Stampin' Cat

2009-12-11T23:28:00.000-05:00

These might be the most exciting 12 days of December with select Big Shot dies and vinyl sheets for the Big Shot on sale! The 12 Days of Holiday Sales begin today and runs through December 22.

Some of the items introduced in this sale are new colors of Décor Elements vinyl sheets. There are 18 new colors to choose from, and they make great projects when you use them with Big Shot dies. Consider pairing the Clear Décor Elements vinyl sheets with the Tulipe Bigz die to create an etched-like design on a vase. Or use the Decorative Accent Bigz dies with the Old Olive Décor Element vinyl sheets to enhance a frame. The combination of Big Shot dies and Décor Elements vinyl sheets is sure to take your creativity to a new level!

Tell your husband!!! Shop now --- sale is only until Dec. 22nd!

Click here to view the Big Shot Specials list!

It Has Been Awhile

2009-11-23T23:52:00.008-05:00

I know I promised to try and keep this up..........and I still will. School is taking so much time. I am also trying to work some and keep up my workouts and keep my house halfway clean and that basically sucks just about every minute I have away. But it will all be for good in the end.

I also had some very sad things happen this past month. I lost my kitty to cancer - he stopped eating over Halloween weekend. I took him to the vet and they found a huge tumor in his abdomen. They took it out (it was completely blocking his intestine), but he didn't make it. The histopath pegged it as lymphoma and kitties cannot live long with a systemic illness like that. This guy was my best buddy. He was always by my side, wherever I was in the house. And he was my talker. It devastated me to lose him. It all just happened so fast. So, I haven't really been in the mood to stamp with all of this going on. This is Mr. Briscoe. So very sad for me.

I do have a card for you - YAY!! One card in 2 months!! I do want to get to stamp more - it really does relax me. I just need to force myself to go into my craft room and do it. Hopefully I

can get into a better rhythm. I am always just too busy. Anyway, here is the card of the fall for you!

I didn't use a Stampin' Up! stamp, so I can't say whose it is (but if you really want to know you can e-mail me)! I had to sign that darm contract to stay a demo. Don't know how much longer that will last anyway!!

But, I did use everything else Stampin' Up! - the designer paper is called Autumn Traditions. Very pretty, although the colors are a bit unusual (I love the deep purple though)!

I used Kraft cardstock and Elegant Eggplant cardstock and ribbon. This card sort of evolved. I started with one sketch and ended up with something totally different. I think I would not want to use white cardstock with the Kraft in the future, or at least sponge it. But it is, what it is. Hope you like it. I will try to make a couple of Christmas cards and post them before NEXT Christmas!! (I know I have a whole 2 followers so I am sure it is no big deal!!). I also want to do a little scrapbooking - I want to make a scrapbook of Briscoe. So I might show you some of that as well.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Week 2 Deal of the Week!

2009-10-12T16:36:00.002-04:00

During the month of October, Stampin' Up! will offer several discounted products as "Deals of the Week." No limits and no minimum purchase required. The ending date for this deal is October 19th at 9:50AM. You can order online here.

Item Page Description Regular Price Special Price

115961 200 Perfect Setting Bigz XL Die $42.95 $25.99
114515 195 Flowers Burst Embosslits Die $11.95 $5.99
116760 201 Pop-up 3-tier Cake Bigz XL Die $39.95 $25.49

Butterfly Card

2009-09-30T18:55:00.008-04:00

Well, this school is keeping me so busy I no longer have time to breathe, much less blog or stamp!! I want to try and fit a little stamping in - you know, for some mental health??? But so far I have found no time whatsoever. I had a quiz in one class and a test in another last week (along with all the homework that is due every day of class). When the week was over I thought I would get a breather......................until I realized I had a project due on Monday, MORE homework, and another big test this week!!! There is like no downtime in college!!! I had forgotten all of this! Plus, my brain is a LOT older now - it needs to recoup after studying so much! Just can't keep going and going like it did my first time through school!

