2010 Class Calendar

The New Year is approaching and one of my resolutions is to GROW my Stampin' Up! business. This means monthly stamp camp workshops, hostess specials, and special promotions. You won't want to miss out on the fun!

For 2010, I will be hosting a monthly stamp camp in my home on the 3rd Friday of each month. At the bottom of the blog, you will find the 2010 calendar through June, including the planned project for that month. Project prices will generally range from $5 to $10, with class discounts available when you bring a friend, make a purchase of $50 or more, or book a workshop. Our for January through April will be:

January 15 ~ Valentine Sweet Treat Cups

February 19 ~ CD Jewel Case Photo Cubes

March 19 ~ Faux Alligator Matchbox Purses

April 16 ~ File Folder Albums

May and June stamp camp projects are to be announced so check back frequently for updates. For more details and to be added to my invitation list, email me at stampinfrog@yahoo.com or visit my Stampin' Up! website http://www.charityl.stampinup.net/.

The hostess benefits will also be bigger in 2010. As with 2009, I will continue the Book to Look Envelopes. If you book a show you get to open the envelope which will entitle you to free Stampin' Up! TM merchandise on the day of your show. Also, you'll get a free, personal handcrafted item from me.

The beginning of the year is a great time to book your workshops. Beginning January 5th, the new Occasions Mini Catalog will be available and Sale-A-Bration will begin. Sale-A-Bration is a stampers favorite time of year. It is your chance to earn free, exclusive Stampin' Up! products. The promotion goes from January 5th to March 31st. During this time you earn one free Sale-A-Bration product for every $50 you spend. This is also the best time to host a show. Host a show with at least $300 in sales to earn an additional free product. Finally, join my Stampin' Up! team during Sale-A-Bration and you can select a free stamp set from the Idea Book & Catalog ($47.95 value). Stampin' Up! will also allow customers to select stamp sets from the Idea Book & Catalog as their free Sale-A-Bration set (limited list of stamps).

Mark your calendars for our Stamp Camps and book a show TODAY!

God Bless and Happy Stampin'

Slim Line CD Jewel Case Photo Frame

In preparation for an upcoming Stamp Camp, I have been in search of CD Jewel Cases and thought I found some on Craigslist, however, the bulk of them turned out to be slim line cases and I needed the regular size. So, I was left with the dilemna of what to do with more than 40 slim line CD cases. Here is what I came up with- a picture frame.

For this project, you will need:

• 1 Slim Line CD Case
• So Saffron Card Stock, 4 3/4 x 4 7/8 inches
• Whisper White Card Stock, 3 1/8 x 3 3/4 inches
• Certainly Celery Scrap
• 3/4 inch Circle Punch
• Crop-A-Dile
• Petal Party Simply Scrappin Kit Adhesive Die Cuts
• Cheep Talk Stamp Set
• Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon
• Only Orange Classic Stampin' Pad
• Sweet Pea Stitched Felt Embellishments (Available beginning January 5th)
  

Prior to starting this project, check to be sure your card stock will fit into your frame. You may have to trim down just a bit depending on the size of your CD case.

1. Punch two holes in the "CD" side of your case using your Crop-A-Dile. Thread your ribbon through the holes and then tie it off at the top.
2. Use the heart from Cheep Talk to stamp three hearts using Only Orange Classic Stampin' Pad. Punch out each heart using the 3/4" circle punch.
3. Adhere the orange polka dot border from the Petal Party Simply Scrappin Kit along the long edge of the So Saffron card stock, approximately 1/2" from the edge.
4. Adhere the Whisper White card stock to your page, this will be the mat for your photo. I will be adding a photo of my kiddos and use this as a gift for my aunt.
5. Adhere 1 circle in the top left corner and then two in the lower bottom corner.
6. Use sticky tape to attach the stitched felt embellishments to the lower left corner.
7. Add your photo(s).
8. Insert your page into the CD case. Use shiny, clear tape on the edges of the case to hold it closed.

Viola! An easy gift which uses recycled materials.

God Bless & Happy Stampin!
Charity

Christmas Projects

We're all familiar with that poem " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and the line "not a creature was stirring..." I don't know about you, but in the days leading up to Christmas, I was stirring, stirring up lots of projects!

As usual for December, we had lots going on. This year was no exception. Plus, it really seemed like the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas were shorter than normal. So, right up to Christmas, I was finishing up projects. Since I didn't get a chance to post them before the holidays, I'll post them now so you at least see the ideas. As always, change the stamp set used and you go from a Christmas card to say a Valentine's card.

First, the Lawson Family Christmas Cards. I used the Holy Triptych Stamp Set from Stampin' Up!TM. For paper, I chose Garden Green and Rose Red for my cards. With the exception of the stamp set I purchased, I was trying to use supplies I had on hand so I had some cards in Garden Green and some in Rose Red. I also used designer series papers as an accent on both the front and the inside. I used Merry Moments and Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Papers. I printed my sentiments onto Sahara Sand card stock and I stamped my Holy Triptych images onto Very Vanilla. I used Soft Suede to stamp the images. I used the wise men, angel and Holy Family images. On the inside of the card, I used the sentiment from Christ is Born, stamped Chocolate Chip. I have to thank my pal, Diana, for inspiration on this card. I was struggling with how to simplify assembly and still use all three of the images. She suggested the layout that I selected. It worked wonderful!

For the front of the card, I wanted to recreate a technique I saw Shelly Gardner use at Regionals. She created a beautiful project using pages torn from an old book. It was just beautiful and I wanted something like that for my cards. I didn't have an old book so I decided to print a hymn onto regular copy paper. I did not want to use card stock because it would be too heavy. I found the lyrics to "We Three Kings" online as a jpeg and put four copies on a page. To age the paper, I mixed a few drops of Soft Suede re-inker with some water and softly brushed it onto the paper with a sponge brush and then wiped it off with a towel. After it dried, I crinkled the paper and then tore the edges to get the parts I needed for the card. When I glued it to the card fronts, I very intentionally chose to let the crinkles be raised up to add texture. It worked great and I love the way it turned out.

