Happy Valentine's Day

Hello girls! Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone has a fabulous day filled with love and fun. I have one last Valentine to show you today before the season of red and pink goes away for a while. By the time this posts, the recipient of this card will have received it from her husband, who asked me to make it for her. I will let her come forward if she chooses ( and reads this post, of course!). Anyway, without further ado...
I hope she loves it and enjoys her day with her darling fella! Meanwhile, I will give you the deets since I have a feeling, that is why you found your way here. I used a rich, Riding Hood Red pattern from the Love Letter DSP along with basic Black and Very Vanilla CS. I added a length of 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain ribbon across the middle to accent the punched heart and sentiment.

The sentiment for this card came from the Filled with Love stamp set which will be available in the next big catalog ( or so I hear). I stamped it and then punched it out using the small oval punch which premiered in the last holiday Mini catalog and will return this summer. It is backed by a small circle (1") and then both are on top of a heart which I punched with the XL Full Heart punch. For a little contrast, I placed them all over a 2 3/8" Scalloped circle that was slightly distressed with some Crumb Cake ink and a Stampin' sponge.

The inside has another heart and a simple, "Be my valentine" message. I hope she loves it and has a wonderful day just as I wish for everyone else. Enjoy!

Last Filled with Love Card- SU only

Hi folks! It has been crazy busy around here so today will be another quick post. My card today was inspired by a design on Andrea Walford's blog. I loved her card so I decided to incorporate the elements I loved and adapt my design to the materials I had on hand. Blogger is acting a little nuts so I am unable to link to her site to give credit but I certainly have a photo of my card to share with you. I felt like it was a perfect choice since the Filled with Love Bundle promo ends tomorrow. Here ya go!

And a detail shot so you can a little bit more of the embellishment:
I used Filled with Love to stamp the heart flowers in Poppy Parade ink and then the leaves were stamped with Petal Pizazz in Pear Pizazz ink. Each little heart blossom is accented with a Bitty Button. I lightly sponged my Whisper White background with Bashful Blue ink and then just a touch of Tempting Turquoise around the very edge for definition. The "grass" was created by punching 2 strips of Pear Pizazz with the Scallop Trim Border punch and then inking the top edges with Pear Pizazz ink. I stamped the sentiment (also from Filled with Love) in Basic Black ink. I punched the wording out with my large oval punch and lightly sponged with more Bashful Blue ink around the edge. A few of the hearts and leaves are popped up on Dimensionals too.

I skipped the links to certain products in the interest of time but all the productsI used can be found in my online store. Items included in the Filled with Love bundle can be ordered until close of business on the 24th. You may order online or contact me to order.

I have an adorable new card to show you so check back in tomorrow to see another use for the new Create a Cupcake stamp set along with the Build a Cupcake punch. Have a great day!

Last Week for Filled with Love Bundle!

Hey guys and gals! Well, gals I am pretty sure but not so much on the guys part but anywho...We have one week left to take advantage of the SU Filled with Love Bundle of goodies. Today's project uses an image from the Filled with Love set so I thought it was a perfect reminder that you don't want to miss that cute set and papers. And don't forget about the freebie package of Bitty Buttons! To learn more or to place an order, you can click on the Filled with Love button in the left sidebar here or just contact me. Now, for the project? Here ya go...

This was really hard to photograph but I hope you can see that it is made from punching 4 Decorative Labels and then making a very simple box platform to hold them upright. A length of Real Red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon gives it extra stability. I decorated it with a little circular image from Filled with Love and then added a handle (made with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch) and a tag. The sentiment comes from a new set in the Mini catalog called XOXO. You can't see it in the photo but the handle is glued down with Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive and then topped with a small heart punch and then the back has another embellishment like the front. So easy and so cute! It took less than 20 minutes so if I make several for my kids' teachers, it won't take me days. LOL!

That's it for me today. It is my first day of everyone being back to school and work so I have bunches to do. Have a great day!

