Kid Pick Designs - Phoebe's Choice

The second card for kid picks, Phoebe's choice.  Phoebe selected Wings of Friendship, a hostess set.  Remember, I had my typical supplies in front of me, but no stamps and I needed to create a card in less than a 1/2 hour.  In general, Phoebe's favorite color is purple so I knew using purple hues would be good.  Also, I've been seeing several cards combining purple hues with yellow hues, such as crushed curry so I decided to give it a shot.

To create this card, you will need:

• Stamp Sets:  Wings of Friendship
• Card Stock:  Elegant Eggplant, Crushed Curry, Very Vanilla
• Classic Stampin' Pads:  Rich Razzleberry
• Tools:  Pinking Hearts Edge Border

This card is a pretty basic layout.  The interesting/tricky part is the little "lace" along the bottom of the image.  For this, I cut my Very Vanilla card stock to size and rubbed it along the edge of my table to "break" the fibers of the card stock.  I punched the edge and then did very small accordian folds to pleat the paper.  That was it, simple once you know the trick.  I glued that to the back of the Crushed Curry so it will peek out from the bottom.  I stamped my bird in Rich Razzleberry onto my Very Vanilla and then cut to size.  I intentionally trimmed off part of the image and then added an extra bit of swirl to the top left corner.  I wanted to fill the entire piece of paper.  On another piece of Crushed Curry, I stamped my flowers.  I assembled my card and then added a stamped sentiment and another flower on the inside. 

Phoebe's Review: "I really, really, really like it."

Tomorrow's card, Tessa's pick.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'
Charity

Kid Pick Designs - Isabel's Choice

As promised a few days back, I'm going to be sharing with you four cards "ordered" by my children.  As I was working on some cards and projects, I decided to offer myself a bit of a mini-challenge.  I had papers, inks, tools and accessories in front of me, but no stamps.  I called each of my four children in one by one, asked them to randomly grab a current stamp set from my shelf and hand it to me to make a card.  My plan was to have a finished card within a 1/2 hour of their stamp selection and I would not look anywhere for ideas or inspiration- just create.  Today and the next three days, you'll see the results of this challenge.  We'll begin with Isabel's selection, Kind Words.




For this card you will need:

• Stamp Set:  Kind Words, Whisper White
• Card Stock:  Lavendar Lace
• Designer Series Paper:  Sweet Pea
• Ink:  Stazon Jet Black, Pretty In Pink
• Tools and Accessories:  Paper Snips, Watercolor Pencils, Stampin' Pastels

This card is a bit tricky and takes some patience.  If you have the Sweet Pea paper, you'll have seen the pages with a group of beautiful butterflies flying mostly in one corner of the page.  This inspired me to very carefully cut around the butterflies creating a "frame" for my stamped image.  I cut just enough around the butterflies such that I could tuck the corners of my Whisper White in behind the butterflies.  I also cut a few extra butterflies and flowers from the same page to have on hand to balance things once my card was complete.  Once my proportions and trimming were complete, I stamped my image onto my Whisper White card stock using the Stazon.  Then, using my pastels and pencils, I colored the image.  Along the edges, I added a bit of Pretty in Pink using a sponging technique.  I put my image into my butterfly frame, gluing down all the butterflies and adding some extras to the right to balance things.  I adhered it to my card front.

On the inside, I used a few pieces of scrap DSP to embellish the inside.  This is the reverse design for the butterfly pages.  I also stamped my sentiment from Kind Words.

Isabel's review, "Cool, Mom."

God Bless and Happy Stampin'
Charity

Sweet Pea Butterflies

Earlier this week, Tessa had an interesting homework assignment.  She was tasked with going on a "paper hunt" around our house.  She was just supposed to find different types of paper and talk about their purposes or what it could be made into.  Can you imagine the treasure trove she found in our house?  Card stocks-regular and textured, designer series papers, stamping magazines, chip board die cuts and letters, Scrappin' Kits, items such as match boxes, favor bags, etc.  I'm sure she had quite a report in class the next day.

Top on both our lists was the new Sweet Pea Designer Series paper.  The patterns and colors are just stunning!  This is something new for Stampin' Up! TM as it is a stack of 48 sheets of paper, 2 each of 24 designs which all coordinate with the Sweet Pea Stitched Felt.  It is well worth the $24.95 you'll spend. 
Today's card uses some of this paper, it is just perfect for Spring.  In a few days, I'll show you some more projects and cards using this paper.


For today's card you will need:

• Stamp Sets: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Flight of the Butterfly 
• Card Stock:  Lavendar Lace, Very Vanilla
• Designer Series Papers:  Tea Party and Sweet Pea
• Inks:  Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad, Versamark
• Tools and Accessories:  Big Shot, Beautiful Butterflies Die, Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Trim Border

I began by stamping a butterfly in Versamark all over the front to create a background.  Next, I cut my Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper to size, punched one edge with the Scallop Trim Border, added a piece of Old Olive grosgrain ribbon to the opposite edge,  and adhered it to the left side of my card.  For my butterfly, I cut a large butterfly from the Tea Party DSP and a smaller one from Very Vanilla.  I glued them together at the center and tied a small piece of Old Olive ribbon around the body.  I frayed the ribbon at the top for the attennae.  After that, I used sticky strip to adhere to my card front and then stamped the sentiment "Get Well Wishes" in the lower right corner. 

This type of card is very simple and easy to make but has beautiful impact.  Keeping a selection of Designer Series Papers on hand will allow you to create simple and beautiful cards with very little effort, but your recipent will think you spent hours on the card.  Plus, if a sweet five year old girl in your life needs to go on a paper hunt for homework, she'll find a treasure trove as well.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'
Charity

My Story - Why I Became a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

I think it is important for you to know why I became a demonstrator for Stampin' Up!

