Blue Valentine

I have mentioned before that I am surrounded by men and boys in my life.  I grew up the only girl with four boys (two older and two younger). And now, I have two sons and no daughters.  So girly is not really part of my life and never has been. (I know I've mentioned this before, but I always feel the need to clarify when I post something very not girly).

When I was planning for my Valentines Class, I wanted to do something that was whimsical and boyish but not necessarily "masculine."  This is what I came up:

Colors: Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango, Lucky Limeade and Whisper White.  Stamps: Occasions Alphabet.  Big Shot: Tasteful Trim Bigz XL, Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Punches: Heart and Modern Label.  Accessories: Brights Designer Buttons, Baker's Twine, and Occasions Paper-Piercing Pack.

I got the idea to do the paper-pierced hearts from a card I saw on Pinterest. (Where else? Right.)  It adds some extra texture and balances hearts on the other side of the card.

I thought this card would be perfect to give to my sons or cute nephews for Valentines Day.  But it isn't so boyish that you couldn't give it to a girl as well.

More Valentine's Decor

Tomorrow is the last day to RSVP for my Valentines & More Stampin' Buffet.  So I wanted to share both of the other home decor projects that I am offering at the class.

I knew I wanted to offer some Home Decor items and I was pretty sure I wanted to do a wreath.  The More Amore Fabric is so darn cute that I bought it during the preorder and needed to come up with something to do with it. So what do you think?  

Colors: Pool Party, Very Vanilla, Primrose Petal, Real Red.  Accessories: More Amore Designer Fabric, Pool Party Seam Binding, Primrose Petal Stitched Satin, Vintage Lace.  Non Stampin' Up!: Heart Shape wire wreath form.

To make the wreath, I cut the fabric into 1"x6" strips with our fabulous Craft and Paper Scissors (which you should never use for paper BTW, they are fabulous to save only for ribbon and fabric.)  I just loosely knotted them around the wire wreath frame alternating the different patterns.  Once I had all the fabric on there, I went back and added the ribbons in kind of a random way to add some different textures to the wreath.  This was kind of hard to take a picture of, but it is really cute in real life.  It is a little time consuming to make but the result is definitely worth it. The cost is $17.50.

Colors: Real Read, Very Vanilla, Primrose Petal, Basic Black.  Stamps: That's the Ticket, Ciao Baby! Hearts a Flutter.  Big Shot: Hearts a Flutter and Hearts Collection Framelits, Chevron, Fancy Fan & Brocade Lace Textured Embossing Folder, Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslits.  Punches: Heart,and Petite Curly Label.  Small Accessories: First Edition and More Amore Specialty Designer Series Paper, Silver Basic Designer Buttons, Designer Builder Brads, Brights Designer Brads, Real Red and Very Vanilla 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Primrose Petal Stitched Satin Ribbon.

This banner was completely inspired by a similar one I saw on Pinterest.  I just dolled it up a little.  Right about the same time I finished it and posted it, Stampin' Up! posted one on there blog that was very similar.  So this is right on trend.  Mine is a little on the short side and is $6.  If you wanted to make one that was twice as long (10 pennants instead of 5) it would be $10.  Just be sure to let me know you'd like the longer one.

Valentines is just around the corner

Today is January 25.  That means Valentines Day is just a little less than 3 short weeks away and my Valentines Class is only one week away!  It's probably time for me to start sharing the details of some of the projects here on my blog.  If you want to see them all and get the details, click on the Valentines & More Buffet tab above.

For the past several classes, I have been offering frame inserts.  I knew I wanted to do one for Valentines Day but when I tried to make one following the pattern I used for Christmas and Halloween, it just wasn't working. On Pinterest, I saw a printable that used the alphabet to hide I ♥ U and I knew it would be perfect for my class:

Colors: Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White.  Big Shot: Typeset Alphabet Bigz and Tasteful Trim Bigz XL.  Punches: Heart Punch.  Accessories: Red and Silver Glimmer Paper, Basic Black Scalloped Polka Dot Ribbon and Real Red Stitch Grosgrain Ribbon.

It is a little hard to tell from the picture just how sparkly this turned out. The I and the U do stand out more than it looks like from this picture.  I love our glimmer paper and it is the perfect way to add sparkle and shine to any project -- but especially nice for Valentines.

