It's Almost The End...

Almost, but not quite. Today's only the 30th of December, so I've got a little more time to get another post in this year!

I promised that I'd be back to show you the rest of the projects from my downline shoebox swap we did back on Dec. 20th. Good grief, why does that seem so long ago? Well, it looks like I'm finally getting around to doing it. Hooray for me! Or is it hooray for you because you're finally getting to see them?? Oh, whatever!!

For your viewing pleasure, we have a lovely sneak peak of SU!'s Love You Much bundle. Between December 23rd and January 31, 2009, you can purchase the Love You Much Bundle at 20% off the regular price. Isn't that awesome? But you might ask, just what comes in this bundle? The Love You Much stamp set ($25.95), the Candy Lane Designer Series Paper ($9.95), and the Heart to Heart Punch ($15.95). And you get all this for only $41.48! Isn't that a great deal?

On this card which I designed, you can see 3 of the stamps from the set and also 2 of the Candy Lane DSP patterns. The papers are so cute, but not over the top totally Valentine's Day. I can see lots of uses for this combo throughout the year.

All materials and stamps by SU!

Stamps: Love You Much

Ink: Basic Brown, Close to Cocoa and Riding Hood Red

CS: Very Vanilla, Close to Cocoa, and Candy Lane DSP

Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, Big Shot and the Bigz Pennants Die, Aqua Painter, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Sponge quarter, and Dimensionals.

And next for your viewing pleasure, we have another card using the Love You Much Bundle designed by Michelle Glennie. I think she and I were on the same wavelength when we were designing our cards, don't you? She used a different pattern from the Candy Lane DSP and also used the punch for the hearts inside the card. Can you see the hearts stamped on the Kraft cardstock with a VersaMark pad? They corrolate with the 3 hearts on the Heart to Heart punch. So easy to add heart accents now instead of having to cut out little hearts by hand. Woo hoo!

Again all materials and stamps by SU!

Stamps: Love You Much (even the words!)

Ink: VersaMark, Basic Brown, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red

CS: Kraft, Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red, Puink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, and Candy Lane DSP

I hope you've gotten some inspiration to go stamp up some goodies of your own now. There's still a few more hours left to the old year and you don't want to waste them now, do you?

Happy stamping,

Sharon

A Merry Christmas to All....

and to all a wonderful New Year! What? Oh, that's not how it goes? But that's what I really wanted to say. So that's my version. I hope all of you have had a terrific Christmas. Our nearby family got together at our daughter's house and had a really yummy dinner. You can't miss with ham, cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, and a fluffy jello salad to slide down and fill up all the crevices in your tummy. And then there's always the eggnog or pumpkin ice cream and home-made cookies! Yup, diet time is coming soon. But I just can't start one yet. Not before the cookies are gone anyway! *wink*

Just wanted to update you on our Brunch last Saturday. The weather had been horrid, dumping several inches of snow the night before and the roads were a mess. Three of the ladies had crisis come up and were unable to make it. But for those intrepid ladies who came, we had fun! The food was super of course. and we a shoebox swap afterwards to burn the calories off that we had just consumed! See, I've got it all figured out! Right?? Here's part of my downline.

2nd row: Elizabeth (cross-line), Janine, myself

1st row: Kendra, Michelle, Amy

Everyone was very gracious about letting me post their card creations on my blog. Thanks ladies - you're the VERY BESTest! Now I've got to get motivated to get them all pictured and posted.

I figured I start with Janine's masterpiece since it is the only Christmas card. I promise this will be the last Christmas card you'll see from me for awhile. But this one was just too good to pass on. Isn't it cool? I love how she designed this from a birthday set - Big Birthday Candle. And I'm so happy SU! decided NOT to retire this set. Hooray! It's just so much fun to play with. And check out the extra cool corner embellishment. We punched out a Scallop Square of Ski Slope DSP, then punched it the second time with the Photo Corner punch. This was then layered under another Photo Corner punched piece of Ski Slope DSP. (I'm really gonna miss this paper! sob - maybe I should order another pack so I won't have withdrawals!) Then the brads were added to make it over the top cool! I just noticed that Janine has a tutorial on her blog showing how to make these corners. Go here to see it.

