Sunday, November 28, 2010

all packaged up...

Hi blog peeps!  Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend.  I know I did - and I feel more stuffed than a turkey right now.  Definitely time to get back into my gym routine!  But that's another conversation :)  I just wanted to pop in with a quick share of the projects we made at my Holiday Class from this afternoon.  We had lots of fun crafting the afternoon away.   
So, what do you think of the projects?  First of all, I have to give credit where credit's due for the snowman card - it was inspired by a card that Doris Denman made.  She's a fellow Stampin'Up! demonstrator..and a very crafty one at that!  Her card  was called "Mr. Flaky" and it was just super cute.  I just changed up the snowman a bit by adding his hat. Isn't he a cutie?  The rest of the projects are a mish mash of my own concoction and elements inspired by many cards I've been admiring...too many for a specific attribution!  Now unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a good "group" picture of my projects. So, I turned to My Digital Studio {MDS} to create my project collage.  By creating a page layout in MDS, I was able to gather my projects in one place, and even though each one is separate, they're all together for an improvised group photo - YAY!  The program's pretty nifty!  Anyway, the snowflake package in the top picture above is the box we created to put the cards in - super cute and super easy!  I'll post each of these projects separately this week and include supplies and instructions, so stay tuned!

I'm gonna say good night for now.  It's getting late for me and tomorrow's a back to work day...I can't believe the weekend's already come and gone!  Have a good one - whatever time zone you're in - and I'll see you soon!

Bye for now :)


Friday, November 26, 2010

November Final Friday Winner!!!

Hi all!  Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!  I am so very thankful to you all for visiting my little corner of the blogosphere :)  Now, as a token of my thanks, it's time to announce November's Final Friday Giveaway Winner!  Are you all ready?

The lucky winner is....

Lucky number 16! This person happens to be Janet Swofford!!  Congratulations to you, Janet!  Thanks all for playing along too and leaving me fun comments about your favorite stamping technique.  I had fun reading them.

I know today is Black Friday, and many of you are probably getting your shopping on, so I won't keep you for very long.  Plus, it's time to spend with family and friends, so if you're on your computer, go and take a break and hang out with your peeps! :)

As for me, I am going off to do some early morning shopping, and then hang out with the fam and enjoy the long weekend.  Hope you enjoy your weekend too! I'll catch up with you guys on Monday!  Toodles for now :)


Wednesday, November 24, 2010

sweet snowflake treats

Hey there peeps!  Just popping in with an idea I shared for my Week 9 of my 12 Weeks of Christmas Newsletter.  Aren't these snowflake candy wrappers cute?  At first, I wasn't sure how often I would use this die, but once I got the hang of making these cute little candy packages, I think I'm hooked!  They're so easy once you get into the groove of folding and creasing.  I just embellished with a strip of Candy Cane DSP, snowflake punch and button, then sealed my "sweets" with  tinsel.  Easy peasy...and so cute!

Here's another picture of a couple candy wrappers in the Candy Cane DSP - I even flared the ends on one of them!

Have a great day!  Gotta run for now...lots of Thanksgiving prep to be done!


Monday, November 22, 2010

a punchy little Christmas Tree

Hi bloggie peeps!  I'm back with a quick little post today.  First let me preface by saying that sometimes, I like to challenge myself to try and use punches for a different purpose then it's intended image.  So with that in mind, enter my card project for today.  I was determined to make a Christmas tree out of the snowflake punch, and after several attempts, what you see before you is what I finally came up with!  So...dare I ask?  What do you think of my punchy little Christmas tree?  I had to look at it for a while before it grew on me.  Maybe it's the Basic Pearl embellies that fancied it up enough for me.  I like the sort of rustic appeal it has.  Would love to hear what you think! 

I used 2 punched snowflakes to create the tree.  I cut both of them in half, then on one of the halves, I cut one of the "sprigs" off, so that it became 2 pieces of 1 sprig and 2 sprigs.  This is what I used for my top 2 layers of my tree.  For the stump, I just used a scrap piece and cut one end at a diagonal.  Super simple!
{Punchy Christmas Tree}
*Stamps: Contempo Christmas
*Inks: Early Espresso
*Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Pear Pizazz, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso
*Accessories: Snowflake Punch, Star Punch, Basic Pearls, Corner Rounder punch; Baker's Twine {non-SU!}
Thanks for peeking in! :)


{spectacular} DEALS!

