Rockabilly Specialty DSP

Hi folks, here's a quick post to show you how cool the new Rockabilly Specialty DSP is... I've been working all day getting Paper Shares cut and packaged up and I just couldn't wait for you to get them.

You can see that on one side of the paper, they have a shine to them - as if they've been embossed with clear powder. Isn't it the coolest?! And, in the crazy event that you don't like THAT side of the paper, you could always turn it over for these designs:

Regardless of which side you use, it's still a darling pack... I was leary of it because I'm not really into this skull craze, but there's so much more to love about this paper!

My Paper Share has officially ended and my final order went in yesterday, but I do have the following still available on a first come, first serve basis:

Group 1 - [SOLD]
Group 3 - only 1 left available
Group 5 - [SOLD]

Let's see who'll be the first to snag these up!

My Embellishment Share is still going on, and there's still time for you to get ALL THIS:
But hurry! It'll end on February 6th! Contact me if you're interested, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

My Parents' 40th Anniversary!

Sunday is my parents' 40th anniversary - I am so blessed in this day and age to have parents who are still married. They mean so much to me... here is the card I made for them:

Once again, I snuck in a retired stamp on this one... the "Love you" sentiment comes from Sweet Thing. For the flowers, I spent some time coloring the rubber with my Stampin' Write markers to give it a bit of shading. I don't usually cut things out that are this detailed, but this was a special occasion! What's more, I used my Versamarker on the flowers so I could emboss them with a little clear powder to make them stand out a little more. It's hard to see in the photo, but here's a closer shot:

The embossing makes the darker part even darker, which helps the shading. You can tell that I even used Dimensionals to raise the flowers up a bit. I like the way that casts a hint of a shadow and gives the whole card some extra depth.

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad! I love you!

Card Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Inspired by Nature, En Francais background, Sweet Thing (retired)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Creamy Caramel, Always Artichoke
Cardstock: More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, Naturals Ivory
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon
Tools: Designer Label Punch, Horizontal Slot punch, Versamarker, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Dimensionals

Defining My Everything

As promised, here is another page I made the other day... this is one of my very favorite shots of my family - taken just this past Thanksgiving. Well, you know how much I love it - it's in my title bar, for crying out loud!

I thought the Define Your Life stamp of "Everything" was the most perfect sentiment for this photo... it says, "All things that are meaningful to you. All that you know; the whole world." Me, surrounded by all my men... that's my whole world.

I inked up the uppercase "E" from the Defining Alphabet with a Stampin' Write Marker (so I wouldn't get the lowercase one as well), and then colored over it with a VersaMarker so I could emboss it and make it stand out a bit more. The next photo shows it in the glare.

You guys have been watching my re-emergence into the scrapbooking world one little page at a time. These 6"x6" pages are so super quick and easy to make - if you haven't scrapbooked in awhile, I encourage you to give it a shot! And don't forget that my Paper Share will be ending this week... it's a perfect way to get started on 6"x6" albums.

Page Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Define Your Life, Defining Alphabet
Ink: Not Quite Navy
Cardstock: Baja Breeze Textured, Not Quite Navy, Naturals White, Kiwi Kiss, Urban Garden DSP
Accessories: Twill Tape
Tools: Word Window Punch, Curly Label Punch, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

Dazzle 'Em with Cupcakes!

I have gotten the most wonderful e-mails and comments from this post... apparently my scrapbooking style resonates with at least a few of you! And for that, I'm thrilled! One particular reader, Karen, wrote me and basically begged me to do more scrapbook layouts... but I told her I had 5 birthdays and 1 anniversary in the next couple of weeks that I had to work on first. Well, that COULD'VE taken a couple of weeks to accomplish, but thanks to one of my favorite stamp sets (Crazy for Cupcakes) and an enthusiastic reader (Karen), I knocked out 5 of the 6 cards in just a couple hours! There's nothing better than to find a style that works... and then duplicate it over and over to meet other needs. Here are 5 birthday cards I made the other day while my 2-year old napped.