Like it? Doesn't it give you lots of ideas for birthdays?? Think of changing colors, or number of candles. If you've got some DSP that you love, this is the perfect card for using up little scraps. It looks like it's really involved and time-consuming, but it's surprisingly fast to stamp up. If you're interested in more info on this, just holler.

I'm be back soon with more goodies to share with you. Enjoy the holidays with your family and friends and make it memorable.

Hugs,

Sharon

Getting ready to Parrrtay!

Hi all! Just stopping by for a quick post before going out with some friends tonight. I'm meeting up with Brenda, Dawn, Dalene, and hopefully Penny. We're starting out at one of the stamp stores in the area, visiting 2 more, and then finishing off the evening with dinner. Doesn't that sound like fun? I've been watching the clock all day just like a little kid! Is it time yet????

Anyway, I had made this card last night. I can't believe I'm still trying to get my cards finished. And I've only sent out 4 so far. Yikes!! I better get on the stick here and get finished up.

I love this Holy Triptych set. I loaned it out to a friend earlier. When I got it back I was already going full tilt with other sets and ideas. Figured it was time to get it out and try this idea that's been noodling around in my brain. I wanted something muted and then went off on a tangent with Riding Hood Red and the chocolate Holiday Treasures DSP. Maybe I need to start over and see what I get the next time. All materials and stamps from SU! except where noted.

Stamps: Holy Triptych, and an old word stamp with no make on it

Paper: Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, and DSP Holiday Treasures

Ink: Basic Chocolate, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Creamy Caramel, Blush Blossom, So Saffron

Accessories: Big Shot, Sizzix Bigz Top Note Die, Sizzix Square Scallop Frame w/ Holly Die, Sponge quarter, and my every - ready Aqua Painter.

I can't decide if it should be taken apart and the pieces scavenged to make other cards, or leave as is. Any suggestions? Does the pastel focal point get lost in the darker surroundings? Help...

Thanks so much...

Sharon

More snowflakes outside

So that means more snowflakes inside. Doesn't it?! It was snowing like crazy last evening and into the night. I'm so glad we didn't get as much snow as predicted. It's so pretty to look at, but I'm not comfortable driving in it. Last night coming home from a meeting at church, it seemed like a winter fairy-land outside. All the Christmas lights twinkling through the snow coming down. Ah, this is what Christmas childhood memories are made of. I felt like a little girl again and wanted to catch snowflakes on my tongue and make snow-angels.

So today I thought I'd get out some of the 'little pieces' that I'd started and never finished. My friend Madeline was here yesterday, and we were borrowing each other's Cuddlebug folders. She has this one that looks like a quilt pattern and thought it would be a good backdrop for this large Sizzix snowflake die. The white background needed a little sponging of Almost Amethyst to accent the patterns. Then the snowflake needed a sprinkling of glitter to make it shine. I hope you like this as much as I do!

All stamps and materials by SU! except where noted.

Stamps: Cute and Curly stamp and punch set Paper: Almost Amethyst, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White Ink: Bashful Blue, Almost Amethyst Accessories: Big Shot, Sizzix Snowflake #2 Die, White Taffeta Ribbon, Dimensionals. Stickles Diamond glitter. Cuddlebug folder.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. Hope you're enjoying this season of anticipation and goodwill. See ya later...

Sharon

Cold and blowy outside, but warm inside!

I can't believe how strange the weather around here has been lately. This morning it was actually in the 50's, but it's been slowly (or maybe quickly) falling all day. The weather channel says it's supposed to get down to 16 degrees late tonight. Brrrrrrrrr! When I'm down working in the craft dungeon, it's easy to tell when the temps are dropping as it gets just a little chilly down here. First I get my fleecy jacket to wear, then I get too hot and off it comes. Then the goosebumps reappear and the jacket goes back on. This has been going on for the last couple of hours. Since I have a pot of yummy chili on the stove, that aught to warm my innards up quite nicely. So I better get on with this post so I can have dinner! Yummmmm...

