Ustream Poll

Hello!

I added a poll on the left sidebar regarding which day and time you would like to see LIVE classes on my Ustream channel.  Please vote by September 10, 2010.  I will try to accommodate the one with the most votes.

Thanks!

Kindergarten Rocks

I interrupt my brayer class cards to post my second layout I finally finished for the August Scrap Challenge at Paper Craft Planet.

Click to enlarge

Here is Tate's:

Click to enlarge

I used new downloads from Stampin' Up! for My Digital Studio.  I love this paper and elements set.  It is perfect for school layouts.

Play Date Designer Series Paper - Digital Download (#121438)
Price: $4.95
Warm, inviting colors and striking design make our new Play Date Designer Series Paper for My Digital Studio a must-have for your digital paper stash! Play Date Quick Accents Kit - Digital Download (#123432) Price: $5.95 Play Date Quick Accents for My Digital Studio coordinates beautifully with our digital Play Date Designer Series Paper and Embellishments. Includes elements for creating your very own calendar.

Play Date Embellishments - Digital Download (#123433)
Price: $3.95
Play Date Embellishments for My Digital Studio coordinates beautifully with our Designer Series Paper and Quick Accents Kit. With so many adorable digital images to choose from -- you won't know where to start! These are just a few of the new downloads now available for My Digital Studio.  Click here to check out all the new downloads. I FYI....Today (August 31st), is the last day to order from the summer mini catalog.  Don't miss out! Great News!  The September promotion to become a new demonstrator starts tomorrow.  I saw this tote in person at my brayer class.  NOW, I want it!  You could get it FREE! Click to enlarge

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

One more day until bleach stamping LIVE on my Ustream Channel at 9 p.m. CST.  See you there!

Lovely As A Tree Scene

I'm back from a wonderful weekend at my sister's.  We had a great time at JoAnne's workshop on Saturday.  On Sunday, I left in the morning to go to Michelle's Zindorf's brayer class in Grinnell, Iowa.  Oh, what an amazing time.  I met some wonderful people and learned A LOT.  I am not afraid of my brayer any more.  Yippee!

This is the first card we made after Michelle taught us how to use our brayer.  I love this set (Lovely As A Tree), so I was thrilled to be working with it.  Now, remember....when we start the paper is totally white.  In fact, it is Whisper White...LOL!  I can't believe mine turned out this well on the first card.

We made a total of three cards in our beginner's class, and three cards in our advanced class.  I have a couple of favorites.  I will try to go in order of how we made them, when I post them this week.  I am going to keep my favorite from the advanced class for the last card.  I am so happy I decided to invest in this class and my training.  I hope you will like it!

Don't forget.........Bleach Stamping LIVE.....Wednesday, September 1st @ 9 p.m. CST

on My Ustream Channel.  

See you there!

You will need to Join Ustream in order to view these classes.  It is easy to do.  I am going to do a test video before Wednesday night, just so I can work the bugs out.

Birthday Wishes

It has been a busy day!  Besides errands, getting ready for my workshop this weekend, and being home for the heating & air guy, I have been packing and getting my boys and hubby ready for a weekend (early starting tomorrow night) without me.  I had to give a list to Seth about what times the he needs to take the boys to school, pick them up and take them to a birthday party Friday night.

Then.......we find out today that we need to replace our air conditioner and furnace.  OUCH!  That is going to cost some coin!  Well, we could see it coming, since they are both 25 years old.  We haven't had to do anything to them.  Of course, they were both here long before Seth bought this house.  I did some research on heat pumps and dealers of Lennox and Trane and I am ready to go to bed, but not until I show you a lovely card I made this week.

I make cards all the time and somehow I don't ever have enough.  Hmmm!  I forget how much I love the new Greenhouse Gala designer series paper until I use it.  I just love the colors and patterns.

Look at that yummy, chocolate ribbon!  It is retired; however, SU! came out with another satin version of chocolate ribbon in the new Idea Book & Catalog that works just as well.  I am trying to use what I have before I buy more.  It is so hard to do that!  Oh!  I love those new pearls in the new catalog on page 188 too.

Good news!  I finally have all the gadgets and gizmos to start streaming on Ustream.  My plans are to have a class next week on bleach stamping at 9 p.m. CST.  I am leaning towards Wednesday.  I will keep you updated.  If you can join me LIVE, the broadcasts are saved to view at your convenience.  If you come stamp with me, I will be able to answer your questions and someone will win the card I make.  You will need to join Ustream and subscribe to my channel.  I kept it simple and named my channel...Clearly Inspired.  I hope to see you there!