You can make one of your own at my Class on February 1 & 2 for just $6, frame not included.  It isn't hard to make unless you have a hard time making anything straight. (Like I sometimes do.  Don't look too close).  It fits inside an 8-1/2" x 11" Document Frame that you can get at any big box store.

And you can get your own pack of Silver Glimmer paper just for hosting a Stampin' Up! party during Sale-A-Bration. Contact me today and let's get you and your friends on my calendar!

Vintage Verse Follow Up

Time to share the details of my other two Blog Hop projects.  If you missed the blog hop, it is not to late.  The blogs should all be deep linked by now so you can follow along at any time.  Just start on my STAMPIN' ADDICTS SALE-A-BRATION BLOG HOP POST.

I promised to share the details and dimensions of the little gift box I made for the hop:

Colors: Crumb Cake and Early Espresso.  Stamps: Vintage Verse and Madison Avenue.  Big Shot: Labels Collection Framlits.  Accessories: Early Espresso Embossing Powder and Antique Brad.

To make the box, I measured the width of the Labels Collection Framelit I wanted to use as at the top  (in this case, 2-3/4 inches) and used that as the width for my box.  The piece of card stock I used was 5-1/2" x 9 " (I know, not very smart use of a sheet of card stock.  You could shrink the sides of the box by 1/4" and get two out of each sheet of paper).  I scored the cardstock the long way at 2-3/4", 4-1/4", 7" and 8-1/2".  To make the box easier to pinch shut, I added score lines about 2/3 of way down at 3-1/2" and 7-3/4". Next, turn the card stock the short way and score at 1-1/2 inches.  Cut the 1/2" x 1-1/2" notch away at the far side of the piece and then trim from the bottom to the 1-1/2" score lines so you can fold up your box. Stamp to decorate as you choose, add adhesive to all tabs and assemble your box.

For the top, I scored the die cut piece (from the Labels Collection Famelit) in half and then placed it over the top of the box.  Then I punched a hole all the way through the box  and label and used one of our fabulous Antique Brad to fasten the box closed. (So you can see the back of the brad on the back of the box.

Sometimes I feel like my directions are about as clear as mud.  If you are like me, then you just need the dimensions anyway and I gave you those so hopefully you can figure it out from there.

Colors: Summer Starfruit, Soft Suede and Whisper White.  Stamps: Vintage Verse.  Punches: Scallop Border Punch.  Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Summer Starfruit Stitched Satin Ribbon, Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper.

This is the card I made for the Stampin' Addicts Sale-A-Bration Swap last month.  It is a simple layout but I added a few touches to make it special.  First, I embossed the greeting.  With the new stamp pads, you can heat emboss with them if you work fast. It is hard to tell from this picture, but it brings some texture and shine to the card. I also added the Scallop border.  This may not seem special anymore.  It was just a few years ago when I used this punch on every card I made.  But with the Big Shot and everything else we have, sometimes we forget about these little basics that can add just the right touch to the card.

Sale-A-Bration is now underway so now is your chance to get the Vintage Verse Stamp Set or Sycamore Street Paper for FREE!  Click "SHOP NOW" to get place your $50 order and get your choice of either of these, or 17 other items free! Might as well order $100 so you can get 2 free instead, right?

Sale-A-Bration Time!

So technically Sale-A-Bration doesn't start until tomorrow.  In my head, I had it starting today but with the holiday, it doesn't really start until tomorrow. But if you happened to take advantage of the  Stampin' Addict Sale-A-Bration Blog Hop this weekend, then you've already had a sneak peak of the items that will be available for you to earn FREE!  If you haven't had time to go through the Blog Hop, don't worry, all the blogs are deep linked together so you can still enjoy the preview.

So how do you take advantage of this fabulous promotion? There are three ways:

SHOP: Each time you order $50 in catalog merchandise, you can select one item from the Sale-A-Bration brochure for FREE!  Order $500 in merchandise, select 10, etc, etc.

HOST: Invite your friends over for a fun Girls Night Out.  We'll make some fun projects and your guests can shop in the comfort of your home.  Every hostess receives a package of Silver Glimmer paper in honor of Stampin' Up's 25th Anniversary (for $150 party) and if you guest sales total $400, you will receive a bundle of Sale-A-Bration exclusive products (Designer Series Paper, Buttons, Ribbons and Stamp Set).  This is in addition to Stampin' Up!'s already generous hostess program.