There were a few cards I had started and not gotten too far on. I had actually embossed the Bella Toile layer awhile back and never really was happy using it anywhere. It was too pretty to hide, but what to use it for?? I remembered seeing something done several weeks ago using the Felt Flurries, so I got out my toys to play. Didn't this turn out perfect for a cold, blowy day?

All stamps and materials are by SU! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps: Bella Toile, and Holidays & Wishes

Ink: Encore Teal Ultimate Metallic (retired) and Stazon Jet Black

Paper: Baja Breeze and Whisper White

Accessories: Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder,

Little Felt Flurries, Ice Square Rhinestone Brads, Baja Breeze Dbl-Stitched Wide Ribbon, and Stickles brand Diamond glitter.

I wish the Iridescent Ice showed up better in the pictures. The whole card sparkles like snowflakes in the sunshine. Add the glitter dots on the snowflakes and the teal rhinestone brad, and you've got some serious glittering going on. It's just too, too pretty. This one is for all the glitter queens out there for sure! Hope you like it and thanks for taking the time to look.

Now on to some yummy chili and warm up my tummy (and everything else too!) Have a good one....

Sharon

Hi, it's me again!

What a week this has turned out to be - some good, some bad, and some I better keep my mouth shut about! This was class week here at the dungeon. Classes were held Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. They usually consist of cards and maybe something that's not a card every once in awhile just to keep me on my toes. This month, there wasn't a card in the bunch. How fun was that?! I had already posted one, the Gift Card Holder/Ornament, earlier back last month when I had found it and cased the idea. Just loved that one. In fact, there are several on my tree at this point.
Then as I was reading blogs and checking SCS and the SU! Demo website, there were so many awesome ideas out there that I went ahead and cased another one! I try not to do that very often. I feel if people are coming to my class then they expect me to come up with my own ideas for the class. But like I said, this month several project were pure cases from others. This skaters card/bag idea was found on Patty Bennett's blog. I thought it was one of the cutest and most different idea I'd seen in awhile. You can check her ideas out at this address: http://pattystamps.typepad.com/pattys_stamping_spot/2008/12/top-note-die-goodie-bags-for-christmas.html
The stamps and materials were 99% Stampin'Up!
Stamps: Winter Post and Lovely As A Tree
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Papers: Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla
Accessories: Big Shot and Bigz Top Note Die, Sponge Dauber, Word Window Punch, and a small non-SU! white sack.
Isn't this just the cutest little thing you've ever seen? It could hold candy, gift card, or even a small gift - just perfect for a pair of earring or bracelet don't cha think? Of course, chocolate would always be a grand gift to put in the bag.

Ok, on to the next project. Do any of you demos out there have a few die-cut boxes left from when we carried them? Well, I had a few, ahem, well maybe alot of them left over. Don't remember what they were originally for, but they worked out great for this project!
Most materials from SU! (except the glitter and candycanes!)
Paper: Ruby Red cardstock and Holiday Treasures DSP
Accessories: Large Felt Flurries, Sticky Tape, Wire (retired), Tombow Multi Adhesive (for glueing on the snowflake), and Stickles Diamond glitter. I don't know why the glitter looks white in the photo. It really looks like glittery gold beads in real life.

Couldn't you just see this little box filled with home-made goodies, (like in chocolates) or even a few sprigs of evergreen to brighten up some little nook? I hope these ideas have inspired you as much as they inspired me. They were definitely fun to make. Now back to making some Christmas gifties! I feel like one of the elves!! (Too bad I don't look like one - ha ha!)
Sharon

I found it!

