Courage birthday invitation...

My son's birthday is here again and like every year before this one, he's asked for a "soldier" invitation to be made for his friends. This year's birthday invite features the Courage stamp set, along with Sincere Salutations. I started with a Crumb Cake card, then added a layer of Early Espresso and Woodland dsp. The main image from Courage was stamped in Early Espresso and sponged with the same color all the way around. I used the wide oval punch on the sentiment, adhering it with dimensionals.

Fast & Fabulous Sweet Sunday sketch challenge...

I love this three-panel sketch provided by Karen over at Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. I started with a Pear Pizzazz card body, added a layer of Not Quite Navy card stock, with panels from the Springtime Vintage dsp pack. The stamps are from the Level 2 hostess set, Fast & Fabulous. It's a 2-step stamp set that makes stamping fun and fast. I used the Ticket Corner Punch for the corners and added pearls. For the circle element, I picked a designer button. I'm diggin' these!



Punch Bunch thank-you cards...

I enjoy making quick and easy thank-you cards. There are so many things to be grateful for in life. These are for my club members. The cards use textured River Rock card stock (I cut a couple of 12" x 12" pieces down to 3" x 6" ones), along with scraps from my last stamp-a-stack class. I earned the Sale-a-Bration stamp set Punch Bunch for free and am putting it to work, along with the "thanks" from another SAB set, Happy for You.

Blowing Kisses your way for valentine's day...

Blowing Kisses is such a sweet stamp set. This card is all Crumb Cake and Pretty in Pink. The 2" x 5-1/2" strip is from the Love Patterns dsp pack. It's layered on a strip of sponged Crumb Cake that was punched with the Scallop Trim Border Punch. I tied a knot of Crumb Cake seam binding (new in the Occasions Mini), then added a piece of linen thread to hold on a neutral button. The image was colored with an aqua painter and ink pads. I CASE'd this card from Ilina Crouse.

A valentine with XOXO Hugs & Kisses and sparkle...

I love the colors in this valentine. I started with a Crumb Cake card, a layer of Basic Black (punched with the Scallop Border at the bottom), a strip of Love Letters dsp, and a Very Vanilla scallop envelope (die for the Big Shot). I got this idea from Andrea Walford. The big Riding Hood Red heart in the envelope was die cut with the Hearts & Brackets die, while I used the Full Heart Punch and glimmer paper for the smaller one. I used the Crop-a-dile to make the hole for the square fire rhinestone brad. The sentiment is from the XOXO stamp set in the Occasions Mini. It was stamped in black, then I added a small bow of 1/8" Basic Black taffeta with a mini glue dot.

Cupcake and bird birthday cards...

I had my Birthday Card Stamp-a-Stack last night and 14 women showed. It was fun! You make two of each card, and there are five different designs. The first card above uses the Nature Walk stamp set, Botanicals Gazette dsp, Not Quite Navy ink and a sentiment from Upsy Daisy.

This card uses Peach Parfait and Pear Pizzazz (punched with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch), along with the Take a Spin stamp set and game spinner hands, which are very easy to use.

This card uses First Edition dsp, which feels thin like newspaper, and the birds from Clearly For You. The birds were stamped in Bashful Blue, then we used a Marina Mist marker to make the middle bird darker. The sentiment is from the On Your Birthday stamp set.

This card uses the Birthday Bakery Level 1 hostess set with Pawsitively Prints II dsp and Crumb Cake card stock. The colors are Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz and Tempting Turquoise. The stamped image was punched out with the 1-3/4" circle punch and layered on the 2-3/8" scallop circle.

I do have a fifth card, but the photo didn't turn out well. I'll try to get a better photo later today, but I've gotta run for now! Have a great day.

Easter Blossoms embossed pearl card...

This Pretty in Pink card features the Easter Blossoms stamp set, along with words from the Bring on the Cake set. Both sets are available in the Occasions Mini Catalog. I borrowed this idea from Lisa Young. I stamped the image in Jet Black StazOn and used the Uni-bal white gel pen to color in the blossoms. The card front is embossed with the Framed Tulips embossing folder (also in the mini catalog).

