Happy Father’s Day

The explosion box makes a great gift for just about any occasion.  My eldest daughter, Rachel, and her roommate from college made these for their dads.

The explosion box gives you 3 layers for a total of 12 spaces to put pictures and/or journaling.  In the center of each is stamped “Happy Father’s Day”

A great gift for men.  Once you have closed it up and decorated it like a gift, it is the perfect scrapbook to sit by dad’s computer, or on his desk or a shelf.  Ready to show off his family but without all the scrapbook frills.
You can find the instructions for the explosion box at the bottom of this post.

God Bless,

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

A Pocketful of Posies Purse

  

I finally opened up the Pocketful of Posies Designer Series paper and absolutely love it!  The template for this purse is by Becky Roberts and uses 2 sheets and some Soft Suede card stock.

I also created 4 cards to put in this purse. I couldn’t bare to cover up the designs from this beautiful set of papers so, each card has very little stamping and embellishments and lots of a Pocketful of Posies!

I will post the cards over the next couple of days and end up on Thursday with one for the Pals Paper Arts challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!
God Bless,

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Recipe:
Paper: Pocketful of Posies Designer Series Paper(#122354), Soft Suede Card stock(#115318)
Misc: Basic Pearls(#119247),  Antique Brads(#117273), Sticky Strip(#104294), Glue Dots(#103683)
Tools of the Trade:  Simply Scoring Tool(#122334), 1 3/8" Circle punch(#119860), 1 1/4" Circle    punch(#119861), Paper Snips(#103579)

Ladies' Night Out ~ Thursday, Sept 15th

 The women at Our Lady of Lourdes school have a fabulous evening planned for our community this Thursday, September 15th at 6pm! The Ladies’ Night Out  is open to all you ladies in our community!  All your purchases will  benefit the school.

I’ll be there displaying lots of new Stampin’Up! products, taking orders, and selling projects made with our wonderful products!

Purse template by Becky Roberts of Inkin’ Idaho.

 This Martha Stewart(me) designer purse will be in the gift basket being raffled off.  Done in shades of black and white, I used retired Designer Series Paper on both the purse and cards.  The stamp set is Vintage Vogue inked in Basic Gray and edges rolled in Basic Black using the rock-n-roll method.  Lots of little details make this a fun gift! I put three cards with envelopes inside, but this purse can hold a lot more.  I will have other version of this to purchase Thursday night.

 Contact me if you have any questions or need directions to this event!  I look forward to seeing you there!

God Bless,

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Pals August Hop goes 3-D

Welcome to the August Pals Hop. This month we’re featuring 3-dimensional projects for your enjoyment and inspiration.

I’m stop number 17 on the Pals Hop. You’ve probably arrived from MikkisCreativeCorner and I’m happy you stopped by! Be sure to hop all the way around and enjoy the creative 3-D projects we’ve prepared for you! If you ever find yourself off course just click on any of the links below and you’ll be back on track!

Well, school starts this Wednesday in our city. Summer went quickly for us and I’m sure it did as well for the teachers. Why not send in a little “Welcome Back” gift to encourage your child’s teacher.

The first gift is a note holder made using the #2 Box die and the Big Shot. Cut two out and put them together leaving the top unfolded. Attach the two boxes back to back with the top straight up. Punch the handle out with the Wide Oval punch. Decorate and you’re done! I put a small note pad, 3 small pencils and some book marks in the front and candy in the back!

The notepad was created from a piece of Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper. I took the coordinating colors and cut tags using the Two Tags Die & Big Shot. I stamped images from Little Lambs stamp set making perfect book marks or encouragement notes for your children.

This last item is a pencil pouch that fits a single pencil or pen. It is created using the same instructions as seen here but just a different size. Cut your paper at 3”x8” and score at 1 1/4” and 2 3/4” along the long side and 1 1/4” along the short side. Everything else is the same.

I hope you enjoyed these back-to-school projects! And now it’s off to Mike Funke’s Stampin Style for more 3-D projects. You won’t be disappointed; Mike loves his 3-D projects!