I first learned about Stampin' Up! when I was invited to a workshop in a friend's home.  Prior to that evening, I had purchased a few rubber stamps from other suppliers for various projects such as birthday invitations and holiday cards.  During that workshop, we made a Valentine's Card which I eventually gave to my husband.  I also ordered some stamps which I planned to use for future invitations.  At that time, I was definitely hooked on rubber stamping. 

Although I did not maintain a relationship with that particular demonstrator, I did eventually find a demonstrator who I did maintain a relationship with and I began hosting catalog shows on a regular basis and subsequently joined a stamp club with this demonstrator.  With each catalog and idea book, I always found a hostess stamp set that I thought would be perfect for an upcoming project which meant hosting a show.  The sets were normally Level II or III stamp sets so I needed a good show. 

Being part of a stamp club also exposed me to all kinds of online resources such as Splitcoast Stampers and Stampin Addicts.  By this time, I was nearly exclusively using Stampin' Up! products.  These sites often post photos and news from Stampin' Up! events including the 2008 convention.  My demonstrator, Shannon, had approached me several times about becoming a demonstrator and I had always claimed that I didn't have time to become a demonstrator.  However, as I was looking at the posts on Splitcoast about the 2008 convention, I felt like I was missing out on something remarkable and exciting, so when Shannon returned from convention, she got an email from me saying I was ready to talk about joining.

I joined in late October 2008, hosting my first open house in November.  As a new demonstrator, the first order you submit is eligible for a 30% commission rather than the normal 20%.  This allowed me to invest in the Big Shot, one of my favorite tools.  My first show was also over $400 so I earned an extra volume rebate as well.  In one show, I earned my minimum sales for the quarter.  As for finding customers, all those folks who supported each of the shows I hosted, are now customers.

I wasn't sure I would have time for my business, but I find that being a demonstrator makes me find time for engaging in my craft.  I no longer consider rubber stamping to be just a hobby.  I do indeed consider it to be my craft.  I enjoy not only the rewards that I receive from Stampin' Up! but also the rewards of sharing my craft with other people.  I delight in their excitement over a new technique or product and I feel proud to be part of that excitement.  Inspire.  Create.  Share.  Stampin' Up!'s statement has become an essential part of my life.

What about you?  Do you want to make paper crafts more than a hobby?  Would you like to earn 20% off all Stampin' Up! products?  Then join my Stampin' Up! team!


What is in it for YOU
1. A good source of income
2. A fun job where you get paid to show others how to make greeting cards and scrapbook pages
3. YOU get a discount on everything you purchase from now on!
4. You earn free goods on every order.
5. YOU decide when you will work, who you will work with, and YOU PICK your days off!

You can make your business as big as you want it to be.  It is all up to you and I'll be happy to provide you with all the resources you need to grow your business.


As a member of my team, you will attend all my events for free.  You will also get to be a member of the Design Team for my new yahoo group, Stampin' with the Creative Frog.  You'll also get access to events through my upline and you'll be among the first to hear the latest news from Stampin' Up!  Currently, Stampin' Up! is offering 15% off the starter kit.  This is well worth the money spent, full of ink, papers, stamps and even an option to add My Digital Studio.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

Day 10: 10 Days, 10 Cards

Here it is, Day 10, our final day and the final card.  I was still feeling romantic after yesterday's card so I thought I would end our series with an anniversary card. 

For this card, I used the Level 1 Hostess Set from the Idea Book and Catalog, Love Bug.  I picked this set as my free set with my last order with the intent of letting the kids use it for Valentine Cards,  since we always do homemade cards.  This card started as another Valentine Card, but once I got the front done, it seemed more like an anniversary card so I stamped the Happy Anniversary sentiment on the inside instead.

Supplies for this card:

• Stamps:  Love Bug and Teeny Tiny Wishes
• Card Stock:  Real Red, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip
• Ink:  Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad
• Tools & Accessories:  Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Watercolor Pencils

This card is another simple and easy design. I stamped the love bugs on the Whisper White and colored them with the watercolor pencils.   I used the Pinking Hearts Border Punch along the bottom of my Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla card stock pieces.  I then layered the two pieces together and attached them to the front of my card.  Earlier in this series, I shared a card where I had gathered the ribbon.  I did the same thing with my chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon and adhered it above my love bugs.  I wanted it to look like a scrunchy bow rather than going all the way across the paper.  I stamped the "love bugs" sentiment on the front and then added the Happy Anniversary sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes to the inside. 

So, that brings us to the end of our 10 Days, 10 Cards Series.  I hope you've enjoyed them.  Leave me a comment telling me which card or technique you liked the most and you'll get an entry into my Stampin' Away the Winter Blahs contest.  Let me know what you think!

In a few days, I'll begin a four day series of cards using stamp sets picked at random by my children.  Yes, I was just brave enough to tell me kids, "Go to my shelf and pick any stamp set at random and I'll create a card in 30 minutes or less."  It was fun and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you. 

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!

Charity

Day 9: 10 Cards, 10 Days

For day 9, love is in the air!  Today's card is a Valentine using some non-traditional colors- Basic Black and Melon Mambo.  I've been seeing this color combination on a number of websites (if I CASEd you, please leave me a comment and let me know, I'll enter you in my Stampin' Away the Winter Blahs contest).  I recall someone saying this color combination made them think of Victoria's Secret and I would agree.  Definitely a different mood with these colors than you get with the more traditional combinations used for Valentine's Day. 

