Prairie Paper & Ink

Gotta Get Another Latte!!!

SORRY!! LOL I couldn't resist...

So here's the second card I made w/ this set.

I stamped the cup onto Whisper White CS w/ VersaMark and embossed it w/ Brown EP (from SU's Earth Elements embossing stack - I LOVE the brown color EP - so nice). I then stamped the froth w/ White Craft, filled it w/ Liquid Applique and heated it up till puffy. This set is just *begging* to be embossed, appliqued, flocked, whatever - it's SO fun!!!

I stamped the "place mat" (not my original idea - I'm pretty sure I got it from Miss Julie) from SU's Label Classics set onto the Loves Me paper and also embossed it w/ the brown EP. I cut it out leaving a small border around it.

I mounted the cup to the place mat w/ dimensionals, adhered that to Cool Caribbean CS then adhered all THAT to Choc Chip that I faux stitched and distressed.

The rest of the card was pretty simple after that. I stamped the sentiment on Regal Rose (w/ Choc Chip ink) and punched it out w/ the Word Window Punch (was I giddy when I saw it fit perfectly?? Yes, yes I was...) mounted it on Cool Caribbean and added 2 white eyelets.

I finished off the card w/ a little more of the Loves Me paper and Choc Chip CS, and stamped the beans w/ Choc Chip onto the Pretty in Pink card base. I then used my Color Spritzer on the card base and sponged the edges to finish it off.

Gotta Getta Latte

I LOVE this new Like it a Latte set!!!! And ya know when I *first* glanced at it in the Winter Mini I though "Eeewww" - and then as I went back and actually LOOKED at the set I was like "Ya know, I think it's kinda cute!". Well now I'm in love - this set is SO fun!! LOL

So obviously I got some stamping done today - *happy dance* - and this was the first card I made.

I stamped the cup onto Close to Cocoa CS using Choc Chip craft ink, then embossed it w/ Glassy Glaze embossing powder. I then stamped the foam over it w/ Whisper White craft ink and filled it in w/ Liquid Applique (SU had it in LAST years Holiday Mini and I bought a couple of extra tubes just in case and I'm glad I did b/c they don't carry it anymore! However I *think* you can get it at places like Michaels etc? Correct me if I'm wrong...)

After I heated the applique (is it just me or is that stuff just too much fun?? I get a kick out of it every time I use it - I guess I am a little weird *wink*), I brushed on a little pastel - had to make it look like I sprinkled on some cocoa and cinnamon and whatnot!!

TIP - you can also intentionally over-heat Liquid Applique - it will start to burn and turn brown - and if you do it right on something like this it will look like you added cinnamon etc. Obviously you wouldn't want to do that on Santa's beard but for a latte?? Go ahead and try it just don't burn your fingers (or the CS!!)

ANYWAY (sorry for the continual sidetracks!) - I then cut out the cup and foam and set it aside. I stamped the steam on a piece of Regal Rose CS and embossed it w/ Winter White EP. I then sponged the edges and set that aside as well.

For the rest of the card I just adhered a piece of the Loves Me paper (LOVE that paper too!) to Choc Chip CS, making sure to turn up one of the corners before gluing it down.

I then tied on some of the pink ribbon from the Winter Mini along w/ some brown ribbon I got at WalMart. I added a piece of Cool Caribbean CS that I faux stitched, then added a Pretty in Pink button.

I glued on the Regal Rose piece and added two white eyelets and then adhered the cup using dimensionals. I then adhered that whole piece to a Whisper White card base and that was it!!

I had SO much fun making this card - it felt SO good to stamp for fun - it's been a long time!! I can't wait to share my next ones (I would now but Tim *just* got home from bowling and we're going to watch the new Superman movie together. So more tomorrow...)

Card Stock and Scrap Storage

It's taken me over 2 years to finally get all my CS and CS scraps stored in a way I like and can actually get to and use and be convenient at the same time!!