Holy Triptych is a line art set and lends itself to watercolor techniques. I needed to make 43 cards so this took a great deal of time, explaining why I was working right up to Christmas Eve. Good thing most were hand delivered. I used my pastels for water coloring the images. Although Stampin' Up! does not sell one, I used a chalk blending solution and a fine brush. You get the same look with a blender pen, but I work better with the solution. For colors, I generally stuck to Rich Regals for the wise men, Soft Subtles for the angel, and Earth Elements for the Holy Family.

For the angels wings, I decided to first apply the Barely Banana chalk. After, I went applied a very light coat of White Shimmer paint. I used the same technique for the star above the Holy Family and the "halos" on Mary and Baby Jesus.

It took a bit of time to finish all the cards, but I love the way they turned out. Once all the water coloring was done of the images (3 x 43 =129!), it actually went rather quickly to assemble things. The bulk of the work is in the detail of the water coloring and also cutting all the paper. Everything else goes pretty smoothly after that. Here are 37 of the completed cards (6 had found their way to their new homes by the time I took the photo):

Now, how do you change this up for Valentines? Use Real Red and the song lyrics to the "your song." Also, you can select more romantic stamps. You can also get some cute Birthday Cards using the lyrics for "Happy Birthday to You."

The next Christmas project I want to share is our photo Christmas Card. I handed a few of these to family and friends who would like to have a photo of the kids. I used a card template in My Digital Studio to create this card. The template I chose only had one photo, so I made some changes, adding a background paper and then two photo boxes. I selected photos of our kids from our Church Christmas pageant. When it was complete, I exported the card as jpeg and then uploaded to a local drugstore photo website and did the one hour printing. I took advantage of a sale for printing. If you haven't purchased My Digital Studio yet, it is a well worth the investment. I've always enjoyed the photo cards that people send out but never liked the expense of having them printed. By taking advantage of the sale, I was able to print the 15 photo cards I needed for $1.75. I'll likely do this throughout the year as a way to keep in touch and share family photos with others.

The next and final project for this post are the teacher's gifts from the kids. We decided to use the Big Shot to cut snowflake ornaments using the Snowflake #2 die and a soda can. Yes, I said a soda can. Wear gloves when you do this to avoid cutting your hands. Cut the cans open so that you can lay them flat onto the die and then run through through the Big Shot as you normally would. Once it is cut, the edges roll up and they are no longer sharp. Use twine, ribbon or silver elastic cord to make a hanger. The photos show the finished product hanging on our tree. I also did something similar using a sheet of clear plastic from some packaged stationary. I cut the snowflake and then applied plain white glue and then some glitter. You can also use felt in to achieve a similar look.

Another project that I plan to save for another day as I want to change it up for Valentines Day is a photo cube using CD jewel cases. I will be planning out the 2010 Workshop Calendar soon and I plan to do the CD jewel cases shortly after the first of the year. Come back later for more information.

God Bless & Happy Stampin!

Top Note Calendar and Notes

This project was inspired by a similar calendar that Connie Stewart made and designed. I saw it posted in our yahoo group and knew I would CASE her design. Mine is a bit different, but I love the result.

Recipe:

Stamps: A Flower for All Seasons and Season of Friendship

Designer Series Paper: Thoroughly Modern, Bermuda Bay Patterns and Rose Red Patterns

Card Stock: Rose Red, Whisper White and Bermuda Bay

Ribbon: Bermuda Bay Polka Dot Grosgrain and 1/4" Very Vanilla Grosgrain

Accessories: Big Shot Top Note Die, Modern Label Punch, Crop-A-Dile, Blender Pens, Stampin' Pastels

I started by cutting three Top Notes using the Big Shot. I cut them from thin card board. I cut additional Top Notes from Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper and Bermuda Bay and Rose Red Patterns Designer Series Paper. On the top panel, I cut one Top Note in half and layered it over the other one. Here, I embellished with the stamped image colored using the Stampin' Pastels. Of course, it should be no surprise that I picked the frog. The sentiment is from Season of Friendship.

The center panel is the calendar portion. The mini calendar was done using word processing software and I added a standard size post it note to the bottom panel. All the panels were attached together using the Polka Dot Bermuda Bay Grosgrain ribbon. It works best to punch the holes before adding the post it notes and calendar.

If you'd like more information on this project, please email me.

God Bless and Happy Stampin!

Top Note Christmas Ornament

This project is what happens when I just play. I was experimenting with the Top Note Die as I was practicing for an upcoming workshop. This ornament was cut using the Top Note Die and a thin piece of cardboard (the thickness used for a notepad or similar item). I adhered Merry Moments Designer Series paper to both sides of the ornament.

On a small piece of Whisper White paper, I stamped the cardinal and poinsettias from A Flower for All Seasons. I colored it using my water color pencils. I used the Merry Christmas sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes and stamped that along the side. I then layered that onto a piece of Real Red card stock.

Using my crop-a-dile, I punched two holes in the top and threaded Old Olive grosgrain ribbon as a hanger. Viola! A Top Note Christmas Ornament.

God Bless and Happy Stampin!

12 Days of Holiday Deals!

Just a quick reminder, Stampin' Up!TM is currently running their 12 Days of Holiday Sales. From December 11 to December 22, you can get some amazing deals on Big Shot dies and Vinyl. They are even rolling out some vinyl in colors not presently offered in the catalog, including the chalkboard vinyl!

Visit my promotions page for more details on this great deal!

Don't forget, any order placed by December 15th will be received in time for Christmas!

Tropical Luau Birthday Bash

As promised, I'm going to share the details of Isabel's Tropical Luau Birthday Bash. First, this is not all original inspiration on my part. When I'm planning a party, the first thing I do is head to the internet and do a search on my theme. I love reading through the ideas and picking what I want to use. So, if you are reading this and see one of your ideas, thank you very much for posting your ideas so I can find them.

