More Trick or Treats!

Here's another card I made with the same stamp set as my last post. And I promised to show you that little peppermint stamp, so here it is!

I got kind of wild with it here, don't you think?! The bag is made out of Vellum Cardstock - I just free-handed it and then sponged the edges with a bit of Basic Gray to give it some depth.

The candies were stamped by first inking them with the lighter color, and then sponging the edges of the rubber with the darker shade. Then the little swirl was done full strength with the darker color. To make them shiny, I did the same thing as I did with the candy corn before - I coated it with the Versamarker and then embossed them with Clear Powder. Note: (y'all are smart, but I thought I'd mention this just in case you have a temporary lapse of judgement as I often do) ...do your embossing BEFORE cutting those little babies out! They're quite small to be holding under a heat gun all by themselves! Ouch! Here's a closer look at the candies in the glare of the light so you can see the shine:

Have I put you in the Halloween mood yet? Well, I still have to make my Halloween treats, and I'll be sure to show those to you when I get them finished. Oh, and I'm just loving all the comments from my last post... so nice to know that people actually read my jibber-jabberings! (Although some of those comments didn't answer my request - did you notice that?! Hmmmm... I've heard of selective hearing, but I suppose this is selective reading.)

Have a great weekend, y'all! I'm getting out of town with some of my best girlfriends for our annual Girls Retreat! And I'm not taking the baby this year! Yippeeeeee!!! :)

Card Recipe:
Stamp Set: Tasty Sweet
Ink: Basic Black, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Gray
Cardstock: Perfect Plum, Basic Black, Textured Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Vellum Cardstock
Accessories: Black Gingham ribbon
Tools: Versamarker, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Stamping Sponge, Tearing Edge

Trick or Treat!

The start of October means it's almost that time! You know, when you have to start rearranging the pantry to make room for all the candy? And then we get so sick of it after a couple of weeks (only because we've already scarfed down the ones we like *giggle*) that we start secretly throwing handfuls into the trash so as not to upset the kids?! (I know I'm not the only one!) Well, to help get myself into the spirit, I decided to bust out a new Halloween set I purchased. I don't buy many Halloween sets, but I really liked this one - and what makes it better is that the little peppermint stamp in it can be used at Christmastime, too! Soon, I'll show you another Halloween card using the stamp I'm talking about. For this one, I used candy corn!

I used my Stampin' Write markers on the sentiment and the candy corn to get the different colors. But on the candy, I then went back with a Versamark Marker to re-moisten the different candy segments and then coated it with Clear Embossing Powder and heated it with the Heat Tool so they'd be shiny... here's a closer look in the glare so you can see what I mean:

I wondered how I was going to get the white part of the candy corn to show up, but what I did was allow my stamp to be a little dirty when I stamped it onto the Whisper White cardstock, and the top portion of the candy (which I didn't color at all) was just a little darker because of the stamp not being totally clean. You can't really see what I'm talking about in the photo above... but the the embossing makes that top segment show up regardless.

So don't forget to start stocking up on your candy corn real soon for all the ghosts and goblins that will be at your door in a month... okay, so maybe it won't be ghosts and goblins. More like Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles, and I bet we'll see a couple Wall-e Robots this year. Hey, since I don't have costumes for my kids yet, why don't you leave a comment of what your kids are going to be so I can get some ideas?! Any costume tips would also be helpful. Hmmmmm... all this talk of candy and comments seems like a good opportunity for some blog candy! (Now I'll see who actually reads my posts...) *hee hee* I'll do the drawing on October 8th - one week from today - and since this is kind of a hidden candy, I'll be sure to make it extra "sweet".

Card Recipe:
Stamp Set: Tasty Sweet
Ink: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun
Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: Buttons, Linen Thread
Tools: Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Tearing Edge

Happy Birthday, Stampin' Up!

October marks Stampin' Up!'s 20th birthday! And to celebrate, through October 31st, they are offering 20% off of select birthday stamp sets with any $20 purchase! You can choose as many discounted sets as you want! Click on the flyer below to view it full size.

Here is a list of the stamp sets that are on sale:

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Sale Price
109439	62	Big Bold Birthday	$27.95	$22.36
111532	63	Party Hearty	$26.95	$21.56
110994	64	Bitty Birthday	$12.95	$10.36
111618	64	Crazy for Cupcakes	$23.95	$19.16
111546	65	Simple Birthday Thanks	$17.95	$14.36
111702	65	Time to Party	$16.95	$13.56
108559	68	Crab & Company	$27.95	$22.36

In addition, Stampin' Up! is offering a single large-tip Aquapainter (item #114617) for $7.25 while supplies last! I use my Aquapainters all the time - especially on fun line images like those included in the list above. If you don't have one yet, now would be a perfect time to grab one!