This first one is for my 17 year old niece. I remember once when she went through some of my cards that she really liked this one... so I decided to duplicate the colors for her... Tempting Turquoise and Real Red.

One of my very favorite things to do is add Dazzling Diamonds to my cards, and these cupcakes are the PERFECT thing to dazzle! (Edited to add instructions): To do this, I first dab the Embossing Buddy over my image which keeps the sparkle where I want it... then I simply use a 2-Way glue pen on the areas I want to dazzle, sprinkle the Dazzling Diamonds over it, and tap off the excess! As you can see below, the sparkly frosting is what turns this card from "wow" to "WOW!!!". Don't ya just wanna eat 'em up?! Although it's hard to tell in the photos, all of the cards in this post have this same sparkle.

This next card is the exact same format, only different colors - Pretty in Pink and Green Galore. It's for my 10 year old niece in Mississippi. These two cards use the Rainbow Sherbet DSP.

This next one is for Mason's new teacher (remember his other teacher resigned)... I haven't met her yet, but her birthday is this week. Nothing like a homemade card to say "Welcome!"... it uses Regal Rose, Apricot Appeal, and Sweet Always DSP. And the ribbon is the So Saffron twill, but it matches the Apricot just fine!

The next one is for Morgan's teacher, who also has a birthday this week. I decided to try some chocolate cupcakes this time! Mmmmmm! Yummy! This is also the Sweet Always DSP, paired up with Regal Rose and Chocolate Chip.

And this last one is for my 19 year old niece in Indiana. I think this one is my personal favorite of the 5... but then, I'm a sucker for Kiwi Kiss! This uses Bella Rose DSP, with Real Red, Chocolate Chip, and of course, Kiwi Kiss. I also used the new Heart to Heart punch.

So there you have it... 5 cards knocked out lickety split!! I just have my parents' anniversary card to make... but I already snuck in another scrapbook page, of which I'll show you very soon! Thanks again for all of your sweet compliments, and for making my head swell. :)

Embellishment Share!

Yes-sirree! Another share! There's too much good stuff in the new catalog and we'd all go broke very quickly if we bought one of everything new! I want to help you SAMPLE IT ALL and spend a whole lot LESS in the process! You will see that this Embellishment Share will save you about $100 - WOW!

Each person who participates in this share will receive the following:


Jumbo 5/8" Brads:
2 each of 4 different colors (Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, and Silver), for a total of 8.






Jumbo 5/16" Brads:
5 each of 4 different colors (Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, and Silver), for a total of 20.






Fleurettes:
1 each of 3 different design styles as shown here, for a total of 3.








Clear Rhinestone Brads:
7 each of 3 different sizes, for a total of 21.








Corduroy Buttons:
2 each of 3 different sizes in 6 different colors (Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Pacific Point (shown here), Pumpkin Pie, and Summer Sun), for a total of 36.




Button Latte:
6 assorted buttons (colors will vary from the 4 colors available - Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Very Vanilla, and Whisper White), for a total of 6.





Library Clips:
2 each of 3 colors (Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, and Whisper White), for a total of 6.







Flower Assortment Designer Brads:
2 each of 4 different colors (Pumpkin Pie, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, and Chocolate Chip), for a total of 8.





The cost of this share is $38, which includes first class shipping and tax (deduct $2 for local pick-up). This sure beats the almost $140 you'd spend to purchase all of these items individually!! This share is open to US residents only, demonstrators or not. Contact me to hold your spot and I will send you a PayPal invoice. I will place the order as the groups fill up - be in the first group to get your items the fastest! This share will close after February 6th, so don't delay!

Retired Items For Sale!

It's time to clean out my closet so I can make room for all my NEW STUFF!! I have updated my "For Sale" page - slashing prices on many, and adding the newly retired items that I have available. First come, first serve... contact me right away if you see something you'd like. If you need photos of anything, just drop me a line and I'd be happy to send you some.

