Happy Memorial Day

I would like to wish all of my American Friends a Happy Memorial Day.  

God Bless our Brave Soldiers!
Pray for the souls of our Soldiers, who gave the ultimate price for our freedom!

Hitchcock Halloween

I'm back from my parents, and I had a great time.  The graduation party was awesome.  My nieces loved their scrapbooks.  It was so nice to see them pour over each page talking about the memories.

I created a double page layout on my short vacation with My Digital Studio.  I used Halloween pictures, because I purchased the Cast-a-Spell Digital paper right before I left.  Oh, I love this paper set.  A nice surprise in the download is a designer digital Halloween card.

Every thing I used for the layout, except for the Designer Paper is included in the original software.  I haven't printed this out yet, but I can't wait to see it on paper.

This entire weekend will be spent opening our pool, so I won't get much crafting time.  My mom came back with us to stay for a few days.  I will talk to ya next week some time.  I hope you have a great week!

morning sunshine

This layout was the last one that completed Kelsey's scrapbook.  I felt so good to be done with my nieces' scrapbooks.  I hope they enjoy looking at them as much as I did making them.

The pictures are not the best, but they are what I had to work with.  These pictures were taken before digital cameras, so you got what you got.  I just loved her "bed head", so I wanted to think of something for these two pictures.  The top picture she isn't smiling, but the bottom one she is happier.

Congratulations Graduates - Kelsey & Emily!

Here are some Stampin' Up! updates:

NEW DIGITAL DOWNLOADS FOR MY DIGITAL STUDIO

The latest group of digital downloads for My Digital Studio are now available!

Item	Description	Price
121069	Go Graduate Plus stamp brush set	$5.95
122143	Jumbo Outline Alphabet stamp brush set	$9.95
122145	Contempo Alphabet stamp brush set	$9.95

Click here to see the latest digital downloads.  I just wanted to remind you that if you scrapbook with another program like Photoshop Elements the digital kits, brushes, etc from Stampin' Up! will work with those programs too.  My friend, Jeanne purchased some digital downloads and says they work great with PSE.  Thanks for your order, Jeanne!

The retiring colors are going fast.  Here is the latest out of stock:

SAGE SHADOW CARD STOCK (12" X 12") OUT OF STOCK

Once items are depleted, they will not be reordered.

I will be at my parents for the next week to celebrate my nieces' graduations and just hang out.  I will miss my DH, but I am excited to go home.  I haven't been home, since Christmas.  I won't be blogging during this vacation due to my parents living in the country with slow internet.  We will be busy partin', shoppin' and visiting.  

Have a great week!

Adorable

Here is a two-page layout I created for my niece, Kelsey.  I have a bunch of "this and that" pictures that are adorable, so I put them on two pages and tied them together with an Adorable title.  Notice the QT stamped on the black cardstock.  Do you understand what that means?  QT- Cutie!  I hope people get that one.  My DH didn't....LOL!

Kick It

This page is for my niece, Emily.  I used a round coaster for the ball in the lower right side.  This one was a quick layout, but I love the colors.

The layouts I show you over the next couple of days will not have the materials I used listed on them.  I was pulling from all of my stash, and didn't keep track of what I used from companies.  My goal (no pun intended...LOL) was to get the layouts finished, so I didn't keep track like I usually do.

Dad

I always wondered how people made these cute little candy bars holders where you pull the ribbon and the candy bar pops out.  Now, I know how.  Thanks, Kim!

Don't ya love the texture of the paper?  We made that by stamping the sage shadow cardstock with the stamp Sanded.  Then ran it through the Big Shot with the Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Love it!

Guess what?  I am finished with both of my nieces scrapbooks and the slideshow I created for the graduation party.  I worked both Saturday and Sunday on these.  It felt so good to be finished.  Aahhhh!  I will share some of the scrapbook pages I made this week.  I hope to get back to making Christmas cards, digital layouts for my boys and tutorials once I get back from my parents.  Back to my routine!  Well, as much as possible, since the boys will be on summer vacation.  YAY!

