Okay, so he’s a little crooked.  But how cute is he – he’s made from punches!  I used the large oval punch for his body, the photo corner punch for his arms, the word window punch for his legs and the scallop edge punch for his sunglasses and the water he’s floating on.  The sun is made from the scallop circle punch and the 1 3/8 circle punch.  For his innertube, I traced the bottoms of two glasses & then cut them out.  Of course, you can always use the circle cutter or the Coluzzle system.  I didn’t have either on hand and necessity is the mother of invention.   I used the Enjoy Every Moment stamp set to stamp polka dots on the innertube and just drew on his belly button and smile.  I’m so jealous – I wish I was at the beach!  It’s hot here in Raleigh!!  Stay cool, my friends!

• For All You Do stamp set
• In Color Classic Stampin’ Pads (6)
• Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
• In Color assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
• Business forms and tools

• Five stamp sets
• A Stampin’ Around wheel, handle, and ink cartridge
• Stampin’ Pastels
• Card stock
• Eastern Blooms Décor Elements and applicator tool
• Five Classic Stampin’ Pads
• VersaMark Pad
• Stampin’ Scrub and Mist
• Blender pens
• SNAIL 
• Business forms and tools

Check it out!  On my left , I’ve added an SU color-matching chart.  It’s very cool.  You can input any of the SU colors and it will match other SU colors to it.  It has all the new In Colors, too!  You can save your color combos or choose "surprise me" for instant matches. 

Lots of stuff going on!  Make sure to hop around here to get the latest and greatest!  Oh!  And check the Calendar page, too.  I have Open Houses scheduled on the 7th and the 12th, plus some stamp-a-stacks & such coming up.  Please come to everything ’cause I’d love to meet you (if I haven’t already!)!

Under the cake it says, "a candle for every year might not be such a good idea… happy birthday!".  How stinkin’ funny is that??  Ironically, the stamp set is called That’s Funny.   Usually I go back and forth trying to add things to the card and messing around with it for awhile.  I decided to keep this simple and let the words speak for themselves.  (This is a good strategy for sympathy cards as well).  Oooh!  I have a beautiful sympathy card that I promise I’ll post soon.  It uses the Inspired By Nature set, which I’m sooo glad is back in the new catalog.  Oops!  Did I say that out loud? 

I used Baja Breeze for the card base.  It’s retiring on the 30th and I know you all love it, so order it before it’s gone.  Then I just edged it with Chocolate Chip and used blender pens to color in the cake with Baja Breeze and the candles in Summer Sun.  I used the 2 Way Glue and Dazzling Diamonds to give the candles sparkle.  After all, if you can’t have sparkle on your birthday, when can you have it?

The new catalog comes out July 1st – but you know that already!  Here’s a bit of a peak at one of the new sets:

Are you loving it!?!  The flower image is so beautiful…so victorian.  I used it to create patterned paper (home made DSP!) and it looks like wallpaper from the 1800s.  Just fabulous.  The card base is Pink Pirouette, as is the ribbon, and the the ink and frame paper is one of the new In Colors, Rich Razzleberry.  The sentiment is from the Embrace Life set.  I love finding ways to combine stamp sets!  Play around with your stamp sets – find sentiments that work with different images.  I dare you!

Technorati Tags: Clubs, home business, in color, independent demonstrator, Razzle dazzle, rich razzleberry, Stampin' Up!, stamping up

Technorati Tags: in color, retired accessories, Stampin' Up!, stamping up

Ingredients:  Top Note die for the Big Shot, Branch Out stamp set, Inks:  Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Bashful Blue.  Cardstock:  Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa.  Accessories:  silver brads, hemp twine

Ingredients:  Baroque Motifs and All Holidays stamp sets,  Certainly Celery ink, Uniglow white gel pen, Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze and Apricot Appeal cardstock, 3 flower punch.

I am loving the Branch Out set!  I received it free from Stampin’ Up! (you can get free stamps, too – ask me how!).  It’s great because you can tailor the tree to any season.  And it’s new so it won’t be going away any time soon!  Yay!

And Baroque Motifs is a timeless classic that you can use for any occasion any time of year.  It’s fabulous!!  I can’t wait to start my Christmas cardmaking classes & sessions (starts July 25th)!  I use Baroque Motifs every year!