Trick or Treat

I thought it would be fun do make Halloween cards for Luke's Preschool Teachers.  I'd seen such cute pumpkins on SCS and on everyone's blogs.  They are so easy with the Wide Oval Punch!

I punched 3 ovals from Tangerine Tango scraps, overlapped 2 just a bit and laid the 3rd on top.  The stem is the tail from the Extra Large Bird Punch and I used a shortened branch for the leaves.  Sponging the edges of the ovals with some Dusty Durango ink gave the pumpkin some depth.

The sentiment is from a Level 1 Hostess set from last year.  I inked it with markers and stamped on a scrap of Very Vanilla to match the base card.

Then I dug into that box of DSP that seems to grow instead of get smaller to find something for the background.  I dug even deeper into the drawer for a corner punch bought before I discovered Stampin' Up!  A few brads & it was done.

Then I did this one.....

Same card, different DSP and rounded corners.

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Holiday Best

Ink:  Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip & Dusty Durango SU Markers, Dusty Durango

Paper:  Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Scraps of Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip & Always ArtichokeRetired DSP

Accessories:  Wide Oval & Extra Large 2-Step Bird Punches, Corner Punches, Stampin' Sponge, Brads

Luke was so cute.  He decided which card was for which teacher and delivered them with gusto!

He's going to be the "new PBS"  (UPS) man for Halloween.  I didn't know they made a costume for that!  He's excited about getting candy.  But I bet he'd rather get a "new PBS" truck!  That boy is crazy about those little cars & trucks!

Happy Halloween,

Bonnie

Bright!

Hello Stampin' Friends.  Sorry I didn't post yesterday.  The day just got away from me and, although I had cards to post, I didn't get time to post them.  So I'll be busy posting this weekend!

I mentioned earlier in the week that I was trying some new challenges.  It's a way to stretch my imagination a bit.  This is the card I did for the Mojo Monday 162 challenge earlier in the week.  It needed something.  Then when I saw the Just Add Ink41 to do a birthday card, I had an eureka moment!  I added the Birthday wishes and it looked much better to me.

I used the direct to paper technique on the background design.  I just dragged the ink spot over the piece of Whisper White.  It leaves a really neat marbled effect.  The other layers are all embossed and matted in the Real Red.  The single flower was stamped and punched with the Extra Large Scallop Circle Punch.  Then I stamped again on a piece of scrap and cut it out.  when I cut it, I cut out a couple of the petals to give it a little more of a 3D effect.  Instead of brads, I punched 3 flowers from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack and put a tiny pearl in the center of each.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Friends Never Fade, Watercolor Trio
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Real Red
Paper:  Real Red, Whisper White
Accessories:  Scallop Edge, Extra Large Scallop Circle, 2 1/2" Circle, Large Oval & Itty Bitty Shapes Punches, Real Red narrow Taffeta Ribbon, Basic Pearls

I'll be back with some more in a bit.

Enjoy,
Bonnie

Another Post Today

I've got another one for you today.  This is for the Sketch Challenge 304 on SCS this week.  The sketch called for an oval as the front panel, but I don't have an oval that big so I opted for a rectangle.  I meant to round the corners but then forgot until after I had everything mounted.

I'd been thinking about trying a snowman out of my round punches.  It's not as cute as some of the die cuts or stamps, but he turned out ok.  I put a little glue around the edges and sprinkled Dazzling Diamonds to make him sparkle a bit.  My whole table sparkles now! LOL!  That stuff hangs around forever!

The hat is a piece of Basic Black that I smacked with VersaMark and clear embossed.  I used the end of the Modern Label  Punch for the top and the Word Window Punch for the brim.  (I did have to cut that down quite a bit.)  The nose is the end of the branch on the Extra Large Bird Punch and the "arms" are from the branch also.  I used my craft scissors to trim the leaves off.  The buttons are some mini beads.

The DSP is from a couple of years ago.  I'm still trying to use up my paper so I can buy some more.  There is a similar pattern in the Candy Cane Christmas package in the Holiday Mini.  And I used the Square Lattice Embossing folder for the white strip.  I just love the dimension that adds!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  None
Ink:  None
Paper:  Basic Black, Whisper White, Old Christmas DSP
Accessories:  1 3/8', 1", 3/4" Circle Punches, Modern Label , Word Window & Extra Large 2-Step Bird Punches, Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Dazzling Diamonds, Clear EP, VersaMark

Hope you enjoy this sketchy snowman.  As warm as it's been here the past couple of days, this is the only kind of snowman we're going to see!  Cooler weather is promised for the weekend, thankfully.

