Early Christmas Greetings

Good evening.  It's been awhile since I've shared a project and we've been busy getting ready for our upcoming family vacation.  Tonight I want to share the Christmas card we made in last weeks Stamp-a-stack.  This card is nice and simple but a real stunner and uses tons of new items from the Holiday Catalog.  The card base is Lucky Limeade and then has a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock on top that I stamped in the bottom with the Greetings of the Season stamp set.  The designer strip is made from Candlelight Christmas Speciality Designer Series Paper, Early Espresso Cardstock, and Champagne glimmer paper that I punched along the edge with the scallop trim border punch.  The final touch is the so cute snowflake with the new Snowflurry Bigz die cut out of Real Red and Lucky Limeade cardstock with a large pearl in the center. 

 

It's so funny, I was running a little behind getting ready for class and I designed this card about an hour before class started and the ladies loved it!  It's so great how just a few touches can really jazz up a card.  This is also a great card to make multiples of so if you're still looking for a design for your upcoming holiday card consider this card, or contact me and I can help ou design a card especially for you and your family.

 

Enjoy,

 

Diana

First Day of School: MDS Layout

Good evening friends!  We had another great weekend and spent a lot of time working to get ready for our upcoming vacation.  Tonight I've been working on finishing up some MDS projects so I can get my print products ordered this month while they're on sale for 31% off (love it!)  Today I'm sharing a page I made for Aidan's first day of First Grade last year.  I can't believe this time a year agowe were getting ready to start at a new school, needless to say we're much more relaxed going into the start of classes now that we have a year under our belts.

This page was a lot of fun and super simple since I used another designer template, this time from the Back to School digital download.    There are so many fun elements in this kit, including individual elements, scrapbook page layouts, a calendar, and even journal tempates, so many possibilities.

I did add several elements to the page to jazz it up. I have to say, I'm completely in love with MDS2, it makes projects a breeze, you have to try it out and you can for free for 30 days, whoo hoo!

Enjoy,

Diana

Cub Scout Camping: MDS2 Layout

Good evening friends!  I've been busy this month working on lots of projects with the new MDS2 software Stampin' Up! released earlier this month and I have to say, I'm in love.  There are so many new features that make the software even easier to use, you have to try it out.  Tonight I want to share a scrapbook page layout I made for Aidan's Cub Scout camping trip we had in June.  This was layout was so easy.  I used the 8 x 8 page layout from The Great Outdoors digital kit and resized it to 12 x 12 (love this new feature).  Then I just popped in a couple of pictures, text and stamps from the same digital kit. 

For the coordinating page I used the same background color selected a photo layout from several predesigned options.  I added the same overlay image from the first page and mirrored it and then popped in pictures and a couple more coordinating stamps.

I was able to complete both pages in less than half an hour (love it!)  I'll definately be adding these to my print order next week so I can take advantage of the 31% off promotion. 

Below is a list of elements used on the pages:

First Page:

Embellishments
    _Designer Kits\Downtown Grunge - embellishments\Downtown Grunge - frame4
      _Designer Kits\Downtown Grunge - embellishments\Downtown Grunge - tape 3

Stamps
    Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers\Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers - o, Color = 0,0,0
    Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers\Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers - u, Color = 0,0,0
    Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers\Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers - t, Color = 0,0,0
    Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers\Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers - d, Color = 0,0,0
    Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers\Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers - o, Color = 0,0,0
    Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers\Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers - o, Color = 0,0,0
    Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers\Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers - r, Color = 0,0,0
    Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers\Bulletin Alphabet & Numbers - s, Color = 0,0,0
    The Great Outdoors\The Great Outdoors - chair, Color = 0,0,0
    The Great Outdoors\The Great Outdoors - fire, Color = 0,0,0
    The Great Outdoors\The Great Outdoors - flashlight, Color = EARLY ESPRESSO 80,57,49

Punches
    1.25 Square Punch
    Wide Oval Punch

Second Page:
Background
     Color = CRUMB CAKE 179,161,131

Stamps
    The Great Outdoors\The Great Outdoors - tent, Color = EARLY ESPRESSO 80,57,49
    The Great Outdoors\The Great Outdoors - ant, Color = EARLY ESPRESSO 80,57,49

Punches
    1.25 Square Punch

August Stamp-a-Stack Samples

Good evening! We've had a busy day celebrating my husband's birthday. He's had a lot of fun and we're looking forward to our family outing to celebrate on Saturday when we head to the inner harbor in Baltimore for the day and ending with dinner at Roy's Restaurant, can't wait to try it!  I wanted to give you a peek at some of the projects we'll be making on Sunday for this months Stamp-a-stack.  There's a lot of fun cards and a great variety so I know there will be something for everyone.