Remember that you can shop anytime - day or night - from my website. Just click on the "Shop Now" link in the upper right-hand corner. And if you haven't checked out our online catalog yet, you really should regardless of whether you want to make a purchase right now or not... I want you to see how very cool it is! For instance, when you look at the stamp sets, they have different projects displayed for each one. If you see a project you like, click on it and it will show you all the supplies used to make it! It's not just online shopping, it's online inspiration!

Happy Birthay, Stampin' Up! I am truly blessed to be a part of your family...

The Joy in Scrapbooking!

Happy Monday, everyone! Here's another scrapbook page I recently made for my Favorite Photos album. Remember that I'm using black and white photos and creating 6"x6" pages - this was my way of easing back into scrapbooking because it's been a long time and I didn't want to feel overwhelmed... and now I'm addicted to these fun little pages! You can scroll through all of my previous pages by clicking here. This one features a photo of my oldest son back in 2002 catching snowflakes on his tongue (something we rarely get to experience here in Texas!)... and would you believe that I didn't do a lick (pun intended) of stamping on this page?! Check it out:

The original purpose of this page was to show how the chipboard words that come in the new On Board Trinkets Ornaments kit can be used on cards and scrapbook pages as well! You'll see this kit featured on page 14 of our new Holiday Mini catalog that will be available online starting Wednesday - unless you've already received your copy in the mail! (and if you haven't received a copy and would like to, just let me know!) In any case, the pieces of chipboard are fabulous as ornaments, but as you can see, they look pretty darn good here, too! The kit comes with pre-cut patterned paper that you can adhere to the chipboard pieces - which is super simple to do (your kids can even help!), and they look sensational on a Christmas tree or hanging from a doorway, light fixture, etc.! But for this one, I sponged it with some Ruby Red craft ink, and then coated it with Clear Embossing Powder before heating with my Heat Tool. This makes it all shiny, as you can see below:

I adhered it with Glue Dots. The fun snowflakes (aren't they just PERFECT?!) are from the Holiday Mini catalog as well... they are from the Little Felt Flurries set shown on page 18. I adhered them with some Tombo Adhesive.

And, as if I haven't shown you enough of the mini catalog already, the background DSP (Designer Series Paper) is ALSO from the mini - called Ski Slope on page 12. Which leads me to remind you of my current Paper Share... read my previous post for details! These Paper Shares are perfect for scrapbook pages like this, because all the pieces you get are 6"x6" - perfect! Just pick one you like, and get scrappin'!

Page Recipe:
Stamp Set: NONE!
Ink: Ruby Red Craft
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Whisper White, Ski Slope DSP (new!)
Accessories: On Board Trinkets Ornaments kit (new!), Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon, Little Felt Flurries (new!), Clear Embossing Powder
Tools: Word Window punch, Stamping Sponge, Heat Tool

Paper Share Swap Card

My swap group decided to do a swap using products in the new Holiday Mini that will be available starting October 1st! Here is the card I made:

I am so pleased with how this one turned out... and it's a little more work than I would normally do for a swap card, but I bit the bullet and did it anyway! I did some faux tearing in the background, mainly because the En Francais background stamp doesn't reach all the way across the card. It works great for portrait orientation cards, but I wanted this to mimic a postcard so I turned it the other way. I will confess that the cards I sent in for the swap do not have the ribbon on them because I didn't have enough... but it still looks terrific without the ribbon. The beautiful stamp set I used here is called Winter Post and you'll find it in the upcoming Holiday Mini! I also used a snippet of the new Ski Slope DSP - also in the mini!

And speaking of DSP, there are 3 beautiful new packs in the Holiday Mini (listed below) and I am doing a Paper Share with them!

DSP Name	Colors Used
Autumn Vine	Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, More Mustard, Sage Shadow
Ski Slope	Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Old Olive, Baja Breeze
Frosty Day	Tangerine Tango, Bashful Blue, Kiwi Kiss, Close to Cocoa

Each participant will receive 36 double-sided 6" x 6" sheets - that's 2 squares of each sheet from all 3 designer packs. If you are interested in joining, the cost is just $12 including tax & shipping. I will take orders until October 12th, so get yours in now!

