Stamping With Gwen

MDS Monday Challenge -- Black & White

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:43:00 +0000

Good morning, and welcome to UDI’s MDS Monday Challenge. This week our challenge was to create a Black & White project. I chose pictures from my Mediterranean Cruise. These pictures are from the hotel bar, our first night in Barcelona. I wanted a sleek, modern feel to the layout since that’s how the bar was decorated.

I started with a background from the Night and Day DSP. It’s a textured black background with a slight swirl pattern. I added another layer in white, then changed the opacity to 20% to make it more muted. Next, I added some black stamps from For All You Do and Pocket Silhouettes. I finished with my journaling in white.

Now it’s time to check out the other inspiring creations from the Design Team members at Utah Diva’s International. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by!

MDS Page Recipe: Stamps- For All You Do, Pocket Silhouettes; Paper- Night and Day DSP, Whisper White; Ink- Basic Black, Whisper White; Accessories- Square Punch; Fonts= CK Journaling; Pea Aimee

MDS Monday Challenge -- Valentine Project

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:10:00 +0000

Good morning, and welcome to UDI’s MDS Monday Challenge. This week our challenge was to create a Valentine project. I’ve already made all my Valentine cards, and I wanted to try something different. I needed a new subject, say hello to Chelsea. This is my BFF Janet’s 5-month old daughter Chelsea Grace. I asked Janet if she had a recent picture of Chelsea. And Janet took the time to play dress-up with her daughter and take Chelsea’s picture in her Valentine outfit – perfect for me! (Thanks Janet !!!)

Now about my project: I saw this quote and picture idea somewhere on the internet and I thought it’d be perfect for a little girl's picture. First, I sized my picture just larger than 5x7. Then I added some swirl stamps from Baroque Motifs and Elements of Style. Next, I started working on the quote. It’s just a bunch of text blocks arranged to fit the picture. Finally, I added a couple Vintage Overlays to soften the edges of the photo. And that’s it. The picture’s ready to print and put in a 5x7 frame.

In case the image is hard to read, the quote says, "For Beautiful eyes, look for the GOOD in others; for Beautiful lips, speak only words of KINDNESS; and for Poise, walk with the knowledge that you are NEVER ALONE. -- Audrey Hepburn."

Now it’s time to check out the other inspiring creations from the Design Team members at Utah Diva’s International. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by!

MDS Page Recipe: Stamps- Baroque Motifs, Elements of Style; Paper- none; Ink- Whisper White; Accessories- none; Fonts= Arial, AR Decode, Juice ITC

FREE My Digital Studio trial offer

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:34:00 +0000

Are you interested in digital software for cards, scrapbooking and more? Start designing with My Digital Studio (MDS) today for FREE!

Stampin' Up! is offering a FREE 30-day trial of My Digital Studio Express. GOOD NEWS! This offer is on-going and not a limited time offer.

With the FREE 30-Day Trial, you'll get:

Full access to the software at NO COST.
Full design functionality.
Exclusive artwork that comes with My Digital Studio Express, click for details.
The opportunity to purchase additional downloads, from designer templates to stamp brush sets to punches--and everything in between. Here’s a link to the complete MDS Catalog.
Access to Stampin' Up! professional print services.

Getting started is simple – Just download the My Digital Studio Express Free Trial (item 129600) from my Stampin' Up! On-Line Store.

And don’t forget, you earn a FREE Sale-a-bration Gift for every $50 you order – this includes digital downloads you purchase from my store.

Be sure to check out mydigitalstudio.net to learn more about MDS, get tips for using the software, and see tons of samples.

Finally, here's a few quick FAQ's for you--

Q: Is the trial version of the software different from the paid version of My Digital Studio Express?
A: No. When you order the My Digital Studio Express Trial, you will receive the full version of My Digital Studio Express. The software will function exactly the same as if you had purchased the software--you can design, purchase downloads, and print. The only difference is that you can only use the trial version for 30 days.

Q: Can I place a print order with the trial version?
A: Yes. You have full access to everything you can do in My Digital Studio for a full 30 days. This includes full designing functionality, printing, and the ability to purchase downloads.

Q: Do my 30 days start as soon as I download My Digital Studio?
A: Your 30 day trial period starts as soon as you launch the program. It does not matter when you download the program, your 30 days will start as soon as you actually launch (open) the program.

Q: Will the trial still last 30 days even if I order it in the middle or end of the month?
A: You can order the My Digital Studio Trial at any time. The trial period is not tied to the calendar. The trial period will begin as soon as you launch the program, and you will be able to use it for the next 30 days.

Q: What happens after the 30 day trial period is over?
A: When you launch the software after the 30 day trial period is over, you will be prompted to enter a product key. You will not be able to use the software again until you have entered a product key. You can get a product key by purchasing My Digital Studio or My Digital Studio Express.

