Dawn's Shoebox Swap inspired Stamp Club Cards

My good friend and member of my downline Shannon Briglia and I went to NJ for my upline Dawn Raspas' Shoebox Swap event April 15-17 and had a fantastic 3 days of creating. We had to bring 2 different card designs and a 3-D project with all of the materials for 30 people to create. Shannon and I had some left overs of the cards and 3-D project we designed so I used them for my Vienna stamp club. Here are 2 of the 3 cards we made and a little box using the Scallop Circle bigz die and the Daisies #2 bigz die for the Big Shot.

My second project for UStamp Classes, Clubs and Camps

My second UStamp project posted today. This was a really fun one designed to be a class -- I designed 18 charm inserts to fit the 1 1/4" x 1" Simply Adorned Charm and a little folder attached to the box the charm comes in to keep the charm inserts organized.

My project featured today on UStamp Classes, Clubs & Camps

My project for UStamp with Dawn & Friends Classes, Clubs and Camps posted today. I designed 3 different sympathy cards for a stamp club and created 2 of each design, changing them up just a bit.

My UStamp Project featured today on Big Shot Brilliance

The second project I designed for UStamp with Dawn & Friends Big Shot Brilliance is featured on the online class today. I decorated the Decor blocks and spelled out EASTER and SPRING. I used a huge variety of my Big Shot die cuts and embossing folders. I decorated five sides of the 6 blocks so it took awhile but it was lots of fun. There's a tutorial with lots of pictures available on the UStamp class site along with my Springtime Vintage wreath and 40+ super projects from other talented UStamp designers. Check it out at http://ustampwithdawnandfriends.com/

Spring is Blossoming! Really!!

Well, at least Spring is Blossoming at Stampin' Up! It's still a bit cold here in Virginia. Here's the new promotion from SU!. This one is a sneak peek from the upcoming 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog debuting in July! Spend $20 on any Stampin' Up! products and become eligible to purchase both the Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper (so pretty). Host a $350 workshop and get the Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper for FREE!

Exciting News from Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Up! has some exciting things happening this week that I think you'll want to check out:

1. There's a limited time special "grab bag" promotion - grab bags contain discontinued products, including any combination of products like the following: ribbons, Accents & Elements, chipboard, Designer Series Paper, or Simply Sent kit components. Grab bags do not contain stamp sets or tools. You can choose from a $5, $10 or $15 grab bag (for $5 you get $20 worth of discontinued products, papers and embellishments, for $10 you get $40 worth of discontinued products and $15 grab bags contain $60 worth of products). Quantities are limited so order online very soon!

2. SU! just added a bunch of stuff to the clearance rack -- paper, ribbons, markers, you name it... you gotta check it out! This is regular high quality stuff at super cheap prices!! Its a great way to add to your supplies!

3. SU! is giving us a sneak peek into the upcoming new catalog -- Spring Is Blossoming Sneak Peeks -- a beautiful new DSP - Paisley Petals - and Four Frames stamp set. To be eligible to order, you must buy $20 worth of products (which could be grab bags and clearance items)...

Check out these great new deals at my SU! website (just click on the SU! logo on the top right) or call me and I can place an order for you. Don't miss out!!

UStamp Designer Swap Cards

The designers for UStamp with Dawn and Friends! participate in a designer swap each round of UStamp. Dawn pairs us up and we send each other a card and also send two cards to Dawn. Dawn then randomly chooses one designer and one member of UStamp to give a set of all the designer cards she receives. I haven't won yet but I've got my fingers crossed for this round.

I was paired up with Paula Dobson this time. This card came all the way from New Zealand to my mailbox in Virginia. Love that! Isn't it the cutest card?! I still haven't used this great stamp set "Eat Chocolate" but Paula has totally motivated me. I eat Hershey kisses when I create so this is a perfect card for me. I can already check off "eat chocolate" on today's check list (and it's only 10 am)! :) How about you??

