Happy Halloween!

I really haven't done much this year.
Our decorations are still in a box.
We did carve pumpkins, but the costume we attempted to make my son flopped, so he's using one we bought him four years ago instead...
But I DID remember to make these last night - which I found on pinterest. Actually, on pinterest it involved googly eyes but I didn't have those. And I added the cute little note myself! I think its a good enough surprise for them to find in their lunch boxes! *grin

Juice boxes, masking tape, black sharpie

And this is how I sent them off today....

 Mario and a Camp Director

A Cat Queen

 

Happy Halloween!!

Christmas Card Class

*This will be kept at the top til November 1*

 

Yep, its that time again, time for me to schedule my Christmas Card Class!

This class is always a big hit, so you'll want to save your spot!

I've got a survey on the sidebar to help me set a time that works for the most people, so please leave a comment on this post, or respond to the survey! *smile

(and let me know if you'd like to host the class at your own home with your friends and family!)

 

This year we'll make 25 different cards, using mostly products found in the Holiday Mini.

$35 will be required for me to purchase and prep your supplies, RSVP date to be determined.

And of course there will be treats!

 

Card from a Kit!

I love the Thankful Tablescape Kit Stampin' Up! offers in the Holiday Mini. So many fun and cute things in it! But we're not the type of people to have settings like this at Thanksgiving. (is that weird?) I thought it would be really fun to make scrapbook pages and cards with the kit instead...! Honestly the pretty paper is almost all from the Sweater Weather DP (except the birch paper) but its handy to have it die-cut. And I looove the chalkboard pieces!

My first card is one we made at the yesterday's class... The layout is completely CASE'd from the demonstrator magazine, but hey, that's the point! I trimmed off a bit of the houndstooth print, and then the dotty Soft Sky print is a scrap from the Sweater Weather DP package. Oh, and I added the button and the card base.

Supplies:
Stamps: Lots of Thanks
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Sahara Sand card stock, Sweater Weather DP, Thankful Tablescape Kit
Accessories: Chevron Punch, Hexagon Punch, Neutral Buttons, Linen Thread, Dimensionals, Glue Dots

Truly Grateful

Again, new-to-me products for my class this week...and this one is my favorite from this class.
I used the latest Clean & Simple sketch for this one. The stamp set and the DP come from the Holiday Mini! I like how many of the current DP has a "worn" or "faded" look to the edges - makes it easier to have a slightly unique look to each card we make.

Supplies:
Stamps: Truly Grateful
Ink: Versamark, Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Sahara Sand, Crushed Curry card stocks, Sweater Weather DP
Accessories: Soft Sky seam binding ribbon

Autumn butterflies!

A late start, but happy Monday to you, nonetheless! I had a packed weekend and I don't see that letting up for several more days still, haha...

But here is the first card from my Thank You card class tomorrow! This design is based on a sketch from the Freshly Made Sketches blog. I used the very sweet Itty Bitty Butterfly punch, along with the Sweater Weather DP to make the fun butterflies, and then stamped a butterfly with the greeting. This card is like "sales in action", because the butterfly stamp set and punch were on sale a few weeks ago, and then the greeting has been on sale til today!

There's still time for me to prep supplies if you want to come to the class! And if you want any of the stamp sets that are 25% off, place your order before 11:50 MT tonight!!

Supplies:
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Lots of Thanks
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Crushed Curry
Paper: Crushed Curry card stock, Sweater Weather DP
Accessories: Itty Bitty Butterfly Punch

MDSM: Title

Here's a new digi page for your Thursday... I used the latest MDS Monday sketch, which I love because it allows for plenty of photos, haha. I also used the recolor tool on the baseballs. I gotta say, another reason I love MDS is I don't have to worry about phone-pictures coming out clearly...I just stick them into a digital layout and see that they ARE clear and call it good! :)

Supplies:
MDS, Great Sport download

Double Sketch

I wrote out all the sketches I could find to maybe work on today, and I ended up using the same sketch twice! It comes from the Freshly Made Sketches blog, sketch # 109
First I thought I'd make a simple card and play with this tree and fall leaves! Pretty sure I've never done that, haha...

