Ready to Give

The gift set in my previous post is now all set and ready to give. Believe it or not, it is all for my BFF....it's her Christmas Gift! I know, I know....isn't it awful? She's working full time, I'm working PT (2 different jobs) and with our kids and various life responsibilities, we just haven't been able to get together. Every time we've tried something would happen and we needed to reschedule! So, here it is almost March and FINALLY, we are supposed to have dinner together....just us...tomorrow night. Well, since my original gift for her was truly Christmas related, I needed something she could use now and not put away till next year. So, the journal and card set were made. I also added in a candle. Of course, then they all needed to be packaged up. After all, the packaging needs to be as pretty as what is inside!

So, I simply rolled a plain white gift bag with the beautiful jumbo wheel, So Swirly. The topper covers up the couple of spots that "missed" because of the handle (I'd love to hear if you have a solution to avoid that problem!).....used my new, current favorite set, Priceless. Check out the "tassels" on the bag....don't you just LOVE how SU punches work so perfectly with so many of their stamp sets?!! (Yes, they planned it that way!) These gift bags are fun to make, and it's always nice to be able to coordinate with the gift(s) themselves! (We don't have that option when we buy the packaging from the store!)

Stamps: So Swirly, Priceless

Inks: Real Red (Classic & Jumbo Cartridge), White Craft

CS: Basic Black, Whisper White, Real Red

Misc: Corner Rounder; 1 1/4, 1 3/8, & Scallop Punches; Narrow Real Red Grosgrain; Silver Cord*, White Gift Bag

*Retired

Note: All items used are from SU

Birthday Gifts

A few of my close friends are having birthdays. What is the perfect gift for each of them?!! Well, I ended up at Michael's the other day and passed by the Dollar Bin....well, almost passed by, because that's where these little goodies came from. I just altered them. Loved the colors. Quick and easy projects. Maybe I should go back and purchase some more!

First there is the magnetic note pad. Tore off the original magnet and added a slightly larger piece of Real Red CS and TWO magnets on back.

Then there is that cute little tin. Simply added the stamped image on top (So Many Scallops, Lots of Thoughts) and a little black brad. Just a touch of Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon around the side of the lid and it was good to go! Oh...and inside? It's filled with my home-made Toffee....just placed some in a cello bag and tied with more red ribbon.

Who can't use Thank You note cards?!! Also found in the Dollar Bin, matching packs of 10 cards and envelopes. Just added a sliver of Real Red CS and the punched Thank You using the retired Warm Regards and the Large Oval & Designer Punches....another quick and easy gift!!

And the "topping on the cake".....the spiral bound journal from the same bin. Monogrammed it (Papertrey Ink stamps), punched with the 1 1/4", 1 3/8", and Ticket punches. Added a strip of Basic Black CS near the spiral and the Wide Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon....and of course, the White Taffeta Ribbon (LOVE that stuff!!!), and some Basic Black Grosgrain Ribbon tied to the spirals. The red printed ribbon is from the Dollar Bin as well.

So....for about $5.00 and a little over an hour of my time, I have a fabulous gift set for giving! You know, looking at it again, I KNOW I need to go back and get some more! I NEED a set for ME!!

Color Challenge Follow Up

Ok....after sleeping on it and after walking past this card a bunch of times today....it's growing on me! In fact, I think it actually may be better than the one I submitted yesterday.....so, I thought I'd share and post it for your viewing pleasure! Still not too crazy about this color combo (Old Olive, Purely Pomegranate, Brilliant Blue)...and one I probably will never use again....but, it's growing on me! What do YOU think?

Stamps: Wanted, Canvas, Sanded, Be Happy

Inks: Brilliant Blue, Old Olive

CS: Whisper White, Brilliant Blue, Purely Pomegranate, Old Olive

Misc: Wide Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Scallop Punch, 1 3/8" & 1 1/4" Round Punches

Weekly Challenge -- Color Combo

WOW! I'm just not feeling these colors this week! The Challenge was to use Purely Pomegranate, Brilliant Blue, and Old Olive together....and we were allowed to throw in a bit of a neutral. Since I almost never use Brilliant Blue (think I'm only on my second package of BB CS...EVER...and I discovered SU 12 years ago!!),and rarely use Purely Pomegranate (not a favorite, for sure!), this was not an easy combo to work with!! There are a few samples that made it into the trash bin, but I have been working on this combo off and on all day....since I was snowed in, it wasn't too difficult to find the time.

So, are you ready? Here's what I've come up with. Fairly simple. And you know what I always say, don't you?!! When in doubt, throw in some black....it can make a so-so card look incredible! Well, I'm not sure if it really made this one "incredible," but it made it much more pleasant to look at....gave it some "punch," so to speak. Not sure if you can see, but all of this was layered onto a Whisper White CS base. Oh, and see the flower? Do you recognize it? It's the flower from Be Happy, punched out with the 5 Petal Flower punch. Isn't that a cool idea?!! I happened upon this idea somewhere out there in Blogland and just HAD TO TRY IT!! (Sorry, I don't remember the source!) Then it was enhanced with a Olive felt flower from Flower Fusion....these are loads of fun to work with (we'll be using them at Stamp Camp next month!).