There are just a couple of openings left for class so if you haven't RSVP'd make sure to contact me soon to ensure you get a spot.

Thanks,

Diana

Googly Ghouls: Sketch Challenge

Good evening friends!  So I'm so excited to share my first project created with projects from the new Holiday catalog (I must say I'm in LOVE!)  Apparently I must have holiday projects on my mind since I noticed that all the stamp sets in my last order were either Halloween or Christmas sets.  My card for this weeks Stamping 411 challenge is for Halloween and features the oh so cute Googly Ghouls stamp set.  One of the great things with this stamp set is they match the new adhesive googly eyes (I know I'll be using these a lot since they're so fun).  I started with a cardbase of Very Vanilla and sponged around the edges with More Mustard ink.  The next layer is Basic Gray and I ran it through the Big Shot with the new Chevron embossing folder.  The designer paper is also from the Holiday catalog and is Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP.  I matted that on Tangerine Tango an cut flag edges on both and then layered it with a piece of 1/2" striped satin ribbon (also new). 

For the main image I stamped the little witch in Basic Black and then colored her in with Stampin' Write markers before cutting it out with the Big Shot and the apothocary framelits.  I sponged around the edge with More Mustard ink and then matted it on a piece of Basic Black cardstock that was also cut out with the framelits.  Aren't her eyes cute? 

The final touch was to stamp the greeting with the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and punched it out with the Modern Label punch.  Now check out the sketch were provided, pretty similar but I did rotate the stamped image to fit my little witch.  This card was so fun to make I can't wait to make other projects with these products and other new ones.

Enjoy and happy stamping,

Diana

Virginia Tax Holiday, August 3-5, Don't Miss out on Stocking up on Stampin' Up! Essentials!

Good morning friends!  Just a quick reminder to let you know that the state of Virginia is having a sales tax holiday for school supplies up to $20.00 per item from August 3-5. Because school supply items are included in this sales tax holiday, the list of items below will be state tax-free during the holiday period.  This is a great opportunity to stock up on these essential items for your upcoming crafting projects!

Please note that you must place your order with Stampin’ Up!^® during the tax holiday period in order to receive these items tax-free. Also, keep in mind that this is a state sales tax holiday and may not apply to additional city, jurisdiction, or county taxes.  You can either email me your order or you can order directly from my website at:  http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/default.aspx.

  The following items are tax-exempt during the Virginia sales tax holiday:

Number	Description	Price
100425	2-Way Glue Pen	$4.50
104332	Snail® Adhesive	$6.95
104331	Snail Refill	$4.50
104294	Sticky Strip	$6.95
104430	Stampin' Dimensionals®	$3.95
103683	Mini Glue Dots	$4.95
103579	Paper Snips	$9.95
103179	Craft & Rubber Scissors	$19.95
101879	Watercolor Pencils	$19.95
105021	uni-ball Signo® Gel Pen	$3.95
102845	Blender Pens	$9.95
various	Stampin' Write® Markers	$3.50
119802	Subtles (10)	$16.95
119803	Regals (10)	$16.95
119804	Brights (10)	$16.95
119805	Neutrals (10)	$16.95
110755	Multipurpose Liquid Glue	$3.95
104045	Anywhere Glue Sticks	$3.95
123002	2011-2013 In Color Stampin' Write Markers	$14.95
128978	Silver Stampin' Dazzle Marker	$3.50
128979	Gold Stampin' Dazzle Marker	$3.50

Please let me know if you have any questions and happy shopping!

Diana

Patterned DSP Flowers, oh my!

One of the things about convention that I love is all the creativity that your exposed to all the fabulous opportunities to learn new techniques and projects.  For the past two years during convention Stampin' Up has offered additional evening classes that you can sign up and pick a class that you're interested in.  One of the extra classes I took this year was on mixing patterned paper and Carrie Cudney was the instructure and it was wonderful.  We made this great decor item uses tons of different designer paper.  We painted directly on the First Edition DSP very lightly and the canvas frame.  Once the paint was dry we used stamps and craft in to stamp on the paint and then sanded it so it was distressed.

We then made lots of flowers with different size scallop circle punches and designer papers.  Some were four petal flowers and other were cone type flowers.  These flowers were so fun to make and then we finished them off with stems and leaves made with different designer papers and even new Naturals buttons for the centers. 

This class was so fun and the fact that I was able to finish the project during the two hour class was definately great for me.  As an added bonus, while we were waiting for the paint to dry Carrie shared several tips for mixing different types of DSP so they'll work perfectly and even shared several completed projects so we got even more great ideas.