Morning and happy Monday, all!  Wanna get a head start on Black Friday with awesome savings on your stamping and crafting supplies? STARTING TODAY, Stampin'Up! is having spectacular deals of up to 50% off selected items!  woot woot!  You can start shopping here or if you'd like to check out the PDF listing of all sale items, you can see them here.
Some highlights for you:
*My Digital Studio on sale for $39.98
*Candy Cane and Deck the Hall Fabrics on sale for $4.98
*Upper and Lower Case Sweet Shoppe Bundle, Clear Mount Set on sale for $23.95
Isn't that AWESOME!?  Now check it out and get shopping!!  Oh, and the cool part is, there's also FREE SHIPPING on orders of $150 or more!! Enjoy!

I'll catch up with you guys in a bit...I've got lots of samples to share from our Demonstrator Holiday Party!  See you later.  Ciao for now!


Thursday, November 18, 2010

polka dot cupcake fun for the 2S4Y Challenge

Hey there!  I've got a fun card share today with a little blog story.  So, almost a year and a half ago, I had the pleasure of "virtually" meeting Jane B through our blogs.  She is such a sweetie and super talented paper craft gal.  I enjoy her style and frequent her blog for inspiration.  In the course of the time I've known her, she's now producing her own line of stamps that I just LOVE!  She draws the cutest images, as you can see - how adorable is that cupcake and banner!  I used my brand spankin' new Jane's Bakery set today to play along at this week's 2S4Y challenge.  Hope you like it!  Here's a look at the sketch that Kazan created.
I've been in such a Christmas mode with my crafting lately that it felt nice to do a non holiday card!  Funny, huh?  I especially liked building my cupcake - here's a closer look. 
I actually stamped the pink polka dots on the cupcake and paper pieced the cupcake holder in the Peach Parfait paper.  How about that button - this pink flower beauty was created by Jane {yes, she hand makes her buttons, too!}  I just added a few pearl embellies to pop up the center.  Here's the recipe for you: 
{Polka Dot Cupcake Birthday}
*Stamps: Jane's Bakery by Jane's Doodles
*Cardstock: Whisper White, Regal Rose, Nursery Suite Specialty DSP, In Color Patterns DSP
*Inks: SU! Regal Rose, Basic Black; So Saffron, Regal Rose, Peach Parfait, Pretty in Pink Markers
*Accessories: SU! Regal Rose Double stitched Grosgrain ribbon {retired}, Scallop Border, Basic Pearls, Jane's button
Thanks for stopping in for a visit!   Have a great day! :)


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

making holiday keepsakes..

Hi all!  Just wanted to pop in with a quick post and give you a little sneaky peeky of my Week 8 projects from my 12 Weeks of Crafty Christmas Project series, exclusive to my newsletter subscribers.  These will be in my subscriber's inboxes on Wednesday morning, 11/17, at 8 am Eastern Time.  If you're on my newsletter, you'll have the complete supplies and instructions for these fun ornaments!  You can still sign up to receive the last 4 projects...The signup is in my right sidebar! Enjoy :)




Hope you guys have a great day!  Bye for now :)


Saturday, November 13, 2010

super amazing opportunity...

Hey there bloggie friends!  I had to share this with you guys - it's a very cool and {simply amazing!} offer from Stampin'Up! starting this Monday, November 15th, where you can get the demonstrator starter kit or digital kit for 50% off!  For $87.50, you'll get to take advantage of all the Demonstrator benefits, plus get a an awesome set of products worth over $310...not a bad deal, don't you think?  If you're in the United States and want to be part of my team, now's a fantastic time to get on board.  You find out more details and/or sign up here!  If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them - just send me an email :)

So, for you avid crafters out there, this is definitely a great opportunity worth considering.  Not only is it a huge bargain, but the benefits are awesome! 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! :)


RBT projects deconstructed - part 2

Ok - I'm back with the instructions to the last 2 projects!  The first one we'll look at is the box, which is pictured above so you can see the inside and the belly band that goes around too.

