Stampin' Up News

Unfortunately I do not have any cards or other items to show you at this time. Stampin' Up is in the month of "Last Time" items that are retiring the end of this month (limited quantities). Starting July 1st, there will be a whole new catalog for us to feast upon. Trust me, from all that I have heard and seen ... this is another fantastic catalog! Next week my preorders will be in. I'll be able to introduce you to some of the new items. In the meantime, please click on Stampin' Up News for some great opportunities.

In July is the yearly convention for Stampin' Up demos too. Really fun time for all where new ideas, new techniques, etc are taught.

Welcome to Royal Path - Pretty in Pink

Yes that's the name of this Royal Path. Remember there are 6 paths with almost 80 demonstrators showcasing their beautiful artwork and Stampin' Up products.

My chosen stamp set is "Teddy and Train." And or course I just had to use Pretty In Pink. LOL

I have been asked to design a Baby Shower ensemble consisting of Invitations, Party Favors, and a Diaper Cake. They want pink, chocolate and butterflies for the theme. Here is everything all coordinated with the "Teddy and Train" set.

This was hard to photograph. The blame lays more so on the abilities of the photographer! Love the little dolly. Oh notice the butterfly on her arm? That was made using the Butterfly Embosslit die.

The party favor. Hmmmm .... chocolate! This is another of my favorite dies, the Matchbox. There are so many ways to use this die.

 

The Teddy and Train set is perfect for the shower invitation. Too cute. The inspiration for this card came from Wanda at "My Creative Corner." I changed it up a bit but the design is definitely owed to her. Thank you Wanda for the inspiration.



In celebration of Babies, I am giving away Blog Candy. One lucky person will receive a "Teddy and Train" set! Be sure to leave a comment with your email address. I will pick a winner using Random.org and notify the winner via email. You will have two days to respond. If winner does not respond, another will be chosen.

Thank you for visiting my blog on the Royal Tour.

It's Been a Looooong Time

Hello Everyone!!!!

I haven't forgotten anyone. Just have not had the time to ink anything up. Between tax season (work)and a few programs I have been working on, there just has not been anytime.

But I am back and starting out big time! I have been invited to be an Honorary Queen for the Royal Blog Tour!!! How awesome is that? The tour begins April 30th so watch for opening day. Click on this link to start the tour - The Royal Blog Tour.

Along with the beautiful and creative items made by almost 80 Stampin' Up demonstrators, there is an opportunity to participate in a Royal Tour game. The prize is outstanding! One lucky person will have the selection of winning a Big Shot, My Digital Studio or a $100 shopping spree! All stampers can participate!

I am signing off to dust more cobwebs away from my blog.

Butterflies and Winner

As you all know, the Mid- Atlantic States were hit with a blizzard yesterday. I spoke with a couple of family members who live in the areas where record snowfalls were predicted. One brother, in VA, received around 30" and another, in PA, about 12". VA brother that was hit the hardest never gets snow with this accumulation - poor guy, I wouldn't want to be him digging out! Ironically the PA brother has a monster snow blower that would have chomped through the 30" easily. I was very fortunate. The storm blew out to sea right below us so we skirted this storm. Yeah ... I only have a shovel. LOL Seriously speaking now - for all of you in VA, MD, DC, PA and NJ who were hit with this blizzard, I hope and pray you all are safe and sound.

I believe everyone is ready for Spring to arrive sooner than later. I know I definitely am! Can't wait for my flowers to bloom again but also shed some of these heavy clothes! In honor of Springtime thoughts and the Late Night Stampers weekly challenge for butterflies, I made this card.

This card features the new Stampin' Up designer series paper "Shades of Spring" in the Occasions Mini Catalog. The bold design screamed butterfly to me so when the challenge came out, I knew what I was going to use.

Using my Big Shot, I cut the butterflies out. To create the body and antenna's, I used half-back pearls and the flower stamina's from the Pretties Kit. Using a sponge, I inked the tips of the antenna's and sponged around the edges of the butterfly.

Now these little beauties are attracted to flowers so of course I had to have one. The flower is from the "Blooming Beautiful" set. A section of the same sheet I cut my butterfly has an almost transparent image reflecting the bold one. That was perfect to stamp my flower on.


Here's a side view. The ribbon is the White Satin which I colored with my Orchid Opulence marker to match the paper.








Of course being one to never leave the inside undone, here's the inside. I carried over the colors and used a scrap which fits this card perfectly. Plenty of room to write a message as well.





Last Sunday I made this darling candle set and offered it up for blog candy. Random.org picked the number 10 -

Jonia said...How beautiful the flower is and I just love the candle and holder. Tremendous job. What inspires me when I have had a stressful day is to come home and make a cute card or flower. It calms me and makes me forget everything except what I am doing.

Jonia please send me your mailing address (kasully@verizon.net) and I will get this out right away. Thank you everyone for visiting my blog. It is greatly appreciated.

Stanley Update

On December 27th, I posted on this blog about the men and women who took just one moment out of their busy lives to help save a dog named Stanley. Click on here for the original post. I have been following Stanley's story to see how this wonderful guy is doing with all of the positive changes in his life now. He is living in Canada! I am overly thrilled to report that he is happily in his foster home and recuperating from his past. His foster family is nothing short of amazing in their capacities for healing, loving and training the "Bully" breed dogs. Here he is all snuggled up in his new bed -

To read about his travels and road to recovery, go here. There are several entries re: Stanley. Please do leave a kind word for these fantastic people. Rescuers do their work tirelessly, giving their hearts and souls to help the innocents that are harmed by humanity. If you can, go to your local shelter and help them. Walk and play with the animals, show them good humans do exist. If you are inclined to have a pet, look to your shelter first. Please do not perpetuate the problem by buying from a "Pet Shop" or "Breeder."

All Things Vintage and Blog Candy

Over at Late Night Stampers this week's challenge has been Vintage. This is right up my alley ... LOVE vintage items. Come in my home and you will see what I mean. LOL

Earlier in the week I made this card. Where did the inspiration come from? I had one of many long days this past week. To unwind and get a refreshing perspective I was reading one of my favorite authors - Epictetus. He was a Greek Philosopher from 60 a.d to 120 a.d. Great insights into why people are who they are and how to interact with them without losing yourself.

Well I had been mulling over several designs; some even ended in the recycle bin. Yes, they were that bad! But then it hit me, make a card with a book on it! They're out there, some gorgeous ones in fact! So in honor of Epictetus, I made a card.

"From my garden ... From my heart" is such an appropriate title for this. Don't we all plant seeds through life and watch them blossom into wonderful things/beings - family, friends, pets, etc. Hey what can I say, this author is exceptionally uplifting!

Onto a lighter note - I was traveling along reading blogs yesterday and saw a wonderful idea. Dare I say it? Yes I read lots of non-Stampin' Up blogs! The inspiration is astounding and I love converting the ideas using Stampin' Up products. Jane Johnson and Camilla, this one's for both of you!

I love making gift items along with packaging. The hat is from "Garden From the Heart" set. I colored the stamp with markers, stamped on tissue paper, and heat set it to the candle.

The packaging is clear transparency around the candle with a top and bottom made. Taking two strips of coordinating card stock, use the Eyelet Border punch. Layer them and sponge ink on top layer. I adhered the lower trim right to the transparency to stabilize the bottom.

Using the new Jumbo Flower punch, I created this gorgeous flower. There are five layers to it! I made the flower using Blush Blossom cardstock but I wanted a two-toned flower. To create the Rose Red accents, I made my own Glimmer Mist using Stampin' Up's Glimmer Mist Paint. Mixing it with alcohol and a drop of reinker, I made the perfect shade to match the flowers on the candle. Spritz the flower and while it is still damp, you can add more shape to your flower. I finished it off by using a flat back pearl from the Pretties Kit.

The gift card is made using the same items, Shimmer Mist and Garden From the Heart stamp.

Now for the Blog Candy, I am giving this candle set away! I'll be drawing the winner using Random.org on February 7th at noontime EST. Leave me a comment telling me what inspires you when you've had a particularly stressful day. Please make sure your email address is included so I may notify the winner immediately. Until then, have a wonderful week. Spring is getting closer!

Unusal Request

Someone I know is going through a rough patch in their relationship. Their heart is to the point of breaking. It is really is upsetting for me to see anyone go through this pain. I was showing this person some cards I had made and the request was thrown out if I could make a broken heart card. Definitely an odd request but never one to step down from a challenge, I started mulling it over. Here is what I came up with -

I created the heart in Stampin' Up's gorgeous Groom cardstock. Now one would ask why black? Two reasons really, the end of a long relationship is on the horizon which reflects a death and I wanted the contrast to the red hearts. The red hearts depict a steady healing of one's heart becoming whole again. Consequently the white rose is included for purity.

There is no stamping involved in this card and all items used are Stampin' Up.