Friday, and it's MDS Day!

So, I've told you I'm making Kenn a scrapbook for this year's anniversary. This is one of the pages in it - and it's one of my favorites. :) So, enjoy - and if you're not even thinking about MY DIGITAL STUDIO, I HIGHLY encourage you to do so!!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend! I'll see you on Monday! And don't forget to MAKE the time to STAMP something!!!

Thursday, and I don't feel like sharing! LOL!

But I will. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed right now, getting ready to leave again this weekend for the women's retreat, cleaning - HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - the studio and making a bigger mess than before, stamping for October's classes, dealing with a growth spurt in our ministry, and just trying to keep it real. :D SO. Here is today's share - after TMI already. :D

So, it's another of the colorblocked cards - and I really love the Autumn Splendor set! It works so nicely for fall - or for green leaves, too. :D

Let's see. Colors are Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery, Lucky Limeade, Old Olive, Whisper White, and Pear Pizzazz. The "hello" is from Pendant Park. Super simple, but wouldn't it be fun to get this in your mail???

OK, I'm off! Trying to find my head and at least keep it around tonight. :D Have a wonderful evening - and be sure to take the time to STAMP something!

It's Wednesday, and today's a TJ share!

Good morning! It's a beautiful day here in middle Tennessee again; it's getting too warm for me during the days, but there are rumors it's going to be really cool this weekend. :D I'm going on a women's retreat with my church this weekend, so I would LOVE it to be cool enough to enjoy outside! :)

ANYWAY. Today's share is FAUX TILES from Technique Junkies; we did this for an Advanced Techniques class. JUST before the Simply Scored was released - and how EASY this is with that wonderful tool!!!! I'll show you what we did to the inside, too. :D

Card stock: Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red, Early Espresso

Ink: Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red

Stamp sets: Medallion, Tags Til Christmas, Many Merry Messages (inside)

Accessories: designer label punch, stampin' sponge, dimensionals, Snail

I really like this card; the medallion stamp makes a great almost Victorian feel to cards. It's simple, pretty, and elegant. In my very humble opinion, anyway. :D

OK, I'm outta here! Lots of designing to do! :) Have a WONDERFUL day, and be sure to take the time to STAMP something!!!!

(Don't forget: you can click on any picture to see the original size!)

3D MANIA!!!!

We had a great time Saturday, with FIVE projects that were anything but a card. Here's one of them - SO fun!!


There are several patterns on the Web for the shoe. We used Sahara Sand card stock, and embellished it with the red glitter paper from Stampin' Up! Is it not just too cute for words??? Imagine making these for a party favor - if you're a Red Hat member, try it with Concord Crush and the red glitter paper - AWESOME. :D Get even more glitzy with Basic Rhinestones and/or Pearls all over! :D The possibilities are endless!

OK, I'm off - it's Bible Study day! Have a WONDERFUL day, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something. You'll feel better. :D

The last Monday of September 2011!

Where has this year gone? Is it just me, or has time flown? So many activities this year, so much gone past so quickly. And now, we're on the downhill run to CHRISTMAS! :D

Anyway. :D Here's another card from the last Quick Card Class; the Holiday Quick Card Class is coming up soon! Let me know if you want to come!

Card stock: Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie

Ink: Pumpkin Pie

Stamp sets: Four Frames, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Word Play and Tiny Teacup (inside - see below!)

Accessories: Take a Sip Stampin' Around Standard Wheel, designer label punch, Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals, Snail

It's really cute IRL. :) Just a cheery, love ya kinda card. :) Change the colors, and you change the whole feel of the card! Add some color to ONE of the cups; add a knot of ribbon, punch out the saying and pop it off the frame - you've got LOTS of options! Here's what we did on the inside:


Again, change up anything on the inside, and change the feel! :)

OK, I'm outta here. Have a WONDERFUL day - and be sure to take the time to STAMP something!

It's FRIDAY!!!