God Bless,

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Blog Hop Line Up

1. Stephanie Uzee at http://www.stampinwithsuzee.blogspot.com

2. Nicole Watt at http://www.impressionsbynicole.com
3. Barbara Chatzkel at http://www.takeoutpaperarts.com
4. Jason Casper at http://www.stampindad.com
5. Melanie Collins at http://www.oopsadaisy.typepad.com/

6. Carmen Sublasky at http://creativestamptuary.typepad.com/the-creative-stamptuary/

7. Patti MacLeith at http://papercraftsbypatti.blogspot.com/

8. Sandie Conner at http://www.prettyprovisions.com/

9. Nina Dee at http://www.deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/

10. Leah O'Brien at http://www.leahobrien.com/

11. Mary Fish at http://www.stampinpretty.com/

13. Kylie Nicolsi at http://www.kyliescraftycorner.blogspot.com/

14. Pam Giudici at http://www.pamshobby.blogspot.com/

15. Linda Fisher at http://lindas-stampinloft.blogspot.com/
16. Mikki Sarkisyan at http://www.mikkiscreativecorner.blogspot.com/

17. Martha Stewart at http://www.seasonsofstamping.com/

18. Mike Fuke at http://stampin-style.typepad.com/stampin-style/
19. Barb Furlong at http://www.theloveofstamping.com/

Nautical Gift Set

What great images for the nautical lover! These cards and gift box will be going to our friend who took us sailing up the Chesapeake in May.

You don't always have to stamp your image on plain card stock. The sailboat image from the Sail Away stamp set was stamped directly onto the background sheet of Nautical Expedition Designer Series Paper. Both items are available in the Summer Mini Catalog. The sails were stamped on Very Vanilla card stock and paper pieced to the sailboat image.

The box for the cards was created using my Card Set Tutorial. I love this boxed set and find myself using it often.

I'd love to hear what paper crafting gift you go to over and over again. Before you leave share your favorite in the comments below!

The 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog goes live July 1!! It's another beautiful catalog if you have seen it yet.

3 ways to receive your personal copy:

• Free ~ Place an order before July 1st receive a Free catalog. Order on line or contact me.
• Free Shipping ~ Contact me before July 1, to reserve your copy for $9.95 and I will cover shipping. (On July 1st you will receive a Paypal invoice and your catalog will be mailed as soon as payment is confirmed.)
• Anytime after June 30th ~ Order on-line here!

God Bless,

Order Stampin'Up! Products 24/7, Click Here

Recipe:

Stamps: Sail Away (#123013), The Open Sea (#123032)

Ink: Early Espresso (#119670)

Paper: Nautical Expedition Designer Series Paper (#122343),

Crumb Cake(#120953), Early Espresso(#119686), Very Vanilla (#101650)

Misc: Early Espresso Baker's Twine (#123124), SNAIL(#104331), Sticky Strip(#104294), Tombow(#110755), Medium Envelopes(#107300)

Petal Box Template Available

Petal Box

It is nice to be back from vacation. I'm starting to catch up. As I promised, the template for the Petal Box I posted on May 11 is complete and available on the right side bar.

The 8 page .pdf contains pictures, instructions and the template to help you create your own petal boxes as seen here.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!

God Bless,

To Order Stampin'Up! Products 24/7, Click Here

Recipe:

Stamps: Sweet Swirls Standard Wheel

Ink: VersaMark

Paper: Vellum, Baja Breeze card stock

Misc: Basic Rhinestones and Pearls, Silver & White Stampin' Emboss Powder

Tools of the Trade: Paper Snips, Heat Tool, Bone Folder

Perfect Wedding Favor for PPA

This week's challenge at Pals Paper Arts is anything wedding. I love wrapping treats so I chose a favor box which is quick, easy and quite pretty!

This box is called a Petal Box. I created mine out of Vellum Card stock and embossed the Sweet Swirls standard wheel along the bottom in Silver Embossing Powder.

The sides curl around each other holding the box closed without any adhesive! I ran my Bone Folder along the edges to make it look like a flower and topped it off with a Basic Rhinestone Jewel.

• You can find the basic box shape by googling it. I drew my pattern by hand and am having my husband recreate it in .pdf form. I will make it available as soon as he's completed it on the right side bar.

Well, that is it for today. Make sure to check out all the wedding themed projects this week at Pals Paper Arts! Give this challenge a try yourself! Look forward to seeing what you come up with.

God Bless,

To Order Stampin'Up! Products 24/7, Click Here

Recipe:

Stamps: Sweet Swirls Standard Wheet

Ink: VersaMark

Paper: Vellum

Misc: Basic Rhinestone Jewels, Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder

Tools of the Trade: Paper Snips, Heat Tool, Bone Folder

April Pals Hop!

Welcome to the April Pals Hop! This month we are featuring wedding and Mother's Day projects for your inspiration. I hope you enjoyed the projects from stop number 1, Carmen Sublasky's Creative Stamptuary. I'm stop number 2 on the Pals Hop and am glad you've stopped by!

I've created wedding projects for your enjoyment! Weddings are expensive enough and one way to keep the costs down is to make your own wedding favors. The stamp set Wedding Sweet is perfect for creating beautiful wedding projects. It's also available as a digital download for My Digital Studio if you'd like to create your own invitations!

The first favor project is called a "sour cream" container holding after-dinner mints. I used Vellum card stock to make the container and embossed the largest image form Wedding Sweet in a mixture of Silver, White and Dazzling Diamond Stampin' Emboss Powder. The Mr. & Mrs stamp is from Tiny Tags stamp set punched with the Jewelry Tag punch and all tied up with our beautiful Whisper White Organza Ribbon.

My second favor project is a matchbook cover holding lifesaver mints. The matchbook cover is Brushed Silver card stock stamped with Wedding Sweet and VersaMark. The Scallop Circle border was punched in Vellum card stock and embossed with the same mixture as the project above.

Both projects are quick and easy to make and will wow your guests as well as your pocketbook!

That's it for me! I hope you enjoyed the projects and are inspired to try making your own favors for your next special occasion. It's time to hop over and see Stephanie Uzee's creations at her website, Stampin With Suzee. She's stop number 3 on the Pals Hop. Thanks for stopping by!

God Bless,

To Order Stampin'Up! Products 24/7, Click Here

Pals Hop Line-Up:

1. Carmen Sublasky, www.creativestamptuary.com

2. Martha Stewart, www.SeasonsOfStamping.com

3. Stephanie Uzee, http://stampinwithsuzee.blogspot.com

4. Barbara Chatzkel, www.takeoutpaperarts.com

5. Joan Norris, http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/clearlycreative/blog

6. Mary Fish, http://www.stampinpretty.com/

7. Sue Bendinsky , www.mycolorcreations.com

8. Joanna Munster, www.inspiredbystampin.com

9. Mike Funke, www.stampin-style.com

10. Melanie Collins, http://www.oopsadaisy.typepad.com

11. Nina Dee, www.deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com

Recipe:

Sour Cream Container

Stamps: Wedding Sweet

Ink: Black Classic ink, VersaMark

Paper: Vellum card stock, Brushed Silver

Misc: Silver Elastic cord(retired), Whisper White Organza ribbon, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Emboss Powders

Tools of the Trade: Crimper, 3/16" Hole punch, Tiny Tag punch, Heat Tool, Piercing Tool

Matchbook:

Stamps: Wedding Sweet

Ink: VersaMark

Paper: Vellum card stock, Brushed Silver card stock

Misc: Stampin' Emboss powders

Tools of the Trade: 1 1/4" Circle punch, Scallop Circle punch, Heat Tool, Slit punch (retired)

Retreat Journals

With some help form a couple of friends, we made 24 journals. Each one with a different cover and design. Inside is a notepad and pocket. These two were made from Designer Series paper in the Occasions Mini - Botanical Gazette and Sweet Stitches. A great little gift and a great way to use extra Designer Series paper you have laying around. The directions are here and here.

I leave this morning for a retreat and will be back Monday. Have a great weekend!

God Bless,

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All That is Packaging is Not Trash

I've seen these around the SU demonstrator world. Don't know who had the original idea but all that packaging SU puts our product in is gold! These cute little gifts are made from the Clear Block boxes. Great little door prizes or hostess gifts. Put in stamps, embellishments, ink spots, fabric, or buttons. Add a bow and a tag and you've got customers and downline who will be excited to receive one!

I guess this could be called "recycling" but, I like to call it "thinking outside the box"!

Just a quick project today. Hope you enjoyed it. I will definitely look at my Stampin'Up! packaging a little differently from now on!

Stop back tomorrow as I have the opportunity to be the Featured Artist on Pals Paper Arts. Yeah!

God Bless,

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8 Days Left of Sale-a-bration

{SPEND}

Spend $50 in Stampin'Up! products and earn one FREE Sale-a-bration product of your choice! Earn a FREE Sale-a-bration product for each $50 you spend!

{JOIN}

Join the Stampin'Up! family by becoming a demonstrator and receive a 15% discount off your Starter Kit. Plus, receive a bonus bundle filled with over $50 in FREE products! I'd love to have you join me and our team of talented demonstrators!

****Choose the FREE items you've earned out of the Sale-a-bration catalog plus these sets in the Idea Book & Catalog seen here.****

Wellness Wishes for Dorian

Today's project is for a little boy who got a bad case of the flue, landing him in the hospital. I'm hoping this bright card using the Celebrations Designer Series paper and Celebrations Quick Accents will do the trick. The stamp set I used for the card is Wellness Wishes. I don't know which I like more the band aid or the cute dog.

Hiding in this cute little Origami box are some Happy Meal toys. This is the same project as seen in my Wrapping 101.pdf.

I hope you enjoyed the projects for today! If you have any questions, please contact me.

God Bless,

To Order Stampin'Up! Products 24/7, Click Here

Recipe:

Stamps: Wellness Wishes

Ink: Real Red, Early Espresso

Paper: Old Olive and Whisper White card stock, Old Olive Textured card stock, Celebrations Designer Series paper

Misc: Celebrations Quick Accents, 1", 3/4", 1/2" circle punches, Real Red Satin ribbon

Thank You!

In December I was thrilled to receive two awards of recognition.

The first was from Pals Paper Arts' Best Dressed List of 2010. My November project was selected to be part of this amazing list of projects. Thank You PPA Design Team!

I was also given the Stylish Blogger Award by Donna Centamore, at Butternut Sage Designs. Thank you Donna for the honor. One of the stipulations is to share 8 things about myself and then pass it on to 8 others. I'm going to try and share 8 things that aren't in my profile, so here goes:

1. I love Diet Coke
2. I'm on a first name basis with everyone at our local 7/11 because I love Diet Coke so much.
3. I find reality shows fascinating. Like Survivor Man, Say Yes to the Dress, Hoarders, Deadliest Catch, & Everest:Beyond the Limits.
4. I've recently lost 15 pounds!! yeah!
5. I love chocolate (like who doesn't) and have been known to eat my children's holiday candy so often that they finally started hiding it from me.
6. I have never owned a dog, only cats but, would love to have a King Charles Spaniel.
7. My first car was a 1971 VW bug painted British Racing Green. The bottom rusted out so many times you could see the road underneath the pedals as you drove. The battery also fell out on the road one time. I loved that car!
8. My favorite thing to do on a weekend is sit in my neighbor's driveway with some wine and cheese and watch our children run around.

And now to pass on the award to 8 other stampers!

1. Adriana
2. Mike
3. Mary
4. Regina
5. Kim
6. Kris
7. Patti
8. Linda

And a final project to help keep all your New Year's resolutions organized! I created this memo pad holder for one of my hostesses using the new Springtime Vintage Designer Paper and the Hope Happens stamp set.
This is a quick and easy project. Cut your paper at 8 1/4" x 10 3/4". Score along the long side at 5 1/4" and 5 1/2". I layered two panels on top of the cover. The bottom layer is 5 1/8"x8 1/8" and the top layer is 5" x 8". I cut an inside pocket at 5 1/4" x 3-4" depending on how high you want the pocket to be. I also attached a small amount of ribbon under the memo pad to hold an ink pen. Here are some other memo pad holders I created last fall.

Thanks for stopping by! Contact me if you have any questions and I always love reading how you liked the days project so leave a comment before you go!

God Bless,

To Order Stampin'Up! Products 24/7, Click Here

Recipe:

Stamps: Hope Happens

Ink: Night of Navy

Paper: Night of Navy, Baja Breeze, Springtime Vintage Designer Series paper, Whisper White

Misc: Vintage Flower Adornments, Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Sticky Strip

PALS January Hop

Welcome to the January Pals Hop! This month the Stampin' Pretty Pals are show casing Valentine themed projects for your enjoyment and inspiration! If you've arrived from Kylies Crafty Corner, I'm stop number four on the January Pals Hop. I hope you've enjoyed the Valentine's projects so far. There's lots more to come so keep on "hopping"! Should you hop off course, simply click on any of the links in the Pals Hop Line Up below and you'll be back on track.

The most difficult part of these projects was figuring out when we had used too much Glimmer Paper! The Filled With Love stamp set is a perfect set to let your children create their own Valentine's this year. With so many images, they will have plenty to choose and decorate from! And if you have the Big Shot, the Two Tags Die makes great valentines.
We felt a bit like Dorothy from Oz with all the red shimmery paper. Even Mr. Owl seems pretty content in his sparkly outfit. I know some girls that will love to mark their books with this little guy.

It's time to move on to see what Joanna Munster has created at Inspired By Stampin! She is stop number 5 on the January Pals Hop. Thanks so much for stopping by. Leave a comment before you go. Can you have too much glitter??

God Bless,

To Order Stampin'Up! Products 24/7, Click Here

Recipe:

Stamps: Filled With Love

Card:

Ink: Old Olive and Real Red Classic Ink

Paper: Real Red, Old Olive, Whisper White, Basic Black card stock, and Red Glimmer Paper

Misc: Small Heart punch, Scallop Oval punch, Small Oval punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Small Valentines

Ink: Real Red Classic Ink, Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker

Paper: Real Red Whisper White, Early Espresso card stock, Red Glimmer Paper

Misc: Full Heart punch, Modern Label punch, Small Oval punch, Owl punch, Heart to Heart punch, Two Tags Bigz Die, Big Shot