Ribbon Samplers

Ribbons are one of those things that I can't seem to do without for my projects. I seem to use them on just about everything I create.

Stampin' Up! has added an amazing amount of new ribbons to its gorgeous selection of ribbons, and you'll want them all! Because there are so many, I've put together some ribbon samplers that make it easy and affordable for you to have the ones you want. Take a look...

(Please note that the photos are below each description and they show only a sampling of the available colors. To view all colors, please visit my website.)

1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon $17.00
When you purchase this sampler you'll receive 3 yards of each of the 13 colors of this very versatile ribbon. This is one of the ribbons I use the most when making projects.

Colors include:
Whisper White
Very Vanilla
Daffodil Delight
Pumpkin Pie
Pretty in Pink
Real Red
Rich Razzleberry
Night of Navy
Marina Mist
Certainly Celery
Old Olive
Early Espresso
Basic Black

5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon $23.00

As with the 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, you'll receive 3 yards of each of the same 13 colors listed above when you purchase this sampler.

5/8" Satin Ribbon $14.00

This sampler includes the six new 5/8" Satin Ribbon colors only, and you'll receive 3 yards of each. If you are interested in purchasing a sampler of all 13 colors, please contact me.

Colors include:

Daffodil Delight

Pumpkin Pie

Rich Razzleberry

Night of Navy

Marina Mist

Early Espresso

3/8" Taffeta Ribbon $23.00

When you purchase this sampler, you'll receive 2 yards of each of the same 13 colors that are available in the 1/4" and 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbons.

1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain $27.00

Not only is this fun ribbon great for projects, it's also perfect to tie on gifts! You'll receive 2 yards of each of the 11 available colors when you purchase this sampler.

Colors include:

Daffodil Delight

Pumpkin Pie

Pretty in Pink

Real Red

Rich Razzleberry

Night of Navy

Marina Mist

Certainly Celery

Old Olive

Early Espresso

Basic Black

1/8" Taffeta Ribbon $20.00

This skinny ribbon is fun for any project, and is available in the same 13 colors as the 1/4" Grosgrain, 5/8" Grosgrain and 3/8" Taffeta Ribbons. You'll receive 2 yards of each color when you purchase this sampler.

1/2" Stitched Poly Twill Ribbon $12.00

This ribbon is available in Stampin' Up!'s 5 In Colors only, and you'll receive 3 yards of each color when you purchase this sampler.

Colors include:
Blushing Bride

Peach Parfait

Poppy Parade

Concord Crush

Pear Pizzazz

All orders are shipped Priority Mail with insurance and Delivery Confirmation. Orders for these samplers will be done in groups of five, with the first orders being placed toward the end of July. PayPal is the preferred method of payment, however I will accept other methods of payment. Please contact me with questions, or to place your order. thanks for visiting!

Buttons and Brads and Trinkets, Oh My!

I don't know about you, but as much as I want everything in the new catalog right now, I just can't get everything all at once. If you're having the same problem, then I have the solution. I've put together several product samplers to help. Where there's a will there's a way right? Anyway, my first sampler is a Buttons, Brads, and Trinkets sampler. It includes an assortment of Bitty Buttons, Designer Buttons and Flower Brads from all four color families, round Brads from the four main color families, and an assortment of Vintage Trinkets and Antique Brads.

Here's what you'll get:

120 round Brads
48 Flower Brads
16 Bitty Buttons
5 Antique Brads
72 Designer Buttons
6 Vintage Trinkets Safety Pins
6 Vintage Trinkets Button Brads

That's over 250 pieces! If you were to purchase a full package each of these items separately, you would pay over $130.00. The cost for this product sampler is $36.00 for local customers. Shipping is additional for those who do not live locally. This particular sampler is ordered in groups of four and I will order the first group around the end of July. I will be adding other product samplers for ribbons and Designer Series Papers over the next day or two, and will combine items for those ordering more than one sampler so that shipping costs are kept to a minimum. I prefer PayPal, but will accept other forms of payment. Please contact me to order, or if you have any questions. Thanks for visiting!