JOIN: Now through March 22, your Stampin' Up! Starter Kit includes an extra 25% in bonus free.  Instead of picking $125 in merchandise for $99, you get to pick up to $156.50.  That makes an already great deal even better.  Plus you get the benefits of being a demonstrator: 20% Instant Income (or savings on your own purchases), sneak peaks of products and promotions, a magazine and website dedicated to Stampin' Up! and much, much more.

So much to Sale-A-Brate!  Please let me know if you need any more information about any of these opportunities.

I promised more details on two of my blog hop projects today, and I aim to keep my promises:

Colors: Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party, Summer Starfruit, and Whisper White.  Stamps: Vintage Verse, Madison Avenue.  Big Shot: Honeycomb Textured Embossing Folder. Punches: 1" and 1-1/4" circle punches.  Accessories: Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper and Button/Ribbon Bundle.

Judging by the comments and pins, this was the favorite project from my blog hop post.  And when I showed it to my customers, they had only one question: how do you cut those little hexagons to get them to line up so perfectly?  The trick is to run the Designer Series Paper through the Honeycomb Textured Embossing Folder.  Then you just cut them out along the embossed lines and then voila!  They match up perfectly.  I used a 1" square punch to punch our the pieces first, but you could just as easily do several at once with a larger piece of paper.  Once I had those one there, I had the idea to stamp a few random images in some of the hexagons so I used the smallest image from the Madison Avenue Stamp Set.  Then the buttons just seemed like a natural fit as well.

Colors: Pool Party, Summer Star Fruit, Island Indigo and Whisper White. Stamps: Vintage Verse.  Big Shot: Two Tags Bigz Die.  Punches: Scallop Trim Border Punch.  Accessories: Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper and Ribbon/Button Bundle, Whisper White Baker's Twine.

This little tag practically built itself.  It would be simple and easy to make many of these at once if you needed them.  I knew I wanted to showcase some more of this gorgeous paper. Originally, I was going to feature just the paper in the blog hop but there was a last minute family emergency for one of the hoppers that left Vintage Verse not covered.  So that is why three of my projects prominently feature the paper.

On Wednesday, I will share the details of the other card and the box (including dimensions if you want to make your own.)  In the mean time, dust off your wish list and get ready to Sale-A-Brate!

Stampin' Addicts Sale-A-Bration Blog Hop: Vintage Verse

Welcome to stop #6 on the Stampin' Addicts Sale-A-Bration Blog Hop!  If you are hoping in order than you arrived here from Betty's Kitty Stamp Blog and saw the clever things she made with Happy Hello Simply Sent Kit.  If this is your first stop on the hop, all the blogs are linked together in a circle so you won't miss a thing. If you get lost along the way or just want to chat it up, visit Stampin' Addicts.  This year's Sale-A-Bration offerings are just fabulous.  There truly is something for everyone and you will get to see all of it during this blog hop.

Lucky me, I get to show you one of the exclusive Sale-A-Bration stamp sets: Vintage Verse.  I love the variety of fonts used in this set and the fun shapes of the greetings.  There are four stamps in the set and I am going to show them all to you today.  Three of the projects also feature paper from the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper and some the matching ribbon and button bundle.  Both of these are also exclusive Sale-A-Bration items.  I will be sharing more details about these projects on Monday and Wednesday next week so be sure to check back.

First, "Just because." I thought this was the perfect greeting for a tag.  Who doesn't like to receive a little something special just because.  The tag also features just a bit of that Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper and matching accessory bundle that I referred to before.

Next, I have my take on the hexagon card that has been all over the place since the Spring Catalog debuted.  Here, I filled it with more of the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper and paired it with the buttons and ribbon.  I can think of a few people in my life I could give a card to that says "There is only one you."  (And some of them I am glad there is only one of them. ;))  I do love the fun font and flourishes on this stamp.

Third, I made this thank you card for a recent swap and have been saving it to share with you on the hop.  This "Thanks" stamp is probably my favorite from Vintage Verses.  Here I paired it with another print from the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper (are you sick of it yet?  Really it is fabulous!  You will want some to go with this and all the other Sale-A-Bration stamp sets).

