It's Almost Time!!

I'm so excited for the new Idea Book and Catalog to go Live tomorrow! All the excitement happens at Noon Mountain Time, so if you're able, come play with us online tomorrow! Also, make sure you snatch up any remaining Last Chance List items that you can't live without tonight before Midnight Mountain time...otherwise they'll be all gone!

Here is our final Sneak Peak!



Look at that, it's Daffodil Delight again! This card is using the same Greenhouse Gala Designer Series paper that we used earlier in the week, but this is a completely different color combination. This bright and sunny combo is using Daffodil Delight with Pumpkin Pie. The flowers are actually cut out from one of the other sheets of DSP in the pack! I just inked the edges of the flowers with some Pumpkin Pie ink to make them pop and then added some Old Olive leaves and some Whisper White Organza Ribbon. (Want to know where those perfect little leaves came from? They're the wings from the 2 Step Bird Punch!!)

Card Recipe:
Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive and Whisper White cardstocks
Greenhouse Gala DSP
Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive Classic Inks
Whisper White Organza Ribbon
Large Oval Punch
Scallop Oval Punch
2 Step Bird Punch (leaves)
Occasional Quotes Level 3 Hostess Stamp Set

I hope you enjoy this card and that you find something to inspire you everyday!! Now, go get inky!

36(ish) Hours to go!!

It's almost time!! On a side note, I simply cannot believe June is over! If June is over, then that means that my Little Man is going to be FOUR next week. This mommy is soooooo not ready for a four year old. Expecially since he has Daddy's sarcasm and Mommy's attitude already. I am in so much trouble with this kid. LOL!
Anyway...since we only have about another 24 hours left in June, I wanted to make sure to remind you to check out the Last Chance list one more time! You may see something you overlooked before but HAVE to have, so it never hurts to look, right? Well, it hurts the wallet, but that's a good hurt....especially when the goodie box arrives! On to our Sneak Peak!!
I LOVE Punch Art!!! I'm kind of a newer Demonstrator, so this may have been around for a bajillion years, but it seems like punch art is all the rage right now! Once I saw these adorable little pansies on the Demonstrator website I knew I had to make them! I wish I could give credit to the originator of the idea to use the BUTTERFLY PUNCH to make the pansy, but I've seen so many samples now, that I don't know who it was. If I could, I would give her (or him) a standing ovation, because this idea was GENIUS!
Sneaky Peaky Goodness - Yes, you're right, that's Daffodil Delight in the center of the flowers (I told you it was my newest favorite color.) You'll also see the brand new Scallop Rectangle Clearlit die for the Big Shot. The biggest selling factor on this for me? It has a clear window so you can see through the die! That means - if you're like me and are too impatient to drag out your stamp-a-ma-jig every time you want to stamp something (even when you know it'll take more time to restamp the straight image anyway) - you can stamp your sentiment onto your paper and then line up the die over it. It's like stamping and then using a coordinating punch, but with the Big Shot!! I think it's perfect with another Sneak Peak here, the Level 3 Hostess set Occasional Quotes. I LOVE this set! It has some fantastic sentiments that cover a range of occasions. I think it's a must have, and you could get it for FREE if you host a qualifying workshop!!
Card Recipe:
Old Olive and Whisper White Cardstock
Old Olive, Perfect Plum and Daffodil Delight Classic Ink
Basic Black Marker
Butterfly Punch (Pansy Petals)
2 Step Bird Punch (Leaves)
Perfect Polka Dots Textured Embossing Folder
Occasional Quotes Level 3 Hostess Stamp Set
Scallop Rectangle Clearlits Die
1/4" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon

I hope you enjoy this project and that you find inspiration in everything you do! Now, go get inky!

It's the Final Countdown!!

The New Idea Book and Catalog is only 2 and a half days away!! (A half because it launches at Noon on 7/1) That means we have only TWO more countdown projects before the launch! *happy dance*
For today's project, I decided to Keep It Simple St....Stupendous! Right...that's what I meant to whole time. :D I think there are some awesome a la carte stamps in the new catalog, and this Homemade stamp is one of my favorites. I have several people in my life who are supremely fantastic bakers (my mother in law, for instance, is starting her own cake baking business, and my bff Christina makes the most amazing Peanut Butter squares on the planet) and when I saw this stamp, I thought of them immediately. For this project, I made a little gift of some punched out tags (did I forget to mention that this stamp coordinates with the BRAND NEW 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch? OMG! I love it!) Anyway....I punched out the stamped images and then attached a length of Sticky Strip to the back, leaving the backing on one side. Now, my fantastic baking friends can attach this tag to the box they deliver their goodies in! I made a simple card to go with the gift. Both use Night of Navy Patterns DSP, and the image was stamped using Night of Navy ink. One of the things I love about the Patterns DSP stacks (they're in Color Collections STACKS now!! *squeal*) is that you can easily create a coordinated and put together ensemble in a matter of minutes!

