Four Seasons Hostess Set

I love this new hostess set: Four Seasons! I think it will make adorable cards, ornaments and gifts all year round. I hope to find more time to play with this set this summer. I have some small mason jars and other projects in mind for this set. Just need to find more time to play with these new sets! Check back later and I'll post pictures from our 10th Annual stamp which is today in Greeley, CO. That's what keeping me busy this week (as well as cleaning my messy stamp room!)

Color Inspiration

I found the inspiration for this color combination on page 83 of the fabulous new 2012-2013 Stampin' Up! catalog. It's kind of out of my comfort zone for usual color combinations but I had fun trying it.

Summer time & Summer Starfruit New Color

This card uses the new Stampin' Up! In-Colors: Summer Starfruit and Midnight Muse. I have to admit that when I first saw this yellow color I kind of thought..."eeewww", "different"...."kind of chartreuse like"..."I'm starting to like it". The more I use it the more I like it....especially when paired with Midnight Muse! I've also noticed that this Summer Starfruit color is all around me now. Here in Western Nebraska the wheat fields are turning from green to yellow and match this color perfectly! And, as long as the hail storms stay away the wheat will turn a prettier yellow more and more each day until harvest in just a few short weeks! Have a great summer!!!

HAVE YOUR CAKE....JOIN STAMPIN' UP!

If you've considered joining, or rejoining Stampin' Up! the perfect time is this month! Not only is the starter kit $99, when you join my Stampin' Up! team in June you get the the Patio Party Suite of products for FREE!!! I love FREE STAMP PRODUCTS!!! Click here for more info and to JOIN NOW!!! Let me know how I can help you start your adventure as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. I've been one for over 16 years and anxiously awaiting going to convention this July...it will be my 16th convention in a row!!! Click here for more info and to JOIN NOW! Choose Make a Cake Stamp Set in clear or Wood Mount 126740 Make a Cake Set (wood-mount) Retail Price $14.95 or 126742 Make a Cake Set (clear-mount) Retail Price $11.95 plus 126916 Patio Party Designer Series Paper Retail Price $10.95 plus 127215 Patio Party Digital Collection DVD Retail Price $22.95 That is up to $48 in additional FREE product!

Quilt Card

I like alot of card designs that look like quilts. They are just fun and easy to do with Designer Series Paper. The Square Lattice embossing folder adds the little extra touch to make this paper look (and feel) like a quilt.

Use up scraps!

This is a fun card design that uses up alot of left over papers. The Triple Treat Flower stamp coordinates with 3 different Stampin' Up! punches which makes this flower easy to construct. I used Crumb Cake and Concord Crush cardstock for the card and Wisteria Wonder ink stamped on Whisper White for the flower.

Petite Purses

Here are two more versions of the adorable Petite Purse Die. This die is so easy to cut and assemble. For the purse on the left I cut some DSP to cover the top purse shape. For the purse on the right I ran it through the Big shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. Both use brads to hold the handle on and to add an embellishment to the purse flap.

Wedding Invitations (Winter)

As we use up the extra Shimmery White paper in stamp classes (that I had left over from these wedding invites from the New Year's Eve wedding for my daughter's best friend)....I keep talking about the pretty invites we came up with for this wedding. So I finally remembered to share these with all of you. The colors were Certainly Celery, Basic Gray & white and she had a snowflake theme. I made up these two samples for the bride to choose from. She chose the one on the right. These were so pretty and affordable as well.

Elegant Bird Die for the Big Shot

This is the Elegant Bird die from the past mini catalog and it will also be available June 1 in the annual big catalog from Stampin' Up!. This is a quick and easy card design using this die.

Girly Gift Card

This is a girly style of the card from three posts back. I actually made 50 of these and 10 of the masculine version for thank you cards for Teacher's Appreciation week for our school. The inside has a pocket/slot that holds a gift card (or cash!) This card is done in Certainly Celery, Old Olive and Pool Parade. I replaced the Pool Party shape with various colors: Wisteria Wonder, Rich Razzleberry. Regal Rose and it was also a very pretty color combination. I hope you can see all the Dazzling Diamond glitter on the stamped flower images as that adds the "wow" factor. These cards were a great way to use up odds and ends of ribbon as most coordinated and added to the fun shabby chic look.

Husker Scrapbook page...MDS to Traditional Scrapbooking

I've always been a fan of traditional scrapbooking but love the ease of the My Digital Studio. So here is the 8x8" page from the previous post turned into a 12x12" page complete with chipboard letters for the title. So I turned my MDS into my traditional style of page layouts....and, if you are any part of "Husker Nation" you will understand the red balloons used for page embellishments.

To make the "Nebraska" title I glued Real Red cardstock to white blank coasters and then ran them through the Big Shot machine with ther Serif Alphabet dies. Balloons were made from an oval punch and a small heart punch used for the balloon knot. Go Huskers!

My Digital Studio

My Digital Studio 2 will soon be available. I finally found some time to play with MDS and this is one page layout I came up with. Of course I will take this page and add some embellishments as well as layering it on to a 12x12. I'm thinking a chipboard title around this with some red balloons page accents.

Masculine Gift Card

Here's a masculine card idea for Father's Day next month. This card has a pocket/slot inside to hold a gift card. Jump ahead 3 posts to see this same card done in a girly color scheme.

