Stamping with Lulu

2012 Occasions Mini Catalog Is Here

2012-01-04T18:42:00.000-05:00

The all new 2012 Occasions Mini is here! If you haven't had a chance to check out all the goodness inside this little catalog, come check it out here:

Occasions Mini PDF

**On a side note, my father is still battling esophageal cancer and has been in a rehabilitation center for two months. His chemo and radiation treatments were very grueling and has really taken a toll on his physical and mental health. He is just now strong enough to have the surgery needed to rid his body of this aggressive tumor. Surgery is scheduled for next week. Please, please keep him in your prayers! I've been trying to slowly get back to creating, but I must admit that I'm a little rusty. I hope to have a new stamping post for you soon. Thanks for being patient with me!

IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN

2011-10-17T21:04:00.000-04:00

Yes, can you believe it? I finally found some time to stamp. Let me tell you, it felt absolutely wonderful. Now granted I'm a little rusty at it right now and the mojo isn't flowing so freely. I'm hoping that will alleviate itself soon. So, how many of you remember watching the Charlie Brown Halloween special about the Great Pumpkin? I love all the holiday cartoons. Yep, I still watch them. I used the Stampin' Up! stamp sets Jack of All Trades and Lighthearted for the sentiment on my card. I loved the Jack of All Trades set when I saw it in the catalog. However, I really struggled to come up with a card using this very set. Go figure! Once again I think my card may have a bit of embellishment overload. What can I say? I was so excited to find some stamping time that I went a little overboard.

Thanks for peeking in on me this evening!

LIFE'S BUMPY ROAD

2011-09-24T07:37:00.002-04:00

I know it's been a long time since my last post. I just wanted to give you an update of what's been going on. Many of you know that I've blogged about my father's illness. He has esophageal cancer and he is struggling. Radiation and chemotherapy treatments began on September 13th. Unfortunately, these treatments have really knocked the wind out of Dad. I live next door to my father and I'm constantly in a whirlwind between his house and mine. Unfortunately, this hasn't left much time for me to spend in my craft room right now. I really miss stamping, need to stamp and hope to stamp soon. It's just not happening right now.

I hope you will be patient with my lack of posts during Dad's battle with cancer. I'm not completely giving up on blogging. However, you may notice my posts to be few and far between in the next couple of months. I 'm truly sorry, but my father really needs me right now. Thanks for understanding.

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE

2011-09-12T20:50:00.000-04:00

I don't know why my blog posts have all been songs lately. Probably because my brain is exhausted. (Sigh!) I made this card for a terrific friend of mine named Kim. We were good buddies in college and recently reconnected through social networking. I had the opportunity to visit Kim this summer after her mother passed away. I hadn't seen her in almost 20 years, but she hadn't changed a bit. She's a "what you see is what you get kind of gal." That's what I love about her. So, if you're reading this Kim, thank you for being you.

It's going to be a quick post for me this evening. Tomorrow begins the five week treatment plan of chemo and radiation for Dad. He's not been feeling very well lately and has had to have four days of IV fluids for dehydration. Thanks for peeking in on me today!

Stamp Set: Bold Blossom; Paper: Cheerful Treat Hostess Designer Series Paper

YOU BELONG AMONG THE WILDFLOWERS

2011-09-01T06:32:00.000-04:00

You belong somewhere you feel free...............Yes, I'm a Tom Petty fan. I may even be dating myself a little with that song, huh? Okay, so I noticed my card is having a little "wardrobe malfunction" in this picture. Looks like I need to adhere the layers on the right side of the card a little better. Okay, how many of you clicked on the picture to get a better look? (Smile.) Shoot fire! I never noticed that until now. Note to self: fix it before it goes in the mail.

This card has a wallop of things going on. Pearls, die cuts, piercing, paper piecing, watercoloring, sponging........You get the picture. You should have seen the mess on my desk after making this one.

This is going to be a short post for me today. I'm heading off to work and them to chemo education with Dad. If you have any questions about the card, give me a shout. Thanks for peeking in on me today!

FLY ME TO THE MOON

2011-08-27T09:06:00.001-04:00

When I first opened the 2011-2012 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog, my eyes spied the Up, Up and Away stamp set right away. The big, beautiful hot air balloons caught my attention. Once, while traveling through the mountains of West Virginia, we were awestruck to see an array of gorgeous hot air balloons floating through the sky. I can't recall the exact number of balloons, but I'm betting there were over two dozen. The beautiful, vibrant colors made for an amazing sight.

I have seen many beautiful cards using this stamp set with patterned paper for hills and the cupcake punch for clouds and I wanted to get in on the action. Whoever came up with the idea of using the cupcake punch for clouds is one brilliant cookie!

Well, I'm going to sign off for today. I'll be back next week with another project. Next week is shaping up to be a very busy one. My husband will be in Chicago on business. I will be taking my father to several doctors' appointments. I have an appointment with my dentist for a partial crown. (I broke the back of my tooth off in May. Lesson learned - quit clinching my teeth.) And last but not least, my son is playing in his first high school golf match! (Go, Connor!) I'm really excited for him. Thanks for peeking in on me!

If you live on the east coast, please be safe. I've been following Irene's path on the local news channel. It looks like she's rearing her nasty head.

Recipe: Stamps - Up, Up and Away, Trendy Trees (Sentiment); Paper - In Colors 2011-2013 DSP Patterns Stack, Poppy Parade, Bashful Blue, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White; Ink: Poppy Parade, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Basic Brown; Accessories: Border Punch

(non-SU!), Cupcake Punch, Crimper, Cutter Kit, Jewelry Tag Punch, Bakers Twine, Daffodil Delight 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Poppy Parade 1/2" Poly Stitched Ribbon

CRAZY FOR CHALLENGES C4C101

2011-08-20T09:59:00.000-04:00

Yes!!!!! I actually took time to participate in an online challenge - on time!!! Whoo Hooo!!! Today, over at Crazy 4 Challenges, the challenge was to create a project using this bingo card. I chose to go vertical and used brads, flowers and 2 or more designer papers. (Kind of sounds like Jeopardy. I'll take brads, flowers, and designer papers for $500, Alex.)

For some reason, I have been stuck on distressing my cards lately. Don't ask me why. I don't have a clue. Perhaps, there is just something therapeutic about relieving stress through crumpling, sponging, tearing, etc.

This is going to be a short post for me. I'll be back later to give you the supplies I used on my card. I need to go get cleaned up. One of my friends and I are headed to lunch and then a matinee showing of "The Help". We both live in a testosterone sea and are in need of some "girl time".

Thanks for peeking in on me today!

FAITH IN NATURE

2011-08-18T20:06:00.001-04:00

I've never really considered myself very good at coloring and shading images. Honestly, I tend to shy away from open image stamp sets but I really am drawn to the stamp images in Stampin' Up!'s Faith in Nature hostess set. This is my first attempt in inking up this set. I sat down with my trusty Aqua Painter and my Stampin' Up! Watercolor Pencils. Instead of filling my Aqua Painter with water, I used mineral spirits. (A nice tip I learned from one of my customers. Thanks, Dee!) The mineral spirits work better for me. Who knew???

I designed this card to be a masculine get well card. I'm not sure why, but designing masculine cards always throws me for a little loop and creates a bit of a challenge for me. Why is that??? I guess the challenge explains why I went a little "overboard" with the distressing elements of the card. Sigh!

Believe it or not, I have quite a few more projects to share with you. We're in the hurry up and wait stage of my father's battle with esophageal cancer and I have an immense amount of nervous energy right now. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to create once his chemo and radiation treatments begin. As I've said before, that's a part of the journey I'll have to wait to travel. Thanks for all the kind words, encouragement and prayers you've said on his and my behalf.

Thanks for peeking in on me and thanks for your patience during my father's illness.

Supplies: (All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless noted) Stamps - Faith in Nature (Hostess set) and Sincere Salutations; Ink - Jet Black Stazon, Basic Gray Marker, Watercolor Pencils; Paper - Neutrals Collection Patterns DSP, Play Date DSP (retired), So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Watercolor Paper, Basic Black, Old Olive; Accessories - Very Vanilla 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Antique Brad, Sponge Dauber, Color Spritzer, Cutter Kit

UPDATE ON MY DAD

2011-08-18T06:49:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since my last post so I thought I'd give you an update. We have learned that my father's cancer is contained to the esophagus and has not spread. (Praise God!) Dad has been continuing to slowly lose more weight so his surgeon took him off the liquid/soft diet restrictions. Now Dad is eating just about everything but bread. Unfortunately, the tumor is located at the base of the esophagus which makes some food difficult to pass through to the stomach.

Monday we will see Dad's oncologist. I'm hoping we will learn a little more about his cancer and also find out what the chemo/radiation schedule will be. I have done a little research on esophageal cancer and I can tell you I'm very scared for my father. Please, please keep him in your prayers.

On a lighter note, I have been creating projects. I've been so nervous and the time in my scrap nook has helped ease my nervousness some. My husband, my blog photographer, has been taking pictures of my projects for me. I'm hoping to get some of them posted very soon.

Thanks for peeking in on me today!

BUY 3 DSP, GET ONE DSP FREE!

2011-08-01T18:34:00.000-04:00

During August, Stampin' Up! is offering their famous "Buy Three---Get One Free" Designer Series Paper Special.

Choose from a wide variety of designs and colors available in both the 2011 - 2012 and the Summer Mini!

122343 Nautical Expedition

122367 Paisley Petals

122357 Beau Château

122354 Pocketful of Posies

122355 Domestic Goddess

124339 Just Add Cake

122351 Frightful Sight

122352 Timeless Portrait

122350 Berry Blossoms

122342 Beyond the Garden

122359 Well Worn

122347 Nursery Nest

122349 Letters to Santa

122348 Big Top Birthday

SPECIALTY Designer Series Paper and Hostess Designer Series Paper are not eligible for this promotion.
There is no limit to the number of free packages you can earn.
Hurry! The promotion ends August 31, at 11:50 PM Mountain Time. You can shop Stampin' Up! on my website here.

LIFE TAKES OVER

2011-07-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

Sometimes life takes us along journeys we'd much rather not travel. Yesterday began that journey for my family and I. After many months of complaining of acid reflux and a 23 pound weight loss for my father, we learned that he has esophageal cancer. His local surgeon is not specialized in surgery of the esophagus and Dad has been referred to a surgeon in Columbus. So we wait some more. My brothers, sister and I are numb right now. Fortunately, my father seems to be taking it the best. In the meantime and all throughout this journey, we will place our faith in God and pray for understanding.

I'm not sure how often I'll be posting projects over the next several days and months. That's part of the journey I'll have to wait to travel. Perhaps my heart won't be into stamping. Perhaps stamping will be my great escape. I'm really not sure right now. My heart is with my father and as my only living parent I feel it's important to spend time with him. I hope you all understand.

I do have a couple of projects that I created earlier this month. I just need to photograph and edit them. Hopefully, I'll post them soon.

Thanks for peeking in on me today! Have a very blessed weekend.

BREAKING IN THE NEW - IN COLORS THAT IS!

2011-07-11T05:00:00.005-04:00

Just trying out my new Stampin' Up! goodies and trying out the new In Colors! Yep, it's official. I love them! Sorry for the quick post today. I have a very busy week ahead.

Wow! I'm sorry for the quality of this picture. It was taken at night and looks a little blurry. Thanks for peeking in on me any way!

BLOSSOMING FRIENDSHIP

2011-07-04T05:00:00.003-04:00

I have to admit that when I'm a little out of practice with stamping I tend to CASe projects from other very talented stampers. You know, just until the creative juices start coursing through my noggin again. (Oh, who am I kidding? I CASe a lot!) While blog surfing for ideas, I came across this card by Dawn Griffith. You'll definitely want to check out her blog and watch her videos.

Essentially, the only changes I made from Dawn's card are the color combination and the sentiment. Why fix something that isn't broken? Right??

Have you had a chance to drool over the all new 2011-2012 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog? If you haven't done so, you must DO it! You can view the new catalog by clicking on my link to the right of my blog.

I'll be back with an original card using the all new In Colors and a brand new hostess set. I know it's shocking that I actually had a semi-original thought. Please don't fall out of your chair as I would hate it if you hurt yourself.

Thanks for peeking in on me today! If you're American, enjoy this July 4th holiday and be safe! Don't forget to take a moment to remember the brave men and women who have fought for our freedom.