So, I am showing my very last card until I have time to stamp some more. I will try my very best to do something this weekend (but I have another BIG test Monday, so no promises)!

This is a butterfly card we made in a class I had here a couple months back. This was made with the Garden Whimsy stamp set and my favorite designer series paper - Cottage Wall. Hope you like it!

Recipe:
Stamps: Garden Whimsy, Sincere Salutations
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black
Paper: Cottage Wall, Old Olive CS, Rich Razzleberry CS
Accessories: Silver Brads, HodgePodge Hardware, Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon

Well, it's back to the books for me! I am determined to keep this blog going, so I will stamp something for you next week. Have a great week!

2009-09-22T17:05:00.006-04:00

Whoa, more than a week went by since my last post!! I bet you thought I wasn't coming back again, huh??? But I did!!! I have to admit - life since starting school and my new part-time job has not given me a lot of time to stamp!!! But I did have this card up my sleeve for you. I hope you like it!
This card was a challenge to myself to use designer paper I don't particularly like! I am not an "orange" person. I love this Razzleberry Lemonade DP from Stampin' Up!, but didn't quite know what to do with the orange papers. So I pulled them out and started playing. The stamp comes from the same set as the cat on the chair (I posted a card using that stamp earlier). The set is called Peace Within. I colored with my markers again. I like the way it turned out.....................for an orange card! I made it into a get well card - my friend's daughter has lymphoma and has been in chemo every 2 weeks for the past 6 months. I have been trying to send her cards to cheer her up. This will be her last week of chemo - and this is the card I will send her.

Recipe:
Stamps: Peace Within; Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Soft Suede, Basic Black
Paper: Apricot Appeal CS, Soft Suede CS, Whisper White CS, Razzleberry Lemonade DP
Accessories: Markers, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Grads, Soft Suede dotted ribbon

Another Duck Card

2009-09-13T21:41:00.005-04:00

This will be the last duck........I promise! I love this duck and made 2 cards with him, so I wanted to show the 2nd one too. Then we will be on to bigger and newer things! This card also uses retired stamps and paper. The next cards I show will be made with current products. I made this card using my very favorite designer paper - Parisian Breeze (I bought extra before it retired because I like it so much)! This paper is thick like cardstock and the patterns are beautiful! Stampin' Up! has done a great job with the designer papers in the last few years - they have really come a long way! I stamped the duck, colored with markers, layered him onto Baja Breeze cardstock and then onto Chocolate Chip cardstock (I snipped the corners with the Ticket Corner Punch and added silver brads). I will post the entire recipe below. I love our punches and I used 4 of them on this card! The sentiment is framed using our new Modern Label Punch.

Stamps: Wagon Full of Fun, On Your Birthday

Ink: Basic Black, Chocolate Chip

Paper: Kraft CS, Baja Breeze CS, Chocolate Chip CS, Parisian Breeze DP

Accessories: Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon, Silver Brads, Ticket Corner Punch, Eyelet Border Punch, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch

I have a couple more cute cards made up for you. I will show them next week. Then I will have to get to work so I can keep this blog going! That is my goal this time around!

On the personal front, I had my first test in accounting this past week and I made a 98!!!! I was so darn excited! My first test in over 20 years..............I still have it..........I didn't lose all my brain cells!!! YAY!!! ( I would have had 100 but I changed 2 T/F answers - RATS!!)

Hope you like today's card!!

Things are just Ducky around here.....................

2009-09-08T21:15:00.007-04:00

At least my cards are "ducky"!! Not sure about everything else! I actually wanted to make these cards while I was still working in my temp job for a gal there, but I never quite found the time. So Kirsten, if you are out there, these cards are for you!! I used a stamp set that was only out for a short while in a mini catalog (I can't even remember which one it was in). All of the images in this set are adorable, so I kept it after it "retired". I will show you one card today and another tomorrow (don't want to spoil you - plus I have to spread out my creations since it takes me so long to accomplish anything)!

