Monogramed Notes in a cute purse class

I'm teaching a new class for this cute little purse filled with monogramed note cards. I will be posting the location and date as soon as I firm them up. I also created projects for a Father's Day gift class but my camera isn't speaking to my computer right now so I'll post them as soon as I can figure out what the problem is.

One of my favorite parts of this project is the georgous faux alligator skin flap closure. It is so pretty and is easy to make. I love the

monogramed alphabet too. It is such a pretty set

and makes great accents on these notecards. The

purse and accents on the notecards is the beautiful Parisian Breeze Designer paper. It has a wonderful texture and is nice and thick.

From the inside view picture you can see the 2 pockets for the note cards and envelopes and the fun pen that is even decorated with the Parisian Breeze Designer Paper. With the Baja Breeze ribbon handle, the whole set coordinates beautifully. What a great set to have for yourself or to give as a gift!

It's planted!

After so long of the garden being too wet to get the tractor in and work it up for our garden we finally have it planted! We should have had it in a month ago but haven't had 2 days in a row without rain so it had to wait. We planted corn, green beans, purple hull peas, beets, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, squash, zucchini (only 6 hills) and we transplanted about 8 tomato plants that our daughter and grandson had started before they moved here from Memphis. It got too hot before we did the cantalope and watermelon so we will do that in the morning if it isn't too wet. Yes, we got rain for our garden today. I didn't want to take a bucket of water out there, it would take a long time to water each seed and the hose won't reach. The top picture shows two of my grandchildren playing in the garden the day before we planted it.


Easton is helping plow the garden and Malia is doing what 17 month old babies do, tasting the dirt!

Featured Guest, Lori Stilger

During the blog tour last weekend I noticed a card that was so beautiful that I asked it's creator if she would be a Featured Guest for me. She gladly consented so let me introduce you to Lori Stilger and show you a couple of her cards. I asked her several questions, I think you will be interested in her answers. Don't you love her butterfly card? I ordered the Pretties Kit so I can make beautiful butterflies too!

Why did you decide to join SU?
About 11 years or so ago, I went to a Stampin' Up! party. The whole time I sat there, I thought, "I can do this a lot cheaper with eBay, Michael's, JoAnn's..." So I bought a stamp set, and left.
Two years later, I signed up. I had a STACK of card stock that I couldn't get the inks to coordinate with - especially yellows. Has anyone else noticed that??? I wanted things that I KNEW would go together without my having to think too hard. Stampin' Up! gave that to me - inks, card stocks, markers, AND chalks. And I've never looked back!

How long have you been a demo?
Eight years in June!

Where do you get your inspiration?
Well, to be honest, I hate to copy anyone. I get bored! IF I get stuck, I go bloghop, or go to some demo-only galleries to look. I also keep a file on my hard drive each year called POSSIBLE CASE, and I browse it when I'm desperate.

Tell about your family.
I've been married to my husband, Kenn, for almost 13 years - we met on the internet. I have a stepdaughter, Kaisa, who - along with her husband, Jeff, of two years - lives in California. Kenn and I share a house with my parents, and that's a good thing! I have two younger sisters, both married and in different states.

What is your favorite stamp set?
Oooh, that's a HARD question! I'd have to say, lately, it's been Fifth Avenue Floral. Rustic Rooster's been used a lot around here lately, too - but gosh, it's hard to pick!

What is something every card needs?
TEXTURE. Whether with ink, embossing, or design, it needs to have some depth to it. My customers will also tell you I used dimensionals on about 2/3 of my designs, too. They give a lot of that depth I look for, without breaking the bank - or causing me too much work.

Do you scrapbook? If so, what is your favorite technique for scrapbook pages?
I DO, but more for teaching than for my personal use - we're photographers who work with digital images, so I'm REALLY looking forward to the digiscrapping SU!'s bringing out soon. It can't be too soon. (Elaine's note: Did you see that? I haven't mentioned it but Stampin' Up is coming out with digital products very soon!)
That being said, the albums I HAVE done, I like to do theme scrapping - so that MOST of the pages are the same. I feel that, with a themed album, my memories and the pictures definitely take center stage. For instance, for our 10th anniversary, Kenn and I renewed our vows on our favorite Oregon beach, and took a WONDERFUL trip just for us (instead of spending all the time with family and friends. For MOST of the book, there are no titles, etc - there's a title PAGE, but nothing on individual pages, because the story flows from moment to moment, not event to event. The elements on most of the pages are the same: torn border with embossed starfish. There are two 2-page layouts, however, that I call EYE CANDY. No journaling - because when I take the time to journal, I JOURNAL. Those layouts are completely different pages; I used different colors, different accents, and just scenery shots. I LOVE that book.

I love all the glitter on this card. The Manhattan Flowers embossing folder is one of my favorites! I need to try this technique with it, such a georgous card!

I'd like to thank Lori for joining me today and sharing her projects and answering my questions.
Lori Stilger's blog http://www.poohisstamping.blogspot.com/

Card Portfolio, Great teacher's gift!

