Holiday Mini Sneak Peek Pt. 4

Don't forget, there is a brand new Holiday Mini Catalog coming out this Wednesday! Continuing our sneak peeks from the new catty, today we are breezing right past Halloween and Thanksgiving straight into winter! Brrr, makes me shiver just thinking about it (even though I'm still soaking up sun rays on the beach in Hawaii). ;)

This card features a stamp from the new "Tags Til Christmas" stamp set, in which each of the stamps perfectly coordinates with a punch-I love it! Today's stamp features the stamp coordinating with the 1-3/4" circle punch, which also perfectly coordinates with our Sweet Treat Cups! I have had two boxes of treat cups sitting on my craft table since they first came out in a mini-catalog last year...waiting on the perfect stamp to inspire me. This is the one! I thought it would be perfect for a "snow globe" effect, so I decided to add Dazzling Diamonds to the inside of the cup. Added a few rhinestone accents to jazz it up and viola! A cute little Christmas/snow card!

Funny side story and personal recommendation: While putting this card together, after I had poured in the Dazzling Diamonds and removed the sticky strip adhesive backing, I wanted to line the treat cup up perfectly with the snowman image, so I lifted it above my head to be able to see the light shine through revealing the stamped image, making it easy to line it up before adhering. Do you see where I'm headed here? Sure enough, I dumped that silly treat cup of Dazzling Diamond glitter ALL OVER myself. Glitter in my hair, on my clothes, on my face, on my floor, on my craft table. I was a shimmery MESS! So, note for you: do not lift a cup of glitter over your head for ANY reason unless you are prepared to wear it. ;)

Holiday Mini Sneak Peek Pt. 3

I was on a roll with my Halloween cards, so I have one more sneak peek card using the Halloween elements from the Holiday Mini Catalog. This one features another punched waffle paper piece and two brand new punches--my favorite tool! This one uses the new Extra-Large 2-1/2" circle and the very stylish Extra-Large Decorative Label punch. Don't you just love it?

And of course a Halloween project wouldn't be complete without the super trendy "Wicked Cool" Halloween stamp set.

Holiday Mini Sneak Peek Pt. 2

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays-I love the color palette, the pumpkins, the candy, the spooks, the costumes, the decor. It's so fun! Today's card features a couple of new items in the Holiday Mini Catalog: the new Spider Web textured embossing folder, Basic Black waffle paper (that's just fun to say!), and the delicious Raven lace trim.

The trick to using the waffle paper with punches, is to punch the waffle paper with a piece of card stock behind it to keep the waffle paper from tearing when punched. To make a bit more sturdy when adhering it to my card, I went ahead and adhered the waffle paper to my piece of card stock before punching and then placed both pieces on my card.

The "Wicked Cool" stamp set is new to the Idea Book and Catalog and it happens to be my favorite Halloween stamp set that we offer!

Holiday Mini Sneak Peek

The new Holiday Mini Catalog will go live one week from today. For your viewing pleasure the remainder of the week, I will offer you sneak peeks using product from the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog.

Fall comes first, so I used the new stamp set "Paisley Prints." And you can see that I used my new favorite tool the Color Spritzer Tool, for which I now only have a love relationship with. :)

Good Luck Card

My first downline is hosting her first workshop this week and I wanted to give her a card to let her know that I was thinking about her and wish her luck. You may remember this notebook that I created for my new recruit last week. I used the same design for the card with a few minor changes.

Vacation Bound to Hawaii

Hi Friends! I left on vacation for Hawaii yesterday, and even though I'm probably sipping on a fruity drink sitting on the beach catching some sun rays (I posted this before I left), I still have projects posts planned for you this week, so be sure to keep coming back while I'm away...

In honor of my beachy destination, I created this card. It is a CASE of this one, but I changed a couple of minor things like her swimsuit. I didn't do the "fork bow" and I used the Soft Suede polka-dot ribbon because that's how my suit is in real life: brown with white polka-dots. :)

When I first started this card I was determined to create a punch man on the beach--after all, dear husband will be beaching with me on vacation, but the end result just made me laugh out loud, so I didn't include him on my card. But for your laughing pleasure, I have included him on this post so you can giggle right along with me.

Enjoy.

Stampin' Mist technique

While at convention this year, we learn a lot of new techniques and receive a lot of great tips and tricks to use to make your projects look really cool.