Supplies:
Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers
Ink: Raspberry Ripple, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip markers
Paper: Raspberry Ripple, Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip & Very Vanilla card stocks


Then I made this card. I used MDS to find a color combination to go with Gumball Green! How handy is that?? Also, I just love (ha!) that both my greetings came out crooked.... niiiice.....

Supplies:
Stamps: Wonderfall, Six Sided Sampler
Ink: Cajun Craze, Gumball Green, Early Espresso
Paper: Gumball Green, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze & Very Vanilla card stocks
Accessories: Big Shot, Woodgrain Embossing Folder

25% off 25 Sets!!!

Stampin' Up! is celebrating their 25th Anniversary this whole year, as you well know. The actual anniversary date is October 25th, and in honor of that, they are offering 25 stamp sets for 25% off! This price is only available from October 22 (today!) til October 28, so you'll want to place your order as soon as possible!

View the discounted stamp sets HERE. The list includes most of my remaining wish list!!

I am placing an order tomorrow, and you can join it to save on shipping costs. Otherwise, you can place an order online (choose me as your demonstrator!) and use Hostess Code PR429GKB!
~~~~~
There's more going on! :)

• Six new digital downloads can be found HERE. (you don't have to own MDS to use these...but its sure nice!)
• And the latest Weekly Deals can be found HERE.
• To help with the holiday rush, Stampin' Up! is offering packages of pre-cut and pre-scored card bases! 20 card bases, available in seven colors, $4.95 each color!
• As always, check the tab at the top labeled "what's going on?!" for details on everything!

Retired Scrapping with Challenges!

I took some time to scrapbook on Saturday and got these pages done! First up, I used the current challenge from 1-2-3 Get Scrappy. I picked the "more than 3 photos, pumpkins and 3 different patterned papers" strip. I definitely have more than 3 photos, haha, and the pumpkins are part of the photos. The paper is old, from a few autumns ago, and I used 3 patterns. I like the harvesty prints with the corn and apples.

Supplies:
Paper: Cajun Craze card stock, Early Espresso card stock More Mustard card stock (retired), Orchard Harvest DP (retired)
Accessories: Linen Thread, Natural Buttons

Next up, you already know I love to use Cheryl's sketches in my scrapbooking, and now she's started up a new challenge- to use what's in our stash (to make room for fun NEW stuff! haha!) Today's page uses her second challenge: use 3 patterned papers that are more than a year old, use a bookplate, use a journaling diecut and use fibers. I've never had bookplates, but I could sure do the rest of it! And! the picture is about 5 years old while we're at it! Lots of old stuff, now in a book! Hooray for that!!

Supplies:

Paper: Always Artichoke, Real Red card stocks, Dashing DP (retired)

Accessories: Silver Cord (retired), Simply Scrappin' Kit - so old I can't find its name!

Something else entirely

This is a project I have been planning for a long time actually. When you have a girly-girl daughter, you acquire a lot of hair bows and accessories...and you need a good way to store them. That's what I've been trying to tackle. Two years ago my thought was to use this wooden letter, and staple this (long retired) ribbon to it, to hang hair bows from, like this:

I bought the letter, chose the ribbon, hung the stuff from the ribbon....and it has sat in our cabinet exactly like that, on the spool and everything, ever since. Clearly that isn't working.

And the necklace collection has become a bit of a pain...

 

I got the bulletin board in August, and had a plan, but its literally just sat there too. No more! it was time to get this done!

First I had to take the frame off the bulletin board...I wrapped two strips of ribbon around the lower end (forgot that pic, see below...) and stapled the ribbon onto the back. Just like when I make a card, but I use scotch tape to attach the ribbon on the back of the card stock! *grin This also gave me a chance to move the hanging pieces to the other side so it will fit where I need the board to go!

 

