Great Minds Ink Alike

Scrapbook Follow-up

2012-02-09T22:26:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of the awesome scrapbook layouts from club last month. Rae Anne and Becky did a great job, and I loved their color choices. Visit Deana's blog and see her version of the same layout (while you're there, check out some of her other fantastic creations). That's one of the things that makes scrapbook club so much fun - same basic layout and so many different pages and ideas! Thanks ladies for letting me share your awesome work.

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Double Embossed Valentine Card

2012-02-05T20:27:00.000-06:00

Like many of you, I have become a Pinterest addict. So recently while just poking around on Pinterest, I found a card that I decided to CASE. It was just so nice the way it was that I changed the colors a little and the ribbon, but it is pretty much a copy of Melissa Davies card. Her card can be found on Stampin' Connection which is a demonstrator website full of fantastic samples like this one.

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Emboss Resist "Smiley"

2012-02-02T22:14:00.003-06:00

What a cute little set - Sprinkled Expressions is one of the new Sale-a-bration stamp sets and was the perfect stamp to make a "smiley". While at a Stampin' Up! regional event a fellow demonstrator demonstrated this cute little easel card and called it a "smiley". Unfortunately my note taking isn't the greatest so I don't remember her name. I am hoping one of my readers can tell me, and then I can add her name to this post.
We embossed the heart with white embossing powder and then sponged over the top with Pink Pirouette for an emboss resist before putting the card together.

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Name Frame

2012-01-31T18:44:00.001-06:00

Look at this awesome gift I received from my stamping friend Deana! She used one of my all-time favorite Designer Series Papers - she knows me so well! You can see some of her other name frame creations on her blog.

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Same Card 3 Ways

2012-01-28T11:46:00.004-06:00

Next week we will be making this card at my Stamp-a-Stack, but I wanted to be sure there were options for the people who don't have a need for 3 baby cards. So I designed this card with the idea that any of the stamps from the Easy Events stamp set would work with the same color scheme. I colored with Watercolor Crayons, so the images can be colored a variety of different ways.

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Scented Cards?!?

2012-01-26T05:00:00.003-06:00

When I went to a Stampin' Up! regional event last fall, we got a sneak peek of some of the Occasions Mini catalog products, and I think the thing I was most excited about was the scented embossing powder. I knew I had to have it. So naturally I pulled it out for my January stamp club. We have vanilla, melon and cherry scented embossing powders, so I had a lot of choice, but I decided to go with a cheery, all occasion card and scented the red candy piece with the cherry embossing powder.

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Sale-a-bration Box Card

2012-01-24T05:00:00.007-06:00

Sale-a-bration starts today, and this "box" card was created entirely with Sale-a-bration products. Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper, ribbon and brads combined with Fresh Vintage stamp set so nicely. This box looks much more difficult than it really is, and Simply Scored makes the folds a snap!

You can find the directions here to make your own.

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Back to Scrapbooking!

2012-01-21T11:48:00.001-06:00

After a break from Scrapbook Club, we are starting a new round this month. I figured a lot of the ladies would be scrapbooking Christmas pictures so I used a Creating Keepsakes layout for my inspiration and made sure there was room for a lot of pictures. But it's a versatile enough layout that it can be used for any occasion with a change of Designer Series Paper. Check back to see my finished product!

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Blossom Card

2012-01-13T19:44:00.002-06:00

I got to play with more of my new stamps from the Occasions Mini catalog and we made this card using Mixed Bunch at last weekend's Stamp-a-Stack. I love how it turned out, but it took me three days. It was just one of those cards that wasn't coming together like I wanted it to, but I knew it was almost a "good" card. I put it to the side and went about my stamping business for a couple of days before I came back and tweaked it to end up with this version. I pulled out a punch I hadn't used in awhile and mixed it with a new punch ( Blossom) and stamp set.

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New Stamps!

2012-01-08T11:27:00.001-06:00

I got a chance to use some of my new Occasions Mini catalog products at this weekend's stamp-a-stack. This card uses one of the new Edgelit Dies and the new stamp set, Bordering on Romance. We stamped the image with StazOn and colored it in using blender pens. Several of the ladies made great thinking of you and birthday cards with this design.

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Be Mine, Valentine

2011-12-29T12:17:00.002-06:00

Time to switch gears from Christmas to Valentine's Day. I made this card for a swap I am doing with some fellow demonstrators and it features the stamp, Candy Conversations, from the Occasions Mini Catalog that starts January 4.

It's a single stamp that I stamped several times down the cardstock. I masked off the words as I went and then for the bottom row, I masked off the hearts. I popped up the Be Mine heart in the center with a dimensional.

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Telescoping Snowman

2011-12-27T05:00:00.005-06:00

I saw a fantastic telescoping snowman at convention this summer. But when I went to make one, I didn't have the right sized circle punches and dies. So when my finished snowman ended up a little too small, I decided to put it on a card. I loved the way it turned out.

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Medallion Christmas Wreath

2011-12-25T05:00:00.006-06:00

Merry Christmas friends!