Enjoy,
Bonnie

Black and White and Red all Over

Jennifer Styles, who is hosting the One Layer Wednesday Challenge this week, came up with a doosy!  She says, What's  black & white & red all over!  Answer: A one layer card!

Actually it's my foot from tripping over the table on the way to the trash can with the many trials that were errors!



This is what I finally came up with.  It's not my favorite card by any means, but at least it survived the trash can!

This was definitely a challenge!  Thanks Jennifer!

Card Recipe

Stamps: Northern Hearts, Bright Christmas

Ink:  Basic Black

Paper:  Whisper White

Accessories:   Real Red SU Marker, Basic Rhinestones

Thanks for stopping by and do come again soon.

Enjoy,

Bonnie

Concord Thoughts

On SCS, Sunday's challenge is the Featured Stamper Challenge.  I usually don't participate because I am usually playing catch up, getting ready for the start of a new week and spending time with family.  Last Sunday, I had some time and I checked to see who the featured stamper was and saw that it was LynniePoo.  I had printed a copy of a card she had done a couple of weeks earlier that I wanted to CASE.  You can see her card here.

To participate in this challenge you have to change at least 2 things.  I used a different stamp set, different colors and put the sentiment below the design instead of above.  But the layout with the scoring was what drew me to her card to begin with.

I had a bit of trouble with the scoring.  I ruined a couple of tries because I couldn't keep my eye on the mark!  But finally I got the lines straight.  Then I stamped the design too high.  But I love this stamp with Concord Crush & Old Olive so I couldn't trash it.  Then I spied a piece of scrap that had been border punched, who knows when, and thrown in the scrap bag!  It helped to balance the design a little.  Even though it isn't perfectly centered, I like this one much better than the other one I did because I thought I was going to have to trash the first one!

For this one I used the Bells & Boughs set from the Holiday mini.  I inked the holly with Garden Green, stamped and used the blender pen with ink pads to paint the leaves.  A SU marker took care of the berries.

This design is centered better and is a good card, but doesn't give me the Aah! that the first card does.

What do you think?

Card Recipe  (Card 1)
Stamps:  Thoughts & Prayers, Watercolor Trio
Ink:  Concord Crush & Old Olive SU Markers
Paper:  Whisper White, Concord Crush
Accessories:  Scallop Oval & Large Oval Punches, ScorePal

Card Recipe  (Card 2)
Stamps:  Bells & Boughs
Ink:  Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler SU Marker
Paper:  Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories:  Blender pen,  ScorePal

I'm going to enter one of these at 2pawsdesigns {Made by Me} Wednesday.
 Hop on over and take a look.

Thanks for visiting me today.  I hope you will come back soon.

Enjoy your blessings,
Bonnie

Bright Dazzling Snowflake

The color challenge on SCS this week is to use Blushing Bride, Baja Breeze & Crumb Cake.  Dessert is pearls.

I had this dazzling snowflake (the picture doesn't do it justice!) from playing around with the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets in the Holiday Mini.  Hint! This doesn't work well with Sizzlits!  Some of the snowflakes wouldn't punch through completely.  This one did and I sprinkled Dazzling Diamonds on the sticky side.  To do this again, I will die cut the snowflake and use glue before adding the Dazzle.

I stamped a  few snowflakes on the Crumb Cake with Whisper White, stamped the sentiment and added a bit of Dazzling Diamonds around.  I punched the ends of the sentiment piece with the Scallop Trim Corner Punch and mounted that on a scrap piece of leftover Baja DSP from a Christmas pack a couple of years ago.  In keeping with the lacy effect of the snowflakes, I punched the edges of the remaining border pieces added a pearl to the center of the big snowflake and ta da, another Christmas card done!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Bright Christmas, Northern Hearts
Ink:  Whisper White, Baja Breeze
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Baja Breeze DSP
Accessories:  Big Shot, Snowflakes Sizzlit Die, Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet, Dazzling Diamonds, Scallop Trim Corner & Border Punches

Thanks for coming to visit and thanks for all the lovely comments you have been leaving.  They really make my day!
Bonnie

Lovely Letters of Joy

I have been enjoying the cleanandsimple blog for some time now and decided that I would join in with their Fall to Layout 113 challenge.

