What do you do with your empty SU boxes?

I know many of you have empty SU boxes sitting around the house. Well, our cats decided to claim them as their own and use them as sleeping beds. How cute is that. You see, every part of SU is useful. It doesn't end when you empty your goodies out and drool over your new toys. The cats are waiting for the discards so they can drool too. Have a great day. Happy stamping.

Karen

Recipe Book

I finally made a recipe book using my Bind-it-All and the Voila and From the kitchen of stamp sets from SU!. I really like the layout I chose and the colours. I decided to use the new Raspberry Tart DP that will be coming out in January 2009. The corresponding colours are kiwi kiss, rose red, real red, pretty in pink and cameo coral. I used all these colours in the body of the book as accents so the colours all coordinated. It was a lot of work but well worth it. Now, I have to figure out how to turn this into a class but big problem...only one stamp set. I'll have to think about that one. Happy stamping.

Karen

Where there is snow, there is fun to be had!

Well, with all the snowfall, we had to go to our local snow hill to toboggan down the hills. The kids had a blast as well as dad. He decided to put his lawn chair on top of the sled and try his luck going down the hill. He actually made it all the way down. What a hoot. We haven't seen this much snow for years and the kids are having so much fun. I love snow!! Well, happy stamping.

Karen

Snowfall and cats

Well, we've had quite a snowfall today and yesterday. Of course, we had to take the cats outside so they could experience the fluffy stuff for the first time. They truly enjoyed digging under it and rolling around in it. They are so funny. Our orange tabby, Tanji, really gets excited and wants to go outside all the time. Our grey tabby, Miso, is more cautious but still likes to dig around. Couldn't resist snapping some pictures. Enjoy. Lastly, here is a picture of the two flaked out on a blanket snuggling together, warm and happy.

Karen

Christmas card and gift certificate

A few more cards to show and a sample of a gift certificate for my mom from my sister. The template is from Stampin'Up! and fits perfectly as a standard card size. Love it!! I used Frosty Day DP for criss cross card for the gift certificate. The other card uses Merry and Bright stamp set from SU! and Ski Slope and Frosty Day DP as well. I also used my nestibilities to frame the little snowman and added some CC ribbon. He's so cute. Too bad this stamp set is retiring but what a deal at 10% off and if you can combine the free shipping promotion (if order is $100 or more), this is a double great deal. A few more to go (leaving it to the last minute...) but love each and every one. Happy stamping.

Karen

Cardinal Christmas

I just love this bird. So many possibilities and that is really what it is all about. How versatile is it. Change the colour of the bird and you can change the mood. I used watercolour paper this time, and watercolour pencils/blender pen. I edged in chocolate chip and added some stickles to the red berries so they would sparkle. I also used my nesties to add another shape/dimension to the whole card. Hope you like it. Some lucky person is going to receive this card in the mail as a very special thank you for supporting me in many ways. You may think it is you.... well, check your mail. It very well may be. Happy stamping.

Karen

Christmas projects

Well, I'm back. I've been MIA for some time now but now have some projects to post. I've put in a collection of some xmas cards/projects that I have completed this month. One of my cards had a punch star poinsettia that can be used as a tree ornament later. This is made from using both SU! tag punches and arranging it in such a way that a poinsettia is made. Who would have thought!! See SCS for a step by step tutorial. My next card is a couple of shaker cards using Merry and Bright stamp set. This set is so cute. Great for tags and little places. I decided to use colourful beads as the filler and it works just perfectly. I used the scallop square chipboard and sponged it with chocolate chip ink. It actually was quite easy to cover, I was a little nervous at first but loved how it looked. Next, I made some snowman soup using a template in the shape of a mug (from Mirkwood designs) and filled it with hot chocolate, candy cane, and hershey kisses. Lastly, I made some tags with the Santa lineup stamp set (finally got it!) and coloured with stampin'up! watercolour pencils/blender pens. I used my nesties for the scallop and circle/frames. Hope you like them. Ooops, I forgot to tell you about the triangle treat pouches. Visit Diana Gibbs blog and she will walk you through step by step. These were made out of Frosty Day DP from SU! as well as using the scallop edge punch and die-cut flowers. Fill them with treats and you've got a really nice gift or just put them on your tree. TFL.

Karen

Another baby card, this time in blues and greens

I had another request to make a baby card for a boy this time. They wanted the same layout as the girl card posted below so it was very quick to make. I got to use my nesties again and HPH. I just love how different it looks just by changing colours and designer papers. Thanks for looking.