I bet you're all happy as can be. :D It's a cool FALL day here - I can't wait for the colors to become vibrant. :D The dogwood in our back yard is starting to get a few really red leaves on it; I love sitting at my desk and watching the colors change! :)

Today's share is from the last Quick Card Class; I really, really like this sympathy card! Both the inside, AND the outside. :D

Stamp sets: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Day of Gratitude, Blessings from Heaven

Card stock: River Rock, Early Espresso

Ink: Versamark, Early Espresso

Accessories: Big Shot, Stripes embossing folder, dimensionals, clear embossing powder, embossing buddy, heat tool, Snail

And here's the inside of the card....



There's something about the color combination that's quite soothing, don't you think? It was an easy quick card!

OK, I'm outta here. 3D Mania tomorrow! :)

Have a great day! Be sure to make the time to STAMP something!!!

Wow! Where is this week GOING???

Can you believe it's Thursday already? Tomorrow's school again. Time is FLYING by - next week marks the end of September! And I just got out my personal fall decorations; the downstairs has been done for over a month, because of Mom and Dad's trip. Soon, it will start turning into our Christmas wonderland. I can't WAIT! :D

OK. Back to reality. :D This is the gift I made for my new hostess last weekend, using Lisa Somerville's template on Splitcoast Stampers. (Lisa is INCREDIBLY talented; she used to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, and you will be amazed if you go look at her blog or gallery!)

I LOVE this teacup stamp! I didn't ink the "hello" at the bottom - and it doesn't look that crooked IRL. :D It's TINY TEACUP, a single stamp. Very versatile, a great size, and I love polka dots. :D

Let's see. I used Tempting Turquoise, Lucky Limeade, and Daffodil Delight ink, Whisper White and Real Red card stock, and the ticket corner punch. Add a little Real Red grosgrain ribbon with a glue dot, and voila!

OK. I'm outta here. The studio is a MESS, and I have a class on Saturday - it's 3D Mania!!!!!!! :D Have a wonderful day, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something!

SQDC Card!

Good morning! (Yes, it's still morning my time! :D)

I've been hard at work today, and have a story to tell you about this card - which I designed with the Stampin' Queens Design Challenge sketch. (If you do the challenge, I'd LOVE to see your card!!!) So, let me show you the card, then tell you the story. :) (Don't forget! You can click on the image to see the original photo size!)

So. Most of you know a few things: that Kenn and I celebrated our 15th anniversary on the 7th, that Kenn used to work at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, and that we *are* Heavenly Perspective Photography. :)

Well, because of a few things that have happened recently, and because of some work Kenn did for the Hotel before the flood, we were gifted with our anniversary dinner at one of our favorite landlocked restaurants, The Cascades. (The website will say "American Cafe" after the name, but they're really focusing on being a seafood restaurant - and you KNOW we are picky about our seafood!!!)

We had an AMAZING experience. The wait staff was wonderful - some of them remembering us from when we did lots of work there - and the food was great. We were treated like royalty, and it really made our anniversary something special. When you go, try the lavender lemonade. Simply lovely!

So. Here it is, two weeks later, and I haven't been able to come up with a unique-enough thank-you note for the person responsible for gifting it to us. Until the sketch came across my email today! I decided to use one of our appetizers - fried green tomatoes on shrimp romelade sauce with greens and crabmeat on top - as the central image. We took pictures of every dish; I thought this one had some great texture and variety of color in it, so there we go! :D

The base of the card is River Rock, run through the Big Shot with the Stripes embossing folder; the Pumpkin Pie squares are embossed with the Antique Wallpaper embossing folder. It's pretty straight forward; I took off one tiny layer from the sketch. This is more layering than I usually do, anyway! But I think the card turned out great! What do you think??? I haven't heard from anyone but Ginny in FOREVER - but I KNOW you're out there. We're almost at 25,000 blog hits!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

OK, I'm off. I'm stampin' my little heart out today - I sure hope YOU take the time to STAMP something, too!!!!

Good morning!