Have a great weekend, everyone! ...oh, and for my local readers, don't forget to stop by my Open House tomorrow anytime between 10am and 2pm! I'll have copies of the Holiday Mini, so you can be among the first ones to see it!

Card Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Winter Post, En Francais background
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, Old Olive
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Confetti Cream, Ski Slope DSP
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Narrow Grosgrain ribbon
Tools: Designer Label punch, stamping sponge

Birthday Portfolio

I needed a birthday gift for Mason's teacher, so I decided to make her a portfolio with some notecards in it. These are super easy to make, and I give some basic instructions at this post. Here's how this one turned out:

These were a bit more difficult to photograph as I used Kraft cardstock and it just looks dull in the photos. But it has a nice, soft look to it paired up with the So Saffron and the Pink Pirouette. Here's the inside:

There are two cards in each pocket, along with the coordinating envelopes. I don't recommend putting any more cards in these pockets, as this one was pretty stuffed. I played around with making another portfolio where I scored it at 5-3/8" and 5-5/8" instead of just at 5-1/2" so it could have a little thickness to it. I think it would've worked well, but I had already decorated this one, so I went with it. If you do the thicker one, you still have the issue of the pockets only being folded up, and the pressure of too many cards would pop the Sticky Strip loose. So I still don't think I'd put any more cards in it, but the extra fold does help it not look so fat. Here is a closer look at the cards I made to go inside:


Again, I wish these photos did more justice to this project... you'll just have to take my word for it, I suppose! I hope Mason's teacher likes it!

Gift Set Recipe:
Stamp Set: Dreams du Jour
Ink: So Saffron, Pink Pirouette, Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip, Basic Brown
Cardstock: Kraft, So Saffron, More Mustard, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla, Parisian Summer DSP
Accessories: Kraft Taffeta Ribbon
Tools: Scallop Edge punch, 1/16" Circle punch, Crop-a-Dile, Sticky Strip

Dad's Birthday

September is always a busy month for me... I've got my oldest son's birthay, my brother's birthday, my dad's birthday, and my own anniversary. I guess with all these masculine birthdays, I ought to make Michael a really frilly anniversary card, huh? Yeah, he'd really appreciate that. Not. :) In any case, here is what I made for my dad:

I must begin by telling you that my dad's favorite color is... well, ORANGE! So I made him a very orange card! Pumpkin, actually, but orange none-the-less. I love to send cards that are completely OBVIOUS that they were handmade with that particular person's tastes in mind. I know that when my dad opens this envelope, there will be no doubt in his mind that I made this card specifically for him!

This is a new stamp set called Inspired by Nature, and it's one of the free sets we received at Convention. All of these new silhouette stamps are so neat - and they make for some really simple cards! There is only one color of ink used on this card. Chocolate Chip. Yup, that's it! There's stamping, sponging, and even some smearing on the faux leather strip... all done in Chocolate Chip. Faux leather is one of my favorite masculine looks, and it's super easy to do. Take some Chocolate Chip cardstock and wad it up like you were going to throw it away. Really work it in... the more you "weather" it, the better it looks. Then open it back up and do some direct-to-paper on it to accentuate the creases. This is where you hold the ink pad and rub it over the edges and some of the creases. You'll want to secure it to your card front with Glue Dots instead of Snail since the creases will have an extra "pull" on it. Easy-peasey!

You can also see a smidgen of the inside where I adhered a panel of Confetti Cream so I could write Dad a note. I typically do this when the base color I've chosen is too dark to see any writing... especially for an old guy like my Dad! :)

Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you! -Miki

Card Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Inspired by Nature, A Little Birthday Cheer
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Confetti Cream, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Linen Thread
Tools: Designer Label punch, Stamping Sponge

That's One Spooky Spider!

The first day of fall has arrived, so that means it's time to start thinking about all the fun new decorations we can start using! And I've got one to add to your list... this adorable Decor Elements Spooky Spider! He comes in three different sizes in either black or white, and looks fabulous on a big glass candy jar like the one shown in the flyer below, or on your front window or door, or maybe a mirror in your front entryway, or anywhere you want to look spooky this Halloween!

If you haven't tried Decor Elements yet, this would be the perfect time to give it a go! I know you'll be amazed at how easy they are to apply, and you're head will be spinning with all the possibilities they open up... and just in time, because Stampin' Up! is getting ready to launch Phase 2 of their Decor Elements line, with all new images AND NEW COLORS!!

Click here and go to "Shop Now" to order your Spooky Spider today, along with anything else you might be needing for the upcoming holiday season!

