Cupcake anyone?

I have a thing for cupcakes...cupcake stickers, cupcake stationery, cupcake stamps (of course). They're just so darn cute! No, I don't have them all over my house, but I do love them. Anyway, I recently purchased a set of fake cupcakes ~ that's right, the cupcake in this photo isn't real. I wanted to make some samples using the cupcake wrap from the Perfect Setting Die, but I wanted to use fake cupcakes rather than real so that I could take them to workshops and other events. Isn't it adorable? I used some die cut stickers from the Love Sparkles Simply Scrappin' Kit, since I had some left over from a class that I had last weekend. The pink hearts are covered with glitter, including the one on the pick. I used Heat & Stick Powder to adhere the glitter to the hearts. If you haven't used the Heat & Stick Powder, it's really easy. I covered the hearts with VersaMark Ink, then sprinkled them with Heat & Stick Powder (you might want to use a rubber glove, because the VersaMark can be kind of sticky). After they were covered with Heat & Stick Powder, I used my Heat Tool to melt the powder, then I covered it with glitter & heated it again. If you're heating something small like these hearts, it's best to use a toothpick or wooden skewer to hold it down while you're heating it so that it doesn't get blown away by the Heat Tool. That's it!

Stamps: None
Inks: VersaMark
Paper: Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip & Whisper White Cardstock
Accessories & Tools: 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Heart to Heart Punch, Perfect Setting Die, Heat & Stick Powder, Heat Tool, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Love Sparkles Simply Scrappin' Kit, Toothpick

SSSC53 Fun & Fast Birthday Flowers

Here's my card for Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge for this week. These spring-like colors were just what I needed yesterday. I'm not ready for spring yet, but it rained here all day and the snow has disappeared from our yard, so things are looking pretty drab. When I mounted this stamp set, I separated the sentiments from the images and mounted them on the ends of the blocks. This way, the sentiments and images can be mixed and matched easily, and without a marker in the event that you don't have the markers. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Fun & Fast Notes
Inks: Black StazOn, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron & Old Olive
Paper: Whisper White, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink & Old Olive Cardstock, Welcome Neighbor DSP
Accessories & Tools: Scallop Circle #2 Die, Circle Scissor Plus, Small Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Aqua Painters, Basic Black Marker, 5/8" Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Rich Regals Brads (So Saffron), 1/16" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

LOVE & Kisses

Happy Monday! This card was for a team challenge to use the Hugs and/or Kisses notes on a project. I have always liked projects that feature LOVE or NOEL with the letters in this kind of arrangement, but I had never made one. I thought this was a good time to give it a try, and I'm happy with the result. There is definitely a "trick" to getting the cardstock sizes and the corners just right when working with the coordinating corner and border punches. I'm still playing around with sizes, but once I get some together I'll post the information. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Lovely Letters Alphabet
Inks: Melon Mambo
Paper: Melon Mambo & Whisper White Cardstock, Welcome Neighbor DSP
Accessories & Tools: Pinking Hearts Corner Punch, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Sending Love Notes (Kisses), 5/8" Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Quote of the Week #4

"People wait for opportunity to come along yet it is there every morning."

~Dennis the Menace

Butterfly Wedding Invitation

Here's a quick wedding invitation that I made this morning. The right pocket holds the RSVP card and envelope. I didn't put the envelope in because I didn't have one; I need to order some. It was very easy to make. I did the printing on my computer, cut it to the size that I wanted and then stamped the images. Looking for more wedding ideas? Keep checking back because I'll be adding more soon.
Stamps: Simple Friendship

Inks: Almost Amethyst

Paper: Night of Navy, Almost Amethyst & Whisper White Cardstock

Accessories & Tools: 5/8" Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Bridesmaid Pillow Box Favor

I made this yesterday because I needed some wedding favor samples. The Bridesmaid Specialty Paper is so elegant and perfect for this project. It's also quick and easy to make. If only I had known about stuff like this when I got married; I would have loved to have these for wedding favors! Maybe I should ask my husband if we can do it again. Just kidding! :o)
If you are interested in purchasing the supplies to make these, or would like custom favors made for you, please contact me.

