Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Heart Album


Here is a little look at the Heart Album I have been working on. This will be for a class I hope to do next month. I am a bit frustrated and a little at a loss. My pictures are fine on my computer but as soon as I download them to my blog, they rotate so you end up looking at them sideways or upside down. Not the most flattering way to view my work, so if anyone knows what is causing this and how to correct it, I would greatly appreciate the help. I even tried fooling the computer by rotating the picture first but it keeps putting it in the same wrong way.


This album is made with the plain chipboard heart book that is currently available from SU in the Occasions Mini. I used various designer papers to cover the front and back of each piece (8 pieces total) I can't wait to complete this.

I love my Vanilla Hodgepodge hardware on the front with the flourish and "j" stamped on Whisper White cardstock beneath the hardware.. I realize I am not quite a Johnson yet but the ring on my finger tells me I will be one day, LOL, so I figure the "j" is still appropriate.

Thanks for stopping by for this really quick peek at the album.

Margaret :)

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Sweet Treats


Wow it is the middle of the week already. I can hardly believe it. We are also one day closer to Valentine's Day and I am working on some projects for just that occasion.

Today I am sharing with you a cute little box I made using the Party Favor box BigZ die.

I ran the die through the Big Shot with some pretty purple cardstock. Next I ran the box through again on the dots texture plate. I cut out some pieces of Razzleberry Lemonade designer paper and adhered them to the front and back of the box.

Next I used the Big Shot to cut out a label with the Sizzlit Lots of Tags set (I think that is the name of it) I added a rub on word from a retired SU rub on package and used my lovely new bird punch to add a sweet accent to the front of the tag.

Inside the box is a cellophane baggie of those yummy little hearts with words on them.

Mmm mmm.

Thanks for stopping by.
Margaret :)

Monday, January 18, 2010

Valentines...


Here I am....

No I did not get lost, just got busy. Today I have a sweet card to share with you that I think is very sweet and adorable.

I pulled out a set from the Holiday Mini that I absolutely adore, called Wandering Words, and used this image as I felt it was just right for Valentine's Day.

I began by stamping the image in Real Red ink onto some Sweat Pea designer paper. Then I paper pierced around the edges. I layered this onto a matte of Real Red textured cardstock.


Next I stamped a heart in Rose Red ink and cut it out with my Paper snips. I held this to my matted image by using a clip from the Clip Assortment package. Finally I adhered the image to my Very Vanilla cardbase.

Thank you for stopping by.
Margaret

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Your Friendship

Today's card is toned down from the bright colours I have been using lately. I decided I would use the beautiful Level 2 Hostess set, Wings of Friendship, for todays card.

I haven't used glossy cardstock in a coon's age and decided it was time to pull it out and dust it off. Then I also realized I haven't used a brayer in a long long time, so I pulled it out as well. I used More Mustard ink and brayered it on my glossy cardstock until I had a nice even coat. Then I inked up the bird image with Not Quite Navy ink and stamped it on the cardstock. Now, having not used glossy cardstock in such a long time, I forgot that the ink needs time to dry. So I ended up running it through my Big Shot to cut the image out with my Scallop Circle # 2 die and it smudged ever so slightly. I ran a piece of Not Quite Navy cardstock through as well and offset the 2 pieces over top of each other.


I made a 5.25 x 5.25 card base from Not Quite Navy cardstock and layered More Mustard cardstock on it, followed by a layer of some pretty retired designer paper. I stamped my sentiment in Not Quite Navy ink in the bottom right hand corner and popped up my main image with dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.
Margaret :)

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Landscape Card

A few days ago I posted Sneak Peak #4 using the Good Neighbours set from the Sale-A-Bration mini and my dear friend commented that is was 'much different than your usual style'.

I thought that was funny because I hadn't realized that card was so different for me. Maybe that's because the card I am sharing with you today was on my mind as being unusual for me.