Happy Shopping!

Scrapbooking Morgan

Talking about all the great new Designer Series Papers (see the details of my Paper Share in the previous post!) has gotten me excited to get back to my Favorite Photos Album! It's been a while since I've added a page, so I sat down to do just that and got not one, but two pages done! They are both of Morgan, and I used one of the Designer Series Paper packs that's carrying over to the new catalog - Urban Garden - because I don't yet have my new papers! Here are the pages I created:

This one uses Basic Gray, Kiwi Kiss, and Not Quite Navy. Notice how the colors pop on top of the gray? I pulled out a Metal Edge Circle Tag, which was perfect for the Always sentiment. It also ties in nicely with the Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware.

This one uses the same colors, only I substituted Old Olive for the Kiwi Kiss - a little less vibrant. I got a little "experimentally creative" here - I knew I wanted some vellum on the left side, and I tossed in some color by cutting out some cardstock the same size as the vellum circles. I attached the vellum to the top with Crystal Effects. This allowed it to have a "loose" look, instead of being solid.

To see the rest of my Favorite Photos pages, click here. Have you scrapbooked a favorite photo lately?!

PS: Stay tuned... I've got another GREAT share coming up that you won't want to miss... one that I've never done before! ;)

"You're Always On My Mind" Scrapbook Page Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Always, Upsy Daisy
Ink: Not Quite Navy
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Kiwi Kiss, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, Urban Garden DSP
Accessories: Basic Gray Taffeta ribbon, Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, Metal Edge tag
Tools: Word Window punch

"Go Confidently..." Scrapbook Page Recipe:
Stamp Set: Live Your Dream
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Old Olive
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Old Olive, Whisper White, Vellum, Urban Garden DSP
Tools: 1-1/4", 1", 3/4" Circle Punches, Word Window punch

New Catalog! New Paper Share!

It's that time again! Today marks the start of a brand new catalog! You can browse through some new items by visiting my Stampin' Up! website and clicking on the Shop Now link in the upper right-hand corner.

A brand new catalog also means lots of great new Designer Series Paper - 14 new styles, to be exact! And this time around, we even have some specialty papers that are either printed glossy designs, or textured, cover-weight cardstock! There's no better way to sample it all than to participate in one of my Paper Shares! You may participate in as many groups as you like. Paper share orders must be received by January 29th!!

The first 4 groups each have 3 new DSP styles - including one specialty pack! I split the specialty packs up into these 4 different groups so you could sample some regardless of the group you choose. ...better yet, get all 4 of these groups and sample it ALL! These first 4 groups contain 36 double-sided 6"x6" sheets and cost $10 each plus shipping (detailed below).

The 5th group only contains 2 different standard styles (24 double-sided 6"x6" sheets) and it costs $7.00 plus shipping (detailed below).

Shipping Prices: *Edited to add: Local customers will have no shipping costs!
I will ship via Priority mail. If you purchase 1-2 groups, the shipping cost will be $4.80. For 3-4 groups, the shipping cost will be $5.60. For all 5 groups, the shipping cost will be $6.75. Upon receipt of your order, I will send an invoice via PayPal. Anyone in the US may participate, demonstrator or not. Just contact me to let me know which groups you'd like to receive!

Group 1: $10



Rockabilly SPECIALTY:
(Printed gloss design)
Basic Black, Riding Hood Red,
Kiwi Kiss






Urban Oasis:
Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze,
Basic Black, Kraft








Raspberry Tart:
Real Red, Rose Red, Cameo Coral,
Pretty in Pink, Kiwi Kiss






Group 2: $10



Parisian Breeze SPECIALTY:
(Textured, cover-weight cardstock)
Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip,
Kraft




Candy Lane:
Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa,
Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla








Tea Party:
Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Basic Gray,
Almost Amethyst, So Saffron







Group 3: $10



To The Nines SPECIALTY:
(Textured, cover-weight cardstock)
Sahara Sand, Sage Shadow,
Always Artichoke, Choc. Chip