Materials used are stampin’ up! Unless noted

Stamps: Watercolor trio,

Paper: close to cocoa (retired), greenhouse gala dsp, pear pizzazz

Ink: chocolate

Accessories: 15/16" chocolate satin ribbon (retired), basic pearls. scallop rectangle clearlits, dimensionals

Punches: scallop trim border

Techniques: basic stamping

Click here to place an order

Monogram Card

I am starting to pack for this weekend.  I am leaving the boys behind on Thursday night to visit my sister, teach a workshop and go to a class myself.  Oh, I can't wait!  On Sunday, I am leaving my sister's to go to Michelle Zindorf's brayer class.  I am always amazed by her creativity and can't wait to use my brayer.  It is one of those tools that sits by my desk asking me to play; however, I am intimidated by it.  After this weekend, I will be using my brayer.  It will probably want a vacation...hee hee!

JoAnne's workshop is this Saturday and she wants me to showcase chipboard, so I decided to work on a monogram card for it.  That way everyone can choose the letter they want for their card.  The Happy Birthday card I made for my hubby here shows how you can cover chipboard with designer series paper.  For today's card, I inked the "B" with tempting turquoise ink and then cover it with versamark, so the iridescent ice would stick to it.  Once I heated it up.....Sparkles!  Love that iridescent ice!

Then I wanted to play with the Smooch Spritz on page 195 of the catalog to see the monogram letters with these pearlized accents.  I wish you could see these in person, because the pictures do not do them justice.

Here is the Vanilla Shimmer:

The chipboard letter is gray, so the vanilla smooch makes it the perfect color.  

Here is the Log Cabin:

Oh, My!  This is my favorite!  It is the perfect color of bronze.  I can't wait to use this spritz for my fall projects.

I almost forgot....see the speckled background on my card?  I used a new toy (for me) from Stampin' Up!  It is called the color spritzer tool.  This is what it looks like:

The Color Spritzer tool can turn a Stampin’ Up! marker into an airbrush. Use this technique to create beautiful airbrushed effects. It’s great for card making, scrapbooking, and all types of paper crafting. This is a must for your creative "tool belt!"

■ PVC bulb with an insert for placing a marker with adjusting screw nozzle
■ Black with matte finish
■ Easy to use
■ Marker not included

This is so easy to use.  You just slide your marker into the holder and tighten just a little.  Then squeeze the bulb to create airbrushed effects on your project.  

Materials used are stampin’ up! Unless noted

Stamps: no stamping on this card

Paper: island oasis, very vanilla, melon mambo, whisper white, pacific point

Ink: tempting turquoise

Accessories: iridescent ice, versamark, on board alphabet soup chipboard

Punches: 1 3/4" circle scallop, 2 3/8" circle scallop

Techniques: sprtizing, embossing with iridescent ice

Click here to place an order

3D Tuesday - Mummy Can

I am on double duty this week at Paper Craft Planet.  I am hosting the 3D Tuesday Challenge.  Check it out!


I have been thinking of classes for the fall and gifts for the teachers.  I saw this cute can idea in the 2010-2011 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog.  My 3D challenge for this week is to decorate a can for a gift.  A Halloween theme is even better, since I LOVE Halloween.  You can put candy, embellishments, markers, anything you can think of in a decorated can and it makes a great gift.  I made bean dip for my family and used the refried bean can, so we all got something from this project...hee hee!  Tag your photo 3d76, when you upload it to your gallery.  Thanks for playing along this week!

Share What You Love

Remember me posting about taking a class from Stampin' Up! called Recruit Crew?  We are on our third assignment and it couldn't have come at a better time.  The first part is called 5 Whys and the second part is getting organized.  I need some organization, since the boys are back to school.

I have so many ideas running around in my head about what I want to do, and I am making lists all over that I lose sometimes.  I created the notebook to keep my calendar, business cards, thoughts, ideas and to dos.  I covered one of those composition notebooks with paper from the Thoroughly Modern designer series paper (retired).  The main image Love what you do...Share what you love is a digital stamp available for the demonstrators to buy and download into My Digital Studio.  I thought is would be the perfect image for my notebook.  I made the entire card front on My Digital Studio, printed in on my home printer and adhered it to the front of my notebook.  Don't ya just love that cute little owl?

Inside the front cover, I put a pocket to hold my business cards and a little calendar to refer to.  On the back inside cover, I put a bigger calendar to write down all my SU events and family events, so I can keep track of any open dates for workshops.  I am going to take this notebook with me every day while running my errands, so I have to place to write down ideas and keep track of what I am doing.  It sits on my desk, so I can refer to it in a jiffy.

I thought a cute notebook would keep me organized better than a plain one.  What do you think?

Christmas Card Workshop

I have sent out invites to my Christmas Card Workshop.  I made my flyer on My Digital Studio.

Are you interested in my Christmas Card Workshop, but don't live by me?  Please email me if you would be interested in buying my Christmas Card Workshop.  You just have to put them together with your favorite adhesive.

Sketch Challenge - August 21, 2010 (sk082110)

Hello!  I am your hostess this week for sketch challenge over at Paper Craft Planet.  I hope you like this one, and can play along this week with me.  Please tag your card sk082110 (lower case) in your photo gallery, so I can pull it into the sketch challenge gallery.

