Wonderful You

This card features the gorgeous designer paper called Everyday Enchantment you'll be able to take for FREE during Sale-a-Bration beginning January 24th!  It's absolutely delicious – and what a terrific way to show it off!  Greeting comes from Loving Thoughts stamp set in the Occasions Mini Catalog.  This was another congratulations card I received from my upline, Aly Schilling, for reaching $100,000 in career sales in December, but you can choose any sentiment to place on the banner.  Some Very Vanilla 5/8" Satin Ribbon completes the elegant look.  Easy as can be, but oh, so pretty!

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 125843 Loving Thoughts wood $29.95 OR
Item No. 125845 Loving Thoughts clear $23.95
Item No. 126154 Everyday Enchantment Designer Paper – free with $50 purchase beginning Jan. 24th
Item No. 117291 Very Vanilla 5/8" Satin Ribbon $6.95

Different colors for Thinking of You

I had done this same card for my Convention Swaps back in July; you'll find that purple and green card HERE.  I changed up the same card and used fall colors – Soft Suede and Peach Parfait - and was surprised at how different the card looked!  We also now have Dazzling Details to use on the flowers instead of Dazzling Diamonds and 2-way glue.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 122565 Simply Soft (W) OR
Item No. 122567 Simply Soft (C)
Item No. 111700 Thank You Kindly (W) $13.95
Item No. 104336 Silver Brads $6.95
Item No. 119871 3/16" Corner Rounder Punch $6.95
Item No. 124117 Dazzling Detains $2.50

Sympathy Cards for Church Ministry

I've been working with a couple of groups of wonderful women involved in church card ministries.  It's been so much fun creating cards together that they'll send to members of the church facing difficulties in their lives.  This first card uses Nature Walk stamp set stamped in Night of Navy, with Daffodil Delight accents colored in with a Stampin' Write Marker.  Sentiment is from Blessings from Heaven stamp set.

This card is pretty much CASEd from the Idea Book & Catalog, with the exception of changing the word image to something a bit simpler and using Petite Pairs stamp set for the sentiment.  Image is from Thoughts & Prayers stamp set; I added punched flowers using Itty Bitty Punch Pack and Pearls to the centers.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No.113252 Thoughts & Prayers $25.95
Item No. 123050 Blessings from Heaven wood $18.95 OR
Item No. 123052 Blessings from Heaven clear $14.95
Item No. 122495 Petite Pairs wood $28.95 OR
Item No. 122497 Petite Pairs clear $20.95
Item No. 121925 Nature Walk wood $25.95 OR
Item No. 121997 Nature Walk clear $18.95

Veteran’s Hospital Cards of Encouragement

I was asked by a women's group to prepare a stamping class for 40 women to make cards of encouragement to give to veterans at the the local Veteran's Hospital.  They're actually delivering their cards today!  These cards had to be fairly easy, since we had to get through 40 cards in 1-1/2 hrs. with mostly brand new stampers!  The first card is using some Spice Cake Designer Series Paper paired with Autumn Splendor stamp set.  Colors are Pool Party, Early Espresso and More Mustard.

The second card features Autumn Days for the main image and Sincere Salutations for the sentiment.  I've added two pieces from the Big Shot (that were pre-done for all the ladies!).  Not Quite Navy card stock uses the Square Lattice Embossing Folder and Old Olive card stock uses the Tasteful Trim Die.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 115452 Autumn Days wood $23.95 OR
Item No. 120000 Autumn Days clear $17.95
Item No. 116503 Autumn Splendor $20.95
Item No. 115068 Sincere Salutations $23.95
Item No. 124003 Spice Cake Designer Series Paper $10.95
Item No. 120931 Early Espresso 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon $4.95
Item No. 125058 Not Quite Navy 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon $9.95
Item No. 104336 Silver Brads $6.95
Item No. 119976 Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder $7.95
Item No. 120893 Tasteful Trim Die $42.95

Don't Forget!
To order your discounted Stampin' Up! products before Nov. 30th – click HERE!

Gently Falling Card Set

Have I got a treat for you today!!!!  I have an ENTIRE Fall card set project to show.  I designed this card set for my September demonstrator team Stamp & Chat that I hold once a quarter.  The idea behind this set of cards is to choose a small selection of Stampin' Up! products to showcase throughout all of the cards so that my team could then offer this as a class for their customers.  I designed each card to teach an easy technique (or two!).  With the exception of a few small additions, I chose to focus on Spice Cake Designer Series Paper, Gently Falling stamp set, Perfectly Penned stamp set for the 4 sentiments, a roll of Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon and a package of Basic Pearls.  The cards and 4 Very Vanilla envelopes all fit nicely in the file folder card case featuring a Spice Cake Designer Button.

The first card features a "rock and roll" method for creating the two-toned leave of More Mustard and Pool Party (really 3-toned when counting the second stamp in Soft Suede).  Dazzling Details gives the leaf an iridescent glitter.  I also showed how to create the ribbon rose by twisting the ribbon and laying it into Sticky Sheets.  Leaves are punched using the 5-Petal Flower Punch.