I use Stampin' Up! CS almost exclusively, it's not very often that I use anything else - it's the best quality of CS I've come across and I LOVE the fact that I have the coordinating inks/accessories/etc etc for all of it - takes away most of the guesswork.

In the corner of my desk (it's a big U shaped laminate one I got from Office Depot (on sale of course)) there's a shallow drawer and a deep file drawer. In the shallow one I store some of my "tools" and I use the file drawer for all my CS scraps:

It's as full as it can get!!

I bought a couple of packages of hanging file folders from Costco (they're an ugly green color but one can barely see them so why bother spending more for prettier ones?) and then put 2 letter-sized file folders in each one (for the colors).

I then stamped 2 colors each onto mailing labels, labeled the colors that were stamped on top (using a Sharpie Marker and my own wonderful handwriting LOL!) and stuck those to each tab on the folders.

So basically each hanging folder holds 4 colors, 2 colors per file folder. I have them all arranged in the order they appear in the SU catalog (Bold Brights, Earth Elements, Rich Regals then Soft Subtles).

All my neutral CS's are in the beginning of the drawer and I have most of them as 1 per hanging folder as I use so much of those.

After the neutrals (and before the color families) I now have all the new In Colors, I did the same as the colors and put 2 per file folder and then put all 3 folders in one hanging folder.

All scraps smaller then a half sheet of CS go into the folders - and that's where I look first when selecting a particular color - it's now very often anymore that I need to cut a full sheet of CS just to get a small piece - I almost always have a scrap that works.

All my half sheets(ie "standard card size") of CS go in the front of each hanging folder - and that's where I look first when I go to make a card. So then every time I cut a sheet of CS in half I put the piece I'm not using in the front of the hanging file that holds the scraps for that color. Clear as mud?? :o)

Now, as for storing the actual sheets of CS, I use this:

It's metal and I got it at Costco some time ago. I put it all together and set it up so that it fits under my desk right beside the file drawer - so all my CS is in one spot - right beside where I sit!

I have all the colors again arranged by color family and in the order they appear in the catalog. Each hanging file contains 2 colors.

It's taken me a long time but I finally have a full pack of each color of CS along w/ roughly a half pack - once I have to open a new package I put a new pack on my next order - that way I should hopefully never run out!

This file holder is pretty sturdy and can hold at *least* all 54 SU colors (full packs) w/ some room to spare - and it's not wobbly or anything. I don't store any of my Neutral CS in here anymore b/c I've run out of room - so I put all those on a shelf behind me and keep a few full sheets in each scrap folder to grab when I need to.

Man typing all this out makes it sound like it was a ton of work - it really wasn't! Setting up my scrap storage didn't take very long and it's SO convenient as I don't have to dig to look for a particular color - I just go to that color's file, open it up, and grab what I need. If I find that a certain color's file is really filling up w/ scraps (and that also doesn't happen very often as I use them so much) I make a point to use more of them on the next few cards I make.