Q: How do I purchase My Digital Studio after the trial period is over?
A: Simply add My Digital Studio (item 118108) or My Digital Studio Express (item 124483) to your next order. If you order My Digital Studio Express, you will not need to reinstall the software. A product key will be e-mailed to you; after you complete your purchase, just enter that product key when the program prompts you to. If you purchase the disc version of My Digital Studio, you will need to use the installation discs in order to access the included digital content. The installation wizard will walk you through the process, including entering the product key (which you’ll receive with your shipped discs). You will not lose any downloads or projects from your 30-day trial period.

Q: What happens to digital downloads I purchase during the 30 day trial period?
A: You will have continued access to any downloads you purchase during the trial period. If you choose to purchase the software, you will simply need to enter a product key, and you will be able to use all your downloads like normal. If you do not purchase the software, you will still have access to your downloads through your download manager, and you will be able to load them to the digital design software of your choice.

Q: Can I use My Digital Studio digital downloads in other design programs?
A: Yes. The My Digital Studio digital downloads will work with any digital design program.

Q: Will my saved projects be lost when the free trial ends?
A: You will not be able to edit any of your projects through My Digital Studio after the trial period has ended unless you purchase the software. If you do chose to purchase the software, you will be able to access all your projects. If you don’t choose to purchase the software, we recommend you save your projects as jpg files. You will then be able to use them like you use any of your jpg (picture) files.

Q: Can I have two free trials?
A: No. The My Digital Studio Express Trial will only work once. After your 30 days are over, you need to purchase the software to continue using the program.

Q: What if I don’t want to purchase the software at the end of the trial period?
A: You can uninstall the software at any time.

Q: How do I use My Digital Studio?
A: We have several videos and resources available for you on the training section of MyDigitalStudio.net that will help you learn how to use the program.

MDS Monday Challenge -- Holiday project

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:08:00 +0000

Good morning, and welcome to UDI’s MDS Monday Challenge. This week our challenge was to create a Christmas or Holiday project. I’m showing you a page from my 2012 Calendar. This is April’s page featuring some pictures from last year’s Easter weekend.

This is a really simple page. I started with a Crumb Cake (Kraft) base and added a piece of the Night and Day DSP. I love the texture in this pattern. I use it all the time! Next I added some Melon Mambo and Bravo Burgundy flowers from the Thoughts and Prayers stamp set. I embellished a little with the button and baker’s twine. Then I finished with a great springtime Bible verse that I saw somewhere.

Now it’s time to check out the other inspiring creations from the Design Team members at Utah Diva’s International. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by!

Framed MDS Layout

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:06:00 +0000

Good morning! First, if there’s anybody out there still reading my blog, I appreciate you sticking with me. I’m sorry for the long absence. I struggled through the holidays last year and didn’t feel up to any crafting until after the new year. Then work got in the way! Hopefully, everything is back to an even keel, and I’ll be crafting and posting more regularly.

Now, let’s talk about today’s project, or Monday’s project revisited. Do you ever feel like you just need to walk away from a project to figure out what’s missing? That happens to me a lot when I’m scrapbooking. I liked Monday’s layout of my dogs, but it just didn’t feel “finished”. So I modified it slightly, and I LOVE it. I printed it on a color printer, put it in a frame, and now it sits on my buffet for everyone to see.

Here’s what I modified: I changed the DSP pattern on my long strip of paper. This pattern is more subtle. So that I could add the Riding Hood Red Pleated Satin ribbon peaking out from under the DSP. I love how this ribbon looks in digital form. It’s beautiful. In fact, the whole Twitterpated Kit is great. I highly recommend it.

Please let me know if you have any questions, and thanks for stopping by!

MDS Page Recipe: Stamps- Baroque Motifs; Paper- Twitterpated DSP, Kraft (crumb cake) Textured CS, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red; Ink- Sahara Sand, Basic Black; Accessories- Square Punch, Flag Punch, Circle Punch, Twitterpated Embellishments (button and pleated satin ribbon), Basic Jewels, Bakers Twine, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Full Heart Punch, Heart To Heart Punch, ; Fonts= Pea Bitt Bitt, CK Journaling

Sale-a-bration starts Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:11:00 +0000

Good morning! It’s gloomy and cloudy here today. So, here’s a card to brighten the day! And I used papers and embellishments that you can get for FREE starting today. Sale-a-bration starts today and continues through March 31st. You get a free product from the Sale-a-bration catalog for every $50 you spend (before Tax & Shipping) – no limits, 1 FREE product for every $50, spend and earn as much as you want!

For this card, I started with a Lucky Limeade base and added three different patterns from the Everyday Enchantment DSP. I added a Very Vanilla “flagged” piece that was stamped with a stamp from Elementary Elegance. Next, came the Pool Party Curly Label piece that has the greeting stamped in Poppy Parade. And I finished with the Everyday Enchantment ribbon and brad. (My inspiration came from a sample in the Sale-a-bration catalog.)