I've been wanting to make these pansies using the butterfly punch for awhile and found some great directions on Carla Bazhenow's website at http://www.carlas-scraps.com/2010/04/pansy-punch-art-flower-tutorial-and.html She has lots of great punch art flower tutorials. I thought mine turned out OK -- not as good as Carla's but maybe if I practice some more :))

Get Croppin' with Friends

I spent the weekend with my friends Shannon, Karen and Allie scrapbooking at the Dulles Expo Center at a Get Croppin' event. It was a lot of fun. I helped Karen and Shannon create this 2 page 12x12 layout from my November scrapbook class. Allie made the pages back in November! We had fun embossing all the images and punching out the bats (we also spritzed them with shimmer paint mixed with rubbing alcohol). Here's a picture of the other 12x12 2 page layout from the November class. We also made the March pages that I posted earlier.

My Project on UStamp Big Shot Brilliance

My project was featured on UStamp with Dawn and Friends! Big Shot Brilliance!! today. I made a spring wreath with the fun flowers die and the Springtime Vintage DSP. I used lots of flowers, buttons, pearls, butterflies and even decorated the birdhouse. Here are a few close ups of the details and a picture of the card I made for it (though I'm certainly keeping this one)!

Stamp Club Cards

Here are the cards we made at my Vienna Stamp Club last Friday night. I decided we would make Sympathy cards (the month before we made birthday cards) because I like to have some on hand and had run out. These cards were CASE'd (and changed up a bit) from cards posted on Stampin' Connection (a SU! demo site) and I didn't write down who originally created them at the time because I wasn't blogging. Now that I'm posting I'm being good about making notes of where I get my inspiration so I can give credit where credit is due. If these cards look familiar, please let me know who I can credit and I'll be happy to do so!

I used the Elements of Style and Teeny, Tiny Wishes stamp sets on the first card. The DSP is Blueberry Crisp and the colors are Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake, River Rock and Bashful Blue. The second card uses Thoughts and Prayers and Lovely as a Tree (LOVE that stampset) and the cardstock colors: Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Old Olive and Very Vanilla. I pulled out my Stampin' Pastels and we had fun creating our trees. I also used the color spritzer tool and markers to create the splattered look.

The third card uses Thoughts and Prayers and the butterfly from Thanks for Caring (Occasions Mini). I used the Ornament punch and In Color Patterns DSP for the vase and embossed with the Elegant Bouquet textured impressions embossing folder. It's hard to see but we added dazzling diamonds to the flowers and the wings of the butterfly.

Trifold Mini Album Class

My friends Shannon and Karen are taking my Trifold Mini Album class on Saturday (originally scheduled for Sunday but Saturday was a better day for everyone). Anyone else want to join us from 1:00-3:00 to make this beautiful album? I made mine with the Holly Jolly paper to showcase Christmas pictures from 2003 (and yes, I looked much younger then) but Shannon requested the Greenhouse Gala paper for her album. Not sure yet what Karen wants to use. Would love to help you create this album. I purchased the instructions from LeAnn Greff. She always amazes and inspires me!

UStamp with Dawn and Friends! Big Shot Brilliance!!

I'm going to be a designer again (Creative Crew girl so I design 2 projects) for the next UStamp with Dawn and Friends! The theme is Big Shot Brilliance. Every Big Shot die will be used in the 40+ projects posted. The online event starts on March 18th. Today is the last day to get the early bird pricing of $19.99 so if you want to register, go to http://ustampwithdawnandfriends.com/

UStamp with Dawn & Friends! Oh My Word!!

My second project posted on UStamp with Dawn & Friends! Oh My Word!!

I made a square around or room album for my Mom for Mother's day. It's a really neat little album -- just four pages with room for lots of tags. And of course I made a coordinating card and envelope.

CCMC - OM4 Design Challenge

Now that I finally started my blog (it has been on my to do list for over a year), I can start participating in challenges ... well, actually, I can start posting the cards that I create from challenges! Here's a card I created based on this week's challenge on Create with Connie and Mary. It may also look familiar from a post of a few days ago ... YUP, here's the card showcasing the Twisted Kissing technique.