So ya, like I said it's taken me a long time to get into a "system" that works for me and that I like - but I love this and should *hopefully* be sticking w/ it for the long run (I say *hopefully* b/c I LOVE to reorganize and am constantly moving things and whatnot but this is something that so far I haven't been able to improve upon for what space (and$$) I have!). :o)

~~~ETA~~~

Several people have e-mailed me w/ questions about this post - so I'm going to try to answer all of them here as I have NO time right now to answer all e-mails individually - sorry!! I hope this helps everyone!!

#1 - Where can you get the metal file folder if you don't have a Costco near you??

Here's a direct link to the item at Costco .com --->Metal File Folder

**This is only for ppl in the US and you MUST have a Costco card to be able to order - I haven't been able to find it on the Canadian site (sadly we have nowhere near all the cool stuff on Costco.ca that the Americans can get!!) and I got mine in the store itself several months ago.

If you *can't* find this metal file folder a great substitute is just a 2 or 3 drawer metal file cabinet. That's what I was going to get until I found this. They're usually more pricey tho - and I know that you can get plastic ones but I would be careful w/ those b/c once you get a sizeable collection of CS it weighs a LOT and can warp a plastic drawer.

#2 - Where did you get the hanging file folders?

The ones I use were bought at Costco as well, but you can find them at WalMart, Staples, really any office supply store will have them.

#3 - What size paper are you storing in all those pictures?

All of it is 8 1/2 x 11. I store my 12x12 in the Vertical Paper holders that you can buy through Stampin' Up! (and they're actually directly above the drawer that holds my scraps on my desk - all w/in easy reach)

#4 - Doesn't your CS warp (bend in the middle) from being stored vertically in the file folders (as opposed to being stored flat on a shelf)?

It did a *little* bit when I first started using this method as I didn't have as much CS as I do now (so there was more room for the packs of CS to bend while they hung in hte files). Now the file folders are all basically full and there isn't any room for them to bend!! Any warping that I experienced in the beginning tho was very minimal and didn't affect the cards themselves as I was cutting the CS and using it.

#5 - Why do you store your scraps and your CS sheets in 2 different places?

I do this b/c #1 - I have a LOT of scraps and half sheets of CS and #2 - I *used* to store all the scraps in front of the full sheets (inside the hanging files in the metal file folder) but it wasn't working for me and now that I keep the metal file folder *under* my desk (and beside the drawer that holds the scraps) it would be WAY too much of a pain to try and reach to the back files to pull out any scraps. By having them in a separate drawer that pulls out all the way I can reach all my scraps easily and can get what I want in a matter of seconds.

And really to me it's all in one place - they're right beside each other and this little system is SO convenient *for me* - I know other ppl have some great systems set up for themselves regarding storage and if it works great for them!!...

The trick is *to find a system that works for YOU* and then stick w/ it!!

I hope this helps EVERYONE and answers any/all questions!! :o)

Rotten Way to Wake Up

I got a phone call early this morning (from the Post Office no less) and as I went to grab my glasses (seems I can't even *think* w/out them LOL!) I snapped the arm right off!! AURRRRGGGHHH!!!

They're the only pair I have and I don't have any contacts left. I've been telling Tim for a few weeks now that we both should go in and get our eyes checked and get new prescriptions (especially me as my eyes are always changing and my RS never stays the same) and then it happens...

It doesn't help that I'm as bind as a bat w/out them - I seriously can't go w/out glasses - it just won't work! Problem is is that Tim's working till Sunday and I can't drive - and I HAVE to have glasses by Saturday at the latest!!

OK whining's over - I'm gonna have to figure out something - specially as today was supposed to be my stamping day!!

~~~ETA~~~

Well I begged and pleaded my way into an early appointment and will have my glasses by Friday at the latest! And thankfully they said my eyes have actually got *better* (same RS tho) so that was nice. The ones I got are pretty cool and ended up being the cheapest frames in the place (tho it's still a hefty bill I wasn't planning on and right before Christmas too! Oh well, what can ya do?? I HAVE to have them afterall...)

Oh and ya I've taped the arm back on these ones so I have *something* till Friday!! So I should be able to get *some* stamping done today YAY!

Early Christmas Present...

For me!! *happy dance*

I've been running around like crazy the past few days trying to get things done and decided to get the Christmas tree up and decorated while I was at it (not like I didn't have enough to do already but w/ all the snow we got today I was in a holiday mood).

As I was putting the decorations on I was telling Tim how I so wanted to get the Willow Tree Nativity set someday - I LOVE their figurines and we have a couple of them, and the Nativity is gorgeous.

Well.... he went into another room and came back w/ a wrapped box and said it was quite pointless to wait till Christmas to give it to me:

Isn't it wonderful?? I LOVE it!!

And I'll admit I had an idea that he *might* have got it for me and I was feeling him out when I was talking about it *wink* - but I didn't think he REALLY did!!