Oh baby!

I haven't been slacking again, honest. We have a baby in the house and she has been keeping me busy since the first of July. No, she's not ours. She belongs to our friends Joel and Gwen (you may remember this onsie card that I made for them a few months ago) and I am taking care of her during the day while her mom and dad are at work. She's just about the cutest little baby I've seen (excluding my own when they were babies of course), and although she's a very easy-going baby, it has still taken some adjustment, as it has been a little while since mine were this young. Anyway, I'm somewhat limited on time during the day now and I haven't done much for new projects, which is why I haven't really posted any. I'm still working on making cards from precut materials that I had left over from workshops. I've actually done lots of them, but many of them have been previously posted so while things are getting organized in my new space, it's not so great for blogging. I've also been working on product samplers and will have some information on those either this evening or tomorrow, so make sure that you check back. Thanks for visiting!

It's Here!

The Stampin' Up! 2010~2011 Idea Book & Catalog was released today and if you don't have a copy yet, you need to get one. There are so many fantastic new products in this catalog! I've been going through it page-by-page, making my new "Wish List" and I think I'm in trouble. If you need a copy for yourself, just click the button on the left sidebar to contact me. If you'd like to download a copy, simply click on the catalog image above and you'll be able to download a PDF file. Either way, I'm sure you'll enjoy looking through it and seeing all of the great new products. Thanks for visiting!

Haiku Flowers

I made my original card like this quite some time ago for the featured artist section of Christina Crawford's team website. Since I had to send my originals to Christina, I had every intention of making more than one, but I never got around to making additional copies until now. I pulled out some old Designer Series Paper scraps over the weekend because I'm trying to use up whatever bits and pieces that I have lying around, and this is one of the cards that I made. I'm working hard to get my new stamping studio organized, but I still have a little work left to do. Mostly I'm just going through scraps and retired items at this point. I pulled out lots of paper to make cards for craft shows and possibly for an Etsy shop. I went through my retired stamp sets too, so watch for those to be posted later. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Fun & Fast Notes
Ink: Black StazOn, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, So Saffron, More Mustard
Paper: Haiku DSP (retired), Very Vanilla, So Saffron, Tangerine Tango & More Mustard Cardstock
Accessories & Tools: Scallop Edge Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, 1/16" Circle Punch, Earth Elements Brads, 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Blender Pens, Stampin' Dimensionals

You've heard of "Christmas in July"...

How about Halloween in June? Yes, I know this card is a little out of season right now, but I needed to post something on my blog since I have been a little lax about posting lately. The inspiration for my card came from this card that Lynn Put created just over a year ago. I'm not really sure if you can see it or not, but I used the Texturz Plate with the diamond pattern from the Stampin' Up! Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plates on the orange cardstock. I love the patterns in this set of Texturz Plates, and it's also a great value! Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: The More the Merrier
Ink: Black StazOn, Only Orange, Summer Sun, Old Olive
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Only Orange & Summer Sun Cardstock
Acessories & Tools: Big Shot, Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plates, Black Gingham Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Aqua Painters, Stampin' Dimensionals

SSSC74 A Little Old, A Little New

For the first time in months, I was able to complete a Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge on time. Yay! Things have been so busy these past few months with school activities for the kids, and my stamping studio has been too disorganized to accomplish much anyway. I have some good news though; my husband and I have been hard at work renovating my space. It's not completely finished yet, but it is about 1,000 times better than it was. Not only will I have a more organized place for everything, but I'll also have a designated space for classes and stamp clubs, rather than having to stamp at our dining room table. If you're one of my regular stampers, don't get too excited just yet, because I'm not at the point where I can move classes to this new space, but I hope to be very soon. As for the details of my card, this card uses a new hostess set called Because I Care. The image was stamped onto two pieces of cardstock and I colored one of them. I then cut out the leaves and flowers and attached them to the black and white image using Dimensionals so that it had some depth. In addition to the new stamp set, it also uses some retired ink, paper and accessories. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Because I Care
Ink: Black StazOn, Kiwi Kiss (retired), Not Quite Navy & Baja Breeze
Paper: Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss (retired), Not Quite Navy & Baja Breeze Cardstock, Urban Garden & Patterns Pack DSP (both retired)
Accessories & Tools: Aqua Painter, Stampin' Dimensionals, Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware (retired), Baja Breeze 5/8" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), 1/16" Circle Punch, Paper Snips

Quote of the Week

"Life is about timing."