CASING THE OPEN SEA WITH A TWIST

2011-06-27T21:34:00.002-04:00

I found the neatest card in the Splitcoast Stampers gallery by n2scrappin and was just itching to case it. You can view her original card here. I knew from the moment I saw it that I wanted to put my own "spin" on it so I decided to make this a tilt card of sorts. I found directions for making this type of card in the resource section of Splitcoast Stampers. Instead of just making the wheel tilt, I cut my hole a little bigger than the directions so the wheel could turn completely around to mimic the wheel of a real ship.

I used The Open Sea stamp set from the Stampin' Up! Summer Mini Catalog along with the sentiment from the Bring on the Cake stamp set. I paired my image with the matching Nautical Expedition Designer Series Paper also in the mini catalog. (You just have to love matching designer series paper and matching stamp sets. It takes the guess work out every time!)

I know it's hard to tell from the picture to the left, but if you look really hard you can tell that the wheel turns. Notice how my stamped image is off center? I won't even tell you how long it took me to complete this card. Let's just say that it took far more time than it should have. It's been way too long since I've stamped and I am extremely rusty. Despite the length of time it took to create this card I can honestly say I'm very pleased with it. I intend to give it to my father-in-law for his upcoming birthday. Let's hope he likes it!

Thanks for peeking in on me today and for being patient with me during my extremely long absence. I do have more stamping creations to share with you so please stay tuned!

I STAMPED - REALLY!

2011-06-27T06:51:00.000-04:00

I actually got to spend some time in my little craft nook over the weekend. I had Friday off and I took advantage of the time to do some creating. You see, my computer is located by my craft counter and my son likes to play an online game with my brother-in-law. This creates a bit of a problem for us both. The area is too small for us to be in the same space at the same time. Most usually I give in and let him play his game. Unfortunately, I don't get any stamping done. We're currently working on a compromise. I NEED to stamp!!! (Smile.)

Any way, I will be posting some of my creations in the very near future. I think I've mentioned before that my husband is my photographer. I just need to steal a moment of his time to have him photograph and edit my projects. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

REORGANIZING, RESTRUCTURING AND MOVING ON

2011-06-13T06:56:00.001-04:00

It's been forever since I posted an actual project. Truth is, my creative zone had become a bit of a hot mess. Every time I would sit down to create I was disgusted by my lack of organization. It's amazing how clutter can wreck havoc on a person's creativity. Enough was more than enough! So I spent the weekend reorganizing my scrap area with hopes to crank out the projects very soon. Besides, I have some new Stampin' Up! products that are just screaming for attention. See you soon!

TIME TO SAY FAREWELL

2011-06-01T17:10:00.000-04:00

It's official. Stampin' Up!'s Last Chance list is out. These items are available until June 30th or until supplies run out. You can view the retiring products by clicking on these links.

Retiring stamp sets

Retiring Accessories

Retiring Definitely Decorative

To purchase any of these items, you can visit my Stampin' Up! website here.

CASING QBEE

2011-04-29T01:00:00.005-04:00

I came across this cute card and tutorial created by Brenda Quintana and knew right then and there that I had to try it out for myself. I must say that the process is a little time consuming but the end result is worth it.

This card has very little stamping, but is filled to the brim with punch art. Every now and then I like to change things up and break out those punches. Isn't it amazing the beautiful art you can produce from punches?

If you've been following my blog you know that I am trying to mail out more of my handmade cards. This card is no exception. I mailed it to my friend's, Kim's, mother whose lung cancer has spread to her liver. What's worse is that Kim's mother, Roxanne, suffered a stroke on top of everything else a few weeks ago. She is making some progress in regaining her strength. However, her chemotherapy treatments have been put on hold for now. I have to say after I sent Roxanne this card, I felt really good that I actually followed through with putting the card in the mail. Imagine my suprise a few days later when I received a thank you card from Roxanne. Her words of gratitude brought me to tears. She said she remembered me from Kim's and my college graduation. That was in 1992!

Sorry for the long post. If you stayed with this post to the end you deserve a prize! Thanks for peeking in on me today!

ETA: I scheduled this post a little over a week ago. I am sad to say that my dear friend's mom, Roxanne, lost her battle to cancer on Tuesday morning. Please keep my friend, Kim, and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

MOTHER MAY I

2011-04-26T01:02:00.002-04:00

One of the great advantages of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is receiving the monthly publication of "Stampin' Success" in the mail. This publication is full of business tips and techniques to help demonstrators grow their business. I found this card in one of the Stampin' Success magazines and tried it for myself.

If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you will see a shimmery glow to the stamped panel of the card. This technique is called "faux mother of pearl". All you need is plastic wrap and some Stampin' Up! Frost White Shimmer Paint. You simply place a small amount of the shimmer paint on a foam plate, wad up the plastic wrap and dab it in the shimmer paint. Next you pounce the plastic wrap on your cardstock, let it dry and them stamp your image with Staz-on ink. This technique adds a little elegance to your project. Go ahead and try it today. It's very easy to do and it'll make you say, "Wow! Now that's pretty!"

Thanks for peeking in on me today.

EASTER BLESSINGS

2011-04-24T01:00:00.004-04:00

Here's hoping you all are having a very blessed Easter this Sunday.

Thanks for peeking in on me today. Sorry for the picture quality. This card was photographed very late at night. It's actually much nicer in real life.

EAT YOUR VEGGIES

2011-04-20T01:00:00.003-04:00

I made these cute little Easter treats for my piano students using the Petal Cone die and my trusty Big Shot machine. Oh, how I love that machine.

I try to make my piano students some kind of little treat during the holidays just to let them know that I'm proud of their hard work. I filled these carrots up with mini candy bars and fun size packets of Skittles. These little treats came together very quickly.

Thanks for peeking in on me today! Hope your week is going great!

HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL

2011-04-18T01:00:00.001-04:00

This cute little basket is a project that was made in last month's class. My basket was filled with little paper crinkly thingies, but I gave them to one of the gents in my class. Yes, you read it right. I had a young gentleman in my class last month. He was so sweet. I had dishes of jellybeans on my table for my guests munching enjoyment. This young man took some of the jellybeans and put them in his basket because he wanted to give his basket to his little sister. I gave him the filling out of my basket so his jellybeans wouldn't fall out of his basket.

I found the "easy peasy" directions for this basket on Angie Kennedy Juda's blog here and the instructions for the cute little bunny on Mary Fish's blog here. Isn't the little bunny so adorable.

As I mentioned in Sunday's post, my computer is having problems and is on it's way to the shop. I'm not sure how long I'll be without it so I'm scheduling my posts in advance. I'm praying and hoping my posts publish as scheduled. Thanks for peeking in on me today!

COMPUTER PROBLEMS

2011-04-17T18:16:00.000-04:00

Ack! (Or should I say "Hack".) I do believe the dreaded virus has struck our household once again. No, I don't mean my family personally. It's our computer! I am working on scheduling my posts while our computer is in the shop. Hopefully, you won't even notice I'm gone. I just hope our computer isn't out of commission for too long. Sigh!

LIFE'S MOMENTS

2011-04-12T06:55:00.000-04:00

Life truly is a matter of moments, isn't it? It's amazing the twists and turns our lives take and to our amazement somehow we get through. I'm sending this card to a retired co-worker who has sure had his share of ups and downs since his retirement. I just want to remind him that his old co-workers have not forgotten him. We even reminisce about the good old days, tell stories about him and even chuckle at some of the humorous "moments".

I used the Nature Walk stamp set and the Botanical Gazette Designer Series Paper on this card. These items are available from the Occasions Mini Catalog now through April 30th. The sentiment is from the Elements of Style stamp set located in the Idea Book and Catalog.

It's a quick post for me today as I head out for work this dreary and soggy morning. I'm looking forward to sunnier days ahead! Thanks for peeking in on me!

OH, YOU'RE SEW SUITE!

2011-04-08T18:48:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know the title to my post is lame. It's hard coming up with catchy titles sometimes. As you can see, I finally caught up with my husband to photograph some of my creations. It's not that he won't do it, he's actually a very good sport. It's just that I always think I'm going to take the pictures and then I wimp out and ask him. (Nicely, of course.)

This card is one that was made in last month's card class. I usually don't do many projects with bright colors, but I was very pleased with the color combinations in this card. Plus, I really like the "Sew Suite" stamp set. I avoided buying this set for a while, but I saw so many projects on the web using this set that I eventually broke down and bought it. I'm so glad I did.

I promised my co-worker last year that I would mail out more of my handmade cards. So in keeping true to this promise I sent this card to an old college friend who's going through a bit of struggles right now. I recently reconnected with her on Facebook after almost no communications for approximately 17 years. We just got busy living life and raising families. I'm so glad to get to know her all over again and catch up on her life. And, I swore I would never get a Facebook account. All I can say is, "Never say never!"

I'LL BE BACK VERY SOON

2011-04-07T06:55:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to post a quick note before heading off to work. I'll be back very soon with some projects from my latest classes and cards I've made for friends. I finally got pictures of my projects and uploaded them to my computer. Thanks for your patience.

ON THE MEND

2011-03-14T06:49:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to drop you all a quick note to say I'm feeling better. I think I'm still fighting the sinus "crud", but I'm getting over it. Think positive, Lori! I did spend some time in my craft room yesterday. So, I'll have some new posts coming soon.

S{ICK }

2011-03-07T06:28:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to pop in and let you know where I've been. My son has been under the weather and now I seem to have caught the sinus "crud". It has been going around my son's school and my office. I was hoping to avoid it, but no luck. I haven't been in my craft room either. Hopefully, I'll feel better soon and get back to posting my projects.

Thanks for peeking in on me! Have a great week and remember to wash those hands!

BUILD A BLOSSOM MOJO 179

2011-02-26T00:01:00.004-05:00

My card today was inspired by the Mojo Monday's Week 179 Sketch. Well, I guess I should say that it is "sorta" inspired by the sketch. I exercised some liberty with the sketch. But that's what it's all about, isn't it? Sketches were designed to springboard our creativity. Plus, I knew this sketch would be perfect to use with my Build a Blossom stamp set and punch. I purchased this set about a month ago but hadn't taken the time to ink it up. I must say that I'm pleased with the outcome.

So, here's the story behind the card. It was designed for a woman I've never met - Julie. I truly hope she likes it. I attend church services with her husband's cousin, Robin. Robin had asked me if I would send Julie a card to cheer her up. Currently, Julie is fighting breast cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy treatments. I was told she really appreciates receiving cards and carries them with her to look at during her chemo treatments. Can I let you in on a secret? I've never designed and sent a card to someone I've never met. Let me tell you, it feels really good. For reasons I can't explain, I wanted this card to be a little special. I really wanted to pay attention to detail. I hope Julie knows that even though we've never met, I still hold her close in thoughts and prayers. I just hope my card reflects that.

That's it for me today. Thanks for peeking in on me! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I challenge you to bless a stranger with a handmade card. Who knows? You may just make his or her day.

FAST & FABULOUS FAUX SILK

2011-02-23T01:00:00.005-05:00

I saw this technique on the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator's website and decided to try it for myself. I can't believe how easy it is to create this beautiful, soft effect. The added texture over your stamped image just makes you want to reach out and touch it. Every time I go into a store I can't help but reach out and touch the textures of the fabric and run my fingers over the fine details of jewelry. I'm sure I drive the salespeople crazy but I can't help myself. Do you do that too?

This is one of the cards the ladies in my Technique Lover's class created this past week. I think the vintage look of this card was voted one of their favorites : ) It makes me happy to hear my customers say, "Oh, this is definitely my favorite project." KWIM?

Here's a close up look at the distressed edges. It kind of reminds me of vintage lace. There's virtually little work to achieving this look. Just take a 1" piece of cardstock and punch one side with Stampin' Up!'s eyelet border punch, run your cardstock through the crimper back and forth and use your bone folder to smooth out the crimping. Don't run your bone folder over the crimped edge too much. You'll still want to see some of the crimped detail. (Using your bone folder will help break down the fibers in the cardstock.) Next, use your fingernails to rough up the edges and after a short while the fibers in the cardstock will separate giving it a distressed look.

Thanks for peeking in on me today. I really do enjoy when you stop by to visit me and your lovely comments put me over the moon happy! Be sure to check back later this week. I have a card to show you using the lastest Mojo Monday sketch challenge!

BUH-BYE WINTER

2011-02-18T05:34:00.001-05:00

This is going to be the last "winter" project I post until later this year. I'm am so "over" the winter season. It seems a little strange to post this card when in reality we're experiencing 60 degree weather here in Ohio. Oh, and guess who is loving it? Me, of course. Don't be jealous. This is Ohio and the weather is subject to change at any given drop of a hat. No complaining here though. I'll take the beautiful weather even if it's only for a little while. I think it gives a person the hope that spring is just around the corner.