Black	White	Size	Price (US)
114761	114764	Small (4-5/8" x 4" with 4-1/2" extra web length)	$5.95
114762	114765	Medium (8-7/8" x 7-3/4" with 8-11/16" extra web length)	$10.95
114763	114766	Large (14-15/16" x 13" with 9-1/2" extra web length)	$14.95

Hurry! This little guy is only available through October 31st!

Open House this Saturday!

I mentioned it in my latest Stamp Link Newsletter, but I'll do it again here for all my local followers... this coming Saturday, September 27th, I am teaming up with my good friend and back-door neighbor (and upline), Debra, to put on a fantastic Open House where you can come and see tons of new products - including some new things from the upcoming Holiday Mini - and lots of samples! We'll have a free Make & Take project for you to complete using the new Big Shot, and there will be lots of prizes! Please plan some time to come on out and join us!

FREE Open House
Saturday, September 27th
Drop in anytime between 10am and 2pm
1515 Stonehill Court
Allen, TX
(this is the house directly behind mine)
RSVP by Friday to receive a special gift!

In addition, everyone who drops by will have their name put into the Mystery Hostess drawing, where the winner will receive the Hostess Benefits from the sales for that day! And... for each $50 you spend (before tax & shipping), you will receive an extra chance in the drawing!

I hope you can make it!

A Dreams du Jour Birthday

One of my good friends is having a birthday on Sunday... and you all know how much I love to have a reason to make a special card for a special person! (of course, sometimes I don't need a reason at all!) Here is a new set I haven't used yet, so I broke it in on my friend, Angie, by making this card:

It truly is a birthday card - I stamped "Happy Birthday" on the inside. As for the front, I don't usually stamp on DSP, but maybe I ought to more often because I really like how this turned out! The butterfly is stamped onto the Banbury DSP with Bashful Blue ink, and it looks as if it comes printed that way! I colored the sentiment with Stampin' Write markers, and even raised the main part with Dimensionals. Oh, and by the way, it was my experience that this particular stamp does not do well on anything other than Whisper White or Very Vanilla cardstock. Both of those have more of a slick-y surface and the "dreams" part comes out nice and crisp on those papers. On other cardstock, like the Confettis or Watercolor paper, it comes out fuzzy. Here's a closer look:

It's funny how simple things like raising a portion of the image make a huge impact. It may not be fun to cut them out - especially when you're making several of the same card, but when you see the difference it makes, sometimes it just all becomes worthwhile!

Have a very happy birthday, Angie!! And have a great weekend, everyone! I'll be spending mine out in east Texas with my parents. There are few things in life that can comfort you as much as a nice weekend back "home". :)

Card Recipe:
Stamp Set: Dreams du Jour
Ink: Bashful Blue, Basic Brown, Chocolate Chip, Brocade Blue, So Saffron, Certainly Celery
Cardstock: Brocade Blue, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Banbury DSP
Accessories: Brocade Blue Wide Grosgrain ribbon, Antique Brads

My Brother's Birthday

My brother Mark's birthday is Friday, and I just love to send him cards because he's not really the "sentimental" kinda guy. But when he sees me, he always smiles and says, "Thanks for the card, Mik" (my childhood name is Miki)... and that twinkle in his eye when he says it tells me that he really does appreciate the personal touch. You may remember the last card I made for him when he got a new job... well, here's his birthday card:

He likes old trucks, so I decided to go ahead and watercolor this one on Whisper White cardstock with an Aquapainter and the Bravo Burgundy ink pad lid. Normally, I don't like a "rough" look like this - the combination of that cardstock with straight ink doesn't allow hardly any play, as it dries almost instantly. But I think it looks simply charming on this old truck! See, there's a time for everything, isn't there?! I will also mention that to get a nice soft shadow, I used my Stampin' Pastels... I used the Basic Black ink pad lid on the tires and didn't want the shadow to be that dark. Here's a closer look at the truck:

I also made a pure knot in the ribbon which looks a bit more masculine than a normal "bow" with tails. You may also notice some of the now retired Print Pattern background on the Night of Navy... I had several of these bases already stamped for an earlier project that never panned out, so I'm still trying to use them up. They make good bases for masculine cards.