Finally, a little gift box.  I wanted to keep it simple and since I have a lot of boys in my life, keep it masculine.  I did use a stamp from another Sale-A-Bration exclusive set, Madison Avenue, on the base of the box, but I wanted to let this beautiful greeting set stand as the focal point of the project.

Convinced you need the Vintage Verses and the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper yet?  Then I have done my job.  Come back on Monday and Wednesday to hear a little more about each of the projects.  Now you can hop on over to Kim's Stitchin' and Stampin' on Paper Blog to see her fabulous creations with Pretty Petites.  Happy hopping!

Feeling Sentimental

Today I have another Sale-A-Bration Sneak Peak for you:

Colors: Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, and Very Vanilla.  Stamps: Feeling Sentimental.  Big Shot: Wood Grain Textured Embossing Folder.  Accessories: Neutral Brads, Paper Piercing Template, Distressing Tool.

I love this Feeling Sentimental set.  It comes with three vintage images (a bicycle (pictured here), a Phone Booth and a Ferris Wheel) and the "Celebrate" greeting.  I love that it is line art, but doesn't need to be colored and I love the feeling it evokes.  It is a great set for masculine cards.  But the best part of all, you can't buy this set, you can only get it FREE during Sale-A-Bration.

For this card, I wanted to keep it pretty simple.  I know masculine cards don't have to be simple, but every time I tried adding anything else too it, it looked to girly.  I did use one of the Paper-Piercing guides to add some interest to the side (but it is hard to tell from this picture).

Don't forget to come back on Friday to get a look at all the fabulous Sale-A-Bration products that will be featured in the Stampin' Addicts Blog Hop.  You won't be sorry.

Sale-A-Bration Countdown!

Only one more week until the start of Sale-A-Bration!  If you are not familiar with this fabulous promotion, it is the biggest promotion Stampin' Up! runs each year. I will post all the details next Monday when it officially starts.  But I wanted to share with you a sneak peak of some of the items you can get FREE during Sale-A-Bration.

Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party, Tangerine Tango, and Island Indigo.  Stamps: Pretty Petites (SAB Exclusive).  Punches: Petite Curly Label (SAB), 1/2" Circle. Big Shot: Vine Street Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (SAB Exclusive). Accessories: Sycamore Street Ribbon and Button Bundle (SAB Exclusive).

First, I have to say, these aren't colors I would normally use together.  But these are the colors included in this year's Sale-A-Bration Designer Series Paper and in the button and ribbon package.  I signed up to make a creation featuring the Sycamore Street Ribbon and Button Bundle for the Stampin' Addicts Swap so I decided just to go with the colors.  You can see from the supply list that this card features several items that will only be available during Sale-A-Bration.  But one exception is that cute Petite Curly Label punch.  It is available to earn free during Sale-A-Bration, but it will be available after the promotion ends too. 

This Friday, the Stampin' Addicts will be featuring nearly all the Sale-A-Bration items in a Blog Hop.  You won't want to miss out so be sure to check back!

Hearts a Flutter Bundle

This week, I have shown you two projects with the Tea for Two Product Suite from the Spring Catalog.  Today, I am going to show you a different product suite called More Amore.

Colors: Pool Party, Primrose Petal, Very Vanilla. Stamps: Hearts a Flutter and Word Play.  Big Shot: Hearts a Flutter Framelits and Striped Embossing Folder. Accesories: Pearls, More Amore Designer Series Paper.

This is another swap I made for the Stampin' Addicts Spring Catalog Swap.  It features the Hearts a Flutter Bundle that is part of this fun product suite.  When you purchase the Hearts a Flutter stamp set and framelits together in a bundle, you save 15%. And it's just one of several bundles available in the Spring Catalog at terrific savings. 

Next week, I will begin showing sneak peaks of some of the items available during Sale-A-Bration including the Stampin' Addicts Sale-A-Bration Blog Hop that is coming up next Friday, January 19.  You won't want to miss that for sure.