One of the main stage presenters demonstrated the following technique, in which I have created using two colors. I'm not crazy about the Cherry Cobbler one, but to give you an idea on the different color options (which are endless, by the way!), I went ahead and posted both the Daffodil Delight and the Cherry Cobbler. These are VERY basic, simple cards so that the technique was the focus of the card, rather than all the extra layers and embellishments.

Start by sponging a piece of white card stock, completely covering the piece with color. You can make the outer edges darker by sponging an additional darker color around the edges. Simply ink up your stamp with VersaMark. From a distance (arms length or so), spray your inked up stamp with Stampin' Mist (once should be enough). Then stamp the image onto your sponged piece of card stock. This is the effect you will get...SO COOL!

Simple beauty

I love creating simple cards that still look elegant. Using the Sweet and Sour Designer Series Paper made creating this card so easy. The paper gives an eloquent background, while keeping the focus of the card--the 5 petal flower. The rhinestone jewel accents take a simple card up a notch to a stunning card.

While at convention, one of the main stage presenters showed us how to make these easy flowers. Simply punch the 5 petal flower twice out of the card stock of your choice. Spray the punches flowers with water, then wad it up into a ball. Open each flower up and pinch the petals of the flowers to get the shape that you wish. Set aside to dry. Once they are dry, simply layer the two flowers and connect them with a brad. So easy!

New downline gift

I signed my second recruit last night! She has been a long-time customer and we have become friends through the wonderful world of stamping. For a welcome gift, I gave her this notebook. The notebook has tabs, making it easy for her to jot down ideas, track her wishlist and take notes.

The Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper coordinates beautifully together and the little two-step owl punch just makes me happy.

August workshops continued

This is the last batch of my August workshop projects. It's ironic--I've had these projects finished for weeks and yesterday morning I walked into church and the praise and worship team/choir's outfit color palette were these EXACT colors: Wild Wasabi, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry and Whisper White! I couldn't believe it--it made me smile...and then I thought how obsessed I must be that the first thing I associate when I see colors are the names of our color palette. ;) I know I'm not the only out there who does this, am I right? :D

The first image was my first Demo-clean and simple, to show guests how easy stamping is so that anyone can do it! Then I Demo'd the coordinating 3D Matchbox treat box, made using the Big Shot.

Finally, I showed finished projects: a stepped up card and coordinating scrapbook layout, for those who aren't as interested in card making.

Coming up with the color palette for these layouts was a cinch using our marvelously re-designed color coach.

Book your own specialty class or workshop with me today!

Just Believe Workshop Projects

Yesterday I showed you the simple Make-n-Take card and the stepped up version for the "Just Believe" projects that I've used at my August workshops. Today I will feature the 3D Fancy Favor treat box and scrapbook layout that I created to coordinate with the cards.

The Fancy Favor box was so simple to create in mere minutes using my favorite friend, the Big Shot. It's the perfect little goody box to hold treats, money, jewelry, gift cards, etc.

The scrapbook layout uses pictures of me and my friends from Convention last year: Nikki Bond, (me), Amy LaSpisa, Deidre Mooney (my upline), Marci Horn, and Claudia Perry.

To take the layout up a notch, I used the Color Spritzer Tool to add some interest in the background. Now, I'll be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with my Color Spritzer Tool--the first few weeks that I had it, I couldn't get the silly thing to work! I was so frustrated because I'd seen so many other Demos using it and the effect was so darn cool! So low-and-behold one of the Make-n-Takes at convention required the use of the silly Color Spritzer Tool. Thankfully, my new friends showed me that I just have to squeeze the tool a little harder to get the ink to spray! Of course, it was user error and now I just love it! :) Such a cool effect...

Workshop week continued

Here is another workshop project that I did this month. One is a simple version that we used for the Make-n-Take and the second one is the same layout/design stepped up a notch. These projects utilize the "Just Believe" stamp set that is new to the Idea Book and Catalog, but full of promise! I love it!

Contact me to schedule your own specialty class or workshop.

Tomorrow I will share the 3D box and scrapbook layout that I made to coordinate with these cards.

Sweet Scoops Demo

It's not too late to get this darling "Sweet Scoops" stamp set from the Summer Mini Catalog--just a couple of weeks remaining before this perfect-for-summer stamp set goes away for good.

These projects, featured at one of my workshops demonstrates a simplified card (the mini), a stepped up card and a 3D project, all using the same color scheme and stamp set. I love the versatility that you have as the creator to make many different types of projects using the same supplies. The Box #2 Die is another perfect example of creating gift boxes in only a couple of minutes!

Contact me now to schedule your own specialty class or workshop!