I managed to whip this up on Sunday using the new Love Bandit set from the Occasions Mini. I stamped my images by colouring them with my Stampin' Markers. I drew a line to create my ground and sponged in green ink for my grass.

My sky was made using designer paper from the Welcome Neighbour 6 x 6 paper pack that can be found in the Sale-A-Bration mini.

This was so outside my comfort zone and creative style but I still like it.

Thanks for stopping by.
Margaret :)

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Girls Birthday Party


So was everyone else as stoked about the new products in the Occasions Mini and Sale-A-Bration as I was? They just seem so full of life and inspiration that I'm sure you can find at least one item that you really like.

Okay so I've babbled enough over the past few weeks about the mini's...onto other things. :)

This weekend I will be doing my first stamping birthday party. Woohoo! I'm thrilled at being asked and I am sure we will have a great time. My projects today are the items we will be making at the party.

First is the super quick and easy but very cute robot valentines treat box...yes, the theme is Valentines. I just need to buy some treats to fill little cellophane bags and then I can seal this box up. It is from the Occasions mini and the boxes are die cut so they are quick to put together.

The card is made with the I (Heart) Hearts stamp set. I stamped random hearts along the bottom of my Whisper White base with Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry ink. Then I punched the edges of a strip of Rich Razzleberry cardstock using the eyelet border punch and I layered a piece of Razzleberry Lemonade Designer paper on top.



I did add a little heart on the inside using the new Heart Embosslit die. Very cute.

Last but not least is the photo frame. I realize I still have to add a photo in it. LOL. I used pink acrylic paint on the wood (Frame is from Michaels). I added 5/8" Real Red Grosgrain ribbon around the outside edge and 1/4" White grosgrain ribbon to the inside edge of the photo frame. These are held in place using Tacky Glue.

Next I added a flower from the Pretties Kit, with a felt flower from the Felt Fusion kit and a white half back pearl the center. In Real Red ink, I stamped my Love sentiment in the bottom left corner.

Although the pink half back pearls are not Stampin' Up!, I just had to add some 'bling' around the center of the frame. These dollar store pearls were just the right touch.

Finally I punched out hearts from textured Real Red cardstock and some retired designer paper and added to frame. The largest heart is double layered and popped up using dimensionals.

I hope you enjoyed these creations and thanks for stopping by.
Margaret :)

Release Day!!!!

Oh my goodness!!!

Can you believe it is release day for the new Occasions Mini catalogue and the Sale-A-Bration mini catalogue? Woo Hoo!

Okay so before I get to my card today I just have to share the walkway to the basement apartment at our home. I had the wonderful task of shovelling this hard wind packed snow. Thankfully there is now a nice pathway. Whew!!! This picture is of the deepest section which was close to 4 feet deep. Then it dropped to about a foot and grew again to just over 3 feet deep at the bottom by the door.

Okay enough about snow right?

I just love this cute little creation. This card was created using a new punch that makes the bird, the birds wing and the leaf stem.
I began by stamping my sentiment Happy Birthday from the new set Well Scripted in Real Red ink onto one of the cute new scalloped note cards.

Next, I punched out two leaf stems from Garden Green cardstock, attached the ends of the stems together and adhered them to the scallop note card. I then attached my bird and popped up the wing punched out of patterned paper.


I layered my scallop note onto Garden Green cardstock, layered on my Real Red Textured cardstock base and tied a bit of 5/8" Real Red grosgrain ribbon around the card.

Now how darn cute is this punch!!

Thanks for stopping by and see you again tomorrow!
Margaret :)

Monday, January 4, 2010

Sneak Peek # 5

Welcome to the fifth and final sneak peek that I am sharing with you before tomorrow's release of the Occasions Mini and the Sale-A-Bration mini.

You have no idea how excited I am with these two Mini Catalogues. I love just about everything and I am sure you will too. Before I forget to mention it, if you live in Canada and wish to place an order with me, please do not hesitate to contact me. The items in my Sneak Peeks, along with several other items will be available for a limited time, beginning tomorrow.

