Falling For You: Love and Valentines Day

Ready for Valentines Day? Here's a little inspiration to get you going:

This worked so well with the TGIF Sketch Challenge this week:

Perhaps you don't have one special person yet: Don't fret! This could also be a wedding or anniversary card, just by switching out the greeting (also included in the stamp set) and it's fun that there are matching sentiments for each greeting to put on the inside (or as a "tag line" under the flourishing font of the main greeting). 

Product List

Falling For You Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[143109]

Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[101650]

Tip Top Taupe 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[138336]

Tip Top Taupe Classic Stampin' Pad

[138325]

Soft Sky 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

[131203]

Lace Doilies

[142793]

Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper

[140550]

Very Vanilla 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Satin Ribbon

[142794]

Falling Petals Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

[142761]

Sweetheart Punch

[133786]

Big Shot

[143263]

Ready to create some unique decor for Valentine's Day? Come to my Valentine Sampler Class on January 31st! 

Endless Wishes: 5 Ways on Fridays!

Well, I had this ready for last Friday when my computer was out of commission...and wouldn't you know it: Stampin' Up! sold out of this awesome Photopolymer stamp set on Tuesday!!! GRRRR...

But I'm sharing it anyway because of all the time and effort I put into it, and those of you who were lucky enough to snag one before they sold out~ You're Welcome! Of course,  many of the designs & techniques could be re-created with another snowflake stamp set, such as Festive Flurry :)

P.S. Endless Wishes *is* available as a digital brush set (item #136559) for all you digi-crafters and if SU! changes their minds and produces more, I'll make sure to update this post (we can hope, right?)

1. Faux Diamonds. This is always a big hit and so very easy! I gave step-by-step instructions on the Faux Diamond technique in this post. The Designer Series Paper is from the Winter Frost Specialty DSP (132341)

2. Random Stamping. Just go crazy with it. Let them overlap, go off the edge of the paper and layer them on top of one another. I really loved the look of White/Baked Brown Sugar/Cherry Cobbler on Crumb Cake card stock and even stamped a piece to go on top of my jar of apple pie filling.

3. Make a Window. The Squares Collection Framelits (130921) and the Big Shot (113439) create perfect windows. I used a piece of a window sheet and stamped the snowflakes using the White Stazon ink pad (106960), then placed it between the Navy and (polka dot embossed) Blushing Bride layers to appear that you were gazing outside to a frost covered world.

4. Use the Words. While the snowflakes are delicate and delightful, the words are what sold me on this set. It's awesome to be able to mix up the script with the print and come up with dozens of greetings. So cute! I paired the greetings with some of the Season of Style Designer Series Paper (132340), the 1" Cherry Cobbler Grosgrain ribbon (132135) and Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine (123125) and a Vintage Faceted Designer Button (127555).

5. Monochrome Embossing. The words & snowflakes on the white were simply stamped using the Silver Encore pad (132141) and I embossed in silver on the Silver Foil Sheet (132178). This card is stunning in person, though the photo doesn't do it justice (sorry...I tried). Just because it needed MORE bling, I added the Silver Glimmer paper (124005) as a layer, too!

Stamped snowflakes are much warmer than the real thing, eh?

A Piece of Cake Birthday Mashup

Couldn't resist the color challenge at the Friday Mashup...and whenever there is cake, I'm ALL in!

Here's the card I crafted:

It has a fun fold to open like this:

Take a Coastal Cabana marker to a little bitty Glimmer Paper flower and add a pearl: 

Card Recipe (all supplies from my Stampin' Up! store):

Stamps: Birthday Cake (130390), Remembering Your Birthday 
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Basic Gray, Smoky Slate Stampin' Write Markers
Paper: Whisper White, Crushed Curry and Smoky Slate card stock, Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper (130131), Silver Glimmer Paper (124005)
Accessories: Coastal Cabana Ruffle Stretch Trim (130024), Daffodil Delight Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (126872), Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (118309), Scallop Trim Border punch (118402), Pearl Basic Jewels (119247)

Feminine Colors and County Fair

Needed a special thank you card and the color challenge over at Create with Connie & Mary this week epitomized the person I am sending it to:

And here is my finished project :

Card Recipe (all from Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: En Francais background stamp, Too Kind and Itty Bitty Banners
Ink: Smoky Slate, Pistachio Pudding, Blushing Bride, Versamark
Paper: Blushing Bride, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder (109130), Heat Tool, Sponge Daubers (102892). Big Shot Machine, Deco Labels Collection Framelits (130102), Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder (129984), Silver 1/8" ribbon (132137)

In other news...I won a blue ribbon (actually two) at the Utah County Fair for some of my paper creations!