I AM glad I got it early tho - so I can set it up and enjoy it during this season - instead of getting it Christmas day and then packing it away a couple days later!!

I just need to make sure to put it in a good spot where the girls can't get at it - they're usually pretty good about not touching after they've been told but I don't want to risk it w/ this - especially the Joseph one as the staff is so thin and could break so easily!

Now I have to go to bed - I couldn't sleep and wanted to share my excitement w/ y'all!! LOL

Chipboard Coasters

When I was in Edmonton a few weekends ago I picked up a set of Bazzill Chipboard Coasters. They came in a pack of 4 and were 5 x 5". I wasn't totally sure *what* I was going to do w/ them, but I wanted to try doing *something* seeing as chipboard is all the rage lately and I haven't used it in a LONG time - and never the coasters - those are totally new to me!! (I had thought I'd never used chipboard at all but then I remembered I did this a few months ago - drat my rotten memory!! LOL)

I got an idea of what to do and got everything set out and then hesitated. I was worried about messing up and then where would I be?? I tend to "over think" the bigger projects (same w/ my scrapbook pages) and spend WAY more time than I think is necessary fiddling w/ projects. So I decided to just wing it and this is what happened:

I was SO happy w/ it when it was done!!

All the patterned paper is form Chatterbox - their "Garden" line - it's SO pretty eh??

I used SU's On Board Simon Lower chipboard letters and bracket pieces, some of the new Loves Me ribbon from the SU Winter Mini, May Arts ric rac (from StarLitStudio), Prima flowers and daisies,a bunch of rhinestones (some from Michaels and some I picked up in Edmonton that are from Bohemia by My Mind's Eye).

(All these pics you can click on to pop up and get a bigger view).

To start w/ I cut several 5" squares of patterned paper - 4 each of 2 different designs. I used my SU corner rounder punch on the corners as a "guide" and then rounded the corners even more w/ scissors so the paper would fit better on the chipboard coasters.

I then coated each coaster w/ a *thin* layer of Mod Podge and pressed the paper onto it (I had to be quick w/ that as the MP dries fast). Once I got one side done I would glue the other pattern on the back side of the coaster.

When I got them all done and dry I used my sanding block (also from SU) to sand all the edges.

I used Making Memories hinges to connect all the coasters (I picked those up at my local scrapbook store a long time ago - you can get all kinds of little sets in different metal finishes and colors - the ones I had were silver). I just lined up each hinge, then poked holes w/ my paper piercer and used SU silver brads to hold the hinges in place.

Once I got them connected I started altering the letters.

For the "a" I covered it w/ Regal Rose craft ink and embossed it w/ Iridescent Ice embossing powder (it looks SO cool and sparkly in real life!).

For the "m" and "y" I also covered them in craft ink (Chocolate Chip for the "m" and a combination of Certainly Celery, Old Olive and So Saffron for the "y" - I was trying to get it to the same shade as the paper) and let them dry. It REALLY helps to have a pair (or two or three) of rubber gloves for this and some sponges as it can get really messy - I had ink all over me! I was able to get them completely covered tho including all the sides and whatnot.

For the "l" I embossed it w/ Winter White embossing powder (SU) using a couple of coats and while the EP was still hot I poured Dazzling Diamonds Glitter (SU) on it.

For the "f", "i" and bracket pieces I traced each onto patterned paper, cut them out (staying well inside the lines) then adhered the paper to each piece using Mod Podge and sanding when dry. The far left bracket I also sponged w/ Chocolate Chip craft ink.

As I let the letters dry I added ribbons and rhinestones and whatnot to the coasters.

I tied a few ribbons to some of the letters and added a couple of rhinestones to them as well.

I used Mono Multi liquid glue (by Tombow - it's the green and white bottle) to adhere all the letters and brackets to the coasters.

it stands up really well on it's own - I have it on a ledge between our kitchen and living room with hopes that *someday* (wink, wink) it will go on our mantle (when we actually get a fireplace!! LOL). I also plan on putting pictures of all of us on the back sides of all the coasters.