I CASed this card from Michele Zindorf. You can view her original card here. You just have to love this brayer technique. It looks so difficult to achieve, but with a little patience, a brayer and a post-it note or two, you can create a beautiful landscape in virtually no time.

SPRING FLING RETREAT

2011-02-15T19:55:00.000-05:00

I have no projects to share with you tonight. However, I just wanted to let all you scrapbook enthusiasts and paper crafters in on a great, affordable scrapbook retreat weekend. I've attended this fun-filled retreat for the last two years and had an awesome time.

WHAT:       Spring Scrapbook Fling - A Friday through Sunday weekend dedicated to scrapbooking and fellowship. Make new friends or bring along your best buddy.

WHERE:       Scioto Hills Christian Camp
                    1009 Martin Road
                 Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694
                    www.sciotohills.com

WHEN:        May 13, 14 & 15, 2011

COST:        $85.00 per person includes:
***Room (2 nights - 2-3 people per room)
***Cropping available all hours - day or night
***Meals - Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Sunday breakfast
***Snacks and beverages available while cropping

If you're interested in more information about this wonderful weekend scrapbook retreat, please feel free to contact me at l_burkitt@yahoo.com. I'd be glad to share all the details with you along with the registration information. I'm not affiliated with this retreat. I'm just a guest that's had a blast the last two years I've attended. This retreat is not sponsored by any company. It's simply a group of people who gather together to share their love of scrapbooking and paper crafting.

SPINNER TREAT CUP CARD

2011-02-08T01:30:00.003-05:00

As promised, here is one of the cards created during my class last week. It's a treat holder using Stampin' Up!'s Sweet Treat Cups. I saw a video tutorial for this type of card on the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator website. The card shown in the video was a sunflower. I tweaked my card a bit and came up with a Valentine themed card.

The circle stamped with "love you" is a wheel with a hole punched from the side of the circle. It allows the recipient to get the candy out without tearing into the card. Here's how it works. Simply turn or "spin" the dial so that the punched out circle is exposed and.................................................

There you have it! An easy way to get to the candy without destroying all the hard work you put into creating your beautiful card! What a clever idea! And, if for some reason, you pour one or two or three too many pieces of candy into the treat cup, you could just eat them! No need to put the candy back in the bag. Plus, after cleverly designing and assembling this card, you deserve your own treat! That's all for me today. I hope you have enjoyed this cute little Valentine project. Thanks for peeking in on me. Your visits mean so much!

Shop Stampin' Up! here 24/7!

FLAMINGO LOVE FOR THE PAPER PLAYERS

2011-02-06T19:55:00.003-05:00

I know I said I'd post cards from my last card class and I will. The pictures have been uploaded to my computer and need some editing. In the meantime, I thought I would show you a Valentine card I created this evening. (Yes, I know - I'm NOT watching the Super Bowl. Gasp!) The images are from the Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini set called Valentine Defined. I've laid out my Valentine stamps on my craft space and have vowed not to use any other sets until I've used all my Valentine sets. I'm so bad about impulsively buying holiday themed sets and (sigh) not using them. Ugh! Do any of you ever do that or am I the only one? This card was created for the Paper Players Challenge this week. The theme for this week is "Love is in the Air". Would you like to play along? You have until Friday, February 11th at 12:00 Midnight to play. Check out the Paper Players challenges here.

Okay, so on to the card.

I have to admit that just adhering my images to a "naked" piece of card stock scares me a bit at the moment. I've been on a kick of embossing every card base I create lately. So to calm my "embossing folder" withdrawal, I stamped the Bashful Blue card base with the heart flower do-hickeys (the long stems with the heart images at the tops) and then sponged around the edges. (Sorry it looks gray instead of blue. Night time photography during the winter is not such a good thing.) I still think it's missing something though.

That's it for me this evening. Thanks for peeking in on me. Sorry for the long period of no posts. I've got more posts ready to go. So, please bare with me.....I'm baaaaaaaaaack!

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS

2011-02-05T06:51:00.001-05:00

I'm very, very bad. I received this Stylish Blogger Award some time ago. The sad thing is that I don't remember who sent it to me. Ugh! Just one of the side effects that goes with getting older - so frustrating!

Anyway, I'm suppose to share 8 random things about myself and then pass this award on to 8 different people. I'm not sure I could pick just 8 people, so feel free to scoop up this award for yourself. Okay, here are 8 random facts about me.............

My favorite snack are Gummy Bears. I absolutely love those little things but not all gummies are created equal. Jelly Belly and Brach's make the best ones!
I play piano. I've been playing for over 31 years, but I have an EXTREMELY hard time playing in public - major stage fright. It makes me physically ill to play in public. However, I have played piano for several weddings. Go figure????
I'm the third of four siblings. My little sister if fourteen years younger than me. My brothers are twenty-one years and eighteen years older than her. Despite the age difference, she's my best friend.
I live in a testosterone sea with my husband, son and dog. Yes, even my dog is a boy.
I love vacation. I don't have an itinerary when I'm on vacation. I like to be spur of the moment and see where the days take me. I think it's more adventuresome that way.
I'm an insomniac. I average about 2-3 hours of sleep each night.
I'm a morning person. I wake up around 5:15 a.m. on week days (work days). Most weekends I wake up between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. I love having the wee hours of the morning to myself sipping on my half pot of coffee.
I'm only one of two women in my workplace. I work for a County highway department and am surrounded by men - twenty-two of them to be exact.

Okay, that's some random facts about me. I hope you enjoyed them. I'm not a very exciting person. (Smile!)

Have a great weekend and thanks for peeking in on me! I'll be back soon with cards from my last card class.

BE BACK SOON..............

2011-01-30T08:28:00.000-05:00

Wow, I've been gone for a very long time. Yes, I could name a million reasons, but I'll save you this time. I just got caught up in living life. Well, that and my mojo took a trip far, far away from me. No worries though! It has come home and found me again. (Smile!) The good news is that I have been creating for an upcoming class and once my classes are over this week I'll post the projects. I've also received a Stylish Blog Award and will post the eight random things about me a little later on this week.

Thanks for peeking in on me! Have a blessed Sunday!

2010-12-26T16:15:00.000-05:00

Filled with Love Promotion

Promotion dates: December 17, 2010 - January 24, 2011

Details: Valentine's Day is the second biggest holiday for sending cards, and during the Filled with Love promotion, you and your customers can get an exclusive package of Designer Series Paper perfect for creating cards for family, friends, classmates, and more!

From December 17, 2010 through January 24, 2011, get a FREE package of Bitty Buttons--a $4.95 value--when you purchase an exclusive Filled with Love Bundle. CLICK HERE TO VIEW DETAILS OF THIS PROMOTION.

Things to Remember:

• You must use the promotional bundle item number to receive the free buttons.

• You can also purchase the exclusive Love Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack alone for $9.95 (item 124156). There is no limit to the number of packs of Love Patterns Designer Series Paper that a customer can purchase. See the flyer for more information. Free Bitty Buttons are not included with the purchase of only the paper pack.

• This promotion has no limits. You will receive a free package of Bitty Buttons for every bundle you purchase.

• The Filled with Love Bundles include the Filled with Love Set from the 2010 Holiday Mini Catalog. Although the Holiday Mini sales period ends January 3, 2011, this stamp set will continue to be available for purchase through January 24, 2011.

Shop online with me 24/7!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

2010-12-25T01:00:00.003-05:00

I pray all of you are enjoying this Christmas with those that you love. I will go to my sister's house today to watch my two year old nephew open his presents. Then it's back home for some time with my husband and son. I'm hoping to enjoy a peaceful Christmas today. Whatever your plans are today, may God bless you each.

Here's another card that was made during my Christmas card class earlier this month. This card was inspired by the ever talented Corinne Somerville.

I know it's hard to see, but the trees have Dazzling Diamond glitter on them to make them look snow covered.

Thanks for peeking in on me today! I'm wishing you each a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2011.

MERRY CHRISTMAS WISHES

2010-12-24T06:36:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to share a couple cards we made at my Christmas Card Stamp-A-Stack class.

The dove card is a remake of card I made last year. I love that chunky glitter on the dove.

I've seen the snowman card on several blogs and I'm not sure who originally came up with this cute idea. I think this was one of the class favorites.

I do have another post scheduled for tomorrow. So be sure to peek in on me. Sorry I haven't blogged in forever. That was not my intention this holiday season.

CASING THE CATTY

2010-12-01T17:30:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post tonight to let you know that I am indeed alive and well. I've just been as busy as one of Santa's elves. Tonight's card is one of the cards my customers made in my October card class. It's not an exact CASE of the Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog, but it's pretty close. I just love the Friends 24-7 stamp set. It's versatile for either feminine or masculine cards.

Well, I need to get moving. I've joined a new gym and my husband, Dave, joined too! I'm trying to motivate him to exercise and tonight is no exception!

Thanks for peeking in on me! I enjoy your visits!

JUST BELIEVE

2010-11-20T08:13:00.000-05:00

This is card from last month's stamp-a-stack card class. It is heavily inspired from this card by Dawn Griffin. I just changed the color palette slightly and the stamp sets. I swapped out the Pretty in Pink card stock for Melon Mambo and changed the stamps from Aviary and Elements of Style to Just Believe and Perfect Punches. I know it is hard to see, but I brushed Smooch Illuminate Top Coat over my flowers. It gives the flowers a water colored effect. I kind of like it. I also used some Basic Rhinestones Jewels to "bling up" my card a bit. I paired the Melon Mambo with Basic Black and the new In Color, Pear Pizazz. Is anyone else loving the Pear Pizazz too?

I need to make this a quick post today. I'm heading to Jingle Bell Festival here in my hometown. All the storefronts downtown are decorated for Christmas and the stores are holding their annual Christmas Open House. (Most stores have fresh baked cookies, hot cider, hot chocolate and coffee for their guests.) Later, I'll watch the parade with some great friends and hopefully enjoy the Lantern Tour. My husband's uncle, Delmar, is in charge of the tour every year. He writes a play using stories from real people in our community from the late 1800's and early 1900's. Each actor dresses in era costume and reenacts the happens of our town during a particular era. The tour leads guests to historic buildings through town. Of course, the tour guide lights the way with what else - a lantern.

Thanks for peeking in on me today! I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

All products are Stampin' Up! unless noted. If you have any questions regarding my project, feel free to drop me a line.

SIMPLY AMAZING

2010-11-15T19:33:00.001-05:00

Yep, this is a truly amazing deal from Stampin' Up! Starting today until November 30th, 2010 you can purchase the Stampin' Up! Standard Starter Kit or the Digital Starter kit for $87.50. That's half off the regular price. Plus, you can even customize the kit to your suit your preference. Starting your own business has never been so easy. This offer is great for the hobbyist who just wants great product, but doesn't want the obligation of staying in business. Purchase your starter kit and enjoy Stampin' Up! demonstrator benefits for three months. You do not have to commit to anything more. However, you just might find that you really like the benefits of being a demonstrator! Here's how it works.
1. Contact me at my email address to get a password.

2. Once you have the password, go to my website (click here) and click on Join Now to join Stampin' UP!

3. Read, print and sign the Independent Demonstrator Agreement.

4. Choose the starter kit of your choice - standard or digital.

Don't forget - this offer is only good for two weeks. What are you waiting for? Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'd be more than happy to assist you.

Thanks for peeking in on me today!

BE BACK LATER TODAY.................

2010-11-15T06:41:00.002-05:00

Just a little note to let you know that I'll be back later today with some exiting news from Stampin' Up! I also got my husband to photograph some of my cards, so I'll be posting them this week as well.

GRATITUDE......TAKE TWO

2010-11-03T17:03:00.000-04:00

Here's my second take on the Day of Gratitude stamp set. I wanted to create a simple fall card for my October class and this card is the one I decided on. I do have some more projects to share with you. However, my dear hubby is my photographer and some times his time to photograph is not my time. Know what I mean? I guess it's time I break down and do my own photographing. Sigh! I know, I know. Oh, whoa is me. I don't know why I fight modern technology so much. Perhaps it's time I just go ahead and dive in head first.

Thanks for peeking in on me tonight! I'm going to keep this post short. I've been up since 1:00 a.m. with yucky head congestion. I have to get better by the weekend. A dear friend of mine and I are going Christmas shopping!

SIMPLE GRATITUDE

2010-10-23T12:00:00.008-04:00

I love fall. It's my favorite time of the year. I especially love the changing of the leaves from lush green to beautiful jewel tone colors. Although this card is more simplistic in nature, it just speaks "fall" to me.