You will need:

• Stamps/Wheels:  I {Love} Love, Love You Much, Teeny Tiny Wishes
• Card Stock:  Basic Black and Melon Mambo
• Ink:  Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad and Jumbo Cartridge
• Accessories:  Basic Black 5/8" Satin Ribbon
• Tools:  Heart to Heart Punch, Pinking Hearts Border Punch

To create this card, you will need to roll the I {Love} Love wheel across a piece of Melon Mambo card stock and then trim to size.  Cut a piece of Basic Black card stock and use the Pinking Hearts Border along the bottom edge.  Layer the Melon Mambo piece on top of the Basic Black. Tie the ribbon around the front of the card such that the bow is to the right of the card and then glue the stamped image on top of the ribbon.  For the hearts in the lower right corner, I used the Heart to Heart punch to cut the two larger hearts from Basic Black.  I also stamped the hearts from the Love You Much stamp set and trimmed one heart as  close to the image as possible and then glued it to the black hearts I had just punched.  This gave me more of a layered effect.  I glued this to the front with the second black heart on top. 

For the inside of the card, I stamped the Happy Valentine's sentiment from Teeny Tiny Phrases as well as some more hearts from Love You Much.

Once again, the end result is too feminine for me to give to my husband but perfect for him to give to me.  I'm thinking he won't have to stand in line at the card store this year, he can just snag a card out of my desk. 

I hope you enjoyed day nine!  Tomorrow will be the last card in our 10 Cards, 10 Days series. 

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

Day 8: 10 Days, 10 Cards

We are in the final days of our 10 Days, 10 Cards.  Today's card features the My Matryoshka stamp set from the Occasions Mini Catalog.  I also used the Scallop Trim Border from the Sale-A-Bration catalog (which I earned for free on my last order).

For this card, you will need:

• Stamp Sets:  My Matryoshka
• Card Stock: Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, and Garden Green (inside of card)
• Stamp Pads: Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad and Versamark Stamp Pad
• Accessories and Tools:  Scallop Trim Border, Watercolor Pencils

I stamped the flower bundle randomly on the front of my card using the Versamark.  I used Basic Black to stamp the nesting dolls onto the Very Vanilla and colored them the watercolor pencils.  I chose to color them rather than watercolor the image because nesting dolls tend to have very vibrant and bold colors so I wanted that type of look for my nesting dolls.  I cut my Chocolate Chip to the same height as my Very Vanilla but slightly wider.  Then I punched the sides with the Scallop Trim Border.  I then layered the Very Vanilla with stamped image onto the Chocolate Chip and adhered it to the card front.   I added the sentiment, another flower bundle, and a small piece of scrap Garden Green card stock to the inside to finish off the card.

A very simple and easy card.  This would be an easy card if you needed to create a large quantity as the only real time consuming part is coloring the nesting dolls.  You can also completely change the look of this card by watercoloring the image with the pencils rather than simply coloring them as I did. 

There's day eight, simple and easy.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

Day 7: 10 Days, 10 Cards

Time for Day 7... A Valentine's Card.  This card uses the Big Shot and the new Beary Lovely Die Cut available in the current Occasions Mini Catalog.  When I saw the rose on this die cut, I immediately pictured a bouquet of white roses, just like the first bouquet of roses my husband gave me.  This card is a very easy project, easily 20 minutes or less.

First, gather your supplies:

• Soft Suede Card Stock
• Kraft Card Stock
• Real Red Card Stock
• Garden Green Card Stock
• Whisper White Card Stock
• Hemp Twine
• Red tissue or cellophane
• Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set
• Modern Label Punch
• Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad
• Silver Brads

First you'll need to create your roses.  First cut twelve from the Garden Green, then use paper snips to cut off the bud, leaving behind the stem and the leaves that surround the bud.  After, cut 12 buds using the Whisper White.  You will want to cut the full bud, including the leaves that surround it so that you have enough to adhere the two parts together.  Now, glue your buds to the back of your stems such that the Garden Green is on top.  The two way glue pen works well for this project because you will get less glue on your fingers. 

Now that you have twelve perfect long stem roses, build yourself a bouquet on top of your cellophane or tissue square.  Gather the tissue around the roses and tie with the hemp twine.  This leaves you with a nice three dimensional bouquet for your card. 

For the card front, use the Texture Plate #4 Texturz plate to emboss the Kraft with the cheese cloth type plate.  Layer that onto my card front with Real Red.  Using Soft Suede ink, stamp the Just for You sentiment onto Real Red and punched it out with the Modern Label punch.  Add two brads and attach it to the card with dimensionals.  Lastly, use sticky strip to attach your bouquet to the top of the Kraft card stock.  On the inside, I stamped the Valentine sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes on the inside and added one last rose as a final touch.

Hope you enjoy this project!  Even if you don't have the Build a Bear die cuts, consider adding Beary Lovely to your die collection just for the hearts and roses you can make!

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

Day 6: 10 Days, 10 Cards

Day 6, time for another card!  This one features the Big Shot.  I enjoyed making snowflakes using empty soda cans so much that I wanted to try some other die cuts.  Remember, this can only be done with your steel rule dies and be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands.

 

I started with the Stampin' Up! TM Beautiful Butterflies die.  As with the snowflakes, they cut without any trouble at all and the edges were no longer sharp afterward.  Once I had cut the butterflies, I wanted to add some detail to the wings.  To do this, I decided to use my Texturz Plates (Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I).

 

For the remainder of the card, I used:

• Melon Mambo card stock
• Bermuda Bay card stock
• Whisper White card stock
• Bermuda Bay Patterns Designer Series Paper
• Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad
• Bermuda Bay Stampin' Pad
• Bermuda Bay Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon

 

For the card, I brushed my Melon Mambo and Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pads to brush color on the edges of the Whisper White card stock.  I adhered the Bermuda Bay card stock onto the Melon Mambo card front and then layered the Whisper White to the top.  Using the Bermuda Bay designer series paper, I cut two additiona butterflies and adhered them to my card stock.  My card was ready for some butterfly bling!