Project Recipe:
Whisper White Cardstock
Night of Navy Patterns DSP
5/8" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon
2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch
Big Shot Top Note Die
Sticky Strip
3x5" Celophane Bags

I hope you enjoyed this project! Now, go get inky!

Another Sneak Peak!

Here's our Sneak Peak project for today! I'm calling this a Stationary Suite. This one specifically is the Greenhouse Gala Suite, since it's using the brand new Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper in the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog.
Here are the cards! The Ribbon used on the taller card is actually the Whisper White Organza ribbon dyed with a Chocolate Chip re-inker. I LOVE that our ribbons are dyable!

These are two sweet little bookmarks, two altered paper clips and a 3"x3" post-it-note holder with a velcro closure. I love how all the colors in the DSP work so well together. I think I love Marina Mist and Pear Pizazz together.

I love this tote!! This tote comes from a tutorial by Becky Roberts over at http://www.inkingidaho.blogspot.com/. She's tote-ally awesome! (*giggle*) The tote needed to be made out of cardstock for stability, so I used Pear Pizazz cardstock. To give it a pattern, I used Versamark ink and the flourish from Baroque Motifs to create my very own Designer Series cardstock. :)

Here's the full set together!! I really love how it turned out. I think these Stationary Suites would be a fantastic gift for someone! Now, go get inky!!

Sneak Peak Saturday!

Here's our Sneak Peak for Saturday!

I took another step away from cards today to try a technique I recently learned about called Faux-Leather. To make these super cute little gum holders, I tore apart a gum package and used it as a template for my cardstock. Then I thought this would make an ADORABLE business card case, but it woas a skosh too small. So I cut my template in half and extended it a bit to make it the right size for my business cards.
I used Melon Mambo, Pacific Point and Chocolate Chip cardstock for these projects. The Faux Leather technique uses a Versamark ink pad, clear embossing powder and a heat gun to create the shiny leather-like look! I'll do a Tutorial for it soon. :)

Now have some fun and go get inky!!

Sneak Peak Countdown Continues!

Soooooo....my best laid plans of posting daily sneak peak kind of hit a snag yesterday, BUT that means you get TWO Sneak Peak Projects today! Here's the project from Friday!
These super cute little boxes use some continuing an new cardstock colors together in a fresh color combo that I think I'll be using all summer! I love how a simple little rectangle of cardstock can make Hershey's Nuggets so festive!

Card Recipe:

Crumb Cake (formerly known as Kraft), Tempting Turquiose, Rose Red, Pink Pirouette, Pacific Point, and Wild Wasabi cardstock

Tempting Turquiose, Rose Red and Crumb Cake Classic Ink

Punched Posies Stamp Set (Hostess Level 2 Set in the Summer Mini)

Big Shot Matchbox Die

Big Shot Bigz Island Floral Die

Sizzix Square Lattice Embossing Folder

Rhinestone Brads

I hope you enjoy this project! Now go get inky!

The Final Countdown Continues!

We're less than a week away from the launch of the new catalog!! (I apparently can't do countdown math...) Happy Days are here becasue my shipment of catalogs arrived today!!! So my Sunday Scrappers ladies...get ready to have some fun pouring over the catalog this weekend! On to our Sneak Peak!!
That's two of our brand new In Colors right there! Say hello to Pear Pizazz and Peach Parfait! They're paired here with Daffodil Delight (did I mention how much I love this new color?) in a refreshing citrus-y combo that is another new favorite of mine. There's also a brand new stamp on this too! I love love LOVE stamps that coordinate with our punches, and SU has brought a stamp set FULL of coordinating images for us!

