Paper Craft Crew Card Sketch Challenge #007:

You may recall that I've participated in several Stampin' Queen sketch challenges in the past and have encouraged you too play along too. Well,  this group recently changed their name to the Paper Craft Crew and I think you're really going to like the changes they've made to their blog.  

Take a look at this simple yet terrific sketch designed by the Paper Craft Crew, for this week's sketch challenge . If you want to play along too, the deadline is Monday September 17th 9 AM EST.  Be sure to check out their guidelines for this challenge by clicking here.  You can also vote for your favourites from Monday, September 17th at 9 AM EST to Tuesday, September 18th at 1:00 PM EST so make sure you check out all the entries and vote.

 

You're going to find that Paper Craft Crew is comprised of a very talented and creative team of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators for their weekly and monthly card making challenges.    But it gets better, because the Paper Craft Crew is also offering a once a month scrapbooking sketch challenge option on this site.  Here's a look at their first Scrapbooking Sketch Challenge #PCCSS001.  Isn't it an awesome sketch.  Entries will be accepted until September 23rd so there's still time to get in on the fun and prizes! 

 

 

Did I say prizes?  In honour of this being Paper Craft Crew's first Scrapbook Sketch Challenge and to make things even more exciting, they are offering a chance to win a Snowflake Season Simply Scrappin' Layout Kit Free!

 

To be entered into this Blog Candy contest all you need to do is submit your scrapbook page using this month's sketch.  There's still plenty of time to enter.  The winner will be determined by voting through InLinkz and voting will be for 5 days so you can also share and encourage your friends to visit www.papercraftcrew.com to VOTE!  Voting will end on Thursday, September 27th @ 9:00 PM EST and the winner will be announced on Monday, October 1st!  Details are on the blog.

I'll be posting my entries later today so I hope you'll check back and if you like mine cast a vote, I'd appreciate it!  Thanks so much.

 

 

So many babies

Several of my friend's daughters are expecting any time now or have just delivered so this week I needed to get busy making baby cards. 

 

My decision on which stamp set to use was easy.  I've always loved Stampin' Up!s "A New Little Someone" and simply couldn't part with it when it was retired. That little flop earred rabbit stole my heart and it's been my "go to" baby stamp set ever since.  The sentiment "Welcome Little One" is also from a retired stamp set called Riveting.

Here's a sampling of my "boy", "girl" and "not sure yet" cards. Hope you like them.
 

The "girl" card was made with Pirouette Pink and Whisper White cardstock.  Images were stamped in Pretty in Pink ink and the striped designer series paper is in Pretty in Pink stripes.  The Perfect Polka Dot Embossing folder was used to give some texture on the top of the card. 

I used this cute little verse "bottles and booties bibs and more, a new little someone to love and adore" and the rattle on all the cards.  For those cards that I was attaching a gift card, I attached a 3 x 5 inch Stampin' Up! envelope on the left side of the card.  I stamped the envelope flap with baby food tin images from the stamp set. 

This little 'boy" bunny card is made with Marina Mist and Whisper White Card stock.  I love the new Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper.   Here I've used the reverse side of the Blue Polka Dotted paper.  It gives a crisp clean look.

This looks really dark but the cardstock is actually Certainly Celery and So Saffron.



Herringbone Meets PinWheel

 

 

I really enjoyed teaching my "Christmas in August" this past Sunday, even though it's the third time I've taught this class since early August.  It's always a major kick for me to teach a new technique to people and see their reactions when they look at the cards they're going to make and when they actual finish their projects.  Those smiles of joy and satisfaction get me every time.

 

Before go on with this post, I want to share my preclass experience, so you don't fall victim to the "smell".  So here goes.  While I was waiting for my guests to arrive I decided to spray some air freshener in my studio just to freshen things up a bit.  Big mistake!!!  Let me tell you!  

 

Never try a new deodorizer or scent without first testing it.  I reacted big time to this beautiful Vanilla spray scent by sneezing, wheezing and stuffing up to the point I had to take an antihistamine to get things under control. 

 

Fortunately for me no one else had the same reaction.  Thankfully my lovely guests were able to deal with my frequent trips to the other room to "sneeze my brains out" and grab more Kleenex.  I guess this was one of those classic examples of what not to do before a class!  Anyway the "magic" pill kicked in about an hour into the class and all is well that ends well.  Luckily they are seasoned stampers and were able to carry on while I was out of the room!

 

While all four cards were fun to make, I especially enjoyed demonstrating the
"herringbone" technique.  Here are some instructions for the card we made:

 

 

HERRINGBONE TECHNIQUE and SUPPLIES

Card Base:                                           5 ½” x 8 ½”  Very Vanilla

First Layer:                                          5 ¼” x 4” Cherry Cobbler

Herringbone Layer Cardstock:        3 ¾ x 5”  Very Vanilla

Mulitpurpose Adhesive Sheet:       4 x 5 ¼”

 

Steps For Completing Herringbone Layer:

Strips of DSP: Be of Good Cheer DSP pack. You need 4 patterns. Cut a variety of strips in 12 inch length measuring from ¼ to ½ inches in width . Play with the size of strips you cut to get the effect you want.

Peel back Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet to expose glue side.

Place Very Vanilla cardstock over top of adhesive sheet and burnish to adhere glue, then remove Very Vanilla cardstock. The adhesive has transferred to the cardstock. Work with this side up.

Lay DSP strips of patterned paper across sticky side of Very Vanilla cardstock creating 4 quadrant areas. See Dawns video on Youtube at :

 

 

Working in different directions, lay varying sizes of DSP to fill in the gaps. Always complete one area before moving to the next quadrant.  This ensures your strips are going in different directions.

 

When you've laid all the strips of DSP on the cardstock place this layer in the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder and run through the Big Shot machine.  This seals your work to the cardstock and gives the layer a real quilted look.  Adhere this layer to the Cherry Cobbler layer. 

 

Finish Decorating the Card Front:

Stamp small ornament from Ornament Keepsakes stamp set in Gumball Green Ink and again in Cherry Cobbler on scrap piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.  Cut out the ornament with Holiday Framelit Die and the center of the Cherry Cobbler ornament with a 3/4" punch.  Mount the Cherry Cobbler piece on the Gumball Green ornament with dimensionals.  Note: If you purchase the Ornament Keepsakes bundle which includes the stamp set and the holiday framelit dies, you'll save 15% off the individual pricing.

 

Punch a 1 3/8" circle from Glimmer Red Cardstock using the Circle Punch.  Adhere ornament to the glimmer paper with dimensionals.

 

Cut a 2 x 2" piece of Gumball Green cardstock and then cut out a medallion using the Perfect Pennants Die cut and the Big Shot Machine. Glue the red glimmer circle and ornament to the medallion and mount with dimensionals to the center of the finished card front. 

 

 

 Alternate Decoration for Card Front Using Pinwheel:

Follow the steps for stamping the ornament and red glimmer paper circle but mount it to a Pinwheel Square made with Cherry Cobbler cardstock and Be of Good Cheer DSP.  Here's what it will look like:

 

 

Here's the finished card:

And the inside:

Hope you found these instructions easy to follow and like the cards I made.  I'd appreciate your comments.

 

Christmas Card Class - Any Takers?

I  know it's only September, but I'm trying to get a jump on my Christmas cards while I'm relaxed and enjoying myself. What about you? Want to join me this coming Sunday for a great class:

    

Date:  Sunday September 9th, 2012

Time:  10:00am until 1:00pm

Place:  Abbotsford BC

                                          Click here to register  

All you need to do is bring your adhesive/glue and snips and I supply all the cardstock and refreshments!  What fun we'll have making these four cards with envelopes and learning 2 new techniques. 

 

If you're interested there's still room, but call me to reserve your space before all the seats are taken!  Click here for contact information:

You'll be making these cards, the cute and easy Button Buddies Snowmen card; Herringbone Quilt Card; Ornament Keepsakes card (this features technique for making the Ornament on the cover of the Holiday Catalogue); and the Ornament Punch Dazzling card. 

If you can't come to this class but would still like to learn how to make these cards check out my Event Calendar for open Workshop nights in September.  Get a group of girlfriends together and you can have a workshop!  How about Chicks and Chocolate?

Labour Day

In Canada Labour Day is traditionally celebrated the 1st Monday of September. 

Without the organized labour parties who worked so hard and fought to reduce inequality for workers and other freedoms we wouldn't have the opportunities we do today, such as weekends off, stat holidays, eight hour work days, and minimum wages.  

Labour Day used to be a time when Canadians celebrated their rights by holding parades and picnics organized by labour groups and trade unions.  That focus seems to have changed over the years and now Labour Day is more commonly  seen as the last weekend of the summer.  While it's certainly a time for relaxing, taking advantage of the remaining sunshine, visiting relatives, closing up the summer home, watching Canadian Football and golf, it should always be a time to remember those who fought for the benefits we have. 

I hope whatever your traditions and celebrations are that this Labour Day weekend has meaning, has been a good one and that you're enjoying it with your friends, family, co-workers and those that really matter.

HAPPY LABOUR DAY

Artisan Design Team - Stampin' Up! 2012

Every year at Convention a group of very special ladies are honoured for their creative achievements in paper crafting. These wonderful gals are the finalists  from the Stampin' Up! Design Team contest that is held each Spring. 

Demonstrators from all across United States and Canada are invited to submit samples of their work which must include five full cards, three scrapbook pages and two three-dimensional items such as frames, boxes, clothing etc.  I don't envy the SU judges that have to narrow down the hundreds of submissions to 20 finalists.............what a job! 

The final 10 Artisan Design Team members are announced at Awards Night during Convention, on the demonstrator website in July after convention, and they're each featured in the September issue of Stampin' Success. They even have their own Pinterest Board What an honour to be chosen and these gals sure earned the title as well as all the goodies that go with it (an Artisan Design Team memento, $500 cash, a $500 Stampin' Up! shopping spree, and a special invitation to attend an Artisan Design Team dinner held during Convention 2012). 

As finalists these demos will create and post 4 projects a month until next June.  I want to make sure that you have an opportunity to benefit from their talents and see these projects.  To make that easy for you, I'm including their blog links in this post, and I've updated my "Blogs I Follow" listing on my side bar to feature these links.   

 Here are the 10 finalists who earned this year's honour and who'll be sharing their wonderful talents until Convention next year. 

2012-13 Artisan Winners taking a well deserved bow at Convention.  Erica Cerwin, Cindy Beach, Wendy Wexler, Heidi King, Jane Lee, Marisa Gunn, Heather Summers, Jeanna Bohanen, Sarah Sagert and Amy Bollman.

2012-2013 Artisan Design Team Membership List

Amy Bollman	http://blog.bollman.ca/
Cindy Beach	http://stampspaperandink.typepad.com/
Erica Cerwin	http://pinkbuckaroodesigns.blogspot.com/
Heather Summers	http://www.stampwithheather.typepad.com/
Heidi King	http://stampinking.blogspot.com/
Jane Lee	http://janeleescards.blogspot.com/
Jeanna Bohanon	http://stamptimesomewhere.typepad.com/
Marisa E Gunn	http://dzinesbymeg.typepad.com/
Sarah Sagert	http://www.sarahsagert.stampinup.net/blog
Wendy Weixler	http://www.wickedlywonderfulcreations.blogspot.com/

It's Back to Spool Time

Maybe your kids are getting ready to go back to school, but at Stampin' Up!, they're preparing for Back to 'Spool'!

During September, you'll get a FREE package of 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon with every $50 purchase. Choose from any of the 2012-2014 In Colors—or spend $200 and get all five!   Click here to see this September 1-30th promotion.