I hope you enjoy and if you're interested in making a project please let me know and we can see about setting up a class if there's enough interested.

Happy stamping,

Diana

Wacky Wishes: Sketch Challenge

Good evening friends!  After traveling for several weeks we enjoyed spending some quality time together as a family this weekend and I have to say I'm LOVING the start of the Olympics and watching all the amazing athletes, it was a great accompaniment in the stamp studio.  For this weeks Stamping 411 challenge I decided to nice and bright.  I used the Summer Smootches DSP as the foundation of the card (this paper is definately one of my favorites this year).  The card base is Island Indigo and is a 4 1/2" square card.  Alternating with the DSP is a square of Old Olive that I embossed with the Lattice embossing folder and the main image which was stamped with the Wacky Wishes stamp set (colored directly on the rubber with different Stampin' Write markers to make the rainbow) and then embossed with the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder.  The finishing touch was adding a bow with Rich Razzleberry stiched 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, perfect.

This was a fun challenge and something that could definately be used for different occasions and stamp sets.  I have to tell you something funny, part of my projects this weekend was to make all the birthday and thank you cards we were going to need for August.  So after making this card I was looking through my supplies since I needed to make a birthday card for one of Aidan's classmates.  All the sudden a light came on, why don't I just use the sketch card I made, which I knew would be perfect for a little 7 year old princess, it's great when unexpected things just work out.

Hope you enjoy and have a great week!

Diana

Convention Swaps, Perfect for Christmas Gift Giving

Good morning friends and happy Friday!  We've had a busy week of getting settled back into the regular routine and adjusting back to our normal time zone, thankfully I think we're finally there.  So I have lots to share including and I've been busy editing pictures so I thought I would continue sharing some of the swap projects I took to convention, can you believe there are still more?  I was definitely a busy little bee leading up to the big event.  Today I'm sharing my second gift bag and tag, this time Christmas themed.  I decided to go with something more vintage and classic so I used the Bells and Boughs stamp set.  I stamped the Crumb Cake background with the large image with Crumb Cake ink.  Then I used a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock and ran it through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.  This was layered with a piece of Always Artichoke that I punched with the Scallop Trim Border punch.  After I glued that to the back I spritzed the whole thing with Champagne shimmer mist so it sparkles.  I greeting uses the same stamp set and was punched out with the Large Oval punch and sponged around the edges before adding it to an oval embossed with the Designer Frames folder and I tore around the edges and sponged with Early Espresso ink.

For the tag I used the Two Tags die to cut the basic shape and then stamped it with the same Bells and Boughs stamp set and used the Tags til Christmas stamp set for the To and From.  I used a mixture of Stampin' Write markers and ink pads and blender pens to color in the bell and sponged around the edge with Crumb Cake ink.  The final touch was to tie the tag to the bag with Early Espresso Baker's Twine and a Cherry Cobbler seam binding ribbon bow. 

These bags turned out so pretty and since I use tons of gift bags for all sorts of occasions I'm thinking about starting to decorate my own (if I can plan ahead of time).  Would you like to do this, let me know as I'm working on planning a gift bag and tag class so we'll be all set for any further gift needs.

Enjoy your weekend!

Diana

Convention Make & Takes

Good morning friends!  I had a fabulous time at our Stampin' Up annual convention last week and enjoyed seeing friends, meeting new people, stamping, swapping, and learning about all we have to look forward to in the new year.  On Wednesday I participated in an alternate Make & Take session where we had four hours to work on our projects which I loved since I was able to get all the projects done leaving a little bit of relaxing time during the rest of the convention.  Below are pictures of each of our projects:

The two projects above use the It's Amazing stamp set and while ver detailed were lots of fun!

This box and matching card set uses the Daydream Medallions stamp set.  SU had a great idea to save the round rubber stamps from the middle of the medallion stamps and using them as their own stamps to stamp on the kraft box (love it!)

The last two projects above use the Affection Collection stamp set.  This set will be released next month in the Holiday catalog and you're definately going to want to add this to your stamp library.  I really liked the card we made it it may actually be one of our projects for an upcoming stamp class.

Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for more inspiration from convention.

Happy stamping,

Diana

Convention Swaps: Day 5

It's been non-stop fun and laughter these last few days and I can't wait for our closing ceremony this afternoon, we're expecting a new announcement and I'm on my toes with anticipation.  Today I'm sharing a card for a masculine swap I participated (we always need more manly card ideas).  This card uses the Bring on the Cake stamp set. This card uses Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, and Not Quite Navy as the foundation colors.  I also the First Edition Speciality DSP and stamped the compass image from The Open Sea set before sponging the edges.  I also used the Houndstooth Embossing Folder and Denim Jean Ribbon.  The greeting is punched with the Decorative Label punch and matted on a piece cut with the apothocary accent framelits and popped up with dimensionals.