Card Box

Finished Dimensions
4 ¾”x6”x1 ¼” Base
4 13/16”x6 1/16”x1 Lid
Belly Band – 2 strips of 2”x6 ¾”, scored at ½” on one end and 4 13/16” from other end

1. To create the base of the card, cut a piece of 7 1/4" x 8 1/2" cardstock and score each side at 1 1/4".
2. To create the lid, cut a piece of 6 13/16" x 8 1/16" cardstock and score each side at 1 1/4".
3.  For the Bellyband, Cut 2 pieces of 2" x 6 11/16" cardstock and score at 1/2" and 1 7/8".  Fold at the score lines and you'll assemble 2 of these 2 create the bellyband.  See diagram below for a visual perspective.  For the base and lid, you'll want to cut at the solid red lines (tip: click on the picture for a bigger view):
4.  Assemble the base and lid by folding in the sides and top at the score marks and cutting at the red marks.  You'll want to use the Tombow white glue to put together your box, as this is a stronger adhesive.  Make sure to let the glue dry.
5.  For the bellyband, crease along the score lines, then use the sticky strip and place it along the 1/2" tabs of both pieces.  Adhere one of the tabs to the other piece of cardstock.  Now, before adhering the other side to close your belly band, place it around the box to ensure that you can slide it on and off with ease, then adhere the belly band once you've sized it to your box.
6.  For the flower embellishment on the belly band, you'll want to punch out 2 of the 2 3/8"scallop circles.  Fold the scallops in half and punch a hole in the center.  then, score at each scallop, all the way around.  You'll want to cut at one of the score lines up to the center hole you created. 
7.  Accordion fold the scallop all the way around.  Repeat for the 2nd scallop. 
8.  Once your scallops are folded you will want to overlap the ends of the scallop on the mountain fold and glue the 2 together.
9.  Stamp the crown from the Artistic Etching stamp on Very Vanilla and punch out using the 1 3/8" Circle punch.  Punch out a 1 3/4" piece in black cardstock and layer the stamped crown circle on top of that.  Glue this piece on top of your accordion flower (tip:  Use the Tombow glue and place a paperweight, like an acrylic block, on top of this while it dries). 
10.  Punch out the extra large 2 1/2" circle in black cardstock.  Once the flower is dry, adhere the flower onto the circle cardstock using the same method as above. 
10.  For the top of the box, adhere a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Love Letter cardstock.    Put the Belly Band around the box. Embellish the band with ribbons and attach the flower piece with dimensionals. You're done!
 
Top Note Curly Label Card

Supplies:
*Stamps: Artistic Etchings, Occasional Quotes
*Cardstock: Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
*Inks: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake
*Accessories: Top Note die, Decorative Label Punch, Curly Label Punch, Seam Binding, Neutrals Buttons, Bakers Twine {non-SU}

1.  Punch out about 12-13 pieces of curly label on Crumb Cake cardstock.
2.  On a piece of 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" black cardstock, tile the curly label pieces and adhere with Snail. 
3.  Once you have it all tiled, place this piece of cardstock on the Top Note die and run it through the Big Shot.  Attach this piece to your Crumb Cake card base.
4.  Stamp the keys on Very Vanilla cardstock and punch out using the decorative label punch.  Sponge dauber edges using the Crumb Cake ink. 
5.  Use seam binding ribbon to make a bow and secure with the twine.  Use the crop-a-dile (or 1/8" hole puncher) to punch out a hole at the top of the decorative label piece of cardstock.  You'll thread through the twine from your seam binding ribbon ensemble through this and secure with a button.  Attach this piece to the top left corner of your card using dimensionals.
6.  Stamp the "Thanks.." sentiment on Very Vanilla cardstock and punch out using the curly label.  Add a button on top and then adhere this with dimensionals on the bottom right corner of your card.  You're done!

Hope you all have a great weekend!  I'll catch up with you guys in a bit! ;)


Friday, November 12, 2010

RBT projects deconstructed

Hi all! As promised, here are the supply details and instructions to the projects I created for The Royal Blog Tour!

Butterfly Tag

Supplies:
*Stamp Set: Artistic Etchings
*Cardstock: Love Letter DSP, Newsprint DSP, Crumb Cake, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla
*Inks: Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink Pad, Crumb Cake
*Accessories: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, Basic Pearls, Tasteful Trim Bigz XL Die, Two Tags Bigz Die, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Victoria Crochet Trim, Linen Thread