Valentines A Plenty

Howdy! Another quick post today...playing catch up again. I have 2 cards for you today so I'll get right to the point!
This first one is a super simple greeting but still a lot of fun in my book. I can't wait to send it! The focal point image is an a'la carte image featured in the Mini catalog. It is called Be My Valentine and it caught my eye as soon as I thumbed through the new mini catalog. That floral background reminded me of pretty lace and I couldn't wait to use it just like they did in the SU example photo. I also love to be able to buy just one image now and then. First, I stamped the image in Rose red onto Whisper White CS and also once in Basic Black onto Crumb Cake CS. Then, I trimmed out the banner portion of the image and paper pieced it onto the red copy. Easy peasy! It is finished off with a black designer button and a little bit of linen thread before mounting it onto my card foundation of Crumb Cake CS. The Rose Red polka dot print is from the Subtles Patterns DSP. The white lace border is punched with the Eyelet Edge Border punch.

Now, onto the 2nd card for today...
This one may look familiar. I CASEd this one from the Filled with Love Bundle promotion brochure. I liked it so much that I made not one change. Well, actually I used Certainly Celery ribbon instead of Old Olive but I figured that out after the fact. I wanted to post it here because I wanted to remind everyone that SU catalogs and brochures are a GREAT source of inspiration. Who hasn't sat down to make a card and just drawn a complete blank about how to start? Well, sometimes all it takes is thumbing through a catalog or maybe a browse over the SU website to get your juices flowing again.

For further info about today's projects, just holler. I would be glad to point you in the right direction. Have a great day!

Thoughts of You Warm My Heart- SU Only Card

Happy Saturday folks! This was a never ending week. The weekend couldn't get here fast enough. So, it's here and I will get some time to just sit and play with my new stamps. Just yesterday, Mr. Brown brought me some goodies from the upcoming Sale A Bration catalog and a few new things from the Occasions Mini Catalog too. What I started last night isn't quite ready to photograph just yet so I will have it tomorrow. Deal?

For today's card, it is another red and pink confection. It also uses the Filled with Love set. Don't worry...I will move on soon. ;) Something new about the combo is that I used some of the relatively new Jewel Rhinestones. These were new to SU in July and I just never got around to ordering any. Well, I am so glad I finally did! Take a look...

I only used a few rhinestones up around the top of the heart to accent just a bit. I also used a Bitty Button (FREE with Filled with Love Bundle!) and alength of the Real Red 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon. This is a great ribbon for bows and cards. It is so sheer and smooth, making it very flexible, that I find it much easier to tie into a pretty bow than many others. I am gradually buying all the colors offered because I like it so much.

The heart image and sentiment are both from the Filled with Love set. That fun pink polka dot print is from the Love Patterns DSP which comes with the bundle too. For the little tag flag, I rounded both the corners on one side and then notched the other end with my Paper Snips. I think that about sums this cadr up for today. Check back tomorrow for some truly NEW items used on my card. I think you are going to like what I have to show you! There just isn't much on the card that isn't new, new, new. Have a wonderful day and stay warm!

Be Mine, Be Mine, Be My Polka Dotted Valentine!

Hello folks! Quick post today because I have piles to do before our possibly snowy/icy weekend. It would be nice to get more snow and just sit around with my kids and some cocoa but in order to do that, one must actually have cocoa and other essentials like TP, and Doritos in the house. So, Walmart here I come! Before I go though, let me show you today's card. I am pretty happy with it!

This one is a little less whimsical and maybe a little more...dramatic? For lack of a better word? I tried something new here. I used my SU Riding Hood Red reinker to dye a Paper Daisy. Usually, I am too lazy to dye my flowers to match and I end up changing my design to accommodate plain white blooms. Never again! Just take an empty plastic container from SU buttons, brads, etc. Add a couple tablespoons of water and then a few drops of your desired reinker color. The amount of both depends on how deep you want the color to be on your project. Let it soak for a few seconds and then remove with tweezers since the dye will stain your fingers. Let the blossom dry completely on some paper towels before adding to your card.

Once my little flower was dry, I made my card using the very dramatic polka dot print from the Love Letter DSP. Basic Black and Very Vanilla along with Riding Hood Red CS were my solids. The sentiment is from the Filled with Love set. I wasn't lying the other day when I said it was my new favorite, huh? That set is seeing quite a bit of action lately! The leaves were cut using the Sizzix Little Leaves die and my Big Shot. A Filigree Designer Brad and a length of 5/8" Basic Black grosgrain ribbon finish it off. I substituted a black brad for the silver brad that comes with the Filigree set.