Then, since this metal frame is a bit more industrial than I'd like, I covered it in the Gingham Garden pink washi tape!!

tada!!
(click on the photo to see it more clearly)

And here it is, hanging in her bedroom, right at her level, with most of her hairbows and only the necklaces that used to hang on my necklace rack, tee hee...trust me, she's got it covered. literally...

Supplies:

Accessories: Gingham Garden Washi Tape, Baja Breeze double stitched grosgrain ribbon (retired!)

A Baby Card

Today I have a story for you, haha. But since this is my stamping blog, I'll share the stamped project first!
I used the current Retro Sketch for my design, but in my rush to get the card done, I mixed up the panel -its on the wrong side, lol... I had to use a retired stamp set because I have nothing current that could be used for a baby. The gifts I picked were two outfits with fun animal prints. The gift sack I grabbed out of my stash had a bunny on it. I had this whole animal theme going on already, so I put a baby-pink giraffe on the card! For the background I had this idea in my head for pink ruffles: I tore a piece of scratch paper and sponged three shades of pink ink for a bit of an ombre look....but its really okay that I covered most of it up, LOL! And since I was using retired stamps, I threw in some retired card stocks and retired ribbon!

Supplies:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Wild About You (retired)

Ink: Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi, Pretty In Pink (retired), Regal Rose (retired)

Paper: Whisper White card stock, Pretty In Pink card stock (retired), Regal Rose card stock (retired)

Accessories: Stamping Sponge, ribbon (long retired!), stapler

 

And now for story time...!

Yesterday was a busy day. I was helping throw a surprise baby shower for a good friend (hence the card). We served dinner and I was over the dessert. I had to work, but I also had a fancy treat to make...and a card to make! And! I had to be sneaky around a friend that is very hard to be sneaky around!
By the time my kids got home from school, I had the treat all ready to go and was scrambling to put the card together. I left the card mess all over the table and my son and I hurried out the door so I could deliver the food and gift to the home of the hostess (hide the evidence from the friend), and meant to come home and clean everything up...
but before I got the pan inside my car...

I dropped it.
food side down...
and the glass shattered.
everywhere.
No, seriously...

Oh I wanted to cry!!
My son ran over to hug me but also commented "Oh no! It smelled so good! And it looked so good too!"
Yup. I agree... sniff.

It was really like the sixth thing that had gone wrong that day, so I was rather done, haha...
My wonderful husband saved the day tho. As soon as I told him what happened he left work and picked up some delicious treats from Kneaders, and brought them to the hostess's home for the shower. Which was a fabulous little girls night out, and everything was okay, haha.

So there's a glimpse into my real-life for you. 

Week 40

Today I have another page for my 52 Week challenge and it was a packed week! It was quite a challenge finding a layout to fit all the pictures, not to mention fitting in the journaling! haha... But I think this worked out pretty well!

Supplies:
MDS, Keep In Touch content disk, Just Add Cake content

Autumn Hexagons!

Happy Monday! It is definitely autumn now. Around here we wear jackets to school and play barefoot afterwards, but not so much with the rain... and that's okay!
So here's a thank you card I made with the Clean & Simple sketch 262 and this fun fall color combo... I really struggle to line these hexagons up, even with the Stamp A Ma Jig, but when they're punched out it works really well!

Stamps: Six Sided Sampler
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Chocolate Chip & Very Vanilla card stock
Accessories: Hexagon Punch

Birthday Mojo In Gray

Since I took a few days off, here's a double feature for you, haha.
Last night I made both of these cards. The first uses the current Mojo Monday sketch.

Supplies:
Stamps: Banner Greetings
Ink: Midnight Muse
Paper: So Saffron, Smoky Slate, Whisper White
Accessories: Tea Lace Doilies, Denim Ribbon, Hexagon Punch