For decorations, I played off the original invitation and recreated the scene on our wall complete with beach chair to hold all the presents. We also purchased some Hawaiian beach scenes that you hang in a window so it looks like you are looking out at the beach. Almost made us forget the cold December weather!

As previously mentioned, Isabel's party was in December. On a nice cold day in December. By the end of the party, we had some light snow falling. Given the cold temperatures, we decided to forego leis in favor of lei scarves. I used some fun orange/pink tie dye type fleece fabric that I cut 5x50 inches. I cut fringe on the ends. As the girls arrived, they tied the fringe in knots. After, we found their Hawaiian name on the computer using a name transator online. They put these on a note card that they got to color.

After, I split them into three groups. One group was learning to hula by watching You Tube videos, the next group was making a felt flower barrette (flowers cuts using Big Shot dies), and the third group was working on the Hula Bears I shared with you in an earlier post. As they finished their projects, they went to the next stations.

After the activities, we had some cake. For the cake, I made a volcano using my bundt pan and the Pampered Chef batter bowl. To get the exploding lava effect, I made hard candy into the spurting shape and when it was cool, inserted it into the cake. The kids loved it!

After cake, we did presents and a few games involving hula hoops. The kids had lots of fun. Throughout the party, the kids were able to munch on a variety of foods- chicken kabobs, Hawaiian pizza kabobs (ham, mozzerella cheese and pineapple on a toothpick), fruit kabobs, chips and juice boxes. Very easy foods.

And of course, it wouldn't be a party in the Lawson household without some stamps! For the favor bags I used my Fancy Favor die cut from Stampin' Up!TM. I've used this die for other parties recently and I'm sure I've more than made my money back on this one. I wanted the bags to look like beach bags. I stamped the flower from Wings of Friendship (hostess set) on the bags. I then added handles and used the Modern Label punch to create a closure tab. I closed it with double sided tape. The felt flip flops are just some stickers I found at a party supply store. All the bags were made using Stampin' Up! papers- mostly Bold Brights with a few Rich Regals, Earth Elements and Soft Subtles mixed in. For party favors, they got a glow stick, flip flop key chain and a mini notepad. Since they were also getting their bears, barrettes, and scarves, I didn't put too much in the goodie bags. If you have lots of birthday parties throughout the year, this Fancy Favor die is a great investment.

The kids all had a great time, and I had fun pulling the party together. I hope these ideas inspire you to throw your own tropical bash, even in the dead of winter.

And, if you are looking to expand your collection of Big Shot Dies, now is the time! Through the 22nd, Stampin' Up! is having a huge sale on some of our favorite dies! Visit my promotion page for more details.

God Bless and Happy Stampin!

Happy Birthday Isabel

Isabel's Birthday is today! In a few days, she'll celebrate with her friends with a fun luau party. Now is the time to share the invitation.

Before I give the recipe for this card, I have to give credit to the many ladies who inspired me. I CASEd this card head to toe!

Pure Genius over at SplitCoast was a big inspiration.
Julie Masse
Lorri Heiling
Jennifer Einholf
Kim Gasper



Thank you for your inspiration and blogs detailing your cards. I loved that I was able to create Isabel's invitation without even ordering a new stamp set and I love using a stamp set in a non-traditional way.

On to the recipe for Isabel's invitation. The main stamp set is Pick A Petal. I used two of the petal designs to stamp surf boards in Melon Mambo and Bermuda Bay (stamped onto Whisper White and then cut out). The sun was stamped in YoYo Yellow using one of the flower centers. I typically do invitations in the traditional invitation size of 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches, which is what I used here. I cut Melon Mambo into this size to create the invitations. I let Isabel stamp the small Hawaiian flower onto both sides of invitation. For the front, I layered a smaller piece of Bashful Blue card stock onto the card. To create the water, I sent pieces of Tempting Turquoise card stock through the Big Shot to emboss using the Stampin' Up!™ Backgrounds 1 (the panel with the swirls). I then sponged some Shimmer White Paint onto the raised areas to give the impression of foaming waves. I cut the wave shape by freehand using my paper snips. For the sandy beach, I tore the paper edges and then layered two pieces, gluing the surfboards and palm tree trunk down before adding the final layer of sand. The sand is made using Kraft card stock. For the palm tree, I cut the trunk from Soft Suede using paper snips. The palm branches are more petals stamped onto Glorious Green with little sections cut out and the stamped side glued against the invitation. I finished things off by stamping a large Hawaiian flower using Eastern Blooms stamp set and Rich Razzleberry.

For the back, I printed the details of the invitation onto Whisper White card stock and then glued it to the back of the card.

I'll post more details about her party, party favors and other fun later.

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

Poppy's Big Old Truck

More fun from our Thanksgiving trip and another scrapbook page, this time using traditional methods. My father recently purchased a semi truck cab for towing his 5th wheel trailer. As soon as our kids heard about the truck, Liam wanted a ride. So, during our visit to Forks, the kids all took a ride. Liam's smile was almost as big as the truck and it inspired me to create a page. In the photos, you'll see Liam with his sister,Tessa, and cousin, Kevin. Liam and Kevin share a birthday, 17 years apart. Liam's favorite part- honking the horn.

For this page I used Real Red, More Mustard and Whisper White card stock. To create the truck in the top right quadrant, I used Pick A Petal. I stamped a solid petal using Brilliant Blue and then an open petal using the same color. I then stamped the petal centers using Basic Black. I cut everything out and then glued it together. The chipboard letters are ones I had leftover from the Stampin' Up!™ Regionals in Seattle, I think they are On Board Timeless Type, but I must confess that I'm not entirely sure. I left them naked, choosing not to add any color to the letters. The overall layout is simple, nothing too elaborate or hard to recreate. Liam loves his special page. I think it will soon be framed for his room.