This card is one of my rejects for my October card class. When I say "rejects", I mean that it did not make it to the final four cards that were presented in class. The only patterned paper on the card is directly behind the greeting. It is from Stampin' Up!'s Autumn Spice Specialty Designer Series Paper. The texture and weight of the papers in this collection are heavenly.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Mine has started out a little rough. My son is sick again with the yucky virus. Once again, my OCD has kicked in and I'm a Lysol cleaning machine. I've been scrubbing, wiping and spraying for the last 24 hours. I managed to escape the last round of the yucky virus. I just hope I'm able to escape it again!

Thanks for peeking in on me today! Your visits mean so much to me.

Supplies: All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless noted. Stamps - Day of Gratitude; Paper - Autumn Spice DSP, Old Olive, Poppy Parade, More Mustard, Early Espresso, Whisper White; Ink - Poppy Parade, More Mustard, Old Olive, Stampin' Write Markers- Early Espresso, Poppy Parade, Old Olive; Accessories - Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Lots of Tags Dies, Extra Large Oval Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Dimensionals

You can purchase any of the supplies listed above as well as other great Stampin' Up! supplies 24/7 here. Yes, you can even shop in your jammies!

WATERCOLOR DAISIES

2010-10-20T17:50:00.001-04:00

October is a big birthday month in my family. My aunt, cousin, my father and I all celebrate October birthdays. My father and I celebrate our birthdays a day apart. My father actually had the courage to ask my mother to wait a few more hours so I could be born on his birthday. (Smile.) I can only imagine the conversation that transpired after that remark : ) Of course, neither she nor I waited.

I'm not sure what the name of this technique is called. I saw the technique at the Cincinnati Stampin' Up! Regional last year. I used markers to color in the image and then doused my stamp with a good dose of water from a spray bottle. This gives the image a muted, water colored look. If you happen to be looking for a tutorial on how to make a nice bow, you have to check out this video tutorial by Ann Schach. It is an awesome tutorial and it really works.

ETA: My image was stamped on Whisper White card stock. The "wet" stamp did not buckle my paper. I haven't tried this technique on Watercolor Paper, but I'm sure it would work nicely.

STAMPIN' UP! HOLIDAY BUNDLES PROMOTION

2010-10-19T16:53:00.000-04:00

Want to purchase select Stampin' Up! products at a 20 percent discount? Starting October 19 - December 16, 2010 you can purchase select product bundles to create Amazing cards, Beautiful packaging and Cherished gifts! Check out the bundle flyer below.

Things to Remember:

This offer is available on all order types (customer, demonstrator, workshop and online.) Additional products from current catalogs may be purchased on the same order.
There is no minimum purchase required to participate in this promotion.
You must use the bundle item codes provided. The 20 percent discount will not be applied if individual bundle item numbers are entered separately.

If you have any questions, you can contact me at l_burkitt@yahoo.com. If you'd like to place an online order on my Stampin' Up! website, click here.

WHOOOO'S HAVING A BIRTHDAY

2010-10-12T21:09:00.000-04:00

I created this card for my cousin, Brent. It will be a little late getting to him, but it's the thought that counts. Right?

I saw this cute idea for a shadow box card on Dawn Griffith's blog and knew that I wanted to try it. I love her video tutorials. She makes it so easy for the visual crafter like me.

I really like how my card came together. Look at that sweet little owl. This was actually the first time I'd used my Two-Step Owl Punch. Why I waited so long to use it I'll never know. He reminds of the owl on the Tootsie Roll Pop commercial. You know the one. "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?" I know I'm corny. Believe me when I say I get it honest. I also really like Stampin' Up!'s Woodgrain stamp. Doesn't my card look like the actual grain on a tree? To create the moon I used the 2 1/2 inch circle punch and also the branch from the Two-Step Bird punch to create the tree branch. Over all, I was pretty happy with the results of this card. Looking back I think I would have moved my buttons up a little to hide the edge of my "Happy Birthday" banner. Looks like I need to pay a little more attention to details.

I hope your week is sailing along smoothly. I can't complain too much as I enjoyed a three day weekend with fantastic weather. Thanks for taking time out of your day to peek in on me. It really does mean so much to me.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION..........

2010-10-08T06:44:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm still here. My husband has been assembling two awesome workstations for my craft area. We ordered cabinets some time ago and he built the counter tops for me. He finally got them finished and I'm in heaven! So, I've been rearranging and reorganizing this week. I was, however, able to make a card last night and hope to share it with you soon!

RUFF DAY?

2010-09-29T16:54:00.000-04:00

I'm a dog lover. So naturally I took right to the "Friends Fur-Ever" stamp set by Stampin' Up! The set has so many wonderful stamps to change things up. It has different sentiments and elements that are uber cool. The two dogs in this card remind me of a couple of friends talking over a cup of coffee or in this instance, a bowl of water. Too cute I tell ya! I'm thinking this card will go out to my friend, Candace. Despite all the challenges life throws her way, she is always upbeat, bubbly and smiling. You have to love those qualities in a friend.

Today's card was one inspired by the very talented Ilina Crouse. I believe the only things that vary from my card and Ilina's are the patterned paper, button and sentiment. My sentiment, "I'm here for you....", comes from the Occasional Quotes hostess set available through Stampin' Up!.

Thanks for taking time to peek in on me! Hope you all are having a wonderful week. Mine seems to be flying by.

TIME AFTER TIME

2010-09-25T09:22:00.000-04:00

I don't know what's up with me lately. It seems I've only been posting "thinking of you" cards lately. What's up with that? I guess I've just needed a lot of them as of late.

Today's card is another one of my takes on a masculine card. Seriously, I need to break out of the blues and browns comfort zone and go for some other masculine color palette. Once again I've used the Sense of Time stamp set. I love this set and see it as one of my future "go to" sets when I need a masculine card.

I'm going to try to keep it short today. My sister and I are going birthday shopping for my niece's thirteenth birthday today. What do you get a thirteen year old girl? (I live in the testosterone sea at my house.) My brother offered the following advice to my sister: "You were thirteen once. You'll think of something." Pretty witty, huh?

Thanks for peeking in on me today! Hope you're having a wonderful weekend! Mine seems to be shaping up nicely.

P.S. If you're thinking you've seen a similar card like this in one of my earlier posts, you're right. I just wasn't happy with that card so I tweaked it a bit and changed the layout.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS..............

2010-09-21T20:02:00.000-04:00

.................CASE. This card was inspired by Diana Gibbs who was also inspired by someone else (the name escapes me.) I believe the only thing I did different to my card was add the ovals and sentiment at the bottom.

Thanks for peeking in on me tonight. I'm going to keep this post short. My uncle passed away this morning and I just can't seem to find the right blogging words tonight. Thanks for your understanding.

SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY CATCH UP

2010-09-15T18:48:00.003-04:00

It has been an incredibly long time since I've sat down and played along with a sketch challenge. I save all the challenges to a sketch file with good intentions to play along in the time allotted. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen very often. The sketch to the left is one from Jen Del Muro from way back in August. Yep! I know! I'm that far behind. Anyway, I decided to give it a whirl while I was at home with my sick kiddo this week. If you haven't checked out all the wonderful card sketches available on-line, you really should! They are such a great way to get your creative juices flowing.

So on with the card..... I decided to pull out my Stampin' Up! Apple Blossoms set for this challenge. I love the bright colors and whimsical patterns from the Play Date Designer Series Paper. I really like how easily Stampin' Up! accessories coordinate with the Designer Series Paper and card stock. They make it a breeze to put a card together in no time.

Well, I need to get off here and do a few chores before heading out to church services this evening. Thanks for peeking in on me! I hope you're having a wonderful week.

CHECKING IN................

2010-09-13T18:57:00.000-04:00

I really, really do have some new projects to share with you. Unfortunately, life has been crazy busy right now. On top of everything, my son came down with a very, very icky virus around 1:30 a.m. this morning. I am hoping to be back very soon provided that icky virus doesn't come looking for me........

SIMPLY YOU

2010-09-03T15:18:00.000-04:00

Today's card is one that I cased from a back issue of Stampin' Success. Stampin' Success is a publication that Stampin' Up! demonstrators receive monthly and the issues are full of great craft and business ideas and tips.

This card is really simple with very few layers. I used patterned paper from the Bella Blue collection (now retired) for my background. I believe the only things I changed from the original (that I cased) are the greeting, background stamp and the button. Hey, why mess with perfection?

Thanks for peeking in on me today! Here's wishing you all a very nice Labor Day weekend. I'm enjoying a four day weekend. (I took today off from work. Lucky me!) I have a wonderful group of ladies coming over to stamp tonight. I can't wait to see them!

ACK! THE "P" WORD

2010-08-29T09:21:00.000-04:00

The "P" word as in purple of course! Believe it or not I truly love the color purple. I love it in fashion, love it in nail polish and I even love purple popsicles. I just tend to shy away from it (okay, more like run or sprint) when making cards. I just decided to take the plunge and conquer my fears with this card. I'm not sure I've conquered my fears but I am telling myself, "Embrace the purple. Embrace the purple." So, in honor of the wonderful color purple, I pulled out my Perfect Plum card stock and ink.

For some reason my card has a yellow cast to it. Sorry for the funky glow, but I had my dear, patient man of a husband take this picture at night. I should know better by now but if your dear, patient man of a husband is willing to set up his camera to take a picture of your hobby...............well, you take what you can get. I guess that's true unless you're willing to do it yourself. Ummmmm, I'm not quite there yet!

Thanks for peeking in on me today! I really, really need to prep for an upcoming card class I'm holding. Hope to see you soon with another post!

ALWAYS ON OUR MINDS

2010-08-24T19:09:00.000-04:00

If you're like me, you struggle making masculine cards. Why is that? Today's card was no exception. Thank goodness I have the Sense of Time stamp set to help me out. It is absolutely perfect for making masculine card.

Even though I've been in a stamping rut, I am pretty pleased with the outcome of this card. I decided to take out my distressing tool and rough up the edges a bit. Of course I couldn't just stop there. I had to sponge the edges a bit to give them a more weathered look. You may be wondering what those funky little circle button things are doing at the bottom. Well, the simple truth is that I forgot to put the brads on my patterned paper before adhering it to the card base. Oops! (There are no mistakes in stamping, right? )

I will be sending this to a retired co-worker of mine who is battling cancer. My friend, Teresa, and I have been sending him cards just to let him know that he's never far from the thoughts and prayers of his old co-workers. He has called to thank us for all the cards and well wishes we've sent. It truly makes my heart happy to know that a simple card brightens his day a little. I highly recommend you make a card and send it to someone. You'll never truly know how much it means to them : )

Thanks for peeking in on me today! School starts tomorrow and I'll be sending my "baby" off to his freshman year of high school. I can't believe how time has flown.

IN A RUT

2010-08-17T15:36:00.000-04:00

Does it ever happen to you? You're feeling really crafty and have all these great ideas in your head and then you sit down to stamp and nothing - nothing at all. You try your hardest to stamp your thoughts on paper and it doesn't work out like you plan. That's where I'm at right now.

My card layout today is one I CASE'd from Mary Fish. Once again, the Melon Mambo has turned out a freakish pink color. I'm not overly thrilled by this card. Perhaps it is because I struggle with pastel color combinations. Perhaps it's because of the above mentioned problem I seem to be having. The good news is I will have some more cards to show you in the days ahead. I'll just have to keep stamping until I get out of this rut!

Thanks for peeking in on me today!

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless noted.
Supplies: Stamps - Punch Potpourri, Trendy Trees (sentiment), En Francais; Paper - Crumb Cake, Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo, Whisper White; Ink - Crumb Cake, Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo; Accessories - Whisper White Organza Ribbon, Basic Pearls Jewels, Butterfly Extra-Large Punch, 2" x 1 3/8" Oval Extra-Large Punch

PARDON ME, MERCI

2010-08-12T21:34:00.000-04:00

Seriously, I don't know a lick of French. I took three years of Spanish in high school and that was light years ago. Anyway..........I pulled out my Stampin' Up! Artisitic Etchings and Boutique Bouquet stamp sets for this card. I really wasn't sold on the Artistic Etchings set until I saw all the wonderful cards out there in blogland. Enablers, you! You make me sick : )

This card is one guests made at a surprise bridal shower card class. Yes, you heard me right - a bridal shower. Guests "showered" the bride with gift certificates and orders for Stampin' Up! merchandise. I say, "I want friends like that!" It was really a great time! Interested in having a girls night in with all your friends? Contact me for more information. You won't be sorry you did!

Shop Stampin' Up! here 24/7. Yes, you can even shop in your comfy pajamas and fuzzy slippers!

Thanks for peeking in on me today!