I found the idea for this card on Splitcoast from a wonderful creator Beate Johns. Check out her gallery if you want to see some beautiful work!! This lady is super talented! I changed a few things on the card, but it still resembles hers and I am not ashamed to say I CASED this one!!

I just stamped this duck with black ink and colored him in with markers. Here are the details for you:

Stamp Set: Wagon Full of Fun

Ink: Basic Black

Cardstock: Bordering Blue, Wild Wasabi (retired), Basic Black, DP

Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch, Word Window Punch, Satin Ribbon (retired)

That's it for today. I still have to finish up some computer homework that is due tomorrow!! I doubt he will count this! Haha!!

2009-09-03T21:50:00.007-04:00

Okay, don't everybody faint now!!! Two posts in two days! You better not get used to this! But I did tell you I had a card to share and I wanted to post that tonight before homework and studying take over my life again tomorrow. I managed to get a halfway decent photo. I did have to play with it in the photo editing software a bit. Another thing to work on. But I hope you like it!

I knew I had to have this stamp set (Peace Within) as soon as the new catalog came out! It has my kitty laying on a chair in the sun (okay, you have to imagine there is sun there). Any cat lover knows this is what cats do the most!

This is a very simple card from a sketch I found. I just stamped in Basic Black and colored it with my Stampin' Up! markers. The designer paper is Cottage Wall (not sure what the yellow paper is - it was a scrap I had lying around that just happened to go with the card). I also used Bravo Burgundy and Old Olive cardstock.

Well, that's all for today!

A New Era

2009-09-02T20:44:00.007-04:00

Well, well, well, here I am again after a year off!! I started this stamping blog a little over a year ago, literally 2 weeks before I was laid off from my job of 20 years! I did manage to find a temp job for 10 months, but that is over now. I am once again unemployed, but just started back to college to learn a new profession. It has been a lot of fun (but a LOT of work too)! I had forgotten how much studying it takes to make good grades. And I am not even sure I will make good grades yet! But I am VERY happy to have a goal and some focus in my life again.

I think I have been in a sort of low-grade depression for the past year. I am coming out of that now and am ready to try and do some blogging again! I realize that to do this I will actually have to do some stamping as well! I do have a couple of cards I will show you in the very near future. I want to be sure this blog is still working first (and see if I can remember how to post things on it). I just had a new blog banner made for me by Michelle Laycock (Laycock Designs) and my blog updated by Heather-Wright Porto (Blogs by Heather). Thank you ladies!! Check out all those cute kitties Michelle made for me!!!

Stampin' Up! has just come out with some new rules for their demonstrators, so I will post all Stampin' Up! work on here, and I won't be able to link to people with blogs that don't sell Stampin' Up. I am not even sure if I can post sketches from other places on here - and that is the only way I can create on my own. I think more will be clarified for us in the near future.

I will also try to use this blog to keep you updated with things that change during the month in between newsletters. And I will try to keep links to the most recent mini-catalogs and main catalog on the sidebars of my blog (but no guarantees - those who know me well, know that computing is NOT one of my forte's!!) I will try to get the newest Holiday Mini-catalog linked up there by this weekend - maybe even tonight if it is easy!!!

I think this will be a bit of a stress reliever for me - something fun to do between study sessions! And I AM taking an intro computer class - so who knows where that might lead?? (It actually motivates me to want to try new things on the computer!) So, here I am again! I hope you didn't all give up on me!

P.S. - I did it!! I got the Holiday mini up on the sidebar for you!!!

New Fall/Winter Catalog is here!

2008-08-12T14:37:00.013-04:00

The new catalog is fabulous!! Lots of cute stamp sets and Stampin' Up! really outdid themselves with the patterned papers this time! They are a must-have (and you can expect to use some of these in upcoming classes!!). There are new punches, new hardware, new scrapping kits, new In Colors, new ribbons! It is just fabulous, I tell you!!

