SCSNYE02

Here's the second challenge- Use a retired stamp set, and keep the card mailable-3 layers or less and no bulky embellishments. I used Sunflower Serenade, which I've had for a while, but haven't used yet. I did use a button, but I haven't had any trouble mailing cards with those.

That's probably all the challenges I'm going to do today, but I may do some of the others later on this week.

SCSNYE01

Splitcoaststampers.com is having a virtual stamping event today starting at 2. There will be one challenge per hour. The first one is friends and food. I didn't get started until around 2:30, so I made this one pretty quickly. Time for the next challenge, so I better get started.

Some quick pre-order cards

Since SU! just announced that we CAN post cards using pre-order stamps, I made a few quick cards since I'll be heading to WV on Sat. morning. The first card's DP and ribbon are last year's In Colors, and the "Gracias" stamp is going to be an individually offered stamp. There is also an English version offered by itself. The 2nd and 3rd card's DP will be in the new catty and is called Raspberry Tart. The Howdy stamp is from a Level 2 Hostess set called a Little Something. The third card's image is from the same set. I punched the Thanks a bunch with the 1 3/8 circle. Each stamp in this set fits a punch. I made all 3 of these in about 1/2 an hour, which is quick for me. They are all pretty simple. I just wanted to make some fast samples since we CAN post them :)

Love You Much

These are new items that are available as a bundle from SU! from Dec. 23-Jan. 31. The bundle price is 20% off the items prices if you were to buy them individually. They will be available separately when the new catalog begins on Jan. 19. The set is called Love You Much. I also used the new Candy Lane DP, and the new Heart to Heart Punch. The ribbon is Chocolate Chip Taffeta. Now that we can post pre-order items, I'm off to use some more new stamps!

the last of the christmas cards

These are the last two cards that I made. For the first one, I used Season of Joy and the Top Note. For the second one, I used SCS205, and "A Flower for All Seasons. I made the scalloped square layer by layering 4 of the squares on top of each other because the punch wasn't big enough to be seen behind the flower stamp.

Quick and Easy Top Note Cards

I'm still trying to quickly finish all the cards my BF wants for co-workers. For these, I cut out some Top Notes from DP (Holiday Treasures and Ski Slope), then chose In Color papers to put them on. I stamped a quick sentiment, added some ribbon and other accessories, and they were done.

and one more

This card's image is from a retired set called "A Year in the Country." The sentiment is from "Home for Christmas." The DP is Ski Slope. I used either that or Holiday Treasures on every card I made today. I added a library clip from the clips assortment to the sentiment, which was punched out with the Key Tag and layered on a 1 3/4 in. circle. The card base is Handsome Hunter, which I rarely use for some reason.

Christmas cards

My BF told me on Wednesday that he needs 8 or 9 cards by Monday (after I'd asked him a month ago if he needed any!). So, I spent the day making cards. I had a few left over from mailing out my own, but as I was making these today, he kept adding people. I now have 7 done, and he wants 7 more. I tried to make some quick ones, and using the Top Note die really helped. The first card I'm going to mail to a little boy in Dublin, GA who is dying from a rare cancer and his last wish is to get as many Christmas cards as possible. I used snowfelt flurries to make it look like snow, and put the truck up on dimensionals. For the second card, I used the Curly Label Punch to make the ends of the white piece curved like they are. 3rd and 4th cards used Top Note Die. The last card is this week's sketch, SCS206. George wanted a blue and white card for a co-worker whose sorority colors are blue and white.

Stamping Bella Style

The first card didn't go as I had intended. I wanted to use the outline image from Kind Thoughts under the black glitter butterfly (I had to use the glitter since I bought it yesterday), but I blurred it when I stamped it, so I decided to just use the Top Note die and cut out Parisian Summer DP, then layer on black (by cutting the perforated part off of the DP die cut). Then I just covered up my messed up stamping. I used the Thank you stamp from Cute and Curly, and put a flower from Pocket Silhouettes inside. I stamped Gratuitious Graffiti BG on the Pretty in Pink Card Base. The Bella Blossoms Card I'd been meaning to make for a long time. I stamped the flower first in Old Olive, then stamped again in Pink Pirouette and used a sponge dauber to add Riding Hood Red to the outer petals of the flower. I cut it out and layered it on top of the first flower I stamped. I cut the flower so that the leaf was "out of the box." I rolled Bella's Border across the bottom in Versamark. The DP is from Bella Rose, and the sentiment is from Thank You Kindly.