BUNCHES OF LUCK

2010-07-30T17:15:00.002-04:00

This card was the first time I broke out my Bouquet Bunch stamp set from the Stampin' Up! Summer Mini. I just had to have this set and then I've struggled to come up with a layout design using it. Plus, I think I have confessed in the past that I'm very inexperienced at watercoloring. I'm trying to improve on that. Hopefully you can tell that my flowers and shrubs are three dimensional. Should I let you in a secret? My first attempt at watercoloring the flowers and leaves was such a total bomb. I tried to redeem myself by stamping them again, watercoloring again and then cutting them out and raising them off the panels with Stampin' Dimensionals. I love those things!

I did actually give this card to a friend at church who began a new job in the surgical department at one of our local hospitals. (Hey, Maria! Glad the new job is going well.) I think she was shocked that I gave her a "handmade" card. (Shocked in a good way of course!) I'm really trying to make a conscious effort to actually give my cards to recipients instead of hoarding them in my card bins. It's an ongoing process, but I'm getting better at it. How about you? Are you a giver or a hoarder?

Thanks for peeking in on me today! Have a good weekend stamping friends!

A MATTER OF MOMENTS

2010-07-21T17:15:00.000-04:00

I'm just playing around with the stuff in my stash while I wait on my new Stampin' Up! goodies to arrive. Can you believe I haven't placed an order since the debut of the new catalog? The ugly truth is that I kept changing my mind and told myself to sleep on it before ordering. With all the new goodies in the catalog, I just decided to go for it and place that order!

Now I don't know about you but I just love the Elements of Style stamp set. I hadn't inked up the hummingbird yet so I used him this time around. I didn't want him to feel all neglected. I also pulled out my Big Shot (love it) and various dies for this card. Since I had out my Big Shot I decided, "Well, heck! I might as well try out the new Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. " The embossing folders are always first on my orders. The embossed image gives cards a texture and depth making embossed cardstock so easy to use in exchange for patterned paper.

Thanks for peeking in on me today! I apologize for not posting in a while. I just got back from vacation over the weekend. Now that I'm back, I'm in the cardmaking groove even if I'm still undecided if I like this card. Hopefully I'll have some new projects to share with you soon.

Have a great week!

3-D ORANGE CRUSH CUP CARD

2010-07-09T05:07:00.002-04:00

Don't you just love this idea? It reminds me of a big old cup of Orange Crush! I saw Leann Greff's card and was immediately inspired. Do you want to know a secret? The cup on this card is amazingly simple to make! All you need to do is trace a disposable cup on vellum, cut it to size, score the edges at 1/4" and add sticky strip. Just use a sponge dauber and some ink to color the inside of the cup and you're done! Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! Dawn Griffith has a wonderful video tutuorial on making a cup card. You can view her video here.

Thanks for peeking in on me today!

BUTTERFLIES EASEL REVISITED

2010-07-06T18:22:00.000-04:00

You may remember the butterfly easel card I made here. My card today isn't that much different than my earlier version. I just changed the colors and size of the card making it to fit in a standard card envelope.

This is another card we made at my Fancy Folds card class last week. I think this was almost everyone's favorite card to make. Personally, it's my favorite Fancy Folds class card too. Stay tuned! I have one more card to show you from last week's class. We made a "cup card". It's such an easy card to make. All you need is a plastic disposable cup, printer paper, a pencil and some vellum. Easy peasy!

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but it is in the upper 90's in southern Ohio. No relief in sight until Friday! Ugh! So, please stay cool, stay hydrated and stay INSIDE! Thanks for peeking in on me today!

YOU GOTTA HAVE FRIENDS

2010-07-03T08:10:00.001-04:00

When I was assembling this card the lyrics "Well, you gotta have friiiiieeenndds" kept going through my mind. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. Many times while I'm making my cards I'm singing songs that remind me of the particular card I'm creating at the time. I know what you're thinking. "No wonder this crazy lady's blog is called Stamping with LULU! She's a real wacko." Actually my husband and son gave me that nickname years ago. Only my son couldn't pronounce his "L's" at the time and he called me WuuWuu. Fast forward some ten years plus and they still call me Lulu. I have no idea why, but the name has stuck. I don't actually mind. I just pretend it's a term of endearment instead of the fact that they think I'm nuts.

Okay, enough history and craziness. Let's get on with the card. Don't you just love this patterned paper? It's from the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and is called Greenhouse Gala. Of course I was instantly drawn to the paper collection. The collection contains my favorite color combination - blue, green and chocolate. This card is another joy fold card. It's a card that we created in my Fancy Folds class on Thursday night. Once again, I have CASEd another more talented artist. The card front was inspired by this card by Mary Fish. I just changed the colors and stamp set up a bit.

Thanks for peeking in on me today! You're visits mean a lot to me. Have a safe and wonderful 4th of July weekend my American friends. I hope to spend it by my father's pool and entertaining my family.

2010-07-01T22:01:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again. Time for the release of the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog. This year's catalog is jam packed with all new exiting items. Take the new color renovation color families - beautiful new colors to play with and the new designer series paper packs are just awesome. If you click on the catalog in my sidebar, you can check out the new catalog. Believe me when I say, "You're going to love it." My wish list is almost a mile long. If you don't currently have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like to order products from the new catalog, check out my website here. You can order Stampin' Up! products 24/7 and you don't even have to change out of your jammies to do it!

Well, I just ending a wonderful Fancy Folds card class. Let's just say, I truly enjoy spending time with these awesome women. They just make the stress of the day melt away. Thanks ladies for a terrific evening. And thank you for peeking in on me today! I'm a little tired and need to hit the hay. I've been experiencing insomnia this week and I'm sure to crash and burn soon. Stay tuned - I have pictures to post from this evening's class. I hope to share them with you this weekend.

GO YOU!

2010-06-29T18:56:00.001-04:00

Here's a quick graduation card I created for a young man with whom my husband and I attended church. His high school colors are red and grey. I usually like to be elaborate with my cards adding several layers. However, I was in a hurry to get this one together so I cut down on the layers and patterned paper. Thank goodness for my handy dandy Stampin' Up! punches and accessories.

The stamp set used here is from the Stampin' Up! Summer Mini Catalog called "Go, Graduate." Don't look too closely at the coloring. My watercoloring needs a great deal of perfecting. Plus, my optometrist tells me I've reached the magic birthday where cheap reading glasses are a must! Oh, the joys of being forty and older! If you will, please forgive me. My mojo is in a bit of a funk lately and I haven't been stamping as much this summer. That's not a good thing when you're preparing for an upcoming card class. Well, I better run. Lots of cardstock to cut and some prep work to do before Thursday's class.

Thanks for peeking in on me! I hope to post the cards from Thursday's class really soon.

JOY-OUS DAY

2010-06-27T20:16:00.000-04:00

Remember all those wedding favors I made last month? Well, the wedding has finally come and gone. It was a beautiful wedding and the bride was absolutely stunning! This is the card I made for the lovely newlyweds. It's a joy fold card. You can find the instructions to make this type of card here. The middle section of the card opens up to reveal the sentiment. The large glittery flower is holding it shut. Want to see what it looks like opened?

This is a super easy card to make. So go ahead and make one. You'll be pleasantly pleased with the results! Not to mention the recipient will think you're one smart little cookie as well.

I'm going to keep it short tonight. I need to get ready for a Fancy Folds class I'm holding later this week. I can't wait to get together with this great group of ladies!

Have a great week and thanks for peeking in on me!

"HEART"Y THANKS

2010-06-21T21:08:00.001-04:00

Here's a card I made for my son to give to my co-worker, Teresa. She gave him a nice card along with two black and orange school t-shirts for his eighth grade graduation. You have to realize that she's a diehard Piketon Redstreak fan and let's just say my son attends a school that is a lifelong rival of Piketon's. I told my son that it probably pained her soul to have to purchase those shirts and I'm sure she was shaking her head "no" as she handed the money over to the clerk to pay for them. LOL! At any rate, I think it was a very nice gesture from her. My son appreciates the shirts and wears them often. Thanks, Teresa, for thinking of my son. And by the way, "Go Tigers!!!"

Thanks for peeking in on me today. My husband, son and I have taken turns being sick this month. I think we're finally on the mend. Hallelujah! I do have more cards to show you. I'm just waiting on my dear hubby to edit them. As you can probably tell, the card above is not edited, but I'm posting it anyway.

ETA: Yay! My husband edited this card for me! It looks so much better now.

STAMPIN' UP!'S LAST CHANCE LISTS

2010-06-02T18:02:00.001-04:00

Well ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of year again. Hundreds of products from the Stampin' UP! 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog and Definitely Decorative brochures are retiring July 1st. Now is your chance to get them before they're gone forever!

Retiring stamps and Definitely Decorative products will be available through June 30th. Retiring accessories are only available while supplies last and tend to sell out rather quickly. You know what's even better? Some of the retiring accessories are available 25% - 50% off!!!! So, if there are retiring accessories that you can't live without, you better hurry and order online.

You may click on the links below to see what's on the retiring lists:

Last Chance Stamp Sets - Available until June 30

Last Chance Accessories List - Available only while supplies last. Some items 25%-50% off.

Last Chance Definitely Decorative Home Decor List - Available until June 30

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at l_burkitt@yahoo.com. You can order directly from my Stampin' Up! on-line site or email me your order. If you want to order accessories, I suggest you order them online. You can check the availability while you're online and don't risk the chance of your favorite accessories selling out before I get a chance to place your order.

Have a great evening!

THANK YOU.......THANK YOU VERY MUCH

2010-05-31T22:04:00.004-04:00

I first came up with the title for my post a couple of days ago. It was meant to be kind of witty since I felt like I had "thank you" boxes coming out of my ears. However, reflections of this Memorial Day change the tone. So, I would like to take a moment to remember those who so bravely fought for the freedoms of our country and paid the ultimate price. One of my childhood teacher's only son is among those that I remember today. He was part of the Lima Company from Ohio that suffered great loss a few years ago. Sadly, he was among the casualties. With that said, I'd like to continue on with today's post.

I'm finally finished the 200+ wedding favors for my friend's daughter, Erin. I just hope she likes the results. Would you like to see what I've been working on? This is what 200+ wedding favors look like.

Well, actually this isn't quite all of them. These are the ones I boxed up.

Here are a few lined up on my table. It was very late at night so the lighting isn't the best. (Notice my open window in the background. Our heat pump froze up and was not working. Ugh!)

The boxes will be filled with cellophane bags of white chocolate dipped mini pretzels covered with purple and green sprinkles.

Here is one all by its lonesome. Sorry you can't make out the detail. Each box has a banner which simply says, "Thank You". The petals have been distressed and run through a crimper. The flowers are made out of various sized circle punches and are also distressed. Each flower contains a button in the middle.

If you haven't guessed, Erin's wedding colors are Elegant Eggplant and Certainly Celery. Her dress is ivory and the groom and his groomsmen will be wearing linen colored tuxedos. Erin's chose to go with a vintage wedding theme. It should be gorgeous.

Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Thanks for peeking in on me. It's back to work for me tomorrow. I will be attending my son's Eighth Grade Promotion ceremony on Thursday. I can't believe he'll be in high school soon.

I'M IN HEAVEN, WEDDING FAVOR HEAVEN...........

2010-05-24T17:22:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a break from blogging while I work on wedding favors for my coworker's daughter. The wedding is quickly approaching and I must finish the 200+ wedding favors. My goal is to finish them by Friday. Oh, and I WILL!!!!! I have favors covering half of my dining room table right now. My sister is going to swing by tomorrow and help me with them. (Gotta love family, right?) I'm hoping to have them done really soon so I can get back to stamping and posting. I hope to post some new creations in the very near future. So don't throw the towel in on me yet. I'll be back!

Non-Stamping Related

2010-05-10T17:40:00.001-04:00

I hope all you mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day! I know I did and what a busy one it was. I don't normally share family pictures on my blog, but today I'm making an exception. Last week was my son's birthday and the big dance. (I can't believe he'll be in high school this coming fall. I don't even want to think about it.) Here's a picture taken at home before the traditional Eighth Grade Dance last Friday. I thought he looked quite "dapper". (That's a word my grandmother used to use. Wink!)

He told me he wasn't going to the dance if he had to wear a shirt and tie. All I can say is, "Never say never, my man." We compromised with the "casual" dressy look. I allowed him to roll up his sleeves, unbutton the top button of his shirt and wear his tie loosely around his neck. He even tolerated pictures. Here's another picture with my sister, Sarah, and me. My sister will probably kill me for this picture. We were acting goofy and she just got home from a three day conference. Notice how I cleverly hid myself between my sister and my son. I hate having my picture taken. I'm not an ounce photogenic!

