Look, Ma... No Bling!!

I've made two cards in a row that have absolutely no glitter or embossing powder. This could, quite possibly, be a record for me. The first card is in response to Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #41. I also used this week's color challenge on SCS, which was Basic Gray, Soft Sky, and Whisper White. The base of my card is Basic Gray, a layer of Soft Sky, and a layer of Whisper White. I pierced the upper and lower right-hand corners of the Whisper White layer. The next layer is a piece of Soft Sky that I embossed using one of the new Cuttlebug folders. I really wish they'd print the names on the folders so I could find them when I need them. Anyway, it's the one with diamond shapes scattered across it. I used a Classic Basic Gray ink pad to ink up the negative side of the folder. I put my Soft Sky cardstock inside the folder and embossed it. When I took the Soft Sky piece out - WAH-LAH! - it was Basic Gray with Soft Sky diamonds. Great... now I have that stupid song stuck in my head... "Lucy in the sky with diamonds". I stamped "Grad" in Basic Gray on Whisper White cardstock and layered it over Soft Sky and Basic Gray cardstock. I used the Ticket Corner punch on the corners and then added four vintage brads.

This card was designed for a friend who asked if I would make a gift set of ten birth announcements. I used paper from the Simply Scrappin' Special Delivery Girl kit along with Groovy Guava, Sahara Sand, Apricot Appeal, and Whisper White cardstock. Scalloped edges are accented with the uni-ball Signo Gel Pen. Images are from the By Ones & By Twos stamp set and the onesie was paper-pieced. A piece of Whisper White taffeta ribbon adds the finishing touch.

I still can't get over the fact that I haven't touched any glitter in days. I'm going to have to go use it for SOMETHING!!

You're Gonna LOVE This!

Our next PMS will be held on Saturday, April 12th, from 2-5 p.m. We’ll be making a card organizer using the “Forget-Me-Not Keeper” on page 193 of the Spring-Summer Collection 2008 catalog. This will be a great place for you to keep track of the cards you want to send out as well as a place to store cards you’ve already made or bought. The cost of the class is $20, which includes the “Forget-Me-Not Keeper” and all materials used to give it lots of bling. Payment is due by April 1st. I’m strictly enforcing the payment deadline this month, because I have to know exactly how many keepers to order in advance. I want to make sure I have enough for everyone, but I also don’t want any leftovers. Please bring basic supplies if you have them (scissors and adhesive). If you are unable to attend the class, you can order the kit, which will include detailed instructions and supplies needed to make the project(s). This is going to be a splendiferous project and I know you won’t want to miss out on it!

Special this month… Bring a friend with you. If that friend is a new customer to me and they place a minimum $35 order, you’ll only pay half the class fee. Keep in mind that I need to know how many attendees I’ll have by April 1st.

As always, I’m looking forward to PMS!! Happy Stampin’ and I hope to see you there!!

I Lied...

I was on my way to bed when I remembered that Curtis had asked me to make an anniversary card for one of his customers. I used Baroque Motifs for this card along with Basic Gray, Soft Sky, and Whisper White cardstock. The flourish and flowers were stamped in Soft Sky and Going Gray classic ink. "Cherish" was stamped in Soft Sky. It was then offset just a tad and stamped in Going Gray. The Soft Sky image gives the appearance of a shadow. I used a glue pen and added Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the flowers (go figure) and tied a piece of Whisper White taffetta ribbon around the left-hand side. Okay... NOW I'm going to bed!

A One Card Day

Well, I thought I'd get more than just one card completed tonight, but it wasn't meant to be. This card uses a retired set called "Bareback". The base is Chocolate Chip with a layer of River Rock over that. The DSP is "Apple Cider" and the two pieces on this card were scraps left over from another project. This is the best kind of card, because I didn't even have to trim my scraps to make them work. I sanded the edges of the brown piece to soften the edges and tied a piece of the Chocolate Chip poly-twill ribbon (Occasions Mini Catalog) around the striped piece. I used the ticket punch to punch the corners of the Very Vanilla image before layering it on River Rock. I added brads to the corners and then added another layer of Chocolate Chip under the image.

It's storming here, so I think I'm going to bed. I love listening to the rain and thunder at night! Toodles!

What a GREAT Weekend!

Before I get to the crafty stuff, I have some bragging to do. Branden and Lauren (my step-children) took part in a math contest on Saturday. Lauren was one of two students selected from the 4th grade at her elementary school and Branden was one of two from the 5th grade. They called me on Saturday afternoon after the contest to let me know how they did. Lauren placed 3rd out of 12 students and qualified for the state contest, which will be held on April 26th at Missouri State University. Branden placed 9th out of 28, so they both did a great job! Congratulations Branden & Lauren!

Well, I had a productive weekend! We had PMS on Saturday and had a really good time. We had a small group in comparison to our past groups, but we had a blast! Here are three of the projects we made. We also made an Easter basket, but I don't have a photo yet. I'll work on that!

This is a spring bouquet that we made using chipboard and cardstock. I found the little ceramic flower pots at Hobby Lobby and we used floral foam and dowel rods to "plant" the flowers. Flowers were stamped with Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, and Rose Red inks. We used classic ink on everything except the chipboard flower. For that one, we rubbed a craft ink pad over the surface of the chipboard until the color was good and then added Iridescent Ice embossing powder and set it with a heat tool. We had several different ribbons to choose from. I used the Bashful Blue Striped Grosgrain Ribbon on this particular bouquet. After the flowers were "planted" we ran 1/8" (they're just skinny... no one really measured) strips of So Saffron through the crimper and then wadded it up before placing it in the pot on top of the floral foam. Ok... this part is VERY technical... flowers are secured to the dowel rods with Scotch tape. :)







Our next project was a card to match our flower bouquet. We used the "Cutie Pie" DSP, along with Certainly Celery, So Saffron, and Whisper White CS. We stamped the small flower from "Ginormous Flowers" in Certainly Celery classic ink on a metal edge tag and adhere that with a glue dot after adding a So Saffron brad. "Friend" was stamped in Certainly Celery from the "Fundamental Phrases" stamp set and then punched out with the round tab punch. We added faux stitching to the bottom piece of DSP and then tied a piece of Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon around the front. This was CASE'd from the current Stampin' Up'! catalog, page 93 (as was the bouquet).






This is the Easter card we made at PMS. This was CASE'd from fellow Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, Brenda Taylor. The base of the card is Pretty In Pink with a layer of So Saffron over that. We added a piece of Spring Fling DSP to the top half and stamped "happy easter" from "A Good Egg" on the bottom. The chick was stamped on Whisper White using Jet Black StazOn. We colored it with So Saffron and Pumpkin Pie markers. The chick was stamped again on scratch paper using Jet Black StazOn. We stamped the flower image over the top of the chick again in StazOn. The flowers were colored with SU! markers in Pretty In Pink, Sage Shadow and So Saffron. We cut the egg part (chicken butt) out using paper snips and covered the entire thing with Versamark ink. We added Iridescent Ice embossing powder over that and set it with a heat tool. The egg was then added to the chick, which was layered over So Saffron and Pretty In Pink CS. Before adhering this piece, we added a piece of Pretty In Pink grosgrain ribbon with a ribbon slide from "Hodgepodge Hardware" to the front of our card. Thanks, Brenda, for the inspiration!!






This card was inspired by Beate's weekend sketch challenge and by a co-worker. I don't actually know the co-worker, but she has an 8 year old niece, Mariah, who has Osteosarcoma (the most common type of bone cancer and the sixth most common type of cancer in children) and is having surgery today to have a leg amputated. We (Mariah's aunt's co-workers) decided to have a card shower for Mariah. Everyone was encouraged to bring a card in today with postage so that they could all be mailed to Mariah at the same time. This card has a base of Pretty in Pink and then a layer of Sage Shadow. I stamped the flower from "So Much" in Jet Black StazOn on glossy white CS. I then used sponge daubers with Classic ink in Pretty In Pink, Sage Shadow, and So Saffron to color the flowers and the background. I used a glue pen to add Dazzling Diamonds glitter to each flower (I know how much girls love glitter!!). I used the teensy-weensy flower from "Time Well Spent" to create a border around the sentiment and added a piece of Pretty In Pink grosgrain ribbon to the left side of the card. I hope Mariah likes it! Please keep her and her family in your prayers.