And this one uses a slightly older Mojo Monday sketch:

 

Supplies:
Stamps: Creative Elements, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Smoky Slate, Whisper White card stocks, I Am Me DP
Accessories: Gingham Garden Washi Tape, Dimensionals

Information!

I don't have anything stampy to share today, I just wanted to make sure you know about some very exciting things going on!

• My fall-thank you class will be held on Tuesday September 22nd. We'll make 5 cards for $12 and use supplies from the Holiday Mini.
• I'll be putting in an order on Tuesday September 15th, so if you'd like to consolidate on shipping, get your order and money to me by then! If you'd like the order to go directly to your house, you can use Hostess Code: PR429GKB
• Be sure to click at the top where it says "What's Going On?" to see all the specials and products Stampin' Up! is offering right now! Scroll all the way down so you don't miss the fun photopolymer stamp sets, like this super cute Halloween set, "Bite Me!"

• Stampin' Up! is celebrating their 25th Anniversary in many ways, and one is offering Weekly Deals on Tuesdays! Check these out HERE. 

52 Week Project - 39

I figured out what week I'm on, haha...not that I've come even close to catching up or anything, but here's another week down! It was funny, I took almost 40 pictures this week- but all of those span three days... I liked this layout for breaking up the three main events of the week.

Supplies:

MDS

Grandparents Day!

Happy Monday! I had a fabulous weekend, aside from a cold we've been getting over for a while, lol. I even put together a new scrapbook layout for you!
This one uses Cheryl's EMS sketch. I love her sketches because they allow for a lot of photos, and I take a lot of photos, haha! I think this is a fun, sweet page.

Supplies:
MDS

World Card Making Day 4

Here is the end of my Card Making Day projects. Scroll down to see what you may have missed! Have you made anything fun today?
Well, here's my "winter" card, and again I used a recent Retro Sketch. It didn't come out they way it looked in my head, but it worked out okay anyway, haha. I thought it would make a great 'miss you' kind of card, but honestly it would be good for any masculine occasion.

Supplies:
Stamps: World Map, The Open Sea
Ink: Midnight Muse
Paper: Smoky Slate, Midnight Muse & Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Oval Punch, Dimensionals

World Card Making Day 3

Here's my favorite card for the day, the autumn card, which uses the current Freshly Made Sketch! I really like this color combination and I'm pretty sure I haven't used this set with richer colors yet!
Don't miss the other cards I've shared today! *grin

Supplies:
Stamps: Creative Elements
Ink: Rich Razzelberry, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Very Vanilla card stocks
Accessories: Lace Doily, Basic Pearls, Scallop Edge Punch

Guess what I just saw? Stampin' Up! is running a contest today, along with all the card making going on! Check it out and play along! Here's the info:
 World Cardmaking Day is this Saturday, October 5, and to celebrate Stampin' Up! is holding a contest you won't want to miss. After all, what's not to love about a holiday dedicated to card makers worldwide?! There are two ways to enter:

• E-mail a photo of a card, or of you making a card, made with Stampin' Up! product on World Cardmaking Day to wcmd2013@stampinup.com.
• Post a photo of a card, or of you making a card, made with Stampin' Up! product on World Cardmaking Day on Instagram. Mention us by typing @stampinup and use the hashtag #wcmd2013 in the description.

This contest is open to everyone-demonstrators, customers, friends, spouses, children . . . you get the idea. However, there are a few conditions:

• You must be over the age of 18 to win a prize.
• You can enter as many times as you wish, but each entry must feature a different card.
• Contest will last all day on October 5, from 12:01 AM to 12:00 PM.
• We will randomly select 100 winners from our North American markets to receive a Paper Pumpkin Kit (valued at $19.95 US/ $20.95 CA)*, and we will select 50 winners from our South Pacific and European markets to receive the Naughty and Nice Rotary Stamp and Season of Style Designer Washi Tape.