I'll skip an actual supply list today since I named everything in my text but of course, if you have any further questions, please ask. All materials used are Stampin' Up! Have a great day and please stop back by this weekend because I have a few new goodies from the occasions Mini Catalog on the way via UPS and I WILL be playing with them over the weekend. ;)

Red and Pink Together?

The only time of year that I would ever put red and pink together is Valentine's Day. What is it about that combo that is so hideous in fashion or even cards that makes it ok to use it until the middle of February? Well, I use it with gusto this time of year to take advantage of that small window of opportunity. In case you haven't figured it out, today's projects wear their red and pink together with pride LOL! Take a look...


And a gift tag featuring some of the adorable, new Love Impressions Valentine's rub-ons:

Aren't they cute? For the card, I used 2 prints from the Love Patterns DSP along with Real Red and Pretty in Pink CS. These papers along with the stamp set I used, Filled with Love, can be purchased in the Filled with Love Bundle Promotion which lasts until January 24th. Don't forget about the FREE package of Bitty Buttons you get with the bundle!

Along with the Love Impressions Valentine's rub-ons, the tag includes an image from Perfect Punches stamp set. This set is one of the most versatile I have ever purchased. Every image coordinates with a punch! The button at the top was a leftover from a retired set but SU still makes buttons in that color so no worries if you need Pretty in Pink buttons!

For more info about these SU Only projects or to order the materials needed to make them, please feel free to contact me anytime. Have a great day!

SU Materials: Papers- Real Red CS, Pretty in Pink CS, Love Patterns DSP, Whisper White CS. Ink- Real Red Classic, Pretty in Pink Classic. Stamps- Filled with Love, Perfect Punches. Accessories- Love Impressions Rub-Ons, Designer Buttons, Pretty in Pink 5/8" satin ribbon, Eyelet Edge Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Round Tab punch, Sm Heart Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Linen Thread.

All You Need is Love, Love...

Hi guys! I made it back 2 days in a row! It has certainly been a while since that happened, huh? Well, it felt so good to come back and post yesterday, after a way-too-long hiatus, that I was in a real hurry. I have a really cute, SU only, card to show you as well as some SU news. Card first and news last, ok?

You like it? I am pretty happy with it. Considering I have been out of card making commission since early December, making it was a little like Nirvana. I'll tell you a little about it and then I will move on to my SU news. That fun print paper behind the love birds is a new Designer Series Paper from the also new Occasions Mini Catalog which started yesterday. It is called First Edition and you will be seeing it often. I LOVE it. I really like that the writing is small so that it becomes more of a texture versus an overwhelming visual weight in the background of your project. You get a lot for the money too...this paper pack includes 24 sheets which is double what the regular DSP packs include.

Another fun feature of today's card is the sentiment which is part of the Filled with Love stamp set. This set is my new fav and it might be yours too. It is so versatile! From now until January 24th, you can take advantage of the Filled with Love bundle deal which includes the Filled with Love stamp set, Exclusive Love Patterns paper pack and a FREE package of Bitty Buttons. You can learn more about the bundle deal right here, on my SU website. The set itself was featured on the last page of the Holiday Mini catalog.

The cute little love birds were made using the Extra Large 2 Step Bird Punch. The red one is punched from a sheet of Patterns Designer Series paper in Riding Hood Red and the blue one is stamped first in Not Quite Navy ink on card stock of the same color and then punched. The branches are punched from Wild Wasabi textured card stock. If there is anything else you would like to know about this card, just ask!

Now for the SU news...as I mentioned above, the Occasions Mini Catalog went live yesterday. If you would like to receive a copy of the Occasions Mini, please let me know and I would be glad to send you one. You can also download a copy from my SU website as well. For those that regularly attend my classes, you should have already recieved your copy in the mail. It is filled with all sorts of new and exciting products that you are sure to love. I will be showing several of them here so stay tuned.

That's it for today folks. I am off to elevate my little ole hand. Typing gets old really quick. Have a great day!