Karen

Could you live until you're 90...??

My mom has a dear friend who is turning 90 this year and I wanted to make her a very special birthday card. She is famous for her gardens and lives on one of the gulf islands. My mom and her count on each other for many things - people do that when you live far away. I am thankful for my mom's many friendships she has developed on her island. It truly is peaceful living. My card uses kiwi kiss, black, urban garden DP (SU!) and whisper white. I was able to use my nesties again and also tried my hand at dry embossing a grid on the upper 1/3 whisper white panel. I added a little bling by the greeting and popped up most of the layers. I wanted to use wide black ribbon but had to make do with old olive striped and added some small black knots. I followed a card done by Beate here http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1108919?cat=500&ppuser=458 . I just love her work. So clean and fresh. Well, happy stamping and don't forget to get crackin' on those christmas cards - time-is-a-tickin'. Thanks for stopping by.

Karen

Blog candy from the Jessica Rone...yippee!!!

Well, as I was upstairs checking out all the fabulous blogs for new ideas, a loud banging started downstairs. I raced downstairs to find the post man holding a box from Jessica Rone. My blog candy had arrived. Check out her blog you will be amazed at her talent. http://canyousayaddictedtostamps.blogspot.com/ When Jessica was having her 30th birthday, she invited guests to leave a comment with a story of other birthday memories. I decided to participate and wow, to my surprise, I was "randomly" chosen as a winner. Wowza!! I am so appreciative of all the work Jessica shows on her blog. She is truly an inspiration to all artists and receiving a handmade card from her is a prize in itself. Look at the detail. And of course, you will notice the grey copic pencil she used around her image. I just love it. So, leave comments on other artists blogs showing them that you appreciate their work and you never know, you could be the next winner..... Thanks for stopping by.

Karen

It's a baby girl...now I can use pink!!

I volunteered to make a baby girl card for one of our pathologists who just had a baby girl in August. They were actually going to buy one!! I almost fainted. I knew it had to be pink and as luck would have it, my nesties just arrived and I was anxious to try them out. Took awhile figuring out the layering of the plates etc. but I finally got it right. I just love how finished a card looks when nesties are used. I know I will be using these alot. I know, I am a nestie newbie but I am thrilled to be experiencing what everyone else has been doing on their blogs. Anyways, used pink pirouette from SU! and bella rose DP. I also used for the first time my vanilla hardware frame and some of my pewter HPH. I love this layout--tri-fold--makes it more interesting. Thanks for the tutorial SCS. And thanks for looking. I love to read all the comments left by viewers so please feel free to join in.

Bye bye for now...

Karen

More Halloween boxes...scary!!

Well, if you are squeemish, you may have to look away. I made a halloween pizza box and decorated it with halloween DP from Stampin'Up and used the rub-ons from Chills and Thrills. The inside was filled with a "finger" wearing a monster ring. Are you scared? I always like the pizza box. It can be used for most any occasion and is so quick and easy to construct (follow SCS tutorial).

TFL Karen

Baby gift basket...

Well, my co-worker's daughter had a baby boy last week. Four weeks early but all is well. I madly started making a little gift for her, of course all coordinating using Urban Garden DP from Stampin'Up! I decided to make one of the treat boxes using the tutorial from SCS and made 8 3X3 cards/envelopes all inside a coordinating box. I filled a sour cream container and two others with chocolates and made "mom" a matching bracelet using the same DP. Thanks to Nichole Heady's instructions for the bracelet. I just love all the ideas that people share. Hope you like it. Lastly, I made a card to match. TFL.

Karen

Christmas card a making...

Well, I've put together a class for Christmas cards and tags. I just love this time of year. I can already smell the apple cider and the fresh green pine boughs. Not sure how to do the tree this year as with the addition of 2 kittens, we will have to be very clever and careful with our decorations. My mom is usually with us over the holidays and we try to get in some craft fairs and outings when she is here. We always have a blast. So, for my class, we will make 8 cards (4 designs and make two of each) and 4 gift tags. I used primarily Stampin'Up! supplies and added in some other brands as well. The old vintage Santa is from Delta stamps and some of the embellishments are non-SU!. I think the combinations work well. Happy stamping and happy holidays.

