I am nearing the end of my Ain't Love Grand showcase.  After today, there is only one more card.  The last card will post tomorrow night so be sure to stop by to see the final image.

Today's card is an adorable couple on their wedding day.  My parent's will be celebrating 59 years of wedded bliss in a few weeks, so I made this into an anniversary card. 

 If you look close enough you can see a bit a "bling" on the bride's veil.

 There are plenty of fun products on this card.  I used a piece of DSP from the Elegant Soiree pack since it will be retiring on Friday :( I love this paper, but I can assure you there are awesome new papers in the new catalog). For a list of all the "ingredients" see the bottom of this post.

And now for my sneak peak.  It's not a sneak peek of new product, it's a peek into my recent semi-stamping related obsession.  I'm still working on the final product, but here's a quick look of one of the elements:

 
I know, I know, it's a small picture, but I promise once it is finished, I will show you the whole thing in addition to the other similar project.  SO cute!

Thank you for stopping by.  Be sure to come by tomorrow for the Ain't Love Grand Finale!

Oh, and don't forget...time is running out to get your hands on retiring stamps and accessories.  Click HERE to go to my on line store.

The new catalog goes LIVE on July 1st!  

 
Card Recipe:

Stamps: Ain't Love Grand; Ink: Basic Black and various markers; Paper: Elegant Soiree DSP, Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White; Accessories: Framed Tulips and Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Big Shot, Decorative Label punch, 2-way glue pen, dazzling diamonds, and Cherry Cobbler seam binding.

 

The anticipation is growing.  The new Stampin' Up! Catalog is going to be released in just a few short weeks and I can hardly wait!  My stamp club members are getting excited too because to thank them for their friendship and loyalty over the last few years, they are getting their catalog for FREE.  In addition to the catalog, I will also be giving them a bookmark to mark their favorite pages! 

 
(click on the photo to enlarge)

 
How fun are these? These were made using the Big Shot die cut machine and the Fun Flowers die. I also ran them through the BS using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. They are assembled by using Stampin' Dimensionals (a lot of them) to give them some height. I also sponged the edges of each flower with a contrasting ink. On the top flower, I added a silver grommet and inserted a Fabric brad (now retired).

The ribbon is Stampin' Up!'s 1-1/4" striped grograin ribbon and it comes in various colors.  It has so many great uses, especially on packages.  Or, in this case, great bookmarks!

Today's cool tools:

			Basic Jumbo Grommets #114348   Regular Price: $1.66 Preferred Price: $1.49 LEARN ABOUT PREFERRED PRICING Catalog Price : $6.95 Custom designed, these large grommets add some real spunk! These grommets can even frame small images for real art appeal. ■ Colors:  Basic Black, Silver, Very Vanilla and Whisper White ■ 5 each for a total of 20 pieces         CLOSE CLOSE PREV | NEXT         PREV | NEXT Fun Flowers Bigz L Die There’s no end to the appeal flowers have for all kinds of craft projects. Our Fun Flowers Bigz XL Die only adds to the flower bed of possibilities. These petal and flower center shapes can be layered in all kinds of combinations, as well as with other die cut flower shapes, to produce blooms and blossoms of all kinds of new species in phenomenal floral abundance. Cut them from fabric, card stock, and Designer Series Paper and layer together to create even more variety with patterns, textures, and dimension. ■ Die measures 6" x 8-3/4" ■ Use with Big Shot and standard cutting pads Fun Flowers Bigz L Die #121812   Regular Price: $36.61 Preferred Price: $32.95 LEARN ABOUT PREFERRED PRICING ■ Die measures 6" x 8-3/4" ■ Use with Big Shot and standard cutting pads Thanks for stopping by!

My absolute favorite crafting tool is my Big Shot.  I'll admit, I didn't jump on the Big Shot wagon when it was first released, but once I did, I was hooked.  Now that I've had it a few years, I can't believe how I survived without it!  It's not just for papercrafting, but also 3-D projects and home decor too! The Big Shot can cut through numerous types of material including paper, fabric, cork and now...metal roof flashing. Take a look:

 
 
This tea light holder was created using the Big Shot and roof flashing from Home Depot (any home improvement store will sell it). It came on a roll measuring 10" wide and 14' long - which means you can make a LOT of tea lights from one roll of flashing! The roll was ideal for me since we made this in my last stamp class.  One roll was perfect for the 16 women and I even had left over pieces to make other embellishments. 

This came together very quickly.  I cut the flashing to fit on the Big Shot Flower Folds die which measured roughly 5.75"x15".  I only used three of the four flowers on the die since the tea light didn't fit in the smallest flower.  After I cut the flowers out, I embossed them using my Big Shot and the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.  Then, I manipulated the flower petals until I was happy with them and secured each layer together with Sticky Strip.  That's it!  It really was very easy and super quick!  Despite how these make look, these are very light weight and can easily float in a vase for a beautiful table centerpiece.

Remember I told you I had some left over pieces?  Well, I had to make a few cards and decided to add a metal embellishment...

Isn't that fun?  It gives the card some unexpected texture and dimension.  Don't throw away those scraps! 

Do you like what you see?  Do you want to make these adorable tea lights too but don't have the tools?  I can help you! 

Here are the cool tools I used today:

Click on the "order now" button on the right and it will take you to my online store. You won't regret owning the Big Shot!

Thanks for stopping by today! In a few days I will show you the cute bookmarks I'm making for my customers in preparation for the new catalog release.  Come back and see 'em!

In the Summer Mini Catalog, Stampin' Up! has an offer you can't refuse - especially if you or someone you love has been touched by breast cancer.  Beginning from May through August 31st, SU! is donating $2 from the purchase of each set to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). This money will be used to fund clinical and translational research worldwide.  The Strength and Hope set also comes in digital form for only $9.95.

Click below to view the stamp set and digital set:

Download Strength_Hope_Images

My card today was a tribute to my cousin who lost her battle to breast cancer 10 months ago.

I added an interesting dimensional element to this card - a flattened bottle cap and an epoxy cover.  I really like it.  Other elements on this card include Vintage Flower Adornments, lace ribbon and the Elegant Lines embossing folder for the Big Shot.

This card was completed by both of my monthly stamp camps and everyone loved the vintage feel and look of the card.  For those who did not want to have the "H" for hope in the center, the substituted another letter from an alphabet set.  A big "thank you" to all of my ladies who have purchased this set to date.

The clear mount set is only $13.95 and the wood set is $17.95.  Won't you please consider owning this awesome set while at the same time making a contribution to one of
the leading research foundations for breast cancer research? 

Thanks for stopping by.

I'm excited to tell you that I have finally had the time to stamp!  And, not just one project, but multiple, so be sure to check out my blog throughout the week!

Today's project is one that I have been working on for Stampin' Up!'s Regional Seminar.  Stampin' Up! is coming to Orlando on March 25th and 26th and I can't wait!! I love attending events hosted by Stampin' Up! - they spare no expense and I always come home feeling inspired and rejuvenated.  I will definitely post pictures of the event.

I am not the originator of this purse.  The idea and directions are from Frenchie.  These are made with one piece of 6x6 designer series paper and they are SO simple. When open, they easily hold mints, gum, mini candy bars, chap stick or anything else that is less than 3" long. Adorable! Cute AND functional - gotta love that.

Here's a peak at the inside:

As I mentioned, I am making this purse to swap at the SU! event on March 26th, so that meant I had to make a number of them.  At the moment I have 16 in four colors: Pear Pizzazz, Concord Crush, Blushing Bride and Poppy Parade. For a little interest, I used the Eyelet Border Punch on Whisper White paper.  The clasp is made with the Large Oval punch and holds the purse shut using a small piece of velcro.  And, of course, for a little bling, I added a rhinestone.

 All of the purses were made with In-color designer paper.  This paper in particular was FREE to me.  How?  The entire pack of 6x6 paper is a hostess gift from SU!  Submit an order of $150 or more and you can select the paper to be yours for FREE.  Click HERE to begin your shopping experience!

Be sure to come back tomorrow to preview a new stamp set.

See you then!

One of my dearest friends moved to Kentucky in January. Her birthday is in a couple of days and I wanted to send her something "fun".  I really love the new Fun Flower die cut from Stampin' Up! and the flowers seemed perfect for my project.

 
All supplies used on this card are current Stampin' Up! products with the exception of the designer paper.  The Enchante dsp retired a few years ago, but I like it so much I was never able to get rid of it.  I hope my friend likes it too. I used a lot of different elements on this card.  Lately I've been drawn to vintage style elements.  The antique brads and crochet ribbon are my favorite, both of which are available for purchase in the Stampin' Up! Idea and Catalog.

Thanks for stopping by!

I meant to post these last weekend, but I needed to make a few revisions before sending them off in the mail.  As I mentioned in this post, these pages will be part of a scrapbook that will be presented to my niece for her wedding. My hope is these will not only be a source of reference (with the family tree information) but enjoyment too. 

The pages above were the only "masculine" pages I did.  It showcases my grandfather and great grandfather.  I kept the colors dark, but accented the pages with Baja Breeze seam binding for a splash of color. Other accents include Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon and metal embellishments from the Hodgepodge Hardware sets. The seam binding was tied around three pewter jumbo eyelets which helped emphasize the masculine feel of the pages. The name title was created with the Sizzix Big Shot and the Stampin' Up! Serif Essentials Alphabet dies.

Contrary to the pages above, the next two pages were made to be feminine.  These pages showcase my grandmother and great grandmother.

Again, I used the Sizzix Big Shot to help accent the pages. The Timeless Type Alphabet was the perfect size for the surnames.  The names and accents were made with Rose Red card stock and then embellished with mini pearls.  Hodgepodge Hardware was also used on these pages to identify the subjects in the photos.

Thanks for letting me share a bit of my history! 

Stop back on Tuesday when I will share an excellent article about creating a focal point on your projects. 

My niece is getting married in May and I have the privilege and honor of contributing to a scrapbook that her Maid of Honor is putting together (Hi Boots!).  The MoH asked for contributions from various women in my niece's life and what we submitted was completely up to us. Since I am the keeper of the family history and an active member on Ancestry.com I decided to assemble a few pages of her/our family history. 

I was able to print the family trees on card stock and on each page placed photos of the people within that tree.  Thanks to my father who kept a large album of photos from his mom, I have some fabulous photos going back nearly 90 years, or maybe more. My sister-in-law was also able to provide some photos of her side of the family too.  Below is the 2-page layout I made for her family. 

 
While the family tree and the pictures are the real "story tellers" I had so much fun using the Big Shot and some of my Stampin' Up! Sizzix dies to accent these pages. I used two Sizzix alphabets: The large letters are the Serif Essential dies and the smaller alphabet is the Timeless Type dies, both of which are available on pages 207 and 212 of the current Stampin' Up Idea Book and Catalog.  However, if you look close, you will see my absolute favorite accent on these page...the flower!  This is a new Sizzix die for the Big Shot called Fun Flower and is in Stampin' Up!'s Occasions Mini Catalog (page 39). Take a closer look:

Isn't it fabulous? I like how the flowers aren't "matchy-matchy" yet they nest together so beautifully. Love it!

Come back over the weekend and I will show you a few more of the pages I've completed.

Have a GREAT Friday!

I'm a little delayed in keeping my New Year's promise to myself, but I was determined to get today's project posted before the month ended.  Based on that theory, I'm way ahead of schedule :)

Today's post showcases one of the projects we did last week at my January Stamp Camp in Clermont, FL. It is a calendar propped up by an easel card.  It was a big hit!  The designer paper we used is retired from Stampin' Up!, but I liked it so much and knew the ladies would too.  I was able to incorporate several products including punches, Big Shot dies, ribbon, brads and even a little bling with a rhinestone.  If you are interested in learning how to make this simple, but very cool card, follow this link.

 
One of my favorite things about this calendar is the the mini safety pin and mini tag hanging from the ribbon. Little touches like this add so much to a project.

I have a lot of updating to do on my blog over the next few days, especially with the release of the new mini catalog and the upcoming, biggest sale of the year...SALE-A-BRATION!  If you are thinking about purchasing Stampin' Up! product, Sale-a-bration is the time to do it!  Why?  FREE product! This fabulous sale begins on January 25th. Details will follow shortly.

Thanks for dropping by. 

I am super excited to show you my project today.  It's not a new concept or even one I came up with, but I was really, really pleased with the results.

In Stampin' Up!'s current holiday mini catalog, the company introduced fat quarters of fabric...cute fabric too!  I purchased some a while back but it wasn't until last night I actually opened it.  While recently perusing the endless amounts of project ideas and information on the SU website, I came across the idea of fabric coasters.  LOVE them!  So easy to make and very easy to personalize for a special gift.  I am heading to AZ for a few days to visit with my favorite Stampin' buddy and fellow demonstrator, Kelley.  I decided to make a coaster for each of us to place our drinks on during our endless hours of stamping time together :) Look how cute they came out:

 
Here is a close-up of each one:

Aren't these super cute?  Unfortunately the lighting wasn't good when i was taking the pictures and I see now I should have put them on a dark surface, but I hope you can still see some of the detail. Each coaster was made from Stampin' Up!'s Candy Cane Christmas fabric and cut out using the Big Shot and scalloped square die cut.  There is a piece of cotton batting between the two squares to give it a quilted feel.  In addition, although hard to see, I stitched around each letter to "poof it up" a bit. 

Because I love everything personalized, I monogrammed each coaster with our first initial. The letters are also made of fabric (the "M" is not SU fabric, but the "K" is).  The absolute coolest part of this project was using the Big Shot Fabric Adhesive.  AWESOME stuff!  I am totally hooked on it and it made monogramming this project so easy.  The directions come with the roll of adhesive and area very easy to follow.  If you have ever worked with iron-ons before, it uses the same concept.  If you have questions about the adhesive, drop me an email and I would be happy to answer questions. And finally, the letters are from the Serif Alphabet die cuts and are a perfect size for these square coasters.

I see quick and easy Christmas presents in my future!
Thanks for stopping by!