Butterfly blossom

I recently signed up for a SWAP with other SU demonstators across the country. The challenge was to use the Build A Blossum stamp set and coordinating punch. I just love SU stamps that have coordinating punches. I guess you could say that I am a bit of a punch junkie. I think I own every SU punch available. For this punch I wanted to stretch my imagination and do something besides a flower. I came up with a butterfly. It is hard to see in the scanned image but "Best Wishes" is stamped in yellow on the tag.  I think it turned out pretty nice. I will probably be doing an acetate card version of this design for my "Fun with Acetate" class in March.

Silver leaf and acetate...perfect combo!

This is the second card for my "Fun with Acetate" class in March. For the three square images I used acetate and silver leaf (which looks way cooler than the scanned image online). I stepped out of my comfort zone by using the SU Color Coach to play with a new creative color combination....basic black, cherry cobbler and baja breeze. What do you think? Any suggestions on how I could make it better?

Creativity Runs in the Family

This is a card that my cousin, Angela, did in one of her first SU classes. I just love her stamping style. I believe the Paper is Basic Grey, Baja Blue and Basic Black. The Designer Series Paper (patterned paper) is retired. The bird stamp is from the "Friends 24-7" set on page 138 in the Catalog.

Green Hills of Thanks

This card I made a couple of months ago for my swap club. I saw a card like this at a craft show so I don't know who to give credit to for the layout. I used different retired SU Designer Series Paper in various hues of green and cut them free hand to make some hills. The front two layers were popped up with Dimensionals. The tree is one of my favorites from SU set called "Thoughts and Prayers" (see page 150in the Catalog). The "Thanks" was an old stamp that I purchased many, many years ago.

Thanks to all.

Today was my "Heart Felt Thanks" class. I am exhausted but happy because I think it went pretty well.

Tonight, I am posting a card done by my friend Sandy. She is an amazing stamp artist so I am humbled when she takes a class from me. She made this card for a swap earlier this year. She used the SU Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, then brayered some ink on the debossed side so that the ink covered the paper but not the debossed flowers. Then she inked a script background stamp and stamped lightly over the whole brayered card. She punched out the designer label to make a window for her "thank you" that was stamped on the yellow background paper. She used the SU scallop trim border punch to make the decorative edge on the right side of the yellow paper. This was all layered on to a brown card. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!

Thanks to everyone who participated in my class. It is so wonderful to be able to share my ideas with others.

Sneak Peak at March Class

This weekend is my Heart Felt Thanks class and I am so looking forward to it. Being the busy bee that I am, I couldn't wait to start on samples for my next class...Fun with Acetate. Acetate is the clear sheet of plastic (a.k.a. transparency) that teachers used to use with overhead projectors. In the next class, we will be making 4 projects using acetate. The first card that I designed is pocket card with a hidden message. The acetate was used to make the insert for the pocket.  It has the green tab attached to the top of it so that it can be pulled up.

As you pull up on the green tab, the flowers in the back of the truck magically raise to reveal the hidden message. Here is the card with the tab pulled half way up. 

Here is the card with the tab pulled all the way up and the message revealed "thought you could use a little pickup".  I designed the card so that you can't pull the acetate insert all the way out. 

Email me if you are interested in the class.  I am thinking of having it on Saturday, March 5th. For $10, you will be making 4 projects using acetate.  The class is free if you purchase $35 worth of Stampin Up product.  But like all my classes, if you can't make the scheduled date/time, you can purchase the kit with detailed instructions and make it on your own.  Or you can schedule some one-on-one crafting time with me.

Cute as a Bug!

I made this card a long time ago with the SU "Bugs and Kisses" stamp set. It was a great way to use up scraps of different colored paper. One tip...if you are going to cut out the bugs with antennae (like the green catepillar on my card), it's best to stamp them first on the background paper and then stamp them on the paper you are going to cut them out of. When you are cutting them out, don't try to cut out the antennae. Just cut out the body and adhere to the background paper on top of the first stamped image.

She likes pink

This is a card that my friend Jennifer swapped last weekend.  She loves pink so it never surprises me when her cards have some pink on them. I just love this card.  The flowers were made with the SU simple flower embosslit and the Big Shot.  Embosslits are great... they cut and emboss at the same time.

Cupcakes and more cupcakes

Yesterday I went to a card swap club.  The demonstrator, Lynn, is new to Stampin Up but such an awesome card artist.  This is one of the cards that we did in Lynn's make-n-take.  She also had us create a super darling box to give a cupcake as a gift.  I am usually not a fan of boxes but this is one that I definitely want to use.  She used an SVG file on her Cricut to cut the box pieces.  We decorated it with SU punched cupcakes and hearts. 

Below is the card that Lynn's daughter swapped.  CUTE!  It opens with the flap behind the cherry.  Clever.

Button challenge

Last year a couple of friends and I would get together and challenge each other to use some design element in a card.  We'd make enough of the card so that everyone participating got to take one home.  This is the card I made when the challenge was to use buttons and paper a color that you normally stray away from.  I used SU clear buttons and yellow.  How do you think it turned out?

Is there a "crafty" gene?

I have been enjoying spending time with my God daughter (neice) for the past two weeks.  Her father, my brother, is an amazing artist.  And she is really quite amazing with free hand painting.  Look at the frame she painted for her friend who attends the University of Texas. (She attends their rival school - Texas A&M). 

Isn't it the cutest thing!   I am going to miss her tremendously when she goes back home.  Kudos to my brother and his wife for raising such a delightful young lady!

Bird in a cage

I just love the "Aviary" stamp set from Stampin Up! (See below all the cute stamps that come in this kit).  I made this card with that set for a swap club that I belong to.  Swap clubs are great ways to get new ideas and keep your stock of unique hand-made cards replenished.  You should think of starting one in your stamping community.

Stampin Up Aviary Set -- contact me if you want to order it.