Plane & Simple for Stamping 411 sketch challenge...

I had fun creating this birthday card using the Plane & Simple stamp set in the Occasions Mini Catalog. You can see how I punched part of a scallop circle below to sponge the clouds. I used Bashful Blue ink for the sponging, and Not Quite Navy ink for the plane and compass. The designer paper is from the Blueberry Crisp package.

I used the Stamping 411 sketch shown below. This card takes me back to when I was new to stamping - I used sponging and tearing a lot because these techniques are cheap and easy!

Vintage flower adornment on Springtime Vintage card

Card club members made this beauty on Monday. I CASE'd it from here. I added the vintage flower adornment with mini glue dots. The card was first run through the Elegant Lines embossing folder in the Big Shot, then we added a strip of Always Artichoke, a layer of Baja Breeze and a strip of Springtime Vintage dsp. I love the new Baja Breeze seam binding - knotted here under the flower.

Be My Valentine gatefold card...

I started with a 4-1/4" x 8-1/2" piece of Basic Gray card stock for this gatefold card, scoring at 2-1/8" and 6-3/8". The pieces of Love Impressions dsp are 1-7/8" x 4" and sponged around with Basic Gray ink. I stamped Be My Valentine in Real Red and cut it out, then adhered it with dimensionals to a 3" circle (new die in the Occasions Mini) that I ran through the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. I added a few rhinestones to the middle of the flowers on the heart, and a big red button to hold the front closed.

I added a 4" square piece of Whisper White inside the card, stamping the little heart from the XOXO stamp set, and the sentiment from Word Play. This is my make & take for my American Ink gathering today.

Hugs & Kisses XOXO card...

I decided to go with a Valentine theme for my swap for tomorrow's American Ink demo gathering. I used the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, some 5/8" Real Red satin ribbon, and a Full Heart punch of the Red Glimmer paper. I used two stamps from the XOXO set - the sentiment and the little heart, which was punched out, and 1-1/4" squares from the Love Impressions dsp. I love my group get-togethers! I'll be sharing more swaps and make & takes tomorrow.

Another Things I Love card...

My Things I Love class was fun last night. I posted one card yesterday. Here's another one we made. It's Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait and Not Quite Navy. There's a rhinestone on the chocolate, and the Big Shot was used for the Two Tags die and the embossing folders (Perfect Polka Dots above and Square Lattice below).

Things I Love: Baja Breeze glass glitter & seam binding...

I've got a class tonight using the Things I Love stamp set, so I thought it'd be fun to incorporate some of the new Occasions Mini Catalog product. This card uses the Baja Breeze seam binding and glass glitter. The designer paper is from Elegant Soiree, and Soft Suede is the brown color. I punched a strip of Baja Breeze with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch for the circles to rest upon. And I thought a pearl looked better on the chocolate than glitter.

Easter Blossoms on Sunny Days dsp

I love silhouette stamps, so when I saw Easter Blossoms in the Occasions Mini Catalog, I had to have it! I think it pairs well with the Sunny Days dsp. I used the sketch challenge from Stamping 411 to create this card in Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz and More Mustard. If you'd like to order this or anything else from the Occasions Mini, today's the first day you may order from it! Please email me with your order, or you may place it directly here: http://therubberroom.stampinup.net/.

Stamps: Easter Blossoms, Tiny Tags;
Ink: Poppy Parade and Pear Pizzazz pads;
Paper: Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade, More Mustard, Sunny Days dsp;
Accessories: Modern Label Punch, Regals Brads, 1/8" Daffodil Delight taffeta, Eyelet Border Punch, dimensionals, Medium Jewelry Tag Punch.

Three more thank-you cards from class...

