Hearts & SAB

Once a month I make cards with some sweet sweet sweet teenagers. The girls are staying at Jesse's House, a local organization that houses girls who have removed from their residences by the county court because the environments aren't safe. The location is so secret that I can't even reveal to the other members of my family where it is. I wish there wasn't a need for such a place, but this is a good place if you have need of it.

Whenever I go, I try to create a card that ties to an upcoming holiday or is something a teenager would find hip. I'm SO not HIP, y'all, so this is quite a challenge for me! With Valentine's Day being just about 2 weeks away, I thought this would be the perfect time to see what I could come up with using the Heart Framelits from the Occasions Mini Catalog. More about that in a minute.

I chose the 3 smallest hearts and placed them on the Whisper White panels, which measure 1 7/8" x 5.25". A quick run through the Big Shot and I had a cute overlay for the base panel of Melon Mambo, which measures 2" x 5 3/8". This is a shutter card, which just means it measures 5.5" x 8.5" and then it's scored along the 8.5" side at 2 1/8" and 6 3/8".

The WOW factor for this card comes inside (which was hard to photograph, so excuse the slightly blurry pics!). I was inspired by this card by Heather Summers of Canada. Check out her video to see how this card opens and closes, creating the peek-a-boo effect. To create this, take 2-3" x 2" strips of patterned paper and cut a triangle shaped notch out of one end. Then you overlap them over the image that's peeking through the circle created by the 1.75" circle punch. A little adhesive in the right place (watch the video), and you have a place for a secret Valentine-y message to be hidden and revealed only to your sweetie.


Now, some other news. I've already shared that we have a new Occasions Mini, but what I haven't told you is that it's SAB time! Sale-A-Bration time! SAB is a great 2-month period every year when SU! rewards you for buying stamping goodies.

Pick out $50 (before shipping and handling and taxes) of ANYTHING--from the Occasions Mini or the Big Idea Book & Catalog--and you'll get to choose a FREE FREE FREE product from the special Sale-A-Bration brochure! ANYTHING you can think of to purchase qualifies you for FREE STUFF. What's better than FREE STUFF? Nothin', if you ask me! If you choose to host a get-together of your friends and the gals' orders total $150 (or you place an order all by yourself of $150), you get this cool tote bag! If the orders from your get-together or your personal order total $400, you get a FREE bundle of coordinating stamps, Designer Series Paper, and ribbons and brads. Seriously, this is a WIN WIN proposition.

So follow the link above to the new Occasions Mini or click on the picture of the Big Idea Book and start shopping! All you have to do to place an order is contact me. Leave a comment on this post with your email address, and I'll get in touch!

I'm Back

Don't fall off your chair! I did so much housework yesterday that I find myself with a free afternoon (and I already know what we're having for dinner!). So, here's another of the cards I've made in the past few weeks but neglected to share with you. Until today.

This card is one I designed for a group of my stampers who want to make a stash of birthday cards to have on-hand. They call it a "sweatshop" when we make all these at one time, and there are 5 different designs that I grouped together for this event.

This one uses Soft Suede as the base, with a wide strip of So Saffron down the middle. I embossed a piece of Whisper White with Petals-A-Plenty TI Folder and colored the flower centers with the SS marker that matches the strip behind it. I used my Decorative Label Punch to create a spot for the sentiment. I punched that out BEFORE I embossed the card stock. I tried it the other way and it tore the paper. I popped up the panel with Stampin' Dimensionals and I really like how it creates a window effect for the sentiment.

The greeting is from Well Scripted, which is retired (but I hope it gets included in the new Big Idea Book & Catalog). This one comes together quickly, and when you're making lots of cards in one sitting, that's what you want!

Don't hold your breath, but I might be back tomorrow too!

Mother's Day--The Only Time I Choose Pink

I am not a fan of pink, which I'm sure you could surmise by the lack of it you see on this blog. For some reason, though, I choose this color for Mother's Day cards. I don't do it on purpose; it must be some sort of subliminal message the color sends out each year. Don't believe me? Check out the archive tab for Mother's Day. So why I chose Pretty in Pink, Perfect Plum, and Rose Red for my Mother's Day card this year? Who knows? My mother doesn't even like pink! I'm tellin' ya--it's a conspiracy!

