Swaps feature embossing folders, punches and so much more!

This swap uses the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, rhinestones, and Daisies #2 die for the Big Shot.



Barb's glimmer red Full Heart Punch with Square Lattice embossing folder, Love Patterns dsp, and Scallop Trim border and corner punches.

Cheryl used the Big Shot (Tasteful Trim , Square Lattice and Framed Tulips embossing folders), along with the Build-a-Cupcake Punch and much more.

Frankie's Birthday Bakery swap (sentiment from Create a Cupcake).

Karen's Framed Tulip embossing folder with I {Heart} Hearts.

Michelle used Bliss (SAB stamp set) and the single stamp Elizabeth.

My American Ink team is all over the map when it comes to swaps. I love the variety we get every month. Our next get-together is March 12 at my studio. If you'd like to come as my guest, please contact me at ericandterry@comcast.net.

American Ink make & takes

Our American Ink group meetings are so much fun! Demonstrators show techniques such as baby wipes (squirt reinkers on a baby wipe and use as a stamp pad, faux tearing (tear paper and sponge to it on your card front and it looks like an added layer); and VersaMark Resist (stamp your images in VersaMark ink on glossy white card stock and brayer ink over the images or sponge it on).

My favorite part are the make and takes. We do this on a purely volunteer basis, and I'm always impressed and grateful for the generosity of our team members.
If you'd like to join our American Ink team, please contact me at (360) 509-8041. There's a great Starter Kit special thru March 31, where you'll enjoy a discount, as well as an added bundle of goodies.


Mary Ann's Love You Much make & take with Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder

Frankie's For You Flower make & take using Baby Wipe Technique.

Bea's make & take using Valentine Defined and Framed Tulip embossing folder.

Quick and easy 6" x 6" scrapbook pages...

Here are my favorite brag book pages from our American Ink team meeting Saturday. Just add a photo to each page and you're on your way to scrapbooking the important people in your life.


Frankie made this with Punch Bunch, Ice Cream Parlor dsp, Pacific Point and Daffodil Delight card stocks.

 

Michelle's second page

Michelle's glimmer Full Heart witih Love Impressions dsp and Filled With Love stamps.

Love Letters dsp brag book page...

It's been awhile since we've swapped 6" x 6" brag book pages at our American Ink team meetings, but we're back to it. This was my page. It's textured Riding Hood Red card stock with some Love Letters dsp on it. I used the Pinking Hearts Border Punch on a strip of Early Espresso, then layered some crochet trim under that. I used the Petal Card Punch for the little envelope, which holds a little love note (from Cute by the Inch, a Level 2 hostess set), then added a Full Heart-punched Love Letter heart adhered with dimensionals and sporting a vanilla rosette. I did add a little library clip on the love note for my swaps, though it's not pictured. I'll share the other brag book swaps tomorrow!

Punch Bunch owl in the Ice Cream Parlor...

I made this swap for my American Ink team meeting today. It uses some Ice Cream Parlor dsp (a free Sale-a-Bration item), as well as the owl from Punch Bunch (another SAB freebie). I used the Scallop Trim Border Punch on a strip of Melon Mambo card stock, as well as a strip of Old Olive. The sentiment is from yet another SAB free item you may select with a $50 order - the So Happy For You stamp set.

Be My Valentine & Love Letters dsp...

I had the basic idea for this card in my head before I made it, so it came together quickly. My card uses Riding Hood Red and Chocolate Chip card stocks and inks with the Be My Valentine stamp. There's a layer of Love Letters dsp in there (I love this pattern). The front of the card was cut about 1-1/4" from the right so the inside is exposed. I used the Cutter Kit to distress the edges of everything and added pearls and an antique brad for a more vintage look. The 5/8" Very Vanilla satin ribbon is held on with sticky strip.

Bliss stamp-a-stack card in Marina Mist...

I'm hosting a stamp-a-stack tonight (where everyone makes 2 cards each of 5 different designs) featuring items you may earn for free during Stampin' Up!'s Sale-a-Bration Event. This Very Vanilla card features the Bliss stamp set and the colors Marina Mist and Early Espresso.

Below, I used some of the Ice Cream Parlor dsp you can get for free with a $50 purchase, along with the "true friend" circle stamp from the Punch Bunch set, another free choice with a $50 purchase. The Pretty in Pink card also features the Finial Press embossing folder, Eyelet Border Punch, 2-1/2" circle punch, Decorative Label Punch and the drink stamp from A Slice of Life hostess set. I used markers and Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the drink cups.

Sew Suite revisited with different dsp and buttons...

Do you remember a Sew Suite card similar to this last week? I thought the women at a stamp-a-stack tomorrow would enjoy the sewing machine print from the Sweet Stitches dsp pack. The Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch adds a bit of decoration in Tempting Turquoise at the top, along with a greeting from the Something to Celebrate hostess set. The dress form has dimensionals adhering it to the front of the card, and the button is on with a dimensional as well.

Punch Bunch owl is So Happy For You...