Materials used are stampin’ up! Unless noted

Stamps: teeny tiny wishes, sanded

Paper: sage shadow cs, chocolate chip cs

Ink: really rust, chocolate chip

Accessories: 1/4" chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon, timeless type junior alphabet

Punches: modern label, word window

Techniques: interactive 3D

Don't forget....During National Scrapbooking Month, May 1-31, get a FREE package of Designer brads with the purchase of My Digital Studio (item 118108) or any of the following stamp sets:

Page	Description	Wood-Mount Item	Wood-Mount Price	Clear-Mount Item	Clear-Mount Price
81	Extreme Elements	115181	$26.95	---	---
119	Framed with Love**	114389	$27.95	---	---
128	Certified**	113706	$27.95	---	---
129	Circle Circus	115778	$28.95	---	---
12*	Elements of Style	118611	$27.95	120045	$19.95
13*	Momentos	119910	$27.95	120105	$19.95
13*	Éléments de style	119900	$27.95	120099	$19.95
14*	Rough Type	118659	$26.95	120072	$18.95
22*	Sentimental Journey	118513	$23.95	120075	$17.95
25*	First Day	118521	$23.95	120051	$17.95
25*	Camino a la Escuela	120152	$23.95	120154	$17.95

*From the Summer Mini Catalog
**A Last Chance stamp set!

Choose from the following Designer brads with qualifying purchase:

Page	Description	Item
179	Flower Designer brads	112579
179	Filigree Designer brads	112577
179	Circle Designer brads	112571
179	Star Designer brads	112572

Click here to place an order

Happy Father's Day

Lovely as a Tree is one of my favorite stamp sets from Stampin' Up!.  My tree didn't turn out as well as Kim's example.  This was the first time I tried this watercolor technique.  Instead of spritzing the stamp with water, we sprayed the water on the paper after coloring the image with markers.  Then we stamped the image on the paper.  I sprayed my paper too early and that is why the top of the tree is different.  That part of the paper was too dry.

Materials used are stampin’ up! Unless noted

Stamps: lovely as a tree, teeny tiny wishes

Paper: naturals ivory cardstock, watercolor paper, chocolate chip cardstock, sahara sand cardstock

Ink: chocolate chip, old olive marker, chocolate chip marker

Accessories: dimensionals, textured impressions embossing folder

Punches: none

Techniques: watercoloring

As the debut of the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog approaches, it's almost time to bid farewell to our retiring stamp sets and Definitely Decorative products, and discontinuing accessories.  On June 1st, I will post a list of last chance items that will be retiring.  The items tend to sell out fast, so don't wait too long to place your order for them.

Click here to place an order

Thanks so much

I have been busy lately, but not in my craft room.  Tate has four days of school left and then SUMMER VACATION...YAY!  I am almost done with my nieces scrapbooks and slideshow just in time to leave next week for my parents.  The boys and I will be staying a week, so I am getting laundry done and packing.  I like to get the clothes we will be wearing on vacation in the suitcases, so I am not washing them last minute.  My DH is staying behind due to responsibilities at work.  Bummer!

I did make time this week to go to my friend, Kim's house.  I always make time to create with her each month.  This month we worked on watercoloring techniques and Father's Day gifts and cards.  Over the next couple of days, I will show you what we made.

The first one is a card made with the new Watercolor Trio stamp set in the summer mini.  I love this set and have used it a couple times already.  The technique we used on this card is watercolor crayons.  It is the first time I have played with them and of course....love them!  I think I will be purchasing some of these in the next few months.

Another part of this card I like is the vase.  We used the ornament punch and just cut off the bottom to make it look like a vase.  SU! punches are so versatile.

Materials used are stampin’ up! Unless noted

Stamps: watercolor trio

Paper: crushed curry, dusty durango, old olive, old olive dsp, whisper white

Ink: dusty durango

Accessories: watercolor crayons, water, dimensionals, very vanilla 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

Punches: ornament

Techniques: watercolor crayons

There are new digital downloads available for My Digital Studio.  Use the keyword DWNLDA  here in my Online Store to check them out.