Just Thinking

One of the first stamps I put on my wish list from the Spring Catalog was Just Thinking. It is a single image stamp that can easily be cut out with the Window Framelits Collection.  I love the shape of those framelits so I think that is how it rose to the top.  So when the Stampin' Addicts Spring Catalog Swap came out, of course I signed up to make a card with this set.  How else was it going to get off my wish list and into my hot little hands?

Colors: Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink, Lucky Limeade, and Island Indigo.  Stamps: Just Thinking.  Big Shot: Ovals Collection and Windows Collection Framelits.  Accessories: Tea for Two Designer Series Paper, Flower Trim and Pearls Basic Jewels.

Here I stamped the image twice: the first time inking it in Island Indigo and stamping it on the same colored card stock; and then coloring on it with marker and stamping it on Vanilla.  The first layer I cut out with the framelits.  Unfortunately, we don't have anything that cuts the right size circle for the inside of this image so I had to hand cut it out.  (Remember the days when we used to have to hand cut everything though?)

Just Thinking is in the Parker's Patterns product suite, but it also goes perfectly with the Tea for Two Suite since the little flourish at the top is mimicked in the Tea for Two Designer Series Paper. And of course, I gushed over the Flower Trim on my last post, but I just love them.  They are so soft and lovely and just add a nice touch to your project.

Did you notice the new Oval Framelits?  These are perfect for so many projects. And of course, they gave us a new Paper-Piercing Pack to match the Oval and Heart Framelits as well as several more punches.

Have I mentioned how much I just love the Spring Catalog?  I hope you love it just as much.  If you haven't received your own copy yet, drop me a line and I will get one off to you. Enjoy!

Inspired by Downton Abbey

I know. I know. This is a Stamping blog.  But I can't help mentioning that the third season of Downton Abbey began on PBS's Masterpiece Classics last night.  I don't like Zombies or Vampires, or a lot of the other shows that EVERYONE is watching.  But I just cannot get enough of Downton Abbey.  I like to think that I was one of the original fans of this show -- you know before all the hub-bub really got started.  But that probably isn't true.  I probably got on the bandwagon about the same time as everyone else. But I will keep right on trying to convert every non-DAer to the show.  You really, really should be watching it if you aren't already.

(And if you haven't watched last night's episode yet, you might want to skip to the card since the next couple of paragraphs include spoilers.)

It was with much anticipation that I put the kids to bed early and settled in for the season premier.  I was so relieved to see Lady Mary and Cousin Matthew finally make it down the aisle.  I will admit that I was afraid it would never happen and that the crafty Julian Fellowes would leave us dangling for the entire season wondering if they would or wouldn't make it to matrimonial bliss.  After all, we all know what Branson said to Matthew was absolutely true -- "You won’t be happy with anyone else while Lady Mary walks the earth."  So with that seemingly life-long dream checked off, instead we are left to wonder if the Crawleys will be forced to leave their beloved home. BLERG!  Can you even imagine?

Last night, we were treated to some wonderful moments with the Dowager Countess (flawlessly portrayed by Dame Maggie Smith), especially when she spars with Ouiser -- I mean Martha Levinson (Shirley MacClaine).  But I think my favorite Maggie Smith moment is when she convinces Former- Chauffeur-Turned-Grandson-In-Law Branson that he must wear a morning coat to the wedding with a simple, "Are you finished?  Take off your coat."

I digress.  I do have a card to share today.  And I like to think it is a bit Downton Abbey inspired.  At least I was going for that vintage look with it and that was easy to do with all the wonderful products in the Spring Catalog.

Colors: Crumb Cake,Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink.  Stamps: Amazing Family.  Accessories: Tea for Two Designer Series Paper, Tea Lace Paper Doilies, 5/8" Flower Trim, and Basic Jewel Pearls. 

See, the suite I used here is even called Tea for Two. Perfect for a Downton-inspired card. Although I should have changed the greeting to "You're such an amazing sister" so Sybil could have given it to Mary.  I made it for a swap and thought everyone has friends but some, like me, don't have a sister.

I talked about these fun Tea Lace Paper Doilies last week.  Here I took it and "aged" it by running it over a Crumb Cake stamp pad.  Then I took a sponge and rubbed it into the paper.  I also stamped an image on it from Amazing Family.