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Snowflake Cookie Press

2011-12-23T16:22:00.002-06:00

I made some cookies for a cookie exchange and was able to use my new cookie press.

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Dryer Sheet Season's Greetings

2011-12-22T05:00:00.000-06:00

Talk about the ultimate recycling project. For this technique, cover your cardstock completely with adhesive. I don't like using spray adhesive, so I just covered it with rows and rows of Snail and it worked great. Press a used dryer sheet onto the adhesive, trim the extra, and then cover the dryer sheet with glitter. Quick but impressive.

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Stitched Felt Winter Wishes Gift Tags

2011-12-21T05:00:00.000-06:00

I modeled these after some samples we saw at the Louisville Stampin' Up! Regional earlier in the fall. I am afraid these might not make it onto any of my packages this year because they are just too cute! The stamp club ladies each got to make one last week. I have my favorite, but it was fun to see which stitched felt pieces we ran out of first.

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Gift Tags 2011

2011-12-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

Need some gift tag ideas? We made this earlier this month at the one and only stamp-a-stack that you don't actually stamp a stack of cards. We stamped 30 gift tags instead!

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Christmas Gift Card Holders

2011-12-19T21:06:00.000-06:00

Aren't these fantastic? I knew we were going to make these in stamp club for months. A fellow demo shared this idea in the spring - thanks Laura. And she also shared her source if you want measurements.

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Clearance Rack Blitz

2011-12-15T19:01:00.000-06:00

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Cased Birthday Card

2011-12-10T05:00:00.001-06:00

My upline, Meg, sent me a pretty card a couple of months ago, and I did some tweaking so that I could do it with the supplies I had on hand. I used her same stamp set (My Friend), and the Perfect Pennants die. I thought it was a great design for birthday, thinking of you etc.

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Holly Jolly Christmas

2011-12-08T05:00:00.000-06:00

Here's a new way to use an embossing folder. Emboss the top and then the bottom of your cardstock, but not the entire piece. This Snow Burst embossing folder from the Holiday Mini is a consistent pattern and looks nice broken up with the solid band - a perfect place for the Jolly Holiday stamp.

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S'mores!

2011-12-06T05:00:00.000-06:00

Here's a fun little treat I took home at Thanksgiving time. It was a little challenging to keep Hershey bars in the house until I got them put together though! I first saw this idea on Becky Robert's blog, and when I saw the Stackers marshmallows in my grocery store, I had to make some.

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Double Z Fold Christmas

2011-12-03T05:00:00.000-06:00

With a few score lines using the Simply Scored tool, this is a pretty quick but fancy looking card. But the part I really like is the belly band. Did you notice the Dazzling Details on the berries is red? Mix reinker into the Dazzling Details and make your own custom color.

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Christmas Shaker

2011-12-01T05:00:00.000-06:00

I love using the treat cups with the mica flakes from the Holiday Mini Catalog. And this is a card version of a project I saw at convention this summer. They actually put the treat cup on a stick and made a sucker, but we went ahead and made this into a card for stamp club. The outline came from the Perfect Pennant die, and it's just the perfect size. And the tree was made with the Pennant Parade stamp set and trimmed down to make the tiny tree. A little Dazzling Details on the snow and it's ready to go!

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Stocking Card

2011-11-29T05:00:00.000-06:00

Not only can you assemble the stocking and fill it with goodies, you can make it into a card. The stocking is just a tad too big for the embossing folder, but if you angle it right, nobody really knows you had a "problem". You'll notice the top corner on the inside of the card is still flat, but it's undetectable in the closed card. When you run the Very Vanilla piece through the Big Shot, fold it and inch it slightly below the cut line, and it will keep the right shape.

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Pines and Poinsettias Christmas

2011-11-26T05:00:00.000-06:00

You know how sometimes you can't quite get the card you are working on to look quite the way you pictured it in your mind? That was this card for me. I was trying to create 3 cards for my Christmas stamp-a-stack that all had different styles. I knew a number of my stampers like the Crumb Cake cardstock and also the natural look. So I think with a little tweaking, I came up with something that fit the bill and went nicely with the blingy stocking and the other "cute" card we did. And it turned out to be a favorite.

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Thanksgiving Card Case

2011-11-24T05:00:00.001-06:00

This is so similar to a card made by my friend, Cathy Roy, that I am calling a cased card. But that's the beauty of working with such a talented group of stampers. This was a card I received in a swap of mini catalog stamp sets. It was so great as it was that I made only a small change so that I could do it with the supplies I had on hand. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Hot Holiday Deals

2011-11-23T13:28:00.000-06:00

Don't forget to visit my online store to shop the Online Extravaganza. There are some great deals, but if you are a new stamper or want to introduce someone to a new hobby, I highly recommend the Classic Stampin' Spots - Getting Started Collection - Sale Price: $13.17 Regular Price $21.95.

Classic Stampin’ Spots are 1" x 1" square ink pads that come in our Getting Started collection colors (does not include Whisper White). Set of 11 Stampin’ Up! colors: Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Rich Razzleberry, Night of Navy, Marina Mist, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Early Espresso, Basic Black. They are a perfect assortment to get yourself started.