1. Cut 3 pieces of 3/4" x 2 1/2" strips, a 1 piece of 1 1/4" x 2 1/2" strip of Love Letter DSP. 
2.  Using Tasteful Trim, take the 1 1/4" x 2 1/2" piece and create a large scallop border.
3.  Cut a 3/4" x 2 1/2" piece of Riding Hood Red cardstock and cut a ric rac border using Tasteful Trim.
4.  Using 2 pieces of Love Letter DSP (different print works best), die cut 2 butterflies from the Beautiful Butterflies die.
5.  Create a tag in Crumb Cake using the Two Tags Die.
6.  Take the Two Tags die and starting from the top, layer the ric rac, 3 strips of Love Letter DSP, and scalloped edge onto the card and adhere with Snail adhesive.  Then add the final piece of ric rac between the scallop edge piece and DSP strip.
7.  Take your Beautiful Butterflies dies and gently curl the edges using a bone folder.  Layer the butterflies on top of each other and adhere using Mini Glue Dots.  Add the Basic Pearls down the center of the butterfly.
8.  On a 1 /2" x 2 1/4" piece of Very Vanilla, stamp "AMOUR" in Cherry Cobler.  Cut one edge into a "V", then sponge edges with Crumb Cake.
9.  Position this banner piece under the Butterflies and adhere with a glue dot.  Now adhere your butterfly onto the tag with glue dots.
10.  Cut a 5" piece of Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding and Victoria Crochet Trim and thread it through the tag crease, then tie a knot at the top of the tag using linen thread.  Take an Antique Brad and thread it through the Tag Hole.  You're done!

Crown Bookmark Card

Supplies:
*Stamps: Artisitic Etchings
*Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red, Basic Black
*Inks: Cherry Cobbler
*Accessories: Tasteful Trim, Two Tags Bigs Die, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle, 1 3/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches, Magnet Sheets

1.  Cut a piece of 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" Crumb Cake cardstock and fold in half
2.  Cut a piece of 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" Love Letter DSP, 5 1/2" piece of Riding Hood Red ric rac from the Tasteful Trim, and 5 1/2" piece of  scallop border from Tasteful Trim using Love Letter DSP.
3. Assemble the card front by adhering the above pieces to the front of the card.
4.  Take a piece of 8 1/2" x 3" Basic Black Cardstock and fold in half.  Position this piece on the Two Tags die so that the creased edge is just below the straight edge of the scallop tag, to create your bookmark.
5.  Punch out a piece a Scallop Circle piece in Riding Hood Red, then punch out a 1 3/4" circle in Love Letter DSP.  Stamp a crown on Very Vanilla cardstock and punch out using the 1 3/8" circle.  Layer the crown onto the Circle DSP and Scallop Circle, then adhere to your tag using SNAIL adhesive.
6.  Cut 2 one-inch square pieces from the Magnet sheets. 
7.  Placing the magnets together, adhere them to the scallop circle end of your bookmark.  Place the bookmark on the card and you're done!

Eiffel Tower Card

Supplies:
*Stamp Set: Artistic Etchings, Curly Cute
*Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Love Letter DSP
*Inks: Basic Black, Crumb Cake
*Accessories: Scallop Trim Border and Corner punches, Seam binding ribbon, Neutrals Designer Buttons, Sponge Daubers

1.  Cut an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of Crumb Cake cardstock and fold in half.
2.  Cut 3 4 1/8" x 3/4" strips of Love Letter DSP and trim the ends into a "v", then sponge edges with Crumb Cake using a sponge dauber.
3.  Cut a piece of 2 1/4" x 3 1/4" Very Vanilla cardstock and stamp the Eiffel Tower image on it.  Sponge dauber the edges and surface with Crumb Cake ink.
4.  Starting with a 2 7/8" x 3 13/16" of Basic Black cardstock, punch corners first with the Scallop Trim Corner punch and then do the sides with the Scallop Trim Border.  Adhere the Eiffel Tower piece of cardstock on top of finished scallop trimmed frame.
5.  Adhere the 3 strips of Love Letter DSP onto the Crumb Cake card base placing the pieces in slight diagonals.  then adhere your framed Eiffel Tower piece on top using dimensionals.
6.  Stamp the "Thinking of You" sentiment from the Curly Cute stamp set.
7.  Create your seam binding loop and secure with the button and baker's twine.  Adhere to your Eiffel Tower framed image.  You're done!

Ok - that's a lot of instructions for a post!! I'll give you guys the last 2 project instructions tomorrow. :)  Hope you enjoy making these.  Have a great Friday!

Ciao for now!