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

Horseback Riding- My Digital Studio Project

We had a busy Thanksgiving weekend with family on the Olympic Peninsula, including an afternoon of horseback riding at Freedom Farms for the kids. This is the farm where our two older daughters have attended horse camp for two years. They absolutely love it and the owner is so wonderful to let us bring the kids by for an afternoon of riding. I took lots of photos and since I had my lap top on hand, I made a single page using My Digital Studio and sent it off to the owner of the farm as a thank you for the wonderful afternoon.

Although Isabel and Phoebe are both experienced riders, this was the first time on a full size horse for both Liam and Tessa. It was amazing to see them both get such a kick out of riding the horse. In fact, Liam had such a good time, he wants a cowboy birthday party. I can't wait to start shopping for stamps to make the invitations!

On to the page. This page is done using the distressed Old Olive page background option in the My Digital Studio. I added a strip of Red Riding Hood Red card stock with Whisper White stitching on the top. The stamp sets are One of a Kind and Great Moments. It took my less than 20 minutes to create this page and I created it while on vacation when the memories were fresh in my head.

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

Ready, Set, Snow!

I got a little caught up in making snow themed cards. This is a pretty simple card and features a few products currently available at reduced prices during the Online Extravaganza- the scallop edge punch and the "ready, set, snow!" stamp from the Best Wishes and More stamp set.

The Recipe:
Card Stock-

• Real Red
• Garden Green

Designer Series Paper-

• Merry Moments

Stamps-

• Best Wishes and More
• Season of Friendship

Accessories-

• Scallop Edge Punch
• Shimmer White Paint

Ink-

• Chocolate Chip

The only real trick to this card is lining up the scallops when punching. I just picked one spot on the guide and started my paper in that location for each side. When stamping with the shimmer paint, it works best to use a paint brush to apply the paint.

Email with questions!

God Bless and Happy Stampin!

Think Snow

As promised, another card featuring products available during the Online Extravaganza sale. This card features the birds from the Love You Much stamp set which is included in the Heart to Heart Bundle. This bundle is available for $24.93 and also includes the Heart to Heart punch and Pretty in Pink 1/2 " grosgrain ribbon.

For this card, I decided to experiment with some non-traditional card sizes and made a 6x6 inch card using Brilliant Blue card stock. I cut a Top Note using the Big Shot and Merry Moments Designer Series Paper. I cut the top note in half and mounted to a piece of Whisper White card stock.

I used white shimmer paint and the snowflake from Season of Friendship to stamp snowflakes in the background. I then stamped the birds from Love You Much using Soft Suede (note, I did not add any ink to the heart in this stamp). I used my watercolor pencils to color my birds. Above the birds I used the Season of Friendship snowflake and Brilliant Blue to stamp a single snowflake just above their heads. I stamped the "ready, set, snow!" sentiment in the bottom right corner. This sentiment stamp is from the Best Wishes and More stamp set (also part of the Ultimate Stampin' Starter Bundle).

There is still time to take advantage of the Online Extravaganza. It ends November 30th so act quickly!

God Bless and Happy Stampin!

Black Friday in Your Jammies!

Forget standing in line for the Black Friday deals, stay in your comfy jammies and head to your computer for the Stampin' Up!™ Online Holiday Sale! Until November 30th, you can get incredible savings on some of our favorite Stampin' Up!™ products. Stampin' Up!™ has bundled several of these products together, including the Ultimate Stampers Bundle which includes:

• Best Wishes & More stamp set
• Eight Great Greetings stamp set
• On a Pedestal stamp set
• Earth Elements Stampin' Spots Classic
• Earth Elements assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
• Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
• Old Olive 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon
• Flower Designer brads

This bundle is on sale for $76.62, a 40% savings over the price if you purchased all these items separately. This bundle is only available while supplies last so if you think you might want this one, move quickly.

For some inspiration, I'll share some cards I made using items from the Ultimate Stampers' Bundle. The first card is one I made for my sister's birthday. I used the Best Wishes and More Stamp Set. This is really a great starter set so I'm not at all surprised to see that Stampin' Up! included it in an Ultimate Stampers' Bundle. This is one of the most versatile stamp sets I own. The stamp set includes a snowflake flower, leaf, heart, and bird. It also includes several generic phrases which work year round.

For papers, I used Cameo Coral, Garden Green and Whisper White card stocks. I've also snuck in some retired Designer Series Paper in the background, but you could just as easily substitute your own favorites. I just happened to have this with me here while visiting in laws. It snuck in between my card stock. I stamped the images using Melon Mambo, Glorious Green, and Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pads.

You'll also see at the bottom, I used the scallop edge punch. This punch is also available during the Online sale for $11.17, a 30% savings.

For some additional inspiration using the Best Wishes and More Stamp Set, here are some previous projects I've shared. You can find the recipe by clicking on the captions below each photo:

Frog Family Scrapbook Page

Best Wishes Note Cards

Visit my promotion page for more information about the online deals available through November 30th!

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I have much to be thankful this year. I have a beautiful family, my health is finally improved, the kids are healthy and doing well in school, my marriage is strong, I have a job as well as a growing Stampin' business, we are members of a wonderful church... so many blessings I can't begin to count. I hope all of you also are counting your blessings today and finding too many to count.

In case you are surfing the net while you wait for your turkey to cook, here is one final Thanksgiving card post. I had to make these on the fly after realizing that I was two cards short when I made my original ones. For both cards, the pumpkins are cut from last year's In Color, Tangerine Tango. I happened to have them on hand from a previous project I did with the kids for Halloween and decided to use them. The pumpkins were punched using the Pumpkins #4 die for the Big Shot.

