OH MY!!!!!!

Lookie was just arrived at my house!!! Whoo Hooooo!!! I can't wait to start using my new things!! I'm most excited about the Texturz Plates and the new dies I got for the Big Shot. I also can't wait to stamp the Trendy Trees and Cheap Talk sets...two of my favorites! I just loved so many things in this new catalog that I almost couldn't even choose, and as I see all of the wonderfully creative things that other stampers are doing with some of the new products, I'm sure that my wish list will grow! Do you want to order some wonderful Stampin' Up! products for yourself? Click here and do some shopping on my website! You can also see a copy of the catalog for youself if you click on the Spring/Summer Catalog icon on the side of my blog. It's so beautiful!

Happy Stampin'!

Judy

Petal Pizzaz

My shipment of new Stampin' Up! things arrived and I'm busy putting stamp sets together! I can't wait to play with some of the great new accessories that I ordered too! One of the sets that I pre-ordered was the Petal Pizzaz, and I was busy putting together this card while waiting for the UPS man to drop off my package. I just love this set! It reminds me of a retired level 3 set from a few years ago that I loved but sold because I never keep any of my retired sets. I was happy SU! came up with a similar set because it is such an easy set to stamp with and use with some really great techniques.

For this card I used Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Taken with Teal and Tangerine Tango for my color combo. I stamped off 1 time on the background paper to make a lighter backdrop for my bold flowers. I also stamped the background of the Taken with Teal card using a smaller flower from the set using Taken with Teal ink. The words are from the Absolutely Fabulous set (one of my favs....can't you tell? I'm always using it!). Accessories used were the Kiwi Kiss Satin ribbon, scallop edge punch, Fire and Ice Circle Rhinestone brads and dimensionals. Hope you like it!!

Happy Stampin'!

Judy

Sick kids and crummy weather......

I had lots of things on my 'to do' list for today, and none of them got done! All three of the kids are sick, one just getting it, one in the middle of it, and one just getting over it. I have been cooped up for a full week and am about ready to start pulling my hair out. The only thing that has kept me sane are the brief moments that I have had to stamp. I was supposed to be working on projects for my Spring Cards Stamp Camp, but I got sidetracked when I happened across a great desktop stationery box on Debbie Olsen's blog. I guessed at the dimensions and made one of my own. I already had the Sweet Stems set out to make my spring cards with, so I just used it because it was handy. The Raspberry Tart paper is just too delicious!! I'm thinking that I'll try and turn this one into a class. The stationary box holds 6 cards and looks so cute sitting on your desk, counter or workspace!

Recipe: Stamp set: Sweet Stems, Absolutely Fabulous; CS: Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Cameo Coral, Real Red; Ink: Basic Black, Cameo Coral, Kiwi Kiss; Accessories: Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon, Kiwi Striped Ribbon, Raspberry Tart DSP, scallop circle punch, 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 circle punches, scallop edge punch, 1 3/4 circle punch, blender pens.

Valentines Class

As promised, here's a little sneak peek of a card from my Valentines Class. I can't take credit for the design....another SU! demo named Mary Beth Brown was the papercrafter who came up with the idea. I just LOVE her work. I changed the card a bit to make it my own, but the basic idea was hers. And don't you just LOVE the matching envelope?

This card uses the Love You Much Stamp Set, Heart Trio Punch, and Candy Lane DSP, ALL in the NEW SU! Spring/Summer 2009 catalog. Other SU! products: Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Close to Cocoa and Whisper White CS; Basic Brown Ink, 1/2, 1 1/4" circle punches, scallop circle punch, white gel pen.

DEEP FREEZE!

It is so cold outside that I can't stand it! I had to clean off the driveway and sidewalks and by the time that I came inside my face was frozen. I love winter and the snow, but these below 0 temperatures are crazy. The only good thing about the situation is that I'm cooped up inside and all of my housework is done, laundry included, so that leaves me with time to.....you guessed it.....STAMP! I'm working on cards and some small projects for my first Stamp Camp of the New Year, and I'll be ready to show you some sneak peeks soon. I'm trying to ONLY use items that are NEW in Spring/Summer catalog and I'm still waiting for the catalog so I can order the rest of my supplies. I'm so jealous of some of the other SU! demos in the area because they've already received their new catalog shipments and the Man In Brown DROVE RIGHT PAST MY HOUSE WITHOUT STOPPING! I was not happy. Hopefully they'll be here tomorrow so that I can start my list of what I need (of course they're needs not wants) and I'll be one of the first people to enter my order when SU! opens for business on the 19th. In the meantime, here are two cards from my fabulous downline ROBIN, who truly amazes me. There are a few SU! colors that are hard for me to use....they just don't appeal to me, but when I see a card that Robin uses them on it just inspires me to grab that color and try using it myself. I love it! Thanks Robin!

Happy Stampin'!

Judy

scrap happy!

My husband and I are fortunate that both of our parents have lake houses because WE LOVE all types of lake sports and recreation, including ice fishing. This past week (over New Year's), my FIL lent us his house for 4 days for a little family mini-vacation. We loaded up the van with suitcases, ice fishing equipment, kids, dog, and last but not least SCRAPBOOKING SUPPLIES! While my DH had 2 of the kids out on the lake fishing (the kids took turns because we only have a 2 man ice fishing tent, so one of them was always with me), I would scrapbook to my little hearts content while my other child played or watched TV close by. I FINISHED 8 pages and started 2 more! I was in scrap-heaven. My MIL has a wonderful crafting table that bigger than the one I have at home, and nearby she has another cutting table, and a large long bar, so I could REALLY spread out. I did feel a bit guilty that I was enjoying their space so much, but they're really cool people and I know that they would love it that we were having such a great time.

Here are some of the fruits of my labor. MOST of the supplies are Stampin' Up! I only use supplies from other companies if Stampin' Up! doesn't offer a similar item. So the papers, inks, punches, and chipboard are from Stampin' Up! Some current, and some retired. One of my Favorite things is the punched hearts on the TOO SWEET page. They were made with the new Stampin' Up! Punch that's a part of the Love You Much Bundle that Stampin' Up! has a great promotion on right now.

I'm having a really hard time with my camera right now, so my pictures aren't are good as I would like them to be. I hate to say this, but I think it's time to upgrade! I have a Canon A540, and it used to take great pictures, but I've really been having a problem with the autofocus feature. As a result it seems like some of my pictures aren't as clear as they should be. One more thing to add to my list of wants :) It's a bummer that I figured it out AFTER Christmas because my hubby was looking for things to buy me and having a hard time finding something that I really wanted. Oh well.....there's always Mother's Day!

Take some time and make some cards or scrapbook today, it's good for the soul!

Happy Stampin' and Scrappin'!

Judy

SU! Spring/Summer Catalog Peek

Stampin' Up! really knew what they were doing when they decided to publish 2 catalogs each year instead of one. We stamp-a-holics get our fix both with the anticipation and unveiling of the wonderful stamps and accessories that Stampin' Up! always brings us. January 19th is the release date for the new catty and I've already been working on my camps and crops using the new products. I pre-ordered a few stamp sets and papers, and I have to say that I love everything that I bought! These products will be made available to Stampin' Up! customers on January 19th, so get ready to have some fun!

Here are 3 cards that I made for a swap with my downline. The first two cards use NEW SETS that will be available on 1/19, and the other card was made with a set that is from the Holiday MINI-Catalog (WHICH EXPIRES ON 1/18!!!)

The first card was made with the about to become available stamp set "Just Buzzin' By", and if you love to watercolor (and y'all know that I do!), this is a set for you! It has the most adorable images and is so easy to color. I also used the Dazzling Diamonds on the bees wings to give the card a little pop (it's so hard to see it in the pictures!) The other products that I used were: Inks: Basic Black and Versamark, Cardstock: Perfect Plum and Pale Plum, So Saffron, and Basic Black, Accessories: White Taffeta ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, and the two way glue pen.

The next card is a Gatefold (I use Beate's tutorial for the card pattern) that uses the soon to be available set "Sweet Stems". What I love about this set is that it has a Sizzix Embosslit that matches it (see the die cut flower at the bottom right on the card). For all of you owners of the Big Shot (or any other Sizzix product), you are gonna love this little baby! It not only DIE CUTS the shape, it also DRY EMBOSSES a design onto it at the same time that you cut it! I doesn't get much better than that! Here are a few other products that I used: Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss
, Bravo Burgundy, Pink Pirouhette, Ink: Basic Black, Pink Pirouhette, Bravo Burgundy, Accessories: Sizzix Embosslit Sweetest Stems, NEW DSP Raspberry Tart.

The last card is my favorite! It uses the "Love Owl-Ways" set from the Mini, and it it so easy to make! The toughest thing was gluing the 1/2" circle around the larger circle to make the scallop. The heart shapes that are stamped on the pink cardstock were colored in using the Watercolor Wonder crayon Cameo Coral, and the little heart that the owl is holding is glittered using the Dazzling Diamonds. Recipe: Paper: Cameo Coral, Pink Pirouhette, Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White; Ink: Basic black; Accessories: 1/2" circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, scallop edge punch, Pink Pirouette 1 1/4" grosgrain, Raspberry Tart DSP, Watercolor Wonder Crayons.

Stay tuned in the next week to see the scrapbook pages that I worked on over New Year's.....I finished 10 pages!

Happy Stampin',

Judy