~Carl Lewis

Quote of the Week

"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."

~Mark Twain

Every Now & Then

This is one of the first scrapbook pages that I created using My Digital Studio. I actually made it last fall, but I didn't have a blog when I made it, which is why it didn't get posted until now. I got the idea for my page from my teammate Deann Oliver who made this page for her son (you'll have to scroll down a bit to see her page if you visit her blog). Deann has some fun stuff on her blog. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: None
Inks: None
Paper: None
Accessories & Tools: My Digital Studio

Quote of the Week

"Champions keep playing until they get it right.

~Billy Jean King

Love Sparkles Page

I'm still posting scrapbook pages. Here's one that I created using a Simply Scrappin' Kit. The kits make it so easy to put scrapbook pages together because they have coordinating cardstock, patterned paper and self-adhesive die cuts. Use the kit, add a few accessories and you're finished! Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: none
Inks: none
Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose & So Saffron Cardstock (all from Simply Scrappin' Kit)
Accessories & Tools: Love Sparkles Simply Scrappin' Kit, Pretty in Pink Sending Love Epoxy Brads (no longer available), 1/8" Circle Punch (retired)

One of a Kind

Here is another scrapbook page that I recently created. It might be difficult to see in the photo, but I used the Frost White Shimmer Paint on the snowflakes to give them a little something extra. I also sponged the edges of them with ink so that they would stand out a bit more. One of the things that I like about this page is that it uses Kraft and Soft Suede which might not be thought of as typical colors for winter-themed scrapbook pages. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: One of a Kind

Inks: Soft Suede, Not Quite Navy

Paper: Bordering Blue, Kraft, Not Quite Navy & Naturals White Cardstock, Bella Bleu & Soft Suede Patterns DSP

Accessories & Tools: Big Shot, Snowflake #2 Die, Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, Designer Label Punch, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Sponge Daubers, 1/2" Soft Suede Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Circle Ice Rhinestone Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, computer & printer

Happy Together

I created this scrapbook page about a month and a half ago, but had to hold off posting it. I've enjoyed scrapbooking for many years, however I haven't spent a great deal of time making pages the last couple of years and I miss doing them. I've been working on additional pages recently, both digital and traditional, so look for some new pages to be posted over the next few days. Hope you enjoy your weekend. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Happy Everything, Vintage Labels
Inks: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Whisper White, Bashful Blue & Chocolate Chip Cardstock, Sweet Pea DSP Stack, Chocolate Chip Patterns DSP
Accessories & Tools: Scallop Circle Punch, Big Shot, Top Note Die, Hearts & Brackets Die, Bashful Blue 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Chocolate Chip Corduroy Buttons, Bashful Blue Marker, Stampin' Dimensionals, computer & printer

Quote of the Week

"Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records."

~William Arthur Ward

Good Times Digital Scrapbook Page

Before you panic about your eyesight, I have to let you know that you're not having vision problems. I intentionally blurred the faces in these photos for privacy reasons. I had some fun putting this scrapbook page together using My Digital Studio. It went together in no time at all and was really easy to do. Many of the My Digital Studio elements that I used were the same as the "real-life" supplies that I used for this page. One of the photos that I used for my digital page is also the same one that I used for the "real" page. I created my own design for this, but My Digital Studio has lots of pre-made pages, complete with embellishments. My Digital Studio is great for people who enjoy paper-crafting but want to try something new, or want to see what a scrapbook layout or card will look like before they cut their papers, ribbon, etc. It's also great for people who aren't "into paper-crafting" but love taking photos, because it's a great way to make fast, easy scrapbooks as gifts or to organize photos without having to be creative. I actually told my husband last night that I would teach him how to use it and he can make a scrapbook page. I'll keep you all posted as to how that goes. Haha!

