ran it through the Big Shot in the Square Lattice embossing folder--it makes it look like it's one piece of textured paper). The Square Lattice folder will be gone soon... but I also used some products that are returning from the seasonal catalogues (Banner Framelits, Perfect Pennants stamps, Truly Grateful stamps, and a stamp that is brand new to the Catalogue (Work of Art), so I mixed some old and some new on this card.

Thanks for visiting! Don't forget to check out what the rest of the team did for this challenge, and participate yourself!

ATW 16 - Sketch Challenge

May 1st means another Around the World Challenge, and this time it's a sketch!

And here is the card I created for the sketch:

For this card I used mostly retiring products (that were still available at the time I made it... hopefully they are still available now). I will miss the Secret Garden stamps and Framelits. The Hello sentiment tag is from the Friendship Preserves stamp set, and is embossed with Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Emboss powder. The colours I chose were Smoky Slate, Soft Sky and Tempting Turquoise. I also used a sneak peek product: The two labels (tied with the bow above the sentiment) were cut with a label framelit from the new Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits. I added some Rhinestones to give it some sparkle!

April 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit - Framed Love

This month's Paper Pumpkin kit included three stamps (a pattern, Happy Mother's Day and For You), two ink spots, a frame, two text banner stickers, 12 tags, several hearts of different sizes, two buttons and Linen Thread. The project shown in the kit is below:

Anyone who subscribes to the kit through me also got the supplies and instructions to make the projects below:

 A few tag ideas

Three cards

 And a panel that can replace the one you make with the kit.