This card was inspired by a reminder from a fellow demonstrator of what you can do with border punches to make cool frames for images or sentiments. Thanks, Dawn! I used the Scallop Trim Border Punch, centered it on each side of a 3" square piece of Perfect Plum, and this was the result! Easy and such a cool look! I created the mat for the sentiment by using the complementary Scallop Trim Corner Punch and a piece of 2.25" square Rose Red card stock.

I stamped "wonderful mother" from Well Scripted and used the butterflies from Great Friend to complete the focal image. That cool frame embossed into the Pretty in Pink card base? That was made using the Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Folder for the Big Shot. It's available in the current Occasions Mini, which is only current through April 30. If you'd like to order, you can do so through my shop 24/7 button in the upper right of this blog.

A Tisket, A Tasket

It's time for an Easter basket! When I saw Carrie Gaskin's card where she explained how she took her oval punches and made an Easter basket, I looked at my Petal Cone die and the scallop edged half circle that is created, and then I pondered the half circle flaps on the cone, I thought I had the makings of my own Easter basket WITHOUT the punches!

Here's how I made this sweet basket. I used Sahara Sand card stock and ran my Petal Cone die through the Big Shot. This gave me 2 scallop edge half circles and 2 half circles that I could cut away from the cone shape. I used Carrie's tip and created a basket weave look using my Sahara Sand marker and a ruler. Then I trimmed the scallop edge horizontally and removed 2 of the scallops. I punched holes in the scallops using my Mat Pack. To make the handle, I cut a rim off the second half circle and adhered it to the back side of the basket base.

Then it came time to make the eggs. I wanted not a round shape, but an oval, because eggs are more ovals than balls. I grabbed my 3-Heart Punch and punched out hearts in almost every color from the Brights collection, using the fattest of the hearts. Then I cut the heart in half and adhered half of it to the basket, arranging them so that they looked like they were laying against each other. Some Daffodil Delight 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, and the basket was complete!

I used a frame left over from cutting out a Top Note with the Big Shot and created some grass using a strip of Certainly Celery and my Paper Snips. The sentiment is from a retired set, Well Scripted. This was stamped in Pacific Point so that every color in the Brights collection would be used!

If you'd like to make this Easter basket card, join me April 16 at my monthly Stamp Camp at my house! Just leave a comment to RSVP or to inquire about details.

For the Graduate

This year demonstrators across cyberspace have made it easy for me to make cool cards for the graduating seniors in my world. Not that there are many, but it's good practice for 2013 when mine and his buds will be grabbin' their sheepskins.

Dawn Olfchefske posted this card on her blog, complete with video instructions. The original design is from Pam Hoffman. That's how the crafting world works, and I love how generous everyone is! The video takes a LONG time to load, but it's worth it for the step-by-step tutorial. She also shares how she made the tassel. I made mine using the silver taffeta ribbon and following the same directions.

Our high school's colors are black, silver, and purple, and I enhanced the card design to incorporate them. The base is Going Gray, the mortarboard is Basic Black, and the mat on the hat is Elegant Eggplant. The letters (not SU!) are embossed in silver. I'm thrilled with the look!

The inside reveals the cool fold that makes this card look like a mortarboard (how many times can I use that word in this post?). I like that there are two places to put a message. I used two stamps from Live Like You Mean It and the Congratulations from Well Scripted. These were inked with Elegant Eggplant and Going Gray. There was even room, thanks to the fold, for a little diploma.

I created a very simple money holder with the bottom Whisper White piece of card stock by not putting adhesive on the top. I love how the design hides the cash!

The grad is going to Georgia Tech and majoring in pre-med. Kudos, Melissa! Her brother is in my son's class, so I'm sure we'll hear about her freshman experiences in due time.

Pomp and Circumstance

May is graduation month here in Georgia, beginning with the colleges and universities. The high schools will have their commencements Memorial Day weekend. One of the partners at my store graduated from Georgia State University this past weekend, and I organized a gift for her from all of us baristas.

I'd seen this card by Jackie Topa and thought it was a great way to capture the spirit of graduation without purchasing a stamp set devoted specifically to the event. I heard someone share at SU!'s annual convention a few years ago that she doesn't purchase a set unless she can envision three different uses for it. I think that's sound advice.

