Holiday Mini - Christmas Stocking Big Shot Die

Good morning everyone!  With the sun shining so brightly here and some of the warmest temperatures expected this last week of our summer, it's a bit hard to think about Christmas decorations and projects.  Nontheless, I want to share some Christmas Stocking creations made by Diane Sisneros using the Holiday Stocking Bigz Die on page 24 in the Holiday Mini, #124098.  Diane has done such a fabulous job on these that I just have to share them.  My next order will be including this die for sure and some of the awesome Designer Papers she's used.  Let me know what you think.  I'd like to know which stocking is your favourite.  Here's the sample and be sure to go and look at all the other stockings she's created.  Just click here.  While you're visiting Diane's site make sure you leave her some love on these projects and let her know you linked from my blog.  Thanks! 

SUO Challenge 27, Ribbons and Bows! - Ribbon Candy

This week over at SU-Only Challenges blog they are offering up a challenge for using ribbons or bows on a card, scrapbook page or project.  Since I'd just finished making a card I call "Ribbon Candy" I thought I would play along.  Here is my card:

I used Riding Hood Red cardstock for my card base and embossed it with the new Snow Burst Textured Embossing folder.  A layer of Brushed Gold cardstock was added next and then another layer of Red Riding Hood.  To this layer I added Very Vanilla cardstock that has been stamped with one of the sentiments from the new Christmas Lodge stamp set (Holiday Mini),  My Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla ribbon is reminiscent of the "ribbon candy" we would get at Christmas time and adds a festive touch.  Three basic pearls finish the card front. 

For the inside of my card I decided to use the sentiment again in Riding Hood Red and add one of the Christmas Stockings from the Stitched Stockings set in the Holiday Mini.  Maybe a little overkill on the sentiment but I liked it enough to repeat it. 

All Occasion Card Class Wednesday September 7th, 2011

How would you like to learn a new technique and make some beautiful All Occasion Cards that can be changed up simply by adding the appropirate sentiment?  Well I can teach you how.    Here's a sneak peak at two of the four cards we'll be making.  This is a fun and exciting class, and you'll be amazed at the cards you create. 

Date:         Wednesday September 7th, 2011

Time:         12:00 to 3:30pm

Place:         Abbotsford, BC 

Cost:          $20.00 (includes class fee, materials for the cards and four envelopes)

                   Payment accepted before class begins.

RSVP:       This class is limited to six people so email me now and save your spot

                  pennyhanuszak@telus.net

Note:          Please bring your own adhesive, glue tape and scissors. 

                  This class will be repeated on Wednesday September 15th at 5:30pm

The Open Sea Still Available

Great news for those of you who loved "The Open Sea" stamp set but were unable to buy it before the August 30th deadline, you'll still be able to do so.  Isn't that terrific!   Stampin' Up! just announced that The Open Sea Stamp Set will still be available as a write in item until July 2012.  Here are the codes in case you want to order it:

• The Open Sea W (item # 123030)
• The Open Sea C (item # 123032)

Monkey 72 - Christmas Sketch

When I saw this week's A La Card Monkey Sketch # 72 I just loved it.  Simple yet really classy!   I loved the plaid used for the background of the sketch and having just received my Frostwood Lodge DSP ( #124002) paper in my recent order I had to use plaid too.  As I don't want to miss this week's challenge, I'm not including a lot of details just pictures that I hope you'll enjoy.  The recipe is below.

My background paper is one of the beautiful plaids from the Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper.  I ran it through the new Snow Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder to give it some more texture.  This kind of reminded me of the old flannel pyjamas we got as kids.   

I absolutely love every stamp in the new Christmas Lodge (#123767W or #123769) stamp set on page 29 of the new Holiday Mini catalogue.  This set has that old fashioned Christmas feeling to it and I anticipate using it a lot for this season's bevy of cards.  There are two fabulous sentiments included in this set and the Merry Christmas one I've used is stamped in Garden Green on Whisper White cardstock and then mounted on Red Riding Hood cardstock. 

Don't you just love this old Lodge?  I've stamped it in Garden Green on Whisper White cardstock and mounted it on Riding Hood Red.  A little border of Brushed Gold cardstock trims the bottom and a 1/8" garden green colour of satin ribbon is on top (non-SU). 

For the inside of my card I used the second sentiment from this stamp set stamped in Riding Hood Red.  To continue the old world feel I used a full strip of the flannel DSP and edged it with the scallop border punch. 

Monkey 71 - I Missed it!

Okay so last week I had lots going on, but I really wanted to do the Monkey 71- Fall Sketch.  I'd dutifully saved the picture of the sketch to my challenge file, printed out a copy of the sketch so I knew what I was making.  Because I have a very limited number of Fall stamps, seasonal sentiments and designer papers I was really feeling stumped about what to make.  A few days passed and then one afternoon towards the end of the week when I was walking Murphy around the lake, a lightening bolt of inspiration hit me.  Here I was walking through these beautiful woods and all about me golden brown and rust leaves are falling and gathering at my feet.  At that moment I knew what I was going to design and so I ran home, dragging poor Murphy behind me so I could get at this card.  This is what I came up with, but alas it was too late!  The Monkey 71 linky was closed.  Oh well I decided I loved the card and was going to post it anyway.  So here you are: 

I remembered a tutorial on watercolouring with blender pens that Ann Schach made last fall that used the Autumn Spendor set and the simplicity of her techique and her beautiful finished card really impressed me.  So, before starting my project, I  went back and viewed her video and I was really happy I did.  Because I often feel challenged in the watercolouring department and Ann made this technique look so easy, I think viewing the video really helped make me make these leaves look real.  If you want to check out Ann's video and blog post click here. 

The card base is Always Artichoke, topped with a layer of River Rock that's been texturized with the ever popular Square Lattice Embossing Folder.  The rectangle is made with layers of Always Artichoke, Cajun Craze, and River Rock.  The leaves from the Autum Spendor stamp set were stamped on River Rock and cut out by hand.  I used a blender pen to colour them using Cajun Craze, Old Olive and More Mustard inks.  I've used glitter (non SU) to accent the leaf veins. 

Three artichoke buttons are tied with teeny little stips or Cajun Craze cardstock.  The "Many Thanks" sentiment is from a retired Stampin' UP! set called "Of the Earth" that I simply can't part with, and it was stamped in Cajun Crase on River Rock cardstock and then punched out with the Decorative Label punch. 

The inside of the card has a Lacey Border punched from Cajun Craze and a layer of River Rock for the base layer.  The sentiment again from the "Of the Earth" set was stamped in Cajun Craze too. Okay that's it. 

Today is the start, in my opinion, of the best season of the year.  That’s right!  September 1^st, marks the official release of the "2011 Holiday Mini Catalogue".  Everyone who's ordered from me this year should have received their mini by now.  If you haven't or if you're a brand new customer who needs one, please contact me so you don't miss out.  This 2011 Holiday Mini Catalogue is available from today until January 3rd.

Check out the fun new stamps, paper, fabric and embellishments for Fall, Halloween, Christmas, and even Valentine's Day.  All these great new products will make your card, scrapbooking, home decor and event creations come together beautifully. 

In addition to all the above new products, I’m happy to tell you about an all new Stampin’ Up! Product that you’re going to love.  This Simply Scored tool that lets you “take the chore out of scoring!

 

This exclusive scoring tool has been developed specifically for Stampin' Up!.  The Simply Scored ‘s base fits paper or card stock up to 12" x 12" and features score tracks every 1/8".  No more guess work!  It also features two easy-to-read rulers with inch markings down to 1/8" along the top and left side for perfect scoring. There's even a standard left-to-right ruler, a zero center ruler, a set of three markers and a stylus.  And another great feature is that the bottom of the Simply Scored tool is a non-marking base with non-skid feet so it stays securely on your work space.  And, a little bird told me there's more features to be added to this Simply Scored tool in the future.

So what are you waiting for.  If you haven't already flipped to the new PDF version of the catalogue or looked through your printed version, don't miss out.  Start now.  Simply click here.  And, remember my online shop is available 24/7.  Have fun!!!