This card uses FREE Sale-a-Bration stamp sets Punch Bunch and So Happy For You. You purchase $50 in Stampin' Up! product (who couldn't use more envelopes, adhesive and ribbon?) and select one item for free out of the SAB Mini Catalog. I like all of the greetings in the So Happy For You stamp set. The colors for the card above are Pretty in Pink and Melon Mambo. It uses the owl punch.

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.

Polka-dotted Eat Chocolate stamp-a-stack card...

I started this Soft Suede card by running the bottom half of the front through the Big Shot in the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. This was the final stamp-a-stack card made at my most recent event. It uses a 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" strip of Elegant Soiree dsp, a 2-1/2" Pretty in Pink circle, and the Eat Chocolate image punched using the Decorative Label Punch. We added Dazzling Diamond glitter with a 2-way glue pen on the top of the chocolates, and two brads from the Soft Subtles pack.

Plane & Simple birthday card with sponged clouds...

I made a card similar to this Plane & Simple one awhile back, but thought this would make a good stamp-a-stack card since we could all use cards for the men/boys in our lives. It uses Blueberry Crisp dsp, torn and layered on a piece of torn Pacific Point card stock. The plane was stamped in Pacific Point ink, and clouds were sponged on the card front and plane layer using a sponge dauber, Bashful Blue ink and a punch scallop circle. The top layer was distressed with a Cutter Kit. I had the Teeny, Tiny Wishes stamp set so everybody could select the sentiment of their choice. Most all fit in the Word Window punch, then we adhered them with dimensionals.

Thanks for Caring in Concord Crush...

Along with the Sew Suite card in the post below (for Mary Ann's birthday), we made this card at my stamp-a-stack a few days ago. It uses the Thanks for Caring stamp set, Concord Crush ink and dsp (In Color pad), and a sentiment from So Happy For You (a Sale-a-Bration set you may earn for FREE with a $50 order). We punched a 1" x 3" strip of Concord Crush with the Eyelet Border Punch, and added a knot of 5/8" Whisper White Satin Ribbon.

Happy Sew Suite Birthday Mary Ann!

I want to wish my newest downline and club member Mary Ann a very Happy Birthday today! I'm sending her this Sew Suite card featuring some Sweet Stitches dsp. This was one of the cards my friends made yesterday at my stamp-a-stack. It uses the Level 2 hostess set Something to Celebrate (in the Occasions Mini) and Chocolate Chip ink. The button and the strip of card stock punched with the Scallop Trim Border are both Tempting Turquoise. I have no problem making cards... just sending them out! Have a fabulous day.

Cute card features A Slice of Life...

I used my own sketch to ink up A Slice of Life stamp set - it's a freebie hostess set with any $150 order. I started with some Lap of Luxury dsp layered on Concord Crush card stock, and then on a Whisper White card base. The flower and vase image were stamped in Concord Crush ink, then I used a blender pen and Pink Pirouette ink pad to color the flowers. I adore the tiny pearls on each flower. You can see a closer look below:

To finish the card, I added a Love Impressions Rub-On (the XOXO) and a pearl and adhered it with dimensionals. Have a great weekend!

New button jars, matching fabric and designer paper for WOYWW...

I was on a mission to find curved jelly jars to hold my big designer buttons from Stampin' Up!. My family went out and about to a couple of stores last weekend and finally found the jars at Fred Meyer. Only $5 for four of them! They were a bargain. And they're already full. I traced the lid onto some Springtime Vintage fabric, cut it out and adhered it to the lid of the jar. Then I added a knot of 5/8" Marina Mist satin ribbon. You can see the other patterns in the fabric pack to the left of the jar.

Why am I showing you my button jar and my desk? Well, it's for Julia's What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW). You can poke your head into rooms all over the world. It's great fun!

Now back to my desk. You can see the card I made with some of the Springtime Vintage dsp. I followed a sketch (the card and sketch are shown in the post below). The stamp set I used for the card is shown on the left side of the photo. It's a hostess set I earned for free called Fast & Fabulous. Also on my desk - some Love Impressions Rub-Ons I've been using to make valentines, and some older watercolor crayons. Now go check out some other work places of creative people at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ and have a fabulous Wednesday!

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.

Love Impressions Rub-Ons for Stamping 411 sketch...

I've been in valentine-making mode lately. I found a sheet of Love Impressions Rub-Ons and set about creating a card for the Stamping 411 sketch challenge this week. I used scraps from my Valentines class last week to create the card above. I added the three heart rub-ons before running the Whisper White layer through the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. The "Love You" is also a rub-on that I rubbed on Whisper White, punched out and adhered with dimensionals. The only stamp on the card is the XOXO background in Pretty in Pink ink. I plan on doing two more sketch challenges today, so come back later this afternoon to see those! Have a great day.

Love Impressions Rub-Ons are Something to Celebrate...

This Sweet Valentine pink pirouette card features rub-ons and the Level 2 hostess set, Something to Celebrate. Stampin' Up! sent all of its demonstrators some rub-ons to try when the Occasions Mini Catalog started last month. You may purchase these Love Impressions Rub-Ons for only $7.95 on page 8 of the mini. The rub-on layer is adhered with dimensionals, then I added a strip of Real Red with 1/8" Pretty in Pink taffeta and a Real Red designer button.