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!