**Items are listed regular price until you put them in your shopping cart.

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Bleached Thanksgiving Card

2011-11-23T13:12:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, I went to a Stampin' Up! regional event in Louisville. In addition to some great make-n-takes, I came home with some really great and mostly seasonal swaps. I didn't get this card, but I remember seeing one similar to this. I really liked the different colors on the leaves, and with the help of fellow demonstrators, we decided the original was bleached first. Kind of a scary idea, but it's worth it to create this card. Stamp you stamp onto a bleach soaked paper towel like you would a stamp pad. Then stamp directly onto your paper. This card was done with Early Espresso so the bleached area turned kind of yellowish. (Different colors of cardstock bleach differently). So that was a perfect base color for fall leaves. I just took my Stampin' Pastels and rubbed color onto the bleached area once it dried. It was interesting to see the different looks the ladies in stamp club created just by choosing different pastel colors. We stamped over the top with Early Espresso ink to finish it off.

I cleaned my stamps as soon as everyone was done with the bleach first with water and then with Stampin' Mist. Here's another type of bleach technique we did in stamp club a while ago.

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Baby Booties

2011-11-21T20:30:00.001-06:00

My stamping friends and I worked on putting these together for baby shower party favors. It's hard to pick my favorite!

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Online Holiday Extravaganza

2011-11-20T11:41:00.001-06:00

Visit my Stampin' Up! website tomorrow (Monday, November 21) to check out the Stampin' Up! Online Holiday Extravaganza. The sale begins at 12:01am on Monday, November 21 (MT) and runs through 11:59 pm on Wednesday, November 30th (MT).

You won't want to miss the TWO BONUS SPECIALS on Monday, November 21 ONLY!

Some of the sale items:

$40 worth of FREE downloads when you buy My Digital Studio Express
60% off select Designer Fabrics
30% off an exclusive ribbon bundle
and more...

To take advantage of this sale, visit my website on Monday for all of the details.

Blinged Out Stocking

2011-11-13T11:59:00.000-06:00

Here's one of the cards we did at a recent stamp-a-stack. The new stocking builder punch and the Stitched Stocking stamp set sure make cute cards. This one is rather simple, but I thought the glimmer paper and rhinestone added more than enough bling so no need to embellish more.

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Fall Criss Cross Card

2011-11-06T10:40:00.000-06:00

Here's a great way to show off the Spice Cake Designer Series Paper -- a Criss Cross Card.

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Holiday Door

2011-11-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

This little card covers a number of techniques. The wreath was made using Poppin' Pastels technique on that great fall wreath stamp in the mini catalog hostess set, Warmest of Wishes. A little sponging on the 4 panels gave the door some texture and the little bow is a fork bow.

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Trick or Treat

2011-11-01T20:24:00.001-05:00

Have you had enough Halloween candy yet? I think I might have had a record number of trick or treaters last night, and the kids at school were full of trick or treating stories today!

We made this last month at club, and those ladies had the patience to make a pattern with their M & Ms. As you can see, that wasn't what I was going for.

These fun little cello bags are great for a small but unique treat. Just think of the possibilities for Christmas!

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Spooky Spider Shaker Card

2011-10-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

Well you might not be able to tell from this picture, but this is a shaker card using the new shaker frames. I put Dazzling Diamonds and mica flakes in it, but with the card standing up, you can't see any of that. You'll just have to trust me ;-) I was kind of excited to find yet another use for the spider web embossing folder, and boy are these shaker frames easier to use than double sided tape that I would have to cut in strips and piece together!

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Big Shot - it's a Big Deal

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

If you've been thinking of signing up as a demo or if you have been wanting a Big Shot, now's the time! Email me for more details or visit my webpage.

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Festive & Fun Happy Halloween

2011-10-23T21:57:00.000-05:00

Here is a fun way to use the spider web embossing folder and the new Festive & Fun set from the holiday mini. I used a blender pen for the coloring for that watercolorish look.

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Grid Technique

2011-10-01T05:00:00.002-05:00

We made this card at stamp club this month using the new Simply Scored. I have wanted to try it before, but it seemed pretty tedious with the scoring blade on my paper cutter. Well thanks to my Simply Scored, this one was a breeze. I bought 1 extra package of markers and once I figured out the placement, I did several pretty quickly using the marked scoring tracks. You should do all of the scoring first and then I sponged, stamped the background stamp and then stamped over all of it was a darker blue. I can imagine this technique with fall leaves and colors next!

Just for fun, I did a little different fold for this one.

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Hello Yo-Yo Flower

2011-09-28T05:00:00.001-05:00

This was a fun card to make. The scallop dots ribbon has holes in it so it was easy to run the needle and thread in and out of the holes, gather it, knot it and put a brad through the middle to hide all of the stiches. Once again I am using my new set, My Friend, for this simple little card. I used about 4 inches of ribbon.

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Soot Stamping Gently Falling

2011-09-25T20:29:00.002-05:00

This card doesn't seem all that exciting until you know how it was made. It is colored soot stamping and involves, glossy cardstock, a brayer and a candle!