How are you today?? (Aren't you surprised to see me so early??? :D) Today's Bible Study day, so I thought I'd TRY and get this out to you before I left. :)

Today's share is from the last Advanced Techniques; there's a second card, too, that came from my first attempt at the technique. :D It's a Technique Junkies technique called SPRAY AWAY.


The colors on this are Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla, and Pumpkin Pie. My circle still wasn't perfect on the second attempt - my mask didn't stay where I put it too well! And I can't outline a perfect circle, either. LOL!



The next photo is the inside of this card; I really like the "Grateful Greetings" saying!




And if you keep scrolling....















You'll eventually see the outside AND inside of the other card I made a "mistake" on. Of course, there ARE no mistakes in stamping, only opportunities for embellishment - or, in this case, for a whole new idea to be born! :D


OK, I'm off! Lots to do before I leave. :) Have a WONDERFUL day, my friends, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something!!!!

Happy Monday!

Did you have a good weekend? I sure hope so! I swear, they get so busy these days!!!! :)

Today's share is another of the color block cards; they're SO fun, and have limitless possibilities!

Now, keep in mind that the color blocks on the Whisper White had already been part of a card; I recycled that part, and matted it with a 5.5"x5.5" Baja Breeze card. So the medallion was stamped and embossed on top of the dimensional-ed color blocks - and it looks aged and worn. Works for me!

I stamped the middle part of the medallion in Pacific Point craft ink, and used clear embossing powder on it. I then punched it out using the 2-1/2" circle punch and used another dimensional to raise it even higher! I know the flash made it a bit difficult to see the rhinestone in the very center, but I couldn't get enough detail without the flash.

The other colors are Pool Party and Not Quite Navy. Isn't it a FUN card? If I wanted, I could use one of the TEENY TINY WISHES sayings, and punch that out with the modern label punch and stamp an appropriate wording inside! :) Easy!

OK, I'm off. It's a rainy, beautiful fall day here in Middle Tennessee, and I'm enjoying every moment of it. :D Neither Kenn nor I have to go anywhere, which is a miracle in and of itself. I'm going to do some baking this afternoon, and some more stamping. :D How about you?? Are YOU taking the time to STAMP something?? :)

Phew! TGIF! :)

Phew! This week has been full of on-again, off-again, slow-busy, calm-crazy moments! Tired? Why, yes I am! :D

This is a card from our FANCY FOLDS class last month; I really like this card! I'm going to show it to you in two different colors, so be sure to look at both. :D

Card stock: Cherry Cobbler, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White (second card, Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White)



Inks: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Versamark




Stamp sets: Tags Til Christmas, Many Merry Messages, Delightful Decorations

Accessories: Ornament punch, Crumb Cake Stampin' Write marker (On second card, Sahara Sand). Wild Wasabi (Silver) embossing powder, heat tool, embossing buddy, Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon (Whisper White Satin Ribbon on the second card!)

So, what do you think??? Do you like them?

When we did them in class, I had converted from centimeters, and we called it the disaster card. :D I got it fixed, however, and sent out the correct scoring measurements. :D

OK. I'm off! I get to meet up with a new group of stamping friends tomorrow in Smyrna; I'm really hoping they have a good time. We're doing three fun projects! If you'd like to be a hostess - and it's not difficult, you can do it here at my house, and you can earn LOTS of free stuff (my last hostess earned $50 worth!!!!!!) - contact me!! I've got more free time than I thought now! :D

Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Be sure and take the time to STAMP something - I will! :D

Mea culpa!

I'm SO sorry it's Thursday already and I'm just getting back here. I thought Tuesday was going to be an easy afternoon/evening day, but it wasn't - I plumb wore myself out! :D And yesterday, I couldn't recooperate very fast. So, here I am. And I'll post three projects, OK? :D Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday!