Trivets

I made two of these for Christmas gifts. They are 6x6 tiles. Next time, I'll try to get ones that are completely flat, as these were a little rippled and left some empty stamped spots. The set I used is Inspired by Nature. I stamped in Staz-on Olive with the sentiment in Timber Brown. It says "Good Works are links that form a chain of love-Mother Teresa" I also made two sets of coasters using Baroque Motifs, the same as the ones I made last year only I stamped "cherish" in red.

Happiness is a Journey

I've had this set for a while, just haven't used it yet. I stamped the image in Versamark onto Chocolate Chip paper, then heat embossed with white EP. I spiral punched the top, then distressed the edges. I layered this on Bordering Blue which I also distressed. I put a large eyelet with some Choc. Chip polytwill on the corner beside the sentiment. I stamped the Sanded BG in So Saffron onto the SS cardbase. I'm so glad I finally bought white EP. It's so much easier than the white craft ink! I hate cleaning that stuff off the stamps! I also made a card with Love You Much, the 3 heart punch, and coordinating DP (which will all be available Dec. 23) but I can't post it until they are available as per SU!'s new rule.

Sassafras

This is Sassafras. We all got to make one at the Pre-K Training I went to today. I didn't have enough time to put on her hair today, so I decided to finish her tonight, and while I was at it I added some flowers to her hair and a pink pirouette tongue. Her mouth is a mailing tube. We cut the end off of a sock to cover the tube, then added accessories. You can have the students feed her a certain amount of things to see if they can count, they can feed her things that start with a certain sound, color, shape, etc. The kids are gonna enjoy her. Just thought I'd share the idea.

Still working on Christmas Cards

The first card's layout was CASED from the front of the Catalog Samper. I used the retired set "Peaceful Wishes." For the second card, I used the negative piece of a Top Note that I had cut out and adhered it to a Pink Pirouette Card base that I had stamped with snowflakes from Snow Swirled. I stamped an image from Punches Three in Pacific Point, scallop square punched it, and layered that on a square of Chocolate Chip. I also put square rhinestone brads on the corners of the sentiment. The last card has the piece of DP that I cut out with the Top Note Die and used the negative image of on the last card (this is the flip side of the paper). I added Felt Flurries, and a sentiment from Best Yet.

Almost Done with Christmas Cards

The "Stitched Snowman" card I colored by pooling the In Colors in the lid and using a blender pen. The sentiment is from Best Yet (Level 1 Hostess Set). I punched it out with the large oval, then layered that on the designer label, which I layered on the 1 3/8 circle. I added HPH and RHR taffeta ribbon to it. The DP is Holiday Treasures, and I scallop punched the bottom edge. The second card is Holiday Trim. For the sentiment, I inked the word Merry from Many Merry Messages with a More Mustard Marker. Then I used an ampersand that I had in a non SU! set for the "and", and the Bright is from Holiday Trim. I added linen thread and a button to it. The jars are from IKEA. I punched 1 3/4 Real Red Circles, layered on Old Olive scallop circles, then 1 3/8 Night of Navy circles, and then stamped Enjoy (Lovely Labels set) in Real Red Craft ink and heat embossed it with clear EP. Then I punched that out with the 1 1/4 punch. I tied Real Red striped ribbon around the necks of the jars. I'm going to fill these with peppermints and give them to some co-workers.

Holiday Extravaganza

If you haven't checked out Stampin' Up!'s Holiday Extravaganza sale, you're missing out. The sale is over Dec. 1 and there are some great bundles on sale. The Curly Label Bundle is 30% off (too bad I already own it!). I used one of the stamps and the punch from the bundle on the first card. I used the Top Note Die to cut out the Holiday Treasures paper, and added a hat pin from the Pretties kit. This card was pretty fast and simple to make. I also used Holiday Treasures for the 2nd card, which I made for this week's sketch challenge (#204). The stamps are from Snow Swirled, and I used the Holly roller on the long piece. I put a felt flurry and filigree brad on the lower corner of the tree. Then I used the distressor to shabby up all the edges. If you want to place an order during the Holiday Extravaganza, you can go to my Demo site to order online.

Manolos!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Manolo Blahniks that I won inside my Sex and the City DVD arrived on Friday. I was expecting them to be a weird color since they were giving them away, but they aren't! The retail for these is listed at $599 on the prize info/rules sheet. They fit really well, but the heels are so high that I can barely stand up! They even have a dust bag. Now if I can just find somewhere to where them too.....

WSC67

Both of these cards started out using the WSC67 template from Beate's blog. The "Trees Three" image was cut out with the Labels Two Nestabilities. I stamped the trees in Sahara Sand, then used versamark and clear EP on the snowflakes. I sponged over that with brilliant blue. I realized after I did the EP that I should have done the snowflakes first so that they would have shown up on the trees, but it was too late. I used the scallop circle image from last year's SAB "Say it with Scallops" for the circle. The "Wishing Well" card's image was cut out with Mega-Nestabilities Curvy Rectangles. I colored it with pastels, added some HPH with RHR taffeta, and an In-Color button. The DP is from Bella Rose.