For more information on My Digital Studio or other Stampin' Up! products, please contact me. Thanks for visiting!

My Digital Studio Elements: My Sweet Pea Designer Kit, Pumpkin Pie Cardstock, Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon, Pumpkin Pie & Bashful Blue Brads, Chocolate Chip Stitching - Zigzag, Greatest Moments II Stamp Brushes

Extreme Makeover Blog Edition

Surprise! I've wanted a "blog makeover" for a while now and I finally did it! The very talented Michelle Laycock created this wonderful design for me. Isn't it great? Thanks Michelle, I love it! If you're interested in having Michelle design a blog for you, simply click the Laycock Designs button in my sidebar to contact her.

I'm "stranded" at home today because my vehicle has to go in for an oil change, so I plan to spend lots of time stamping and playing around with my My Digital Studio. I'll be back later with a project. In the meantime, please leave me a note and tell me what you think of the "makeover." Thanks for visiting!

Quote of the Week

"You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get."

~Michael Phelps

Sweet Sunday Sketch #60

I'm still working on the Sweet Sunday Sketch challenges that I missed and here's another. I forced myself to use the Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper because I haven't used much of it. Using the paper was more of a challenge than the sketch, but that's a good thing, as it made me use a color combo that I normally would not have used. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Short & Sweet
Inks: Melon Mambo
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Orchid Opulence, Melon Mambo & Crushed Curry Cardstock, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP
Accessories & Tools: Birds & Blooms Sizzlits Dies, 1/4" Circle Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, 1/8" Circle Punch (retired) Rich Razzleberry 1/2" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Circle Fire Rhinestone Brads, Circle Ice Rhinestone Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sweet Sunday Sketch #63

Here's another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge that I missed. I made this card in 83 degree weather. I don't know, maybe I was thinking that if I made a winter card it wouldn't feel so warm. It's crazy, we had up to two and a half feet of snow in some places a couple of weeks ago, and by the end of the next day, it was gone. Then over the following weekend, when I made this card, the temps were in the 80s. The weather has always been unpredictable here in New England, but this was a little bit too extreme for me. Anyway, I used the new Vanilla Smooch Spritz on the snowflake and I really like the way it looks. Right now it's the only color I have, but after trying this one, I'll have to get the rest. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Simple Seasonal Thanks (retired)

Inks: Black StazOn, Pretty in Pink

Paper: Whisper White, soft Suede & Real Red Cardstock, Christmas cocoa Specialty Paper (retired)

Accessories & Tools: Circle Scissor Plus, Jumbo Snowflake Punch, 1/16" Circle Punch, Sponge Dauber, Pumpkin Pie Marker, Circle Fire Rhinestone Brads, Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz, 2-Way Glue Pen, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sweet Sunday Sketch #64

Here's another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge that I missed. Like some of the others I've been making, it uses both current and retired products. I don't keep all of the retired stamp sets, but there are a few that I like, so I do keep those. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Dreams du Jour, Small Script (retired)

Inks: Black StazOn, Bordering Blue, Not Quite Navy, Soft Suede

Paper: Whisper White, Bordering Blue, Not Quite Navy, Kraft & Soft Suede Cardstock, Bella Bleu & Thoroughly Modern DSP

Accessories & Tools: 1 1/4" Square Punch, Paper Snips, Aqua Painter, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sweet Sunday Sketch #65

After about eight weeks of not having time to do Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenges, I've finally had time to do one. In fact, I've had time to do more than one. Although it's too late to enter my challenges on Karen's blog for her weekly pick, I wanted to do all of the challenges that I've missed because I enjoy doing them so much. I actually did them last week, but never got around to posting them because of what was going on with my family. Over the next several days, you'll see them. Although it would have made sense to start with the most recent and work my way back to the first one that I missed, I didn't. I just went with doing whatever I was inspired to do at any given time. I hope you enjoy looking at them. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Live Like You Mean It
Inks: Rich Razzleberry

Paper: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence & Old Olive Cardstock, Cottage Wall DSP
Accessories & Tools: Orchid Opulence & Old Olive Markers, Beautiful Wings Embosslits, Sponge Dauber, 2-Way Glue Pen

Quote of the Week

Once again I'm late with my quote. My youngest nephew was in a car accident over the weekend, so I just forgot about posting it. Things were kind of scary for my family, but he is doing much better now, so that is good.