 

To add bodies to each of the butterflies, I folded pieces of the ribbon in half adhering with sticky tape such that the polka dots were visible.  I added sticky strip down the center of each butterfly on the front and back.  After, I wrapped my ribbon around the butterfly bodies making sure there was a bit extra for the antennae.   I then used sticky strip to mount the butterflies on top of the Bermuda Bay designer series paper butterflies.  Here is a second photo the card showing the butterfly against the designer series paper.

 

This will of course be a card that requires hand delivery to keep the butterflies from being crushed and the added pleasure of seeing the recipients response!

 

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!

Charity

Day 5: 10 Days, 10 Cards

Can you believe that we are half way through our 10 Days of Cards?  I'm surprised we are already to the half way point.  I guess time flies when you're having fun stamping!

This card is another CASE of a card shown in Stampin' Success.  In the February issue, they challenged us to try some pop art on a card.  Pop art was introduced in the 1950's with Any Warhol being well known for creating some of the most familiar pieces.  Creating pop art on a card is a quick and easy, requiring no special technique.  According to Stampin' Success, here is what you'll need to do:

1.  Choose an everyday object- fruit, car, animal, etc.  I think a mostly solid image will work best for this type of design, but line art images can work as well.
2.  Use solid-colored card stock as your canvas.
3.  Select nontraditional color combinations for your stamped images and image backgrounds that you can mix and match.
4.  Keep it simple and clean.  Do not go overboard with the embellishments.

For my pop art card, I decided on the owl from Animal Stories.  Nice clean, solid image.  I then selected Real Red, Brilliant Blue and Tempting Turquoise as my ink and then color back ground.  I also cut three equal squares in each of these colors as well.  After I stamped my owls on Whisper White and then cut them out.  I adhered each of them to a square such that the background was a different color.  Then I adhered all my squares to another larger piece of Whisper White card stock.  In the remaining empty space, I added the sentiment, "so happy to have a friend like you" from The More the Merrier.

For my card base, I selected Kraft. I adhered a strip of Real Red onto my card front, layering a second strip of Tempting Turquoise on top of that.  The final step was to add my pop art canvas to my card. 

As an alternate design, you can also punch your three images, use die cuts or even three flowers from Flower Fusion.  Options that would certainly increase the ease of this card design and still yield the same result.  Give this type of card a try and see how you like it. 

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

Day 4: 10 Days, 10 Cards

Moving on to Day 4 with a card you can send to a friend just to say "Hi" and offer a little encouragement.  It also utilizes a punch of the hearts I had left over from the Day 3 card, our Valentine Wreath.  This card is relatively simple using a clean layout.

For this card you will need:

• Stamp Sets:  Cheep Talk
• Card Stock:  Bashful Blue and Whisper White
• Designer Series Paper:  Tea Party
• Stampin' Pads and Stampin' Write Markers:  Chocolate Chip, Glorious Green, Brilliant Blue, Dusty Durango, and So Saffron
• Tools:  Small Heart Punch and Heart to Heart Punch

Use a sponge to apply a small amount of Brilliant Blue to the background of the Whisper White.  For the branch, I inked up the leaves with the Glorious Green and then wiped off the branch portions and added the Chocolate Chip with my Stampin' Write markers.  I added some of my leftover hearts as flowers to my branches.  I stamped too birds in Brilliant Blue using a similar technique described for the branch, wiping off the smaller elements (beak and legs) and then adding the additional colors.  I cut these birds out and added them to the branches. 

I cut the Tea Party DSP to size and adhered it along the side and bottom of my Whisper White with my birds and branch.  Using a small piece of Whisper White, I stamped my "hello there" sentiment with two flowers in So Saffron on either side.  I glued this to the bottom piece of Tea Party DSP.

Pretty simple, but very sweet.  Thanks for stopping by!  Leave me a comment and you're one visit closer to another entry in my "Stamp Away the Winter Blahs" contest.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

Day 3: 10 Days, 10 Cards

It's day three, time for another card.  I'm throwing in a Valentine's Card.  This card is inspired by a project that Stampin' Up! TM featured in the demonstrator magazine, Stampin' Success.  I know I've mentioned this magazine before, but I have to say it again, one of my favorite demonstrator perks.  Full of great ideas and this one was no exception.  The original project was a full size wreath using larger hearts but I was immediately inspired to create a smaller version for a card. 

For this project, you will need the following items:

• Petal Party Simply Scrappin' Kit (pink polka dot paper)
• Card Stock: Real Red, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Rose Red, Whisper White, and Kraft
• Ink:  Real Red Stampin' Pad
• Accessories:  Pretty in Pink Grosgrain Ribbon, Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals
• Tools:  Circle Scissors Plus, Beary Lovely Sizzlit Die, Heart to Heart Punch, and Small Heart Punch

To begin, cut a ring by cutting a small hole and then a larger diameter circle.  Just use some scrap cardstock for this as it will not be seen.  Then, tie your ribbon around the ring as you would to hang a wreath on the wall using a bow at the top.  Set that aside. 

Second, brush the edges of your Whisper White with the Real Red ink.  Let that dry while, you punch/cut lots and lots of hearts using your Real Red, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Rose Red and Petal Party papers.  Grab your glue stick and start randomly placing hearts on your ring.  As you fill your ring with hearts, begin to layer and build height using your dimensionals.  This will help it pop a bit. The Beary Lovely die includes the letters to spell "LOVE" so I saved that when cutting my hearts and added that as a finishing touch to my wreath. 

Once complete, I used Stampin' Dimensionals to mount my wreath to the Whisper White.  To give the appearance of a wreath hanging on a wall, I added a brad at the top of the ribbon under my bow.  Last, I adhered to my Kraft card stock.

This card isn't overly mushy or romantic and would be well suited to give to a friend or relative.  Thanks for looking!

