American Ink swaps and 3d Halloween share

 

I love getting together with members of my American Ink downline to stamp, swap card ideas, share stamping tips and tricks, eat and chat. It's always a good day when we're together! It's already been almost 2 weeks since our last demo meeting, so I'm a bit late with these swaps, but I wanted to share.

 

Above, Frankie CASE'd a punch art bird card (who doesn't love punch art?) with 1-3/8" and 1-1/4" and 1" circle punches, and the Bird Builder punch.

 

Ginette's Melon Mambo card used the Fancy Fan embossing folder, butterflies and rhinestones.

 

Mary Ann used the Label Thinlit to create an adorable Halloween card inside and out in Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black.

 

The ghosts are simply upside down owls from the Owl Builder Punch!

 

Now for my share today, I have this eerily cool Halloween spool doll my friend Kim made me. The wooden spool has black ribbon on it, with a little African pod that looks like a tiny pumpkin. How cute is that? Kim went all out on the distressed tulle (with a heat gun) and black glitter on the detailed wings behind the torso. The front and back are stamped! One more homemade Halloween decoration to add to my collection. I love it!

Cardinal punch art for Christmas card

 

This cardinal punch art card makes design 7 of 10 from my recent 20-card Christmas class. The Cherry Cobbler cardinal is made using the Bird Builder and Owl Builder punches.

 

CASE'ing a card by fellow demo Heidi Baks, I used a Daydream Medallions stamp for the wreath (item 131976, $36.95 wood; item 126467, $26.95 clear), and little berries with Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details (item 125585, $2.50). I popped up the punch cardinal with dimensionals and added a bow of Cherry Cobbler seam binding. The sentiment is from More Merry Messages.

 

To order Stampin' Up! products, please visit my Online Store at http://therubberroom.stampinup.net. Use the hostess code this month - AKS76R6P - and you'll be entered into my October 1 drawing to win FREE hostess benefits.

 

A storm is moving in this weekend. We lost power in the early hours of this morning for several hours, but it's back on now. The bird feeder in the backyard is bustling with activity. I think the birds are trying to fill their bellies before strong wind and rain hits.

 

I've got a busy afternoon and evening. My Lions Club is hosting its first-ever dinner and auction tonight. I made the table tents and helped set up yesterday. Today, I'm making a Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie for the dessert table and have been assigned data entry - entering bid numbers and winning bids, then taking in the money when people are finished. Here's hoping we have big bucks and no whammies! The monies benefit Poulsbo Elementary School technology and the Retsil Veterans Home. I hope you enjoy a wonderful Saturday!

 

 

I haven't posted vintage items for a few days. Here are some old cigar boxes and miscellaneous items I'm saving for a special project. I plan to recover that foot stool some day too! So many projects, so little time. lol If you'd like to see more old, vintage stuff, please visit Booth 6 at http://www.facebook.com/booth6goods.

Punch art wreath Christmas card and kitchen canisters

 

Who needs a wreath stamp when you can make one like this with three punches? I used two scallop circle punches and the 1-1/4" circle punch with Gumball Green card stock and then added a Primrose Petal bow.

 

This is one of 10 designs I'm using for my 20-card Christmas class tomorrow. I've got a big group coming! There's a 2" x 5" strip of Very Vanilla on the Beautifully Baroque-embossed Primrose Petals card front.

 

Thank you Judy and Jo for your Online Orders! Your names are now in my Sept. 1 drawing for hostess benefits.

 

So how can you win something? Easy! Order the Tag It stamp set from me by August 31 thru my Online Store at http://therubberroom.stampinup.net and you'll get your name entered into a drawing for the Pretty Print Textured Impressions Embossing Folder in the Holiday Catalog. I'll announce the winner Sept. 1 AND if you use the following hostess code, you'll also be eligible to win the hostess benefits - GGQ2GJ3A.





 

 

I love kitchen nesting canisters. My niece found these and gave them to me. I love the bold colors. Enjoy your weekend!

Stocking Stuffer idea #5: Snowman popcorn cover

 

This stocking stuffer idea can be a great last-minute gift, or a craft you can either prep or take finished for a kid's class. It's a snowman microwave popcorn cover. To make it a "bigger" gift, just add a movie gift card to the back with a note you write directly on the snowman! It's a great gift for someone like the mail carrier or a neighbor. And it's easy to keep a couple on hand so you can reciprocate those unexpected gifts too.

 

 

For the Tacoma Holiday Food & Gift Festival last month, I made bat and snowman popcorn covers. They were popular! Some feedback I received included making up kits so, for example, a grandma could have a craft to do with her grandkids. So that's exactly what I've done for A Victorian Country Christmas, which starts this Wednesday, Nov. 28, and continues through the weekend. Each kit includes a full sample - with popcorn - along with buttons, ribbons, punched pieces and the card stock needed for the hat and body.

Today, I'm grateful for new friends - like Carrol and Fallynn. They bring all kinds of new hope and possibilities with them. I'm happy I'll get to see them today while we're setting up our booth! I hope you have a wonderful day.

Stocking Stuffer idea #3: A fun owl treat peppermint patty

As a kid, my Christmas stocking always had certain items in it - an orange (they were hard to come by in the winter where I lived), a book of Lifesavers candy, a small gift, and a chocolate treat of some kind. This punch art owl treat fits the bill for chocolate. I used a peppermint patty, but you could pick any treat!

I used the 2-1/2" circle punch for the front and back of the owl, as well as for his Fancy Fan Folder-embossed tummy. The eyes are 3/4" and 1" circle punches (the 1" circle was also used to make the ears), and the heart is the Small Heart punch. The beak uses the end of the Pennant Builder punch.

My little owls will be on sale at A Victorian Country Christmas. I can't believe I set up the booth on Tuesday already!

Today, I'm thankful for my extended family, which has helped shape me into the person I am now.

Punch art lion for kid's birthday card

I adore this punch art lion. My newest favorite punch - the Blossom Punch - was punched twice out of More Mustard card stock, then sponged with that same color ink to create the mane. The So Saffron face is a 1-3/4" circle punch, with two 3/4" circles for the cheeks, the Heart to Heart punch for the nose (Cherry Cobbler card stock), and the Owl Builder Punch for the Whisper White/Soft Suede eyes. I used an Early Espresso marker for the whiskers. The sentiment is from the Delightful Dozen stamp set. I CASE'd this card from my friend, Patti Corriere. Her original card is here. She CASE'd the cute lion from Jackie Topa. I used the same Just Add Cake dsp, but less of it. Dani's Club members made this card and loved it!

You can order everything needed to make this card at http://therubberroom.stampinup.net. I have a special right now where if your order is at least $50, you'll receive a NEW (2012-2013) Stampin' Up! Catalog FREE. This will ship separately from your order. You'll receive the catalog around May 20, 2012.