A Congratulatory Card!

Look what I received in the mail! Isn't she just adorable? To congratulate me for being No. 19 with Stampin' Up! this past year, Judy Sumner made this cute little card for me - and I was elated to receive it! This little gal is adorably curvy, wouldn't you say? What gets me is that her body was made using the butterfly punch! How cute! Her arms were made using the Heart-to-Heart punch, and her hat was made using a circle punch and oval punch! WOW! I LOVE IT, JUDY! Thank you for recognizing a BIG moment in my life! You're the best!

A Card from Diane Byles' Workshop

Here is one of the cards we made at Diane Byles' workshop! Would you have ever thought of using these colors together? I never would have, but boy, do they look great together! I'm so crazy about our corduroy buttons! I hope we sell them forever! I cased this card from Splitcoast. The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

Recipe:

Paper: Rose Red - 8-1/2 X 5-1/2; Chocolate Chip - 4-1/4 X 2; Good Morning Sunshine Designer Paper - 4-1/4 X 1-3/4; Whisper White - 4 X 2; Baja Breeze - 4-1/8 X 2-1/8; Chocolate Chip - 4-3/8 X 2-3/8; Whisper White Scrap

Stamps: Enjoy Every Moment (P. 115 of the catalog)

Inks: Chocolate Chip; Baja Breeze

Miscellaenous: Valet Ribbon Originals - 15-1/2" long; Stampin' Dimensionals; Stamp-a-ma-jig; Paper Piercer with Mat; Summer Sun Corduroy Buttons; Word Window Punch

A Card from Diane Byles' Workshop

Here is a card we made at Diane Byles' workshop! Although this card is great for a male or female, it tends to lean to the masculine side, and I think the colors are gorgeous! What is fun about this card is since we don't have markers in the "In Colors," we inked up the willow (or whatever it is!) in Always Artichoke, used a wet Q-tip to remove the Always Artichoke ink from the flowers, and then used a dry Q-Tip in the lid of the ink pad to ink up the flowers in Baja Breeze. Worked like a charm! I cased this card from Splitcoast. The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!, with the exception of the Q-Tips!

Recipe:

Paper: Kraft - 8-1/2 X 5-1/2; Manchester Designer Paper (the Kraft plaid print) - 5-1/4 X 4; Manchester Designer Paper (the Always Artichoke plaid print) - 5 X 3; Very Vanilla - 4 X 2-3/4

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers (P. 58 of the catalog)

Inks: Always Artichoke; Baja Breeze

Miscellaneous: Q-Tips; Eyelet Border Punch; Stamp-a-ma-jig; Always Artichoke Grosgrain Ribbon - 11-1/2" long; Stampin' Dimensionals

A Card from Diane Byles' Workshop!

Here is one of the cards we made at Diane Byles' workshop! All you do is stamp the butterfly in our White Craft ink, let it dry, and then use a sponge dauber in our chalks to make the butterfly whatever color you want. That technique is called Poppin' Pastels - and you can also do Poppin' Pastels with a Versamark Pad, too! I cased this card from Splitcoast. The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!, with the exception of the white pen eraser.

Recipe:

Paper: Regal Rose - 11 X 4-1/4; Basic Black - 2-1/4 X 2-1/4; Certainly Celery - 3-3/4 X 2-1/2; Whisper White - 4-1/4 X 3

Stamps: Great Friend (P. 6-7 of the Occasions Mini Catalog)

Inks: Regal Rose; White Craft

Miscellaneous: Stampin' Dimensionals; SNAIL Adhesive; Sponge Dauber; Stampin' Pastels (chalks); White Pen Eraser; Regal Rose Wide Grosgrain Ribbon - 13" long; Silver Brad; Paper Piercer with Mat

A Lighthearted Mother's Day Card

While most Mother's Day cards are so serious in nature, I like this for a change of pace! It's lighthearted and fun and it was enjoyable to make! I cased this card from Splitcoast. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

Recipe:

Paper: Chocolate Chip - 8-1/2 X 4-1/4; Kiwi Kiss - 4 X 4; Confetti Cream - 3-3/4 X 3-3/4; Chocolate Chip - 3-3/4 X 3/4"; Kiwi Kiss - 2-5/8 X 2-5/8; Chocolate Chip - 2-7/8 X 2-7/8 (from this piece, punch out the center scallop, then cut paper to measure 2-3/8 X 2-3/8); Watercolor Paper - 2-1/4 X 2-1/4

Stamps: A Flower for All Seasons (P. 89 ); All Holidays (P. 32 )

Inks: Basic Brown; Pink Passion; Close to Cocoa; Kiwi Kiss; Yoyo Yellow Marker

Miscellaneous: Stamp-a-ma-jig; Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain Ribbon - 15" long; Blender Pen; Scallop Circle Punch; Paper Cutter; Paper Piercer with Mat and Plastic Grid; Silver Brads (4); Stampin' Dimensionals