Halloween view finder and treat box

For this month's stamp club we will be making some more halloween cards and treat boxes. I finally made a view finder card and boy did I need to review the instructions. I just couldn't work in the direction that I was supposed to. I ended up working backwards in order to properly line up my centre of the circle so that it turned evenly. I thought halloween is the perfect occasion for a view finder as there are so many scary creatures to choose from for the images. And of course, I used the new ghostly greetings DP from Stampin'Up!. The little treat box is perfect for a handful of chocolates to offer your guests. And if you change the DP for christmas or valentine's paper, you can change the look very easily. Thanks for looking. I will post the third item that we make soon so keep checking. Happy stamping.

Karen

I'm in the Christmas spirit...

I'm showing a sneak peak of 2 of the cards we will be making for my christmas card class. We will be doing 5 designs and making 3 of each for a total of 15 cards. I'm trying to stick to a theme using the new Ski Slope DP from Stampin'Up! but also use a variety of christmas stamps - some traditional and some casual. I really like the shine from the dazzling diamonds on Santa's beard. Using the criss-cross fold also adds a different style to the cards. I wish to thank Nichole Heady for her inspiration for her xmas card last year. Please check out her blog Capture the Moment. I know whoever receives these will be just as excited. I will post the other 3 soon so keep coming back to check it out. Thanks for looking and have a great evening.

P.S. I'm having trouble loading my card with Santa. Will try again later. ARGHHHHHH!!

Karen

Hello-ween cards

Well, I've been busy making halloween cards and goodies for my children for school. This year I decided to try and make chocolate suckers using halloween molds. Never done it before but thought it looked easy. The recipe calls for pretzel rods!! Where on this planet can one find pretzel rods!! I've looked everywhere. So, now I must improvise and use just plain old sucker sticks. They should still look fabulous and I'll post a picture of them when I make them closer to the date. In the meantime, I've made two cards...a mummy and a Frankette. I must give thanks to those who have shared their creations of each of these as it enabled me to create these ones. Not much more you can do with the mummy (looks pretty much the same as a card I saw) but I did improvise with Frankette. Hope you like them. Pretty cute eh?? I like them.

Have fun preparing for the scary eve. Time flies when you're having fun....

Karen

I've been tagged!!!

Well, I've been tagged. My first time. I'm so excited. I'm very grateful that Barb found my blog. Barb tagged me from Made for Keeps http://madeforkeeps.blogspot.com/.
I'm to follow these rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here goes....

1. I don't like touching my food.
2. I sing in a broadway choir-only broadway hits-watch out here I come!!
3. Some of my best friends are bacteria and viruses.
4. I'm sure I was an editor/proofreader in a past life.
5. I am so proud of my children.
6. This will be our 10th anniversary-OMG has it been that long!!
7. My mom makes me laugh. She is the coolest. She's 78.
I would like to send this out to:

1. Alison Solven-http://stampcrazy.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Alison has been my resource person from the start. She is a leader and a fun-l0ving person.
2. Dawn Griffith- Dawn is amazing. Her tutorials are top-notch and ideas/inspiration is a 10.
http://dawnsstampingthoughts.typepad.com/dawns_stampin_studio/
3. Kim Teasdale - amazing blog with beautiful ideas
http://paperintheworks.blogspot.com/
4. Diana Gibbs- Diana makes me laugh. She is a great story teller and she also makes fabulous projects. http://dianagibbs.typepad.com/stampin_with_di/
5. Brandi Higgins-Cote - Brandi uses such vibrant colour combinations. Her projects and cards are very appealing and you'll want to make all of them.
http://squareheadedstamper.blogspot.com/
6. Nichole Heady-Nichole is such a classy lady. Her suggestions/ideas are so practical and inspirational. http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/
7. Lydia- Again such an inspirational blog. So many ideas and such beautiful work. http://understandblue.blogspot.com/

Home Decor cubed.....

I thought it would be nice to make some pictures suitable for framing. We are just finishing off renovating our living space and I want to "splash" colour on the walls. I used Inspired by Nature and Upsy Daisy to create such colour. The greeting was stamped first then the grass/echinacaea was inked in versamark and then embossed with clear EP. I then brayered over the entire piece with more mustard, pacific point and kiwi kiss. The black frames really make the colour "pop". This was one of our projects for my stamp club. It was a great hit. The other two projects were faux wood (see previous post) and we also made a halloween bag in a box. I will post this soon.