Thursday, November 11, 2010

cookin' up a Gift Card Holder

Hey there peeps!  My card share today is this cute little apron that was totally CASED from Ashley Cannon Newell's adorable recipe card post.  Since her apron holds a 3 3/4" x 4 3/4" finished recipe card, I had to size mine down so that the my Apron's starting cardstock size was a cardfront size - 4 1/4"x 5 1/2".  It's the perfect size to fit a gift card for that chef or baker in your family {in my home, that would be my personal chef - my dear hubs!}  Here's what it looks like with the gift card:
So let me tell you about the template that I had to make.  I carved out the shape by using the largest oval on the Ovals #2 Bigz die.  I used the oval arc shape to create my curved sides of the apron.  So, for my template, you'll want to use a pencil to mark off 1 1/4" on either side of the top edge of the cardstock (for the neck), and on the left and right sides, mark off 3 1/4".  Then using the large oval die, place it so that your hash marks line up from the top edge to the side, then trace the arc from edge to edge.  Do the same for the other side, and trip these pieces out.  Now you should have your apron template!  For the front panel, cut a 3 1/4" x 4 1/4" piece of cardstock.  Next, use the eyelet border punch on the 4 1/4" edge to create your border.  For the bottom of the apron, I used the scallop border.  All you have to do is embellish with the stamp and ribbon and you're done!  Wasn't that easy?  Once you have the template, it's a breeze to make a bunch of these!  Enjoy!

Have a great day and thanks for peeking in!


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

RBT Blog Candy Winner!!

Hi there bloggie peeps!  Are you ready to find out who the Royal Blog Tour Blog Candy Winner is?  This lucky person will win the cool scallop trim border punch!  I love this punch and I think the winner will enjoy using it to give that bit of pizzazz to their projects.  But, before I announce the winner, I want to thank all of you that left a sweet comment during the tour - I had such a fun time reading all of them!  I appreciate you guys visiting my blog and am so glad that you liked the projects :) 

Now, let's find out who the winner is shall we?  There were 84 comments for the post, which I have to say is my blog all time high, so hats off to you for getting me to a new milestone! Without further adieu, the Royal Blog Tour Winner is.... 
Lucky number 74...who is none other than
Pink Bling Crafter {aka Norma!}
Congratulations, Norma!!! 

Thank you all again for playing!!  If you want another chance for Blog Candy, be sure to read the post below for my November Final Friday Giveaway.  Since TODAY marks my 10th Anniversary at Stampin'Up!, I've got a super fun and special giveaway this month...hope you'll play along!  Check out the post below for details :)

Oh! One more thing...I'll be posting my blog tour project supplies and instructions on FRIDAY, so be sure to visit my blog if you'd like to get those deets!


{special} November Final Friday Giveaway!

Hey there! If you read my post above, you'll have a hint at why this month's Final Friday Giveaway's so Special!  Today marks my 10 year Anniversary as a Stampin'Up! Demonstrator!  Woot Woot!  I can't believe it's already been that long! It surprises me too.  Who knew that my introduction to stamping 10 years ago would lead me to grow this hobby of mine and even blog about it, no less.  While I do have a day job that keeps me pretty busy, I have to say that stamping and papercrafting are so gratifying for me ...it's something that continues to push my creative limits, and I feel like I'm missing something if I don't get a chance to create.  The great thing about blogging is that it allows me to share my creative output {good or bad} with you guys..so thanks for being such a kind audience! :)

So, for this month's Final Friday Giveaway, the lucky winner will get the Northern Hearts Clear Mount Stamp Set AND the awesome Bigz Tulips Die that's an exclusive Stampin'Up! design die.  It was recently retired from the last catty, so if you missed it, you now have an opportunity to win!  Worth playing for??

Here are the rules {only enforced by the honor system}:
1. Leave me a comment on this post by midnight Pacific Time, Wed, November 24, 2010.

2. On your comment, please make sure to include a valid email address or a blog URL (where I can leave a comment or have a way of contacting you). For those of you that are uncomfortable with leaving an email in a post, you can write your info like this: yourname at emailaccount dot com.
3. One comment per person please. :)
4. Anyone can play - international visitors welcome!
You can leave me a comment about anything, or you can tell me about your favorite papercrafting or stamping technique.  I'd love to get some new ideas from you!  Look forward to reading them!

I'll be announcing the winner on my blog post on Friday, November 26th!

Cheers to you all and bye for now!