Give "Fourth" a Little Sparkle

Looking for a quick Independence Day favor? Try this!

Stampin' Up!'s 1"x8" cello bags are perfect for a few sparklers and dress it up with a label and shimmery star...it's festive and quick for your 4th of July celebration or a gift for a friend.

Project Recipe (all supplies from Stampin' Up!) :

Stamps: Simply Stars, Label Love
Ink: Smoky Slate and Real Red ink pads
Paper: Midnight Muse & Whisper White card stock, Silver Glimmer Paper (124005)
Accessories: Artisan Label (130920), 7/8" Scallop Circle (129404) and small Star (retired) punches. 1"x8" Cello Bags (124134)




And for those of you with children, THIS is a genius sparkler safety tip: Use a large plastic cup as a Sparkler shield to keep little ones from getting burned!

Have a SAFE and happy 4th!

Dads & Grads: Blue Ribbon Days!

Quick share today! I used the Blue Ribbon stamp set to create a card for Dad:

And also a card for a Grad!

And here's a little tip on how to use your 2-3/8" Scallop circle punch to punch out the medallion without cutting off the ribbons: Just cut up the side of each ribbon first, then pull it out the top of the punch: 

Whoever thought that one up deserves a ribbon!

Scrapbook Love

I had the opportunity to create a page for my daughter's church group and it was delightful to pause and reflect for a moment on how much joy she brings to our lives! She really is as beautiful as she looks, inside and outside.

Scrapbooking truly builds the self-esteem of children! I've watched my kids share their scrapbooks with friends so many times and they are so proud of every picture. They smile and laugh as they flip through each page. Sometimes they "remember" things they were too young to really recall, simply because it has been documented in their memory album. It makes the effort all worthwhile.

It is a work of love for me, too.

Page Recipe (all supplies from Stampin' Up!):

1. More Amore Designer Series Paper (129309) and Champagne Glimmer Paper (127885)
2. Card stock: Real Red, Pool Party, Very Vanilla
3. Ink: Primrose Petals, Pool Party, Real Red
4. Paper Doilies (129399)
5. Typeset Alphabet Bigz Dies (127553), Labels Collection Framelits (125598) and Big Shot (113439)
6. Pretty Petites stamp set and Petite Curly Label Punch (Sale-a-Bration items: each FREE with $50 purchase)
7. Punches: Small heart (117193), 3/4" circle (119873), 1" circle (119868), Scallop Trim border (118402), Petite Pennants Builder (122361)
8. Baker's Twine

A Wonderful Wedding Weekend

Really, it could NOT have been a lovelier weekend: My oldest son (Kayson) was married to a beautiful young lady (Whitney) in the St. George LDS Temple!

The best part of the weekend, I think, was that my father married them :) Now I'm wishing I had taken a picture of my dad with them! What was I thinking? I'll have to take one when they get home from their honeymoon. I am very grateful for the Sealing Ordinance that binds husband and wife together for eternity and for the peace and beauty found in the temple.

Angie Clayson took family photos outside in the GORGEOUS weather (one of the reasons they chose to be married in St. George) after the wedding and while this isn't her photo (I'm sure it will be better than mine), I thought it was so cute:

Next, I have to give my wedding planners/sisters Mindi & Megan a.k.a. Frank (prounouced FRAHHNK) & Howard and my mom a HUGE thank you for the luncheon decorations and my brother-in-law Russ for the location. Mindi has an amazing talent for decorating (as does Megan, but she prefers to be the assistant while Mindi is directing) and I am grateful to be on the receiving end of their talents! They truly went above and beyond the call of duty to make it a lovely event on a SHOESTRING budget, unlike the Father of the Bride 2 clip in the above link :D  I owe them tons of scrapbooking service. And FYI, I did put my Stampin' Up! supplies and Big Shot to good use for some of the decor as you can see the silver glimmer paper monograms in the first photo :)

 

Isn't it beautiful? The colors were Pool Party, White, Silver and Pewter. And can you see those cakes? My sister Megan made the white/strawberry one and the German Chocolate one, which guests RAVED was the best one they ever tasted. I want her to open a dessert cafe in southern Utah. She is that good.

Now why didn't I take a picture with my sisters and mom?!!? Again, I'll do that later and post it so you can see their beautiful faces.

Not to be left out, I must also thank my brother Ryan and SIL Alison, my in-laws Launa & Dixon, my best friend Kelli and my BIL Neal for running last minute errands, making/buying cakes, gathering canning jars, helping to clean up, serving and babysitting services! You all contributed to making it a perfect day!