This card was a big hit during the swap.  I'll admit I love how this card turned out but after making 76 of them I'm not in any rush to make them anytime soon, but I know I'll make it again.

Have a happy Saturday!

Diana

Convention Swaps: Day 4

Happy Thursday!  I'm so excited this morning, not only do we have our first full day of convention events but also my mom and Aidan are flying in this afternoon and after a week and a half I can't wait to see my little man.  Today I'm sharing a little treat box I made for the same halloween swap as yesterday.  These are so fun and easy to make, I actually made a version of it for Leadership this past January and you can check that one out HERE.  This uses the new Tricky Treats stamp set which is so cute and love that every single image fits in one of our punches which make them a breeze to use for any of your projects.  This box uses the Petite Pocket XL Bigz Die and with just four simple scores with the Simply Scored pad it creates a box perfect for a small candy treat (Kit Kat's in this case).  The other great thing is that the stamped image is mounted with dimensionals and overlaps the flap on the box to keep it shut.

Enjoy and have a great day,

Diana

Convention Swaps: Day 3

Good morning friends from beautiful Salt Lake City!  I'm can't wait to get our first glimpse of what's in store for us at convention this year, including Momento Mall (what girl doesn't love shopping!!), stamping, and catching up with friends old and new.  Today I'm sharing a card I make for an halloween swap.  It uses the Kidoodles stamp set (this little spider is too cute).  The cardbase is Cajin Craze and I layered that with a piece of Old Olive designer paper and Basic Gray that was embossed with the Spider Web embossing folder and Big Shot.  I also added a cute little rhinestone to the web like a drop of water and Basic Black scalloped polka dot ribbon.

The stamped image was stamped on Whisper White with Basic Black ink and I used Stampin' Write markers to color in the images.  It was then punched out with a 2 3/8" scallop circle punch, sponged with Basic Gray ink, and then matted on a piece of Rich Razzleberry cardstock punched with the 2 1/2" circle punch. 

This is a classic design and easily adapted for any occasion and stamp, you'll have to try it out.

Enjoy,

Diana

Convention Swaps: Day 2

Good morning!  Later today I'm flying to SLC and I'm so excited that my toes are actually tingling!!  I signed up for several organized swaps this year (which means you sign up in advance and the creations are within specific parameters).  Today is the first of two gift bag and matching tag sets I'm swaping.  This set is so fun and perfect for birthdays.  It uses the Kidoodles stamp set which I love and you'll see in several different items this week.  The piece of Island Indigo cardstock was run through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka dot embossing folder on the top and then I added a piece of patterned paper from the Summer Smootches DSP and Calypso Coral 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon.  Next I stamped the image on whisper white with Basic Black ink and colored it in with Stampin' Write markers before punching it out with the 2 3/8" scalloped circle punch.  This piece was matted on a piece of Pool Party cardstock that I punched with the 2 1/2" circle punch.

For the tag I used the same stamped image and DSP so it would coordinate and made a 3x3 card.  I also added Wisteria Wonder cardstock to the card to highlight all the colors in the octopus image.  I punched a small circle in the back so I could use a piece of white baker's twine to tie the tag to the handle of the gift bag.

This bag was so fun to make and I'll definately be making more since I love to use gift bags for all our gift giving occasions.  This is also a great way to use up all the designer paper, ribbons, etc. that I've been stocking up on.

Enjoy,

Diana

It's Time to Get our Convention Groove on!

Good morning friends!  We had a great weekend relaxing and enjoying our quiet weekend with our kiddo but I also spend a large chunk of item wrapping up all my swaps for this weeks Stampin' Up! convention.  I leave tomorrow and I'm so excited to see fabulous friends and learn all of what is coming up in the new year, plus Aidan and my mom are going to meet me on Thursday so I get to see my baby (I've definately missed him!)  So this week I'm going to be sharing all the projects I've been making the past couple of months to swap. 

Today I'm sharing a card I make for general floor swapping.  I'ts actually a copy of of a card we made at a workshop several months ago and I updated the colors and added the new Itty Bitty Banners stamp set.  It also features the Mixed Bunch set (I was definately doing the happy dance when I found out this set was carried over to the new catalog).  I also used two different packs of DSP, Summer Smootches for the orange piece and Brights DSP pack for the Daffodil Delight strip.  I used the apothocary framelits and big shot to cut out the orange piece.  The finishing touch was a bright button with a bow of white baker's twine that just fit these flowers perfectly.