Karen

Faux wood technique

I sure liked how much this resembles the real thing. Wow, and it was so easy to create. I know this technique will be a hit at my club meeting this month. It's nice to learn some "masculine" techniques sometimes. The tutorial I followed is from Dawn's Stampin' Spot. Her tutorial is fabulous and very straightforward. I really do appreciate all the time and effect everyone takes when making a tutorial video. What a lot of work it must take.

Happy stamping and thanks for looking.

Karen

Bracelets for everyone....

I've just finished making my first bracelet following Nichole Heady's tutorial from Capture the Moment website and boy am I ever excited. I never knew I could make jewelry and have it come out so pretty. I know I will have to give a class on this one. Thanks for the inspiration and great instructions. I know what I will be making everyone for Christmas. And luckily I still had some tin containers left over from last year so this will be the packaging. I'm really happy with the result. I hope you like it to. So, it just goes to show you. Stamping can lead to many creative projects. Not just for cards!! Coolio...

Thanks for looking.

Karen

The Babies came early...quick, I need a card!

Well, my co-worker had forewarned me that she would be needing a card for twin boys. At that time I had plenty of time to mentally create. Then, out of the blue, came a phone call. The babies came early!! The babies came early!! Well, that sent everyone into a tail spin and off to the drawing room it was for me. No sooner did I hang up the phone, I was emailing my Stampin' mother if she had any "onesies, animals, or sweet peas". I was out of luck. "I have a lamb or a carriage, would that do?", she replied within 10 minutes. They weren't conguring up any images for me so I had to reject. Onward and upward. I will complete this mission. I haven't really made any baby cards as of yet and so wanted this one to be somewhat acceptable. It was really hard as I didn't even have any real "baby" stamps or any animal stamps until I came across "My good egg". I thought, yes, hatching, babies, I could use this one. The twins names begin with B+ D so got to use my handy dandy die-cut machine for the alphabet and number. Whoo-hoo!! I added stickles to the chicks lower shells to add a sparkle. The buttons were adhered with glue dots and I used linen thread as a tie. The cardstock was pacific point, tangerine tango, certainly celery, ivory, bashful blue, summer picnic DP and petals and paisley DP (not sure of the real name). I also used alot of dimensionals to give that added lift. Hope you like it. Thanks for visiting. I've had my weekly challenge so go and make a card that challenges you. Send me a post.

Karen

Inspired by understanding blue...

Thanks to Lydiaf at http://www.understandblue.blogspot.com/ for the inspiration for this card. I pretty much cased her card and then added two more. I used more mustard, pacific point and kiwi kiss as the main colour choices. I used versamark for the large grass image and then embossed with clear EP. I then brayered with one of each of the above colours. I am thrilled to frame these three all together and hang it on my newly renovated living room/dining room wall. I can foresee an abundance of artwork coming from this stamp set Inspired by Nature by Stampin'Up!. How can something so simple look so elegant. This is a great example of marrying stamp sets and home decor. This is going to complement some of the vinyl wall art that is new to Stampin'Up! So many possibilities.... Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog. I hope you can find some inspiration for yourself and try out some of the projects that are showcased here. I am forever thankful to all the stampers out there on "planet stamp" who so graceously share what they do and in doing so, inspire so many. This is what makes "the arts" so fulfilling. Self-accomplishment does alot for the soul. Have a great evening.

Karen

Always and forever...

I thought I'd dust off this set as it made it into the new catalogue. I do love these stamps. Very versatile and appropriate for many occasions. In this card, I used the new "in colour" pacific point, basic black and bella rose designer paper from Stampin'Up!. I decided to emboss the heart, berry branch and greeting with black EP as it seems to always jump out more. I cut the heart out and mounted it with dimensionals. I also use striped real red ribbon to add some more colour. I wish to thank Beckyte for her inspiration for this card. I pretty much followed her sample but changed the colours, and greeting and ribbon. I had a hard time capturing the right light environment and as well one of our newly adopted kittens kept wanting to get into the action. I had to prop up my card at one time right on him. What a ham. I know he'll be stampin' in no time. LOL. Have a great day and thanks for visiting.

Karen

Post-edit: I just tried faux metal technique and used the same heart from the Always stamp set. It really does look like real metal. I added it to the same card to show the effect it has. I followed the tutorial from Stampin'Up! website. One thing is for certain, you do have to press really hard as I must not have done that in one corner of the stamp as you can see. But oh well, just a sample of things to come. I know better now!! Do try it. It's easy, fun and quite amazing.