Start by brayering color over white glossy cardstock.

Hold the cardstock directly over the flame of the candle being careful not to catch the edges on fire. I used an especially sooty candle for best results.

After you have covered the cardstock with soot, use your clean stamp to stamp directly onto the soot. This will lift soot off of the cardstock to reveal the color below. Spray with an acrylic sealer (I used hairspray - an acrylic sealer probably works better, but I don't have acrylic sealer and have plenty of hairspray :-) to keep soot from rubbing off.

I stamped on the Cherry Cobbler with the outline stamp in StazOn before I sprayed. Since it was such a dark color, I thought it needed to be done to make the leaves stand out.

This is what the soot looks like on plain white glossy cardstock without the colored layer. Great for Halloween cards!

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Flower Fest Birthday

2011-09-15T05:00:00.001-05:00

This set was available in the Summer Mini catalog and then turned up in the main Idea Book & Catalog. I couldn't resist any longer and ordered one for myself. We made this card at my last stamp-a-stack using the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder for the bottom layer. It is just such a simple and fast way to fancy up a card!

**I am going to blame the angle of the card when I took the picture for the very crooked greeting ;-)

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Boo

2011-09-13T05:00:00.003-05:00

I recently participated in a Holiday Mini Catalog Swap with some other demonstrators. Here are two of the cards I designed when trying to figure out what I was going to make. I wound up switching the layout completely because at the time I thought these were too crowded. Looking at them now, I really like them. Sign up for my newsletter in the right sidebar to see the less cramped card I decided on.

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Just for Fun

2011-09-10T10:05:00.000-05:00

When I got my new Idea Book and Catalog in July, I knew Sweets for the Sweets would be one of the sets that I would order for myself. I just think it is so fun and can be used for both kids and adults. We made this card at my last all occasion stamp-a-stack. Some of the ladies turned it sideways before stamping which turned out great too.

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Hello

2011-09-05T19:35:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love this swirly hello. In fact, I love it so much, I bought a stamp set I didn't own and didn't think I needed to own. My Friend was a set we could pre-order in June so many demonstrators used it for their swaps and this pink and yellow card is very close to a sample on the display board at convention. So once again, seeing a set in use has won me over.

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Holiday Mini Catalog

2011-09-01T19:48:00.000-05:00

Starting today, you can order from the Holiday Mini catalog. It is full of some great new products and holiday stamp sets. If you don't have a demonstrator and would like a copy, I would be happy to send you one.

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Birthday Gift Convention Case

2011-09-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is another convention swap that I copied as best I could with the supplies I have for my last Stamp-a-Stack. It was made by my friend, Shirley Casey, and is yet another way to use the Blossom Bouquet punch! Join us tomorrow (no Saturday class) for more all occasion cards.

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Ladybug Card for Young and Old

2011-08-30T05:00:00.001-05:00

This was a card swap from convention that I made with my stamp-a-stack ladies and also made it with my College for Kids classes. We did more layers and dots with the adults, but this one truly can be for anyone of any age! The original artist didn't sign her swap, but I can tell you it has been popular with the stampers that I know!

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Butterfly Envelope Card

2011-08-27T05:00:00.002-05:00

This card was inspired by a gorgeous card demonstrated at convention by Mary Ellen Byerly. I finally broke down and bought the Beautiful Wings Embosslet Die after seeing her demo. I have always liked it and cards made with it, but I try (notice I said try!) not to buy everything in the catalog. I changed colors and stamp sets but the butterflies are what make this card so those were a must. The card is made with an envelope with the flap cut off and the biggest of the butterflies is your pull tab. Love it!

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Round Sunflower Easel Card

2011-08-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

This was a fun card to try. After doing a "regular" easel card with stamp club some time ago, I was inspired to try a round one. And what better than to do a sunflower? Just fold your cardstock like a card, but when running it through the Big Shot, don't place the fold up far enough that it will be cut. Fold the top of the card back and then you make a single white scallop circle to attach to the top. I included a sideways view so you could see how the fold makes the card work.

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Back to School Skinny Notebook

2011-08-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

Now that it is back to school for most everyone, this skinny notebook is most appropriate. I didn't really set out to make it a "teachery" theme, but I was using the Berry Blossoms Designer Series Paper pack and Fruit and Flowers stamp set and this is what this teacher gravitated towards. I cut several different papers from that set so the stamp club ladies could do something else and there were a lot of great combinations.

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Convention Swap Case

2011-08-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

At my August Stamp-a-Stack, I planned to do 3 of my favorite convention swaps. While I came home with nearly 100 great cards, I remember seeing this color combination of Baja Breeze and Marina Mist with this flower from the Simply Soft hostess set in one of my friend's stack of swaps. So sorry to say I can't give credit to the original designer of the card. I made a couple of slight changes, but as you can see, her card was just beautiful.