For the card on the left, I used Crushed Curry and Whisper White card stock. Using Autumn Days, I stamped some foliage onto the Whisper White card stock using So Saffron and Soft Suede. I layered the pumpkins using Dimensionals and added some fall leaves around the bottom. The fall leaves were stamped onto the Crushed Curry using Dusty Durango and Chocolate Chip. I finished it off with Old Olive grosgrain ribbon and stamped the Happy Thanksgiving from Teeny Tiny Wishes onto the front using Dusty Durango.

For the card on the right, I also used Crushed Curry. For this card I used More Mustard as the base, along with Very Vanilla. As with the other card, I used Autumn Days to put the foliage in the background and then layered a pumpkin onto the front. I also tied the Old Olive Ribbon around the Crushed Curry card stock before attaching it to the card. Again, the Thanksgiving sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Phrases and I used the Modern Label Punch.

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Stampin' and God Bless!

Hula Bear

My oldest daughter is planning a luau party for her 11th birthday. Yes, a luau party in December. And, as you all know, the Lawson family loves the Build A Bear die cut from Stampin' Up!™ so we plan to incorporate our favorite little bear into our party plans.

We came up with a Hula Bear. This bear is cut from Kraft card stock. To create the grass skirt I cut a skirt using Glorious Green and the Beary Essentials die cut. I used paper snips to cut the slits in the skirt. For the swimsuit top, I cut a shirt using the Beary Essentials and Tea Party Designer Series Paper. I then trimmed the bottom and sleeves to look like a tank top bikini. Next, I punched several flowers from Tea Party Designer Series Paper and Glorious Green card stock using the Trio Flower Punch. I strung the flowers with seed beads onto thread, alternating the colors to make a small lei. I also added one flower to the bear's ear.

For the party, I plan to have everything pre-cut for the kids and then they can assemble their own bear. Soon, I'll post the invitations which feature surf boards made using Pick A Petal.

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

Pick A Petal Turkeys

Last year, I made some turkeys using mini Reese's Peanut Butter cups and Pick A Petal Stamp set. I was casing a combination of ideas I saw on Splitcoast Stampers where they used Pick A Petal to make the plume of the turkey for a card and then also some where oval punches were used to make plumes for turkeys made using chocolates. At the time I didn't have any oval punches so I created a hybrid using the Pick a Petal. I handed out those turkeys, saving one for myself. That lone little turkey sat on my desk for most of the year until recently when I decided I needed something more permanent. I recalled having some little foam marshmallows left from a previous project (painted orange) and decided I could replace the peanut butter cup with one of those.

This turkey was made using all Stampin' Up!™ products:

Classic Stampin' Pad: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, and Chocolate Chip

Card Stock: Only Orange, YoYo Yellow and Very Vanilla

Tools & Accessories: Trio Flower Punch, Dimensionals, Stampin' Write Basic Black Marker, Paper Snips

Since I had some extra marshmallow and extra kids for the day (my two little nieces were visiting), we decided to make some more turkeys. Each kid got to make a turkey. We used the same approach, but this year, I threw in some Stampin' Up!™ In-Colors and used the Scallop Circle punch for the feet:

Classic Stampin' Pads: Real Red, Dusty Durango, and Chocolate Chip
Card Stock: Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Real Red, Soft Suede and Dusty Durango

Tools & Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips

We also added google eyes because the kids like those. The google eyes really seem to change up the look of the turkey. I think I like last year's result a bit better. Though, both designs are pretty fun.

Happy Thanksgiving! Maybe you still have some time to make up a few of these cute turkeys yourself.

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

Online Extavaganza is Here

The annual Online Extravaganza is here! For one week, you can snatch up some great Stampin' deals, including a starter stampin bonus.

Visit My Promotion Page for more details and a complete list of specials. Email me with questions- I can submit orders on Thanksgiving!

The extravaganza ends November 30, visit the promotion page today and save up to 50% on some great products.

Also, come back later this week for projects featuring some of the products available during Online Extravaganza.

God Bless and happy stamping!

Holiday Card

I was doing some of my holiday shopping last night and I noticed a sign that said 36 days until Christmas. It's literally just around the corner. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a whirlwind for us with both the traditional holiday activities and birthdays, there never seems to be enough time in the day. If you are like me, you like having plenty of ideas at your fingertips so your holiday cards and paper craft gifts is simplified. Along those lines, I want to give you plenty of ideas for your holiday cards and gifts- some simple and some elaborate. Today, I'll share something that is mostly simple.

For this card, you will need Rose Red and Whisper White card stocks, Merry Moments Designer Series Paper, and Rose Red, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Markers. You'll also need the Autumn Days and The More the Merrier stamp sets. You can also use Teeny Tiny Phrases or other favorite set for your verse.

To stamp the image, I used a common technique- coloring the directly onto the rubber stamp using the markers and then stamping onto the paper. After I stamped my branches, I did dash-dot design along the outer border, alternating the Rose Red and Old Olive. Add a strip of your favorite pattern from the Merry Moments Designer Series paper to the front of your card and then layer your stamped image on top. Add your favorite phrase to the bottom corner, I chose "Warm Winter Wishes" from The More the Merrier stamp set.

We are coming up on a great time to order all your supplies for holiday gifts and cards. Stampin' Up!™ will kickoff the Online Extravaganza on November 23. It will last through the 30th but some items may sell out quickly. Be sure to check back here or www.charityl.stampinup.net on November 23 to see a list of the great deals. Some items will be as great as 50% off!

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

6x6 Mini Album Page

Another project from my recent Open House. This is a 6x6 photo page, perfect for the holiday or winter season. It is a very simple design and could easily be added as focal point to a 12x12 page in one corner.

This design uses textured Old Olive and Very Vanilla card stock. The Very Vanilla card stock is placed off-center to one side of the page. Using Merry Moments Designer Series paper, I accented the Very Vanilla card stock on the top and bottom with two small strips of the snowflake paper. Along the other side, I stamped 3 snow flakes from the Patterned Pines using White Shimmer Paint.

Next, I just need a little winter fun to capture a cute picture of the kids in the snow and I have a fun holiday page.