God Bless and Happy Stampin'

Charity

PS Let me know if you want to learn more about the benefits of becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, including the wonderful Stampin' Success magazine.

Day 2: 10 Days, 10 Cards

Day Two, a card featuring one of the new Sale-A-Bration sets, Good Neighbor.  For this card you will need:

• Stamps:  Good Neighbor
• Card Stock:  So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Bermuda Bay
• Stampin' Pads and Stampin' Write Markers:  Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Rose Red, and Bermuda Bay
• Tools:  Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, Watercolor Pencils
• Accessories:  Bermuda Bay Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon

For this card, I wanted a pierced paper look at the bottom.  As I've done in the past, I used my sewing machine without thread.  I've had this work perfectly several times in the past, but I'm thinking that my sewing machine needs to be serviced because the stitches were not all that even.  I think I may have to invest in the paper piercing tool.  The piercing was my first step, I did this approximately 1/2 inches from the bottom of the card (top folded card).  I set that aside and went to stamping.

My houses and tree were stamped on the Very Vanilla card stock.  You will want a Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to achieve perfect placement of your houses and tree.  Alternately, select the unmounted version of this set to allow yourself to mount more than one stamp on your clear blocks.  For those who may not know, the Good Neighbor set comes with roof and house stamps separately so you can mix and match.  I stamped one house in Dusty Durango and a second in Crushed Curry.  For the second house, I used my Rose Red marker to color just the heart on the door.   The roof of each house was stamped in Soft Suede.  I stamped some clouds above my houses.  I colored the details of my images using my Watercolor Pencils.  I mounted my houses onto a piece of Bermuda Bay and adhered to my card.  Along the side and bottom I hand wrote, "from our house... to your house."

I wanted the ribbon to have a bit more texture and depth than normal, a scrunchy feel.  To do this, I used a straight running hand stitch with some thread and gathered my thread.  Using sticky strip, I attached it to the card just above my paper piercing allowing the ribbon to be scrunched up.  I really like the way the ribbon turned out and will definitely be doing this again in the future.

Keep in mind, this stamp set can only be earned during Sale-A-Bration, either by hosting a show, placing an order for $50 or more, or joining my team.  Visit my promotion page for more details and information about the fantastic benefits of hosting a show during Sale-A-Bration.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!

Charity

Day 1: 10 Days, 10 Cards

For the next 10 days, I'm going to share with 10 different cards with you.  The cards will cover a variety of occasions and techniques.  I will be donating some of my cards to our TLC ministry at our church.  Our TLC ministry is responsible for sending cards for special occasions, encouragement, get well wishes, etc.  Most of you know that making cards is my therapy.  I'm not sure it is cheaper than a professional therapy, but it certainly is enjoyable.  I encourage you to bring out your stamp supplies on at least a weekly basis and just create for the sake of creating.  You can set the card aside for when needed or find a group or organization that can make use of them.

Now onto the card.  For this card, you will need the following items:

• Stamp Sets:  The More the Merrier, Cheep Talk and Teeny Tiny Wishes
• Card Stock:  Real Red, Barely Banana, Whisper White, and Bermuda Bay
• Stampin' Pads and Stampin' Write Markers: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, and Basic Black
• Tools:  Modern Label Punch, Beary Lovely Sizzlit Die, Watercolor Pencils, Small Heart Punch

I really like the little birds with the flowers hanging from their beaks and I wanted to carry forward that look to another part of the card.  I used my Stampin' Write Markers to ink my branch stamp from Cheep Talk and stamped it to the front of my card.  Using my Chocolate Chip marker and a straight edge, I drew my strings by hand.  Using the Beary Lovely Sizzlit Die and Small Heart Punch, I cut three hearts from Real Red.  I then adhered them to the card front at the bottom of my hand drawn strings.  For the birds, I picked three and inked only three of them so they would fit on my card.  I colored the birds with my Watercolor Pencils and then mounted the Whisper White onto the Bermuda Bay.  Lastly, I stamped the "friend to friend" sentiment on Whisper White and punched it with my Modern Label punch. 

Feel free to leave me a note or drop me an email if you have questions.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!

Charity

Stampin' Away the Winter Blahs

We already know Sale-A-Bration is here and talk of free stamps is in the air, but I'm about to sweeten the deal...  Today is the beginning of my "Stampin Away the Winter Blahs" Challenge.  This Challenge will go from now until March 31, 2010.  On March 31, one lucky winner will be the proud owners of a new stamp set.

Increase your chances to win by:

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  Attend a Technique Class: 1 tickets
  
  
  
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  Earn 1 ticket for every $10 (pre-tax/pre-shipping) you spend during Sale-A-Bration
  
  
  
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  Host a Workshop/Catalog Show: 10 tickets
  
  
  
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  Earn 5 Bonus Tickets for each friend/guest you bring to Technique Class and for any referrals.
  
  
  
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  Earn 1 ticket for every 5 times you visit my blog and leave a comment (you must include your name and email so I know where to reach you)
  
  
  
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  Earn a ticket for joining my mailing list.
  
  
  

The challenge begins NOW and will last until March 31.  The winner will be drawn and notified on April 1.  All entries through my blog or blog comments must include your name and email address.  I will also announce and offer additional opportunities to earn tickets on my blog and at upcoming classes so check in frequently for more chances to earn tickets.  The more tickets you earn, the better your chances to win an extra stamp set!  Also, watch your email for notifications on special events and opportunities to earn more tickets.

Upcoming Classes:*

February 19 ~ CD Jewel Case Photo Cube

March 19 ~ Faux Alligator Mini Purse

Visit my SU website for additional class details

Call today to book your workshop!

*Project content for Technique Classes is subject to change, visit my SU website for most updated information.