This card starts out as an 8" square piece of Basic Black card stock, folded gate style (2" in from each side) to create a gown effect that opens down the middle. I then took 2-2" squares of Whisper White card stock and punched one corner of each with my Scalloped Corner punch. This punch was featured in the Occasions Mini and will be in the new Big Idea Book & Catalog that comes out July 1. I scored a line parallel to the corner to create a collar.

The cowl is made with a scrap strips of Brilliant Blue and Real Red card stock, the school's colors. The mortar board is just a 2" square piece of Basic Black with a silver brad attached in the middle. I followed Jackie's instructions for making the tassel.

I also followed her lead--why reinvent the wheel?--and used the congratulations stamp from Well Scripted. Isn't the diploma just a cute little finishing touch? Shawn loved it, and I was tickled that she did. It was the perfect size for a note and a bit of cash, a gift always appreciated by graduates.

For the Clothes Horse on Father's Day

I always have trouble designing a Father's Day card, since my husband doesn't seem to fall into a specific category. He's not a sports fan, he's not a hunter, he's not a car guy, and he's not my personal version of "Tim the Toolman". So, most of the stamp sets geared toward guys just don't fit him.

Since I figure I'm not the only one with this issue, I try to make my annual Father's Day card something masculine without being stereotypical. It's HARD! This year, I wanted to use up some retired Manchester Designer Series Paper, and I wanted to make a card that I could use for card making time at the Ronald McDonald House next week. It dawned on me that most men like to be considered stylish, so I tried to make a card that would capture the "inner clothes horse" in every dad.

I came up with this. I think it looks like an argyle sweater vest layered over a shirt. At least that's what I was going for! It was also my goal to use up some retired Soft Sky card stock, so to me, this is a win-win result!

The card is 5.5" x 8.5", scored at 2 1/8" in from each side on the 8.5" length. This creates the center opening and is also known as a gate fold. For the message, I grabbed "love you much" from Well Scripted, and the only "Happy Father's Day" stamp I own, from another retired set called All Year Cheer II.

I'd really like your feedback on this. Would this suit your card giving needs for dear ol' Dad this year?

Wedding Card

I haven't been to a wedding since last fall, and I don't see any on the horizon in the near future. Still, having a go-to layout for a unique wedding card in my repertoire is a necessity, so when I saw the free card template for this creation a few months ago on Lynn Pratt's blog, I filed it away. Yesterday I got around to giving it a trial run. I really like how it utilizes the Bride Specialty Paper and captures the elegance of this once in a lifetime event.

I followed the template for the most part, although I eliminated some panels that were to be added to the dress, and I decided to let the DSP speak for itself. The groom's tux also uses the DSP, and the single brad is silver.

I added my own interior, deploying Dazzling Diamonds judiciously on the swirl from Baroque Motifs. I think the "congratulations" stamp from Well-Scripted is perfect for this card, don't you?

Like I said, there are no weddings for us to attend this summer. What about you? What are your summer plans?

A Flower for Mom

Due to some unforeseen events that took over my life just shortly after I wrote my last blog post, I have been AWOL for 2 weeks. Since 8 of those days (in a row) were spent working at Starbucks, and the following 3 recovering, that means I've really only been gone 3 days--wink wink, nod nod.

So, let's get back to card making! When I was sitting with my feet propped up, browsing the internet in a state of near exhaustion last weekend, I came across Dannie's Designs. I hope you take the time to follow the links I post; you're missing the work of some talented fellow crafters if you don't! Dannie embellished a box she designed with a flower made using the Ornament punch (don't miss the AMAZING basket she made!). Check out this post to see what shape the punch punches.

I used Melon Mambo for my flower, sponging it with Rose Red to create some sense of dimension for the petals. The center is a 1" circle punched from Crushed Curry. The DSP is retired, but I like how it grounds the flower without competing with it for attention. The sentiment is from Well Scripted, and it is stamped with MM ink on a "kiss", a diecut shape currently available in the Occasions Mini for just 8 more days. There's a very thin mat of Whisper White that's mounted on a Crushed Curry base.

The little ladybug was an afterthought. It's a 1/4" circle that's hand-dotted, and the head is a 1/8" circle, attached to the body with a glue dot!

I'll be back tomorrow with another card that celebrates spring and friendship and recycling.

My First Easter Card

I have two favorite seasons: spring and autumn. Although today's temps are hovering in the 30s, the sun is shining, so I can deal with a bit more cold.