All in all it took me over 4 hours to make this - I did it all in one evening and it was SO much fun!! I'm prolly gonna get more coasters - StarLitStudio has smaller ones (I think they're 4 x 4"??) and they're super cheap AND they're white chipboard which is so nice to have as it's easier to color then the standard gray.

GinaK's Store

The store is up!! Here's the link:

stampingfreak.com

Check it out and let me know what you think!! I can't wait to see what else she'll be carrying!! :o)

I'm off to go clean my house (including my stamp room which is a DISASTER, I can't even see the top of my desk!! LOL)...

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

Last One...

I finished the last of the holiday cards I was making and this was the only other one I took a picture of:

 

I thought he turned out kinda cute!! I used circle punches to form the body (bottom one is a SU punch, the other two are from EK Success) and stamped the face and buttons using Palette Hybrid Noir Ink and Pumpkin Pie (SU).

I stamped the snowflake from the Cold Play set onto the Bashful Blue CS and it wasn't as noticeable as I wanted it so I highlighted them w/ a white gel pen.

I then glued on the circles, and stamped his arms. The hat and scarf I stamped using Real Red Craft ink (SU) and embossed w/ Iridescent Ice embossing Powder then cut them out and glued them on.

The Chocolate Chip mat I faux stitched a border around and glued on the card after tying on the grosgrain ribbon.

I added 3 white eyelets to the bottom using the Crop-o-dile I got from StarLitStudio - man once you get the hang of that thing (and it took me all of 5 minutes to - it's actually really easy to use) it's AWESOME. I've been putting eyelets in EVERYTHING. Not only is it quick, it's quiet too - a total bonus as I was up till 2 am the other night trying to get all the cards done and could keep setting eyelets as I didn't have to use the hammer and wake everyone up!! LOVE that!!

SET: Cold Play. CS: Whisper White,  Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue. INK: Palette Hybrid Noir, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White Craft, Real Red Craft. ACCESSORIES: Circle Punches, Iridescent Ice EP, White Gel Pen, Paper Piercer, Grosgrain Ribbon, Eyelets.

Holiday Cards

I've been stamping like mad lately (well as mad as can happen - between kids, cleaning, cooking etc etc! LOL) trying to get a bunch of holiday cards finished. A relative of a relative (only *slightly* obscure LOL) that lives in the next province is having an Open House for the products she sells and asked me if I would make a bunch of x-mas cards for her to sell. I said yes (don't see how I could resist!) and have been creating like crazy to get them done in time!

Here's one that I did using the retired Oh, My Word set:

I stamped the ornaments using craft ink (and Copper Encore Ink), embossed them w/ Iridescent Ice embossing powder, and punched them out w/ the largest circle punch SU caries (I think it's 1 3/8"?? I can't remember at the moment).

I then stamped the hangers and embossed them w/ Copper EP. I cropped the Whisper White CS a little more and cut around the top hanger to make it look "cooler" *wink*.

After I matted the main image I adhered the ornaments w/ dimensionals - so they're glittery AND pop up off the card!

To finish the card I tied on some red ribbon (got it at either Michael's or WalMart), some green stitched ribbon (same as the red) and copper cord (SU) - I LOVE how the ribbon totally completed the card!

I stamped the sentiment from Many Merry Messages and that was it! I hadn't originally planned on having a white card base but it really made everything else POP!

I then did this card earlier today:

I've been wanting this set for a looonnnngggg time and finally caved in and ordered it (it's a cheap set so there was no use resisting anymore!).

I stamped the snowman using Palette Hybrid Noir Ink (you can get it from TAC or from Cornish Heritage Farms I think? It's made by Stewart Superior and isn't too hard to find) then masked him and stamped all the trees (using Always Artichoke Ink) and snowflakes (Bashful Blue) around him. I then removed the mask and added a bit of color to him using Prismacolor Pencils and Gamsol.