Next, I needed some manly birthday cards and came up with this using Beate's weekend sketch challenge again. I used the "Wanted" stamp set with Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Very Vanilla, and Really Rust CS. The paisley patterned paper is from the Outlaw DSP. "Celebrate Your Day" is stamped in Chocolate Chip and is from the "Celebrate Everything" stamp set. The medallion has four layers, two of which are "popped up" on Stampin' Dimensionals. I used the Chocolate Chip poly-twill ribbon (I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this stuff!!) from the current Occasions Mini Catalog (see link above on right).





This card was created using last Wednesday's sketch challenge from Splitcoast stampers. I used "traitor paper" along with Brilliant Blue, So Saffron, and Whisper White CS. "Birthday Whimsy" was used and I stamped the packages in Old Olive, Rose Red, and So Saffron (they were stamped off on my grid paper several times before actually stamping on my CS to give them the faded appearance). The sentiment was stamped in Brilliant Blue classic ink. I used Spellbinders Nestabilities to cut the circles (regular and scalloped).






This card was CASE'd from Jenny Moors and I really, really like hers! The card base is Blue Bayou and Soft Sky CS. I pierced the edges of the Soft Sky piece. The truck was stamped in Blue Bayou classic ink on Whisper White and then again on Blue Bayou. I cut it out using paper snips and a craft knife and then used a versamark pen and embossing powder to add the chrome and tires. The Blue Bayou truck was then layered over the one stamped on Whisper White. I used Spellbinders Nestabilities to create the ovals (regular and scalloped). Images are from the "Loads Of Love" stamp set.







This was adapted from this card for my sister-in-law, Tammy. She fell in love with the card and wanted me to make another one that she could put by her desk at home. I found these great three-dimensional photo frames at Michaels that worked great for adding the flowers with Stampin' Dimensionals.

WHEW - That's all for now. Toodles!

Real Quick Card

I needed an anniversary card and thought I'd take advantage of Beate's weekend sketch challenge. Normally, I like to use all Stampin' Up! products, but this card was for my personal use and I have a LOT of "traitor paper" that I purchased before becoming an SU! demonstrator. I'll never be able to use it all, so I might as well bite the bullet and give it all away or sell it. Anyway, this is my card for the sketch challenge. I used Not Quite Navy as the card base and Very Vanilla is matted on that. The image is stamped in Not Quite Navy classic ink on Very Vanilla CS and then I pierced a border. The patterned paper is the "traitor paper" and the ribbon is an "off-brand" as well. TFL!

It's Definitely Missouri Weather!

On Saturday we enjoyed a 12 mile bicycle ride in shorts and short sleeves while the temps made it into the low 70's. This morning we awoke to almost 9 inches of snow and temps that didn't make it out of the 30's today. Ernie enjoyed the snow several times today for very short periods of time on each outing. I'm not sure you can see it or not, but his lips are covered in snow in the third picture. He likes to "root" in the snow!























This is a card that I made when I was trying to figure out what I was going to do for the swaps I'll take with me to this Friday's Stampin' Up! regional meeting. I had already made 20 of the "Essence Of Love" cards seen in a previous post (River Rock, Basic Black, and Whisper White CS) and wanted something that wouldn't be too terribly time consuming.

The image was stamped with Taken With Teal Craft Ink and heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. I used Taken With Teal, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, and Whisper White CS along with Bali Breeze DSP. The ribbon is Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon.


By the time I finished this one, I had decided that it took way too long for me to think about making another 19 of them.








Then I started tinkering with some other ideas last night and came up with this card. With Curt's help (he punched all the pieces for the flowers) I was able to get 20 of them made in a reasonable amount of time. The stamp set is "She's All That" from the Occassions Mini Catalog. I used Basic Black, Pretty In Pink, and Whisper White CS. I ran a glue pen along the edges of each flower piece and added Dazzling Diamonds before assembling the flowers. The flower was added to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals. The image was stamped with Basic Black Craft Ink and then heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. I thought it turned out very "crisp" and I love it mostly because it's got lots of bling! The second photo is a closeup at a little different angle so you can really see the sparkle.

When I finished with those cards, I still wanted to have some more swaps, so I made fourteen of these cards real quick. These are "business builders" and are little cards measuring a whopping 2 1/2" X 4" that hold a business card. I used More Mustard, Old Olive, and Brocade Blue CS and classic ink. Images are stamped on Whisper White and include stamps from the "Baroque Motifs" and "Sincere Salutations" sets. The "tabs" to hold my business cards were made using the Slit punch.