Live and let die-cut....

I'm getting reacquainted with my die-cut machine and now am really excited about all the possibilities that await me. I really wanted to use my alphabet die-cuts and will be making another scrapbook layout for my kids. School starts again in a few weeks so I've got no excuses. My son will be going into grade 4 and my daughter starts grade 2. Hannah can hardly wait to start again but Axel, well boys will be boys.

This halloween card is the start of my new adventures with die-cuts. I'm making halloween folders for my daughter's class (picture will be coming) and will put each initial of each child on their folder. We will fill it with candy and a card. I'm using the hostess level 3 stamp set in this card. I also used the new scallop edge punch from Stampin'Up!. This punch is so easy to use and the final cut is so precise. I know I will be using this alot. I used the new colours for card stock and of course, bella rose for the designer paper. I really like to use textured CS now for the base card. It just adds another punch. I used my blender pens to colour. I never have a problem getting into the smallest of spots. Thanks for looking and happy stamping.

Karen

Celebrate in style....hodgepodge that is.

Well I finally got a chance to use some of my pewter hodgepodge hardware from Stampin'Up!. I love how it really "steps up" this card. I made this for my mom who is 76 years young. She is so much fun and really has a great time at whatever she does. I recently showed her all of my Stampin'Up! cards and projects and now she is hooked! And at her age, she enjoys it as much as any one . She is very young at heart and is a great inspiration. And so without a doubt, this card used the new and fresh Bella Rose DP and all the new "in colours" cardstock for 2008-2009. Tangerine tango, kiwi kiss, riding hood red, very vanilla just to name a few. The stamp sets I used are from One of a Kind and So many scallops. And I finished it off with real red grosgrain ribbon and of course used pewter HPH. I know my mom will be so proud of this one. Off to create....

Karen

There's a BIG SHOT in the house....Sizzix that is.

Stampin'Up! just announced at Convention 2008 in Salt Lake City, Utah that they've partnered with Sizzix. And this is what resulted. Lucky for us at Stampin'Up!. Here's what they said:

"There's a new big shot in town--the Sizzix Big Shot for Stampin' Up! The Big Shot is a sturdy manual die cutting machine used to die cut materials for use on crafts, home décor projects, and even clothing--it's a big deal! You'll love what the Big Shot machine, a 6-time winner of Creating Keepsakes Reader's Choice Award for best die cutting equipment and dies, can do for you.
Design your own custom pillow appliqués using the Tulipe Bigz die or make custom fabric flowers to embellish a quilt. From sewing to quilting to home décor, the Big Shot is the perfect tool for many types of crafting. Use our Stampin' Up! exclusive dies to create die cuts and stencils with our artwork and designs for all your craft needs. "

Stay tuned for more information. More will be posted as updated information is passed on.

It's not so bad being square..... and photo wallet

I'm really quite a linear person and often gravitate towards lines and squares. I found this wonderful card by Laurie http://inspireddesigns.typepad.com/inspired_designs/ who was following Jenn's sketch challenge. Well, I changed the stamp set, colours and added fauxstitching and rub-ons and fell in love. Casing is well known in the stamping world and it literally means "copy and share everything". It's nice to recognize the creator so don't forget to mention that person when posting your card. For this card I used chocolate chip, sage shadow, kiwi kiss, Bella rose DP, very vanilla as cardstock. I used "One of a kind" stamp set from Stampin'Up! (technique is thumping) and added the rub-on sentiment. The card size is 5 X 5 and it will fit nicely inside a 5 1/2 X 5 1/2 envelope. I will be sending this card to my husband's father who has a birthday in August. I know he will appreciate all that went into making this card.

My next project is a photo wallet. Perfect for photos, or even gift cards. I used tangerine tango textured card stock for the base and added some coin envelopes and covered them with kiwi kiss and my stamped image from "Heartfelt thanks" stamp set. For the inside tags, I used black and kiwi kiss stapled a ribbon and rounded the corners for a softer look. The wallet folds up nicely and is secured with a "belly band" of black and image from "One of a kind" using the thumping technique again. I'm lovin' it!! I used my scallop punch and punched out the image and added a nice rhinestone brad. Hope you like these. I have to give thanks to this site, so please visit it on your next journey on WWW:

http://www.ustamp4fun.com/ProjectGallery/photofolio.htm

Have a great evening and happy stamping...

Karen