Stamps: None

Inks: None

Paper: Bridesmaid Specialty Paper

Accessories & Tools: Pillow Box Die, Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, Pretties Kit (Cream Pearls, Clear Beads, Hat Pin), Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive

Three Little Flowers

I've had so much time to stamp the past few days and I'll have more projects to share over the next day or so. This card is one that I started last night and completed this morning. I've had it in my head for over a week, but I didn't have time to actually get it made until this weekend. Most of the time I like to watercolor my images with my Aqua Painters because I like that watercolor look, but I really wanted the colors in this card to be bold, so I used my markers instead. I love the way it turned out. The bottom ribbon is polk dot ribbon but I used the back of it rather than the side with the polka dots. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Three Little Words, Fourteen Phrases (incentive set)
Ink: Black StazOn, Orchid Opulence
Paper: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence & Old Olive Cardstock, Cottage Wall DSP
Accessories & Tools: Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Ribbon, 1/4" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry & Orchid Opulence Markers, 1 1/4" Square Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Small Oval Punch, 1/16" Circle Punch, Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware (Ribbon Slide, Oval Holder & 3/16" Brads), Stampin' Dimensionals

Quote of the week #3

I almost forgot that it's Monday! Here's my quote of the week;

"Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out."

~ Jack Buck

I'll be back later with a project!

Loads of Love Valentine SSSC52

It's Sunday which means it's time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge from Karen Giron. I enjoy doing these; they get my creative juices flowing. I decided to do my card in a square format; I think I've mentioned before that I am partial to square cards for some reason. Although it has pink, it's not done in the traditional red and pink Valentine's Day color scheme because I wanted it to be a bit different. The truck was stamped onto two pieces of paper and the window and tires were cut off the top layer to give it some depth. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Loads of Love, Loads of Love Accessories, Teen Tiny Wishes
Ink: Black StazOn, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Sahara Sand, Basic Gray, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Pawsitively Prints DSP, Watercolor Paper, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery & Old Olive Cardstock
Accessories & Tools: Aqua Painter, 5/8" Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Mini Library Clips (Antique Brass), Build-A-Brad (Antique Brass), Mini Glue Dots, Paper Piercing Tool & Mat, Basic Black Marker, Paper Snips, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sweet Pea Flower Trio SSSC51

I did this card for two challenges. The first is Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge for this week. The second challenge is one that was given by my team leader Jan. She challenged everyone on our team to "stop hoarding" all of those wonderful accessories that are in the Stampin' Up!® catalogs. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am so bad when it comes to hoarding accessories. I just have a difficult time bringing myself to part with some of them, but I've been getting much better at using them as you can probably tell by looking at my posts. They don't do any good sitting in a package on the shelf; they look much better when they're actually used on a card, scrapbook page or some other project. I used some of the new Sweet Pea Stitched Felt pieces for this card because, as I told my teammates, they are definitely a potential hoarding danger. Did you notice that I said potential? That's because they're really cute, but the package is now open so I might actually use them all. Aren't they adorable? A friend of mine asked me if I had made the flowers. Yeah right (I think she was kidding). Not that I couldn't do it mind you, it's just that I don't have the time. When I first made this card, I simply stamped a greeting in the lower left corner, but it was really bugging me that I hadn't been a little more creative with how I did the greeting, so I HAD to go back and fix it. That's just the way I am. I like this version much better. (smiles) Thanks for visiting. Have a great day!

Stamps: Short & Sweet
Ink: Old Olive
Paper: Rose Red, Pretty in Pink & Whisper White Cardstock, Rose Red & Old Olive Patterns DSP
Accessories & Tools: 5/8" Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, 1/16" Circle Punch, Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Vintage Brads (Antique Brass)

Quote of the Week 2

"We do not quit playing because we grow old, we grow old because we quit playing."

~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Satin Ribbon Share

You may have noticed the Pink Satin Ribbon in some of my recent posts. Isn't it beautiful? Stampin' Up! has just introduced nine gorgeous colors of 5/8" Satin Ribbon and I have a fantastic way for you to get all nine colors at a great price!

The new colors are:

Pretty in Pink
Bashful Blue
Very Vanilla
Chocolate Chip
Basic Black
Real Red
Old Olive
Certainly Celery
Basic Gray

Here's how it works;

You'll receive three yards of each of the nine new colors as well as the Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon shown on page 183 of the 2009~2010 Idea Book & Catalog for only $21.00. That's 30 yards of beautiful satin ribbon! If you were to purchase a full 15-yard roll of each color, you'd pay over $100.00! You may purchase as many shares as you'd like. Five people are needed per group (each share counts as one person). Shipping is included for local customers and is additional for long-distance customers.