After the ceremony, we just held a family luncheon (no formal reception was held) and here are the happily married couple cutting the wedding cake:

My heart is full from the beauty of the day and the service my family provided. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Sentimental Journey (S-A-B) + Musical Treat

Feeling Sentimental may be my favorite Sale-a-Bration stamp set! It evokes a whimsical sense of the past and is perfect for masculine cards, too :) Best of all, it's one of the choices you can choose FREE when you spend $50 before March 22nd!

To make it even easier, I created these cards with a custom kit that will create 48 cards:

Crumb Cake 8.5"x11" card stock (120953) $6.95
Black card 8.5"x11" card stock (121045) $6.95
Very Vanilla 8.5"x11" card stock (101650) $8.50
Silver Glimmer Paper (124005) $4.95
First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper (121878) $12.95
Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon (122332) $6.95
Basic Black Stamp Pad (126980) $5.95
TOTAL: $53.20 (+tax and shipping)
+ Get the Feeling Sentimental stamp set FREE!!!

If you already have any of the supplies, you can substitute one of these items:
Crumb Cake envelopes (107297) $6.50
Stamping Sponges (101610) $3.50
SNAIL refill (104331) $4.50

There will be plenty of supplies left over...the only things you may need to order more of (in order to make more of the same cards) would be the Crumb Cake card stock and ribbon. You can choose your Sale-a-Bration stamps in wood mounted OR clear mount. If you choose the latter, you will need clear block D (118485) with it.

Here's another version using the same supplies (the bow makes it a little more feminine, too):

Shop, Host or Join!

And for your listening pleasure today, I want to share one of our family's favorite new songs that we've been singing around the house...the music video is incredibly delightful, too:

LOVE Your Big Shot Class

Deck the halls with Hearts and Letters...fa, la, la, la, la...la, la, la, la!

You are invited to my Big Shot Camp on Saturday, January 26th at 1:30 p.m. at my house in Spanish Fork, UT.

You don't have to own a Big Shot to attend this class, but you may want one when you are finished :) We'll be making 3 projects for winter/valentines for just $15...including this fabulous framed art! Bring scissors, SNAIL or Liquid Adhesive AND Sticky Strip. If you need to order refills, please do it when registering.

Go ahead and share the love...invite a friend to come along with you!

RSVP by calling me: 801-376-8685 and I'll give you my address and directions.

Shimmer & Shine

If I were a drinker (I'm not), I would try champagne just because I love the name. Come on, say it with me: "SHAM-PANE". Champage, Champage, Champage...say it three times and click your heels together and you'll be taken to a wonderful castle in a cloud! Okay, maybe not, but drink in this beautiful card created with the Champagne Glimmer Paper (Item 127885) and Very Vanilla card stock (this week's color challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary~CCMC230):

Must say I adore how the Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon (Item 122332) matches so beautifully, tying all the elegant elements together :) I used the Stripes embossing folder (Item 123128) for the background, used the Label Collection Framelits to cut the focal points and embossed the New Year's single stamp (Item 132336) in gold. This stamp is fabulous because you can use it year after year. I'll be using this card for many upcoming events!

Check out more of the single stamps by clicking on the link on the right (only available through January 2, 2013) and of course, the Clearance Rack Blitz!

Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays!

 

When I saw these frames on sale at Shopko last week, I knew I had to do SOMETHING with them, so I pulled out my Festival of Prints DSP (126901), some Glimmer paper (Silver~124005 & Red~121790), the Big Shot and a few dies (Typeset Alphabet~127553 & Snow Flurry~127813) and of course, some stamps and ink :) 

Once you've created your frame-able art, take a Stampin' Spritzer (126185) filled with rubbing alcohol and a few drops of Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (116806), shake it up well and spritz glitter all over the finished project...even on the frame!

Even more fun was that I got to share this with my Seasonal Sensations Stamp Club who each made one of their own last week and they loved it too!

Two-for-One Challenge: Feeling Autumnal

Serendipity! I made this card yesterday for the Create with Connie and Mary color challenge and woke up to discover that it kind of fits the Clean & Simple sketch #216 scallop challenge too :) Since I haven't made nearly enough fall/autumn cards, I was very pleased with how it turned out and the champagne glimmer paper makes me so very warm inside:

I adore the Autumn Accents Die for the Big Shot to make my own leaves and I used the Simply Scored to give the leaves veins. The DSP is from the Comfort Cafe package.  

It was so fun to create last night, but here is what my desk looks like this morning:

And my kids think there should be food in the fridge, so I guess I'll be cleaning and shopping today instead of crafting :( As my Father-in-Law is fond of saying, "Just when you teach 'em to eat dirt, they up and die on you." No bueno!