The Creative Process

Those of you who know me, know that I don't like mess. I hate clutter. I really believe in the adage:  a place for everything and everything in its place. And all of you with children are laughing at me. Just because I believe it, doesn't mean I live it. But I do try to keep my stamping room tidy. In that room, I am, as Jerry Seinfeld said, master of my own domain. If everything is where it's supposed to be, I can find my tools and get down to work (and I don't order two of something I already own #askmehowiknow). Now I don't always clean up after myself. When I'm in the throes of creation, things just get pushed aside. And if I know I'm coming back in the stamping room to work the next day, there's no need to put everything away just yet. But if I've left my room a shambles, I have to clean before I can create. Somehow having everything spit-spot (as Mary Poppins would say) helps my creative juices flow.



How do you like to create? Do you have to have everything put away before you begin, or does chaos inspire your creativity?

I thought you'd enjoy seeing my desk after I'd put together 3 Paper Pumpkin projects (I had the kits, I just never put them together--IKR?) and after I'd created 4 projects for the birthday card stamp-a-stack. Can you believe this??!! Where do I work?

Another Great Year

It's the beginning of another great year and I'm back into the stamping swing of things.  This is my last birthday card in the week-long blog series.  It uses a great birthday set, "Another Great Year," along with Retro Fresh Designer Series Paper and washi tape--all from the NEW Occasions catalog! These colors are really sunny and bright and the card could be sent to either a man or a woman.

(Stamp Set: Another Great Year; Ink: Baked Brown Sugar; Card Stock: Baked Brown Sugar, Tangerine Tango, So Saffron, Whisper White; DSP: Retro Fresh; Acessories: Retro Fresh washi tape, Coastal Cabana, So Saffron & Tangerine Tango markers)

You can order the supplies to make this card from my Stampin' Up website--it's open 24/7! Or you can host a party and earn some hostess bucks toward the purchase of the supplies for this card. Or you can come to my birthday card making class (details below) and make a couple yourself.

Six-Sided Birthday

I fell in love with the Six-Sided Sampler stamp set when we demonstrators got a sneak preview of the 2013-14 annual catalog. I snapped it up right way during the pre-order period.  Then, at the Stampin' Up convention, I received so many awesome swaps using this set--and I fell in love with it all over again.  As I was deciding which cards I would CASE for my birthday card making class, I went through my boxes (yes, plural) of swap cards and found one that I thought would fill the bill.  It wasn't a birthday card, so I swapped out the "My Friend" sentiment that comes with the set and used the Petite Pairs set to add birthday wishes.  It wasn't until I'd already made up my card that I turned over the swap card to see that it was from the one and only Shana Gaff--again!  I told you she's one of my favorite stampers!

Here's my take on Shana's awesome swap card--and remember, we'll be making this at the birthday card making class (stamp-a-stack) on January 25th (details below).  I still have a couple of spots open.  Email me to reserve your spot!!

(Stamp Sets: Six-Sided Sampler & Petite Pairs; Inks: Smoky Slate, Pool Party; Card Stock: Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Pool Party; Accessories:  Honeycomb and Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folders, Hexagon Punch, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Basic Rhinestones)

 BIRTHDAY CARD MAKING CLASS:  JANUARY 25, 2014

Time:  1:00-5:00 at my house

Make:  2 cards of each of 5 designs, including one distinctly male design

Cost:   $20--or $10 with a $50 order. Plus, if you order $50 you can choose a FREE Sale-a-Bration item. (Sale-a-Bration starts on January 28^th, but I’ll hold the order until then so you can take advantage of SAB!)

Kaleidoscope Birthday

Today's entry in my week of birthday cards is a colorful card. I received a swap at the Stampin' Up convention using this layout and I knew it would be awesome with the NEW Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper from the Occasions mini catalog.  I really like how the colors pop on the Basic Gray background. I don't think I would have come up with the Strawberry Slush, Crushed Curry, and Bermuda Bay color combination on my own--thank goodness the Kaleidoscope DSP did that for me! I used the hexagon punch to cut out the end of the flags--so super easy (easier than using the 1" square punch, IMHO). I added a little bling by adhering the largest basic rhinestones to the "ears" of the Strawberry Slush piece, to which I added dimension by running it through the Stripes embossing folder. I put it all together and gave it depth with Stampin' Dimensionals. Quick, easy, and colorful!

(Stamp Set: Label Love; Ink: Bermuda Bay; Card Stock: Basic Gray, Strawberry Slush, Crushed Curry, Whisper White; DSP: Kaleidoscope; Accessories:  Hexagon, Artisan Label, Decorative Label Punches; Apothecary Accents Framelits; Stripes Embossing Folder; Basic Rhinestones)

 BIRTHDAY CARD MAKING CLASS:  JANUARY 25, 2014

Time:  1:00-5:00 at my house

Make:  2 cards of each of 5 designs, including one distinctly male design

Cost:   $20--or $10 with a $50 order. Plus, if you order $50 you can choose a FREE Sale-a-Bration item. (Sale-a-Bration starts on January 28^th, but I’ll hold the order until then so you can take advantage of SAB!)

The Open Sea Birthday

It's  Tuesday, so it's time for the second entry in my week-long blog series featuring the birthday cards we'll be making at my birthday card making class on January 25th. I still have a few openings, so let me know if you'd like to attend. The details are below. 

I received this card as a swap at the annual Stampin' Up convention.  The creator of this card is Paula Cannon.  I've loved The Open Sea set since it was first featured in an Occasions mini and I love how Paula used Island Indigo and Summer Starfruit together on this card!  I added the "Happy Birthday" from Teeny Tiny Wishes so it fits the theme of my birthday card making class. I'm also in love with the Soho Subway designer series paper--it was the first pack of DSP I bought as soon as demonstrators could place a preview order!!

(Stamp Set: The Open Sea; Ink:  Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit, Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding' Card Stock: Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit, Very Vanilla; DSP: Soho Subway; Accessories: Natural Trim Ribbon, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Mini Brad)

BIRTHDAY CARD MAKING CLASS:  JANUARY 25, 2014

Time:  1:00-5:00 at my house

Make:  2 cards of each of 5 designs, including one distinctly male design

Cost:   $20--or $10 with a $50 order. Plus, if you order $50 you can choose a FREE Sale-a-Bration item. (Sale-a-Bration starts on January 28^th, but I’ll hold the order until then so you can take advantage of SAB!)

Blog Series: Birthday Cards

This week, I'm going to do a series of blog entries showcasing the birthday cards we'll be making at my upcoming birthday card making class.  Details for the class are at the end of this post. I still have a few openings, so contact me TODAY if you'd like to come!

Today's card is a CASE of a card made by one of my stampin' inspirations--Shana Gaff.  My BFF Lynn and I met Shana at last year's Stampin' Up convention and I've been following her blog ever since.  I love Shana's clean and simple (CAS) style.  When I saw this card on her blog, I knew I would copy and share everything (CASE) about it!  Because I'm doing a birthday card making class, I changed the sentiment, which means I needed to use a larger banner framelit, so I skipped the ribbon.  I also changed the candy dots on Shana's card to one of the new metal buttons from the Occasions mini catalog. And I used a different embossing folder--but the layout and idea is ALL Shana's.  (I hope you like her style 'cause you'll be seeing a little something-something from her again this week!)

(Stamp Set: Perfect Pennants: Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla; Ink: Marina Mist; Accessories:  Argyle Embossing Folder, Banners Framelits Dies, Basic Metal Button)

BIRTHDAY CARD MAKING CLASS:  JANUARY 25, 2014

Time:  1:00-5:00 at my house

Make:  2 cards of each of 5 designs, including one distinctly male design

Cost:   $20--or $10 with a $50 order. Plus, if you order $50 you can choose a FREE Sale-a-Bration item. (Sale-a-Bration starts on January 28^th, but I’ll hold the order until then so you can take advantage of SAB!)

A Real Life Paper Pumpkin

Before I talk about this month's Paper Pumpkin, I have an important announcement:  The Occasions mini catalog is LIVE!!! Yay! I'm so excited about this Occasions catalog because I really and truly LOVE many of the items in there! Usually it takes me a little bit to warm up to any new Stampin' Up product--but not this time! I nearly went broke putting my pre-order in!! You'll be seeing lots of posts using new items from the Occasions catalog--and from the upcoming Sale-a-Bration catalog.  

Want to see what's so exciting in the Occasions catalog? Just click on the link over there on the left.  If you're one of my regular customers, you should have received your copy in the mail. If you're not one of my regular customers, I'd love to be your Stampin' Up demonstrator. Please, oh, please contact me. And if you just want your own copy of the Occasions catalog to ooh and ahh over, let me know and I'll get one to you.

Now on to...

...this month's Paper Pumpkin is an adorbs freestyle journal. It came with bunches of little wooden people (which one stamper said looked like the people on a restroom door--heh!) It took me a minute to decide what to do with all the people, but I added my whole family to the front of my journal.  I zhuzhed it up a little bit using the "donut holes" from the designer series paper dividers. And I covered the "A" with a sticker that comes with the kit. I'm thinking about using the journal as a 365 gratitude book--and I just might. It's only the third day of the year. I think I can pretend I wrote something in it yesterday and on New Year's Day.

January 1, 2014:  I am grateful that another year is upon us full of opportunities.

January 2, 2014:  I am really grateful that God sent SNOW for my birthday! It's stunningly gorgeous.

January 3, 2014: I am really grateful I have two able-bodied (though grouchy) teenaged boys who can help me shovel the snow off our driveway so I can get to work.

That's a pretty good start. And here's the zhuzhed up MPP journal.

January 2014 My Paper Pumpkin Project

 BIRTHDAY CARD MAKING CLASS:  JANUARY 25, 2014

Time:  1:00-5:00 at my house

Make:  2 cards of each of 5 designs, including one distinctly male design

Cost:   $20--or $10 with a $50 order. Plus, if you order $50 you can choose a FREE Sale-a-Bration item. (Sale-a-Bration starts on January 28^th, but I’ll hold the order until then so you can take advantage of SAB!)

 

Our Fun Christmas Card Making Class

I stole an idea from one of my Stampin' Up inspirations, Lyssa Zwolanek: a monthly Christmas card making class.  We started class in August--yes, August! I designed (or CASEd) 3 cards each month, August through November, and my stampers made 4 of each of the 3 designs each month. They ended up with 48 hand-stamped cards before Thanksgiving! We had a blast! Here's Kira and her mom Nancy hard at work on their cards.

I posted the first three cards back on my August 29, 2013 post.  But I couldn't make a new blog entry without a card or other stamped creation, so here's another one of the 12 designs.  (I'm positive I CASEd this design--so if it's yours, please let me know so I can give you credit!)

(Stamp Set: Christmas Messages; Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip; DSP: Season of Style: Accessories: Petals a Plenty Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive Makers, Basic Rhinestones, Labels Collection Framelits; Itty Bitty Shapes Punches)

The Christmas card making class was such a success, we're going to do it again this year--starting in August! I hope YOU can join us. 

Stay tuned for a blog series featuring cards we'll be making at my birthday card making class.  Mark your calendar now: Saturday January 25, 2014 starting at 1:00. More details tomorrow!!

Happy New Year and NEW Blog Post!!

Wow! Has it really been since October?! I can't believe it's been so long! I started out strong with my blog, but then the holidays overtook pretty much everything! I did have a successful Christmas card making class series. We started in August and stamped once a month through November.  In the end, we had 48 hand-stamped Christmas cards made before Thanksgiving!! It was loads of fun.  I'll be posting pictures in the next few days. 

I was also able to squeeze in a banner class taught by my BFF and Stampin' Up downline Lynn Birus.  Lynn used the Build A Banner Simply Created Kit (133507) and Christmas Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit (132697) from the Stampin' Up Holiday Mini Catalog--available for one more day thru January 2, 2014.*  Lynn's idea is to extend the "holiday" decorating after the Christmas stuff comes down and keep winter decorations out, so she made her banner say "BRR" and I copied her! I took down the Christmas decorations today and left the snowmen and my "BRR" banner. Look how cute it is!

Here's a close-up of the banner:



*Never fear! The new Stampin' Up Occasions catalog has a new banner. The new Occasions catalog ordering period starts on January 3rd. If you haven't received your Occasions catalog in the mail, please let me know and I'll get one to you ASAP!

25% OFF 25 Stamp Sets: One Week Only!

We're celebrating Stampin' Up!'s 25th anniversary all year long, but during the week of the actual date (October 25th to be exact) we thought we should pump up the party even more. So what better way than a sale on the very products that started it all: stamps, of course! Dates: October 22-28, 2013 Offer: Get 25 percent off 25 stamp sets. Go to my Stampin’ Up website to see the list of all the stamp sets that are 25% for one week only!! Then place your order online using the hostess code: MZJ4MJBS If I sell 25 sets during this period, Stampin’ Up will give me a free set from the upcoming Occasions mini catalog—and you know how I like FREE stuff. But I’m going to share the wealth with you: If I sell 25 sets by Sunday Oct 27, everyone who places a $25 order will get one entry into a drawing for the hostess benefits for this order. If you place a $50 order, you’ll get two entries into the drawing. A $75 order will get you three entries…and so on. You must submit your order by 7:00 PM on Sunday night—and you must be available at 8:00 PM on Sunday night. If I sell 25 sets by then, I’ll draw a winner and call them around 8:00. The workshop total should be at least $300, so the winner will have at least $50 in FREE SU merchandise. So be ready at 8:00 PM on Sunday night with your wish list of $50 of SU merchandise—place an order, help me meet the goal of selling 25 sets, and you could be a winner!!!

Another Challenge!

I had so much fun playing along with challenges last week, that I decided to keep the momentum going!  This time I'm playing along with another of Lyssa Zwolenak's color challenges.  Last week's (10//13)  "In Love with Color Challenge" had these three choices:

1. Smoky Slate, So Saffron, Real Red and Basic Gray
2. Rich Razzleberry, Midnight Muse, Pool Party and Old Olive
3. Pacific Point, Dafodill Delight, Pumpkin Pie and Real Red

I chose color combination number 1: Smoky Slate, So Saffron, Real Red and Basic Gray.  I had the extra added challenge of using a really dry pad of Basic Gray ink.  My older felt pad was pretty dry and my new firm foam pad was bone dry. And there I was without a Basic Gray reinker.  I tried Basic Gray marker, but I didn't like the way that turned out. So I opted for a not-so-Basic Gray main imagine.  I still think this turned out pretty well...but I'm sooo glad my reinker came in my order last week so I could ink that firm foam pad up, baby!  

(Stamp Set: My Friend; Inks: Real Red, Basic Gray, So Safrron; Card Stock: Basic Gray, So Saffron, Real Red, Smoky Slate: Accessories: Neutrals Buttons)

This is the first time I've used the "My Friend" stamp set--I hadn't even mounted it yet!  Sometimes I have to wonder why I have so many sets that are just begging to be inked!

Two Challenges in One!

So sad!  It's the last day of my week of blog challenges.  I've had a great time playing along with a variety of challenges.  I hope you've enjoyed reading my blog and seeing my creations--and more than that, I hope you've been challenged to try something new, too!

Today, I've got one card that meets two challenges!  So clever of me, huh?  Both challenges come from Splitcoast Stampers.  The first is a sketch challenge (SC456):



And the second is a color challenge: Crazy Suede Starfruit (CC446):

Cajun Craze, Soft Suede, Summer Starfruit

I had a flash of inspiration and actually knew exactly what set I wanted to use:  Six-Sided Sampler.  Here's my two, two, two challenges in one card:

(Stamp Set: Six-Sided Sampler; Ink: Cajun Craze;  Card Stock:  Soft Suede, Cajun Craze, Summer Starfruit; DSP: Soho Subway; Accessories:  Hexagon Punch, Honeycomb and Square Lattice Embossing Folders, Soft Suede 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon)

Doesn't the Cajun Craze ink on the Summer Starfruit card stock look great?  It almost makes the Summer Starfruit golden!  I fussy cut the stamped hexagons right on the edge of the image and backed them with a punched Soft Suede hexagon.  I backed each hexagon with a 1.5" square embossed with the Square Lattice Folder.  Lots of texture and yummy colors--and two, two, two challenges in one!!


REMINDER:  I'll be selling new and used retired Stampin' Up stamps, inks, papers, tools--and other non-Stampin' Up items at the 3rd Annual Cropmania Fall Scrapbook Indoor Yard Sale on Sunday October 13.  Details below. Hope you'll come out and get some great deals!

HUGE MARKDOWNS AND GREAT DEALS AND BARGAINS!!!
Sunday October 13th
9am-2pm

Elks Lodge #622
2 Pythian Dr (off Rt 2)
Edgewater, MD 21037

51 Tables of Marked Down Scrapbooking/Stamping Supplies!
5 online stores (2-3 tables each), 8 Consultants,  30 ladies with way too much stuff!!!!

$5 at the door to get in

Bottled water and snacks available onsite for purchase.

For more info and directions, go to www.cropmania.com and click on Yardsale.

Wrap It Up (I'll Take It)

Today is day four of my week of challenge blog creations.  Today's challenge comes from Splitcoast Stampers--that awesome site for stamping inspiration.  Never heard of it? You really must check it out!!  Splitcoast has a challenge everyday of the week.  I'm playing along with the Thursday "Ways To Use It" challenge.  The "Ways To Use It" challenge says:  "So just what is the Ways to Use It Challenge? It is simply an invitation to create a card using a particular product or tool. Everyone is invited to play along!"  (Read more: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/ways-use-f46/what-ways-use-challenge-link-master-list-all-wt-challenges-t202428.html#ixzz2gzzXX3B5)

WT447 challenge is to use ribbon.  Well, since I use ribbon on just about every card I make, that's not much of a challenge.  But I've been wanting to try a technique where ribbon becomes the image of the card.  Lay down some sticky strip, line up your ribbon, cut a shape and put the negative image on top of the ribbon--et voila!

(Stamp Set: Hello Lovely; Ink: Midnight Muse; Card Stock:  Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, Whisper White, Midnight Muse;  Accessories: Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple, and Midnight Muse 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon, Decorative Label Punch, Deco Labels Collection Framelits)

To give it a little dimension, I punched a piece of Midnight Muse card stock with the Decorative Label Punch and cut it in half lengthwise to make the frame for the "Hello Lovely" frame.


REMINDER:  I'll be selling new and used retired Stampin' Up stamps, inks, papers, tools--and other non-Stampin' Up items at the 3rd Annual Cropmania Fall Scrapbook Indoor Yard Sale on Sunday October 13.  Details below. Hope you'll come out and get some great deals!

HUGE MARKDOWNS AND GREAT DEALS AND BARGAINS!!!
Sunday October 13th
9am-2pm

Elks Lodge #622
2 Pythian Dr (off Rt 2)
Edgewater, MD 21037

51 Tables of Marked Down Scrapbooking/Stamping Supplies!
5 online stores (2-3 tables each), 8 Consultants,  30 ladies with way too much stuff!!!!

$5 at the door to get in

Bottled water and snacks available onsite for purchase.

For more info and directions, go to www.cropmania.com and click on Yardsale.