So, happy birthday, big brother! --Miki

Card Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Loads of Love, Think Happy Thoughts, Classic Stripes background
Ink: Night of Navy, Black StazOn, Bravo Burgundy, Basic Black, Versamark
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Old Olive, Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White, Parisian Summer DSP
Accessories: Night of Navy Narrow Grosgrain ribbon, Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, Silver Brads
Tools: Aquapainter, Stampin' Pastels, Photo Corners punch, 1-3/4", 1-3/8", 1-1/4", 3/4" Circle punches

Baby Congrats

I just found out that a friend is pregnant and wanted to send her a little card. I had to keep it gender neutral, of course, and this is what I came up with:

This sentiment comes from the new Say It with Scallops, which happens to be the set Stampin' Up! has chosen to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities. When you purchase this set, Stampin' Up! will donate $2 to RMHC. I embossed the sentiment with clear powder and then covered the star (which wasn't "baby" enough for me) with the beautiful flower brad! This was a quick and simple card, but cute enough to say, "Hey, I'm thinking about you!"

As an update for those who are interested, Hurricane Ike did not do much here in "my neck of the woods". We got drizzle all day Saturday and some stronger winds than normal, but nothing damaging. We had the sleepover for Mason as planned, and awoke to the most beautiful blue sky on Sunday with narry a cloud in sight! I know, however, that there are many, many people who cannot say the same, and my heart goes out to all those further south who did not fare as well as those of us up north. Pattie, you okay?

Card Recipe:
Stamp Set: Say It with Scallops
Ink: Lovely Lilac Craft
Cardstock: Lavender Lace, Lovely Lilac, Green Tea DSP, Certainly Celery textured
Accessories: Very Vanilla Taffeta, Flower Assortment Designer Brads
Tools: Scalloped Edge punch, Scalloped Square punch, 1/16" Circle punch, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

Sleepover Invitation

My oldest son turned 11 this week, and we scheduled a sleepover for tomorrow night with some of his friends... but with Hurricane Ike scheduled to pass over us about that time, it may have to be postponed. But here are the sleepover invitations I made for it:

This was a fun way to use the bear from Under the Stars - he's certainly fun to watercolor, but as you can see, he also looks great just stamped in Chocolate Chip! I did use a couple of retired items for this card - that Chocoloate Chip Twill ribbon is no longer current (and I was sad that it didn't make it into the big catalog), as well as the Aged Copper Hodgepodge Hardware.

The little sleeping bag from this stamp set was perfect to go on the inside, and I left enough blank space so I could write in the details.

If you are here in Texas and in the path of Hurricane Ike, please be safe. And hug your family for me!

Invitation Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Under the Stars, Family Phrases
Ink: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Confetti White, Close to Cocoa, More Mustard
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Twill ribbon (retired), Aged Copper Hodgepodge Hardware (retired)

Scrapbooking Step by Step

I am making a commitment to show you more of my scrapbooking... and today I want to show you something really neat. If you've seen my earlier scrapbooking pages (scroll down to see all of them), you know that I really enjoy making 6"x6" pages. I do realize, however, that not everyone likes this size. But since the smaller pages are so much easier to make, I thought I'd show you how to use a 6"x6" page and step it up to an 8-1/2"x11" page, and then step that up to a 12"x12" page! So this post should cover almost everyone!

First, let's look at a 6"x6" page I made showcasing our beloved cat, Emily. We lost her a couple years ago, but we all still have a spot in our hearts reserved just for her.

Nice looking page, right? It would be perfect for a "Favorite Photos" album, or as a cover page for an album dedicated to Emily and all the photos we have of her over the years. Well, let's step it up to an 8 1/2" x 11" size:

As you can see, the page transforms into one that focuses not only on Emily, but on the relationship between my son, Morgan, and Emily. He truly loved her and I cherish these photos of him and her together. All I did to change the look was put the 6"x6" page on top of an 8-1/2"x11" sheet of textured Always Artichoke and added a new title and some more embellishments from Brocade Basics.

Now let's take it one more step, up to a 12"x12" page:

Neat, huh?! I still have the same look, but with the larger size, there is room for another photo and some journaling. If you compare photos, you can see that I just moved a couple pieces around a bit to keep the balance in check.

That's all there is to it! I would love to hear your thoughts - I am considering starting a Scrapbook Club that will meet every-other month to make 4 pages using a particular pack of DSP (chosen by the hostess of each month). I would design the layouts, provide the supplies, and all the members would reap the hostess benefits. There would be a small supply fee as well as a minimum order amount. If you are local and are interested in something like this, please let me know. I need commitments from 6 people to move forward with it.

Thanks for dropping by!

Page Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Brocade Basics, Lovely Letters Alphabet, Classic Alphabet (retired)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Whisper White
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon
Tools: Photo Corners punch, Word Window punch