Card Recipe:
Pear Pizazz, Daffodil Delight and Whisper White Cardstock
Daffodil Delight and Peach Parfait Markers (Colored directly onto the stamp - GREAT way to stretch your color options)
Perfect Punches Stamp Set
Curly Label Punch

I hope you enjoy this sneak peak! Stay tuned for another sneak peak tomorrow! Now, go get inky!!

8 Days!

Only 8 more days!!! I am seriously SO EXCITED for the new Idea Book and Catalog! My excitement is even more peaked today because my UPS tracking information says my catalog order will be here TOMORROW! My hostesses are going to be soooooo happy that they'll get to drool over the catalogs at Sunday Scrappers this weekend. They'll also get to see this card (and several others in the Countdown) in person....

When I first saw the new color Daffodil Delight, I literally oooh'd and aahhhh'd. It's the crispest, prettiest yellow I've seen in a long time. I just love it! I've always loved yellow and black together, and this card oddly came to me while in rush hour traffic one night. I had to write it down on a receipt with a crayon (oh, being a mommy is fun!) so I didn't lose the idea. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it!

Card Recipe:

Awash with Flowers Stamp Set (I LOVE this!)

Daffodil Delight and Basic Black Classic Inks

Daffodil Delight, Basic Black and Whisper White Cardstock

Basic Black Satin Ribbon (scrumptious!)

Scallop Trim Border Punch

Stamp-a-ma-Jig (my best friend!)

See you tomorrow for another new project! Now, go get inky!

9 Days and Counting!

Can you believe it?? We're only 9 days away from a brand spankin' new Idea Book and Catalog!! In honor of the upcoming NEW NEW NEW Stampin' Up year, I'll be counting down the next 9 days with 9 fantastical projects using new (and some fantastical continuing) products to give you a sneak peak into what's ahead of you this year!! Sooo...here's to Day #9!
TAAAA-DDDAAAAAA!! OMG, I love the new stamp set Because I Care!! Do you love it? Well, it can be yours FREE, because it's one of the new Level 1 Hostess Stamp sets!! It made me all giddy when I first saw it. :D I stamped the hydrangea with StazOn on Watercolor paper and then colored it in with Marina Mist (NEW!), Perfect Plum and Old Olive markers, followed up with blending with my Aqua Painter. I think that this color combo is going to be one of my "Go To" combos. I just love the look together. I distressed the edges of everything but the Top Note die cut, and finished up with SU's scrumptious satin ribbon in Old Olive.
Card Recipe:
Because I Care Stamp Set
En Francais Background Stamp
Perfect Plum and Marina Mist Cardstock
Watercolor Paper
Marina Mist, Perfect Plum and Old Olive Markers
Marina Mist and Perfect Plum Classic Ink
Old Olive Satin Ribbon
Big Shot Top Note Die
Big Shot Texturz Plates Backgrounds 1
Designer Label Punch

I hope you enjoyed this card!! Be sure to check back through next week's big Catalog Launch!!
Now, go get inky!!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!! Now that the day has arrived, I can finally post the cards I made for all the Fathers in my life! I had a ton of fun doing these and trying to match them to each person and their personalities.
The first up is my husband's. I literally jumped up and down when I saw the Motorcyle single stamp in the Summer Mini catalog. Both my husband and grandfather LOVE bikes, so I knew this stamp would be one of the first on my list. We also love the ocean, so I created and inkscape for his card.

I wanted a completely different feel for my grandfather's card, especially since I was using the same stamp. This card was CASE'd from an awesome Demo, Becky Pressgrove. I loved her original so much, that I just had to put my own little spin on it. I used Crumb Cake, Brilliant Blue and Pumpkin Pie, which match up so nicely with the new Travel DSP in the Summer Mini catalog. I used my distressing tool around the edges of all the different layers to add depth and interest. And the circle brad adds just the right touch of "manly" bling. Love them? Make sure you snatch them up! They're on the Last Chance List for 50% off!!

My husband's step dad is a SCUBA instructor, so I wanted to do another ocean theme card for him, but take it UNDER the water. I used glossy cardstock and my brayer to create the underwater scene and then added some whimsy with some die-cut fishies from my Cricut. I LOVE making easel cards! They're so easy peasy!!

This is the card I made for my husband's dad. It's a non-SU stamp *GASP!* but I've had it forever and love the sentiment that it has. I used some retired DSP and some retiring ribbon (I will miss Bashful Blue ribbon!) to finish this card out.

I hope they all love them, and I hope you enjoyed them too!

Now, go get inky!!