Now, if that isn't exciting enough for you, Stampin' Up! is also offering these incredible deals through Sept. 30th: Save 15% on new stamp sets. They have never before done this!! Here is the info for you: Never Before Seen Sale

(Okay, I have tried and tried to post the chart, but I can't do it - very frustrating! I asked several friends, but copying and pasting is not working for me! So, you will have to click on the above link to see the prices for the sale.............sorry! I am going to figure this out yet!! Gggggrrrrrr..............)

The next thing I want to tell you about is the new Fall/Winter sampler. (Some of you will be receiving this in your mail soon). Those of you that don't can pick one up from me. Hang onto these. If you look on the back cover you will notice specials. These are good throughout the life of the Fall/Winter catalog. So don't lose these.
For instance: There is a Hostess incentive from Oct. 1 - Nov. 30, 2008 - if you host a $350 workshop, you get to choose one stamp set from the Fall/Winter sampler for free!

And last, if you have ever thought of becoming a demo, now is the time! Stampin' Up is offering a $99 mini starter kit! You have your choice of 3 mini-starter kits when signing up as a demo! Here is the flyer.

I know this is a lot of information all at once, but I wanted to get it out to you. Hopefully, NOW I can take some time to stamp a card for my next post! (And hopefully I can figure out how to post charts and tables in this dumb blog!!! It is not fun being computer-challenged!!! I need a kid to help me!)

2008-07-31T15:52:00.007-04:00

Well, well, well.......here it is the end of July and I still have not updated my blog!! Bad Paula!! I have been very busy searching for a new job! If anyone knows of one, please let me know, okay??? But that's no excuse for deserting all of you, so let's see a card already!!

Okay, well, I made this card for a very good friend of mine. She and I used to work together, but we have been separated by the powers-that-be. We will always be friends, but it is hard not seeing and talking with someone every single day like you have for years. This card started out as a sketch challenge to myself, but it slowly turned into something not even remotely resembling the sketch, so I won't bother showing you that here! It is very simple, but I love the card and I did finally get it sent off to my friend, so now I can share it with you all. Enjoy!!!

Recipe:

Stamps: Moose You

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Paper: Basic Black CS, PP

Accessories: Twill Ribbon (Old Olive), HodgePodge Hardware

Noble Deer

2008-07-13T12:24:00.007-04:00

Hello All!
Thought I would finally get back here to post something for you! So much for once a week, huh?? I will have to work on my timing!! Life just gets too busy for me sometimes (seems like ALL the time!).

I have one announcement that I forgot to put in my newsletter: Stampin' Up! is retiring their 3 current styles of HodgePodge Hardware and they are on sale for 25% off until August 10th or while supplies last (these styles are retiring only - i.e. copper, brass, and pewter - the HodgePodge Hardware itself will remain). If you would like to order please e-mail me.

Now, onto the fun! I am posting another Sketch Challenge from SCS for you - you can check it out here Sketch Challenge 181. I also used the Color Challenge 171, which is using the colors Soft Sky, Basic Black, and Kraft.

Here is my card:

I used the Basic Black as my background and added a layer of Soft Sky card stock which was stamped with the Sanded background using Creamy Caramel ink.

I stamped the image from Noble Deer (this is a retiring set) and colored in with markers. I layered onto the Basic Black and Kraft card stocks and added the Rub-on sentiment and Vintage brads. Not too shabby!!
It makes a nice masculine card.
I always need Thank you cards, so I am making a lot of these lately!

Recipe

Stamps: Noble Deer, Sanded
Ink: Basic Black, Creamy Caramel, Markers
Paper: Soft Sky, Basic Black, Kraft, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Vintage Brads, Rub-ons

And here is the sketch for you all to try! (Remember - you don't have to use these colors - I am really challenging myself to do both challenges together - not so easy sometimes!)

I'm Baaaacccckkkk!!!

2008-07-02T19:28:00.006-04:00

I bet you missed me, didn't ya????? I have had a little excitement/stress in my life lately and just haven't had the time to create something of my own until now! But I had a friend come over today and we just stamped all day. Now I have some things to show you! I don't want you to get too excited, so I will just post one today...............you will have to check back later to see the rest! Hehehe...........