This card shows how to gather the ribbon into a row of Sticky Strip for an interesting look, as well as layering our 5/8" Jumbo Brads with a card stock circle and a pearl for added interest.  Postage Stamp Punch is used for the designer paper.

This card highlights the beautiful two-step stamping of the Gently Falling stamps.  Torn edges around the Get Well sentiment add some more interest.  The pearls were lost on the busy background designer paper, so I backed them with Pool Party card stock circles created with the Itty Bitty Punch Pack.  The Eyelet Border Punch gave the More Mustard background some pop.

The final card in the set uses Post-It notes to mask around the edges of the background of the leaf then sponging Crumb Cake Classic Ink inside.  Stamp the leaf image over the top using Soft Suede Classic Ink.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 124003 Spice Cake Designer Series Paper $10.95
Item no. 123802 Gently Falling wood mount $39.95 OR
Item No. 123804 Gently Falling clear mount $28.95
Item No. 124113 Spice Cake Designer Buttons $7.95
Item No. 122890 Perfectly Penned wood mount $16.95 OR
Item No. 122892 Perfectly Penned clear mount $12.95
Item No. 122975 Pool Party 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon $9.95
Item No. 119247 Jewels Basic Pearls $4.95
Item No. 122344 Postage Stamp Punch $15.95
Item No. 119853 Eyelet Border Punch $15.95
Item No. 112533 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo Brads $6.95
Item No. 114300 Sticky Sheets $6.95
Item No. 124117 Dazzling Details $2.50
Item No. 119880 5-Petal Flower Punch $16.95
Item No. 118309 Itty Bitty Punch Pack $16.95
Item No. 101610 Stamping Sponges (3) $3.50

To order your Stampin' Up! products online 24/7 — click HERE!

Can I have TWO “BFF’s”?

I received this stamp set at Convention and wasn't sure how I was going to use it, but here it is once again!  It's a very fun set with lots of collage elements.  I CASEd a swap I received from my upline Aly Schilling and changed up the colors.  My card base is Whisper White, adding Old Olive for the first layer that's stamped tone on tone with Old Olive Classic Ink.  Next is a strip of the luscious new Island Indigo card stock with coordinating Island Indigo 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon.  The main image is created by stamping and punching with the Decorative Label Punch, as well as punching the little red heart from the Heart to Heart Punch then adding a Rhinestone Brad.  The larger Indigo and white heart is a stamp and is cut out with Paper Snips.  All are mounted with Dimensionals.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 122805 Best Friends Forever wood $23.95 OR
Item No. 122807 Best Friends Forever clear $17.95
Item No. 122974 Island Indigo 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon
Item No. 119881 Heart to Heart Punch $16.95
Item No. 120907 Decorative Label Punch $16.95
Item No. 119246 Jewels Basic Rhinestones (150) $4.95

Don't Forget!
To sign up for Stamp Shoppe on Sept. 9 & 10 – either "on the go" or attending – Click HERE!

Last Call for Buy 3 get 1 Free DSP!

My favorite designer paper this year is definitely Pocketful of Posies.  I love that one side has large prints in really funky, unexpected color combos while the opposite sides are small tone-on tone prints.  It makes the packet one of the most versatile I've ever owned!  In fact, with the Buy 3 Get 1 Free Sale, you can stock up and get FOUR packages!  Here I've made a 5-1/4"x5-1/4" card in Poppy Parade, So Saffron, Old Olive and Early Espresso with the main background paper from that gorgeous set of papers.  The images are from My Friend stamp set.  I've added a little flower using more Pocketful of Posies designer paper with the Boho Blossoms and Itty Bitty Shapes Punches.  Along the right side of the card is a strip of Early Espresso card stock punched with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch.  I've added some 1/2" Stitched-Poly Ribbon in Poppy Parade as well as Basic Pearls to accessorize.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 122585 My Friend wood $27.95 OR
Item No. 122587 My Friend clear $19.95
Item No. 122354 Pocketful of Posies Designer Series Paper $10.95
Item No. 119275 Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch $15.95
Item No. 118309 Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack $16.95
Item No. 119858 Boho Blossoms Punch $16.95
Item No. 119263 Poppy Parade 1/2" Stitched-Poly Ribbon $8.95
Item No. 119247 Jewels Basic Pearls ((150) $4.95

Here's Pocketful of Posies in all its lusciousness – both sides! 

Don't Forget!
Buy 3 Get One FREE sale on designer paper ends August 31st – Click HERE!

For my BFF!

