Sunday, January 29, 2012

Blushes and Banners

I'm gearing up for an upcoming Extravaganza with our extended Stampin'Up! Team next weekend.  I'm going to be doing a demonstration using the new Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz and I'm taking the ideas right out of the January Stampin' Success Magazine.  

For the card above, which uses the sketch from Stamping 411 (positioned horizontally), I've used the Smooch by spritzing it right onto the rubber stamp image and then stamping it.  You have to spray lightly or stamp lightly otherwise the image is fuzzy; and the areas where there is more of the spray glistens very nicely.


Next I'm sharing a Valentines banner I created using a tutorial from Create with Connie and Mary Occasions Edition 2012.  Check out their website if you're interested in getting a whole whack of fantastic creative ideas with products from the Occasions Mini and the SAB mini!

I had to change some of the things on my banner because I didn't have the same supplies as were used in the tutorial, but I'm happy with how it turned out.  I also added a central heart to the banner, just to make it a bit longer.



As I sit in my stamping room in the basement this afternoon, I can hear the water on the road in front of the house as the cars drive by.  Very bizarre for January 29 in Northern Alberta!  Hope it doesn't rain like it's expected to later!  However, precipitation is precipitation - and the farmers will be needing it!!!

Hope you are having a great end to your weekend.  Thanks for taking the time to stop by for a visit.
Joan

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Celebrate Mashup!

I honestly don't know where last week went!  There were things I was suppose to do, people I was suppose to call and suddenly it was Friday - now it's Saturday and I hadn't even checked on yesterday's Friday Mashup!  I'm losing my head!  It's all okay though - I've been in my craft room all day - finishing up a banner and working on the Mashup!  So here we go.

This week's Mash Up was....
  1. Make a project using the "Sketch".
  2. Or Make a project using "Something NEW in your stash". (Stamps, ribbon, pretty paper...anything!)
  3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a project "using the Sketch & something NEW in your stash" 
I hadn't used the Everyday Enchantment brads that are included in the Sale-a-Bration Ribbon and Brad Pack.  And I love that thin ribbon, it's so easy to work with!
The colours I used for the sketch are from Create with Connie and Mary....Poppy Parade, Calypso Coral, Pool Party and Lucky Limeade.

I'll share the banner I created once I check on some logistics!
Hope you are having a wonderful Saturday!  Thanks for stopping by.
Joan


Thursday, January 26, 2012

Packed for Baby

Yeah - I still have babies on the brain - probably will for a long time now, what with the new grandson and all.

Today's card is using the sketch from Create with Connie and Mary.  I used a piece of DSP from Just Add Cake.  I had wanted to use Peach Parfait and So Saffron for my colours - so this paper worked out well, and gave me a few more options for colouring in the Packed for Baby image.  And, I'm just loving the little hands and feet from the Baby Prints set!

I'm sort of wishing I had done something to the base to keep it from being just plain paper .....but I'll get over it!  Oh - and do you see that tiny little twinkling above the Baja Breeze Pleated Satin Ribbon - Yeah - I missed a bit of the sticky strip that I used to attach the ribbon - so I added a wee bit of glitter.  I didn't notice it until the card was completely put together.

Anything glittery in your life today?  Thanks for stopping by!
Joan

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Dare to Dream

Well, the middle of the week has come and gone.  I just can't believe how time is flying - and if I'm not careful I'm going to find myself overworked because I'm not doing bits and pieces ahead of time.

Today's card uses the photograph above for inspiration from Stampin' Royalty and a sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  I've used Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade ribbon and Soft Suede. I spritzed the birdcage and the little birds with the gold smooch Spritz and those layers have been raised with dimensionals.

Hope you are having a wonderful week - it's almost done!  Thanks for visiting.
Joan

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Sale-a-Bration is HERE!!!

 THIS POST WILL REMAIN AT THE TOP OF MY BLOG DURING SALE-A-BRATION.  PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MY LATEST POSTINGS.  THANK YOU.



Stampin' Up!'s biggest sale of the year begins today! 
January 24 - March 31, 2012

Customers...
Choose a FREE Sale-a-Bration product for every $60 you spend (before shipping/Handling & GST) 
 

Hostesses...
Get a FREE shopping tote when you host a $200 workshop
Get a FREE hostess bundle when you host a $525 workshop
(That's in addition to all the regular Hostess benefits!!! )

New Demonstrators
Join my team for just $150!  AND
Get FREE Designer Series Paper or a digital download every month for the rest of 2012!!!
   

Stamp and Dash....

A quick post today, before I head off to school, which incorporates the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge and colours from Stampin' Royalty.

With the sketch I thought I would try just stamping the quadrants with the flourish from Elementary Elegance and topping it with the punched image, which is raised with dimensionals.  In the end I wasn't sure about the central piece - but I used that to incorporate the fourth Stampin Royalty colours - They are Tempting Turquoise, Lucky Limeade, Pumpkin Pie, and Crumb Cake.

One I embossed the centre piece, I flipped it and coloured in the swirls with a white gel pen.  And of course, just a little bit of bling added to each section.