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Polished Stone Technique

2011-08-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

When I first started stamping, I learned the Polished Stone Technique, but it involved felt, a block of wood, metallic markers and reinkers. Now it is sooo much easier. Dampen a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and then dab the cotton ball with Shimmer Paint (I used Champagne) and a few drops of reinker. Dab onto glossy cardstock and voila - you're done! This card uses Wisteria Wonder reinker, but it is possible to use multiple colors. It just takes a few minutes to dry and then you can stamp over it with StazOn.

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Same Idea But Very Different Cards

2011-08-18T15:54:00.000-05:00

Here are two other versions of the red and white Christmas card. Neither of them were just right for the Christmas Stamp-a-Stack but I like them both and someone on my Christmas card list will be getting them this year.

I have done a couple of events and a swap since Christmas in July so I promise some more new pictures soon!

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Ornament Christmas Card

2011-08-14T05:00:00.002-05:00

Here's the last of the Christmas in July cards, but you may still see a couple of versions of this card before I came up with the right card. A 99 cent box of paperclips made all the difference.

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Snow Much Fun

2011-08-12T21:56:00.000-05:00

Here's another of the Christmas in July cards we did. A fellow demonstrator had this great Bashful Blue and Chocolate Chip swap at convention. I am afraid I can't give appropriate credit because I saw it while flipping through her pile of swaps. I loved the color combination and recreated it when I got home.

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Christmas in July?

2011-08-09T08:14:00.000-05:00

Here is one of the cards we did for my Christmas in July Stamp-a-Stack. I was inspired by a card on the display board at convention featuring one of the new stamp sets we convention attendees received free. Easy Events is going to be a great all-purpose set!

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Dino Puzzle

2011-08-06T08:49:00.000-05:00

We stamped last night and are stamping again this morning so check back for some "grown-up" projects. This was one of the last day projects I did with the kids. Of course the trick was to put their own puzzle together after they made it. Not as easy as it looks :-)

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More Card Construction Cards

2011-08-04T09:14:00.000-05:00

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More Kids' Cards

2011-08-03T05:00:00.002-05:00

Here is another batch of favorites. The crimper was a fun tool for the kids to use, and they liked choosing their stamps and coloring the beach scene. The orange card used the shaving cream technique. We waited until the last day to do that one, and it was one of my favorites because of the reactions to each and everyone's piece of glossy cardstock being pulled out of the shaving cream. No two were alike!

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Buy 3, Get 1 Free

2011-08-02T11:16:00.000-05:00

When you buy 3 Designer Series Papers ($10.95 value), you get 1 free! Find the Designer Series Papers on pages 185-186 in the Idea Book & Catalog or page 8 in your Summer Mini Catalog.

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Card Construction with Kids

2011-08-02T10:28:00.001-05:00

Here are a few of the favorites of the kids taking my Card Construction class at the Lincoln Land College for Kids. The spinner card was actually like the one voted as favorite the year before. But the classes this year were all over as far as their favorite cards. I used a lot of retired stamp sets and inks just in case, but I find the kids are usually very good about handling my things carefully... they just might be a bit more fingerprinty than adults. The kids don't seem to mind getting ink on themselves!

The ladybug card is a modified version of a swap I just got at convention this year. The stamper who made it didn't put her name on it, but I thought it was a great way to make a quick cheerful card.

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Watering Can

2011-07-31T05:00:00.001-05:00

This was the little convention treat made by my roommate and upline Shirley. Wasn't that a clever way to use the milk carton? The chocolates inside didn't make it home from Utah.

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Personalized Gum Wrapper

2011-07-29T22:32:00.002-05:00

It's been a week since my last post - yikes! And the funny thing is I have been stamping the whole time so I should have lots to share with you. I spent the last week stamping with 2nd and 3rd graders at College for Kids. It was a lot of fun, but just like my classes at school, they kept me on my toes. We created at least 2 cards every day (no small feat in an hour!) using techniques and tools I thought the kids would like. I even worked up the courage to use the shaving cream technique with them on the last day. I will post some pictures of our projects next week. I also had a Christmas in July Stamp-a-Stack so you can be watching for those cards too! In the meantime, here is another little treat for my convention roommates that matches their other gift. I decided to make one for myself because there was no reason I shouldn't be carrying cute gum around too!

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Lace Ribbon Punch Wow Factor

2011-07-23T21:02:00.001-05:00

I just had someone tell me she wasn't sure about that new lace ribbon punch. Well thanks to a clever demonstrator (LeeAnn Greff, I think. Someone please correct me if I am wrong) who showed us this idea at convention, I think I might have given her a reason to like this punch. Simply punch the strip of cardstock like usual. Then go back through with the 3/4 inch circle punch and punch out the center. On this card I replaced the center with a center from another colored strip of cardstock. Makes for a very different look with the same punch.

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Recipe and Card All in One

2011-07-21T16:19:00.000-05:00

I am still playing around with this new Domestic Goddess Designer Series Paper and Now You're Cookin' stamp. Here's a quick way to give a recipe to a friend with the card and recipe all in one. It folds in from both sides like a Joy Fold card so it isn't flat here, but you get the idea.

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Ribbon Share Reminder

2011-07-20T21:31:00.000-05:00

I am getting ready to put in another order for ribbon. If you want in on this round of the ribbon share, drop me an email. Details can be found in this post.