Here's a fun card using Best Friends Forever stamp set coupled with the Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper.  Color scheme is Bravo Burgundy, Pear Pizzazz, Island Indigo and Baja Breeze.  I've done some faux stitching where the designer paper meets the Whisper White card stock base using the Mat Pack and Paper-Piercing Tool.  The Mat Pack comes with a handy template so you can line up your paper-pierced holes perfectly.  Simply use a Stampin' Write Marker, this card in Island Indigo, to connect the holes.  The heart is cut out with Paper Snips, popped up on Dimensionals and sports a single Rhinestone Jewel for a little bit of bling.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 122805 Best Friends Forever wood 23.95 OR
Item No. 122807 Best Friends Forever clear $17.95
Item No. 122367 Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper $10.95
Item No. 105826 Mat Pack $9.95
Item No. 116631 Paper-Piercing Tool $3.50
Item No. 119246 Jewels Basic Rhinestones (150) $4.95
Item No. 123002 In Color 2011-13 Assortment Stampin' Write Markers (5) $14.95

Don't Forget!
The Paisley Petals DSP is included in the Designer Paper sale that ends August 31st – check out our Buy 3 Get One FREE sale HERE!

Congratulations to my Team Members – June 2011

A sincere "From the Heart Stampers" congratulations goes out the top three sales people on my team for the month of June!  They are:

Sheila Edwards
Debbie Sowards
and
Pam Kane

You ladies rock!  And here's the special card I made them.  Well, not exactly!  Somehow in all the Convention and new catalog hoop-la, I forgot to post this.  Luckily, I had made a duplicate card, except changed the sentiment.  Their card said "congratulations".

This snappy color scheme came directly from the Color Coach – Pink Pirouette, Cherry Cobbler and Wisteria Wonder.  Don't think I'd have ever put them together on my own, but with the help of the Color Coach, I was able to try something new!  You can become a color expert combining colors with the help of this handy coach which includes a card for every Stampin' Up! color, a quick reference of all colors in a collection, suggested color combinations and blank cards to record your own color combination ideas.  I used Delicate Doilies stamp set to create the background and the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch to create the strip across the card.  The hostess stamp set Swirls & Curls Verses from the Summer Mini Catalog contains super verses to use for any occasion.  I can't for the life of me remember where the flower stamp came from – if you know, leave me a comment so I'll quit looking through my catalog over and over again!  Anyway, they look cute with Silver Brads in the centers!

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 122590 Delicate Doilies wood $21.95
Item No. 122592 Delicate Doilies clear $16.95
Item No. 123015 Swirls & Curls Verses wood – hostess exclusive stamp set
Item No. 123017 Swirls & Curls Verses clear – hostess exclusive stamp set
Item No. 120148 Color Coach $14.95
Item No. 119275 Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch $15.95
Item No. 104336 Silver Brads (200) $6.95

NOTE:  I have one extra Designer Series Paper share cut and ready to go! Click HERE to read the details of what it contains. Email me and it's yours for just $27 plus $2.75 postage! 

Ready for Convention!

I still have to pack, but everything's laid out for my trip to Salt Lake City, UT, and the Stampin' Up! Convention!  I leave in just 3-1/2 hrs.!  Here are the swaps I made to take along – I made about 85 of each design for a total of 170 swaps!  That means I'll be bringing back 170 brand new card ideas for all of my workshop customers to view!  Be sure to book an August workshop with me to view my basket full of inspiration!

Here's a brand new hostess stamp set you're going to LOVE called Simply Soft.  It's a set of 6 two-step stamping stamps that create different floral images.  Color scheme is Elegant Eggplant and two new In Colors for 2011-13 – Wisteria Wonder and Lucky Limeade!  I've used the 2-Way Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to spif up the flowers.  Thank You Kindly stamp gives the sentiment.

My second swap uses the SAME stamp set – Simply Soft – this time stamped in StazOn Black ink and overstamped with Rose Red Classic Ink.  The new blue is another of the 2011-13 In Colors called Pool Party.  Remember Soft Sky?  Well, it's just a bit more saturated a color but the same tone – love it!  I've used the Petal Cone Die with my Big Shot to make creating the Whisper White banner a breeze.  Word Play stamp set gives this terrific sentiment.

And did you know that as of July 1st, Stampin' Up! has announced a brand new hostess benefits plan with even more benefits?  I love the versatility of this plan – your hostess dollars will give you more of what you want in free products!  Contact me to get your workshop on the calendar and start earning items like this gorgeous stamp set FREE!

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 122565 Simply Soft (W) OR
Item No. 122567 Simply Soft (C)
Item No. 120308 Word Play (W) $41.95 OR
Item No. 120651 Word Play (C) $28.95
Item No. 111700 Thank You Kindly (W) $13.95
Item No. 104336 Silver Brads $6.95
Item No. 121884 Rose Red 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon $6.95
Item No. 119871 3/16" Corner Rounder Punch $6.95
Item No. 120906 2-1/2" Circle Punch $16.95
Item No. 100425 2-Way Glue Pen $3.50
Item No. 102023 Dazzling Diamonds Glitter $3.95
Item No. 121810 Petal Cone Die $32.95