Season of Joy

I didn't get to stamp this weekend because I wasn't feeling well. But I've got to get some more Christmas cards done or I won't have enough. I also need to get some coasters to stamp for gifts. Anyway, I used Season of Joy, which made it from last winter's mini, for both or these cards. The first card

is for WSC66 on Beate's blog. I used craft Old Olive and clear embossed the tree (which looks kind of weird in the pic.). I used the in color buttons and, of course, the alpine ribbon and Holiday Treasures DP. The second card started out to be the same layout, but ended up totally different. I ended up using my new Nestabilities Labels One collection with a Build-a-brad and red striped ribbon. I had already stamped the words onto whisper white when I decided to cut it out and layer it onto the Not Quite Navy, so I taped it onto the Nestabilitie and then cut it out. It worked great! I also added a circle clip from HPH to the bottom corner to cover a stamp smudge (oops!).

Oldies but Goodies

I used some old but "new to me" sets today. The third card posted was my first time using the Top Note Die. I cut it out of True Thyme paper, then stamped the image from Christmas Carolers on it in Timber Brown Staz-on. I layered this on a piece of white stamped with the Sanded BG in Sahara Sand. I added a paper clip from the clips assortment and some Alpine Ribbon. The second card is this week's sketch challenge #201. The stamp set is Gingerbread House. I colored the image with watercolor wonder crayons. I added a button and some HPH to it with True Thyme and Cranberry Crisp ribbon. The first card was Beate's sketch for the week (WSC65). I stamped Seasonal Shelves with Brown Staz-on and colored with Markers. I used the Coluzzle to cut circles out of Ski Slope paper. The star in the corner of the image was from Holiday Trim. I added alpine ribbon and a buckle from HPH to finish it off.

Pillow Box

I made my first pillow box tonight. I realized when I closed the top that I should have put the bow and sentiment on the other side so that the creases would be seen rather than the cut areas, but other than that, it was very quick and easy. I used Green Tea DP, Lovely Labels, and the circle punches. The Scallop circle is Old Olive, the 1 3/8 circle is Baja Breeze, and the ink was Certainly Celery. I also used Baja Breeze ribbon. Inside I put two mini Starburst packs that we had leftover from Halloween. I'm going to give this to my friend who teaches across the hall to help her get through the rest of the week!

Naughty or Nice?

The Pacific Point card I made using WSC64. The DP is Ski Slope, and the snowflake and flourish stamps (done in Versamark for a BG) are from Season of Joy. It was pretty quick to make. I added a filigree brad to the bottom left corner because it seemed to need something. The Naughty or Nice sign and penguin stamp on the other card are from a Gina K set called Sandy Claws. The background trees are from Lovely as a tree. I stamped the penguin on a scrap piece and he is up on dimensionals. I added HPH and some ribbon to the top. I wanted to stamp a light sun, but I couldn't find anything that would work well for that. The Noel is from Many Merry Messages. I love how the penguin is deciding which way to go...haha.

I got my Big Shot

I finally decided to order the Big Shot last week when SU! announced that they would NOT be back ordered until Nov. 24 like originally announced. And it arrived yesterday. I only have the large Scallop Circle right now, but I will recieve the Top Note and Pillow Box dies on Tuesday. So I had to try it today. The first card I made using The Snowflake Spot and shimmery white paper. I used this year's In Colors along with the the curvy label punch. I also used HPH and Double Sided Ribbon. The second card was quick to make. I used SC200 with Peaceful Wishes, Ski Slope DP, and the Scallop Square Punch. I added a mini library clip and some double sided ribbon to the Christmas stamp from Say it With Scallops. The third card I made using WSC61. I was waiting till my die arrived to do this sketch. I used the Holiday Treasures DP for the large circle. Instead of using a circle image like in the sketch, I used the Window Dressing set and just cut out the window. I added a curtain using the scallop edge punch and Crystal Effects to make the window shiny. I finished it off with Alpine Ribbon (can hardly make a Christmas card without it!), and some felt snowflakes.

SC198 and 199

SC198 had me thinking for awhile. I decided to use last year's Simple Snowman. I used the stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the Peace string onto his arms. I used the curly label to punch out the sentiment. I added some of the felt ribbon to give it some texture. The circles were cut out with the coluzzle. The DP is from Holiday Treasures. I used almost the same color palette for SC199. This set is new- "A Wish for Peace." I added some HPH with Alpine ribbon, and cut out the bird and added it on with dimensionals.