Stamps: Dotted Bkgrd, Little Pieces, Be Happy

Inks: Purely Pomegranate, Brilliant Blue, White Craft, Old Olive

CS: Whisper White, Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate, Brilliant Blue, Old Olive

Misc: Flower Fusion, Brillaint Blue Mini Brad (Bold Brights Collection), 1 3/8" Square Punch, Paper Piercer (Tool Kit), Scallop Square Punch*, Wide Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon

*Scallop Square Punch is from Marvy and measures 1 1/2" square.

Now it's time to visit some of my sister bloggers who participate in these challenges. Did you notice that the list has grown? Lots more to look at...gotta run!

Bloggers' Challenge--Layout on Page 42

Sometimes the simplest things are the most difficult to reproduce.....that certainly was the case for this week's Challenge. The uncomplicated and simple layout on Page 42 of the current SU catalog is cute, easy, but not very inspiring....or, at least, it was not for me! I made another card last week, but hated the end result. So, there it sat in my newly cleaned and reorganized stamp space and I couldn't come up with another idea (hence the grand clean up!).

Then tonight, I was working on some samples for my upcoming Annual Spring Stamp Camp and inspiration suddenly struck! One of the things featured at the Stamp Camp is going to be our fabulous Accents & Elements--Build A Flower, so that's what I was working with. As I was putting this card togther, I realized that with just a few simple changes, it would work for the Challenge. And, so, here it is.....FINALLY!! I didn't really mean to be so late....but, my mojo seems to have disappeared!

Stamps: Canvas, Dotted, Sincere Salutations

Inks: Wild Wasabi, Basic Black

CS: Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Lovely Lilac

Misc: Build A Flower, Purple Crystal Brad (Ice Collection), Ticket Punch, Slit Punch, Ticket Punch, Wild Wasabi Double Stitched Ribbon

Thank you for your patience....AND for stopping by. Now, I'm off to visit the other bloggers to see what they've been up to! Won't you join me?

Thank You Cards

Can you EVER have enough of those? Needed a bunch recently (and still need more!). Although I often post somewhat elaborate creations on this blog, I tend to send cards that have much simpler designs.....and, yes, there are some simple ones posted here as well....just go back and take a peak.

Anyway, since I needed a bunch, here's a few that I made. The first features textured CS, the 3 For You Punch Kit, and the Cuttlebug.

Stamps: 3 For You, Fundamental Phrases
CS: Whisper White, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky Textured
Inks: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, White Craft
Misc: Double Stitched Blue Bayou Ribbon, 1/2" Round Punch, Cuttlebug Textile Texture Embossing Folder
NOTE: The emobssed Blue Bayou CS was gently rubbed directly with the White Craft Ink Pad to give it more "texture."

I just love the way this card came out....and it was so simple and quick! The paisley print is non-SU patterned background paper from Making Memories that was simply mounted onto a Very Vanilla CS base. The cute little porcipine was colored in with markers and an Aqua Brush and highlighted with my Glitter Pen by Sakura. The scalloped background was created using a Marvy Giga Punch.

Stamps: Fun & Fast Notes, Fundamental Phrases
CS: Regal Rose, Very Vanilla, Watercolor Paper, Making Memories Bkgrd Ppr

Inks: Timber Brown StazOn
Misc: Glitter Pen by Sakura, Aqua Brush, Chocolate Chip & Regal Rose Markers, Rose Narrow Organdy

And, here's one more! This one features background paper that I've had for about a year.....have a pad of papers that I tend to "hoard!" Doesn't this print work perfectly with the Sale-a-Bration set? Another fun one! AND I used a color that I almost never use: Apricot Appeal...pretty, I just never think to use it!.

Stamps: So Many Scallops (Sale-a-Bration '08), Warmest Regards*, Canvas, Kind of You
CS: Whisper White, Old Olive, Ballet Blue
Inks: Ballet Blue, Old Olive, Apricot Appeal, Basic Black
Misc: 1 3/8" Round Punch, Ticket Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Old Olive Brocade Blue Mini Brads, Wide Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Paper Piercer (Tool Kit)

Birthday Give Away!

It's MY birthday week....I'm celebrating by offering YOU some Blog Candy! Leave a comment to this post and a winner will be chosen next Friday evening. So, be sure to leave your comment by 9:00pm on February 8. The winner will be announced on Saturday morning.

NOTE: Only 1 entry per person, please!


Contents of prize:
Days to Remember Calendar (8.5x11) in Confetti White; by SU (blank)
Cuttlebug Tiny Mosaic Embossing Folder; by Provo Craft
2 Mini Clear Stamp sets; by Studio G
3 Spools patterned ribbon; by American Crafts

We have a winner!!! CONGRATULATIONS, MJ! I'll get your goodies in the mail shortly. Thanks to all of you for visiting and leaving your comments. (By the way....I had a wonderful birthday!)