After dropping my son off at the dance, I had my husband drop me off to a "Mother/Daughter" banquet at my friend's church. My friend adopted me for the day since I am now officially motherless. (My own mother passed away three years ago.) Saturday was dinner night with the family. I love spending time with my family. What better way to celebrate family than food? Am I right? Sunday, we darted off to church and then spent the afternoon with my sister, brother-in-law and nephew at the Franklin Park Conservatory. I love the butterfly exhibit. I don't think I'll ever grow tired of visiting it. I see something different every time I go.

Well, I need to get off here. I have piano lessons to give tonight. Thanks for peeking in on me and letting me share a little of my life with you. Have a great week!

WILLIE WONKIE'S BIRDHOUSE

2010-04-28T18:54:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this is not really Willie's birdhouse. The card just looks "wonkie" in this picture for some reason. It's slightly open and I've mini glue-dotted a gift card to the inside. So, I'm guessing it was setting strangely in my light box. I made this card for a wonderful neighbor of mine. He cleared my driveway after every snow this past winter. He's retired and he clears all the neighbors' driveways each winter. Do you know what a blessing it is to come home after a day's work to find your driveway all cleared off? Let me tell you, it is WONDERFUL! He's just an all around great neighbor. He's always ready to lend a helping hand just when you need it. Do you have a great neighbor like that?

Okay, enough small talk. On to the card........I've seen birdhouse cards and boxes all over blogland. Ever since then, I've been itching to make a birdhouse card myself. This card measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" and will fit in a medium size Stampin' Up! envelope. I used the Woodgrain Background stamp on the front panel to mimic the look of tree bark and then stamped my sentiment from the Bella's Bloom stamp set. I thought the sentiment was fitting. The redbird was a snap to assemble. I just punched him out in Real Red card stock with my Extra Large Two-Step Bird punch and then punched the stem out again with a scrap piece of Old Olive card stock. The "hole" was punched out in Basic Black card stock with my 1 1/4" circle punch. The top of my birdhouse was assembled with 1 1/2" pieces of Chocolate Chip card stock. I punched each strip using my Scallop Edge punch and then sponged each strip for dimension. (Let me just say that this was "mucho" time consuming. Wow!) I trimmed a piece of Whisper White card stock to cover the inside panel of my card and used a sponge dauber with Bashful Blue Classic Ink and a piece of scrap card stock punched with the Scallop Circle punch to make my clouds. Whew! Are you still with me? I think that about covers everything.

If you are still reading this after my windy post, bless your soul. Thanks for peeking in on me today! I'm heading off to Wednesday night church service. I'm not sure if I'll have any more posts this week. I need to pack up my supplies for a scrapbook retreat I'm attending this weekend in Wheelersburg. I'm looking forward to getting caught up on my scrapbook. I attended the retreat last year and had a ball! I'm hoping this year will be just as fun!

Summer Mini Sneak Peek

2010-04-23T17:03:00.002-04:00

Here's a sneak peek of the Elements of Style stamp set in the upcoming Stampin' Up! Summer Mini that makes it debut on May 1st. This set is uber vintage. You're going to love it - especially if you like to color in your images! Personally, I'm not the greatest at watercoloring, but I took my best stab at it on this card. And you know what they say, "Practice makes perfect." It may be hard to see, but after I colored in my flowers using my Classic ink pads and a bender pen, I added Crystal Effects to the flowers. I also used a Basic Black marker and my color spritzer to add a more vintage feel to my card. The Pumpkin Pie panel directly behind my stamped image has been embossed with the Stampin' Up! Backgrounds 1 Textures Plate and my Big Shot. I used a sponge dauber and some Pumpkin Pie Classic ink to the embossed panel to help it stand out a little. I also added some paper piercing and the thick black stripeded ribbon to finish off my card.

Sorry for the short post tonight and no list of supplies, but I need to go make a fruit pizza to take to my sister's house tonight. My dear husband and I are going to visit with my nephew while my 8th grader attends a junior high dance. Oh, the life of a teenage parent. Sigh! : )

Thanks for peeking in on me today. Have a great weekend!

PPA38 & OCC Beautiful Butterflies Challenge

2010-04-18T20:15:00.005-04:00

Today's card is a result of two challenges. I decided to play along with Pals Paper Arts PPA38 sketch challenge and Our Creative Corner's Beautiful Butterflies challenge. I love the simple layout of this sketch and using Stampin' Up!'s square punches make it a breeze to assemble a card such as this one. When I saw Our Creative Corner's challenge this week, I automatically thought of the Beautiful Wings Embosslits die in the Occassions Mini Catalog. (You still have until April 30th to purchase Occassions Mini products. Wink! Wink!)

I actually thought I had an original thought this time combining the butterflies with this sketch challenge. (You that follow my blog know that original ideas from me are sadly few and far between. I'm a CASEr. It's sad, but true!) Imagine my despair when I popped over to Nancy Riley's blog ISTAMP only to find she had the same idea too! Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not overly upset about it. I actually admire the great and wonderful Nancy and to think that I actually was thinking like her was a pure BLISS moment for me! Although, I have to admit her card is much more wonderful than mine : )

Well, I must get back to the drawing board. I'm working on a birdhouse card. I've seen them everywhere and I'm trying to come up with my own pattern for one. I hope to post it later this week. Thanks for peeking in on me! Hope your weekend was a great one!

Supplies: (All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless noted.) Stamps - Thank You Kindly; Paper - Sending Love Specialty Paper - Very Vanilla, Real Red, Chocolate Chip; Ink, - Chocolate Chip Craft Ink, Real Red Classic Ink; Accessories - Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die, Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder, Big Shot Machine, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Very Vanilla 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Real Red Corduroy Brad, Sponge Dauber, Pop Up Glue Dots, Mini Glue Dots, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack; Punches - 1 1/4" Square, 1 3/8" Square

VERY VINTAGE

2010-04-14T16:53:00.002-04:00

Okay, so one day I AM going to have an original idea in my head. Guess what? Today is not that day. My card today was inspired by this card created by Ann Schach. I love the Vintage Vogue stamp set in the Stampin' Up! Occassions Mini. The best part is, is that this set is going to be in the new 2010-2011 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog. Hooray!!! I love, love, love vintage. You just can't go wrong with it - know what I mean?

My color combination consists of Basic Gray, Kraft, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo and Crushed Curry. I used a Basic Gray corduroy brad and some silver brads to jazz things up a bit. (I'm also trying to quit hoarding and start using all these great products.) If you look closely you might notice I used the Extra Large Two-Step Bird punch for the leaves of my flower. The bird's wing in this punch makes excellent leaves. Gotta love that! I also pulled out my sponges to give the card a more vintage feel.

I'm glad to see that Rich Razzleberry and Melon Mambo will be returning as part of Stampin' Up!'s color collection in July. I have to admit that the idea of retiring some of the current Stampin' Up! colors terrified me at first, but I am embracing the change. I may be embracing the change slowly, but I am embracing it. I actually think I'm going to be excited about it after I absorb it.

Well, that's it for me today. I'm heading to Bible Study in a couple hours. We're studying about the role of a family and the component that every individual plays in a family. It's good stuff and really makes you think about your role in the family. Well, that and it makes me realize that I need to step up to the plate a little more and try harder to keep my family a spiritual family. Thanks for peeking in on me today! Have a beautiful evening blogging friends!

IT'S TIME TO RENOVATE!

2010-04-07T17:48:00.002-04:00

Stampin' Up! just announced the all new Color Renovation with the release of the new 2010 - 2011 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog beginning July 1st. So what's all the hoopla? Stampin' Up! is reorganizing and renaming the color families - getting rid of some of the old, bringing back oldies but goodies and bringing on a few brand new colors. You can see the updated Color Renovation Chart below. Please feel free to click on the charts to enlarge them for better viewing.

So what changes will you see? Well, let me tell you. Stampin' Up! is changing the names of the collections from "color families" to "color collections". There will be four new core color collections with ten core colors in each collection. You will also see the return of core colors you have come to love along with some current and older "In Color" core colors. Some colors will be retiring altogether. You can view the Farewell Color Chart below. These colors will be retiring with the current 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog in June, 2010.

The new Color Renovation consists of four different color collections: Brights, Subtles, Regals and Neutrals. Five new core colors will be introduced: Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Cajun Craze and Cherry Cobbler. You will also notice the name change from Kraft to Crumb Cake - same color, different name. These new color kits will be availabe to customers beginning on July 1st. You will not need to purchase all new Stampin' Write markers, Water Color Wonder Crayons or Stampin' Pastels. Stampin' Up! will offer color kits, including card stock, classic ink pads, Stampin' Write markers, Watercolor Wonder crayons and Stampin' Pastels to help make this new transition.

Honestly, it was probably time Stampin' Up! revamped their color collections, but I don't do change well. I love the all new core colors, but I'm going to miss some of the retiring colors. I guarantee I will make the transition and will most likey fall in love with the new collections. I just need to breathe and tell myself, "It's all good!" Do you know what I mean?

That's it for me today. Thanks for peeking in on me. I would love to know what you think about Stampin' Up!'s new color renovation. Will you go down kicking and screaming or will you embrace the colors with all your love? (Insert smile here. LOL!)

"TWEET" WISHES TO YOU

2010-04-06T18:06:00.000-04:00

I know! I know! I hear you loud and clear. You're thinking, "What in the world is with that corny title?" I say, "Hey, if you have something more catchy, by all means be my guest." (Smile!) Sometimes snazzy titles don't fall into my lap. As you can clearly see today is no exception! Oh well, you'll have that sometimes. Anyway.............I loved the design of Chat's card shown here, but I wanted to change the colors up a little bit. I love the color combination of Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive together. I tend to lean toward earthy and jewel tone colors, so this color combo speaks to me. This card actually has very little stamping on it. It's mostly comprised of punched images but the the finished project is stunning.

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but the Southern Ohio weather is absolutely gorgeous today. It sure beats the hail we had last night. I think I'll get off here and go outside and soak up the sunshine while I can. Thanks for peeking in on me today!

Hoppy Easter

2010-04-04T01:04:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter, everyone! Hope you are enjoying it surrounded by family and friends. This year my family and I decided to escape over Easter break. As you are reading this, I am hopefully returning from a wonderful weekend in the Tennessee mountains. I say hopefully because I am actually typing this post on Thursday evening before I even head out on my trip. The weather forecast looks great for Tennessee this weekend and I'm hoping to get some hiking done. Anyway, you did not come to here me ramble on, so on with the card. Shall we?

Oh, how I love this cute little Chocolate Bunny stamp from Stampin' Up! It looks good enough to eat! Now I know this may come as a shock, but this card layout was not my original design. Shocking, I know! I got the idea from the oh so talented Becky Roberts at Inking Idaho. I decided to change up the grass a little and I used my paper snips to relic the look of real grass. It is amazing how the wide oval punch looks just like Easter eggs. I wish I was talented enough to think of that, but alas, not so. Well, that's all for me today. Thanks for peeking in on me!

BRIGHT AND CHEERY THANKS

2010-03-31T01:00:00.002-04:00

Here's one of the cards my fabulous stamping friends made at my Spring Fling card classes. As you can see, there isn't much stamping on this card. It's made using mostly punches. Cards made with punches are fast and easy which is great when you need to whip up a card in a flash.

I also ran the Flower Folds die through my Big Shot to make the large outer layer of the flower. To give my flower a little depth, I used the edge of a bone folder to curl the petals. (Similar to how you would use scissors on curling ribbon - KWIM.) As an added touch and an effort to quit hoarding all my wonderful Stampin' Up! products, I attached a lovely Real Red corduroy button to my sentiment banner. I used the edge of my square punch tilted sideways in order to get the nice "V" edge along the outside of my banner. Believe me when I say this is so much easier than eyeballing the edge and cutting it with scissors. Try it some time! You'll see what I mean. Well, that's it for me tonight! Thanks for taking time to peek in on me today!

Supplies: Stamps - Thank You Kindly; Ink - Basic Brown; Paper - Kraft, Bermuda Bay, Very Vanilla, Summer Sun, Real Red, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper; Accessories - Big Shot, Bigz XL Flower Folds die, Tombo Adhesive Glue, Real Red Corduroy Button, Linen Thread, Bone Folder; Punches - Small Oval Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch

GET WHALE SOON

2010-03-29T20:51:00.000-04:00

I needed a quick get well card for the child of one of my friends. The whimsical animals in the "Fox & Friends" stamp set featured in the Stampin' Up! Occassions Mini catalog are so versatile for many different occassions. I especially love this whale paired with the sentiment from the "Pun Fun" stamp set that reads "Get Whale Soon!" If you look closely, you can see the whale is not only spouting out water but a little heart too!