Well, I'm off - hope you are having a wonderful day - thanks for stopping by!
Joan

Sunday, January 22, 2012

CAS and Showers

Two quick posts this afternoon - the first is for The Paper Players challenge today to create a card using tags.  I used this large one yesterday and decided to use it again today incorporating the daisy stamp from the upcoming SAB set "Sprinkled Expressions".  Pulled out the daisy embossing folder too.

The second card today will be taken over to Elliot's baby shower this afternoon - I created it as a shaker card to go with Hand Stamped Sentiments shaker card challenge this week.  It was tons of fun to create.

Off to get ready for the shower - hope you have something exciting to do today!  Thanks for stopping by for a visit - Joan

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Challenging Challenge

I kind of struggled with this card today - don't know if it's the weather, the headache trying to come on or what - but here we go!
I've used the Friday Mash-up and the sketch challenge from Create with Connie and Mary.  The Mashup! is:
  1. Make a project using "Paper Piercing".  
  2. Or Make a project using the colors "Blushing Bride, Riding Hood Red & Early Espresso".  
  3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a project with the "Color Combo & Paper Piercing"

The colours are good together, I'm just not happy with the way my coloured ones turned out.  The poor things are a wee bit pilled from the blender pen!  Oh well, texture is good!  I added the paper piercing around the edge of the tag.

Here is a picture of dear little Elliot with his eyes opened and duded out in a scarf and hat knit by an Auntie.


Hope your weekend is turning out well.  I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon concentrating on not letting this headache take hold!  I will win!!!  Have a good one - and thanks for stopping by!
Joan

Thursday, January 19, 2012

A New Chapter -


I've missed an entire week of completing and posting challenges - but that's because I became a Grandma on January 8 for the first time - so things have been pretty exciting around here!  

The challenge I completed tonight uses the colours from Create with Connie and Mary and the sketch is from Freshly Made Sketches.  The colours are Peach Parfait, Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade - I've used a piece of the upcoming Sale-a-Bration Everyday Enchantment DSP, and the Fresh Vintage stamp set.  I took one of the stamps and  stamped onto a piece of Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon with the Calypso Coral ink.

Here is a picture of me with Elliot Alan James Jeffery - such a sweet bundle of joy, producing emotions in me I never thought could be so strong.

Hope you are having a wonderful week - thanks for stopping by - Joan

Friday, January 6, 2012

Tea Mashup!

 Yippeee!!!  It's Friday....the last Friday of the holiday, which is sort of sad, but it will be good to get back to school on Monday.  Friday is a favorite day because of the Friday Mashup!  And today's Mashup is.....
  1. Make a "Birthday" project.
  2. Or Make a project using "Pastels/Chalks or Pastel Colors".
  3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a "Birthday project using Pastels" .
 As I mentioned yesterday, I'm working on projects to display at my Open House tomorrow which feature new items from the Occasions Mini - So I knew I wanted to use the "Tea Shoppe" set.  This tea cup reminds me of my Grandma, and working pastels today was a perfect reminder of her too because she liked soft colours.

Initially the cup was stamped with Pretty in Pink ink, then I took off the colour from the flowers and stems with a blender pen, and added the Wisteria Wonder and Certainly Celery with markers.  I dabbed a bit of Elegant Eggplant in the centres of the flowers.

The edge was created with one of the Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies, done in three layers.  The card opens at the Pretty in Pink layer.  I am loving these new dies; including the Paper Doily.

Finally, I added the row of pearls at the "gathers".

Here are two cards I created yesterday using the "Mouthwatering" set.
 I hadn't planned on having anything stamped around the edge of this card - but when I added the "smile"at the bottom I ended up with a bit of a smudge - so I pulled out the swirl to cover it up.  Now it looks sort of like the vines for the watermelon.
Everything in threes yesterday!  I was going to add some Crystal Effects to these popcicles to make them shiny, but passed on that - at least for right now.

Well, I'm off to continue the day.  Lots to do to get ready for tomorrow.  I hope you have a good day planned too.  Thanks for taking time to stop by for a visit.
Joan

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Mojo Happiness

 I actually started this Mojo MONDAY card on Tuesday and finally got around to finishing it on Thursday - life just sometimes gets in the way of creating.  However, a lot got done in those two days - Tuesday was spent shopping with my daughter and Wednesday began with cleaning and ended up being a major purge of "stuff" - so that was a day very well spent!  So, today I have vowed to work in my stamp room most of the day....we'll see how that goes.

So - The sketch for the card above is from Mojo Monday - I changed that layering a wee big because the doily was initially showing under the ribbon - I guess it wouldn't have mattered once I put the flower on.

The colours are from Hand Stamped Sentiments - a yummy vanilla cupcake with "Pool Party" icing and a silver candy bead on top.  I used the pen from the "Rue Des Fleurs" set in the Occasions Mini; inking the florish with silver ink and the pen with black.

I'm getting ready for an Occasions Mini Open House on Saturday and since life has been busy, I've turned to casing some cards using the new sets.  Below are two that I cased from Sharon Field at Created by You.  I've changed colours, images or imbellishments somewhat - I like how she took the centre thread out of the quilted ribbon to use it on the tag below and I also like how she just highlighted parts of the umbrella.

That's it for now - I'm off to my room - looking forward to a great day!  Hope yours is full of productivity too.  Thanks for visiting - Joan