I STILL didn't think I had enough swaps and I had eight of these 2008 calendars left and wanted to use them up. I added Fall Flowers DSP to a 4" X 4" chipboard coaster. The calendar was added using Sticky Strip. The stamped image is from "Time Well Spent" (Level III Hostess Set) and was stamped in Jet Black StazOn. The flowers were colored with a Really Rust Stampin' Write Marker and the word "Friends" was colored with Soft Sky classic ink and a blender pen. The image was matted on Soft Sky and Really Rust CS. I also stamped the itsy-bitsy flower from "Time Well Spent" in the bottom corner of each page of the calendar in Really Rust classic ink. Of course, I used a glue pen on the flowers and added Dazzling Diamonds to finish it off. Each calendar has magnets on the back. I put one on my fridge just to test it out and they look maw-velous!

Toodles!

Occassions Mini Catalog Is Available

The new Occassions Mini Catalog is now available. Order your new stamp sets from the Occassions Mini Catalog before March 17th to take advantage of the last days of Sale-A-Bration.

Customers

When you spend $50 on Stampin' Up! merchandise, you'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration reward. There's no limit-for every $50 you spend, you can select another free Sale-A-Bration reward!

Hostesses

When you host a workshop of at least $300 (before tax and shipping), you'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration reward in addition to all of the regular hostess benefits!

New Demonstrators

During Sale-A-Bration, anyone who joins as a demonstrator can choose any stamp set--a value of up to $47.95--from the Spring-Summer 2008 Collection! Plus, new demonstrator recruits get 20 percent off the Demonstrator Starter Kit--over $350 of Stampin' Up! products and business supplies for only $159!

March PMS Is Coming!!

It’s that time of month again! "PMS at Jen’s" will be held on Saturday, March 15th from 2 pm to 5 pm. I have several projects planned for this month. We’ll be making a spring bouquet with a matching card and an Easter basket with a matching card. Either of these projects would make a great gift or just something fun to keep for yourself! I only have 10 spots available for this class and the cost is $20. Seats are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis and payment is expected in advance to reserve your seat. I look forward to seeing all of you on the 15th!!

P.S. I will be attending the Stampin’ Up! regional seminar in Tulsa, OK on Friday of this week and hope to have some new things to share with you when we get together. Happy Stampin'!

A Beautiful Day In The Ozarks

At 4:30 PM it's 67 degrees with a light breeze and LOTS of sun! I think spring may be well on it's way and I couldn't be happier! I really had the urge to take my bicycle out for a spin today, but needed to work on some things for the upcoming week. I'll be attending the regional Stampin' Up! meeting on Friday and need to have some swaps done before then. I'd like to take about 50 of them but, so far, I only have 18 completed. After getting those finished, I wanted to try some birth announcements. My friend, Carrie, asked me about doing some birth announcements so I had to play around to see what I could come up with.

This first card uses the "Big on Spring" stamp set. I added a close-up of the onesie because you can't really see the detail on the card. I stamped the onesie image in Timber Brown StazOn on Berry Bliss DSP and cut it out. Then I stamped the entire image in Timber Brown StazOn on Whisper White CS and colored the letters with a Pretty In Pink marker. I pierced the corners and matted that piece on a piece of Pretty In Pink and then on a piece of Chocolate Chip CS. The other two layers are Berry Bliss DSP matted on Chocolate Chip. The card base is Pretty In Pink. I also stamped the heart from the front of the onesie on Pretty In Pink CS, cut it out, and adhered it to the onesie with a glue pen.



This one turned out pretty cute, but I think maybe I should have left the Rose Red CS out. There's something just not quite right about it and I'm thinking it might be the Rose Red. I LOVE the "Nursery Necessities" stamp set. I also used "Bundled in Love" on this one. Images were stamped in Bashful Blue, Rose Red, So Saffron, and Certainly Celery on Whisper White CS. They are all matted on Bashful Blue CS and then I added several coordinating layers of CS under that. This one needs some tweaking, but I need a break after 20 cards.

Branden had his first orchestra concert on Thursday evening of last week and he did an AWESOME job! The orchestra he plays with is made up of 5th graders from about five area elementary schools. They put on an excellent performance and we're SO proud of him!