I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of Whisper White CS, punched it out w/ my new *small* tag punch (in the Winter Mini - I love it!), matted it w/ Real Red CS punched w/ the regular Tag Punch, punched a small hole through those and tied on a little string.

I stamped the card base (Bashful Blue) w/ Canvas in the same color of ink, added the main image w/ some Always Artichoke CS, then added some eyelets. Before I set the last eyelet I placed the string of the tag under it and *then* set it. I added a little glue to the back of the tag to hold it in place.

To finish the card I stamped some more trees along the bottom of the card (and did a few on the inside too) and tied on some red ribbon (from Michaels or WalMart) along the top.

Before I finish this post I just want to wish all my US readers a very Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope y'all have a wonderful day and eat lots of Turkey!! *wink*

Design Team Giddiness

I am SO excited for my stuff to arrive so I can begin creating for GinaK!! She posted on her blog about the show she did over the weekend and about the new "Senior" Design Team (me being one of 'em!) - AND I know who the fourth designer is!! It's not a secret anymore so I can say (with pleasure) that it's Keri Sereika (and here's her blog)! YAY!!!

And get this - Keri asked for my phone # and we talked for like an hour! SO fun. I am so looking froward to getting to know her better and working w/ my new DT sister! :o)

I am just bouncin' here over it all - it feels **awesome** to be handpicked for a DT like this - I can't wait to see where it all goes - and I'll be sharing all of it w/ all of you!! I so so SO appreciate all the kind words, congrats, and encouragement - you guys ROCK!! :o)

I gotta run as it seems both my girls have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning (oh so fun *wink*) - here's hoping I can get them cheered up and that I can find some time today to STAMP!!

~~ETA~~

As of *right* now you can't buy GinaK's stamps - on her blog (link up at the top of my post here) she said they're working out the kinks on the site (I don't even wanna know how much work that all must be!!) and they're *trying* to get it up and running ASAP!! Don't worry - as soon as I know that the site is up and running I'll post a link and let y'all know!! I'm excited to see it too!! :o)

First ATC's

Artist Trading Cards (otherwise known as ATC's) have been around for a long time - however they seem to be gaining a lot more popularity in the stamping/paper crafting world as of late.

Until *just* recently I had never made an ATC before but then I was invited to join an "invitation only" ATC swap w/ some other fine stampers on SCS. I said yes and had to make 2 different ATC's for the 2 groups I'm in.

I've always known that ATC's are basically a smaller (they're 2.5" x 3.5") version of a card front - but until I actually cut the CS and had them in my hands I never really realized how small they really are!!

I saw this diagram in one of Beth's blog posts that shows how to get **10** ATC's from one sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 CS so I used that for making mine.

This was the first one I did:

The base is Creamy Caramel CS (that I sponged the edges of) and Basic Grey paper (which inspired all the colors of this ATC - it's great paper!).

I stamped all the butterflies w/ Basic Black Craft ink onto SU vellum paper and embossed w/ Clear embossing powder (**when doing this one must be *very* careful not to burn the vellum as it's VERY thin and heats quickly**). I then colored them all in w/ pastels and a blender pen and sealed them w/ a matte finish acrylic sealer (a gloss finish would have been better IMO (in my opinion) but I don't have any on hand) and then cut *all* of them out w/ my paper snips.

I mounted the butterflies onto the ATC by applying glue to *just* the body so the wings stick up. I then added some Coffee Ice Stickles (that I got from StarLitStudio) to sections of the wings.

To finish the ATC I added some mustard grosgrain and a little Prima flower w/ a rhinestone center.

For my second ATC I came up w/ this:

I used a stamp from the new Love Matters set in the Winter Mini. I stamped it using Palette Hybrid Noir Ink (you can get it from TAC and I think Cornish Heritage Farms is also carrying them now) then added a shadow to ground the image (using SU's Charcoal Watercolor Wonder Crayon and an AquaPainter).