Here is my quote for the week:
"Success is where preparation and opportunity meet."

~Bobby Unser

I'll be back later today with a project. Thanks for visiting!

"Enjoy" Scrapbook Page

Since May is National Scrapbook Month, I thought I'd share a scrapbook page that I recently made. The photo was taken on a beautiful day in March when the skiing and snowboarding were great! I was unable to use my Crop-A-Dile to set the Jumbo Eyelet, because it was too far into the paper. Instead, I used a pair of pliers to bend down the back of the eyelet and then I hammered it flat. It took a little more time than using the Crop-A-Dile, but it was effective. I could have done the page without the eyelet, but I think it works well with the circles in the Designer Series Paper. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Enjoy Every Moment
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Taken with Teal, Bashful Blue & Chocolate Chip Cardstock, Sweet Pea DSP Stack
Accessories & Tools: Crafter's Tool Kit (retired), Chocolate Chip Marker, Circle Scissor Plus, 1 3/4" Circle Punch

Quote of the Week

"The man who has no imagination has no wings."

~Muhammad Ali

Craft Store-Inspired Invitation

This is the invitation that was inspired by the one that I saw in the craft store. It's another elegant invitation and it doesn't require a lot of supplies. Like the last two, it was made as a sample, not for an actual wedding. I haven't made the RSVP card or anything like that yet. If you are interested in having these invitations for your wedding, please contact me. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Medallion
Inks: Black StazOn
Paper: Whisper White & Basic Black Cardstock

Punchy Sheep Card

This little sheep is one of the projects that I did with my customers in this month's punch class. Isn't it cute? I decided to go with pink because a friend of mine is having a baby girl next month.
The photo isn't that great, but you get the idea. Thanks for visiting!

Edited: I had scheduled this post last week when my friend was due to have her baby next month, but the baby arrived early yesterday morning. :o)

Stamps: Well Scripted
Inks: Pretty in Pink
Paper: Whisper White & Pink Piroutte Cardstock, Pink Pirouette Patterns DSP (retired)
Accessories & Tools: Scallop Edge Punch, Word Window Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 5-Petal Flower Punch, Small Oval Punch, 1/4" Pretty in Pink Grosgrain Ribbon, Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker, Stampin' Dimensionals

Quote of the Week

"Happiness is a journey, not a destination."

~ Father Alfred D'Souza

Elegant Monogram Invitation

Here's another wedding sample that I made this week. I love the look of black and white invitations, they're so elegant. This one is quick and easy to make. The two outer squares for the monogram were punched, but the inside is smaller than the Stampin' Up! square punches, so I punched it (after the letter was stamped) with the smaller punch then trimmed 1/16" from each side. It's difficult to see in this photo, but the black on the very outside of the image is the background fabric I use for photos, not cardstock. I just wanted to clear that up in case there was any confusion. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Lovely Letters Alphabet
Inks: Basic Black
Paper: Whisper White & Basic Black Cardstock, Night & Day DSP (retired)
Accessories & Tools: 1 1/4" Square Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, 5/8" Basic Black Satin Ribbon

Razzleberry Medallion Wedding Invitation

I was able to sneak in a few hours here and there to do some stamping this week and most of the projects I did were wedding-related. This invitation isn't for a real wedding, it's just to have as a sample for my customers. It's funny, there were so many demos who went crazy over the Medallion stamp when it was released, but it didn't do much for me until I was looking through a book in the wedding section of my local big box craft store recently. I saw an invitation that had a design somewhat similar to the Medallion stamp and I knew immediately that I'd have to add the stamp to my next order. This invitation is not like the one I saw in the store (I'll post that one later), but once I started playing around with the stamp, I came up with this idea. I love the color combo! I'll be back tomorrow with another invitation sample. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Medallion Background Stamp
Inks: Rich Razzleberry, Black StazOn
Paper: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry & Basic Black Cardstock
Accessories & Tools: 5/8" Basic Black Satin Ribbon

Quote of the Week #14

OK, so I really missed week #14, but it's still kind of busy around here. I'm trying, honest. I'm working on projects which I'll attempt to post over the next few days. Until then, here's my quote for this week;

"What I want is what I've not got, but what I need is all around me."