I had played around with my Lovely Letters set last year thinking I could spell Joy or Noel for Christmas cards and unfortunately could never stamp the letters straight enough!  I decided to try again.  This time, with some excellent advice from Karen, a fellow blogger and Stampin'  Up! demonstrator, I took some of my letters off the blocks and used them as clear mount stamps.  The hardest part was getting the label on straight.  Once I did that, it was straight stamping!

The squares are 1 1/4" and the red panel behind is 1 1/2" x 4 1/4".  I did another panel in green and it is 1 5/8" x 4 1/4".

Of course I had to use my BIG GUY and emboss the background.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Lovely Letters Alphabet
Ink:  Real Red & Garden Green SU Markers
Paper:  Real Red, Whisper White, Garden Green
Accessories:  Big Shot, Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder

Now I need to unmount the rest of that set!

I hope you have had a lovely day and got to stamp some.

Enjoy,
Bonnie

Northern Noel

I love this Northern Flurries Embossing Folder!  It gives such a crisp emboss!  And I have some friends who are very fond of a black and white scheme.  So another Christmas card is done.

The color scheme was really inspired by the CAS challenge today on SCS to use checks or gingham.  The only gingham I have is ribbon in red or black.  And I hadn't done anything in black and white for a while.

This embossing folder made the card super simple.  Once the embossing was done, all I had to do was stamp the sentiment, tie on the ribbon and mount it on a black card.  A few of the SU Basic Rhinestones finished it off.  It's probably one of the quickest cards I've ever made!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Many Merry Messages
Ink:  Basic Black
Paper:  Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories:  Big Shot, Northern Flurries Embossing Folder (p. 26 of the Holiday Mini), Black Gingham Ribbon (now retired), Basic Rhinestones

Enjoy!
Bonnie

Another Stamp Stack Coming Up

Another Christmas Stamp Stack is coming up.

Here's what we'll be doing next month.

Class Schedule

Roanoke Rapids Public Library

Roanoke Rapids, NC

Saturday, November 13, 2010

11:00 - 2:00

My house in Cary, NC

Sunday, November 21, 2010

2:00 - 4:00

or

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

10:00 - 12:00

Cost for this class is $15.00

Envelopes for envelope art are $1.00 extra

If you can't come and are interested in a set, let me know.

Heard from the Heart Bouquet

I decided that I would like to branch out and try some new challenges.  I'll still participate with the SCS challenges too, but I've been following some others that have a lot of Stampin' Up! and some awesome ideas! 

This card is for the WT293 challenge on SCS to use fabric on your card.  I got rid of almost all my fabric when we moved.  I couldn't find anything in this house that would work without cutting something useful up!  Then I thought of the fabric flowers in the now retired Pretties Kit.

I also wanted to participate in the Just Add Ink40 challenge to use Blushing Bride, Sahara Sand, Bashful Blue & Pear Pizzazz.  I needed a break from Christmas cards and these pastels really called out to me.

I dyed the flowers by holding them on the ink pads and swiping across them with my bone folder. (Caution! Do clean your bone folder as soon as you're done or the next time you fold a card, you are going to want to kick yourself.) I died the stems of the little seedlings the same way.

I embossed a piece of Whisper White with the BIG GUY and the Square Lattice Embossing folder.  This piece is @2 5/8" x 5 1/4".  I adhered it to an unebossed piece that is @2" x 5 1/4".  A piece of Pear Pizzazz Stitched Poly Ribbon covers the seam.  I used a sentiment from the Heard from the Heart set and stamped it in Pear Pizzazz.

The flowers are attached with glue dots and I twisted the stems a bit and stuck them down with another glue dot that I kind of squished together so hopefully the card won't stick to the envelope.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Heard from the Heart
Ink:  Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Bashful Blue
Paper:  Sahara Sand, Whisper White
Accessories:  Corner Rounder Punch, Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, Fabric Flowers, Pear Pizzazz Ribbon

This was a nice change from the Christmas Cards.  I hope you enjoy it too.
Bonnie

No Bees

This week's One Layer Wednesday challenge is Birds & Bees, Flowers & Trees.  At least 2 of those elements are required as well as a sentiment.  And of course it has to be one layer with minimum embellishments.