A Small Little Christmas Card

Oh, I love this little card! It embodies everything I love about stamping: the size, the colors, the crisp little words with such a nice message, and the hanging star! Stars are one of my favorite images! It's a 3 X 3 card - and it's called a suspension card. You actually use dental floss to hang whatever image you want in the little window. I keep this in my work area all year round - even though it's a Christmas card - because it's one of my favorites! No recipe is attached - I just wanted to share it with you! All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

April Coffee and a Card

Every other month, my VDP members can stop by for coffee and a muffin and they get to stamp a beautiful card for free! This is the April Coffee and a Card! Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss look so good together! I totally cased this card from Splitcoast. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up! The recipe is below!

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Gray - 11 X 4-1/4; Urban Oasis Designer Paper (the Kiwi Kiss print) - 5-1/2 X 2; Urban Oasis Designer Paper (the Baja Breeze print) - 5-1/2 X 2; Basic Gray - 3-1/2 X 2; Very Vanilla scrap for the greeting; Very Vanilla - 1-3/4 X 1-3/4; Kiwi Kiss - 1-7/8 X 1-7/8

Stamps: Great Friend (P. 6 of the Occasions Mini Catalog)

Inks: Kiwi Kiss; Baja Breeze; Basic Gray; Whisper White Craft

Miscellaneous: Scallop Edge Punch; Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon - 10" long; Filigree Designer Brad; Paper Piercer with Mat and Grid; Cutter Kit (distressing tool); Blender Pen; Paper Snips; Stamp-a-ma-jig; Silver 5/16" Jumbo Brads (2); Stampin' Dimensionals

Party Invitation

A friend of mine needed a quick little insert for her daughter's graduation announcements to alert everyone that there's a party after the graduation ceremony! I came up with this - it's so simple, but I think it turned out adorable! It's formal, but yet fun! What I love about stamping is that you could use this invitation idea for any party occasion! For example, for a Christmas party, stamp a Christmas tree first and then emboss "Celebrate" on top of the tree - change the ribbon to red - and you're good to go! For a little girl's birthday party, why not stamp a big pink star and then emboss "Celebrate" on top of the star? Wouldn't that be cute? You could then change the ribbon to pink! All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!. The recipe is below!

Recipe:

Paper: White Textured - 6 X 5

Stamps: Celebrate Everything (P. 132); Hugs & Wishes (P. 134)

Inks: Versamark Pad

Miscellaneous: Black Embossing Powder; Heat Tool; Stamp-a-ma-jig; White Organza Ribbon - 16" long; Scallop Edge Punch; Paper Piercer with Mat

Stampin' Up! Trip to Hawaii!

We had a gorgeous view from our balcony! Each morning, Pam and I would drink our coffee out on the balcony and watch whales! We saw whale activity every single day we were there!

Isn't this a gorgeous pool? It's just one of the many beautiful pools at the resort, but I loved the waterfall at this one! If only I had felt comfortable putting on a bathing suit! With all the palm trees and the ocean behind, it just made me melt!

Everywhere you look, there are beautiful flowers in so many bright and rich colors! You just have to be happy while you're in Hawaii! You just can't help it! Every view makes you smile and you are thanking God for creating such a beautiful world!

One night we had dinner overlooking the ocean and the sunset! What could be more inspiring than to have a delicious meal while you're watching a gorgeous sunset! Below is a lagoon where you could swim with the sea turtles and fish! It was absolutely breathtaking!

So many of you have asked to see pictures of my trip to Hawaii! It's not so much that I don't want to share it with you, but I really don't take good pictures - and I'm not one for putting personal things on my blog; however, I've posted a few shots that I think turned out "better" than I normally take! All I can say is that Hawaii is beautiful and you must beg, borrow, or steal to get there someday! I had a wonderful time - Stampin' Up! does such a good job at making you feel special - and I can thank Stampin' Up! for taking me places around the world that I never would have seen otherwise! Thanks, Stampin' Up! My association with you has been nothing short of amazing and wonderful! Some of the best moments in my life have been because of Stampin' Up! and because of YOU, my amazing and dedicated supporters who keep me inspired to keep pushing forward every month with stamp camps and home workshops!