Although 6x6 album is generally used as a gift album for smaller events, I've been considering using this size page and layout as a photo Christmas card. I know my family would enjoy receiving not only a handmade card but also a nice family photo to go along with it. Then, after the holiday cards are over, it can easily be added to a frame. A little two for deal with your annual card giving.

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

Thanksgiving Wreath

Stampin' Up!™ has been doing something fun for all the demonstrators the last few weeks- a Stampin' Santa has been leaving us little gifts, including ideas for cards. One card idea used the Autumn Days set from page 92 of the Current Idea Book and Catalog. Our friends at Stampin' Up! headquarters made an adorable wreath using the elements available in the stamp set. It turned out pretty cute so I had to try it out for my make and takes for my recent November 5 Open House. Here is my version of the card design:

For my card, I chose Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Old Olive and Whisper White. The trick to producing the image is to stamp the design in a layered circle. I started with the Wheat Shaft stamped in Crushed Curry Stampin' Pad. I did this "free hand" without any type of masking technique as I did not want to cut off portions of the image. This allowed me to preserve the wreath like feel. Then, I repeated the technique using the berry branch and Soft Suede Stampin' Pad. I finished off the design with the maple leaf image stamped in the Dusty Durango Stampin' Pad. This same technique can be done using the berry branch in three different colors- Real Red, Garden Green and silver for example- to create a Christmas design.

After tying Old Olive grosgrain ribbon onto the card stock, I layered the wreath image onto the Dusty Durango card stock and then adhered to my Crushed Curry card stock. To complete the card, I added a piece of Soft Suede to the bottom. Prior to adding to the card, I embossed the Soft Suede using the Texture Plates Kit #4. From Teeny Tiny Phrases, I stamped the Happy Thanksgiving phrase to a piece of Whisper White and then punched it out using the Modern Label Punch. I layered this on top of the Soft Suede piece. My final touch was to stamp a maple leaf onto a scrap piece of Crushed Curry card stock, cut it out and adhered it to my card.

I'll be using this or a similar design on my personal Thanksgiving cards this year. I hope this inspires you to create your own Thanksgiving cards.

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

Build A Bear Thanksgiving

My children commented that Stampin' Up!™ should also sell a die for a Thanksgiving costume for the Build A Bears. This inspired me to come up with something on my own. You'll need the Build A Bear Bigz Dies- Stampin' Up! Bear, Beary Essentials, and Spooky Kooky. Additionally, you'll need two sizes of oval punches, scissors, adhesive, and card stock in Basic Black, Whisper White, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede and your favorite fall inspired colors. I used Crushed Curry, So Saffron, Dusty Durango, Pumpkin Pie, Garden Green and Real Red. I also used some hemp twine for embellishment. For inspiration, I did a google search on Thanksgiving costumes for inspiration for the costumes.

Beginning with our cute little turkey. I used the Bigz dies to cut my bear as normal using the Soft Suede. Then I cut a pumpkin costume using Kraft and the Spooky Kooky die. The pumpkin costume served as the base for my costume. I rounded the hat and body to remove the jagged edges as well as the stem on the hat. I then cut several ovals in the fall colors in both the large and small size. I layered two rows on the front of the pumpkin, alternating the colors. For the hat, I cut one of the small So Saffron ovals in half and glued them side by side onto the hat. The waddle is another small Real Read Oval that I cut down to leave the outside edge. Following the inspiration I got from the costumes, I added some eyes to the top. The plume feathers were a similar approach- layering the larger ovals in a plume shape and then gluing to the back of the bear. I finished him off with a sign declaring "Eat Beef!"

For the pilgrims, I used the Beary Essentials to cut the clothes in black. For the boy pilgrim, I also cut some extra bear legs in Whisper White and trimmed the pants to be short pants, giving him white stocking legs. The hat is simply a square cut to shape using the corner rounder to round the top and then glued to a long skinny rectangle. The buckle is just two squares (1 small Basic Black and a slightly larger Crushed Curry one) layered and glued to the hat. I used the same technique on the shoes and belt. The color is a free hand cut to achieve the right shape. I also cut an extra jacket in Whisper white and trimmed the cuffs to add to black coat.

The girl pilgrim was done in a similar fashion. The coat was rounded a bit and I used the skirt from Beary Essentials die as an apron and then as a guide to lengthen the skirt. I cut the bow as a free hand and added to the collar to be consistent with the pilgrim costumes I found online. I added a hand cut bow. The hat is also a free hand cut and I repeated the same technique on the cuffs of the coat that I did on the boy pilgrim.

For the Native American I repeated the same type of layering and addition of free hand details like the collar and head dress. I did a fringe on the ends of the pants and shirt cuffs. I used hemp twine to tie the coat together like lacing. The feathers for the head dress were cut free hand. As with the other bears, I tried to mimic the costumes that I found online.

I set out to create some Thanksgiving bears which would please the kids and they were very happy with them. I have to admit, I was pretty pleased as well. I showed them off at church today and have been asked to make some more for a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by our International Bible Study. As such, I'll be creating some patterns which will make the process a bit faster. I hope my designs inspire you to do something creative with your Big Shot Dies!

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

Advent Calendar

This idea was inspired by a similar calendar in the October 2009 issue of Stampin' Success. The artists at Stampin' Up!™ created one as a Halloween countdown. I was immediately inspired to create a similar one for Christmas.

Each panel is an 8 1/2 x 11 panel. My color palette is Real Red, Garden Green, Crushed Curry, Kraft, Whisper White, Old Olive, and Chocolate Chip. I also used Merry Moments and Christmas Cocoa Speciality Designer Series Papers. The Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper is available in the current Holiday Mini Catalog. This paper includes two one sided designs that are flocked.

On the top and bottom panels, I layered 9 1 3/8" circles punched from the Crushed Curry card stock. I made 24 envelopes. The 25th day is at the bottom and does not have an envelope, but one could be added. Each day envelope square is made using the Petal Card die cut- folded and decorated in a different way for each day.