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Home From Convention

2011-07-19T22:27:00.001-05:00

Time flies when you are having fun. I spent most of convention thinking this was my 4th, but on the way home my friend Shirley and I were counting up and realized it was the 5th! I did however know I had been a demonstrator for 5 years, and I was one of 8 women in our group walking across the stage for the 5 year milestone walk!

Our group wears green hats so we can find each other easily in a crowd of more than 3,000 people. Here we are minus a few ladies that had to leave early. I am on the left end of the center row.

We are so proud of our uplines Kim and Meg who are in the top 100 demonstrators again this year!

It was truly one of my favorite conventions. We got a sneak peek at products and samples from the Holiday Mini Catalog, and let me just say - start saving your pennies now. It's pretty great.

All of these green hat ladies were a big part of the fun I had, but the classes, demos, displays, shopping at Momento Mall all add up to a great experience and lots of new ideas to share.

Here is my version of a card created by Carrie Cudney from Stampin' Up! I did it with my stamp club ladies tonight. It uses the new Lace Ribbon Border punch for a cute little cake stand. And if you can't tell, the cake is made out of Hershey Miniatures wrapped in Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper.

If convention sounds like something you would like to be a part of next year, this is a great time to sign up to be a demonstrator. The starter kit is $99 and you get a Christmas Keepsake Box on top of that!

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Hand Sanitzer Tote

2011-07-16T05:00:00.002-05:00

I saw a fellow demonstrator make one of these at a meeting I attended recently and thought they would be perfect gifts for my convention roommates - thanks Cindy for the great idea! They hold a little Bath & Body Works hand sanitizer and gave me an excuse to open up another new package of Designer Series Paper. This is Berry Blossoms and the handle is made with a new 3/8" ruffled ribbon. See this post if you are interested in getting this ribbon and others in smaller quantities through a ribbon share.

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Now You're Cookin'

2011-07-14T05:00:00.002-05:00

Here is another one of my swaps using one of my many new favorite Designer Series Papers - Domestic Goddess. I just love that tablecloth paper! It also uses a new stamp from the set Creatively Yours and Now You're Cookin'. I guess this one needs a treat with it when I give it away.

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Two Versions of the Same Card

2011-07-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

I am taking a few of the Wisteria Wonder version to convention with me for swapping since it has all of the new In Colors on it and features a new birthday greeting from the new hostess set Happiest Birthday Wishes. Isn't this another great way to use the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch?

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Now You're Cookin' Recipe Cards

2011-07-10T14:42:00.000-05:00

When planning for my convention swaps, I strategically looked through my new Idea Book & Catalog trying to formulate an idea. I knew I wouldn't have a lot of time between my order arriving and convention to get the swaps made. I was drawn to the Domestic Goddess Product Suite on pages 52 and 53 of the catalog so I thought I would combine the Now You're Cookin' stamp with the From the Kitchen Of stamp set that I already had. So I ordered that stamp and 2 packages of the Domestic Goddess Designer Series paper so I would be ready when my order came.

The ironic thing is that once I started working I totally redesigned my swap card. You'll see that in a post soon using the Now You're Cookin' stamp and the Designer Series Paper. But here is my original creation. Although these are not the first colors you think of when you think cooking and recipe cards, I think that is why I am drawn to those pages in the catalog... I love the way Stampin' Up! combined these colors.

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Gumballs Anyone?

2011-07-07T13:59:00.001-05:00

We made this card at my last stamp-a-stack. The theme was cards for kids, but I think this could go to anyone young at heart. My first thought was birthday but after thinking about it, this would make a great get well card for a kid too. We stamped some of the gumballs on the background and then punched a few to give it a more realistic layered look. This set, Sweet Centers, coordinates with the treat cups so you could do a more 3-D card like this one.

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Mixing Old With New

2011-07-05T10:35:00.000-05:00

I had to do one last card with the now retired Cute as a Bug stamp set at my July 1 stamp-a-stack since the theme was cards for kids. It was fun to work with all but one of the new In Colors on the card, but somehow Wisteria Wonder just didn't fit with the bug theme.

Those of you that read my newsletter know that June's contest was to guess what stamp set I will miss most. And though you only have to enter a guess to possibly be drawn as the winner, if you had guessed Cute as a Bug, it was right up there on my list. This month's contest is just as easy and you could win a free stamp set. If you would like to receive my newsletter, sign up in the right sidebar. A new one just went out today!

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Ribbon Share

2011-07-05T10:26:00.001-05:00

There are some great new ribbons in the new catalog and I have two different ribbon shares for you to consider. It's a great way to get a little of each without having to buy all of them at once.

The first ribbon share is for the 3/8" ruffled ribbon in the new In Colors. You will get 2 yards of each of the 5 colors for $12.

The second ribbon share is for the 1/2" scallop dots ribbon. This is a new style ribbon with 10 of our favorite colors. You will get 2 yards each of 10 different colors for $20.

Do both ribbon shares for $30! If shipping please add $2.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested or for more details.