Hope you enjoy and check back tomorrow for the next sample!

Diana

Lattice Flower: Sketch Challenge

Good evening friends.  After a fun-filled vacation we arrived home this morning after flying home on the red-eye so I've been pretty tired today and worked hard to stay busy so I didn't fall asleep.  I'm hoping this will help me get adjusted back to from the time difference in WA.  Part of my day was spent in the studio working on swaps for convention and I definately wanted to play with this weeks Stamping 411 challenge.  This weeks challenge was a lot of fun and definately open to different possibilities.  I used the Summer Smootches DSP as the foundation of the card and to select all the coordinating colors.  I decided to try something different with the flower and used the Lattice die and Big Shot.  After cutting out two of the lattice pieces I trimed them down and layered them to create a flower.  I also ran the flower pieces through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder to add some texture.  For the center I added a Pumpkin Pie button tied with Lucky Limeade baker's twine (I've fallen in love with using buttons in the center of flowers lately). 

The greeting uses the new Itty Bitty Banners stamp set and matching Itty Bitty Banner framelits.  I decided the card needed something towards the bottom so I added a piece of Real Red 1/4" Stiched Grosgrain Ribbon tied in a knot, the perfect addition.  This was a fun challenge and it's so fun to see what everyone comes up with and could be adapted with all kinds of DSP and embelishment shapes. 

Hope you enjoy and have a great week!

Diana

Reversed Punched Blossom Flowers

I can't believe the end of the weekend has arrived.  We've had a great time visiting family in Washington State.  Aidan is actually staying and spending some time with his grandparents so it's going to be two whole weeks before he comes home (what will mommy and daddy do???)  Today I have the last card from last month's stamp-a-stack.  This card is suprisingly simple but packs quite a punch.  The cardbase if Tangerine Tango and then we added a piece of designer paper from the Floral District DSP pack.  Next we took a piece of Whisper White cardstock and ran it through the Big Shot with the Polka Dot embossing folder and then sponged around the edges with Tangerine Tango ink.  Next we took the blossom punch and punched out a couple of partial flowers from the white piece so when it's layered the flowers show through in the shape of the blossom.  We also added buttons from the Brights button package and tied bows on each button with Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine.  Glue dots make quick work of adhering the buttons to the paper and they're not going anywhere.  Added a little Baja Breeze Seam Binding and a greeting stamped from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set which was punched with the Word Label Punch and matted with the Modern Label Punch. 

This card is easy peasy and the ladies loved it!  It's fun to find new ways to use products we already have and this is perfect to showcase our great designer paper.

I'll be back shortly to share lots of new projects you won't want to miss.

Have a great week,

Diana

Reason to Smile, Birthday Wishes

TGIF!  We've had a fabulous week and hope you have as well.  I'm back again to share another card made with the Reason to Smile stamp set.  You are not going to want to miss out on this stamp set, you'll only be able to get in July and when you place an order of $50 or more you can purchase the stamp set for only $5 (that's awesome!).  This card uses Marina Mist, Rose Red, and Pretty in Pink colors.  Since this is a two step stamp it's a cinc to color in the followers with coordinating colors.  The ribbon is Marina Mist Polka Dot Scallop Ribbon.  The greeting uses two of the new framelits from the apothecary accents framelit set which are so fun.   The greeting is from one of the fun new hostess sets, Wacky Wishes, which has lots of fun greetings perfect for any any occasions.  We sponged the edge with Pretty in Pink ink after stamping and punching it out. 

I know that one of the samples I've shared will make you need to have this stamp set so please contact me and I can help you get your set before they are gone.

Happy stamping,

Diana

Happy Fourth of July!

Wishing you and your family a Happy and Safe 4th of July!  Thank you to all the men and women who serve to protect us and the freedoms we enjoy!!

Blue Ribbon Wishes

Well, it's the start of another week, at least it's a holiday week with lots of fun and celebration.  Today I'm sharing another card from last month's class.  This card uses the new Blue Ribbon stamp set.  I knew as soon as I saw this stamp I had to have it since it makes such fabulous ribbons which are really hot right now, Aidan loves to get ribbons, for birthdays, accomplishments, etc.  This card also uses the coordinating World Spectacular DSP.  We ran the card base (Daffodil Delight) through the Big Shot with the Polka Dot embossing folder.  The ribbon is punched from Early Espresso cardstock with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch.  We have several layers on the ribbon, either cut out with scallop and circle punches or paper snips for the tails.  We also added small pieces of Calypso Coral 3/8" ruffled ribbon as extra tails. 

This card is perfect and really helps celebrate your special one's special day!

Enjoy,

Diana