I went to a Retreat a couple of weeks ago for Stampin' Up demonstrators. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. We did 6 projects so I'm going to share one of them today. This is a fun card portfolio we did and it included 3 matching cards. This is the front of the portfolio. We used the Friends 24-7 stamp set, Friendly Words wheel and the georgous Parisian Breeze Designer Paper. This paper is cardstock weight and is textured. Wow, while I'm thinking about it, our designer paper is on sale this month!

Buy Three, Get One Free
Celebrate National Scrapbooking Month with Stampin' Up! From May 1-31, buy three packs of Designer Series paper and/or 12" x 12" textured card stock, and get one pack free! Mix and match your papers to meet all your scrapbooking and paper crafting needs.

You can email me an order or place an order online with your credit or debit card. You can click on the catalog on the right sidebar to access my online catalog. We have some great paper!

OK, back to our project, here is the portfolio opened. I love how the cards all match the portfolio so it is a great gift! Another thing I love is that the portfolio is made with a single sheet of 8 1/2 X 11 cardstock. We just folded up 2 1/2" on the long side to form the pockets and then folded that in half. We stamped the front of the portfolio with the Bella Toile background stamp and then added a strip of white cardstock wheeled with matching Baja Breeze ink. The butterfly cut with the Beautiful Butterflies die and tied with ribbon. Quick and easy!

The inside of the portfolio is stamped on the flap only in Creamy Caramel ink.

Here are the 3 fantastic cards we made to fill the portfolio. I just put 10 cards and envelopes in my portfolio and they fit so this would make a great gift to give your children's teachers for the end of the year. They always need lots of thank you cards.




















Limited-Time Scrapbooking Starter Kit
Start your own business for as little as $75 with the limited-time Scrapbooking Starter Kit. The Scrapbooking Starter Kit contains the following:
Schoolbook Serif Alphabet stamp set
Simply Scrappin' Petal Party
Earth Elements Assorted textured card stock (12" x 12")
Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad
In addition, this specially-priced Starter Kit contains all the business supplies found in the regular-priced Starter Kit.
Let me know if you are interested in starting your new business!

Sneak Peak at Scrapbook class

I thought I'd share a sneak peak at a bit of the layout we are doing in our scrapbook group next week. It was actually supposed to be last night but I am sick, sick, sick! The flowers are a great new technique I learned and I just love the little bird. I think he needs some glitter though! If you are in the area you would be welcome to come to the class, just leave a comment with your email and I'll get the info to you.

What a difference a layer makes

These 2 cards are basically the same except for the colors. The one on the left is nice but the one on the right has an extra layer, the striped paper with the green ribbon tied around. Such a simple added touch seems to make a big difference. You may have noticed that I usually have several layers on my cards. Simple is good sometimes but adding another layer can step up a card nicely.

BTW, I managed to get into my scrap room. My son in law managed to push the door open about 4 inches and I could reach in and pull the boxes from behind it and push them out of the way. It took probably 10 minutes to get in. There were 7 boxes in the landslide! Once we get the rest of the house livable we will have to work in there. Moving is so much fun.

Some of you don't know that my daughter, her husband and their 2 1/2 children moved in while he does an internship here for the Southern College of Optometry. I told them there was no reason for them to take more college loans to pay rent when we have 5 bedrooms. I'm loving having those sweet babies here, it will be a fun 8 months. The new baby is due in September. Easton (age 3) sometimes gets fustrated with his little sister (16 months) for wrecking his train tracks. The other day he said his baby brother won't wreck his trains. We don't know if it is a boy or girl but Easton knows!

White Gel Pen fix

I came across a fix for the white gel pens on Captain Crafter's Blog. I haven't had trouble with the white Signo pens yet but I use them fairly regularly so they don't have time to get stubborn on me. I'm definitely going to try this on some of my older pens. I have a bunch of different color ones as well as gold and silver that need some attention. I hate to throw them out but if they don't work. . .

I'll let you know how it goes. Right now I can't get into my scrap room. A stack of boxes next to the door fell and I can't even get the door open one inch! Both of the windows are locked. If anyone has any bright ideas short of busting the door down, lmk!

OK, I feel like I have to have a picture with my blog posts.

Here is a fun swap card I got at the retreat I went to a couple of weeks ago. If I could get into my scrap room I would tell you who made it! I'll add that info when I figure out how to get in or if she happens across my blog and lets me know it was hers.

She used the fun Cherry Blossom Embosslets to make the flowers and the scalloped punch along the rim of the "flower pot".

Other news from the home front: I may not be able to get into my scrap room but I have a new riding lawn mower that I'm loving! If I had known how much fun it would be I wouldn't have minded writing out that big ol check as much. I think I need to go mow someone else's lawn since it is too soon to mow mine again. My husband even mowed the orchard so I can't use that excuse. . .

Scrapbook paper sale!

Scrapbooking Promotion Special!

Definition of Scrapbooking
scrap-book-ing n. (scrap'booking) 1. obsessive compulsive disorder consisting of pouring your grocery money and savings account into a blank book in such a way that makes the act justifiable. 2. Causes euphoria and giddiness in those afflicted. 3. Common ailment among scrapbookers for which there is no known cure.