Everyone on my current mailing list will receive evites to all upcoming events. Not on my mailing list? Email me at stampinfrog@yahoo.com or visit SU website to request my newsletter.  If you are new to my newsletter, just requesting to be on my list will earn you an entry!

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

(Note, this promotion is offered only by Charity Lawson, Independent Demonstrator and is not endorsed by Stampin' Up! TM)

A Preview of Our February Technique Class

For our February Technique Class, we will be making photo cubes using jewel cases for CDs, an idea from instructables.com.  For this project, you will need to bring at least 4 photos for your project.   The quantity of photos depends on the size.  If you want to use wallet size photos, you may want to consider bringing more than 4 photos.  You will also need to mount your photos to the cube during class and will not be able to add them later so don't forget your photos!

Our February class will be held on February 19, 2010 at 6:00 PM in my home.  To RSVP for this class or to be added to my invite list for the class, email me today.  These photo cubes make for perfect Mother's or Father's Day gifts.  You can also make one of these cubes for the teens/tweens in your life.  Use some of their favorite photos and then load the cube with fun gifts and then wrap like an Easter basket.  It works well as a gift for any occasion or time of the year.

As a sample, I've shown the cube I made as a gift for my husband at Christmas.   You'll see two vies of this cube.  It was made with Garden Green card stock and Bella Bleu Designer Series Paper.  I picked Garden Green because it coordinates well with our bedspread and I intended for him to use it to hold his cell phone and change on his night stand.  I used photos of the kids and a family hiking trip.  You can also see stamps from "Define Your Life" in the photo.  I also made cubes for my parents, my grandma, Tim's parents, my sister, a few friends at church, and Tim's grandma. 

A second example of the cube is one I made for a Sunday School teacher at our church who is battling cancer.  I'm posting this particular cube less to show off the cube and more to request your prayers.  Please take the time to remember Sally and her family in prayer.  They need prayers and encouragement right now.  For this cube, I had all the kids at Sunday School make handprint flowers.  These are to remind Sally of all the hands folded in prayer for her and her family.  I will be working on a similar project for her parents who also need encouragement right now.  Here is the finished project. Sally's cube uses retired papers (Baja Breeze) and I used the "What Cancer Cannot Do" and a design in My Digital Studio.  I exported it to a jpeg and printed it at the local drug store.  As I've said before, I love the versatility of this software.  It allows me to create embellishments and journal text with coordinating images. 

As we get closer to our class date, I will post the detailed instructions for this project.  It is a rather involved list of instructions which I will post with the sample which will be more representative of our project.  For the February technique class, we will use paper from the new Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Pack available in the current Occasions Mini Catalog. 

Email me today to RSVP for our class.  Class fee of $10 applies and space will be limited.  As always, any attendee who places an order of $50 or more will save $5 on their class fee.  If you book a show, you can also save $5. Do both and your class is free!

God Bless and Happy Stampin!

Charity

January Technique Class Review

I just wanted to share the fruits of our labor for January!  As you know, we used those wonderful sweet treat cups.  We used the circle ones, but don't forget, for a limited time, Stampin' Up! TM is offering these cups in a heart shape, perfect for Valentines!

For this project you will need:

• Cardstock:  Real Red, Very Vanilla, and Soft Suede
• Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Phrases, I {Love} Love Wheel, Love You Much (optional)
• Inks:  Soft Suede, Real Red, and Chocolate Chip
• Tools:  1 3/4" Circle Punch or Circle Scissor Plus, Small Heart Punch, Heart to Heart Punch (optional)
• Accessories:  Sweet Treat Cups, 1/2" Library Clips

Using an approach similar to previous projects (follow the link for photos and further explanation), our candy hole is cut through multiple layers of card stock; the Very Vanilla and Soft Suede squares and then the card front.  The sweet treat cup "bubble" goes through the hole in your Very Vanilla and adheres to your Soft Suede, basically making a sandwich.  Then, by placing sticky strip on only three sides (bottom, left and right) of the soft suede, you create a pocket.  Then, using a piece of Very Vanilla card stock, you have a little door that slides into the pocket you created.  You can decorate your door with stamps, heart punches, etc.  I used a heart punched in Real Red using the Small Heart Punch.  You could also use Love You Much or other stamp sets to decorate.  This will be seen once someone eats up all the candy.  Prior to cutting the hole in my Very Vanilla, I brushed the edges of my square with Real Red ink. 

For the second square, I used the I {Love} Love wheel and inked just one section with Soft Suede In-Color Marker and rolled on my Very Vanilla.  I also brushed the edges with Real Red.  I adhered this to my card front in the opposite corner.  In the other two corners, I mounted some hearts cut from Soft Suede using the Small Heart Punch.  I stamped the Happy Valentine's Day sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes. 

Decorate the inside of the card using hearts punched with the Heart to Heart Punch and Love You Much stamp set.

For all the attendees in my class, I also made a goodie bag.  For those who RSVP'd in advance, I had monogramed bags available for them filled with yummy Valentine candies.  Just a little something special for my class attendees, some encouragement for the rest of you to consider joining us next time.  These bags were created using the Fancy Favor Die Cut for the Big Shot.  I punched hearts with the Heart to Heart Punch or Small Heart Punch to use as embellishments on the bags.  I also stamped the bags with a variety of current heart punches including ones from The More the Merrier and I {Love} Love.

And, as a reminder, it is Sale-A-Bration, the time of year when you earn free merchandise just for purchasing product and even more merchandise for hosting a show.  Did you like this project?  Consider hostsing a show where you and your guests can make a similar project.  As a hostess, you will be eligible for the typical  hostess benefits listed on page 11 of the Idea Book and Catalog in addition to Sale-A-Bration Merchandise for all shows with $300 or more in sales.  During Sale-A-Bration, you only need 6 guests ordering $50 each to achieve a $300 show.  Since everyone wants to take home free merchandise, it takes very little effort to get 6 guests to spend $50.  Contact me today to book your show!  Act fast, my calendar will fill up quickly and Sale-A-Bration ends on March 31, 2009.

