Two Cards...

Here's a second card I made for swapping at Leadership.

This card uses the Parker's Patterns DSP from the Spring mini.  I like the bright and cheeriness of the Parker's Patterns DSP!

I cut a piece about 3 x 5-1/4, and scalloped the edge using the Scallop Trim border punch. Then I layered this on top of Cherry Cobbler and Not Quite Navy CS. 

I stamped the "Celebrate" (from one of the awesome sets YOU'LL be able to get for FREE during Sale-A-Bration) and embossed it with White embossing powder on Midnight Muse CS, then punched it out using Decorative Label punch.  The greeting and the telephone booth both come in the Feeling Sentimental stamp set, available during SAB.

I embossed the telephone booth with our Cherry embossing powder and then tore around the image.  Tearing is such an easy thing to do, and I don't do it much anymore!  Must remember to use it more often...

I love that our Designer Series Papers (DSP) list the colors used in the whole pack on the pages in the catalog.  I just write the names of the colors on the outside of the clear packaging it comes in with a Sharpie and any time I want to use it, I don't have to go back to the catalog to select colors that will work well with it.  Even after it's retired (and, yes, I have lots of retired DSP!  LOL) I can still determine which colors will work, since I've written it on the outside of the package...

Sale-A-Bration starts January 22nd and lasts until March 22nd - TWO WHOLE MONTHS for you to earn FREE STUFF!  All you have to do is purchase $50 in product from either the big catalog or the Spring mini and you've earned something FREE from the SAB catalog!  And if you purchase $100, you'll receive TWO free items!

And this year, there's an embossing folder and even a PUNCH!

Would YOU like to receive free product?  Let me know what you'd like to order and the free item(s) you'd like, and I'll be happy to place the order for you!  But you must wait until January 22nd to receive the SAB items.  So start your Wish List NOW and get it to me around that time...

Thanks for stopping by - come back soon!

One Card...

Here's one of the cards I've made a few of to swap at Leadership in Orlando next week.

I just fell in love with the pattern on the piece of DSP, and built my card around it. 

The DSP is from the new Print Poetry DSP Paper Stack in the Spring mini.  I've come to love these Paper Stacks (there was one in the Holiday mini, as well), because the paper is cut to 6-1/2 x 4-1/2.  I generally cut each piece in half and can then make TWO cards from one piece of DSP.

That makes the piece I'm using 3-1/4 x 4-1/2.  Just about the perfect size!  Of course, I always have to layer it with CS, but that's OK.  Got LOTS of that!  LOL

This time I used Gumball Green as the card base and picked Marina Mist from the DSP to use as my second layer.

I used the new set "Feel Goods" for my verse/saying and cut it using the Window Frames Framelits, then popped it up.

I cut the leaves from the Secret Garden Framelits after I stamped them in Gumball Green, which I also popped up.

It still needed SOMETHING, so I added a bow made from the Island Indigo ribbon that YOU will be able to get in the Sycamore Street Ribbon and Button Pack FREE during Sale-A-Bration...  Nice ribbon - ties nicely and seems to stay tied, which can be a problem with some ribbons - they're too slippery!

Then I added one of those WONDERFUL new flowers from the 3/8" Flower Trim - they're awesome!  I just cut one off the strand, added a mini glue dot and stuck in on the card beside the ribbon.

And finally, I stamped the butterfly from another SAB set (Bloomin' Marvelous) in Summer Starfruit and punched it out using the Bitty Butterfly punch (page 13 in the Spring mini).

Here it is again, so you don't have to scroll back up to the top to see it.

I get really bored making a lot of the same thing - MY WAY is to create each card anew - but then I've only got one of each and I'm pretty selfish - I don't want to give any of them away!

So, this year, I'm going to try to create TWO of the same thing each time.  That way, I have one for my very own, and I have one to give to someone when I need a card!

At any rate, because I get bored so easily, I've ended up making many different cards to take to swap at Leadership.  So are in the same vein (i.e., same base card but different embellishments), and others are the same, but in very limited numbers.

I'll share another the next time I post.

Thanks for stopping by - come back!

An Unexpected Christmas Gift

If you've followed me for any period of time, you know I'm "into" flowers.  Both the paper kind and real ones. 

It's been really COLD here lately - well, OK, cold for San Diego.  I think we've had frost a couple of nights, something we rarely experience. 

The picture of thermometer shown above was taken about 10 AM one day shortly before Christmas.  And it's SUNNY!   So, you can imagine it's probably much like where you might live - and you're used to it!

Normally by 10 AM, our temps are between 50 and 60 so we're not!

And then I looked around on the patio and saw this:

This is an epiphyllium.  A pink epiphyllium...  And it's almost ready to OPEN!

Unheard of in December!  As far back as I can remember, epis, as they're affectionately called, have bloomed later - like April or May!

But this year, I got an unexpected Christmas gift - this beautiful bloom

Here it is the next evening - like around 4 PM. 

And here it is Christmas Day, early in the AM:

It's totally open.  It's beautiful!  And it's NOT supposed to be blooming at this time of year!

Well, at least in MY experience...   But I stopped at a local nursery to get some wildflower seeds the day before this picture was taken and when I mentioned it's eminent bloom, the check-out gal said, "Oh yes, they LIKE cool weather!"  Well, as far back as I can remember (and I've had epis for at least 25 years), I've never had one bloom at Christmas!

And I'm not sure I remember this particular one blooming before, either.  It's a lovely shade of pink.

Normally, when these bloom, they open at dusk, last all the next day, and then die.  I've given them away over the years - they're very stunning in person and people are always impressed at their size.  Most do not have an aroma, although I have one that does...

But this one is STILL blooming, on New Year's Day.  I'm in shock!

Epis are very easy to cross pollinate (according to the books I've read), so there are MYRIADS of colors of these in the world.  The Safari Park, which is associated with the San Diego Zoo, has an entire building dedicated to epis.  It's a beautiful place to visit when they're blooming. 

I'm so pleased with my Christmas gift!  And so pleased that its bloom has lasted SO LONG!  Now I'm looking at the others, in hopes we might get early blooms on all of them this year, but so far, none of the rest are even looking close to blooming... 

By the way - our sunset Christmas evening was equally as impressive:

This was taken from the back patio of a friend's house.  She's closer to the ocean than I am, and has a more uncluttered view of the west than I have.  I may have to run over and visit her on other evenings when I can tell we're going to have a great sunset!  I'm so enamoured of beautiful sunsets!

Sorry no stamping to share this time around, but I've been busily working in my Stampin' Garage and will have something to share in my next post.  I've been playing with items from the Spring catalog, which goes LIVE tomorrow AM.

And shortly after that (January 22nd) Sale-A-Bration starts - FREE STAMPS!  Gotta love that!

Did you get the catalogs I had mailed to you?  If not, feel free to contact me and give me your mailing address and I'll be happy to get one out to you!

Thanks for stopping by - come back soon!

And The Winnah IS...

Isn't it pretty?

I thought so - that's why I chose this gift over the Christmas stocking I showed you last time...

It was made using a 3" styrofoam base, covered with some of our current ribbons.

I cut the ribbon into 1" pieces, doubled them, then pinned them to the base using VERY short little straight pins.

It takes quite a bit of time to make - and it took even longer because Melie decided I needed help!  LOL  Yep, that cat sure does love ribbon!

I'd made a couple of these about 4 years ago - one was made using DSP that we carried at the time...

Here's a close up of how I made it, in hopes you can get a better feel for how I did it.

And here's the one I made using ribbons current at that time.

For this year's version...

...I purchased a 3 " styrofoam cone, a 3-1/2" wooden base, and a napkin ring.  I painted the wooden items with green acrylic paint.  I cut the tree skirt using red felt and our 3" circle die - it was a PERFECT fit!  Then I decorated the skirt using glitter glass.  I also sprayed the tree with adhesive and sprinkled our very fine gold glitter all over it.

I was very pleased with the outcome!

Need more info?  Contact me and I'll be happy to share with you!

Thanks for stopping by - come back again soon...

The Forgotten Christmas Gift

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that early in December I'd attended our annual Christmas luncheon with a few other demonstrators.

We exchange gifts that have been made using something from Stampin' Up!

The gift can begin by being something purchased inexpensively, but which we've personalized with SU "stuff".

Sometimes I get an idea for this year's gift early in the year and then just hug it to my heart until it's time to get crackin' on getting it done.

Sometimes, like this year, I wait til the last minute (that's my middle name, by the way - Last Minute Lulu!).  So I made a trip to that big craft store, looking for ideas...  I always want it to be something I haven't seen any of the other demonstrators using or sharing.

And while there, I purchased materials to make not one, but TWO, items.  I decided I'm make them both and which ever one I liked the best (i.e., the one I messed up the least!  LOL) would be the one I used for the gift exchange.

Well, I'm not going to show you THAT one today - nope, I'm going to share the forgotten gift.

So whaddya think?

OH!  You want to see what it is, and what I did to it?


OK - let's try this one...

That's better - now you can see it's a Christmas stocking that I decorated, using the Big Shot and the Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die.

I cut the rickrack (and everything else I used on the stocking) in felt.  I did have to piece the rickrack in order to get it all the way around the top of the stocking.

Here are a few close ups of other items I used to decorate the stocking.

I used the ornaments Framelit to cut the two pieces on the left.  I used the Scentsational framelits for the candy cane.

I added rhinestones and the clear Dazzling Details to add some sparkle to the ornaments and then used the silver pen from the Holiday mini as well as Dazzling Details on the candy cane.

For the green ornament I added pearls and used the Red Dazzling Diamonds.  The gingerbread man has buttons made from retired sparkly brads (can't think of the exact name - but if you bought some, I'll bet you have some hanging around somewhere!).  His eyes are Dazzling Diamonds.

The Christmas tree was quite a challenge!  I used the retired sparkly brads again, as well as a couple of glitter brads, then went over it with the red Dazzling Diamonds.

Another gingerbread man - decorated the same way.  And finally the cup of cocoa that I decorated with the red Dazzling Diamonds...

The whole thing came out really cute! 

So why was it the Forgotten Gift? 

Well, it just wasn't as unique to me as the one I actually took for the gift exchange!

I'll share that with you another day...

Thanks for stopping by - come back soon!

Time and Again...

Thought I'd post something that ISN'T Christmas, although you could certainly whip these up to give as gifts, if you're still in need of a unique idea.

I took a plain ole clock I'd purchased at a big box store - I think it cost about $5.00...

When I was remodeling the kitchen, I played around with the idea of adhering decals to ceramic blocks to make the backsplash.  Never happened (and still not done!  LOL), but I'd ordered a variety of the decals from Olympic, so decided they would look good on the clock.

And I was right!  I did have to cut them up a bit, otherwise they were too long.  But when it came down to it, I just added the bottom pieces in between the top pieces, and all was right with the world again...

Then I took the white clock face off and stamped on it with colors that are in my bathroom ( this clock is for the master bath).  It's pink with light green accents.

I recognize some stamps from Creative Elements on there, and then I just added what I liked that went with them.  I remember I did have to stamp off on a couple of them or the color would have overpowered all the other images.

After I got it all put back together again (easy, peasy, by the way), I took it into my bathroom and discovered that EVERYTHING in there is white - obviously, the clock is not.  So I took it back out to my stampin' garage and sponged around the decals with Early Espresso.  That somehow seemed to make it look much better, hanging on the pink wall, and it still blended in with the white woodwork and vanity.

Here's another photo of it, a little closer...

It came out SO CUTE I may have to go looking for more of these and make another one!

Thanks for stopping by - come back again!

Twist & SHOUT!

Isn't this purdy?!!

This is a new concept in gift card holders for me, and this is the first one I made after viewing a video on how to make it.  I THINK it was on Sandi MacIver's blog.

Anyway, I thought it was VERY unique, so I made the one above using Primrose Petals CS, some DSP from Be Of Good Cheer (two different patterns) and the winter boot from the Bootiful Occasions stamp set.

And then I went ON making them!

This one started with Cherry Cobbler CS (don't you just LOVE that color?!!?).  I embellished with the Champagne Glimmer paper, punched with the Scallop Trim Border punch.  Then I cut one of the doilies from the Sizzlet die Delicate Doilies, cut a piece of the Be Of Good Cheer DSP with the 2-3/8" scallop punch.  Another, smaller, scallop punched out of Champagne Glimmer Paper topped those two items.  Next I added one of the Faceted Vintage Designer Buttons, a pearl, and a smidge of the Cherry Cobbler tulle.

After I took this photo, I realized there was no "To/From" tag in it, so I used the words from Chock-Full of Cheer, stamped on Whisper White CS, punched a hole in the end and tied a piece of the Cherry Cobbler Sweater Trim ribbon to the tag.  This one's the fanciest one I made.

I really like the one with the snowman on it.  I cut out the little trees from the Stylin' Snowfolk set.  The snowman himself came from the Snow Much Fun set.  Then I tore some white CS to look like snow drifts, attached them to the front of the gift card holder, added some "snow" (glitter) with the 2-way glue pen and maybe a little white Shimmer Paint.

BRIEF DIRECTIONS:
This gift card holder is SO EASY!  Cut your CS to 4-1/4" x 10-1/8".  Score from top RIGHT to bottom LEFT;  fold, place the flat side on your Scoring Tool and score at 5-1/2".  Fold and decorate to suit!  The gift card itself goes on the inside, so don't forget to decorate the inside as well!

And believe it or not, it fits into a regular card envelope.

I thought these were so unique, I just HAD to make some!

Need better (or more detailed) directions?  Contact me and I'll be happy to supply them to you.  And remember, this doesn't just HAVE to be for Christmas!  I can see these for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day - whatever!  It all depends on your choices of CS, DSP and embellishments!

Already made a few of these?  Won't you share YOURS with me?  Just leave me a comment along with the link to yours!

Thanks for stopping by - come back again soon!