Yes, I really did find the packets of cardstock, ribbons, and goodies that were packaged up for the calendar class on Thursday. Of course, I found it about 5 hours too late. Oh dear, some days are just too much to deal with! Now I've got to reschedule the class and find a time they can all come. Oh, I get tired just thinking about it all.

Tada!! Another mantel banner has finally been finished. It only took about a week of working on it for an hour or two a day. The worst part about making this one was that I really, really wanted a holly punch. There was no way I wanted to cut out a bunch of holly leaves and berries free-hand. No telling how bad they'd look when I got done with them! Checking around at a couple of shops, I couldn't find something that really fit the bill. So it was on to looking for dies that would work. (What did I ever do before I got my Big Shot?)Luckily there were two Sissix dies that I fell in love with. (Actually there were more than two, but that was all I could afford at the time.) You just can't have Christmas decorations with no

holly leaves and berries. So now I've got that covered for sure.

The materials used are all SU! (except the holly and berries die from Sissix)

Stamps:not a single one

Papers: Old Olive 12x12 cardstock, some Baja Breeze cardstock and lots of Holiday Treasures DSP

Ink: Chocolate Chip for sponging edges

Accessories: Photo Corners Punch, Large Oval Punch, retired Snowflake Punch, Snowflake Set #2 Dies, Serif Essentials Dies, Scallop Frame w/ Holly Bigz Die, Button Bouquet (red button), Bold Brights Mini Brads, Earth Elements Mini Brads, Silver Mini Brads.

It's so much fun designing one of these. I think the next one might be just a little shorter though. This one takes up so much space that it wouldn't all fit in one picture. Let's see.... Maybe one that says "SNOW" and that's all! Considering it seems to be doing a lot of that outside... hmmmm. We'll see.

Have a great day and get outside to make those snow angels.

Hugs, Sharon

Oh the weather outside...

Yep, it's snowing again. Seems to be doing that rather often lately. Thank goodness there really hasn't been much in the line of accumulation out there. How can it be snowing like crazy, but be swirling so much nothing is landing on the ground? I have to admit though, it really does look pretty seeing all those flakes swirling around.

I had an interesting day yesterday. Three ladies were coming over to make some desktop calendars with me. Everything was cut and packaged, both the cardstock and ribbons, along with all the brads and other doo-dads. The packages had been moved several times because other people and clubs had been here. So here I am getting set up for them. Can I find the packages? Not on your life. Arrrrrggghhhh! What a needless waste of 2 hours pulling my hair out (and it's thin enough already!) and looking for this. It wasn't to be found. The ladies came and very graciously said they'd stamp something else. Thanks Lynda, Gayle, and Martha - you ladies are the sweetest! So I'll show you the cards they made instead.

All supplies are by Stampin'Up! of course.

Stamps: Holiday Collection (from Country Living Magazine layout)

Cardstock: Bacific Point and Whisper White

Ink: Pacific Point and Kiwi Kiss

Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Sponge quarter, Kiwi Kiss striped grosgrain ribbon, and Ice Circle Rhinestone Brad.

This card is very quick and easy to accomplish. And it's a great card for using up some of those 1" and 2" wide strips you have left-over from other projects.

The next card is also one of my super-quick cards. I always leave my own cardmaking to the last minute because of taking care of other orders and such first. So that's why I'm always on the lookout for those quick card ideas!

Again, all Stampin' Up! materials.

Stamps: Cute & Curly stamp and punch bundle, and Classic Stripes background stamp

Cardstock: Whisper White, Real Red

Ink: Real Red, Old Olive

Accessories: Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain ribbon, Dimensionals.

The focal point is really made up of two of the stamps in the set. The 1st was stamped in Old Olive ink and then cut out along the oval outline.

It was then popped up on the striped punched layer. And then it was all popped up on the card. How simple can it get? If you've got 50 cards to make, you could whiz right through these. If you'd like to order any of these items, I'd be happy to help you get going on your cards.

Have a wonderful, not too snowy day!
Hugs,

Sharon