Tuesday, November 9, 2010

happy owls

Hi all!  I'm back today with a little card I made for my cousin's Anniversary.  I'm such an owl girl, that I thought I'd play with the owl punch and create these 2 little owl lovebirds.  Doesn't my little girl owl look so starry eyed?  Well, I made her eyes out of the bigger flower in the Itty Bitty Punch pack and she looks so cute!  I just love these little guys.  For the clouds, I used a PTI die on the blue cardstock, then created some dimension by layering the embossed Whisper White cardstock behind.  I popped it up using dimensionals.  The branches are from the Two Step Bird punch.  For my sentiment, I used the Happy Anniversary from the Teeny Tiny Wishes and punched it out with the Modern Label punch.  I added a touch of flair using the Vintage Trinket brads. Can you believe there's no ribbon on this card?  I opted to go without to keep it clean and simple.  I think it keeps the focus on the cute little love owls.  Hope you like this little share.  Here are the deets for you:
{Happy Anniversary Owls}
All supplies Stampin'Up! except where noted
*Stamp Set: Teeny Tiny Wishes
*Cardstock: Textured Marina Mist, Crumb Cake, Wisper White, Chocolate Chip, Greenhouse Gala, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive
*Inks: Early Espresso Classic Pad
*Accessories: Two Step Owl Punch and Two Step Bird Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch, Top Note Die, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Perfect Details Texturz plates, White Gel Pen, Modern Label Punch, Vintage Trinkets; Clouds die {PTI}
Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great one :)


Thursday, November 4, 2010

Welcome to the Royal Blog Tour!

Greetings to you, dear visitors and welcome to my Castle!  Hope you're enjoying the Royal Blog Tour so far.  This is my very first time on the RBT, so I am very excited to welcome you all. If you're just hopping on the tour, feel free to follow along by visiting the previous or next castle simply by clicking on the glass slippers at the bottom of this post.  This post will remain on top until November 8th, so be sure to check  the posts below for any new ones I post during this time!

For this tour, I'm showcasing the Artistic Etchings Stampin'Up! stamp set.  I thought it was the perfect set to play with, since there's a fabbie crown stamp in this chic little set!  My projects are all in the Crumb Cake/Cherry Cobbler {or Riding Hood Red in some cases}/Basic Black Motif and I also paired that with the Love Letters and Newsprint DSP's.  Are you ready to take a closer look?  Let's start off with the Butterfly tag:
I had fun using the Two Tags Bigz die, Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die, and Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die.  Let's say I'm a big fan of the Big Shot and used it quite a bit in all my projects today.  Next, let's have a look at my crown card..
It's the perfect card for a Queen or Princess - don't you think?  Well, who can't use a crown bookmark in their everyday lives?  {heehee!}  This bookmark is a fun magnetic one.  Not only does it sass up the card, but it's a great way to dress it up without adding extra bulk!  So that saves you a coin or 2 since no extra postage is required, AND you get away with a cute card without using ribbons or buttons!  Pretty cool, eh?For those of you that have visited my blog before, you'll know that I'm a big ribbon and button sort of girl, so it's rare for me to NOT use these embellies on a card!  Now, I've discovered that I can go without every now and then without compromising on cuteness ;) Ok - how about we take a look at one of Paris's famous landmarks?
It's the Eiffel Tower, of course.  I had fun using the scallop trim border punch and coordinating border corner to frame my Eiffel stamp.  I also got to use some pretty scraps in the background, too.  I can't get enough of that Love Letter DSP!...down to the scraps, even!  Now, for this next card, I've been inspired by cards using the curly label to create a unique looking background. 

It's a pretty neat pattern effect!!  I did my own take by using the Top Note die.  After creating the pattern on a piece of cardstock, I ran it through the Big Shot using the Top Note die.  I also used the Decorative Label punch for my keys and dressed it up with a bit of seam binding and a button.  And finally, to our last picture - a view of the cardbox that holds all these project goodies.

So what did you think?  I'll be posting instructions and supplies for these cards on my blog next week, so come on back and visit.  I hope you enjoyed perusing my section of the castle :) 

Before we say goodbye, did I mention I'm offering Blog Candy for this tour?  Yes, indeed, my Royal Subjects!  You can win a Scallop Trim Border Punch {NOTE: This is the fun punch I used for the Eiffel Tower frame}! 