Tuesday

This is one of the cards from the Quick Card Class. I really like the medallion stamp - and will be very, very sad when it retires! :) The color combo is one my dear friend, Pat Huntoon from Technique Junkies, cannot get enough of - so I thought I'd do a card with it. :D

Card stock: Crumb Cake, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White

Stamp sets: Fabulous Phrases, Medallion

Accessories: heat tool, Embossing Buddy, white embossing powder

So, what do you think? Do you like the color combo?



Wednesday

This card was from our punch art class; if you look around the Web, you'll be able to find out how to do it. I LOVE this card; the design's almost like a Celtic cross.

Card stock: Whisper White, Concord Crush, Wisteria Wonder

Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Concord Crush

Stamp sets: Blessings from Heaven, Awash with Flowers

Accessories: Designer Label Punch, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Big Shot, Backgrounds #1 Texturz Plates, Snail, Dimensionals

It's just PRETTY. :)

And finally:
TODAY

Today's share is a scrapbook page I did for a demonstrators-only email group challenge. Since I haven't shared any photos from our anniversary with you, I'll share one that showcases Kenn's meal. :D

Dungeoness is Kenn's favorite crab - it's from the West Coast, and is the meatiest crab there is. We were truly blessed for our anniversary this year, and dinner was FREE. God is so good to us!!

OK, there you go! Three projects, and I've GOT to tell you: not very many of you have purchased MY DIGITAL STUDIO from me. I don't have kids, but I'm having a BLAST saving our story. Even if no one else looks at my books, I have them to cherish and remind me when I need it. :) Interested? Email me, or go to my business site and click SHOP NOW to purchase it!

I'm off!!! By the way, it doesn't look like I'm going to be doing the show this fall; I couldn't get the cast together. :( But that means I won't be as wiped out as I thought! LOL! Have a wonderful day, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something!

Color Card Share

Well, I was HOPING I'd posted the cards today's share (and future shares!) were done with, but I haven't; I'm hoping that my hard drive will be back next week, and then I'll show you. Those of you who came to the studio during July, August, and the first part of this month will remember the IN COLOR section, where I had the petal-like cards showing you where this year's IN COLORs fit into the color picture. Well, here's what I did with one of them - I'll be showing them off and on until they're all up. And I'm saving my favorite for last! :D

Card stock: Tangerine Tango, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Poppy Parade, Calypso Coral, Peach Parfait

Ink: Versamark, Chocolate Chip

Stamp set: Day of Gratitude

Accessories: corner rounder punch, scallop square punch, 1-3/8" square punch, heat tool, embossing buddy, Tangerine Tango embossing powder, dimensionals

Yeah, I know it's a little crooked. :D Straight doesn't happen often here.... :D But isn't it a fun and EASY card? And we all have lots of scraps, right? (Please don't tell me I'm the only one with scraps coming out of my ears!!!)

OK, I'm off. I am having ONE more night of auditions, in hopes of being able to cast this show! Have a wonderful day - and be sure to take the time to STAMP something!!!

Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge!

Good FRIDAY morning! We're off to teach, so here's a challenge card to show you. This week's challenge was to use "quiet colors. Nothing bright."

Card stock: Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White

Ink: Certainly Celery, Versamark, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink

Stamp sets: Blessings from Heaven, Field Flowers

Accessories: Very Vintage Jumbo Stampin' Around wheel, Eyelet Border Punch, white embossing powder, Embossing Buddy, heat tool, dimensionals

It's a pretty simple layout, but I think I like the card. :) What do YOU think??

OK, I'm off! I hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend! Make sure you take the time to STAMP something! :D

Advanced Technique from Technique Junkies!

Happy Thursday! How are you today?? Have you had a good week? I've been enjoying the MUCH cooler temperatures, that's for sure. :)

This is one of the cards we did Tuesday night for the Advanced Techniques class; I love Pat Huntoon and the Technique Junkies newsletter; I take what she teaches, and turn it into things I can do with totally Stampin' Up! products. :D

This one is called COLLAGED CIRCLES. While I can't tell you how to do it, I can tell you that it uses PAISLEY PETALS designer series paper, Early Espresso and Sahara Sand card stock.