Flock Together:
Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery,
So Saffron, Garden Green







Bella Birds:
Chocolate Chip, Bordering Blue,
So Saffron, Pink Pirouette







Group 4: $10



Sweet Slumber SPECIALTY:
(Textured, cover-weight cardstock)
Ruby Red, Baja Breeze,
So Saffron, Sahara Sand




Bella Bleu:
Very Vanilla, Kraft
Not Quite Navy








Good Morning Sunshine:
Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss,
Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip






Group 5: $7



Jackpot:
Basic Black, Real Red,
So Saffron, Very Vanilla








Pink Flamingo:
Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Summer Sun,
Cameo Coral, Tempting Turquoise




Remember, I must have your orders by January 29th in order to participate! I will place the order on the 30th.

Goodbye, Mr. Torres

One of Mason's teachers has resigned and today is his last day. This was sad news for us, as Mason has enjoyed being in his class... his first male teacher! I created a quick card to wish him well... it only took about 15 minutes to make this card - from designing it to actually creating it! That doesn't happen very often, but everything just seemed to fall into place on this one. Love it when that happens. In any case, here's what I made:

I am starting to really like these little Library Clips! Especially for masculine cards. It was so hard to refrain from putting some ribbon on here somewhere, but once I popped that clip on, the need for ribbon just vanished! The tree image was colored lightly with Stampin' Pastels and a dauber. And since the card base is so dark, I attached another piece of Naturals Ivory to the inside so I could write him a note.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Card Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Lovely as a Tree, Live Your Dream
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Black StazOn
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Naturals Ivory
Accessories: Library Clip
Tools: The Tearing Edge, Dimensionals, Stampin' Pastels

Love You Much Valentines

I promised to show you my little Valentine cards today... these were all made using the products in the Love You Much promotion bundle. You can click on the flyer at left for more information - it's a great deal! Instead of using full size cards, these are the 3-1/2" x 5" Whisper White Note Cards (item #107311, page 167, $5.95 for 20 cards/envelopes). I felt they made great little Valentines for friends and neighbors. Heck, one pack has just about enough to make some darling Valentines for your kids' classmates! Here are some possibilities:

Aren't they cute? There are so many possibilities with this bundle... I'd like to make a few more! But for now, here are the closer photos along with some notes and the recipes.



On this first one, I inked up the birdie stamp in Chocolate Chip, then wiped off the heart with a Q-tip and colored it with a Ruby Red Stampin' Write marker. The birdies are softly colored with Stampin' Pastels.

Valentine Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Love You Much, Family Phrases
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Ruby Red, Candy Lane DSP
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Narrow Grosgrain
Tools: Stampin' Pastels, Dimensionals


I colored in the flowers on the heart with Stampin' Write Markers. The ribbon is threaded through a slit that I made in the fold using the Horizontal Slot punch.

Valentine Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Love You Much
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Candy Lane DSP
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain
Tools: Heart to Heart punch, Word Window punch, Horizontal Slot punch, Dimensionals


Just like on the first card, I inked up this stamp with Chocolate Chip, removed the ink on the flower with a Q-tip, and colored it with a Ruby Red Stampin' Write Marker. Then I colored in the words with an Old Olive Stampin' Write Marker.

Valentine Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Love You Much
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Ruby Red
Cardstock: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Candy Lane DSP
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Narrow Grosgrain
Tools: Heart to Heart punch, Rhinestone Ice Circle brads, Dimensionals


Here are a couple more photos of this last card - the hearts on the front are actually punched all the way through, and then I lined up some Ruby Red hearts to put on the inside.


Valentine Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Love You Much, Short & Sweet
Ink: Ruby Red
Cardstock: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Ruby Red
Accessories: Riding Hood Red Striped Grosgrain ribbon, Silver Elastic cord
Tools: Heart to Heart punch, Word Window punch, Dimensionals

If you haven't purchased your Love You Much bundle, there's still time!! Contact me today to place your order!