I used a variety of stamp sets to decorate my envelopes, hopefully, I won't miss any: Patterned Pines, Season of Friendship, Best Wishes and More, Wings of Friendship, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Fundamental Phrases, The More the Merrier, and Christ is Born.

For embellishments, I used grosgrain ribbons in Real Red, Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip and Old Olive. I also used silver elastic cord, which is currently available in the Holiday Mini. Additional embellishments included Very Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, Jumbo Brads, Circle Designer Brads and Silver Brads. I also used a variety of Big Shot dies and punches- Top Note Die, Snowflake #2 Die, Stars #2 Die, Modern Label Punch, Designer Label Punch, 1 3/8" Punch, Slit Punch, and the 3/4" Circle Punch.

I've included photos of the various panels. There really is no set rule to decorating the envelopes and panels. I tried to make full use of all the scraps left behind when I used my die cuts.

The envelopes might fit a very small piece of candy if you like. In our family, we use our advent calendars to carve out some family time during the busy holiday season. We typically do an object lesson with verses from the bible which help count down to Christ's birth. This year I'm going to do a mix of the bible verses as well as a family activity such as going to look at Christmas lights in the neighborhood,watching our favorite holiday movie, making hot chocolate, taking cookies to a neighbor, making a snowman with vanilla ice cream (we can't count on snow in Bothell), making snow flakes to hang in the window, etc. As you create your list, be sure to look at your calendar and plan around existing activities for the month. If you need some inspiration for what to include, here are some links:

Idea Page 1

Idea Page 2- List of Good Deeds

Idea Page 3- Bible Verses/Devotion

Idea Page 4- Jesse Tree Devotions (Just use the verses and discussions without building the tree)

Idea Page 5- List of Verses, Family Activities, Crafts, etc.

If you'd like to purchase a kit complete with ribbon, assorted embellishments, ribbon, and the paper pre-cut (you add the stamped images), email me. Each kit is $12 + shipping & handling and I accept pay pal.

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

My Digital Studio Christmas Card

I'm really having lots of fun playing with My Digital Studio™. I just completed a series of webinar classes so that I can become certified through Stampin' Up!™ for this product. We did cards, scrapbooks, calendars, and multimedia projects. I'm amazed at the versatility of this product. I think you will be to.


Here is a Christmas Card I designed using My Digital Studio. The holidays will soon be here so it is time to start thinking about card designs. My Digital Studio has been a fun way for me to play with possible designs, layouts and color palettes. Many of the same stamp sets and embellishments you'll find in your Idea Book and Catalog will be available in My Digital Studio. I made this card using only the images available when you buy the basic version,

however, several downloads are available at the Stampin' Up! website. This is also the first card that I sent in for professional printing. It arrived a few days ago and I love the way it turned

out. You can also print the cards to your own home computer if you like. Great for Christmas cards or birthday invitations.


Recently I created a scrapbook album template for our soccer teams. After it was ready, I simply saved it without photos and then handed it over to my husband. With no help from me or even training from me, he was able to add the photos to the album creating a wonderful album. I'll try to post the blank template later so you can see how the scrapbook pages turn out.


For now, happy stamping and happy creating!


God Bless!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday so she of course needed a present. I decided to try my hand at some jewelry made using Filigree brads.

To create this necklace, I attached the brad prongs to jump rings to allow me to connect to the ends of the necklace chain and the bead strands.

I would have liked to have used some rhinestone brads to add some bling, but I didn't have any. However, I did have some great ruby colored beads. Using bead wire, I strung the ruby beads with some small round silver beads with a heart on them.


I wanted to present the gift in a nice package

so I altered a small brown chocolate box I had saved (Recycling is good!) by adding a strip of Candy Cane Lane Designer Series Paper (retired, but a good match with the necklace) to the lid. I also made a paper bow by curling small strips of the same paper and stacking them together.


Happy Birthday Mom!


God Bless and Happy Stamping!

My Digital Studio

I've been playing with My Digital Studio™. I'm finding this software to be very versatile and easy to use. Corporate headquarters at Stampin' Up!™ is presently taking demonstrators through webinar training and certifications to be sure we are fully versed in this product now that it is available for purchase by customers. I'm working on my certifications and have just created my first card. I'll be sending this to the professional printers through Stampin' Up! so that I will have the finished product on display at upcoming classes and workshops.

Since my Stampin' Up! anniversary is approaching, I decided to make an invitation to my upcoming Open House. I will likely use this as part of the evites I will be sending out for the Open House. Again, all the work was done in My Digital Studio.

Here is the front of the card (note, the copyright information is added only for posting on the blog):

And the inside:

One of the things I like about My Digital Studio is that it allows me to create some simple projects without committing anything to paper right away. I can play with colors, layouts, and stamp sets before I start cutting and gluing at my desk. The card layout shown here can easily be transitioned into a traditional paper card using all the products available through Stampin' Up! Although I'm sure I'll be using My Digital Studio for a variety of projects, I think I'll particularly enjoy having the ability to plan my projects electronically before I actually dive into the actual project.

This software will also allow me to better serve you, my customers. If you are struggling with an idea for a project, I can easily produce some layout ideas with a variety of color combinations and then provide them via email. The convenience of a demonstrator living in your craft room!

Be sure to come to my upcoming workshops and of course, the Open House on November 6 so you can see My Digital Studio in action.

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

Boo Treat Bag!

Another idea from the folks at Split Coast Stampers ... A boo treat bag just in time for Halloween! This cute little guy is made using three Pillow Boxes cut from Pumpkin Pie using the Big Shot.

The basket takes three pillow boxes, these are cut from Pumpkin Pie card stock and then sponged with Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad Ink. Then following the directions provided in the resource area, I assembled the pumpkin by adhering the boxes end to end. I trimmed the bottoms and the top to make sure everything was even and then added the face. The face was done using a variety of circle punches and free hand shapes that I cut. The handle is made from a strip of Certainly Celery card stock.