I did another SCS (Splitcoast Stampers) sketch challenge and color challenge combined. I am finding that combining the 2 challenges is not so easy sometimes! But I managed to get it to work with this card. Like I said in an earlier post, I am trying to do these to challenge myself to become more creative on my own, instead of having to copy everything. I think it will help......................................eventually!

So, without further ado, here is your card for today - this is Sketch Challenge 180 (SC180) and Color Challenge 170 (CC170) (you can check these links to see everybody's cards). The colors are Real Red, Regal Rose, and So Saffron - these are most definitely not my favorite colors, so this was a real challenge for me!! But I overcame and here are the results:

The picture is not so great either - I am still working on learning how to take decent pictures of cards, get the lighting right, etc, but you get the gist.

I colored the flower from True Friend with my Real Red and Garden Green markers and then stamped it on Whisper White cardstock. I used a scrap of Designer Series Paper from the last catalog on the card base (just something from my scrap pile), because it was the only thing that matched the So Saffron. I am telling you, trying to keep in their color schemes is not always so easy! I also used a Rub-on for the sentiment because it was easy and it fit the space! Perfecto!!

I hope you like it!

I am posting the sketch so you can see it - give it a try (you don't have to follow the color scheme - I am just combining two different challenges together). Have fun!!!

Recipe:

Stamps ~ True Friend

Ink ~ Real Red and Garden Green Markers

Paper ~ So Saffron, Real Red, Regal Rose, Whisper White

Accessories ~ Gold Brads, Rub-ons

French Riley

2008-06-07T15:56:00.006-04:00

This is SplitcoastStampers (SCS) sketch challenge for this week. I am telling you - this being creative on my own is going to be hard!!! I think I spent about 5 hours getting this figured out! I need to get a little faster at this, don't you think??? (Truth be told, I was doing laundry and surfing the web during that time too). But I have to get up and move around during MY creative process, just to get the juices flowing again!

I also followed SCS's Color challenge for the week, which was Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, and Real Red (CC169). That was very hard for me as these are not colors I would normally use. I like this having to think out of my little "box"! Just don't expect these posts more than once a week until I can gain some speed!!! You can go to the links I posted to see what others have done with these challenges. And please try them on your own! I think these are really helpful (for SOME of us more than others!!). I envy those truly creative people - I will never be one of those who can look at a blank canvas and come up with beautiful art! So the sketches and color challenges are very good for me!

Here is my card:

I wanted to make a card for my French tennis partner and coworker. His birthday is in June. But we are both facing layoffs this coming week, so we may not still be together when that day arrives, and our tennis days may be over. He and I have been partners for about 10 years now. We know each other so well on the court that we don't even have to talk. He calls me "Gazelle" and I call him "Frenchy". We laugh so hard together sometimes during tennis that we have tears in our eyes! I have learned most of the French curse words over the years, thanks to him! He is honestly one of my best friends, and I will miss him dearly if one or both of us are laid off. My tennis group is meeting for a "goodbye" lunch on Monday and I want to give this to him then.

I know this isn't a Stampin' Up! stamp, but they don't have a tennis-playing moose, or I would have used that!!! This is Riley. He is the creation of Hanna Stamps. She has lots of Riley's - check them out!!

I stamped him using black ink and colored in with markers. Then I used my Marvy punches to punch him out and I also punched out a scallop circle in Real Red to frame him. I used Blue Bayou ink for the Canvas background on Blue Bayou cardstock. The Mon Amie stamp comes from Stampin Up's Carte Postale set. I stamped this using Blue Bayou ink and then used the Word Window punch to create my greeting. The silver star brads are from the Silver HodgePodge Hardware set found in the Occasions Mini catalog (good until the end of June - LOVE this hardware set!!). (I put those stars on there because he is a star - just don't tell him I said that!!!). I think that's about it for my card for the week - hope you liked it!