My daughter and I were admiring a picture on the cover of a catalog last winter and brainstorming about how we could duplicate it in a card.  This is actually very similar to what she came up with and gave her Dad for his birthday.  Thanks for letting me CASE you Becky.

The trees are stamped with Basic Gray and I stamped off once before stamping on the card.  I used the Signo Uni Ball White Gel Pen to draw the snow on the branches.  The snowflakes were stamped with Whisper White Craft Ink and I used a cotton ball dipped in the ink pad to smudge around the bottom and background.  I used the Pocket Silhouettes berries to add a bit of color along the bottom.  The sentiment is heat embossed.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Season of Friendship, Pocket Silhouettes, Bright Christmas
Ink:  Basic Gray, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Paper:  Crumb Cake
Accessories:  White Gel Pen, White Embossing Powder, Daffodil Delight & Basic Black SU Markers

You can find this challenge over at Styles Ink.  Maybe you would like to play along!

Enjoy,
Bonnie

Cardinal Peace

I've been using this little guy a lot lately.  We did a card with this image in the October Stamp Stack only he was stamped on Poppy Parade.  Actually, I think the Poppy suits him better but I stamped him on Cherry Cobbler today because that's one of the colors in the SCS Color Challenge.

The other colors are Concord Crush & Old Olive.  Dessert is to put an argyle on the card.  I don't know if you can see it, but some of the panels are embossed with an argyle pattern.

First I inked the branches with SU Markers and stamped on a Naturals White piece.  Then I inked the bird with black,  stamped on the Cherry Cobbler and cut him out.  I used a Prismacolor Pencil to color the beak & feet and a white gel pen to dot the eye.  I stamped a little too far to one side so I inked the leaves and stamped in front of the bird too.  (I feel like I ought to name him instead of calling him "the bird".)

The sentiment is from an old Christmas set called To You & Yours.  It was only available the one year which is a shame.  It's a darling set.  I stamped some more leaves around and over the sentiment.

I'm going to put this in the sketch challenge on SCS too.  The sketch called for the large design area to be an oval and the sentiment to be a circle.  I didn't have an oval cutter that big and so I used the corner rounder punch to round it up a bit.  Keeping the corner thing going, I used my Curly Label Punch for the sentiment.  The Movers & Shapers has a die that cuts the Curly Lable just a bit larger.  Perfect for layering!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  A Cardinal Christmas, To You & Yours
Ink:  Basic Black, SU Markers (Old Olive, Concord Crush)
Paper:  Naturals White, Old Olive
Accessories:  Big Shot, Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plate, Movers & Shapers, Curly Label & Corner Rounder Punches,  Blender Pen, Prismacolor Pencil, Uni Ball Signo Gel Pen

I'm also going to send this over to 2pawsdesigns for her {Made by Me} Wednesday.

I've got a book due at the library tomorrow and I need to go finish it!  It's Plantation by Dorothea Benton Frank.  I can't wait to read the sequel.

Enjoy,
Bonnie

Shimmering Angel

Today's card is from the Holy Triptych set that was retired in June.  I was so sad to see it taken from the catalog and I'm just not ready to let it go or pack it away.

When I saw the technique challenge on SCS yesterday, I imediately thought of this set.   You can link to SCS and then to the tutorial here.

My background doesn't look right to me.  I put the ink on the clear block, but it didn't take the ink well.  I liked it anyway so decided to go with it.

After coloring the angel with Watercolor Pencils, I daubed some Frost White Shimmer paint on the cleaned block and spritzed with water.  I dipped my Aquapainter in that mix and painted the angel, blending the coloring as I went.  I has a nice shimmer, but it didn't show up in the photo.  Maybe if you click on the photo it will enlarge it enough to see the shimmer.

I had been saving this ribbon for years.  My Upline wrapped some Christmas presents from my Hubby one year.  She told me to save it because it was Stampin' Up!  I would have saved it anyway because it is beautiful and makes such a pretty bow! 

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Holy Triptych
Ink:  Black StazOn, Baja Breeze
Paper:  More Mustard, Very Vanilla, Shimmery White
Accessories:  Watercolor Pencils, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Aquabrush, Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Gold Organdy Ribbon

If I can get my table cleaned up from the class today, I'll try to do something besides a Christmas card.  The colors for todays Color Challenge are intriguing.  My table is pretty full though!

Hope today was a good one for you and that you have been able to enjoy your blessings.
Bonnie

Bundle Up

The Handmade Holiday Bundle Sale starts today.

Save 20% on select Holiday bundles.  Some are shown in the Christmas Mini and some in the Idea Book & Catalog.

You can go here for more information and to access the catalogs.

Happy Shopping!
Bonnie

Peaceful Noel

I am really enjoying this Peaceful Season stamp set!  It's a Level 2 Hostess Gift and it has so many possiblilities!

I used the holly today to do a card for the CAS challenge over on SCS.  It was a sketch challenge of this card .

I know it's early for Christmas cards and I hope you won't tire of seeing Christmas too soon.  With so many cards to make, I feel like I need to get an early start. Even then, I'll probably not be ready on time.  I'll try to fit in something else once in awhile.

This card was pretty quick and easy.  I inked the stamp with markers and stamped it on a Natural White card base then used the markers to add some veins in the leaves and darken the berries a bit.  I masked the holly and stamped a few more leaves to fill it out.  I love the way this stamps because it makes it look frosty without adding any glitter.

By the way, thanks for all the positive comments about my very glittery card.  I'm glad I posted it and didn't trash it because it seems that many of you enjoyed it!

A clear block works well as a guide for the lines.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a block the right size, so I had to carefully slide it over as I drew.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Peaceful Season, Many Merry Messages
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler
Paper:  Naturals White
Accessories:  Soft Suede, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler SU Markers

I hope you found some inspiration here tonight.

Enjoy,
Bonnie

It's Just Not Me!

I'm almost embarassed to even show this!  It's so not me!  I rarely use any sparkle.  It's not that I'm against it, I just don't do it well, I think.

Maybe if I had just put a little dazzle I would like it better.  I really go carried away!

I started to just trash it, but then I thought, maybe someone would like it and find some inspiration from it.  Even if it is what not to do!  LOL

The One Layer Wednesday challenge, that I usually participate in, has taken a detour.  Since Susan is swamped, Jennifer offered to host the challenge the rest of this month.  Wasn't that nice of her?

Her challenge was to do a holiday card and not use white, cream, red or green as background colors.  Whew, that's hard!

Then the Free for All Challenge on SCS today was Winter White Out.  Do a winter card not using white, purple or blue.  Now that's doubly hard!

I spied this stamp from A Cardinal Christmas.  It's supposed to be mistletoe, but if you have looked closely at some of the holly that they use in landscaping, it resembles that.

I used the Black Magic technique.  I stamped the image with Whisper White on any color (here I used Crumb Cake).  After it  dried, I colored it with watercolor pencils.  (I used a combination of SU Watercolor pencils & Prismacolor pencils.)

It didn't look too bad at this point, although the leaves could have been a bit darker.  Then I used a little 2 way glue and sprinkled Dazzling Diamonds to give it a frosty look.  Yikes!

I had a bird punched out already and I put him between the branches, double scored the edges and decided to quit.  Besides, Luke woke up.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  A Cardinal Christmas
Ink:  Whisper White
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories:  Extra Large 2-Step Bird Punch, Dazzling Diamonds, Basic Rhinestone

I guess technically I did use white, but I covered that up.  Then glittered it!  I have sparkles all over the room!

Have a dazzling weekend.
Bonnie

Northern Gilded Wreath

I love Very Vanilla and Gold as Christmas colors.  So when I saw the sketch challenge on SCS yesterday, and I realized that this wreath was just the right size for the main layer, I pulled out the gilding.  You can see the sketch here.

First I stamped the wreath in VersaMark and embossed it in gold.  We had a front door once that had a rounded top.  I loved that door!  So I rounded the top two corners to kind of resemble that door.

All that was left was to cut up some embossed Very Vanilla and mount the pieces on Brushed Gold.

I opted for a little pop of color with the red ribbon and the sentiment stamped in Real Red and punched out.

I keep thinking I should have done something to the actual card base.  It looks a little bare to me.  Too late now though.  Let me know what you think.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Northern Hearts, Teeny, Tiny Wishes
Ink:  VersaMark
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Brushed Gold
Accessories:  Gold Embossing Powder, Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Basic Rhinestone, Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Real Red SU Marker, Word Window & Modern Label Punches

Enjoy,
Bonnie

Crinkly Snowflakes

I just couldn't resist!  I did another card for the CAS challenge on SCS this week. 

Have you ever tried to emboss Vellum with the Big Shot and an embossing folder?  It really crinkles.  It sounds like it is being chewed up.....

...and turns our beautifully!

Just adhere it (with Vellum adhesive) to a sheet of Bashful Blue, stick an adhesive backed pearl on the big snowflake, tie a bow, and mount it on a Whisper White card.

So easy!

Card Recipe

Paper:  Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Paper Vellum

Accessories:  Big Shot, Northern Flurries Embossing Folder, Basic Pearls, White Taffeta Ribbon

I'm going to submit this to my friend Sarah's (2pawsdesigns) {Made by Me} Wednesday challenge.  Follow the link and show your creation.

Enjoy,

Bonnie

Lovely Tree Trimmings

The Technique Lover's Challenge on SCS yesterday was to do "wet paper stamping".  There is a great tutorial by Joan Ervin.  You can see it here.

I read it yesterday and had already forgotten that I should wet the paper with a wet paper towel!  I spritzed water over the watercolor paper instead.  I think it was a little too wet.

Anyway, I used the fir tree from Lovely as a Tree and inked the tree but not the trunk with Pear Pizzazz and stamped it at an angle on the wet paper. 

While that was drying, I stamped the lovely ornaments from Tree Trimmings in Real Red on Pink Pirouette card stock and cut them out.

Once the trees were dry, I stamped over them with Old Olive.

I stamped the ribbon hanger & the sentiment with Encore Gold.  I was going to emboss them, but remembered that I tried embossing on watercolor paper last year and didn't like the results.

I adhered the ornaments at the end of the stamped ribbon hangers and adhered the whole design with dimensionals to a Pear Pizzazz card.  I could add some bling, but I think it will mail better this way.

I used the colors from the Color Challenge on SCS today, Pink Pirouette, Real Red & Pear Pizzaz.  These are great colors for Christmas!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, Tree Trimmings, A Cardinal Christmas
Ink:  Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Real Red, Encore Gold
Paper:  Pear Pizzazz, Watercolor, Pink Pirouette
Accessories:  Stampin' Dimensionals

I had a great time with the Creative Arts group this morning.  It was a small group but we had a big time!  I'll share what they did later in the week.

Enjoy your blessings.
Bonnie

Crinkly Wheat

Hello Creative Friends.  I hope you had a great weekend.  We had a good time stamping in Roanoke Rapids and we made some new friends.  What a wonderful group of ladies.  Stampers are the NICEST PEOPLE!

Today's card is for the CAS challenge on Splitcoaststampers to stamp something that would CRINKLE, like leaves.  I've been doing leaves left & right lately, and I didn't get the French Foliage set from the Holiday Mini catalog even though I think it is the prettiest leaf set ever!  (I'm hoping it will be available in next year's cattie and that I can get it then.)

I love this wheat stamp.  I think when the wheat turns yellow it crinkles.  I know it crinkles after you cut it. 

I love the Cajun Craze for Fall cards!  It's especially nice with More Mustard don't you think?

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Autumn Days, Sanded, Holidays & Wishes
Ink:  So Saffron, More Mustard, Soft Suede
Paper:  Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla, More Mustard
Accessories:  More Mustard Grosgrain Ribbon, Itty, Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Horizontal Slot Punch

Tomorrow I will be making Fall cards with the Creative Arts Group.  I'll try to remember to get some pictures of their creations.

Enjoy your blessings,
Bonnie

Step it Up with Holly

Last week I showed you a good workshop card then stepped it up a notch.  I'd like to do that again.

This is a card that we did in Sarah's workshop last weekend.  It was very quick and fun and seemed to appeal to all the stampers.

Then I stepped it up a bit to this.....

I used the Square Lattice Embossing Folder on the green, added a punched layer, used the blender pen to pull some color into the leaves and rounded the bottom corners.

I think it made a prettier card.  Only problem is that it didn't leave room for the Season's Greetings on the front.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Bells & Boughs, Many Merry Messages
Ink:  Garden Green, Early Espresso
Paper:  Whisper White, Garden Green, Real Red
Accessories:  Real Red SU Marker, Blender Pen, Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, Scallop Trim Border Punch

Have a wonderful weekend.  I hope you get to stamp something fun.

Enjoy your blessings,
Bonnie

Perfectly Thanks

Hello Stamping Friends.  I know some of you took full advantage of the Clearance Blitz at Stampin' Up!  I did too.  I just can't pass up a good sale and this was the best!

I'm still busily cutting and assembling kits for the Stamp Stack on Saturday.  I just had to take a quick break and share something with you.  Unfortunately, I haven't had time to do much stamping for fun and challenges this week.  There have been some really good challenges too.  I hate to have to miss them, but I also would hate to show up at the Stamp Stack and not be prepared.  Especially since it's 90 miles away.  I can't just run in the back and get what we need.  I've got to take it with me.  I am so looking forward to meeting with these ladies.  Some are dear friends and some are new friends.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Elements of Style, Vintage Vogue, Perfect Punches
Ink:  Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Tempting Turquoise
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise
Accessories:  Scallop Trim Border, Scallop Oval, & Wide Oval Punches, Big Shot, Ovals Die, Tempting Turquoise grosgrain ribbon

Back to the stamping room.

Enjoy your blessings.
Bonnie

Autumn Leaf Thanks

Today has been such a busy day!  I am madly trying to get ready for the Stamp Stack on Saturday and haven't had a minute to make a card today.  So I am going to share a card that I made a while back.

Again, it is made with some retired stuff.  The stamp set, Autumn Leaf Prints, has been retired for years.  The new French Foliage, in the Holiday Mini, is so similar except that it has an awesome script stamp and a couple of different leaves.  I really wanted to buy it, but I'm trying to be thrifty and decided I would have to wait on this one.  So I keep pulling out the old set.  That's one advantage of Stampin' Up! stamps.  They last and last!

I CASEd this card from Bar on SCS.  I used a different leaf, different colors (the Dusty Durango is also retired), used the Sanded stamp on the background and a different sentiment.

I think it will make a great Thanksgiving card or just a special Autumn thank you.

Back to cutting.  I'm also listening to a Jodi Picoult book, Handle with Care.  I love that I can multi task with "reading" a book while cutting out cards.  Two of my favorite things.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Autumn Leaf Prints, Happy Harmony, Sanded
Ink:  Sahara Sand, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede
Paper:  Dusty Durango, Whisper White
Accessories:  Dusty Durango Polka Dot Ribbon

Such a quick and easy card and I think one of my favorite layouts.

Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope you enjoyed your visit and will return soon.
Bonnie

Great SALE

Stampin' Up! is having a GREAT SALE.  Lots & Lots of items marked down up to 80%.  Can you believe that!  I can't, and I can tell you that I am taking advantage of the savings!

All you have to do is go to my Stampin' Up Website, click on PRODUCTS.  Then click on SHOP NOW.  On the sidebar you will see CLEARANCE. RACK  Just click on that and it will bring up all those good bargains.  Just a hint, at the top and to the right you will see how many items it shows at a time.  If you click on the arrow and get the drop down, click on all and it will save you a lot of time if your computer is as slow as mine to load a page.  Then you can scroll up and down to your hearts content.

You can order on-line or email tonight or tomorrow afternoon and I will get your order in tomorrow before all the good stuff is gone.

Happy Shopping,
Bonnie

Lovely Split Image

Yesterday's Technique Lover's Challenge on SCS was to do a split image.  I envisioned a scene through a window and thought of the lovely colors of Fall.  Of course it's way too early to see any colors out my windows, but I'm hoping we get a good show in a few weeks.

My design square is 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" stamped, sponged and cut in quarters (1 1/4" squares).  The Cajun Craze is 2 3/4" square.  I embossed a  3 1/2" x 4 3/4" piece of Very Vanilla with the BIG GUY and the Square Lattice Embossing Folder and cut a piece of crumb cake 1/8" larger.

I didn't do any masking to sponge.  I had stamped the design and colored the "leaves" with cotton swabs patted on the ink pads.  Then I used sponge daubers patted on ink pads to do the sky.  I did the sun and just sponged around it.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, Teeny, Tiny Wishes
Ink:  Soft Suede, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Riding Hood Red, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze
Accessories:  Word Window & Modern Label Punches, Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Sponge Daubers, Cotton Swabs

Enjoy your blessings,
Bonnie

Faux Letterpress

The CAS challenge today is to do a technique where you ink your embossing folder.  The technique is called Faux Letterpress.  Basically you use your inkpads (Stampin' Spots work well) to ink the bottom of the embossing folder.  Well, my embossing folders don't say which is the bottom.  I tried inking both sides and I thought they looked very similar.  So I guess you can ink either side.  After you ink the folder, you put it through your BIG GUY and watch for the magic results.

I used Close to Cocoa since I wasn't sure what it was going to do.  I think Crumb Cake would give similar results.  I also used my new Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder.  It gives such a deep impression!  I used it on Whisper White Cardstock and I really like the contrast.  I think I like this technique and will probably try it again!

I was trying to figure out what else to use on my card, and I thought about this bird that I had stamped on watercolor paper a long time ago and never painted.  I just got my Stampin' Up! Watercolor pencils so I gave them a try.  I had used some watercolor pencils in the past but they are not the quality of the Stampin' Up! ones!  I used the pencils and a blender pen and I think the bird (a sparrow?) looks pretty good for me.  I love the way the colors blend with these pencils!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Touch of Nature

Ink:  Black StazOn, Close to Cocoa

Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango Textured, Watercolor

Accessories:  Big Shot, Vintage Label Embossing Folder, Ovals Die, Shape Cutter (non SU)

By the way, the embossing folder cleans right up with soap and water and the Classic Ink works fine with this technique.

Hope you enjoy this and are inspired to give this technique a try.

Bonnie

Lovely Dazzling Tree

Hello Crafty Friends.  What a busy weekend on this end.  Saturday was World Cardmaking Day and I was fortunate to be able to spend it with a group of lovely young ladies.  My friend Sarah of 2pawsdesigns, hosted a Stampin' Up! workshop and invited some of her friends.  What fun!  A couple of the ladies had never stamped before and it was really fun showing them how they could be creative.  I hope I get together with them again soon.

This is one of the cards we made.  Actually, this is the card I made.  All five of them created their own layout!  I love it when they do that!  I wish I had taken my camera, but I'm thankful I had all the supplies I needed.

You can't really see the sparkle, but the tree looks frosty with Dazzling Diamonds.  If you click on the picture, you may be able to see the sparkle.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, Teeny, Tiny Wishes
Ink:  Always Artichoke
Paper:  Naturals White, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories:  Always Artichoke, Soft Suede & Cherry Cobbler SU Markers, Dazzling Diamonds

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and got to celebrate World Cardmaking Day by stamping to your heart's content .

Enjoy your blessings,
Bonnie

Step it up a Notch

Last week I did two one layer cards and wasn't satisfied with either of them.  So, I decided to step them up a notch.  This week I stepped up the butterfly card.

This........

 From this..........

I like it better.  What do you think?

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Dreams du Jour, Because I Care
Ink:  Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi, Cajun Craze
Accessories:  Early Expresso Su Marker, Corner Rounder

Off to do a workshop.

Enjoy,
Bonnie

Peaceful Holly

I used the sketch that Roxie gave on SCS this week.  It was the 300th sketch!  What an accomplishment!

Mr. Brown (or Luke's new PBS man) brought this Level 2 Hostess gift in the package earlier this week.  I love the swirly sentiment and it was just the right size for the sketch if I flipped it.

I think the Pear Pizzazz is going to work well for Christmas cards.  It's not the traditional, but it's beautiful with Night of  Navy & Cherry Cobbler.  I used Garden Green ink for the holly and it blended well with the Pear too.  And did you notice the new embossing folder?  I love these embossing folders!  Such an easy way to add a little pizzazz to a card!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Peaceful Season, Bells & Boughs

Ink:  Night of Navy, Garden Green

Paper:  Pear Pizzazz, Night of Navy, Whisper White

Accessories:  Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler SU Marker

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Enjoy your blessings.

Bonnie