Pretty simple and easy. As you will see on Split Coast, you can also adapt this design to a coffee cup.

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

October Technique Workshop - DATE CHANGE

Most of you have should have seen the updated Evite, but I wanted to be sure to update here as well. Due to illness, I'm moving our October Technique Class from tonight to October 25 at 4:00 PM. We will still be making the Advent Calendars and I'll have a few October projects you might enjoy- including the new Build A Bear Diecuts. Class fee will be $10, guests are welcome. We are limited to a total of 10 participants so be sure to register in advance.

Please update your calendars and plan to join me on October 24th for this fun class!

God Bless and Happy Stamping!

Golf Party Part 3

Now for the golf course. Most of the holes were constructed using boxes with holes cut in them because I didn't think it would be a good idea to dig holes in our front yard. As I mentioned before, Tessa selected themes for each hole and I then decorated the boxes to represent the theme. I cut holes in the side of each box and then put a cup into the hole so it was easy to retrieve the ball after they sunk their shot. I don't have pictures of all the holes, but I'll post the ones I have.

Our first hole was a sand trap. Here, they just had to dig in a box of sand to find a colored ping pong ball which would become their golf ball. The box was cut and decorated as a sand castle and I put some sea shells around the box. We wrote each child's name on their ball.

The second hole was a music theme hole. I decorated the box with music notes and Hannah Montana pictures that I printed from the Disney website. I cut a hole in one of the music notes and the tee was a drum set that belongs to my son.

Hole three was the soccer themed hole. I used a retired Stampin' Up!™ set (I Love Soccer) to decorate the box and made the front look like a goal net. I cut the hole in the front of the box. Before the hole, I lined up some small orange cones which I use during soccer practice and they had to weave in and out of the cones before hitting it into the box.

The fourth hole was the kitty hole. I wrapped fuzzy yellowish fabric around the box, added a tail and face. The hole was the mouth of the cat.

The fifth hole was the birthday cake hole. I painted this box to resemble the cake I had made, including a candle and little golfer.

The sixth hole was a rock climbing wall. I made a fake rock wall out of some thick Styrofoam and cut hole toward the bottom. Then they just had to hit the ball through the hole and go to the next one.
The seventh hole was the dog hole. For this hole, I made the box look like a dog house. For fun, I added some croquet wickets in front of the hole.

The eighth hole was our water hazard. I used a plastic pan and I cut a frog lily pad out of craft foam and cut a hole in the foam to allow for a small cup. I also floated some plastic frogs in the water.

The final hole was also a birthday theme. I used a giant gift bag on this hole. I put a small box in the bottom of the bag for stability. I cut a hole in the side of the bag as well as the box.

After a round or two of golf, we headed to the 19th Hole (our dining room) for some food- tacos, pulled pork sandwiches, chips, veggies, and popcorn. After supper, we had some cake and opened presents. Before leaving, each party goer got to select a party favor bag from our Pro Shop. They also got to take home their golf club, ball and visors.

I made a map of the golf course using power point. I used this both on the score cards and I posted it at the start of the course.

There you have it, a wonderful and fun golf party, easy to adapt for any child based on their age and personality. Feel free to email me with any questions!

Golf Party Part 2

You've seen the invitation and cake, now for the party favor. This favor was made using the Fancy Favors Bigz Die as well as the Pennant Die for the Big Shot. I punched several boxes using Pumpkin Pie card stock and then several of the small pennants using some pattern felt.

Using my Crop-A-Dile, I punched holes along the side of the pennants to that I could attach them to a pencil like a flag for a golf hole. I filled the Fancy Favor bags with the party loot (I'll describe shortly) and added some shredded green for paper grass on top and then stuck the pencil in. All the favor flags have a 5 since it was Tessa's 5th birthday. I simply used puffy fabric paint to put the 5 on each flag.

For party favors, I bought notepads, the pencils used for the flags and some star shaped stickers. I also bought orange and green pony beads along with golf ball shaped beads. With these beads I made bracelets and zipper pulls to include in the party bags. These types of things are pretty standard party favors in our family. The note pads are always fun for the kids and can easily be customized to fit any party theme. I often use my stamps to make an image that I can add to the notepads to allow for customization.

For activity, we actually played miniature golf in the front yard, course designed by Tessa. I sent them out on the course in foursomes, each with a golf pro (one of my two older daughters). This helped keep the kids moving and not fighting over who got to go next. I made score cards with photos of my daughter and these also served as Thank You notes. They had crayons to take along with them for scoring purposes. The par for each hole was of course, five.

For the clubs, we cut PVC pipe to sizes suitable for the kids' ages. Each piece of pipe had a small slit in one end. I cut a golf club head shape out of a corrugated plastic sign and inserted it into the small slit. I then used orange duct tape to wrap the top to be the handle. Each kid got to take their club home. Before hitting the green, I had each child make a golf visor using foam visors I ordered from an online party supply source. They also were able to practice their swing on our make shift putting green- hula hoops in our side yard and a bucket of wiffle golf balls. These two activities helped kill some time as we waited for enough kids to arrive to start the first foursome.

Using powerpoint, I made a map of our course and added that to the score sheet. I also posted it near the first hole. The map was simple and I relied mostly on clip art available through power point or free on the web. Tessa selected the following holes for her course:

• Hole 1: Sand Trap, a Sand Castle
• Hole 2: Hannah Montana Music
• Hole 3: I Love Soccer
• Hole 4: Meow! - Cat Hole
• Hole 5: I Smell Cake- Birthday Cake Hole
• Hole 6: Rock Climbing
• Hole 7: Fetch! - Dog Hole
• Hole 8: Froggie - Water Hazard
• Hole 9: Birthday Presents
  

In my next post, I will share photos of each hole along with more detailed descriptions.

God Bless and Happy Stamping!