I hope this card brightens Brandon's day a little. He has faced so many challenges throught out his life. This time is no different. He was recently diagnosed with pneumonia, but is slowly improving. If you could, say a little prayer for Mr. Brandon tonight. He's a great kid and he sure could use some prayers. You might even throw in a prayer for his mom, too! She's been so tired worrying about her little man lately.

Well, it's going to be a quick post for me tonight. I have a bazillion things to do before the weekend and I need to get ready for tomorrow night. I have a "FAB" group of ladies coming over to stamp! Thanks for being so patient with me over the last month. I'll try hard not to be a stranger around here.

I'M STILL HERE.........

2010-03-24T20:44:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to let you know I am alive and well. Well, mostly well - I feel like I'm getting sick and experiencing a little vertigo for some reason. Otherwise, I'm still here. I've been busy prepping for my upcoming Spring Fling card class. Plus, I've been working on making 230 wedding favors for the upcoming wedding of the daughter of my co-worker.

And to be quite honest, my mojo has been more like "no-go" lately. I really thought hard about giving up blogging all together. What good would that do? I really do like the blog world and I enjoy creating no matter how feeble my projects may be. So, with that said, stick around and I'll start posting my creations again really soon. Sorry it's been so long.

Thanks for peeking in on me!

HEY, HEY, WE'RE THE MONKIES!

2010-02-15T09:18:00.001-05:00

Today's card was inspired by Jen Del Muro's sketch above. Jen has a lot of great sketches that are fun to play along with and recreate. I used the monkies from the new Stampin' Up! Occassions Mini called "Fox and Friends". I purchased this set in clear mount. I wasn't sure if I'd be a clear mount convert, but after purchasing a few clear mount sets, I can say that "I'm a Believer". (Yes, all puns intended. I guess I'm stuck on The Monkies music today. I apologize upfront if you now have these songs stuck in your head.) I also used the branch with leaves from the new Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch to get my tree branches. I punched the branches out on Chocolate Chip cardstock and again on Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper. I cut the leaves out individually and adhered them with Tombo Multi-Purpose glue.

It is snowing again here in lovely southern Ohio. The weather forcast calls for 4" to 7" in our area. Bah Humbug! Come on Spring. I'm so ready for you! Thanks for peeking in on me today.

All products used are Stampin' Up! Click here to shop Stampin' Up! 24/7.

THANK GOODNESS FOR WONDERFUL FRIENDS

2010-02-12T17:04:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but I'm so beyond thankful that it's Friday. My hubby, son and I are going out to eat with some of our best friends and their daughters this evening. My friend's daughter is having a birthday in a couple weeks. So, I'll think I'll order the cake and ak the waitress/waiter to bring it out to her tonight. Happy B-Day, Miss Abby! My husband also suprised me at work with an amazing bouquet of fresh flowers for Valentine's Day. Oh, I'll have to get him to take a picture of it and share it here with you. Any whoo..........onto the card!!!

My card today is inspired by Mojo Monday's Week 119 Sketch from way back in December. I saved it in my sketch folder on my computer and just now got around to using it as my card layout. I was pretty happy with the way this card took shape. I don't know what's up with the Mambo Melon again. I guess my camera just insists on making it much brighter than it really is. Oh, well... This card is chocked full of goodies from the Stampin' Up! Occassions Mini - stamps, felt pieces, designer series paper and the new scallop trim corner punch. Love 'em all - especially the felt pieces. I wasn't crazy about the way the leaves piece was laying on my card. So, I just took a pair of paper snips and snipped the leaves in half and attached them separately. Voila! Oh, just in case you're wondering, Stampin' Up! also has the coordinating scallop trim punch to go with the scallop trim corner punch. You can get it for free during Stampin' Up!'s Sale-A-Bration. Just ask me how!

Well, that's it for me today. Thanks for taking time out of your day to peek in on me! Have a wonderful and happy Valentine's Day.

Supplies: (All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless noted.) Stamps - All Holidays, Dot, Dot, Dot; Ink - Pretty in Pink, SU! Markers - Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Mambo Melon; Paper - Chocolate Chip, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Sweet Pea DSP, Old Olive Patterns DSP; Acessories - Circle Scissor Plus, Big Shot Machine, Scallop Circle #2 die, Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Chocolate Chip 1" Double-Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals, Tombo Adhesive, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Scallop Trim Punch

Sending My Love - Four in One!

2010-02-09T21:39:00.001-05:00

Well, one good thing about being snowed in over the weekend is all the time I get to spend creating in my little craft area. Ahhhhh! I can just stamp away while watching the snow fall down in buckets and relax that I don't have to go out in it! (You see, I work at my local county's highway department. Lucky me, I don't get called in to work overtime during bad weather. It's just mandatory that I show up during normal work hours.) I took advantage of that this past weekend. (But honestly, I'm soooooo ready for spring!) This is one of many projects I have to show in the next several days. This card actually came as a result of not one, but four (yes, count them, four) blog challenges. You can play along with the challenges by clicking on the links below.

1.) Crazy 4 Challenges - Valentine Themed Card Challenge

2.) Our Creative Corner - Masculine Valentine Challenge (Okay, I might be stretching it a little. LOL!)

3.) Stacy's Stamping Stage - Curtain Call Color Challenge: Act 16 (Real Red, Very Vanilla, Kraft)

and finally.....

4.) Stamping 411 - Saturday Sketch Challenge 137

Whew! I'm impressed with myself. I invite you to come on and play along with these challenges. It may be just what you need to get your creative juices flowing. They sure did help me.

That's all for me tonight. We already have approximately 6" of snow on the ground from the past weekend and an added 2" of snow with freezing rain today. The forcast is calling for an additional 1-2" of snow tonight and 1-2" of snow tomorrow. Ugh! Thanks for peeking in on me today! If you have to go out in the snow, please be safe! If you're fortunate enough to live where the sun is shining brightly and you have no white stuff, be thankful - very thankful!

OH, MAN

2010-01-31T07:54:00.000-05:00

I know - lame title for my post. Sometimes it is just so hard to come up with a catchy title and today was no exception. Today's card is intended to be masculine. Sitting here as I type, I realize that maybe I missed the mark a little. Well, I'll just have to work on it and get better with the manly man cards. My card was inspired by this card created by Mercy Kerin.

That's it for me today. I gotta run and get ready for church. My sister-in-law, Ellen, is bringing her boyfriend over for a visit later today. My husband and I met him briefly over Christmas. It will be nice to actually sit down and get to know him better.

Supplies: Stamps - Circle Circus, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Sanded Background; Paper - Basic Gray, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Whisper White; Ink - Basic Gray, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Old Oilve; Accessories - Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Big Shot Machine, 1/2" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch,

1 3/4" Circle Punch (All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless noted.)

Purchase Stampin' Up! products 24/7 here!

WHOA, MAMBO!

2010-01-27T06:49:00.003-05:00

And I do say, "Whoa!". Any of you who are familiar with Stampin' Up!'s In Color Mambo Melon know that it is not this overpowering and fluorescent in real life. Not sure what's up with this picture. Oh well! It's much better in person. You'll just have to trust me : ) Today's card is an easel card. I've seen them everywhere and you know me. I had to get in on the action and make one of these buggers. I must say they are easy to make and the finished project is impressive. Here's a side view for you. I've attached a brad in the center of the base so the front of the card stays propped up like an easel. My card front was CASED from someone much more talented than myself. I believe it was a card someone received as a swap at the Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference. Unfortunately, I haven't been successful at finding the blog where I originally saw it. If you know, please leave me a comment so that I can give credit where it is due.

Well, that's it for me. Thanks for peeking in on me today!

ETA: HERE'S THE LINK TO THE ORIGINAL CARD I CASED FOR MY CARD FRONT. It was designed by Janet Moore. Thanks, Marilyn, for helping me locate the link.

Stampin' Up! - Haitian Disaster Relief

2010-01-23T16:11:00.001-05:00

Stampin' Up! - Haitian Disaster Relief: "Haitian Disaster Relief
On January 12, 2010 a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, leaving in its wake devastation so overwhelming that the Haitian people and their leaders can only look for help from the outside to cope. You can help make a difference in the lives of those who continue to suffer from the effects of this earthquake by purchasing the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set.

From now until February 28, 2010, $2 from every I {Heart} Hearts stamp set sold will be donated to the American Red Cross’ Haiti Relief and Development Fund. The Red Cross is already well-established in Haiti, and this money will be used to provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need.

Product Name Item # Price

I {Heart} Hearts – clear-mount (block D recommended) 118571 $18.95

I {Heart} Hearts – wood-mount 117010 $26.95"

If you would like to purchase this set, contact your Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. If you don't have a demonstrator, I would be happy to purchase this set for you. You can either shop online here or email me your order at l_burkitt@yahoo.com.

SMALL WONDER

2010-01-17T07:29:00.001-05:00

Today's card was made for a co-worker and his wife who celebrated the birth of their second baby girl last week. My co-worker's wife also happens to be my husband's cousin. (Boy, that sounded confusing : ) Aren't small communities great?

I used the Pals Paper Arts PPA24 Simple Sketch Challenge for the layout of my card. I really like this layout and can see myself using it over and over. I did, however, struggle making this card. You see, I don't tend to make very many cards where pink is the main focus. I live in the testosterone sea at my house - even my dog is a boy! So, I don't get an opportunity to make "girly" cards very often. You know what I did discover? I REALLY like making "girly" cards. They're fun. This was also the first time I used the new clear blocks and unmounted stamps from Stampin' Up!. I LOVE THEM! I was instantly addicted!

I'll be back later to post the supplies used for this card. I can tell you that this little card is chocked full of new goodies from the new Stampin' Up! Occassions Mini Catalog!

GOODNIGHT, JOHN BOY

2010-01-13T18:48:00.003-05:00

Last week I attended funeral services for the kindest and most humble man I've ever met. John was well known throughout my community and was a friend to many. He was never quick to anger, never arrogant or boastful and most certainly never mean spirited. His absence will be felt not only by his family, but also those who were fortunate enough to call him friend and acquaintance. John fought the good fight for many years, but finally succumbed to cancer earlier this month. I pray that God will comfort his family and bring them peace. Goodnight, John Boy. You will be missed.

Thanks for peeking in on me today! God be with you.

Supplies: Stamps-Thoughts and Prayers; SU! Markers - Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Real Red; Paper - Kraft, Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Old Olive Designs DSP; Accessories - Scallop Trim Punch, Circle Scissor Plus, Big Shot Machine, Scallop Circle #2 Die, Real Red Corduroy Button, Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grograin Ribbon, Vintage Brads, Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots

(All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless noted.)

This layout was inspired by the Mojo Monday Week 121 Sketch Challenge.

LOOK WHOOOOO'S TURNING................

2010-01-09T17:12:00.000-05:00

I made this card for my older brother, Greg. Unfortunately, it will have to be a belated birthday card since it won't reach him until after his birthday. Even though my brother will be turning............."44", I thought he might like this whimsical little owl. I sure hope it brings a smile to his face. I've seen cards using this punch owl on several blogs. Most recently, I saw it on Julie's blog - Thoughts that Stick. I'm not sure why, but I decided I had to try it too! It came together very easily and was a "hoot" to make as well.

Today's card was inspired by Mercy Kerin's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #55 (MTSC55) and Crazy for Challenge's Challenge #19 (C4C19). Here's a picture of Mercy's sketch challenge. You can see I didn't follow it exactly. My circle and owl just looked better offset. I have really enjoyed breaking out my new goodies from Stampin' Up!'s new Occassions Mini catalog. I haven't stamped in forever and it really was good for my soul : ) If you haven't checked out the new Occasions Mini or the Sale-A-Bration brochure, you can do so by clicking on the picture of them located on the upper left-hand side of my blog.

Well, that's it for me today. Thanks for peeking in on me. I'm off to stamp some more and finally play with my new Stampin' Up! clear mount stamps and blocks.

Supplies: Stamps - Look Who's Turning; Paper - SU!'s Sweet Pea DSP, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Taken with Teal, Kraft, Whisper White, Basic Black; Ink - Chocolate Chip, SU!'s Chocolate Chip Marker; Accessories - Stamp-a-Ma-Jig, Buttons Latte, Playground Designer Buttons, White Signo Pen, Sponge Dauber, Circle Scissor Plus; Punches - 1 3/4" Circle, 3/4" Circle, 1/2" Circle, Large Oval,

1 1/4" Square, Round Tab, Heart to Heart, Scallop Circle

*All products Stampin' Up! unless noted*

FLOWER FOLD BROOCH

2010-01-07T20:03:00.002-05:00

My goodness, I haven't posted in forever and a day. I tend to get the New Year blahs each year and to be really honest I just get in a weird funk. This year was no different. However, over the Christmas holiday, I did create these Flower Fold brooches. Stampin' Up!'s very own Shelli Gardner had a beautiful flower brooch on her sweater at the Cincinnati Stampin' Up! Regional and it was all the rage. Of course, I had to see what the fuss was about. Well...........I started making these little gems and now I'm addicted! I've made close to a dozen brooches in about two weeks. They are so super easy. Just run material through the Big Shot using the Flower Fold die and plug in the handy dandy glue gun to assemble.