Dates: May 1-31, 2009
The Scrapbooking Promotion has two exciting parts:
Buy three packs of Designer Series paper (including our Specialty Designer Series paper) or 12" x 12" textured card stock, and get one FREE!
Buy a sneak peek stamp set from the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog--Jumble Alphabet (set of 52; double-mounted)--at a 20 percent discount.

Description - 115199 - Jumble Alphabet Stamp Set
Regular Price $43.95
Sale Price $35.16

FAQs
Q: Is there a limit to how many free packs of paper I can get?A: No! For every three packs of Designer Series paper and/or 12" x 12" textured card stock that you buy, you'll get one pack free.
Q: To get the free pack of paper, do I have to buy three packs of Designer Series paper or three packs of 12" x 12" textured card stock? A: No. You can mix and match your paper; for example, you could buy two packs of Designer Series paper and one pack of 12" x 12" textured card stock, then choose either a pack of Designer Series paper or textured card stock for free.
Q: Is there any paper not included in this special?
A: Yes. Taste of Textiles (item 113991) is not included in the buy three, get one free paper promotion as this paper is not considered a part of our Designer Series paper product line, but rather is one of our Specialty Papers.
REMEMBER... you can always go to my Stampin' Up! web site to keep up with the latest and greatest promotions.

Layering stamps and punches to make flowers

This is a layout I did of my little grandson Easton. It reminds us to enjoy the little things. I stamped, punched and layered the flowers. I really like the many flowers you can create with the layering of different punches. You can see by the close up that I used the scalloped circle punch and several sizes of circle punches.

Slider Card Tutorial and drawing

Good morning! Thanks so much to those of you who visited my blog yesterday for the Blog Tour. What did you think about it? I think I will join another one soon.

Here is the slider train I showed you yesterday and promised I would post a tutorial today.

First, I cut the window sheet 1 ½” X 4 ¼” and rounded the corners so they wouldn’t be too sharp. I stamped the train cars in StazOn permanent black ink since I was stamping on the window sheet. Stamp down carefully and pull straight up. Don’t wiggle the stamp at all on this slippery surface or it will smear.

I used an Old Olive background for the card and Baja Breeze for the top part. On the Baja Breeze I stamped a row of trees with the Trendy Trees stamp set. They just seem to go perfectly with the Choo Choo set. I wanted some of the trees to be taller than others so I stamped above the first image on two of the leafy ones.

For the clouds I punched a scalloped oval from scrap paper and sponged on Baja Breeze ink using the punch as a mask. After sponging the Baja Breeze I sponged some Pacific Point ink over it. After sponging some Old Olive across the bottom of the blue strip and adding 3 star brads on the top left corner I was ready to adhere it to the Old Olive card front.

How do you like my snazzy sponge handle? Someone who taught a class at our stamp retreat last week had seen these somewhere and shared with us. Isn't that a fun idea, just punch the round tab punch in the color you plan to use the sponge for and staple it on a piece of sponge cut into forths. I think it is a brilliant idea! I'm going to start by buying 1 pack of sponges which will make 12 sponge applicators and choose the colors I am most likely to sponge with. Later I'll buy another pack and make 12 more and on and on until I have one for every color.

After rolling the Right on Track wheel across the bottom of the Old Olive I was ready for the fun yet tricky part. I used the Word Window punch to punch 2 pieces from the middle of the card (save these pieces). I trimmed off the little notch out of the middle so the pennies don’t get snagged on them when you slide the train. It really bugged me (perfectionist that I am) that some white showed through on the first card so I placed the green card front on the white card and marked where the ends of the slot were. Then I adhered a strip of green cardstock there so there wouldn’t be any white showing through. Like a 3 year old is going to notice. . .

I took the 2 green pieces that I punched out and trimmed a little off each end and glued them end to end to the back of the train to hide where I am going to put the pennies. Seriously, if white can’t show through, why would the pennies be able to show through??? Besides, if the child knows they are there the card may have to come apart! Place a Stampin’ Dimensional to this strip about 3/4” from each end.

Place the word window train strip over the slot you punched and flip the card front over. Peel off the backs of the Dimensionals and stick the pennies to them. Now I use a ton of the Dimensionals to adhere the card front to the card. Usually I’m pretty chintzy with them but you want this project to stick and be sturdy since a little one is going to be tugging on it so I used over a dozen! Peel all the backs off and center it on the card front. Done! See, it really is pretty easy!

I printed out and cut up all those names for the drawing. There were a lot who didn't post their email addresses. I hope most of them were Stampin' Up demonstrators who just wanted to comment and didn't want a prize. The 2 winners will have their choice of one of the Sale-a-bration stamp sets. I will email them seperately to get their addresses but you all want to know who won so their names are Terri H. and Denise KF!

Congratulations!

This last picture shows the 2 cards side by side so you can see why I placed the green strip of cardstock behind the slot I punched. That white showing through really bugged me!

Elaine