To enter my Blog Candy giveaway, you'll need to:
Leave me a comment on this post by 12 Midnight, Pacific Time, on Nov 8th {You can tell me what you think of the projects or just say hi!} 

Please make sure to include your email address {or your blog url}, otherwise my dear Royal Subject, if I cannot contact you, I'm afraid you won't be eligible to win!   What a pity that would be, wouldn't it?

For those of you that would like to "disguise" your email in the post, you can write your info like this:   yourname at emailaccount dot com.


I'll be picking a winner at random using random.org.  and will be announcing the winner on my blog on November 10th, which will be a most joyous day, since it'll  be my 10 Year Anniversary as a Stampin'Up! Demonstrator.  WooHoo!  Hope you'll play along!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy the rest of your journey through all the castles!


Teapot 4 You Mojo 163

Hi all! I've just got a quick post for the Mojo 163 challenge. As you can tell, I'm enamored by the Love Letter DSP as of late, so of course, I just had to use it for this card!  The paper is soo yummy!  And the challenge looked so fun, I had to play along.  Here's the awesome sketch!

Now how cute is that, right?  Here's my full card for you:

The adorable little teapot is a die from PTI.  Such a cute shape.  How do you like my embellished button?  I wish I could take credit for it, but I was inspired by cards I've seen with that button treatment.  Basically, I just added the cute little pearls in the center of the button...it makes for a very sweet embellie!  Here's the recipe for you:

{Teapot 4U}
*Stamps: Tiny Tags
*Cardstock: SU - Crumb Cake, Love Letter DSP
*Inks: SU! - Riding Hood Red, Basic Black
*Accessories: SU! Tag punch, Two Tags Bigz die, Antique Brads, Linen Thread, Basic Black Satin Ribbon, Itty Bitty Punch set, Basic Pearls; teapot die {PTI}
Thanks for popping by!


Wednesday, November 3, 2010

6 Weeks left of my 12 Weeks of Christmas...

Hey there blog friends!  Hope you guys are having a good week so far.  Some of you have signed up for my 12 weeks of Christmas and I hope you guys are enjoying the project ideas!  For those of you that are curious, it's not too late to sign up for the last 6 weeks!  These are projects that are not posted on my little bloggie blog, so they're exclusive to my newsletter subscribers.  Each week's projects include instructions and a supply list so you can create the items on your own if you choose to.  Here's a teenie tiny peek of the first 6 weeks:
Look interesting? You'll get a holiday project sent weekly to your email box on Wednesdays and there's 6 weeks left!  All you need to do is sign up for my newsletter, which you'll find in the right column of my blog.  Not only will you get the remaining 6 weeks of projects, but as a subscriber you'll get updates on my classes and Newsletter info...and it's free ;)  I'd love for you to sign up!  I think you'll enjoy these festive projects :)

Hope you have a great day!


Tuesday, November 2, 2010

more clues for the Royal Blog Tour...

Hi there blog peeps!  Have you tried guessing the Royal Paths for the Royal Blog Tour?  It's a fun little game that may lead you to some pretty cool prizes if you win!!  Here are Clues #3 and #4...then just a couple more  before the start of the tour this Friday.  Give it a whirl, won't cha?


 


Monday, November 1, 2010

Vintage Challenge with {Embellish}

Hi all! Can you believe it's November??! Yikes!  Where does the time go.  Thankfully, I stole a few moments of it to create this card for the Embellish Challenge...yay!  The colors were too enticing to pass up, especially now that November is here and Fall is getting into full swing.  Here are the colors and photo inspirations:
What do you think? I have to say that these aren't colors I use very often (except probably for fall time), so it was a nice creative exercise for me to play with this palette.  The colors I used are Garden Green, Daffodil Delight, and Cajun Craze.  I also, had fun making my flower.  Similar to my peony flower technique, I sprayed the 2 flowers {punched out from the SU! Extra Large Flower Punch} with water, and then balled them up.  Next, you gently open the flowers up and let it dry.  They feel like paper machete when they're done.  So easy and fun!  Here's a close up for you.  You can click on the picture for an even bigger view.
{Fall Vintage Flower}
*Stamps: SU! - Curly Cute
*Cardstock: SU! - Cajun Craze, Daffodil Delight, Autumn Spice DSP, Very Vanilla
*Inks: SU! - Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake (sponged on the edges)
*Accessories: SU! - Extra Large Flower Punch, Candy Cane Big Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Daffodil Delight 1/8" Taffeta ribbon, Basic Pearls; lace
Hope you like it!  Thanks for popping by!