Item	Description	Price
121067	Summer Splendor Designer Series paper	$4.95
121068	Geometric Lines Designer Series paper	$4.95
122142	Presto Patterns Overlays stamp brush set	$3.95

Get Whale Soon

It seems like my friends are either getting hurt lately or having surgeries (God Bless Them), so I was out of Get Well Soon cards again.  I saw Tammy Hershberger's challenge on Paper Craft Planet this week, and was inspired to make my first shadow box card.  I love these and never took the time to make one.  I thought it was going to be difficult, but it wasn't.  My added challenge was to make this card for both a men and women, which meant "NO FLOWERS".  Wow!  That was the hardest challenge.  I love how it turned out!  Thanks Tammy for inspiring me to try something new.

I used the new Island Oasis dsp from the summer mini.  Love that paper pack.  It is so versatile.

Materials used are stampin’ up! Unless noted

Stamps: PUn fun

Paper: tempting turquoise, whisper white, old olive, ballet blue, going gray, island oasis dsp

Ink: ballet blue, black, basic gray, tempting turquoise

Accessories: white gel pen, coluzzle (non-su)

Punches: scallop edge, 1 1/2" circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, 2" circle punch (non-su), photo corners, word window, modern label

Techniques: shadow box card

Click here to place an order

Working It Out Together

Okay!  Here is the most embarrassing layout I made for my niece, Kelsey.  Kelsey, if you are seeing this on Facebook....sorry, but everyone needs a layout in the scrapbook that makes them blush and everyone else laugh.  Blame your dad....he gave it to me!

My DH came up with the title and I wanted to use my together stamp from the Define Your Life stamp set.  The little skunk image is from the set called Pun Fun.  It reads, "I stink your sweet."....LOL!  I colored the little skunk with water color pencils, but did not use my aqua painter.  I took the color combo and polka dots pattern from Kelsey's dress.  You should see the look on Kelsey's face...it is priceless.  She is not a happy camper.  I think if you click on the picture, it will enlarge.

Congratulations Graduate

I have been MIA lately, because I was nursing a bad cold last week and didn't feel like doing much.  I took the advice of my sister, Connie and slept a lot.  It worked too, because by Saturday I definitely felt better.

I have been busy behind the scenes over the last couple of months working on both of my nieces scrapbooks for their graduation parties.  I plan on showing you the most embarrassing layout for my niece, Kelsey soon.  I decided to work on graduation cards on Sunday evening.  We were winding down for the week and Mother's Day, so I created five graduation cards for the parties we are invited to this month.  I made two for boys and three for girls.

The designer paper I used is in the new summer mini called Island Oasis.  I love the bright colors.  The stamp set I used is one that is retired from SU!, but it is one of my favorite grads sets called Great Grad.  If you don't have a graduation set yet, the new one in the summer mini, Go, Graduate (below)  is a cute one and would work great on this money holder too.  My sister ordered this set last week, so that means I get to use this one...hee hee!  Right, Connie?

I put a flower on the girls and left the boys blank in that area.  I didn't think the boys would like a flower on their card.  In the first picture I took, I had a $20 bill in one of the cards.  I wanted to show you how it held the money.  Guess what?  Photoshop Elements would not let me open the picture with money in it, so I would not be counterfeiting US currency.  WOW!  What a program to recognize currency!  Just tuck a check, gift card or check under the little striped half circle and slide it into the card base.  Oh, this are fun to make and receive.

Materials used are stampin’ up! Unless noted

Stamps: great grad

Paper: tempting turquoise, rose red, whisper white, island oasis DSP

Ink: pumpkin pie, rose red, tempting turquoise, black

Accessories: white grosgrain ribbon (non-SU), silver brads (NON-SU), staple (NON-SU)

Punches: key tag (retired), three flowers (retired)

Techniques: basic stamping

If you want to see how to make one of these money holders, I made a video tutorial before my SU! days, and you can watch it here.

Click here to place an order

Happy Mother's Day

MOM ~ This one is for you!

Love ya!

