Lots of Stampin' Up stuff going on!

Today was the day that we got to preorder stamp sets and In Color stuff from the new catalog. There is a sock monkey set! I'm so excited for that one. We also got to see some of the Level 2 and 3 Hostess sets; I don't order those though. There is a scallop edge punch!! And we also got to see one of the sets of DSP; it is gorgeous!
Today is also the day that you can order the Decor Elements vinyl wall decorations. Check out the brochure here.
As if that isn't enough, Stampin' Up is also offering 25% off the current Hodgepodge Hardware sets while supplies last. That's $20.96 instead of the regular $27.95! Contact me to order today!

I've Been Tagged!

I was tagged twice today by Kathy and Deb. They are two different tags, but I think I can combine them.

For Kathy's, I have to answer the following:

10 years ago: I was living in Indianapolis. Daniel was 8 years old. I did lots of crafts, but I had never stamped. (Now that's all I do!!)

5 things on my to-do list:

1. Make calico beans for a potluck at work tomorrow.

2. Get up early to see what Stampin' Up is offering for our new catalog preorder!!!

3. Post my card for Wednesday's Workshop Wow challenge.

4. Sweep off the deck.

5. Straighten up my craft room. (This one is permanently on the list...)

Snacks I enjoy: cheese, chocolate, Chex Mix

Things I would do if I were a millionaire: Pay off my house, travel, donate money for AIDS research, donate to World Vision, buy more stamps

Places I have lived: Dallas, GA; Pompano Beach, FL; Grand Forks, ND; Gary, IN (This is not an all-inclusive list!)

I'm tagging:

Debbie

Lorien

Here are my 7 random things from Deb's tag:

1. I am a Georgia Bulldog. Go Dawgs!!

2. I have curly hair and always wished it were straight. (Not anymore, though!)

3. My favorite snack food these days is chocolate Zingers. Remember them??

4. My favorite color is purple.

5. I have a dog and a cat.

6. My favorite movie is Gone with the Wind.

7. I love to watch HGTV and the Food Network.

Quick graduation card

My friend, Carol, asked if I would make a grad card for her to give to her son. I don't have any traditional graduation stamps, so I really wasn't sure what I was going to do! His school colors are blue and white. I wasn't feeling any of the sentiments I had. I started looking through my rub-ons, and I found "Follow your heart". That was when the whole card came together in my head. I colored the chipboard heart with Rose Red craft ink. I made a Whisper White card base and mounted a piece of Brilliant Blue behind it. I stamped Tres Chic onto Brilliant Blue cardstock with Brilliant Blue ink and attached it to the card base after tying Whisper White grosgrain around it. I think it turned out pretty well, and she loved it!
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Tres Chic; Paper: Whisper White, Brilliant Blue; Ink: Rose Red craft, Brilliant Blue; Accessories: On Board chipboard, ticket corner punch, Eastern Eclectic rub-ons, Whisper White narrow grosgrain ribbon

Ghosting

The demonstratable card challenge this week was to use the ghosting technique. This is the same as versamark resist. You just stamp on glossy cardstock using versamark ink then brayer classic ink over it. The versamark resists the ink producing a "ghost" image. I used Britta Ward's banded brayer technique, which is using Stampin' Spots to ink up the brayer. The flower is from the Die Cut Blooms in the Occasions Mini. I applied a rub-on then used the white gel pen to color in a few areas. I just love the striped ribbon! It reminds me of Fruit Stripe gum. (I'm pretty sure I dated myself with that one! LOL)
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: A Beautiful Thing; Paper: Glossy white, Wild Wasabi; Ink: VersaMark, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi, StazOn black; Accessories: Die Cut Blooms, bulk buy rub-ons, Ice Circles rhinestone brads, Wild Wasabi and Pumpkin Pie striped grosgrain ribbon, white gel pen
Happy stamping!

My first challenge as hostess!

Well, this week I am hosting my first workshop wow demo challenge on SCS! I'm very excited. I will be co-hosting with pattyb. We have been working hard on a list of upcoming challenges that will be fun but will also help demonstrators plan their workshops.
What is a workshop wow? Let me quote Patty: Something that you can do at a Workshop, that's still fairly easy, but makes your Customers say "Wow, I can do that!"
This week's challenge is to use rose/roses on your card. I don't have any rose stamps, so I used Regal Rose and Rose Red.
So what do I think makes my card a wow? Here is how I took a basic design and stepped it up: 1. I made the focal image into a tag and added some fab ribbon. It's also on shimmery white cardstock; that's a wow on its own! 2. I used a coordinating wheel across the card base. 3. I used a Build a Brad in the center of the O and applied a small rub-on to the top of the plastic "bubble". Hopefully, now you're saying, "Wow, I can do that!"
If you're a demonstrator, and you'd like to play along with any of the challenges, you can find the Demo Challenges Forum here.
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Enjoy Every Moment, Daisy Dash jumbo wheel; Paper: Shimmery White, Regal Rose, Rose Red; Ink: Night of Navy, Regal Rose, Rose Red; Accessories: Fairy Tale Ribbon Originals, 1/2" circle punch, Pewter Build a Brad, bulk buy rub-ons
Happy stamping!

Another Fresh Cuts note card

I just love these note cards! I first saw this technique on Cambria's blog. You pull up the flower petals, leaving them attached just at the center, mask off the rest of the card and then stamp just on the petals.
I used the Floral background in So Saffron craft ink then embossed with Irridescent Ice EP; only a little stuck, so it's not too sparkly. Then I sponged the edges of the petals with Pumpkin Pie to add a little definition to them. I added a Pumpkin Pie felt flower and a brad to the center.
I tore the edge of the card and sponged it with So Saffron and Pumpkin Pie. I stamped the vine image from the Fresh Cuts stamp set in Old Olive then added ribbon and a flower slide at the fold of the card.

Here's how it looked after I masked off the card with Post-It notes.
Here's just the stamped flower before I did anything else to the card.

Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Floral, Fresh Cuts; Paper: Fresh Cut notes; Ink: So Saffron classic and craft, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie; Accessories: Irridescent Ice EP, sponge, Old Olive polytwill ribbon, Flower Fusion, Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware

Happy stamping!

Shadow Wheeling tutorial

OK, I admit that I just made up the name for this technique. It was shown at Stampin' Up's convention a couple of years ago, and I can't remember what it was called. So I am calling it Shadow Wheeling. Here's how you do it:
First, put your ink cartridge and wheel into your handle. Ink up the wheel and bring the seam in the rubber to the front. (Important tip: Make a note of how you put the wheel in the handle by checking which side the label is on. You need to be able to put it back in the same way later.)
Line up the wheel seam with the edge of the cardstock. (I also used my wheel guide since I would be wheeling twice.)
Wheel across the cardstock. Repeat if desired. Remove the wheel and ink cartridge from the handle. Rinse and dry the wheel.
Put the wheel back into the handle the same way it was before. Roll the wheel across a white craft pad a few times. Bring the rubber seam to the front again. Line up the seam with the edge of the cardstock and wheel!
The white will be offset a little from the original making it appear as a shadow. The trick to making this work (for me anyway) is NOT to try to make it offset but to try to line it up the same. Since it's pretty much impossible to line it up, it will usually be offset just the right amount.
I would also recommend using the same color ink and cardstock to enhance the shadow effect.
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: All Through the Year, Garden Annuals wheel; Paper: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Mellow Moss; Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Mellow Moss, Whisper White craft; Accessories: Mellow Moss taffeta ribbon, horizontal slot punch, ticket corner punch, 1/16" hole punch, Ice Circles rhinestone brads, wheel guide and handle
I have some exciting news to share: I will now be co-hosting the Workshop Wow demo challenge on Wednesdays on SCS. My co-host is the fabulous Patty Bombyk, known as pattyb on SCS. I'm really excited! If you're an SU demo, be sure to come and check out the challenges! They are a lot of fun as well as a great way to get workshop ideas. We are in the process of reworking the challenges to make them easier to use in planning your workshops.
Happy stamping!