Weekly Bloggers' Challenge -- Color Combo

This week was a color challenge....not a color combo I would ever have thought to put together, but when done, it's really quite vibrant....and, what's more, IT WORKS! IRL, it's quite pretty....although I have to admit that I found it difficult to put these colors together. Not sure if I'll use them again, but it was fun!! One of the really great things about these Challenges, is that they really push me out of my comfort zone and force me to be creative in ways I would not ordinarily think of!

So....what do you think?!! Colors used were: Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Old Olive, and Taken with Teal....and we could use a bit of Whisper White or Very Vanilla. When I first read about this, all I could think of was...YUK! (Sorry, Lisa!) So, can you see why I had such a difficult time?

This card features a flower from the SU Pretties Kit....all the flowers come in white so that they can be customized to suit the creator. In this case, I used the Aqua Brush and some Pumpkin Pie ink to color it. Layered a smaller flower** that very closely matches Taken with Teal and a Green Crystal Brad from the Ice Collection.

Stamps: Sanded, Canvas, Warmest Regards*
Inks: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie
CS: Taken with Teal, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
Misc: Wide Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Green Crystal Brad, Pumpkin Pie Ink, Aqua Brush, Flowers from Pretties Kit, Rose Red Designer Paper, Large Glue Dot

*Retired
**Non SU

Don't forget to take a peak at the submissions made by the other participating Bloggers. Enjoy!

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge

More Priceless! (Maybe I should put this set away?!!) It is still sitting on my desktop because I've been preparing for an upcoming class using this very set. So versatile....just love this set! The class will be centered around Valentine's Day, but this card is for a very special friend who will be celebrating her birthday in the next week or so.

I've borrowed this layout. It's been floating around on many of the blogs and interpreted in so many, many ways. The designer of this layout was the ultra talented, Beate Johns....it was a recent sketch challenge she posted on her blog.

Anyway, this is my interpretation. The card fits into a business-sized envelope. The colors on screen look a bit harsh, but in real life, they are quite lovely: Basic Gray, Going Gray, Groovy Guava, Whisper White. Saw that combo somewhere online, and thought it was just stunning, so I decided to use it! Anyway, this card is for my friend, Heather, who is an artist....so coming up with something for her is always a challenge!

Stamps: Priceless, Happy Birthday

Inks: Groovy Guava, Basic Gray

CS: Whisper White, Going Gray, Basic Gray

Misc: Groovy Guava Designer Paper, Groovy Guava Double Stitched Ribbon, Glitter Pen by Sakura

As you can see, I've taken a couple of liberties with the original sketch, but I'm truly happy with the finished card! Beate's sketch and her card were designed to fit into a smaller envelope, and I chose to eliminate the side embellishments. I know you cannot see, but the Glitter Pen was used to highlight portions of the background swirls and the butterflies.

Thanks for stopping by!

Last But Not Least.....MORE Christmas Stuff!

This one couldn't be made until AFTER the Christmas holidays....so I have an excuse!! Just finished it last night......

I was over a friend's house...just before she took down all her holiday decorations....and she had a refrigerator front FULL of photo cards received from friends and family. She didn't know what to do with them all, and so, this idea was born! This book was created to house all those photo cards....too many to throw in a box and never to be looked at again. I'll give it to her on Monday....hope she likes it. It really was fun to create.

The cover was simply created by cuting down a piece of cardboard (in this case the backing board that comes with SU 12x12 CS) and covering with some designer paper. Each page inside was rolled with a jumbo wheel and is just a piece of Whisper White CS. The most time consuming portion of this whole project was punching the holes....sure wish I had that cute little Bind It All! (Maybe someone will give this to me for my birthday today? It was on my Christmas wish list, but I received some other stamping supplies instead, which were all on my long list as well!) OR maybe it will be MY Birthday gift to myself!! LOL! Oh, and the closure was created by using a Prong Fastener by ACCO, found in an office supply store. Just tied ribbons over top to "hide" it!

Stamps: Let it Snow*, Snow Flurries

CS: Whisper White, Real Red, Silver Metallic

Inks: Brilliant Blue (Classic & Craft) , StazOn Jet Black

Misc: Versamarker, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Dimensional, asst. markers for coloring snowman, retired background paper (sorry, can't remember the name!), Bashful Blue Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, Real Red Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Silver Cord*, 3/4" & 1" Round Punches

NOTE:

*Retired

The "Christmas, 2007...." was done on the computer.

Soooo.....why am I sharing this with you more than a month AFTER the holidays?!! Well, this could make a really cute gift and be filled with lots of other photos and memories from just about any ocassion! OR just save the idea and use it next year for YOUR holiday photo cards!

NOTE: I have to admit to "cheating!" The front was actually off of the card in this post.