Bridal Shower Gift

The new Petite Purse Bigz Die for the Big Shot machine is just adorable. I made this purse as a bridal shower gift. Inside this adorable purse is a note for the bride to be find her egift card from Pottery Barn. A regular plastic gift card would not fit in this size of purse but a folded up paper does. So I just purchased an ecard online and made this purse to hold the gift. The bridal shower theme was "Breakfast at Tiffany's" so I used Stampin' Up!'s Pool Party cardstock to go with that color scheme. I finished off this little gift with a monogram tag for the bride to be.

10th ANNUAL STAMP CAMP in northern Colorado!

10th Annual Stamp Camp Greeley, Colorado This event is hosted by Jennifer Thomas and Joanne Randolph. When: June 9th, 2012 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Stop by anytime during this 4 hour block of time to do your projects…you probably only need about 1 ½ - 2 hours but you can pick the time to come. Just be finished by 2:00 p.m. Cost: $30 if paid before June 1st & $35 after June 1st! Each project will have a station and you will move from project to project at your own pace. Patterns included for many projects. Includes 6 projects: 1. Apothecary Art card complete with Dazzling Diamond glitter 2. An Elegant Wedding Cake card 3. Petite Purse filled with a string of pearls 4. Fabric project 5. Scrapbook project 6. Birthday card *BRING your own adhesive. Contact me for more info and all the exact details for the location and how to register: thomas@daltontel.net

Easel Card

Using up some retired rub-ons and Designer Paper and made this Sew Suite Easel card.

Cupcake Builder Punch

This was a contest entry a few months ago. I like to use the small oval punch to add a cake color to the cupcake builder punch shapes....looks like the yummy cupcakes on those fun tv shows like Cupcake Wars and D.C. Cupcake.

I ran the frosting shape through the Big Shot Machine with the Manhattan Flower Embossing folder...I like the swirly frosting effect it makes. You can find that embossing folder on page 218 of the current Idea Book & Catalog.

Occasions Alphabet: So Shelli Creative Challenge

The So Shelli Creative Challenge this month is "Thinking of You": any sympathy or condolence cards, hang-in-there cards, you-can-do-it cards . . .whatever. Just a way of reaching out to someone who needs to know that they aren’t alone.

With that in mind I created this card for this challenge (and it was very similar to a card I made for swapping at Convention 2011 which was a few weeks ago in Salt Lake City, Utah). I absolutely love this new alphabet set called "Occasions Alphabet"! I can make up several of these cards to have on hand and then just stamp and punch the saying I need for that particular occasion from this set. I can easily make this card a birthday card by using the "H" is for Happy...hope that's what your birthday is, or a friendship card by using "J" is for JOY...that's what knowing you brings to my life or "F" is for FRIEND...you're one of the best, or "E" if for EVERYTHING...that's what you mean to me....ok, you get the picture, right? Plenty of possibilities from one fabulous stamp set. Check out this stamp set on page 171 of the new Idea Book & Catalog.

Cardstock used: Crumb Cake, Concord Crush, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Embossing folder: Flower Garden
Ribbon: Concord Crush 1/2" Stitched-Poly
Stamp set: Fabulous Florets, Occasions Alphabet, French Foliage
other: Basic Rhinestones, Decorative Label Punch, color spritzer tool, Concord Crush marker

Happy stamping,
Jennifer

Convention display: "GRAD" Page

Well, I can't believe it is already the first part of August...where did the summer go? I won't be long before the kids are headed back to school and in our case both kids will be in college this year. Both will be attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln...GO HUSKERS!!!!!!!!!!!

This grad page was another Artisan Award entry that I found on display at convention.

Here's hoping that the empty nest allows for more stamping time! :-)

Convention displays: MY GIRL scrapbook page

One of the highlights to my convention every year is seeing the beautiful displays of samples. I especially enjoy finding samples that I have sent in for various contests. This "My Girl" scrapbook page was an Artisan Award entry. I used the scallop oval die cut to create these cute little black shoes to go with this adorable pictures of my daughter (who is now in college but I needed a baby pic for this page LOL!) I was a finalist again this year for this contest.

Congrats to the 2011 Artisan Award winners:
Heather Summers
Heather Stevens
Laura Mellinger
Heather Klump
Cheryl LeFore
Heidi King
Summer Stone
Sandra Farrell
Jennifer Pickard
Connie Collins


FINALISTS Not in any particular order

Marisa Gunn
Staci Lunch
Martha Devries
Katie Kempton
Connie Collins
Laura Mellinger
Gaylyn Pantana
Laura Pinto-Nu-win
Elizabeth Germs
Rochelle Gould
Twila Mooneyham
Janel Hermann
Marlene Peters
Renee Van Stralen
Amy Bollman
Andrea Powers
Sharon Trauth
Jennifer Pickard
Diane Browning
Mercedes Weeber
Diane Kanode
Heather Stevens
Sandra Farrell
Jan Johnson
Summer Stone
Ellen Raymond
Carrie Gaskin
Heidi King
Cheryl LeFore
Betty-Jane Gent-ner
Debi Pippin
Laura Tollander
Jennifer Thomas
Tracy Roefs
Dee-lia Lively
Jackie Topa
Julie Leblain
Erica Cerwin
Mary Haugen
Heather Summers
Mindy Bywater
Heather Klump