One Sheet Wonder Stamp a Stack class

Here's a sample of the 16 simple and fun cards we will be making on Sunday 2/27 (2:00 - 5:00 pm) or Tuesday 3/1 (7:00 - 10:00 pm) at my One Sheet Wonder Stamp a Stack class. If you've never heard of the "one sheet wonder" technique, then you need to come to this class! We'll make 16 cards using just one sheet of the Ice Cream Parlor designer series paper from Sale-A-Bration. The cards are a variety of birthday, thanks and all-occasion. I'll also have a sample of 16 Christmas cards using"one sheet wonder" and the Holly Jolly DSP so you can see how this technique can be used with lots of different papers. Hope to see you on Sunday afternoon or Tuesday night. Email me if you have any questions or if you want to register for class.

Springtime Scrapbook Pages

I've been busy creating scrapbook pages! I am dreaming of spring ... With the cold temps and snow, I warmed myself by sorting through spring pictures. The first layout is from Easter 2009, mostly of my son Drew's hunt for Easter eggs. The second layout includes pictures of my husband Eric and Drew flying a kite last spring and my three boys (Eric, Drew and my older son, Patrick) doing what they always do when we're hiking and come across water -- skipping stones. We'll be making these two layouts (2 pages 12x12) at my next Scrapbook Pages class on Thursday March 17th (7:00 - 9:00 pm). Hope you can join us!

Stamping Technique Class on Thursday

We'll be learning some neat stamping techniques at my Technique class this Thursday (7 pm). We'll make 3 cards using 3 different techniques. The first shown is the Shimmered Block technique. Bet you can't guess what I used?? The second technique we'll cover is Twisted Kissing ... doesn't that sound like fun :) And, finally, we'll make a card using the Watercolor Highlighting technique. Won't you join me?

UStamp with Dawn and Friends Oh My Word Scavenger Hunt

As one of the designers for UStamp with Dawn and Friends!! Oh My Word!! 2011, I am participating in a fun designer blog scavenger hunt tonight. I have been assigned a key word that I will add somewhere in this post. You must find my assigned word, then go to the other designers' blogs who are participating in the blog scavenger hunt and find the other key words, unscramble them to create a sentence and email Dawn. The first three people who email Dawn with the correct answer will win a handstamped prize! I hope you are the lucky winner!!

I've created three cards using the Sale-A-Bration stamp sets and DSP. The first card uses the stamp set Punch Bunch, the Ice Cream Parlor DSP and the Pacific Point buttons. I also used Peach Parfait cardstock and ribbon, the scallop square punch and the scallop square clear die for the Big Shot. Wouldn't this be a fun card to send to some "friends" for their birthday!

The second card uses the SAB sets So Happy for You and Sweet Summer as well as the Ice Cream Parlor DSP from SAB. The cardstock colors are Daffodil Delight and Pacific Point. I had fun coloring the images with my SU! markers. This would make another great card to send to "friends."

The third card is my favorite. I completely CASE'd it from the wonderful blog of Teneale Williams. I liked it so much that I didn't change a thing. But it was a challenge to recreate because there are so many details. I especially liked that Teneale used Perfect Plum, a color I rarely go to when creating. It goes beautifully with the Elegant Eggplant card base. This card uses the stamp set Bliss from SAB. It's a gorgeous stamp set!

Thanks for visiting my blog, "friends" of UStamp! And, that, my friends, is the key word (friends) you need for the Designer Blog Scavenger Hunt!!

UStamp with Dawn and Friends!! Oh My Word!!

I'm a designer for an online class featuring craft projects made with Stampin' Up products. My first project (of two) posted today. I made these huge (size of a grapefruit) peony flowers using coffee filters and SU! reinkers and a card and tag, of course. Here are a few pictures of the project. UStamp just started a week ago and there's lots more projects to come. If you want to sign up, just follow this link for info: http://ustampwithdawnandfriends.com/