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Flower Garden Embossing Folder Wedding

2011-07-04T08:22:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick card made with the Flower Garden Embossing folder. There are a lot of options and different ways to color this image if you choose or you could leave it white and use it for background. At stamp club, I showed the ladies some of the different ways I colored this image including a brayer on either side, Stampin' Pastels, and a sponge dauber which is what you see here.

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There are so many ways to use this embossing folder.

Join Now for $99

2011-07-03T07:53:00.000-05:00

Join my Stampin' Up! team in July for just $99! The kit contains new stamps, papers and ribbon, and as an added bonus, get this Christmas Keepsake Project Box ($40 value) too! What a great way to get some of the new InColors! Visit my Stampin' Up! web page to sign up now or feel free to contact me with any questions.

One of the many benefits of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is our monthly Stampin' Sucess magazine. It is full of articles, previews and ideas. Here is a card I recently made using the magazine as my inspiration.

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New Catalog

2011-07-01T16:21:00.000-05:00

The new Idea Book and Catalog is here and you can start placing orders today! I put one in today already and will likely "need" to place another one soon :-)

Be watching my newsletter next week and my blog for information on a ribbon share with some of the great new ribbons!

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Tart and Tangy One Last Time

2011-06-30T20:18:00.000-05:00

Here are my last two Tart and Tangy cards since they will be retiring tonight and we can shop from the new catalog tomorrow! The first one features the new embossing powders in the mini catalog. The second one is an oldie but a goodie that we did recently at Shanon's workshop.

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Telescoping Bugs and Kisses

2011-06-26T21:10:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite projects from last week's stamp club. I like this set a lot and may have to keep this one even though it's retiring. It just makes such cute cards! I used the Peach Parfait and Pear Pizzazz paper and cardstock but then embossed the grasshopper and greeting with our Wild Wasabi and Tangerine Tango embossing powder.

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Poppin' Pastels Fast and Fabulous

2011-06-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

VersaMark and Stampin' Pastels are all you need to stamp this quick card. I stamped the flowers in the background with VersaMark and then stamped it on the Whisper White. With your pastels, apply color to the VersaMarked area and you can shade and color images with any of our 40 colors.

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Farewell Fresh Cuts

2011-06-23T05:00:00.003-05:00

This card features a retiring stamp set and a fun technique. It's called Gradient Color or Color Gradation. There really isn't much technique to it, but it produces a cool effect. Simply apply color with a marker direct to stamp. Start with your lightest color and end with the darkest. It's kind of like creating your own rainbow ink pad.

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Say Goodbye to Pick a Petal

2011-06-22T05:00:00.001-05:00

This set has been a good one for me. We have made many flowers over the years as well as faces and ladybugs. Talk about versatile! Here is the card we made at my Going, Going Gone Stamp-a-Stack.

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Sunny Inlaid Embossing Card

2011-06-21T13:43:00.001-05:00

We have more rain forecasted for this afternoon so this sunny flower garden seems like the right card to post today. This is one of the projects we will be doing tonight at stamp club. There is nothing hard about it, but there is a lot of punching... It is larger than a standard card in order to all for all of the flowers to fit. But as I was trying out different layers, I decided that extra Whisper White scallop square around it adds a lot and was worth the bigger size.

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Another Tart and Tangy Hello

2011-06-17T15:32:00.001-05:00

Here's another take on the card I posted Wednesday. I just love how easily I can make a simple but cute card with Tart and Tangy!

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Tart and Tangy Hello

2011-06-15T14:14:00.000-05:00

This is one of the cards we are doing this Friday night at my Going, Going, Gone Stamp-a-Stack. All of the cards we are making use retiring stamp sets. Tart and Tangy is one of my favorites, but I happen to know of several customers who really like this stamp set too!

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You've Got a Friend in Me

2011-06-13T17:47:00.000-05:00

Here's my take this week on the Mojo Monday Challenge with another soon to be retired stamp set. Cheep Talk has been well loved and well used at my house!

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Calendar Redo

2011-06-13T15:04:00.000-05:00

In January, I ordered my pocket calendar for my purse online. So when it came and was way too big, I was too late to get much of anything that would work. And because beggars can't be choosers, I wound up with this polar bear calendar for full price - - $1.99. I was just happy to find something, but was never too crazy about the look. Six months later I have finally done something about it. I used some of the new Designer Series Paper, Just Add Cake, and added a monogram. The plastic cover has made the stripes look a little dizzying in the picture, but in real life, it is just a simple pocket calendar that I am no longer embarrassed to pull out of my purse.

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Cheers to You!

2011-06-11T10:51:00.000-05:00

I have been making an effort to stamp with my retiring stamp sets this month, and here is another one I will have to say goodbye to at the end of the month. It has a coordinating wheel, but I decided to keep it simple for this one. We'll be making this card tomorrow at Shanon's workshop.