It's a Girl Thing Camp Wannastamp

I'm in love with the Box #2 die for the Big Shot! Here are some cute boxes we made at the "It's a Girl Thing" Camp Wannastamp! They are filled with 12 Hershey Chocolate Nuggets that are wrapped with coordinating designer papers! Who wouldn't love to receive a gift like this? Only problem is, I wouldn't want to eat the chocolates and tear up the beautiful designer paper. Plus, it's just so cute to look at! Better eat those chocolates, though, lest you have weevils! The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!, with the exception of the Hershey Chocolate Nuggets

Recipe:

Paper: Sweet Slumber Designer Paper - 11 X 5-3/4 (run through the Big Shot with the Box #2 die); Whisper White scrap; So Saffron Scrap; Sahara Sand scrap; Ruby Red scrap; Baja Breeze scrap; Baja Breeze Designer Paper - 3 X 1; scored at 3/4" and 2-1/2" (for the Hershey Chocolate Nuggets); So Saffron Designer Paper - 3 X 1; scored at 3/4" and 2-1/2" (for the Hershey Chocolate Nuggets)

Stamps: Short Order Alphabet (P. 144); Sock Monkey (P. 68) ; All Holidays (P. 32) ; A Little Somethin' (a Level 2 Hostess Set)

Inks: Baja Breeze; Ruby Red; Sahara Sand; So Saffron

Miscellaneous: The Big Shot Machine; Box #2 Die; Sticky Strip; Assorted Coordinating Ribbons; Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware; Stampin' Dimensionals; Hershey Chocolate Nuggets (12); 1" Circle Punch; Small Oval Punch; Eyelet Border Punch; Scallop Edge Punch; 1/4" Circle Punch (retired); Scallop Square Punch; 1-1/4" Square Punch; Mini Glue Dots

It's a Girl Thing Camp Wannastamp!

Here is a wedding card we made at the "It's a Girl Thing" Camp Wannastamp! I'm showing two different samples here, and everyone could pick the one they liked best! I'm going to love using the "Once Upon a Time" stamp set for any wedding cards I have in the future! The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

Recipe:

Paper: Whisper White - 6-1/2 X 6-1/2; Brushed Gold - 6-3/8 X 3-1/8; Whisper White - 6-1/8 X 2-7/8

Stamps: Once Upon a Time (P. 71); Together Forever (P. 60); Priceless (P. 121)

Inks: Versamark

Miscellaneous: Stamp-a-ma-jig; Embossing Buddy; Gold Embossing Powder; Heat Tool; White Organza Ribbon - 20" long

It's a Girl Thing Camp Wannastamp

Here's a beautiful card we made at the "It's a Girl Thing" Camp Wannastamp! This is one of those great cards that is suitable for many different occasions! The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

Recipe:

Paper: Pink Pirouette - 11 X 4-1/4; Whisper White - 5-1/2 X 4-1/8; Pink Pirouette Designer Paper - 4-3/4 X 4; Whisper White - 3 X 2-3/4; Pink Pirouette - 3-1/8 X 2-7/8; Pink Pirouette scrap; Whisper White scrap

Stamps: Soft Summer (P. 3 of the Occasions Mini Catalog)

Inks: Basic Black Marker; Rose Red; Black Stazon; Close to Cocoa; Summer Sun Marker; Pretty in Pink

Miscellaneous: Eyelet Border Punch; Pink Pirouette Wide Grosgrain Ribbon - 7" long; 1/2" Circle Punch; Pretties Kit Half-Back Pearls (3); Mini Glue Dots; Stampin' Dimensionals; Stamp-a-ma-jig; Blender Pens

It's a Girl Thing Camp Wannastamp

Isn't this card BEAUTIFUL? I completely cased it from my sweet friend, Heather Klump, who is known on Splitcoast as Tank Girl (tankgrl) - and yes, she actually drives tanks! I met Heather at the Stampin' Up! convention last year and I am a HUGE admirer of her art! Don't you agree that this card is one of the prettiest cards you've ever seen? Thank you, Heather, for making ME look good! The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

Recipe:

Paper: Whisper White - 10-1/2 X 5-1/4; Bella Rose Designer Paper (the pink big floral print) - 5 X 5; Bella Rose Designer Paper (the pink small floral print) - 5 X 2; Pink Pirouette - 3-1/4 X 3-1/4; Whisper White - 3 X 3; Whisper White scrap for tag

Stamps: Bloomin' Beautiful (P. 85); Best Yet (A retired hostess set - sorry!)

Inks: Black Stazon; Pretty in Pink; Regal Rose; Regal Rose Marker; Kiwi Kiss; Going Gray Marker; So Saffron; Pink Pirouette; Versamark

Miscellaneous: Paper Piercer with Mat and Grid; Pink Taffeta Ribbon - 6" long; Pink Taffeta Ribbon - 11-1/2" long; Blender Pen; Circle Cutter (we used a 2" circle); Designer Label Punch; Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen; White Embossing Powder; Heat Tool; Crafter's Tool Kit (the tweezers); Stampin' Dimensionals; Silver Brads (2) - Touch your silver brad to the Versamark Pad and then stick it in white embossing powder; then heat it up with your Heat Tool to get a white brad. It works best if you do these steps twice to get a nice, smooth white brad!