Todays card is made with a new stamp set called - I (Heart) Hearts. Once again I have ordered this one for the clear mount blocks as I love the idea of saving space on my shelves. I stamped various hearts in random colours on Whisper White cardstock and punched them out using Stampin' Up!'s various heart punches.



Next I made my card base with Whisper White cardstock and layered a matte of Rose Red cardstock over top. I pulled out the ever beautiful new Sweet Pea paper pack and added some patterned papers to the front of my card.

I then used another fabulous new set called Well Scripted and stamped my Love You Much sentiment in Rose Red ink onto the Rose Red cardstock.

Finally I ahdered my hearts to the front of the card and popped up a couple hearts for more dimension.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed all the sneak peeks I have shared with you and I am sure you will be seeing lots more projects and creations using these products.

Thanks for stopping by.
Margaret :)

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Sneak Peek # 4

Good afternoon on this blustery Sunday.

Even though it hasn't snowed in two days, the wind sure knows how to build drifts on the stairs in no time flat. I have been shovelling the steps about 3-4 times each day to get up and down them. Within two hours it is built back up to about 3 feet. Ah well, c'est la vie! right.
So the holidays have been super hectic but great. My sweet girls gave me a Crock Pot for Christmas and although I haven't done anything yet, I am quite excited to learn how to use it and make some fabulous foods in it. Mmmmm!!

Well I don't want to keep you all in suspense what today's sneak peek is cause that is just mean. LOL

First, I am going to let you in on a few secrets about products coming in the Occasions mini. Some of you may have heard already through other blogs but if not I will give you juicy details.
Acrylics - WHAT? you might say. Yes you heard me right. While the stamps are still rubber, they are mounted on static cling foam. As of January 5th we will be selling acrylic blocks, individually or in a complete set and for new stamps sets, there is a choice on almost all of them for wood block mounted or acrylic block mounted. The stamps come in 'CD' cases with the labels on the front as well as the side for easy finding. The space this saves is incredible.

How about another space saver..... Punches. Although we may love our punches they do tend to take up a lot of room but not anymore!!! The new design allows you to stand them up on end or stack them on top of each other and they too have the punch image on the end so you can quickly and easily find the stamp you need without having to sort through them all.

Okay, I better stop with those sneak peek messages and get on to today's creation.

I have created a little set of cards that I think are adorable. The standard size card is perfect to give to someone who has just moved or to send to a friend to let them know you have moved. The small gift cards are perfect to attach to a housewarming gift.


So, you may wonder, what did I use to make these. Well, for the two 3 x 3 cards I used the 6 x 6 paper pack from the Sale-A-Bration mini called Welcome Neighbou. This colourfol pack has 72 sheets of double sided patterned paper. So for the card I used some paper with a sky design and some paper with houses on it. I overlapped them slightly and tied a bit of Vanilla Taffeta ribbon around it before attaching it to my white card base.

For the large card I wanted something bold and bright. I began by stamping homes and trees with the Sale-A-Bration set Good Neighbours. It is very cute and allows you to stamp different style homes with a variety of roofs to choose from and stamp some trees. As you can see my homes a bit crooked but I like it and decided to not be 'perfect'. I stamped clouds above the homes to create my 'sky' and finish off my scene. Next I took some Dusty Durango cardstock and scalloped the edges with my punch. I layered my scene onto this piece and attached it to some patterned paper from the Welcome Neighbour paper pack. This was layered onto another matte of Dusty Durango and finally attached to my card base made with Bermuda Bay cardstock.

I hope this gives you a little inspiration to create some scenes of your own once you earn these items free from the Sale-A-Bration mini.

I'll see you back here tomorrow for one more sneak peek before the fantastic minis are released.

Thanks for stopping by.
Margaret :)

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Check In On Sunday

Check in tomorrow (Sunday) for sneak peek #4. Yep, that's right, I'll be sharing something on a Sunday.

See you then!!!
Margaret :)