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Nursery Suite Specialty Baby Card

2011-06-08T18:29:00.000-05:00

I went into my craft room to "clean" and wound up stamping this card. I was making a bigger mess so I decided to do another Mojo Monday Challenge and at least be productive. I used soon to be retiring Designer Series Paper, Nursery Suite Specialty. I inked just the word baby from the stamp set A Word for You, and I used the leaf from Funky Four. The retiring stamp set, So Cute, has a coordinating bunny in it that would have been perfect, but I am happy with the way the leaf worked out too.

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Wish Big Sock Monkey

2011-06-07T14:35:00.002-05:00

Last week I tried a sketch challenge and found the card went together pretty quickly, and I was happy with the results. So this week I decided to try a color challenge from Colour Q. I find colors hard to put together sometimes and don't always venture far from my favorites so a challenge was just what I needed. I wanted to try to use one of my soon to be retired Stampin' Up! sets, and when I saw these colors, I knew which set would be just perfect.

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Manly Card

2011-06-06T05:00:00.002-05:00

I am not as good at making manly cards... partly because the stamp sets I own tend not to be too manly, so Lovely as a Tree is my ol' standby. At my stamp-a-stacks this weekend, I promised all occasion cards. With Father's Day coming, this one could be used for Father's Day or any other manly occasion. (One of mine may go to my principal on Bosses' Day.) I was able to jazz it up with the baker's twine since ribbons are less welcome on a man's card.

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Embossed Flight of the Butterfly

2011-06-04T05:00:00.001-05:00

I seem to be on a Flight of the Butterfly kick lately. Actually this card was one I considered for club last month but decided against it. It uses two of the three new colors of embossing powder from the summer mini catalog, but it just didn't pop as much as I wanted it to. The butterflies are punched and "flying" off the page and the flowers are embossed, so still a cute card, but it didn't have the wow factor with the embossing powder I was looking for. Stay tuned - I plan to use the embossing powder this month!

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Cookie Dough Brownies

2011-06-03T15:06:00.002-05:00

I am addicted to cooking blogs. I bookmark like crazy but don't often actually make the things I have marked for one reason or another. So for my treat tonight, I decided I would choose something from my recent blog surfing and bookmarking session. The bonus was that I had all the ingredients I needed in my cabinet already. The chocolate treats tend to jump out at me and what's not to love about brownies and cookie dough together? My recipe came from Cookies and Cups and turned out great if I do say so myself.

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Inspired by Nature

2011-06-03T09:36:00.001-05:00

I have always liked this stamp set, and lucky for me it was one that was in our convention bags a few years ago. So Stampin' Up! saved me from buying this one and freed me up to buy a different set (or two). The greeting at the bottom is from the Summer Mini Catalog and is the level 1 hostess set - Swirls and Curls Verses. I made this for my stamp-a-stacks this weekend as an all purpose card.

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Retiring Stamps and Accessories

2011-06-01T02:18:00.003-05:00

Here are the lists of retiring stamps and accessories:

Stamp Sets
Accessories
Definitely Decorative

We have to make room for all the fun new stamp sets, accessories and surprises in the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog that will be out July 1. As always, we have to say good-bye to some old favorites. Definitely Decorative items and the accessories are available only while supplies last, so if you see something you can't live without on that list, your best bet is to CLICK HERE! to order online right now.

Flight of the Butterfly Version 2

2011-05-31T22:25:00.000-05:00

Here's another version of that same card. We are doing "summery" cards this weekend at my stamp-a-stack, and I thought this one fit the bill, but it needed some tweaking. I don't have enough Designer Series Paper for everyone to do 3 of this card so we will be using a texturz plate and the Big Shot. I also decided to eliminate the ribbon. Tiny bows are not very popular on stamp-a-stack nights since we do multiples of each card, and I like the card with and without a bow.

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Flight of the Butterfly

2011-05-29T15:22:00.000-05:00

One of my many "summer resolutions" is to participate in sketch and color challenges on the internet. I thought it would be fun to shake things up a bit and try someone else's colors and layouts since I have my favorites that I use often. So I decided to start with Mojo Monday's week 192 sketch. Maybe I should have done a color challenge at the same time because picking colors seemed to be the most time consuming. I had the sketch with me as I pulled out three stamp sets to choose from. I opened Flight of the Butterfly and never even tried the other two. Here is the original sketch. I stuck pretty close to the sketch this time, but maybe next time I will branch out and deviate a bit.

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Teacher Thank You

2011-05-28T16:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our last day of school, and I was in need of a few thank you notes for some nice end of the year gifts from students. And since they were mostly boys, I went with a low-frill card. This was inspired by a swap card I saw a couple of years ago and it has always stuck in my mind as good teacher card. Using the Round Tab punch to make the apples is so clever and easy too! Here are the two apple cards I did last year. Card 1 Card 2 Check back next May for what likely will be another apple punch art card!

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New Twist On an Easel Card

2011-05-25T17:33:00.000-05:00

We've done an easel card in stamp club before, but last week we tried this twisted easel card. It folds flat and square, but when you fold up the top cover it "twists" and creates a sideways look.

You'll notice we used one of the new triple layer punches on the inside and outside and combined that with the stem from Bold Blossom.

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Here's a side view to give you a better idea how it looks standing up.