I just got my new goodies from the Occassions Mini and the Sale-A-Bration brochure yesterday. I'll be breaking them in this weekend and hope to be posting my creations very soon.

Thanks for peeking in on me today.

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN

2009-12-13T21:58:00.004-05:00

Isn't this snowman just the cutest thing? I've seen the idea for this gift box using the Big Shot Top Note die on several blogs I visit. So, I'm not exactly sure who to give the original credit. I used Angie Juda Kennedy's tutorial for the box. You can check it out here.

I needed some bags to put Christmas goodies in for my piano students. They have all been working hard on their Christmas songs this season. I just wanted to show my appreciation to each of them. I purchased some treat size bags of mini M&M's, small boxes of Nerds and different flavors of lip balm to put inside their goodie bags. I hope they like them! I guess I'll find out tomorrow night.

I ran Basic Black and Whisper White card stock through the Big Shot to form the snowman's face and hat. The brim of the hat was rounded with a SU! corner rounder punch. Next, I punched out the 5-Petal Flower punch twice on Real Red card stock and once on Garden Green card stock with Summer Sun card stock 1/4" circle punch (retired) circles to make the middle of the poinsettia. I freehanded the nose and the "coal" pieces for the mouth. The eyes were made using SU!'s large and small oval punches. I used a sponge dauber with Pretty in Pink classic ink to create his rosy cheeks. I also sponged Whisper White craft ink on his hat and nose to give him a more "frosty" look. I think the rest is fairly self-explanatory. If you have any questions, just give me a shout.

Well, that's all for me tonight. My son wants to start a puzzle before he heads off to bed. Thanks for peeking in on me today!

WELCOME CHRISTMAS

2009-12-09T19:49:00.001-05:00

Busy, busy, busy ............. Isn't it that way each Christmas season? Tonight I wanted to create a fairly simplistic card - nothing too over the top. And you know what? I think I accomplished that. I'm using a sketch from Diva Coffee Break Designs. It's sketch #147 to be exact. Here's the sketch layout. I love playing along with their weekly challenges even

if I don't always complete them within the week. Plus, I have some exciting news! I was the picked as the Featured Artist for the Diva Coffee Break Designs Challenge #155. I was thrilled beyond words! Okay, enough babbling and on with the card. I added Stampin' Up!'s Chunky Glitter to my dove image. I wasn't sure how it would look, but I was pleased with the results. It just gives it a little somethin' somethin'. You know what I mean? To get the poinsettia on this card, I simply used my 5-Petal Flower punch and punched the flower out twice on Real Red card stock and added a dimensional to make it more pronounced. I also punched the flower out once on Garden Green card stock and cut two of the petals off to get the leaves. Look closely at the buttons at the top of the card. Did you notice that I didn't actually thread the buttons with real thread? I cut small strips of Whisper White card stock and threaded it through each button and attached the strips with mini glue dots on the back of the buttons. It's so much easier!

Well, that's it for me tonight. I'm going to check out ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas. I'm not sure what's being shown tonight, but I enjoy the Christmas shows. Thanks for peeking in on me today! If you have previously commented on my posts, I'd like to give you a great big thank you! Comments are always welcome and so greatly appreciated!

Supplies: Stamps - Gifts of Christmas, Heard from the Heart; Card Stock - Garden Green, Real Red, Whisper White; Ink - Garden Green, Real Red Marker; Accessories - Playground Buttons (Red), White Chunky Essentials Stampin' Glitter, Earth Elements Brads, 5-Petal Flower Punch, Dimensionals, Paper Piercer, Mini Glue Dots

EMBRACEABLE YOU

2009-11-29T18:37:00.003-05:00

I know! I know! Christmas is coming and I'm not posting a Christmas card. Shame on me, but I just needed to take a break from Christmas cards for a while. Today's card is actually a combination of two challenges! Go, Lori, go!!! And you know what's even more exciting for me? This card was actually completed before the deadline. Whoo! Hoo! (Sorry, I'm just so dang proud of myself.) Okay, so here is the sketch layout that I used for the design of my card. I found this challenge over at Diva Coffee Break Designs. It is sketch challenge #155. Here's the layout.

I also incorporated Splitcoast Stampers Inspiration Challenge IC208 from Saturday, November 28th, for my card. I chose this purse as my inspiration for the color combination of my card - Cameo Coral, Real Red, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla.

I used my corner rounder punch on my panels to mimic the squares on the purse. The corduroy buttons were an afterthought. I actually had them laying out on my table and they fell out of their container and across my card. After arranging them around a bit, I decided to add them. How lucky is that?

Well, that's all for me this evening. It's back to work for me tomorrow. My four day weekend really spoiled me. Hope all my American friends enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday. I know I did!

Thanks for peeking in on me today!

Supplies: Stamps - Eastern Blooms, Embrace Life, Friends 24-7, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Friendly Words Jumbo Wheel; Paper - Very Vanilla, Real Red, Cameo Coral, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip; Ink- Chocolate Chip, Cameo Coral, Soft Suede, SU! Markers - Soft Suede, Real Red, Cameo Coral; Accessories - Chocolate Chip Corduroy Buttons, 3/16" Corner Rounder Punch, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack, Dimensionals, Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel

THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS

2009-11-25T06:56:00.006-05:00

I wish you could see this card in real life. The colors are so much better. My husband tried to photograph it. I tried to photograph it and he even tried again. So I apologize for the picture, but I can't retake it. I already sent it to a retired co-worker whose health is declining. I hope it cheers him up to know that his old co-workers are thinking of him this holiday season.

I'm not really sure that this card went in the direction that I was hoping. Sometimes my cards just have a mind of their own. I just wanted to take a small break from making Christmas cards and focus on the holiday at hand - Thanksgiving. I just love this stamp set. I won it at the Cincinnati Stampin' Up! Regional in September. The leaves were stamped in Basic Brown ink and sponge daubers were used to color them in. I cut each one out, bent the leaves and added dimensionals to give them a more three dimensional look.

I'm going to make it a short post tonight as I need to clean house and prepare food for the next two days. We're off to my in-laws tomorrow and then dinner at my house on Friday.

Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you share it with the ones you love! Thanks for peeking in on me today!

Christmas Wreath

2009-11-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like a Christmas wreath on the front door to say, "Come on in and stay for a while!" Here's yet another 10 for $10 Christmas class card. Again, this is not my original idea. It came directly from the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator website. We demonstrators know that there are all kinds of great ideas posted on the Demonstrator website and these ideas are a tremendous help!

Believer it or not the wreath wasn't even made with a Christmas stamp set. It was made using the Autumn Days stamp set pictured to the left! How clever is that?? It was made using the stamp to the left of the pine cones. Yes, the one with the berries on it. Just simply ink the stamp up and rotate your cardstock in a circle using Old Olive ink first, then Always Artichoke ink on the next layer and lastly Real Red ink on the top layer.

Tomorrow starts the beginning of Stampin' Up!'s ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA sale offered through November 30th. Be on the lookout for amazing discounts offered on wonderful Stampin' Up! products. For more information, check it out here on Monday morning.

That's all for me today. Thanks for peeking in on me!

Supplies: Stamps - Autumn Days, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Paper - Real Red, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Natural Ivory; Ink - Real Red, Always Artichoke, Old Olive; Accessories - Rel Red Polka Dot Ribbon, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Gold Brads, Dimensionals

A Little Something For You

2009-11-18T21:22:00.011-05:00

Warning: Long post. Be sure to scroll down to see the inside of this card.

Isn't this the coolest thing ever? Bet you didn't guess that it's not only a card but a gift card holder. Now before I go into all the details I have to give credit where credit is due. This gift card holder was created by my so brilliantly clever Stampin' Up! upline, Chrystal Amato. The only thing I did was change the striped paper slightly and the ribbon from Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon to Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon. This gift card holder is also a "CASE" (copy and share everything) of a "CASE". Chrystal's inspiration came from this gift card holder created by Gretchen Barron. Check Gretchen out on her blog. She's also very, incredibly talented.

All I did was cut a 12" x 12" piece of cardstock into and folded it in half. Next, using your Big Shot machine, line the score line of your card almost all the way to the top of the Scallop Square die design but not quite. If you line up the score line of your card past the top of the Scallop Square die you'll end up with two beautiful scallop squares. Not the look you're going for, trust me : ) Once you've got the edge where you want it just run the die through the Big Shot machine and voila'. You get this beautiful scalloped card. To get the oval cutout in the middle of the card you'll need to use the scallop oval punch. Just line up the punch with the middle of the card and slide it up as far as it will go from the bottom of the card and punch out the oval. You'll then adhere your second piece of cardstock right over the front. Yes, you'll cover up your pretty scallop oval, but don't worry. Flip the card over so you can see where you've punched out the first oval and line the punch up and punch again. You never want to try to punch through two pieces of heavy cardstock at the same time. This may break your punch.

So, do you want to see inside? Do you?? Do you?? Okay, here it is ........................... Super cool, huh? To make the pocket for the gift card you'll just run the patterned paper through the Big Shot using the Scallop Square die again and just adhere it to the sides and bottom of your card base. DO NOT place adhesive to the middle or to the top of your patterned paper. You won't have a gift card holder then : )

This was another card my guests made at the 10 for $10 Christmas card class I had at my house last week. This card was a big hit.

If you live in or near the Waverly area and would like to attend one of my classes, please email me at l_burkitt@yahoo.com. I'll be glad to send you information about my upcoming classes and would be thrilled to have you there.

Thanks for peeking in on me today! Have a great evening!

Supplies: All Stampin' Up! unless noted; Stamps - Christmas Punches; Paper - Old Olive, Real Red, Very Vanilla, Old Olive DSP; SU! Markers- Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Old Olive; Accessories - Big Shot Machine, Scallop Square Die, Scallop Oval Punch, Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon, Petal-A-Plenty Embossing Folder, Dimensionals

Shop Stampin' Up! 24/7 here.

FROSTY AND FRIENDS

2009-11-16T01:00:00.000-05:00

Here's another card that was created for my 10 for $10 Christmas card class last week. I cased my card from the ever so talented Jan Tink. You can view her card here. I kept her same color combinations and card layout. I just changed the color combination around and used a different stamp set. If you look closely (or click on the picture to enlarge) you can see I added Dazzling Diamond Glitter to the snow drift. I love that stuff. It shimmers just like diamonds. I guess that's how it got its name :~)

Have a great day and thanks for peeking in on me today! I'm a little under the weather but hope to be feeling better soon.

Supplies: Stamps - The More the Merrier, Happy Everything; Ink - Basic Black, Su! Markers - Old Olive, Real Red, Black, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie; Cardstock - Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Real Red, Whisper White; Accessories - Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, 2 Way Glue Pen, Eyelet Border Punch, Mellow Moss Grosgrain Ribon, 1/16" Punch, Real Red Brad

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless noted.

Shop Stampin' Up! 24/7 here.

BACK IN THE SADDLE AND A CHALLENGE TO BOOT

2009-11-14T09:30:00.011-05:00

My, oh, my! Has it really been that long since my last post??? I've got a million excuses, but let me just give you the condensed version. I've been busy prepping for my 10 for $10 Christmas card class and dealing with the "Kiddie Crud". My class is now over and was a big success - thanks ladies! The "kiddie crud" is subsiding and life is getting back to normal. So on with the show!

The above card is one I created for my Christmas card class and also for the Pals Paper Arts PPA16 Challenge for this week. This week's challenge is a "Christmas Cheer" theme. Check it out here. This is the first time I've participated in the Pals Paper Arts Challenge and I'm pumped. From time to time I play along with challenges, but usually long after the challenge is over.

Well, that's it for me today. I'm going shopping with my little sister. Thanks for peeking in on me today. Oh, and a very "Happy Birthday" to my oldest brother, Eric. Love you big guy!

Supplies: Stamps - Winter Post, Snow Swirled; Paper - Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Merry Moments DSP; Ink-Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Old Olive; Accessories - Mistletoe Ribbon, Big Shot Machine, Top Note Die, Dimensionals (All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless noted.)

Shop Stampin' Up! here.