Kim

Color Throwdown #90

I took last weekend off to celebrate my birthday and to nurse a bad cold.  I woke up Saturday morning with congestion and sneezing and have been in a daze since then.  My birthday was Sunday and we celebrated both days.  That is what is awesome about having a birthday on the weekend.  The celebration carries over to both days.  The boys and DH took me out for Chinese on Saturday afternoon.  Then I got a nap in while DH took the boys to his parents, so we could go out that night.  I really felt like just laying in bed all day, but thought we better do something.  We went to a movie and went to bed before 10 p.m.  I took some cold meds, so I was out in no time.  We continued to celebrate on my actual birthday and took it easy most of the day on Sunday.

I still have time to play along this week at the color throwdown, so after cleaning all morning I sat down and created a card for my friend, Kay.  This week the colors are barely banana, rich razzleberry, old olive and pale plum.  These colors worked perfectly for Kay's card.  Kay is having surgery on May 10th to have her kidney removed.  Please put her on your prayer list.  They found cancer in her kidney and instead of doing a biopsy, they opted to remove the kidney.  I made this card to send to her next week.

I got to play with some new goodies from the summer mini on this one.  The small stamps on the side of the card are from the stamp set, Itty Bitty Bits.  I punch them out with the new punch pack that matches the stamps.

Materials used are stampin’ up! Unless noted

Stamps: Wellness wishes, itty bitty bits

Paper: old olive cs, rich razzleberry cs, whisper white cs, barely banana cs, cottage wall dsp

Ink: old olive,

Accessories: organdy ribbon (other), button & thread (other), dimensionals

Punches: punch pack (summer mini)

Techniques: basic stamping

Click here to place an order

Summer Mini

YAY!  It is May and the summer mini is available NOW.  You can click on the image below to check out the incredible goodies online.

I have added the mini to my left sidebar, so you can look at it any time.  

What is your favorite item in the new mini?  I would love to know.  Please leave your favorite in the comments section.

Good news!  SU! has chosen to carry over several products from the Occasions Mini Catalog.  The list of products below are available to order and many of these products will be available in the next Idea Book & Catalog or in the upcoming Definitely Decorative brochure.

Item #	Description	Price
116519	Charming STMP	$19.95
117690	Vintage Vogue WM	$23.95
118598	Vintage Vogue CM	$17.95
118882	Vague vinatge WM	$23.95
119109	Vague vinatge CM	$17.95
118091	Tiny Tags WM	$22.95
118592	Tiny Tags CM	$16.95
117535	DÉCOR ELEMENTS F IS FOR FOX CHOCOLATE	$4.95
117536	DÉCOR ELEMENTS G IS FOR GIRAFFE CHOCOLATE	$4.95
117529	DÉCOR ELEMENTS IS FOR BLACK	$1.95
117541	DÉCOR ELEMENTS L IS FOR LION CHOCOLATE	$4.95
117542	DÉCOR ELEMENTS M IS FOR MONKEY CHOCOLATE	$4.95
117544	DÉCOR ELEMENTS O IS FOR OWL CHOCOLATE	$4.95
117528	DÉCOR ELEMENTS SCALLOP FRAME BLACK	$6.95
117549	DÉCOR ELEMENTS T IS FOR TURTLE CHOCOLATE	$4.95
117552	DÉCOR ELEMENTS W IS FOR WHALE CHOCOLATE	$4.95
118072	PNCH CRNR PINKING HEARTS	$9.95
118870	PNCH CRNR SCALLOP TRIM	$9.95
117191	PNCH LG 2 STEP BIRD	$15.95
118073	PNCH LG FANCY FLOWER	$15.95
117649	PNCH MD BRDR PINKING HEARTS	$15.95
117190	PNCH MD JEWELRY TAG	$10.95
117193	PNCH SM SMALL HEART	$5.95
117310	SZX BIGZ L MINI MILK CARTON	$32.95
118138	SZX EMBSLTS BEAUTIFUL WINGS	$11.95
117332	SZX EMBSLTS SCALLOPED HEART OF HEARTS	$11.95
117335	SZX TI PERFECT POLKA DOTS	$7.95
120435	HEART TREAT CUPS	$2.95