~Dave Matthews Band

A Fond Farewell

If you haven't heard by now, Stampin' Up!® is doing what it calls a Color Renovation. What does this mean exactly? It means that they will be retiring lots of current colors soon, and adding new colors with the new catalog in July. I'm so excited I can't stand it! A few of you might have some favorite colors that are retiring, but trust me, you won't be disappointed when the new catalog is released! I don't want to focus on what the new colors will be though, because we'll have lots of time for that! For now, I just want to talk about what's going, because these colors will only be available for a short time; until June 1st to be exact, and while supplies last after that. Everything available in these colors will be going, so you'll want to stock up before they're gone for good.

The retiring colors are:

Pink Passion
Pixie Pink
Pale Plum
Orchid Opulence
Lovely Lilac
Lavender Lace
Almost Amethyst
Bordering Blue
Brocade Blue
Ballet Blue
Brilliant Blue
Taken with Teal
Glorious Green
Handsome Hunter
Sage Shadow
Mellow Moss
Green Galore
Gable Green
Barely Banana
Yoyo Yellow
Summer Sun
Apricot Appeal
Only Orange
Really Rust
Ruby Red
Cameo Coral
Blush Blossom
Creamy Caramel
Close to Cocoa
Going Gray

If you would like a PDF of the retiring colors chart shown above, please contact me and I would be happy to email it to you. Thanks for visiting!

Baby Shower Card for Gwen and Joel

Our friends Gwen and Joel are expecting a baby girl in May. Yesterday was their shower and this is the card I made for them. I didn't realize it when I made the card, but the shower theme was sweet peas and onsies. The table centerpieces and the party favors were onsies, so this card fit perfectly. I used the Baby Firsts set which has been retired for a while now, but I just love it. The little babies in it are so cute. Gwen is also a stamper, so now she wants to know how to make this card. I think I'll have to add it to my list of projects for monthly punch classes. Of course I'll have to wait until after the baby arrives and Gwen starts doing classes again though. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Baby Firsts (Retired)
Inks: Black StazOn
Paper: Whisper White Cardstock, Pink Piroutte Patterns DSP (Retired)
Accessories & Tools: 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Paper Snips, 2-Way Glue Pen, Blush Blossom & Pretty in Pink Markers

Quote of the Week #13

"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime you just might find, you get what you need."

~The Rolling Stones

Quote of the Week #12

So I actually missed week 12 due to my lack of free time (I really need to remember to use that great little option of scheduling my posts in advance). Anyway, here's my quote for this week; I hope you like it.

"What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of."

~Burt Bacharach/Hal David

Another Roses in Winter Wedding

Here's another sample from the bridal show. This sample is very similar to the last one that I posted, but the text and stamping were both done on the cardstock, rather than having the text on vellum. Also, this invitation has a a pocket which contains the response card, directions and information about accommodations, whereas the other invitation did not and did not close like a folder. It might be difficult to tell in the photo, but the pocket was embossed using one of the embossing folders. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Roses in Winter (retired)
Inks: Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum & Mellow Moss
Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum & Whisper White Cardstock
Accessories & Tools: Finial Press Embossing Folder, Sticky Strip

Roses In Winter Wedding

As promised, here are some of my samples from the bridal show. The roses were stamped onto cardstock which then had a vellum overlay with the text printed on it. The roses look like they were created using three colors, but I only used two, stamping on a piece of scrap paper before stamping the first layer so that it would be lighter. I created and printed the text with my computer and it was very easy to do. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Roses in Winter (retired)
Inks: Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Mellow Moss
Paper: Very Vanilla, Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum Cardstock, Vellum Paper
Accessories & Tools: 1/8" Circle Punch, Celery Wide Organdy Ribbon (retired)

I'm Still Here

Sorry I haven't been around lately. The last few weeks have been kind of crazy for me, so I haven't had time to post. I haven't even had time to do the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenges that I love to do and I've really missed doing them. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to do the new one this weekend.