OK, I'm off! Mom and Dad come home tonight from their dream vacation, so I need to make sure the house is not totalled. :D Have a WONDERFUL day - and be sure to take the time to STAMP something!

Happy Anniversary, Kenn Stilger!

Today is our fifteenth anniversary. In some ways, it's been a LONG fifteen years; we've been through a LOT together. But this anniversary finds us counting our blessings more than ever - including each other. We still have our areas where we struggle with each other, just like anyone else, but they become a little less each year. :D This is the cover of an 8x8 hardcover memory book I'm making him - made MUCH more difficult by my hard drive crash. My backup only saved half of my photos. AUGH! :D

Anyway. :D I won't be available today; I'm getting a massage and we're going out to a very special dinner. Have a wonderful day, be sure to tell the people you love that you love them, and take the time to STAMP something. (I may not be stamping today, but I can almost guarantee that a thought or two will sneak into my mind.... :D)

Another blog challenge! :D

Good Tuesday Morning!

Today I start a new Bible study, and I'm SO looking forward to it! So I wanted to share something that I made quickly. I used MY DIGITAL STUDIO to meet this UTAH DIVAS INTERNATIONAL challenge. :D And I really like the way it turned out!

I LOVE MDS because I can move things around easily; if I don't like a stamp I chose to put on there, I just delete it. :) I can make things opaque, I can make things have a shadow, I can play all I want and it doesn't take up my supplies or make a mess. :D (Yes, the studio's in the process of being cleaned up again.... :D )

If you decide to try any of the challenges, please let me know!!! I'd LOVE to see what you're creating! And I've given you several challenge blogs the last few days, so there should be something to choose from for everyone! :D

Have a WONDERFUL day! Be sure and MAKE the time to STAMP something! :)

Sunny Challenge Blog!

Good morning! Happy Labor Day! (Of course, if you work from home, there are hardly ever days off or holidays.... :D)

The girls over at Sunny Challenges are wonderful stampers, and they've started a blog to encourage creativity and - well, let's face it: there are days when your mojo walks out the door. :D Now, I haven't had a lot of trouble with that lately (especially for cards!), but it's served well when I want to procrastinate doing something that needs doing. :D (ROFL! Those of you who know me well, know how true that is!)

Anyway. That's what I'm going to share with you today: my challenge creation!


It was fun - and except for the ribbon addition, is a layout we've often used for simple cards.

Card stock: Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White

Ink: Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler

Stamp set: Many Merry Messages

Accessories: Soft Holly Stampin' Around standard wheel, Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, modern label punch, 1/2", 3/4" and 1" circle punches, red glitter paper, dimensionals, Snail

Combines some of my favorite things - bling, Christmas, and holly! :D

Let me know if you try this challenge - I'd love to see your creation!

I don't know about the weather where you are, but we're at 62 degrees and rainy here in the Nashville area because of the tropical storm!!! Makes for GREAT fall weather, but I know Labor Day is "supposed" to be the last hurrah of summer. :D I have to tell you, I'm lovin' it! It's GREAT stay-inside-and-create weather. So. Be SURE and take the time to STAMP something!!!!!

I need your help!

If you know anyone in the Nashville area, please pass this notice on to them. First-time actors to highly experienced are welcome!!!!!

Audition Notice: FATHER OF THE BRIDE SunnySide Performing Arts Ministry, Westland UMC, 110 Dawson, Lebanon

Auditions are WIDE open! Please come have fun reading and playing on September 4 and 5 (from 6:30 - 8:30), as we begin to define and refine this classic play for SunnySide Performing Arts Ministry.

Every role is open; roles are for 7 (possibly 8) men and 6 women, and one role - "Massoula", the wedding planner - can be either. Ages range from mid-teens on up! Cold readings from the script are all that will be required.

Show runs November 3-6, 10-13. Read-through will be Monday, Sept. 12. Please contact me if you have any questions. Thank you!

Saturday with the Stampin' Sisters in Christ!