Once that was dry I used markers to color in the letters - not a difficult technique but time consuming as I did them in all different colors!

I notched the edges of the Whisper White CS (using SU's Ticket Corner Punch) and sponged it w/ Close to Cocoa ink.

I cut a strip of the new Loves Me paper (also in the Winter Mini), crumpled it up, flattened it out and sanded it to distress it and glued it in place.

I added more little Prima Flowers and filled all the centers w/ more Coffee Ice Stickles (I LOVE the color of that stuff!!).

I just hope everyone likes these when they get them!!

I'm going to be ordering one of SU's On Board ATC albums to decorate and store all my ATC's that I get from the swap. Once I get it and finish it I'll post it on here for y'all to see! :o)

Links to SCS Tutorials to Date...

Someone mentioned that they couldn't find my toot's on SCS. Here's the links to the three I have on there so far:

Ribbon Dyeing

Dual-colored Pastel Ribbon

Photo Corners

I should have another one in a couple of weeks so stay tuned! :o)

Snowflake Shaker Card

You know I've *never* made a shaker card before today?? I've always known how, I've just never bothered to actually do it!!

I picked up this fab snowflake confetti at WalMart when we were in Edmonton (it was .97 cents - how could I resist??) that was the inspiration for this card.

I punched out a scalloped circle w/ my Marvy Giga Scallop Circle punch (I got mine through Joanne.com w/ a 40% off coupon - had it shipped to a friend in the States as Joanne's won't ship to Canada - then she mailed it to me - so the shipping ended up being more than what I paid for the punch yet it was still like $15 LESS than what I would have paid up here - go figure).

ANYWAY *wink* back to the card - so I punched the Cool Caribbean CS then I used my Coluzzle to cut a circle out of that. I stamped, sponged and faux stitched it and added a circle of transparency to the backside of the circle (to contain the confetti and whatnot) - **Note - when using the transparency make sure to remove the fingerprints BEFORE you add the "shakers" - I just buffed it w/ a Kleenex and it was all good.

I used dimensionals (from WalMart as well as they're thicker than the SU ones and work better for a shaker card - also used them b/c I couldn't find the foam tape! LOL) on the back of the circle taking care to leave NO gaps for the "shakers" to fall through - I then added some micro beads, a few of the snowflake confetti and a tiny bit of Dazzling Diamonds Glitter (don't add too much stuff when doing this otherwise it won't "shake" properly and you won't be able to see the image underneath!).

I sealed the shaker w/ a circle of Whisper White CS that I stamped w/ the Snowflakes set.

The rest of the card was pretty simple after that. I stamped the Vintage Violet CS w/ Paisley, matted it on the Cool Caribbean that I also faux stitched and distressed, and then added one of the large snowflake confetti w/ a Bazzil Basics white bard (picked those up in Edmonton as well along w/ "Hershey" colored brads - yum! LOL).

The White CS I stamped w/ the snowflake stamps and sponged the edges and used the Color Spritzer to give it a little more texture.

Once I got it all put together I tied on some Violet stitched ribbon (from the SU Holiday Mini) and added a tag (made from the new "Small" tag punch in the Winter Mini) that I stamped w/ the new Fancy Flexible phrases (also from the Winter Mini - this set ROCKS!!) and Snowflakes.

SETS: Snowflakes, Paisley, Fancy Flexible Phrases, . CS: Whisper White, Cool Caribbean, Vintage Violet, Transparency (SU Window Sheet). INK: Whisper White, Cool Caribbean, Vintage Violet. ACCESSORIES: Paper Piercer, White Uniball Gel Pen (SU), Micro Beads, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Snowflake Confetti (WalMart), Color Spritzer, Cutter Kit (SU), Marvy Giga Scallop Punch, Dimensionals (WalMart), Vintage Violet stitched grosgrain ribbon, Small Tag Punch, Sponge Daubers, Bazzil Basics brads, string.