I had a vendor table at a bridal show a couple of weekends ago so I was busy preparing for that. I'll post some photos of the bridal show projects over the weekend. Since the bridal show, we've taken a trip to Connecticut for a music festival, and we also had a music festival to attend here at home. Aside from that, it's just been the general day-to-day stuff that has kept me busy.

This weekend, we have a birthday party, so I'm trying to get ready for that. I've been attempting to make a snowboarder out of fondant and/or gum paste for the birthday cake. Notice I said "attempting." I've been decorating cakes for years and even taught classes, but I've never made figures; it's not as easy as I thought it would be. If I ever manage to get it done, I'll post a photo for you to see. In the meantime, here is a photo of a cake that I made a few years ago. It was for a school Christmas party for one of my children. Thanks for visiting!

Quote of the Week #11

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

~Flora Whittemore

Quote of the Week #10

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

~ Henry David Thoreau

A Wedding Invitation Fit for a Vampire

I finally got back to making some more wedding invitations and favors today. My daughter took one look at this and told me that it looked like Bella and Edward's wedding invitation, so that's just what I made. For those of you who aren't familiar with Bella and Edward, they are the main characters in the Twilight books. Edward is a vampire, and Bella is the mortal with whom he falls in love. I used grosgrain ribbon for this project. I personally think that the satin ribbon is more formal-looking, but I was out of Real Red Satin Ribbon. Thanks to my upline Christina Crawford for the directions for this style of invitation. It's very simple to make. You take two 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" pieces of cardstock and score one at 1/2" on one end and 2 1/4" on the other (Christina's directions call for scoring at 2 1/2", but I wanted my flap to fall in a different place when the invitation was closed). You then trim the corners on the 1/2" scored section and attach it to the bottom of the non-scored piece of cardstock. You fold up the 2 1/4" section and secure the sides of it with Sticky Strip, adding any accent paper prior to putting on the adhesive and adhering it. You print and decorate your cardstock with the wording and secure it in the center of the non-scored cardstock. Does that make sense? If not, you can check out this video that Christina made. This invitation can also be made into a square format simply by changing the cardstock sizes. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: None
Inks: None
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black & Real Red Cardstock, Night and Day Specialty Paper
Accessories & Tools: Sticky Strip, 5/8" Red Grosgrain Ribbon

Sweetheart Treats

This is a project that I didn't get around to posting last month. It's a little tote that holds four bottles of candy. Although I put candy in these bottles, they could also be filled with cocoa mix, mini marshmallows & choclate chips, or things like bath salts, lotion & bath beads. They could be used for just about anything. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Short & Sweet
Inks: Rose Red
Paper: Welcome Neighbor DSP Pad, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White & Rose Red Cardstock
Accessories & Tools: Small & Large Oval Punches, 5/8" Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon, Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslits Die, Small Heart Punch, Full Heart Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, 4 oz. Bottles (non-Stampin' Up!)

Chocolate & Raspberry Anyone?

I don't know about the rest of you, but my favorite truffle flavor is dark chocolate raspberry, and that's just what I am reminded of when I look at these colors. Yum! This card uses a number of items from the Occasions Mini Catalog, which will be gone in less than two months, so make sure you get what you want while you still can. I for one will be stocking up on the Sending Love Notes Hugs and Kisses. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts, Well Scripted
Inks: Rose Red
Paper: Welcome Neighbor DSP Pad, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip & Rose Red Cardstock
Accessories & Tools: Sending Love Notes Hugs, 5/8" Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Chocolate Chip Corduroy Buttons, Curly Lable Punch, Movers & Shapers Curly Label Die, 1/16" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals