My First Ever Stampin' Up Stamps!

I got a package in the mail today! I got my first ever Stampin' Up stamps...exciting huh! I ordered Snow Swirled #111690 and Dasher #116816 stamp sets in preparation for Christmas card making and a workshop! Snow Swirled came with 6 lovely stamps and Dasher is an "A la Carte" stamp. Below are the images in both sets...I can hardly wait to play with them!

Snow Swirled Set

Dasher - A la carte stamp

Aren't they just great! If you like these stamps and want to order them, let me know and I can get you in touch with my SU demo, Brenda.

Putting the stamps on the wood blocks wasn't difficult either. The stamps come pre-cut with adhesive already on the back. Just snap them out of the rubber square, peel the backing off, slap it right on the wood block and add the clear image to the back side. Your all ready to start stampin!  Woohoo! Hope you all have a wonderful day! I'm off to do some stampin! Laterz!

"Smell My Feet " Card

My August Stampin' Up order included designer paper, thanks to their great buy 3 get 1 deal going through the month of August. If you haven't gotten any yet, stop by Brenda Dean's Stampin Blog and shop her store to get this great deal. It's easy peasy - just click on her Shop Now link and add your favorite designer papers to your shopping cart. I was so excited to order that I completely forgot to grab a package of "Frightful Sight" Halloween designer paper.So for my first halloween card, I had to resort to creating my own, which was fun to say the least.

My first card was inspired by a recent (and ongoing) blog post created by Angie Kennedy Juda. She is hosting a "12 Weeks of Halloween" campaign! She includes downloadable instructions and amazing videos for her Halloween projects - that got me inspired to create a few cards of my own. You should check out her first two projects...they are AMAZING! I can hardly wait for next week's installment! Without further ado...here is my "Smell My Feet" card.

Supply List: Old Olive card stock, White card stock, Black card stock, Old Olive stamp pad and marker, black stamp pad, Recollections Halloween clear acrylic stamps, Bubbles stamp from a Cling Birthday stamp set.

Tools List: Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Circles Large (2nd from smallest) die, Tombow adhesive (or your favorite), X-acto Wiggly Edge Scissors, Sizzix Big Kick, and a pair of fine tipped paper scissors.

Card Stock Cutting Instructions:

Black - (A) 2 7/8 x 2 5/8;  (B) 5 1/4 x 4; (C) 1 1/2 x 5; (D) 2 1/2 x 2 1/2; (E) 1/2 x 2 7/8

Old Olive - (Base) 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, scored at 4 1/4 on the long side; (F) 2 3/4 x 2 1/2; (G) 1 1/4 x 5

White - (H) 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 need 2 of these; (I) 5 x 3 3/4

Stamping:  Begin by stamping the bubble stamp in Old Olive ink randomly on pieces F and G  and on the front of the base card. Next, using black ink, stamp the "Smell My Feet" stamp in the center of both pieces of card stock H.  Color the socks in with the Old Olive marker on both.

More Cutting: Cut around one of the "Smell My Feet" images to carefully make a perfect circle with a diameter of approx. 1 7/8.  Carefully snip the legs from the second "Smell My Feet" image, discarding the remaining. Using your Big Kick and the scalloped circle die, cut a black scalloped circle from card stock D.

Trim card stock E with the wiggly edged scissors.

Outside of Card: Begin by adhering the perfect circle "Smell My Feet" H image to the black scalloped circle. Then adhere F to A, and adhere wiggle edged E strip to the center of the FA stack (long ways).  Next adhere the scalloped circle stack to the center of the FAE stack as shown on my card. Adhere that stack to the center of the card base. Using a scrap piece of card stock to mask the center stack and black ink, stamp bat images so that they appear to be coming out from behind the center stack.

Inside of Card: Begin by adhering I to B and G to C making 2 separate stacks. Then adhere those together, putting the GC stack near the bottom of the IB stack. Adhere the individual feet that you snipped out on that final stack then adhere the entire stack to the inside of the base card.

Thanks For Blessing My Life With You - A Challenge Entry Card

Here is my entry for the Clean and Simple Sunday Challenge over at Brenda Dean's blog. I used Brenda's sketch idea to create an anniversary card for my husband. On August 30, we will celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary. Believe it or not...I love him more and more every day...who says the honey moon has to end! Ours certainly hasn't!

Color Combination: Old Olive; Chocolate Chip, and Bashful Blue
Sentiment created in Photoshop using English and Gourdie Cursive fonts from DaFont.com

I created this card using Old Olive and Chocolate Chip card stock from Stampin' Up and Designer paper from a huge pad from Recollections. The white cardstock is from Walmart. The image on the front is from a stampendous stamp set that I scanned and colored in photoshop. I also created a lined envelope using white copier paper and left over matching DP. Ribbon is from my stash, not sure on brand.

Saturday Spotlight - Cards I Made Recently

Here are a couple of cards I made for family recently...

This first card I created for my niece's baby shower. She is having a boy and I can hardly wait to meet the little guy. He is due in September - the shower is today, which is why I waited to post this until after the shower. This card was made using Stampin Up card stock - Tempting Turquoise and Chocolate Chip as well as white cardstock from Wal-Mart. Inks from SU - Tempting Turquoise, Chocolate Chip and Old Olive. The stamp set is from a wooden stamp from the dollar bin at Michaels and the Bunny stamp on the front is from a Stampendous clear acrylic stamp set. Green ribbon is some I had in my collection, from Wal-Mart.

 

This next card is a "Thinking of You on your Birthday" card made specifically for my sister. Her birthday was Friday, July 29th. I gave her the card at the baby shower today! She collects owls and I happened to have a perfectly wonderful owl stamp. The stamp set used on the front is an I-Cling from the dollar bin. The card is made with Wal-Mart white card stock and SU Razzleberry card stock and ink. The designer paper is from the Recollections Fashionably Chic paper pad purchased from Michaels. I also use Stampendous Kaleidoscope Embossing Powder on the owls eyes, nose, and flowers. The sentiment on the inside of the card (not shown - "on your Birthday") is from various stamp sets that I own. I also used a cell phone bling jewel on the small flower next to the "Thinking of You" sentiment on the front of the card. Ribbon is bits and scraps from my collection.

Hope you like my cards. You will have to wait for their reaction until after I get back from the shower. For now, I am certain they will love them! I am in the process of switching all my supplies to Stampin Up. If you have any tips on the best way to build a SU collection on a limited budget, feel free to pass the info. I am currently spending about $30-50 per month getting papers and inks. I love that the papers and inks are completely coordinated - which makes card making/stamping so much more fun! Hope you enjoy my cards!

In addition to the cards, I decided to share the baby shower diaper cake I made as a present for my niece. I went with a frog theme - sure wish I had found a decent frog stamp for the card! Anyway, hope you enjoy!