God Bless and Happy Stampin!

Charity

I {Love} Love

Love is in the air and it is time for some Valentines.  This card design would work for either a man or a woman.  For this card, you will need the following items:

• I {Love} Love Stampin' Wheel and Handle
• Define Your Life Stamp Set
• Fundamental Phrases Stamp Set
• Stampin' Up! TM Backgrounds I Texturz Plates
• Chocolate Chip Card Stock
• Real Red Card Stock
• Kraft Card Stock
• Very Vanilla Card Stock
• Round Tab Punch
• Small Heart Punch
• Basic Black Stampin' Pad
• Basic Black Jumbo Cartridge
• Stampin' Dimensionals

This card is a standard 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inch card.  Each embossed the card front using the Backgrounds Texturz Plate.  As a reminder, spritz your paper with a little water when usign the Texturz folders.  You will get a better image.  Use the I {Love} Love wheel on the Real Red card stock.  Trim to size.  You will also stamp the "always" sentiment onto the Real Red and then mount to your Kraft Card stock.  Stamp the LOVE sentiment from Fundamental phrases onto Very Vanilla card stock and punch with the Round Tab punch.  Attach to the end of the Kraft Card stock.  Punch a heart from Chocolate Chip and add to your Kraft mat.  Use dimensionals to mount to the front of your card.  I biased mine closer to the bottom and right of the card front.

I'm also going to enter this in a Challenge over at Late Night Stampers.  Wish me luck!

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!

Charity

Faux Marble - Shaving Cream

As promised in a previous post, here is Phoebe's birthday invitation design using shaving cream to create a fun marble look.  My kids absolutely LOVED this technique.  When I finished making the paper, Liam actually shouted "FANTASTIC!"  He also used my iPhone the entire time to take photos of the process so I'll share some of those interesting shots.  For additional details, including better photos, visit Splitcoast Stampers resource gallery.

I should also add that I could have used less shaving cream but it was my first time and I wanted to be sure I had enough to cover a full 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of card stock.  I thought I had left enough in the can for a few more shaves by my husband, but he said I used up all he had and used that as an excuse not to shave for a few days.  He's restocked now so I'm actually considering trying this technique again with some other colors to recreate Tessa's Autumn Build A Bear.  I'm also looking forward to trying this technique with some softer, more subtle colors for Easter.


To create the marble appearance on your card stock, you'll need the following:

• Shaving cream- try to get unscented if you can.  All of Phoebe's have a cologne smell. 
• 2-3 different re-inker colors.  I only used two, Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry
• Whisper White Card Stock
• Cookie sheet or other similar pan
• Paper towels

Spread your shaving cream onto your cookie sheet.  Add several drops of each re-inker color all over the shaving cream.  Use a skewer or plastic knife to swirl the color through your shaving cream until you have a marble appearance.  Carefully lay your card stock on top of the shaving cream and apply gentle pressure.  Pull the card stock up and "kiss" it against a second piece of card stock.  Set one piece aside while you work with the other piece of card stock.  Use paper towels to wipe the shaving cream from your card stock.  Wipe in a swirling motion/pattern.  Set aside and dry.  Repeat with the second sheet of paper.  Make as many as you need.  Depending on how many pieces you are making, you may have to add more shaving cream and re-inker to freshen things.

Once I had my marbled paper, I was ready to make invitations.   For Phoebe's invitations, I used the following:

• The Marbled Paper Created Above
• Rich Razzleberry Card Stock
• Melon Mambo Card Stock
• Basic Black Card Stock
• Extreme Guitar Stamp Set
• Classic Stars Jumbo Wheel (and handle)
• Silver Encore Stamp Pad
• Versamark Stamp Pad
• Black Stampin' Emboss Powder
• Embossing Gun

I cut my marbled paper to the desired size and then I stamped the guitarist onto the marbled paper using the Versamark Stamp Pad and then added the embossing powder, heating to set the powder.  I used the Rich Razzleberry for my invitation base, cutting to 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches.  On each invitation, I stamped the Classic Stars using the Silver stamp pad.  I cut my Melon Mambo to the same size as the marbled pieces and adhered it to the invitation on an angle.  I stamped "You're Invited" onto my Basic Black.  The sentiment is from the retired All Year Cheer II, but the Mark the Date stamp set would work really well.  I punched my "you're invited" sentiments using my Round Tab Punch and then adhered that to the Melon Mambo.  I then layered the guitar "hero" onto the Melon Mambo, slightly offset. 

When it comes to invitations, I'm too lazy to write out all the invitation details so I print the invitation information using my computer (FYI, My Digital Studio is great for this), cut to size and adhere to the back.  I also added the star from the now retired hostess set "A Little Somethin'"  It says "Rock Star" and I stamped it onto Melon Mambo and embossed with the black.  I didn't show photos of this side since I didn't really do much to highlight current products. 

Phoebe and I really love the way her invitations turned out.  Yes, the invitations still smell a little like shaving cream, but it improves with each day.  I'm sure Phoebe will have a great party later this month and I'll post the photos of the party favors and cake afterward. 

Now it is your turn, raid your husband's side of the medicine cabinet and start making some cards.  Just be sure to leave him enough to shave the next day or you'll have to kiss a stuble face.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

A Birthday Greeting

My friend and fellow Stampin' Up! TM enthusiast, Diana, celebrated her birthday last Friday.  If she's like me, it was her 29th.  LOL  The girls and I decided she needed some cards and since our Tote-ally Tess set had just arrived, we all opted to use Tote-ally Tess.  The girls were actually the first to use this stamp set, but that is no surprise. 

First, I'll share the cards the girls made.  Here is Tessa's Card:

Now Phoebe's card:

Last but not least, Isabel's card:

Isabel added the sentiment, "and so is your birthday" on the back of the card.  I already know that this stamp set is going to be used often in our household.

Now for the card and treat I made.  As I said before, I wanted to use Tote-ally Tess.  For her clothes, I used the paper piecing technique.  For paper piecing, you stamp your image on muliple colors/types of papers and then cut the sections you need and glue them to your main image.  It's a pretty simple technique but requires sharp scissors and a steady hand to be sure you get clean lines.  I also incorporated a the faux marble technique using shaving cream.  I had tried this for Phoebe's birthday invitations and had some pieces left over when I cut the pieces I needed for her invitations.  I'll share those later.

For this card, you will need the following items:

• Tote-ally Tess stamp set
• The More the Merrier Stamp Set
• Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry Re-inkers
• Brocade Blue card stock
• Bermuda Bay card stock
• Very Vanila card stock
• Melon Mambo Patterns Designer Series Paper
• Stampin' Pastels
• Watercolor Pencils
• Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad
• Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad
• Versamark Pen
• Black Embossing Powder
• Crystal Effects
• Shimmer Paint
• Shaving Cream

For the faux marble technique, you need some shaving cream and your re-inkers.  Spread your shaving cream out onto a cookie sheet or other pan.  You need enough to cover a surface the size of your paper.  Add a few drops of your two re-inker colors to your shaving cream and then swirl them around to get a marbled effect.  Similar to the way you'd do a marble cake.  Then, lay your paper on top of the shaving cream making sure you get all the paper covered with shaving cream.  You'll have quite a bit of shaving cream on your paper so kiss it against another piece of card stock to transfer some of the cream.  Then, wipe off the cream using a paper towel and a swirling pattern as you wipe.  Then, let it dry.  Once dry, cut it into the desired size/shape.  You can stamp images onto this as I ended up doing with Phoebe's invites which I'll share later this week.

To create Tess, I first stamped her onto the Very Vanilla.  I colored the shoes with the Versamark Pen and then sprinkled a bit of Black Embossing Powder and used my heat gun to set it.  You have to do this more quickly than you do when using a stamp pad.  I used my Pastels for her face and hair.  I then stamped Tess onto the DSP and the Brocade Blue, cutting out just the blouse and pants.  I glued the pants and then the shirt onto my Very Vanilla image, completing Tess.  I also brushed the edges of my card stock with Melon Mambo ink.

The cupcake is from The More the Merrier as is the sentiment.  I stamped the cupcake and then colored with Watercolor Pencils.   I cut out the cupcake and added to Tess's hands.  I layered the sentiment onto a piece of my shaving cream marble paper.  I also added a strip of the marble paper onto the left side of my card which uses the Bermuda Bay card stock.  On the inside, I stamped a birthday sentiment.

For Diana's gift, I knew Stampin' Up! TM products would be enjoyed so I created a little gift bag and filled it with a bunch of goodies: felt flowers, ribbons (including the now retired Baja Breeze which is Diana's favorite), library clibs, Pretties Kit flowers, Hodgepodge Hardware, etc.  I got the idea for the box from Monika Davis.  She used a different scallop punch but since that one isn't in my supplies yet, I used my standard scallop punch, but it can be done without a punch.  Basically, you just need a square divided into nine equal smaller squares like a Tic-Tac-Toe board.  In the corner squares, you need to also score on a diagonal so it folds in.  Monika did such a great job with her tutorial I won't try to recreate, just follow the link for more details.  I used Bermuda Bay card stock, Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon, and the retired felt flowers in Chocolate Chip and Pretty in Pink.  I would have used my new Sweet Pea Stitched Felt but couldn't find them.

When I got to work, Diana was not at her desk so I set up her box and cards so they'd be the first things she saw when she returned to her desk.  Happy Birthday again to Diana, I hope that you had more wonderful surprises waiting for you after work.

God Bless and Happy Stampin!

Charity

Reminder- January Technique Class This Friday

I hope you are all looking forward to our January technique class which will feature those fun little sweet treat cups. As a reminder, I thought I would share another project featuring the sweet treat cups. Here, I've made a frog, using his body as the base for the cup. Since I needed such a large circle, I had to dust off the old Coluzzle which is a discontinued product. I also used the following items:

• Green Galore card stock
• Bashful Blue card stock
• Garden Green card stock
• So Saffron card stock
• Old Olive grosgrain ribbon
• Whisper White card stock
• Basic Black card stock
• Rose Red Stampin Write Markers
• In Color Stampin Write Markers
• Soft Suede Classic Stamp Pad
• A Flower for All Seasons stamp set

The frog follows the basic punch art recipe with a few minor tweaks. To create the frog, pick your favorite shade of green. You'll need one large circle for the body, one large oval for the head, two medium ovals for the legs, one small oval for the feet (cut in half), two small ovals for the front feet, two small circles for the eyes and two very small circles for the black part of the eyes.

Using the same techniques described in my January 1 post, I assembled the sweet treat cup and pull out door to access the candy. On the door, I stamped the froggy bouquet so it is visible on the inside of the card. I colored the image with my In Color markers. For the area behind the sweet treat cup, I simply wrote "ribbit, ribbit" so it will be visible when the candy is consumed.

Our January Technique Class will feature a project using the Sweet Treat Cups. Our project will be a Valentine themed project, and equally fun when compared to our amphibious friend here. The class will be held on Friday, January 15 at 6:00 PM in my home. If you would like to join us, email me to register or request to be added to my mailing list.

God Bless and Happy Stampin!

Charity