It's a Girl Thing Camp Wannastamp

With the Big Shot Matchbox Die that's now available, I can make perfect matchbox gifts for the rest of my life - AND THAT MAKES ME HAPPY! This is one of the items we made at the "It's a Girl Thing" Camp Wannastamp, and I can see so many ways this matchbox die will come in handy over the years! The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!, with the exception of the Hershey Chocolate Nuggets! Now if Stampin' Up! sold chocolate nuggets, wouldn't that just be a match made in heaven (no pun intended)!

Recipe:

Paper: Pink Pirouette - 7 X 6 (for the bottom of the box); Pink Pirouette - 7 X 3-1/2 (for the top of the box); Pink Pirouette Designer Paper - 3 X 1 (you'll need four of these); score at 3/4" and 2-1/2" (for your Hershey Chocolate Nuggets); Bella Birds Designer Paper - 3-3/4 X 2-3/8 (to wrap around the top of the box); Whisper White scrap and Pink Pirouette scrap (for the flowers on top of the Hershey Chocolate Nuggets)

Stamps: Oval All (P. 8 of the Occasions Mini Catalog)

Inks: Pretty in Pink

Miscellaneous: The Big Shot Machine; Matchbox Die; Large Oval Punch; Scallop Oval Punch; Trio Flower Punch; Mini Glue Dots; Pretties Kit Vanilla Half-Back Pearl; Stampin' Dimensionals; White Organza Ribbon - 6-1/2" long; Four Hershey Chocolate Nuggets; Bone Folder

It's A Girl Thing Camp Wannastamp

This is a card we made at the "It's a Girl Thing" Camp Wannastamp! I took this idea right out of a Stampin' Success magazine! "Fifth Avenue Floral" is a new favorite stamp set of mine. I just don't grow tired of it! The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

Recipe:

Paper: Baja Breeze - 6-5/8 X 6-5/8; Basic Black - 6-5/8 X 1/2"; Naturals White - 2-1/2 X 3/4"

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral (P. 106); Thank you Kindly (P. 133)

Inks: Basic Black; Baja Breeze; Kiwi Kiss

Miscellaneous: Scallop Edge Punch; Stamp-a-ma-jig; 3/16" Corner Rounder; Kiwi Kiss Corduroy Brad; 1/16" Hole Punch; Valet Ribbon Originals - 14" long

It's a Girl Thing Camp Wannastamp

Here's a card that we made at the "It's a Girl Thing" Camp Wannastamp! I think it's beautiful. I cased it directly from Splitcoast! We got to try "thumping" with this card! It's very easy to do. We inked up the tree in Bashful Blue ink and then took a Chocolate Chip Marker and simply tapped it around on the tree - and then stamped it on the paper! The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

Recipe:

Paper: Chocolate Chip - 10 X 5; Creamy Caramel - 4-7/8 X 4-7/8; Very Vanilla - 3-3/4 X 2-3/4; Bashful Blue - 3-7/8 X 2-7/8; Chocolate Chip - 4 X 3; Chocolate Chip scrap (for the squares); Parisian Breeze Designer Paper scrap (for the squares)

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers (P. 58)

Inks: Close to Cocoa; Creamy Caramel; Bashful Blue; Chocolate Chip; Chocolate Chip Marker

Miscellaneous: The Big Shot Machine; Texturz Plates Backgrounds 1 (the swirl); Stampin' Sponge; 1-3/8" Square Punch; 1-1/4" Square Punch; Stamp-a-ma-jig; 1/2" Circle Punch; 3/4" Circle Punch; 1" Circle Punch; Blue Taffeta Ribbon - 16" long; Stampin' Dimensionals

A Thank-You Card from Pam

What a beautiful thank-you card! My sister Pam went on the Stampin' Up! Hawaii trip with me, and to thank me, she sent me this adorable card, a CD filled with beautiful pictures from our trip (complete with Hawaiian music playing in the background), and a darling Vera Bradley Hipster Purse that is perfect when you're traveling! I kept seeing so many cute little bags like that, so she got me one as a thank-you! Wasn't that sweet? I love this card - it makes we wish we could still use the Sale-A-Bration Delicate Dots Designer Paper for our workshops! You can go on trips with me anytime you want, Pam! Thank you - and I LOVE YOU!

Pam's Easter Card

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE! This is so precious, I could eat it with a spoon! My sister Pam sent this card to me for Easter and I love it! I wanted to share it with you! She made the carrot using the Pick A Petal stamp set (P. 114 of the catalog). The inside has a hard-boiled egg, and she did that by using the Wide Oval Punch and the 1" Circle Punch! THANK YOU, PAM!