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by!

MDS Card Recipe: Stamps- Elementary Elegance; Paper- Everyday Enchantment DSP, Very Vanilla Textured CS, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party; Ink- Soft Suede, Poppy Parade; Accessories- Square Punch, Flag Punch, Curly Label Punch, Everyday Enchantment Embellishments (ribbon and brad); Fonts= none

MDS Monday Challenge -- Featuring Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:15:00 +0000

Good morning, and welcome to UDI’s MDS Monday Challenge. This week our challenge was to create a project using hearts in honor of Valentine’s Day. Last year, I needed a new MasterCard for an international vacation, and I wanted to use a picture of my dogs. That meant a photo session with my puppies. And I actually got a picture I love.

I chose to create a page featuring that picture of my dogs. I’m re-doing my home décor and this page is perfect to put in an 8x10 frame and display on my new shelves. I’m really focusing on creating scrapbook pages that I can frame (in all sizes) and display or hang on the walls. It’s feels great to look at these treasured memories. (I much prefer that over posed studio portraits-- Just my personal preference.)

This page came together quickly using the Twitterpated Kit download. I love the papers, stamps, and embellishments that come with this kit. For this page, I combined the Twitterpated Papers with some older downloads. I started with a Crumb Cake base. Then stamped with Baroque Motifs in Sahara Sand for a watermark look to the page. I added some heart punches and embellished them. Next, I wanted to mimic the outline heart from “I {heart} Hearts”, so I punched the Full Heart and enlarged it. Then I added small circle punches to create the outline and deleted the original punch. Finally, I added some Twitterpated DSP and more embellishments. (*** I have a white strip along the left edge to mark where my design needs to end for the 8x10 frame.)

Now it’s time to check out the other inspiring creations from the Design Team members at Utah Diva’s International. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by!

MDS Page Recipe: Stamps- Baroque Motifs; Paper- Twitterpated DSP, Kraft (crumb cake) Textured CS, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red; Ink- Sahara Sand, Basic Black; Accessories- Square Punch, Flag Punch, Circle Punch, Twitterpated Embellishments (button), Basic Jewels, Bakers Twine, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Full Heart Punch, Heart To Heart Punch; Fonts= Pea Bitt Bitt, CK Journaling

MDS Easel Calendar Christmas Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:25:00 +0000

Good morning! Today’s post is about my Christmas Gift for my 7yo niece. Like a lot of kids, Abby’s fascinated with pictures of herself. Last year, my mom’s Christmas gift was a personalized MDS Calendar. And I think Abby was even more thrilled with it than my mom was. She excitedly screamed, “Grandma, it’s got pictures of me!” Then she looked at me and said, “I want one.” Oops, too late, I’d already gotten her something else.

But this year, Abby gets her very own calendar. I chose the 10x5 Easel Calendar that can sit on her dresser. I think this is a fantastic solution because you get the calendar all year long. And when the year is over, you can turn it around and use the back side pages. I completed those pages just like scrapbook pages. Now, Abby will have a mini 2011 scrapbook album to keep and display long after the calendar is useful.

I completed this whole calendar (all 25 pages with the cover) in approximately 4-5 hours. And that includes adding all the birthdays and holidays to the calendar grid. I kept the actual calendar pages really simple, just a picture and coordinating colors. Then I used clean and simple layouts for the “scrapbook pages”, plus they’re barely bigger than a card so you can’t get too elaborate.

It’s not too late for you to create your own personalized calendars in MDS. You have a few more days to place your order and receive it in time for Christmas. Please let me know if you need any help or have any questions.

Thanks for stopping by!

MDS Calendar Recipes include: Stamps- Hip and Handsome Overlays, Wishes and Greetings, Sporting; Paper- Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo, More Mustard Large Polka Dot, Celebrations DSP, Night and Day DSP, Elegant Soiree DSP, Bravo Burgundy, Pacific Point, Frostwood Lodge DSP, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Garden Green, Soft Suede; Ink- Bravo Burgundy, Basic Black, Whisper White; Accessories- Square Punch, Circle Punch, Flag Punch, Simple Stitches and Corners, Bakers Twine, Neutrals Buttons, Brads, Ornament Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Simple Letters Punch, Downtown Grunge Frames, Basic Jewels, Decorative Label Punch, Modern Label Punch

MDS Monday #43 -- Snowflakes

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:25:00 +0000

Good morning, and welcome to UDI’s MDS Monday Challenge #43 – Snowflakes. Our challenge this week is to create a project featuring a snowflake. I’ve been working on my 2012 calendar, and this is the January page. This week on my blog, I’ll be featuring projects you can make for Christmas gifts. What could be better than a calendar with your family pictures and memories from last year? Last Christmas, I gave my mom a calendar I created in MDS. She loved it, but I was surprised how excited my niece got when she saw it. Of course, she loves seeing pictures of herself :-) Later this week, I’ll show you what I’m giving her for Christmas.

This is a simple page. I love the flag punch and used it throughout the calendar. On this page, I just filled it with various pattern papers in my color scheme. I added a stitched border. And finished with my pictures and embellishments. The snowflakes, brads, and basic jewels look great on this clean and simple layout.

Now it’s time to check out the other inspiring creations from the Design Team members at Utah Diva’s International. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by!

MDS Page Recipe: Stamps- Best Wishes and More, Holiday Blitz, Old Saint Nick; Paper- Marina Mist Textured CS, Bashful Blue Grid DSP, Night Of Navy Dotted Stripe DSP, Night and Day DSP, Bashful Blue Striped DSP, Night Of Navy Large Polka Dot DSP, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue; Ink- Whisper White; Accessories- Simple Stitches and Corners, Square Punch, Flag Punch, Brads, Basic Jewels, Grosgrain Ribbon; Fonts= none

Vintagey Christmas Stocking Card

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:01:00 +0000

Good morning! Here’s a special Christmas Card for someone on your list who likes “vintage” stuff. The Vintage style is very much outside my comfort zone, but it’s really “in” right now. And with a few Stampin’ Up! products even I can make a card with that vintage feel.

I started with a color combination of Real Red, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, and Old Olive. They’re all more muted colors with that “aged” feel. I ran one piece of Very Vanilla through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. (An obvious choice, huh?) Then I sponged the embossed piece with Crumb Cake ink to highlight the embossed impression and add another layer of color. Next I ran a piece of Old Olive through the Big Shot with the new Oval Designer Frame embossing folder. And keeping with that vintage feel, I just tore around the oval impression.

I finished my card with the Stitched Stocking stamp and Stocking Builder punch. This is my absolute favorite stamp set and tool for this year’s Christmas Cards. I love all the different looks I can get by either stamping and punching the images or simply punching DSP. (My favorite is accenting with the Silver Glimmer Paper, but that didn’t fit with this card. I’ll be showing those samples next week!)

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you get time to work on your Christmas projects this weekend.

Card Recipe: Stamps- Stitched Stockings, Petite Pairs; Paper- Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Real Red, Old Olive; Ink- Crumb Cake, Real Red; Accessories- Stocking Builder Punch, 1/8” Taffeta Ribbon, Vintage Wallpaper EF, Designer Frames EF (oval), Stampin’ Dimensionals

Embossed Bells and Boughs card

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Good morning! Here’s another striking card that you can give to the special people on your Christmas Card list. However, this is really a very quick and simple card to make. I love cards that have a huge “Wow!” impact, but are really easy to make. And this is one of those cards.

My card base is Crumb Cake, and I have a Soft Suede piece that’s 4-1/4” x 2-3/4”. I stamped the Poinsettia from the Bells and Boughs stamp set with VersaMark ink and embossed both images with Silver Embossing Powder. Next, I stamped Merry Christmas from the Petite Pairs stamp set in the upper right corner.

I used the Lace Ribbon Border Punch on a piece of Cherry Cobbler. Then I “threaded” some Very Vanilla ribbon through the punched strip. And if you don’t like tying bows or knots, this is the ribbon treatment for you – just add a ribbon fold with a silver brad and you’re done.

Thanks for stopping by, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Card Recipe: Stamps- Bells and Boughs, Petite Pairs; Paper- Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler; Ink- VersaMark, Cherry Cobbler; Accessories- Lace Ribbon Border Punch, 1/4” Grosgrain Ribbon, Silver Embossing Powder, Silver Brad

Christmas Wreath Door card

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:58:00 +0000

Good morning! As I mentioned yesterday, this week I’m focusing on those “special” cards for the special people on your Christmas Card list. First, let me start by saying this card is EASY to make, but it does take a while with all that cutting and sponging. But this is also a card that could easily be mass-produced. You just need to cut all the pieces at once … then sit down to watch TV while you do all that sponging :-)

I’ve seen lots of these “door” cards. And I wanted mine to resemble the raised panel doors on older homes. My inside “panels” are cut 1/8” smaller than the outside panel. I did sponge all the pieces to add more depth and dimension to the card. I used my tape runner to attach the inside panel to the outside panel. I added a Silver Brad for a “door knob”. Then I attached the panels to the “door” with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

I created the “wreath” by first punching out the center with a 1-1/8” Circle Punch. Next, I used the XL Scallop Circle Punch. Then I used the Holly stamp from the Bells and Boughs stamp set to add some leaves to the wreath. And every wreath needs some glitter, right? So I added tiny circle punches of Red Glimmer Paper to mimic ornaments. (I used the Build A Cupcake punch on some tiny scraps of the Glimmer paper.) Finally, I added a bow and the Merry Christmas stamp from the Come To Bethlehem stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Card Recipe: Stamps- Bells and Boughs, Come To Bethlehem; Paper- Real Red, Whisper White, Old Olive; Ink- Garden Green, Real Red, Red Glimmer Paper; Accessories- 1-1/8” Circle Punch, 2-3/8” Scallop Circle Punch, 1/8” Taffeta Ribbon, Build A Cupcake Punch, Silver Brad, Stampin’ Dimensionals

3-D Pennant Parade Tree Card

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:56:00 +0000

Good morning! This week, I’m going to focus on some of the “fancier” Christmas cards you might make for the special people on your Christmas Card list. This is still an easy card to make, but the extra details make it look like you spent a long time making it. It’ll be our little secret how easy it really was!

First, let’s start with the Center-Step fold for the card base. I followed a template that Connie Babbert created. Just cut the 2 vertical lines. Then use the new Simply Scored Tool to score the horizontal lines. The only trick is creasing the folds really well so the card sits up correctly. This style of card also qualifies for the Dolce Stamps DSAC06 challenge.

Next, I made a 3-D Christmas Tree using the Pennant Parade stamp set and the Petite Pennants punch. Stamp the Tree image 3 times and punch each image out with the scallop pennant portion of the Petite Pennants punch. Fold each tree in half and attach the trees back-to-back with the Multi-purpose liquid glue. (The liquid glues allows you time to get the scallops perfectly aligned with each other.)

The rest of the card is just decorated with strips of the Frostwood Lodge DSP, some Quilted Satin Ribbon, and a Basic Rhinestone Jewel. I added a greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes and punched it out with the Modern Label Punch. Oh, and I did not use any Stampin’ Dimensionals on this card. The fancy fold and 3-D tree added enough depth to this card. And this way, you can still mail the card since the tree folds flat!

Thanks for stopping by and please let me know if you have any questions.

Here's an angled view of the card so you can see all the card's dimension:

And here's a straight-ahead view so you can see the tree better:

Card Recipe: Stamps- Pennant Parade, Tenny Tiny Wishes; Paper- Frostwood Lodge DSP, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Garden Green; Ink- Garden Green, Early Espresso; Accessories- Petite Pennants Punch, Quilted Satin Ribbon, Basic Jewels, Decorative Label Punch, Modern Label Punch

MDS Monday #42 -- CASE a Card

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:06:00 +0000

Good morning and welcome to another MDS Monday Challenge. This week’s challenge is to CASE (Copy And Share Everything) a card from the Idea Book or Holiday Mini catalog. Well, I took a little liberty with this challenge. You see, I’ve been working on my Christmas cards and I chose to CASE a Mary Brown card instead. I usually don’t truly copy cards; I tend to use a layout or aspect I like as a starting point. However, I loved everything about Mary’s card and decided to translate it to MDS as one of my personal Christmas cards this year.

The Christmas Lodge set is one of my all-time favorite stamp sets. And the best thing about the Digital Download is that I can re-size it to fit with any project I’m creating! I shrunk the images to make these Tags. And I’ll be enlarging the stamps on some projects you’ll see in the next few days. For this card, I sized the images to match the real-life stamp sizes.

This is also the first card I’ve had professionally printed. And I must say the quality is outstanding. If you need tons of Christmas cards, I highly suggest taking advantage of the new Bulk Pricing and order your Christmas cards this year. I’ll be happy to help you with MDS or ordering, just contact me.

Here's the Digital image of the card:

Here's the printed copy of the card:

Here's the inside of the card -- notice you can design both inside panels to coordinate:

Here's a better picture of the inside greeting, where I'll sign the card:

Now please check out all the other Design Team creations at Utah Divas International. Thanks for stopping by!

Elegant Ribbon and Ornament Christmas Card

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 07:36:00 +0000

Good morning! I hope you get some time to stamp and work on your Christmas projects this holiday weekend. And speaking of Christmas projects, from now until Christmas Day, I’ll be posting a variety of Christmas projects I’ve created over the last few months. Everything from hand-stamped “special” cards, to quick and easy Hybrid MDS Cards; from small decorated treats to elegant tags and matching gift wrap; from MDS created gifts to MDS printed cards. Keep checking back to get ideas for your crafting projects.

Today’s card was inspired by a Halloween card I saw on Mary Brown’s blog. I love the simple elegance of the card with that wide striped ribbon. I changed it to a Christmas card by using some retired Riding Hood Red striped ribbon and the ornament stamp from Delightful Decorations. I kept the elegant feel by using all neutrals with that pop of Riding Hood Red. The rest of the card is Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Basic Black, and Very Vanilla. And don’t forget that final touch with the Basic Pearl. This qualifies for the PPA121 "Pearls" challenge at Pals Paper Arts.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

Card Recipe: Stamps- Delightful Decorations, Petite Pairs; Paper- Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake; Ink- Riding Hood Red, Soft Suede; Accessories- Ornament Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch, 1-1/4” Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Perfect Polka Dots EF, Basic Pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals

CAS Day Of Gratitude Thank You

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:09:00 +0000

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I hope you’re enjoying a blessed day with your loved ones. Here’s a quick CAS Thank You card I made while I was making some Thanksgiving cards for my family. I started with a Very Vanilla card base. Then I cut another layer of Very Vanilla and ran it through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. (That adds so much depth and dimension to a simple card.) After the embossing, I punched a circle with the 1-3/4” circle punch.

Next, I stamped a leaf from the Day Of Gratitude stamp set with Pool Party ink on a scrap of Very Vanilla cardstock. I stamped the Thank You greeting with Soft Suede ink on top of the leaf. Now for the tricky part, I attached the stamped scrap to the card base so it’ll be visible through the punched circle. Once I have it attached in just the right spot, I attach the punched and embossed layer with lots of Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Finally, I stamped another leaf on a scrap of Spice Cake DSP, cut it out, and attached it with the non-stamped side facing upward. I added a knot of quilted Early Espresso ribbon with a glue dot, and it’s done. It sounds a lot harder and longer when I type all the directions! But it really is a 10-minute or less card.

Don’t forget about the Digital Scrapbooking Event that starts tomorrow and the FREE Downloads. Click HERE for all the details.

Thanks for stopping by, and please let me know if you have any questions.

A close up of what's inside the circle.

Card Recipe: Stamps- Day Of Gratitude; Paper- Very Vanilla, Spice Cake DSP; Ink- Soft Suede, Pool Party; Accessories- 1-3/4” Circle Punch, Quilted Satin Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

CCMC176, Quilted Spice Cake DSP

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 07:20:00 +0000

Good morning! Only one more day until Thanksgiving, are you ready? I’ve started my cooking and prep work. I’m trying 2 new desserts this year, and I’m anxious to see how they turn out. Now the real question: Are you ready for the Shopping Season that’s only 2 days away?! Don’t forget you can get a head start with the Stampin’ Up Online Extravaganza running now through Nov 30th. CLICK HERE for complete details.

When I saw the Create with Connie and Mary CCMC176 Sketch Challenge, I immediately thought of quilts and the Spice Cake DSP. My Grandma has made all kinds of handmade quilts, from the embroidered quilt tops to the pieced quilt designs. The pieced quilts have always been my favorite and that’s what this sketch resembled to me.

I started with a Soft Suede rectangle and added 3 patterns from the Spice Cake DSP. Then I ran the whole thing through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice EF. That gave a faux quilted fabric look to my panel. I thought the upper left corner needed something, so I stamped the Day Of Gratitude medallion with VersaMark ink just to give a light impression. I stamped the Day Of Gratitude leaves with Pool Party and Soft Suede, cut them out, and popped them up with dimensionals. I finished with a “flagged” greeting and a mini silver brad.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Card Recipe: Stamps- Day Of Gratitude, Just Believe; Paper- River Rock, Soft Suede, Spice Cake DSP, Very Vanilla; Ink- VersaMark, Pool Party, Soft Suede; Accessories- Mini Silver Brad, Square Lattice EF, Stampin’ Dimensionals

PPA120, Spice Cake Thinking of You

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:16:00 +0000

Good morning! I love sending hand-stamped cards to my extended family for their birthday, Christmas, Easter, all sorts of occasions. But I really don’t send Thanksgiving cards. I don’t know why; I just never have. Well, this year when I started thinking about my aunts and uncles, I decided to make cards to let them know I was thinking of them on Thanksgiving.

I have a few bits of the Spice Cake DSP leftover, and I thought the Pals Paper Arts PPA120 sketch challenge was the perfect way to utilize some of this beautiful paper. I combined it with the Day Of Gratitude stamp set, one of my favorites. The leaves in this set are the perfect combination of masculine and feminine. That way I can make some cards that won’t be too “girly” for my uncles, right?!

My card base is Very Vanilla, with a Spice Cake layer. Then the focal layer is River Rock cardstock with the Soft Suede stamped greeting. Next, I stamped one leaf with Soft Suede and the other with Pool Party. Then I cut them out and popped them up with dimensionals. I finished the card with another bit of Spice Cake DSP, some Pear Pizzazz cardstock, and a couple silver brads.

Don't forget about the Stampin' Up Online Extravaganza running now through Nov 30th. CLICK HERE for complete details.

Thanks for stopping by and please let me know if you have any questions.

Card Recipe: Stamps- Day Of Gratitude, Sincere Salutations; Paper- Spice Cake DSP, Very Vanilla, Pear Pizzazz, River Rock; Ink- Soft Suede, Pool Party; Accessories- Scallop Edge Border Punch, Silver Brads, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Shop Now -- Stampin' Up Online Extravaganza

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:27:00 +0000

Shop Now through Nov 30th and save 20% to 60% on select Stampin' Up products with the Online Extravaganza Sale. Be sure to log in to my Online Store or Email Me to take advantage of great savings like:

FREE digital downloads valued at $40 when you buy My Digital Studio Express
60% off select Designer Fabrics
30% off an exclusive ribbon bundle

Here's a PDF link to everything on sale during the Online Extravaganza.

There is no minimum purchase required to participate in this promotion.

For product bundles, you must use the bundle item numbers provided. Bundle discounts will not be applied if individual item numbers are used.

Additional products from current catalogs may be purchased on the same order.

Discounts range between 20 and 60 percent.

HAPPY SHOPPING !

MDS Monday #41 -- Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:53:00 +0000

Good morning, and welcome to UDI’s MDS Monday Challenge #41 – Thanksgiving. Our challenge this week is to create a Thanksgiving Project. I chose to make a Digital card for one of my customers. She’s one of the most supportive and kind people I know. I hope she gets some inspiration from this card.

This card features the amazing Spice Cake DSP. I love the patterns in this paper; it reminds me of quilt fabric. Not that I quilt or even sew, but my Grandma does. And I love picking out fabric for her to make me quilts. Yes, I’m also very grateful for my Grandma who’s always spoiled me!

The card also features some leaves from the Day Of Gratitude stamp set and the greeting from the So Typefelt stamp set. Now it’s time to check out the other inspiring creations from the Design Team members at Utah Diva’s International.

MDS Card Recipe: Stamps- Day Of Gratitude, So Typefelt; Paper- Spice Cake DSP, Pear Pizzazz, River Rock Textures CS, Very Vanilla Textured CS; Ink- Pool Party, Soft Suede; Accessories- Simple Stitches and Corners, Square Punch, Flag Punch, Circle Punch, Basic Jewels; Fonts= none

Stampin' Up Online Extravaganza !

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Stampin' Up!'s Online Extravaganza begins Monday, November 21, 2011, and will run through Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Be sure to log in to my Online Store on Monday, November 21st, to take advantage of great savings like:

FREE digital downloads valued at $40 when you buy My Digital Studio Express
60% off select Designer Fabrics
30% off an exclusive ribbon bundle!
PLUS...two items, on sale for 24 hours only (Nov 21, 12:01 AM - 11:59 PM [MT])

SO...make sure you don't miss the first 24 hours of Online Extravaganza!

Watch for more details coming November 21st.

Have a great Weekend !
Gwen

MDS Monday #39 -- Christmas Tags

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:32:00 +0000

Good morning, and welcome to UDI’s MDS Monday Challenge #39 – Christmas Tags. Our challenge this week is to create a Christmas Tag. I love creating tags with traditional supplies; they’re so small and quick to make. Well, they’re just as easy and quick in MDS, too. I got on a roll and created 4 tags on a single page.

I’d planned to print some MDS pieces and make Hybrid tags, but I ran out of time. So, I’m showing you the MDS images, and you can see how you’d use traditional punches to create Hybrid tags. However, these completed MDS images would make great embellishments for scrapbook pages or Christmas cards. Just remove the “To” and “From” text and replace it with journaling or a stamped greeting. I hope you have fun creating tags this Christmas Season.

Now it’s time to check out the other inspiring creations from the Design Team members at Utah Diva’s International.

MDS Tag #1 Recipe: Stamps- Christmas Lodge; Paper- Frostwood Lodge DSP, Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White; Ink- Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler; Accessories- Antique Brads, Circle Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Flag Punch, Tag Punch; Fonts= Lucida Handwriting

MDS Tag #2 Recipe: Stamps- Christmas Lodge; Paper- Frostwood Lodge DSP, Sahara Sand, Early Espresso, Garden Green Textured CS, Cherry Cobbler Textured CS; Ink- Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler; Accessories- Basic Jewels, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Modern Label Punch, Square Punch; Fonts= Lucida Handwriting

MDS Tag #3 Recipe: Stamps- Bells and Boughs; Paper- Deck The Halls DSP, Crumb Cake Textured CS, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede Textured CS, Cherry Cobbler Textured CS; Ink- Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler; Accessories- Pewter Brad, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Modern Label Punch, Square Punch, 5-Petal Flower Punch, Basic Jewels; Fonts= Lucida Handwriting

MDS Tag #4 Recipe: Stamps- none; Paper- Frostwood Lodge DSP, Marina Mist Textured CS, Early Espresso, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White; Ink- Cherry Cobbler; Accessories- Staples and Stitching, Scallop Circle Punch, Circle Punch, Round Tab Punch, 2-Step Bird Punch; Fonts= CK Journaling

Digital Scrapbooking Event Starts Today

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:19:00 +0000

Happy FRIDAY! And it’s even happier than normal because you can get FREE Digital Downloads starting today. In honor of Digital Scrapbooking Day, Stampin' Up! has planned a four-day online event designed to introduce you to My Digital Studio (MDS). The celebration is at MyDigitalStudio.net from November 4-7! And it includes free downloads, blog posts with exciting project ideas, and the announcement of the 2011 My Digital Studio Contest winners.

If you already have MDS or you’ve ever thought about digital scrapbooking, you should head over to MyDigitalStudio.net to check out the site. They have a forum to help answer your questions. And they have thousands of samples (that people have uploaded) to help inspire you. But my favorite part is the Blog section. A variety of Stampin’ Up! people share their creativity (along with guest bloggers) to show you the variety of projects you can create with My Digital Studio. It’s far more versatile than just scrapbooking!

Don’t forget about these FREE downloads that you’ll get. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

Framed Digital Page

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 06:18:00 +0000

Good morning! Don’t forget about the Digital Scrapbooking Event that starts tomorrow and the FREE Downloads. Click HERE for all the details.

Now, I have another Digital Page from my Mediterranean Cruise to share with you. But first, I have to explain a little bit about my home décor. I have never been one to display portraits. I’m just not a big fan of all those “staged poses” and the “fake backdrops”. (This could be a leftover dislike of the portraits from my childhood.) Therefore, I mostly have framed Thomas Kincaid pictures and other scenery-type art. But I’m getting tired of the same thing I’ve had for 7 or 8 years. And I keep hearing how your home’s décor should say something about you and what’s important in your life.

Well, I love traveling and all the places I’ve been. And I’ve really come to love MDS because it makes scrapbooking so much easier. What could be better than framing and displaying some scrapbook pages?! So, I purchased several large (11x14 and 12x18) frames to re-do a long hallway in my home. And I plan to fill these with scrapbook pages from all my travels. Stay tuned to see how my project progresses.

In the meantime, I threw together a few pages to display in standard 8x10 frames and place around my home. Here’s a page from Dubrovnik, Croatia. I don’t know how much you can tell from this picture, but this is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been. And I wanted to use so many pictures on my page; I thought the Downtown Grunge frames would work perfectly. Then the rest of the page is very simple to keep the focus on the pictures.

Thanks for stopping by, and please let me know if you have any questions.

MDS Page Recipe: Stamps- Medallion, Vintage Overlays; Paper- Sahara Sand, Basic Gray Textured CS, Cajun Craze; Ink- Basic Black, Garden Green; Accessories- Square Punch, Tasteful Trim 3, Downtown Grunge Photo Frame; Fonts- CK Jacque; CK Journaling

Open House, CCMC173, PP70

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:01:00 +0000

Edited 11/03/2011 to add: I'm thrilled to say I was one of the Top 3 Picks for the CCMC173 Challenge. Thank you for picking me ladies!

Good morning! I’m planning an Open House for Nov 11th and 12th, and I wanted to create door hangers to invite people in my neighborhood. I needed to come up with something eye-catching so people will actually read the invite, then want to come to my Open House. I also need it to be a simple project since I need about 250 of these.

I decided a Door Hanger style invite would work best. And if I created it in My Digital Studio (MDS), I’d get the hand-crafted look with a minimum amount of physical work. I can just print all the copies I need. MDS is great for any kind of mass-production!

I wanted my Door Hanger to fit 3 to a page. So I opened an 8-1/2 x 11 Landscape photobook in MDS and inserted a blank page. I added a Square Punch and sized it to 3-1/2 x 8-1/2. This gives me the correct area for designing my Door Hanger. I love the French Foliage card that comes pre-designed with MDS and used that as the basis for my design. Next, I chose Create With Connie and Mary’s CCMC170 Color Challenge for my colors and just added all the layers, ribbon, stamps, and embellishments that I worked. I finished by adding various fonts for the “You’re Invited” text. The fall leaves also qualifies this design for the Paper Players PP70 Fall Theme Challenge.

Once I was happy with the look, I “grouped” everything then copied and pasted it 2 more times on that page. As easy as that, my Door Hanger is ready to print, cut, and distribute. Oh, and the circle at the top of the Door Hanger is for me to punch a hole so it fits over the door knob.

Thanks for stopping by and please let me know if you have any questions.

MDS Recipe: Stamps- French Foliage; Paper- Baja Breeze Textured CS, Early Espresso Textured CS, Baja Breeze Textured CS, Very Vanilla Textured CS, Baja Breeze Striped DSP; Ink- Island Indigo, Rich Razzleberry, Baja Breeze; Accessories- Square Punch, Circle Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Vintage Trinkets, Grosgrain Ribbon; Fonts- Pea Gretchie, Bookman Old Style