This card took one little stamp from the hostess Level 2 set Cute by the Inch, the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, and some paper from the Pawsitively Prints II pack to create a cute and simple thank-you card. The card also uses the Square Scallop Punch and 1/2" poly-stitched Poppy Parade ribbon.

I used the catalog for inspiration for this Happy Together card. The sentiment is from the Family Phrases stamp set. I ran the Rich Razzleberry and Tempting Turquoise strips through the Square Lattice embossing folder before adding them to the Old Olive card. That's a rhinestone in the middle of the cut out flower.

I used another card in the catalog for inspiration for this one, which uses the Level 1 hostess set Punch Potpourri and crochet trim. The colors are Crumb Cake, Not Quite Navy and Real Red. I also used the Cutter Kit to distress the Crumb Cake layer, and the Eyelet Border Punch.

The other two cards from this stamp-a-stack were posted on Dec. 30 and Jan. 1. Have a wonderful Sunday!

Butterfly Prints thank-you card...

I'll start the New Year with a card from my thank-you card class. This one is Baja Breeze with a strip of Nursey Suite dsp layered on Regal Rose. I pierced the bottom line and added a button from the Candy Cane designer buttons (only available till January 3). I stamped this butterfly from Butterfly Prints in Regal Rose and punched it out with the Butterfly Punch, adhering it with a dimensional. The sentiment is out of the Trendy Trees stamp set.

A note about mailing a card like this with a big button: Never ask a postal clerk if it needs extra postage because he/she will always say "Yes!" Also, when you place the card in the envelope, make sure the big embellishment faces the back and to the right if possible (not behind where you'd put the stamp, for example).

Greeting Card Kids square card for 411 sketch...

I used more Springtime Vintage dsp for this square card sketch at Stamping 411. That paper is in the upcoming Occasions Mini Catalog, which starts January 4. The card is Very Vanilla and there are layers of Rose Red card stock. I used this girl stamp from Greeting Card Kids and watercolored it, adding a sentiment from All Holidays. It's my second square card in two days.

Guess what? The Stamping 411 operators selected my card for their showcase! Whoo hoo!!!



Thank-you Cards with Engraved Greetings...

Whenever possible, I like to include a thank-you note in my customers' orders. These are just 3" x 3" notes with Real Red card stock, a piece of Candy Cane Christmas dsp, and the Thank You stamp from Engraved Greetings in Real Red ink. The button is just there to hold the note closed. :-)

Jolly Old Saint Nick embossed penny spinner card...

Penny spinner cards are a favorite of mine. I borrowed this idea from Patti, changing it up a bit. It uses the snowman from Jolly Old Saint Nick, stamped in Basic Black and punched out with the 1-3/4" circle punch. It's layered on a Brushed Silver scallop circle and colored with Sahara Sand and Marina Mist markers. The sentiment is from the Just Believe stamp set.

To make the spinning mechanism: stick one dimensional in the middle of the back of the scallop circle, then a penny. Add two dimensionals stuck to each other to that penny and add another penny. That's it! I made the "track" with the Word Window Punch. You want one penny inside the track - insert the bottom first through the track, then "pop" the top through. Roll the scallop circle back and forth over the track to get it spinning freely.

I embossed a 5-1/4" x 2-1/2" piece of Whisper White with the Northern Flurry embossing folder, adding basic rhinestones to the center of the snowflakes. This was one of the cards made by my clubs this month.

Now my family and I are off to shop for holiday food baskets for our community at the grocery store down the hill. I love involving my kids so they appreciate what they have! Blessings to you and your family.

Love card made with Filled with Love stamps...

Club members will be making this card today, in honor of the FREE Bitty Button special going on right now (free pack of Bitty Buttons when you purchase the Filled with Love stamp set and coordinating dsp - see details in a post below). I pulled these colors from my Color Coach - Blushing Bride, Early Espresso and Pear Pizzazz. I CASE'd this from Ashley at Design with Ink, adding a pearl in the middle of the hearts in the "O." Hope you have a great day!