Yesterday, I saw tiny red buds on one of our trees! I'm guessing it's a red maple; I don't care. It's a sign of life and the greening of things, and that's what has me excited!

This card was loosely inspired by Kerin Sylvester's card, which I saw on Nancy Riley's week in review.

I went to my stamp stash and pulled out the much neglected Sweet Stems set, mostly because its images are similar to those used by Kerin. Once I got stamping, my card went in a different direction than Kerin's, but I like to give cred where cred is due. I used the largest flower spray and stamped it around a 3.5" x 3" piece of Whisper White.

I chose Wild Wasabi as my ink; why, I'm not sure. That's the way of the creative muse, I guess. I pulled out my Yo Yo Yellow Stampin' Write Marker, another interesting choice for me, since I don't tend to use my Bold Brights very often. Why question what works: that's my motto!

I mounted the white piece on a 3 5/8" x 3 1/8" piece of WW and then pulled out my YYY. Seriously, I can't believe I'm making a card with this bright yellow, but what says--SHOUTS--spring louder than YELLOW?

Then I realized that I now have a sentiment in my collection that I've never had before: Happy Easter. Normally, I don't make Easter cards because I don't believe the holiday to be about bunnies and spring, but I don't have any cross images either, so this is the closest I'm going to get to a card that speaks to the celebration. Imagine those flowers are lilies!

I stamped Happy Easter from Well Scripted and then set about to create a mat for it using the new Scallop Corner and Scallop Border Punches. FUN TIMES, I tell you! For this, I have Gretchen Barron to thank. This demonstrator figured out the math for creating these beautiful squares and rectangles. Her tutorial is here. I am SO thankful for the generosity of crafters on the internet!! I'm so math challenged that I never would've figured this out on my own. Kudos, Gretchen!

The one I used was 2 7/8" x 1 15/16". Note that this is the measurement of the rectangle BEFORE I used the punches on it, not what it measures afterward. You punch the corners first and then use the border punch to punch out what's left. Doesn't it look great?!

The ribbon is also WW, and it's mounted on .75" strips of Whisper White. I know some of these card elements aren't current, but use what you have before you spend more money: that's another motto of mine.

Happy Thursday! I hope you have a great weekend. I'm wondering: is anyone going without something for Lent? If so, why? I'd love to hear from you on this.

MY card for Nina with NEW GOODIES!

Earlier today I posted all about my friend's husband's experience making cards for his wife's birthday. Today I'm sharing the card I made for her!

As I said, Nina has a thing for bees. When I received my latest order this week, in it was the Level 1 Hostess set, Cute as a Bug. As soon as I saw the bee stamp, I knew it would be what I would dictate the rest of the card's design.

Also in my box were 2 new punches, the Scallop Trim corner punch and the Scallop Trim border punch. The first one is on sale in the new Occasions Mini, and the border punch is only available as a FREEBIE you can choose from the Sale-A-Bration brochure with the purchase of $50 of merchandise. I knew I wanted to play with these, so I put them on my craft table too.

ALSO available for experimentation was a set called Well Scripted from the Occasions Mini (click on link of cover to the right to view all the offerings of this amazing publication!). The COOL thing about this set is that it is one of several SU! is offering as a CLEAR MOUNT stamp. See and read all the details HERE...They cling to the clear block without adhesive, are made with the same deep-etched red rubber the wood mount stamps are, and they're SO slim for storage. And placement? RIGHT WHERE YOU WANT IT WITHOUT A Stamp-a-ma-jig! You have to try these.

Here's a closeup. Isn't that beautiful? It's made with a 3.75" square and it's easy peasy lemon squeezy! You punch the corners FIRST, then use the diagram included on the border punch to finish the space between the corners. It's so neat! Get the low-down on the corner punch and the new design of the punch itself HERE...

There are clouds that the bee is buzzing by as she flits through the sky. Those were made using the scallop circle punch, creating a "skyline", and sponging over them with Soft Sky ink.

The grass on the Certainly Celery base was added to further evoke the perception of a nature scene for the little bee, and was done using the Live with Passion stamp.

I'd love to show you how to use these new products FACE TO FACE, so contact me and set up a time for a private class for you and your friends! This is just a mere snippet of what's in the Occasions Mini and the SAB brochure, so go check them out and shop til you drop!