~~ETA - I got a bunch of messages from ppl asking where to get the punches in Canada - sorry I don't know!! I got a couple over a year ago at a scrapbook store in Edmonton and paid $35 **each** for them (ya it was pretty painful). I know Michaels is starting to carry the Marvy Punches but doesn't have all the scallop shapes (and are usually out of stock and not always the clever lever ones which are WAY nicer). You can also check online but #1 you need to make sure they ship to Canada and #2 beware that the shipping can be a LOT as these punches are quite heavy!!

If some of you know of a good place to get them (and for a good price) that will ship to Canada (or places that are IN Canada) please post a comment on here!!

Like I said I got mine through Joanne.com but had to have them shipped to a friend in the US (who totally ROCKS and puts up w/ me sending all kinds of stuff to her and re-mailing it to me! Luv ya girl!! :o) ) first as that site won't ship to Canada.

Oh ALSO - don't be surprised if you have a hard time finding these punches - they are in HIGH demand and most places sell out really quickly (I even read somewhere that Marvy themselves is sold out of some of the scallop shapes right now!!)

I hope some of this info helps!! :o)

Sleeper Inspired...

No I'm not talking about a boring movie *wink* - rather Josie's sleeper that she's had for a few months now. When she got it I SO wanted to make a card like it - it's pink and has a bunch of little felt animals stacked on top of each other on it (it's SO cute) and I *finally* got the chance to make it:

What do you think?? I was quite pleased w/ it when I was done (especially as I did it right before I had to make lunch and didn't have much time to tweak it). This is another 4x8.5" card that will fit in a standard business envelope (you can see the first one I did here).

I stamped Ellie and then masked her and stamped the a*muse small oval for the ground (which is exactly how it is on the sleeper - so funny!) - and I ended up having to sponge on more Old Olive ink b/c as I was finishing the card and adhering the main piece I saw that I got fingerprints (Old Olive ones no less) on the bottom of the Whisper White CS and I didn't have time to re-do the whole piece!! So I sponged on a little ink to cover them up - not the look I was going for but what can you do???

I then used a marker to color the ear, stamped it and cut it out (did you see I also colored her toenails?? LOL) I then stacked the giraffe on top, colored and stamped the bird and cut it out and placed her on top!

I stamped the sentiment where it is b/c otherwise there was just empty space and it didn't look right. I cut the Pink Passion mat using my Fiskars scallop scissors, pierced the scallops w/ my paper piercer and "enhanced" the holes w/ my Uniball White Gel Pen (a *must* have if you don't already own one).

The Olive CS was stamped w/ the Dotted BG and the Apricot was stamped w/ the Word Search BG and both of those plus the base were sponged.

I added a Prima Flower (w/ a SU Apricot brad), 3 Olive Eyelets and Light Pink grosgrain ribbon to complete the card.

SETS: Wild About You, Dotted, Word Search. CS: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Pink Passion, Old Olive, Apricot Appeal. INK: Pretty in Pink, Pink Passion, Old Olive, Apricot Appeal. ACCESSORIES: Fiskars Scallop Scissors, Uniball White Signo Gel Pen, Earth Elements Eyelets, Prima Flower, Soft Subtles Brads, Light Pink Grosgrain, Sponge Daubers, Paper Piercer.

Exciting News!!!

<---------You see that person right there?? Well you're looking at the new Design Team Member for GinaK Designs!!! **happy dance***

Gina asked me if I was interested and I said of course and sent in the paperwork this week!! She told me today that I could mention it on my blog. Her stamps are new and her site will go public on Monday (the 20th).

I will be designing cards and whatnot using her stamps so stay tuned for some new stuff from me! I'm so excited about this and can't wait to get the stuff and start creating!!!

Once her site goes live I'll post a link for ya'll to check out.

ALSO...

I'm going to be the January guest DT member for Mandarin Pixie!! WooHoo!!

Now all I gotta do is get back in my stamping groove and get creating!!

More to come...