Hi, everyone! I decided to look up some of the old challenges I've done, and I've been so out of the loop that I'd neglected the Stampin' Sisters in Christ! There are some INCREDIBLE cards for this challenge; I'm not *thrilled* with this one, but I do love the colors, so I thought I'd go ahead and enter this. Just to put it out there, and do some stamping while I'm TOTALLY procrastinating some other stuff I SHOULD be doing. :D

Card stock: Early Espresso, River Rock, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark, Early Espresso

Stamp sets: Blessings from Heaven, Fabulous Florets

Accessories: Embossing Buddy, heat tool, Whisper White satin ribbon, Early Espresso glitter brad, designer label punch, dimensionals, Snail

So, I chose ribbon, brad, and popped image for my three. :) I don't care for the ribbon, I think, is the thing. But what do YOU think???

OK, I'm off. I really can't put off everything too much longer. :D Have a WONDERFUL Labor Day Weekend, be safe, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something! :)

New challenge card

Good morning! It's FRIDAY! It's our first day of teaching, too, so I suspect we'll be pretty wiped out by the end of the school day. :D

ANYWAY. There's a new weekly card challenge blog called Stampin' Queen's Sketch Challenge; I actually got to play this week. :) So, here's the card! (You can click on the link above to go see the sketch itself.)

Card stock: Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Bermuda Bay

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay

Stamp set: Field Flowers

Accessories: scallop edge punch, IN THE GARDEN DSP, Big Shot, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Scallop Circle #2 die, Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals, Snail

It's a bright card, isn't it! :) OK, I'm off! Have a WONDERFUL weekend, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something!!!!

Holiday Mini, and MY DIGITAL STUDIO contest from Stampin' Up!!!!

Good morning! Happy September! (Where HAS the year gone?!?) It's that time of year again - yes, that's right, the HOLIDAY MINI is up and open for business!!! May I just say (AGAIN, for those of you who read regularly! :D) that it would be far easier for me to list what I don't want from this Mini, than to list what I do want?!? :D

One of the MAJOR items in this Mini is the new Simply Scored Scoring Tool (featured on pages 6-7 of the Holiday Mini, item #122334, $29.95). It is AWESOME!!! I'm really enjoying using it to create lots of things - including today's sample. :)


Medallions are coming back in a big way, and using the Simply Scored makes it sooooooooo easy! (Also used IN THE GARDEN DSP, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Melon Mambo embossing powder, heat tool, embossing buddy, Boho Blossoms punch, the biggest circle punch, Big Shot, Petals-a-plenty Texturz Embossing Folder, modern label punch, Versamark, dimensional, Crop-a-dile, gold glass glitter.) I mean, how easy is this? And only the word stamp was inked at all! :)

Second thing I wanted to tell you about: Stampin' Up! is hosting a MY DIGITAL STUDIO contest! Here are all the details:

My Digital Studio Contest Starts Today! September 1, 2011 Autumn's in the air, the frost is on the pumpkin, and it's the perfect time to get cozy creating My Digital Studio cards and photobook pages for the My Digital Studio Contest! You and your customers could win $400 in FREE My Digital Studio digital downloads. And there's more! Winners and finalists will also receive a digital pin for their DBWS site, personal blog, or Facebook page. We're accepting entries today through October 15. The contest is open to all demonstrators and customers who have access to My Digital Studio in the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada (excluding Quebec). Demonstrators and customers will be judged separately; ten finalists--five customers and five demonstrators--will be chosen by Stampin' Up! judges, and the public will determine six winners--three customers and three demonstrators--via online voting. Find more contest information on MyDigitalStudio.net

I'm entering! :D I'd LOVE to see what you enter, too!

OK, I'm outta here. We start teaching school tomorrow, have an inservice tonight, and auditions for FATHER OF THE BRIDE this weekend. If you'd like to help with the show, please contact me - and want to audition?!? AWESOME! Contact me for details!!!!

Time to start stamping and designing. Have a wonderful day - and take the time to STAMP something, too!