A selection of pictures will be posted to Stampin' Up!'s World Cardmaking Day Pinterest Board and the winners announced in a later current update.

World Card Making Day 2

Here's my "summery" card, using a recent Retro Sketch. I mixed White and Iridescant Ice embossing powders to make a sparkly white butterfly!
Be sure to scroll thru and see what else I've shared today! *grin

Supplies:
Stamps: Swallowtail, Itty Bitty Banners
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Versamark
Paper: Crisp Cantaloupe & Coastal Cabana
Accessories: Neutral Buttons, Glue Dots, White Embossing Powder, Iridescant Ice Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

World Card Making Day 1

World Card Making Day always is the first Saturday of October...
For me, the first Saturday weekend in October is also something else very important... It is the same day as the worldwide General Conference held by the LDS {Mormon} Church, to which I belong. I am fortunate enough to live where Conference is broadcast right on my tv and so this day has always been spent with my family, watching and enjoying as much of the sessions as we can. If you would like more information, you can click HERE. It can be heard in 16 languages, if that's an issue. Here you can learn the truth about the LDS Church, and hear messages intended for every person in the world. I love Conference and hope you find something you enjoy too!

I planned to share cards here on my blog, throughout the day, to keep you creatively inspired. I had a very busy week so this is off to a late start, but I will have a total of four cards here today for you to enjoy. When I completed the stack it seemed to me I had a card for every season, so we'll start with Spring and work our way thru the year, haha!

Supplies:
Stamps: Make a Cake
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Real Red, Daffodil Delight
Paper: Pool Party, Whisper White, I Am Me DP
Accessories: Chevron punch, Gingham Garden Washi Tape, Chevron Embossing folder, Big Shot, Dimensionals

Wintery Paper Page

Last weekend there was a Virtual Scrapbook Night on Splitcoaststampers and somehow I missed that info til it was well past. But I did use one of the challenges, and an unrelated sketch, and put this page together. The idea was to use lots of layers and embellishments, and I have a whole bin full of retired accessories, so that's where I went! I also have a sheet of very old DP on the page. I dunno, maybe its too busy, but oddly, I felt like all these things worked together! And, here's another page done!

Supplies:
Ink: Real Red
Paper: Real Red textured card stock, Whisper White & Island Indigo card stock, Spice Cake DP (retired)
Accessories: White Bakers Twine, Chevron Punch, Glue Dots, Real Red polka dot ribbon (retired), Holly Berry Bouquet button (retired), Sycamore Street Ribbon (retired), Bitty Buttons (retired), Epoxy Brads (retired), chipboard (retired)

Blog Hop: Fall Fun!

Welcome to our October Blog Hop!!

This time Jolene has chosen the theme of Fall Fun and since autumn is my favorite season, I definitely have projects for that! 

First up, I have a double-page layout that I created in MDS. This is one of my family's favorite traditions and is a day full of Fall Fun for us! These pictures are from last year's adventure. I have to say, I love using a scenic shot as the "background paper" in MDS!

Supplies:
MDS, Frightful Sight DP, Days to Remember content Disk, cropping tool

Next up I have a card with a Fun technique on my Fall leaves, haha. (this also uses a recent CAS Sketch) I used the Rock & Roll technique with each of these leaves at the top. The bottom one with the greeting is plain to make it lighter.... I stamped a bigger greeting and it came out all smudgy, so I had to cover it up, haha...

Supplies:
Stamps: Wonderfall, Simply Sketched
Ink: Pistachio Pudding, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Cajun Craze, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Baked Brown Sugar
Paper: Pistachio Pudding, Baked Brown Sugar & Whisper White card stocks
Accessories: Neutral Buttons, Linen Thread, Glue Dots

Let me know what you think of my Fall Fun projects and then go check out Julie's, and everyone elses! :) Should be plenty of fun things to get you in the mood for fall!