Recipe:
Stamps ~ Riley tennis player (Hanna Stamps), Carte Postale (SU!), Canvas Bkgd (SU!)
Ink ~ Basic Black, Blue Bayou, Markers
Paper ~ Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Real Red, Whisper White
Accessories ~ Marvy punches, Word Window Punch, Silver Hodgepodge Hardware

One last thing to note - Stampin' Up! has announced that they are launching a "new line" of products to the demos later this month. I have no idea what it could be. There is a lot of speculation on the demo side of SCS, but I will not bore you with "what if"s". I will let you know as soon as I hear anything! How exciting!!

Stampin' Up! Fresh Cut Special

2008-06-04T20:54:00.003-04:00

I wrote about this in the newsletter, but couldn't include the link at that time. So I wanted to show you more about this special for June.

Whether you're a customer or a hostess, June's sneak peek into the Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog has something fresh and new just for you!

Customers:When you purchase the brand new, die-cut Fresh Cuts stamp set ($21.95), add on the coordinating Fresh-Cut Notes* for only $5! (You can also just purchase the Fresh-Cut Notes for $8.95).

Hostesses:Host a $400 workshop during the month of June, and receive the Fresh Cuts stamp set and coordinating Fresh-Cut Notes FREE--over a $30 value--in addition to your regular hostess benefits!

Contact me if you would like to place an order!

My very first blog post!

2008-06-01T17:57:00.006-04:00

Welcome to my blog! I am so excited to finally post something here. I wanted to start this blog to keep in closer contact with you all. I am hoping that when Stampin' Up! adds specials mid-month, I can post them here so you don't have to wait until the next newsletter to know about them. But I also wanted to start a blog for 2 other reasons as well. First is so that I can share projects with you that you might want to try. Second is so that I can try to become a little more creative on my own. As you all know, most of the cards we do in classes are copied ideas from the SplitcoastStampers gallery. I am trying to challenge myself to step out and be more creative on my own. Not an easy feat for me! So, this will definitely be a learning curve on my part. Please be patient with me! But hopefully I will get better at this and will have more and more to share with you as time goes on.

So, for now I am going to try and do some of the challenges found on SplitcoastStampers website and a few other places. I encourage you all to try them as well. They do several challenges each week, but for now I am going to focus on the sketches and maybe the color challenges at the same time. I will post the sketches I am trying to copy here so you can give it a try as well. I would love to see what you come up with!

Now, for my first post, I am trying to do the SC177 sketch challenge, which can be found here. I have posted the sketch below. I also am using a color challenge, CC168, which can be found here - the colors are Very Vanilla, Sage Shadow, and Chocolate Chip. For those who are interested, the new color challenges come out on Tuesdays and the new sketch challenges come out on Wednesdays. I probably will just do my own random thing, but I will always post a sketch for you to copy.

One last thing - I obviously have a learning curve with posting in this blog too - I wanted the sketch to be on top and my card below, but it didn't work out that way today. I will have to read a little more on this. Oh, and all the supplies will be Stampin' Up! unless I tell you otherwise (I may throw in some other stamps from time to time just for fun)!

For my card, I used Chocolate Chip card stock as my card base and layered it with Sage Shadow card stock. I stamped the bird from the Always stamp set onto Very Vanilla card stock with Chocolate Chip ink and colored him in with markers. I layered this onto Sage Shadow and then Chocolate Chip card stock and then added gold brads. This was layered over the base with some Afternoon Tea Designer Series Paper (found in the Occasions Mini catalog) and some wide grosgrain Chocolate Chip ribbon. Then I stamped the Thank You sentiment from the All Holidays collection with Chocolate Chip ink. As you can see, I turned the sketch on its side because it worked better with my bird this way. I hope you like it!!!

Recipe:
Stamps ~ Always, All Holidays
Ink ~ Chocolate Chip, various markers
Paper ~ Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Afternoon Tea DP
Accessories ~ Gold brads, Wide GG ribbon