I know, Christmas is over...

If you've been reading my blog since day 1, you'll know that I only started it at the beginning of December. Because of the timing, there were so many Christmas projects that I didn't get a chance to post before the holidays, so bear with me while I sneak in an additional Christmas project. I'll keep posting Valentine's Day projects and other projects so don't worry.

This was a card set that I created for a class. These colors aren't something I would normally consider for Christmas cards but they really worked and the Pretties Kit accessories added the perfect touch of elegance. I created a box to hold the four cards and envelopes (in the center of the photo).

Stamps: Serene Snowflakes, Fourteeen Phrases (Incentive Set), Heard From the Heart, Christmas Punch
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Bordering Blue, Soft Suede
Paper: Bella Bleu DSP, Whisper White, Soft Suede, Not Quite Navy, Bordering Blue & Kraft Cardstock
Accessories & Tools: Pretties Kit, Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Sircle Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Circel Scissor Plus, Glass Mat, Scallop Circle #2 Die, Bordering Blue & Not Quite Navy Markers, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Velcro Dot (non-Stampin' Up!)

Thinking of You

I haven't had much time to stamp yet this week, so I'm posting a card that I made in the fall. I really love this stamp set; both the branch and the tree are so graceful and beautiful. I didn't take a photo of the inside, but it has a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock with a sentiment in Soft Suede ink. I hope you like it. Thanks for visiting.

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers
Ink: Soft Suede
Paper: Soft Suede, Rose Red & Very Vanilla Cardstock, Thoroughly Modern DSP
Accessories & Tools: Scallop Square Die, Fresh Favorites II Buttons, Linen Thread, Mini Glue Dots, Rose Red & Soft Suede Markers

Quote of the week 1

Happy Monday!
While having a conversation during dinner last night about how our oldest daughter is writing a quote of the week on a white board in my husband's office, it was decided that I should do the same on my blog. I thought it was a fun idea, so I agreed to do it. Some of the quotes will be just for fun and some you may be able to use for scrapbook pages. Here's the first;

"I hope that life isn't a big joke, because I don't get it." - Jack Handey

With All My Heart

Here is the other Valentine card that I did using the same layout as the cupcake card last Monday. I had wanted to post it yesterday, but I didn't get around to it as I was sucked into a book that I received for Christmas and I just HAD to finish it. This is another card that mixes old with new and I created the background paper the same way that I did for the Wandering Words Christmas card here. Oh, in case anyone is wondering, the book I was reading was The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I love his books.

Stamps: A Happy Heart, With All My Heart

Ink: Pretty in Pink

Paper: Whisper White & Pretty in Pink Cardstock, Bride Specialty Paper

Accessories & Tools: Sending Love Notes Hugs, Pretties Kit, Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Filigree Designer Brads, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Crystal Effects, Stampin' Dimensionals, Brayer

Happy New Year!

Wow! I can't believe it's January 1st! Last year went by so quickly. Does anyone else feel the same? Now that the last two holidays are over, I'm getting ready for the next one. I spent today making some Valentine's Day projects. I really liked the layout that I used for the cupcake card that I did on Monday, so I used the same layout to create two more cards today. I'm only posting one for now though and I'll post the other one later. This card mixes a little old with a little new. The heart punch and stamp set are from last year (but still in the current catalog) and the border punch, Specialty Paper and Satin Ribbon are from the Occasions Mini Catalog. If you didn't receive your Occasions and Sale-a-bration mini catalogs don't worry, they're on their way. Even though you can't order items from the Occasions mini or earn anything from the Sale-a-bration mini until January 5th, they can be seen on my website so make sure you take a peek. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy New Year!

Stamps: Love You Much
Ink: VersaMark
Paper: Real Red, Very Vanilla & Chocolate Chip CS, Sending Love Specialty Paper, Chocolate Chip Patterns DSP
Accessories & Tools: Heart to Heart Punch, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Heat & Stick Powder, Heat Tool, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, 5/8" Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon, Real Red, Chocolate Chip & Pretty in Pink Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals