Thanksgiving

I haven't posted here for awhile. Haven't had much crafting time, especially being in CA for the holidays. I did, however, design and craft our table setting for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm so happy with how it turned out! I used Stampin' Up! designer papers for fall, a leaf punch from the Martha Stewart line at Michaels, and a few ribbons. (So awesome to have access to craft stores again!) Here are a few pics of the table before we sat down to feast.

September Stamp Club

We had our monthly stamp club meeting last night.  As always we made some great cards!  I was also the hostess for last nights club so thanks to everyone who bought lots of good stuff so I could get the hostess rewards!! :)  I ordered all sorts of good stuff and can't wait to get all of it!

cool springs inside of the previous card!

And my favorite from the evening:

This uses the brayered background technique.  Yet another item to put on my wish list.  sigh.

September Card Swap

This month's swap theme was Thanksgiving.  A couple of Christmas cards were also exchanged because two members of our group are moving back to the states.  You will be missed!

A few cards that I forgot to post last week

I don't have time to post card "recipes" today.  If you want to know what materials I used for these cards just post a comment and I will let you know!

I really love how these turned out.  I hope you enjoy them too!

I've been busy!

Yesterday I received part of my BIG order from the new SU! catalog!  I was so excited and have been crafting pretty much since yesterday afternoon (I did take time to eat, sleep, and babysit for a friend last night).  I LOVE what I've been able to come up with.  My new stamps are awesome!

Find the tutorial for this awesome accordian fold card here.  Just be aware that their instructions are a bit off for the 4 1/4 x 11 card stock.  Where it says to score at 4", 6 1/2", 9", & 10 1/2" it should actually say 3", 5 1/2", 8", & 9 1/2".

Stamps: SU! Eastern Blooms, Upsy Daisy
Ink: SU! Stampin' Write Markers - So Saffron
Paper: SU! Kraft, So Saffron, Very Vanilla, So Saffron DSP
Accessories & Tools: Making Memories Beige Eyelet, Crop-A-Dile, Fiskars Medium & Large Circle Punches

Stamps: SU! Upsy Daisy
Ink: SU! Stampin' Write Markers - Garden Green, Cameo Coral, Ruby Red
Paper: SU! Cameo Coral, Garden Green, Kraft
Accessories & Tools: Making Memories Green Eyelets, Crop-A-Dile, Ticket Corner Punch
Technique: Watercolor Stamping - Color stamp with markers, spritz stamp with fine mist of water, stamp on paper for a very cool watercolor look.

inside: may the true spirit of christmas fill your heart with peace, your home with love.

Stamps: SU! Snow Swirled, Heard from the Heart
Ink: SU! Basic Black, Niji brand Gold Ink
Paper: SU! Always Artichoke, Kraft, Rose Red, Very Vanilla
Tools & Accessories: SU! Ticket Corner Punch, Gold & Silver Seed Beads

Stamps: SU! Eastern Blooms, Upsy Daisy
Ink: SU! Stampin' Write Markers - Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, Bravo Burgundy
Paper: SU! Kraft, Rose Red, Very Vanilla
Accessories: SU! Rich Regals Brads, Ticket Corner Punch, 1/4" Rose Red Grosgrain Ribbon

inside: may the true spirit of christmas fill your heart with peace, your home with love.

Stamps: SU! Snow Swirled
Ink: Colorcubes Silver
Paper: SU! Kraft, Bordering Blue, Rose Red, Always Artichoke
Tools & Accessories: Silver Seed Beads, Ticket Corner Punch, Fiskars Medium, Large, & Extra Large Circle Punches, Making Memories Silver Eyelets, SU! Stampin' Dimensionals

Stamps: SU! Pocket Silhouettes
Ink: SU! Stampin' Write Markers - Summer Sun & Old Olive
Paper: SU! Old Olive, Summer Sun, Very Vanilla
Tools & Accessories: SU! Ticket Corner Punch, Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon

Stamps: SU! Upsy Daisy, Heard from the Heart
Ink: SU! Stampin' Write Markers - Summer Sun & Old Olive
Paper: SU! Summer Sun, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Tools & Accessories: SU! Ticket Corner Punch, Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon
Technique: Watercolor Stamping (See above for description)

Stamps: SU! Pocket Silhouettes
Ink: SU! Stampin' Write Markers - Cameo Coral, VersaMark
Paper: SU! Cameo Coral, Kraft, Very Vanilla

Happy Friday!

More cards! Suprise, suprise.  Today I did the SCS weekly card sketch challenge.  Here is the original sketch:

Here is my interpretation:

Stamps: SU! Carte Postale, Leaves a la carte jumbo wheel
Ink: SU! Basic Black, Stampin' Pastels
Paper: SU! Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red, Old Olive, Sahara Sand
Accessories & Tools: SU! Stampin' Dimensionals, Fiskars Large Circle Punch, Corner Rounding Punch

To play along with this challenge click here.

Here is a card I came up with all on my own.  I was looking for a creative way to put some of my new DSP to work.  The scanner doesn't do it justice, but I thought I'd try to post a picture anyway.

Stamps: SU! Springtime Stems
Ink: SU! Stampin' Write Markers
Paper: SU! Going Gray, So Saffron DSP, Very Vanilla
Tools & Embellishments: Fiskars Medium, Large & Extra Large Circle Punches, Corner Rounding Punch, Making Memories gray eyelet

A head start on Christmas Cards...and a Birthday Card

inside: Very Merry

Stamps: Snowman - brand unknown
Ink: SU! Basic Black, Stampin' Write Markers, Pentel Markers
Paper: SU! Kraft, Very Vanilla, Handsome Hunter
Accessories: Making Memories 1/8" gold eyelets, red patent ribbon - brand unknown, crop -a-dile

Stamps: SU! Priceless, Short & Sweet, Alphabet Soup, Snowflake background - brand unknown
Ink: SU! VersaMark, Blue Bayou
Paper: SU! Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Kraft
Accessories: Making Memories blue eyelets, crop-a-dile, fiskars medium circle punch

inside: wish big

Stamps: SU! Print Pattern, Priceless, Short & Sweet
Ink: SU! Blue Bayou, Purely Pomegranate, White Gel Pen
Paper: SU! Kraft, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky
Accessories: corner rounding punch, fiskars small circle punch

Black Magic Technique and another Open House

A couple of nights ago I noticed the Black Magic Technique Challenge on Split Coast Stampers. I had tried it once before but it didn't work out that well. This particular description called for using Odorless Mineral Spirits (OMS). I don't have OMS so as I read on I learned that Goo-Gone has been known to work as a substitute. I decided to give it a try and it worked! Here was my test piece:

Stamps: SU! Definitely Decorative Grapes
Ink: SU! Whisper White Craft
Paper: SU! Basic Black
Accessories: Misc. Colored Pencils

With that bit of success I decided to take part in the challenge and make a card using the technique.  I really like how it turned out...except that I messed up one of the eyelets.  Not sure how that happened.

Stamps: SU! Polka Dots & Paisley, Short & Sweet
Ink: SU! Whisper White Craft, Stampin' Write Markers - Handsome Hunter & Really Rust
Paper: SU! Very Vanilla, Handsom Hunter, Really Rust, Basic Black
Accessories: Misc. Colored Pencils, Making Memories Eyelets

This morning was also a Stampin' Up open house.  I bought a few goodies (a retired background stamp & some designer paper) and got a few more as prizes (another stamp, some ribbon, and die cut paper pieces).  We also made a card while we were there.  Here is what I came up with.  I think its cute and a great use for the scallop circle punch!

I have no idea what colors or papers I used on this one..except fo the stamp.  That is from the SU! Short & Sweet set.

I also got another one of my SU! orders today...just a small one but always exciting to get more stuff!  I'll probably do some more crafting tonight and have more to share over the next few days.  Ciao for now!

Pretty Paper and a SCS Challenge

Saturday morning I decided to play with some of my new stuff - some designer paper that I picked up on base and my new crop-a-dile.

Stamps: SU! Carte Postale
Ink: SU! Stampin' Write Markers - Taken with Teal
Paper: SU! Taken with Teal, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Studio K Meadow & Breeze Designer Paper
Tools & Accessories: crop-a-dile, Making Memories Eyelets, Creation Station Metalic Turquiose String

Stamps: SU! Carte Postale
Ink: SU! Basic Black, Stampin' Write Markers - Taken with Teal
Paper: SU! Taken with Teal, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Studio K Meadow & Breeze Designer Paper
Tools & Accessories: crop-a-dile, Making Memories Eyelets

Last night I decided to take part in my first challenge on Split Coast Stampers.  Here is the card sketch that I used for inspiration:

If you want to participate in this challenge click here.

Here is what I came up with:

Stamps: SU! Sweet of You
Ink: SU! Basic Black, Stampin' Write Markers - Bordering Blue, So Saffron, Night of Navy, Handsome Hunter, Always Artichoke, Regal Rose
Paper: SU! Night of Navy, So Saffron, Bordering Blue
Accessories: Olive Green Raffia from Current Catalog

A bit of quiet time

Yesterday was the last day of my class!  Woohoo! I am free for a couple of weeks.  I celebrated by, what else, spending a bit of time crafting.  These two cards are simple, but I like them.

Stamps: SU! 1996 (Name Unknown)
Ink: SU! Stampin' Write Makers
Paper: SU! Very Vanilla, Handsome Hunter, Elegant Eggplant

Stamps: SU! Sweet of You
Ink: SU! Basic Black, Stampin' Write Markers
Paper: SU! Very Vanilla, Rose Red, Regal Rose

Sheena's First Stampin' Up Open House

My good friend, Sheena, recently signed up to become a Stampin' Up demonstrator!  Saturday evening she held her first open house.  I had a great time hanging out with a bunch of like-minded women (we all enjoy stamping and crafting!!)  We made two adorable cards. Again, I don't remember the names of all of the stamps, etc. that we used but I'll post what I can remember.

Stamps: SU! Owl Together Now

Don't remember the name of this set... but  I like it.

August Stamp Club Creations

Last week I went to my first official Stamp Club meeting!  We made three different cards.  I don't remember the exact card "recipe" for each, but I will try to point out the main elements that I remember.

Stamps: SU! Heard from the Heart
Paper: SU! Bella Rose DSP
Tools: SU! Scallop Edge Punch, 5-Petal Flower Punch
Embellishments: SU! Brads

Stamps: SU! Sock Monkey, Short & Sweet
Ink: SU! Basic Black, Watercolor Wonder Crayons
Tools: Aqua Painter

Stamps: SU! Sock Monkey
Ink: SU! Basic Black, Watercolor Wonder Crayons
Tools: SU! Aqua Painter, Scallop Edge Punch

September Birthday Cards for the Men in my Life

I really doubt that this post will spoil any surprises...I doubt many men read about my craftiness regularly, but if you are male, and a member of my family, and your birthday is in September don't look any farther than this...unless you want to see your card before it comes in the mail. :-)

These three cards are nearly identical - I just switched up the colors and the accessories depending on who it was for.

Stamps: SU! Loads of Love, Loads of Love Accessories, See You Around Jumbo Wheel
Ink: SU! Basic Black, VersaMark, Stampin' Write Markers, Pentel Markers
Paper: SU! Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Creamy Caramel, Very Vanilla
Tools: Fiskars Circle Punches - Medium, Large, Extra Large, Corner Rounder Punch