Here is the card I made earlier this week with this sketch for my DH's birthday:

Hello, You

Oh, My!  As I am typing this my belly is so FULL!  We took Seth out to eat for his birthday, and he chose Chili's.  I had the Quesadilla Explosion Salad and of course, he got a free birthday dessert and I ate most of it.
Oh, boy!  I don't think I will need to eat tomorrow, but I will...hee hee!

This card was the easiest card I have ever made.  It is from the Simply Sent Sweet Hello Kit on page 183 of the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog.  The kit contains:

• 8 printed, embossed cards (5 1/2" x 4 1/4")
• 8 white envelopes (5 3/4" x 4 3/8")
• 24 pink adhesive-backed ribbon and flowers with pearl centers

You can use any sentiment or you can purchase the Hello, You stamp set (set of 2)  suggested on the same page.  These are soooo cute!

Here is a picture of the kit:

Here is a picture of the stamp set suggested for this kit:

Click here to place an order.

Happy Birthday HUBBY!

Happy Birthday to you.  Happy Birthday to you.  Happy Birthday, Dear Hubby!  Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday, Seth!  I Love You!

Yes, today (August 19th) is my wonderful husband's birthday.  He always teases me about being older than him.  In between my birthday in May and his in August, he says I am two years older than him.  Well, today....it is just one year older.  I always tell him...."You married an older and WISER woman!"  Hee hee!

Last night, I created a card just for him using the On Board Alphabet Soup chipboard by Stampin' Up!  I love to work with chipboard and JoAnne asked that I demonstrate how to use it at her workshop this month.  Here is just one of the ways to play with chipboard...cover it with designer series paper.  I used the retired paper Thoroughly Modern.

There is one of my favorite impressions folder...Lattice Square.  I inked it again with crumb cake ink to make the texture POP.  

Materials used are stampin’ up! Unless noted

Stamps: tiny tags

Paper: crumb cake, chocolate chip, thoroughly modern dsp (retired)

Ink: crumb cake

Accessories: brown grosgrain ribbon (other), hemp twine, build-a-brad, On the board alphabet soup, itty bitty buttons

Punches: 1/2" circle punch, medium Jewelry tag, itty bitty shapes punch pac

Techniques: covering chipboard

Today, I found out I need a camcorder converter for the camcorder I bought in order to stream on the internet.  I ordered it from Amazon today.  I found what I needed and almost bought it from Best Buy online, because I have store credit there.  They sell it for $100.00!  Ouch!  I decided to do more research and found it at B&H Photo for $80.00; however, they were out of stock.  Yeah!  They are $20.00 cheaper than Best Buy.  I continued on and decided to check Amazon.  I like to buy from that site.  Guess how much the same exact brand new converter is at Amazon........$10.00.  At first I thought...NO WAY!  I check it out and it is the same thing.  I paid $6.00 shipping and it is on its way.  Once I get it, I can set up for Ustream.tv.  Then HOPEFULLY go live!

I think I am going to either create the bleach stamping card here or the iridescent ice card here.

Click here to place an order

GOOD TIMES

I am so happy I got the first part of the Scrappy Sunday challenge at Paper Craft Planet done.  It is my goal each month to participate in these challenges.  It keeps me scrapping!

I used sketch a & b for my two-page layout. Here are the sketches for the month of August:

This layout was fun to make!  We go to my parents each May after school is out and have so much fun while we are there.  It is always so relaxing to go back home.

Tanner's layout

All I had to do was change the main picture on the first page for Tate's layout

You can click the layouts to enlarge them to see the details.  If you see typos, please let me know.  Thanks so much!

I love the digital kit download My Sweet Pea I used for this layout.  

My Sweet Pea Digital Kit - Digital Download (119978)
Price: $9.95
With 48 patterns of Designer Series paper, a five-piece stamp brush set, and eight felt embellishments, the Sweet Pea digital kit for My Digital Studio gives you just what you need for a huge variety of digital crafting projects. In addition, I used the butterfly punch, which is part of the standard install of the My Digital Studio software.  I love the digital punches as much as the traditional ones.  So much fun!

Click HERE to place an order.

I received my new camcorder today.  Now, I have to read the manual.  Yes, I actually do that and play with it before I can go live.  Oh, the anticipation is killing me!  See ya there soon!

Birthday Pinwheel

Here is our Happy Kindergartener:

Of course, I can't leave out our big 4th grader:

Oh, Stamping!  Yes, I do have some stamping to share with you today too.  This is another card I made at Kim's house.  The pinwheel was so much easier to make than I though it would be.  I see a future video on this one.

Materials used are stampin’ up! Unless noted

Stamps: On Your birthday

Paper: so saffron, Island oasis DSP, tempting turquoise

Ink: rose red

Accessories: white big brad, plastic straw (grocery store)

Punches: none

Techniques: 3D card