I have not talked about the Flower Trim that is in the Spring Catalog yet.  I simply adore it.  Here I just snipped off one to anchor the greeting.  In the package, they are strung together on tulle so you can use them individually or in a line.  They are Very Vanilla but I wanted it to stand out a little more so I pressed it into a Pretty in Pink stamp pad to make it look more like a tea rose.

So if you have been under a rock for the past couple of years, find the first two seasons on your favorite streaming service and then head on over to PBS.org to watch last night's season premier. Enjoy!

Pop Up Posies Card

I have one last project from the Stampin' Addicts Spring Catalog Blog Hop to explain: the card. I will admit, this card is a little "froffier" than I would generally make, but I had fun with all the lacy stuff going on here.

Colors: Coral Calypso, Pool Party, Whisper White, Crumb Cake. Stamps: Pop Up Posies Designer Kit. Punch: Large Oval.  Accessories: Pop Up Posies Designer Kit, Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Delicate Details Lace Tape, In Color Designer Printed Brads, 2011-2013 In Color Designer Series Paper Print Pack.

The base for this card is 3x6. I love this size and I was a little disappointed when Stampin' Up! discontinued the envelopes that fit this size card.  But I figured I could always figure out how to make my own envelope for it with the Simply Scored Diagonal Plate (although I didn't do that yet).

I explained during the hop, that I used the new Delicate Details Lace Tape on this card and a little about it.  In case you missed it, this is a fun new product that makes it so easy to add a little lace to your project.  It is actually tape so that makes it extremely easy to adhere (bonus, I know).


Here is a close up of the flower:

The Pop Up Posies Kit comes with these Calypso Coral and Pool Party flowers.  They aren't exactly card stock, but they are thicker than printer paper.  Here I combined both colors into one flower.  The kit also comes with brads, but I wanted to use a Calypso Coral one, so I went to my stash to pull this one out. 

Once I had it put together, it was still missing something.  That's when I decided to add one of the new Tea Time Paper Doilies, also from the Spring Catalog.  The only problem, they Doilies are 4" and I already told you my card was only 3".  But there are not problems in paper crafting, only opportunities for extreme creativity.  To get it to fit, I folded a "pleat" into the doily both directions.  (I know I should have taken a picture of this step.  Bad Paula!) Then I kind of gathered the edges to make it "fluffy." Clear as mud, right?  I promise to show you how to do this in a future blog post.

The Spring Catalog sales period started yesterday.  If you haven't received your copy of this fabulous catalog, please let me know and I will get one to you.  You can also view it by clicking on the like there on the side. Next week, I will have even more projects to share with products from this catalog so be sure to come back!

Pop Up Posies Candy Wrappers

Happy 2013!!!  I hope that your new year is off to a wonderful start and that this year bring your lots of happiness and prosperity.

Today I promised to share the details of the candy wrappers I made for the blog hop.  So here we go:

Colors: Pool Party and Crumb Cake.  All items from the Pop Up Posies Designer Series Kit.

This one was really, really easy.  All I did was measure the size of the candy -- in this case, I used Hershey Nuggets which were the perfect size at 1" to fit inside the tag.  I lined up my tag centered on one of the lines on my Simply Scored and scored 1/2" to each side of that center line. You can see from this picture on the bottom that I didn't do anything else fancy at all.

After that, I just put the candy in the middle and wrapped the tag around it.  I punched a whole in the top through both sides and used the brad from the flower to secure the "box" closed.  So simple and so easy. I was thinking these would look so cute on the table for a wedding shower or spring brunch. 

And the second one:

Colors: Summer Starfruit, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla. Punches: Large Oval.  Accessories: Pop Up Posies Kit, Summer Starfruit stitched ribbon and Very Vanilla Seam Binding.

For this one.  I took two tags from the Pop Up Posies Kit and scored them on one end where the square notches are.  Then I adhered them together to make a pouch.  You can kind of get the idea from this picture from the bottom how I did that:

I placed two Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares in the middle and to close the top, I punched a whole used the ribbon.  For the flower, I did something a little different. The "cups" to make this flower are Very Vanilla, but I wanted to add some more color to them.  So I inked them up with the Summer Starfruit ink pad to match the beautiful brad that comes in the kit.  You can see the "cups" look like cupcake wrappers so the ink shows up more on the ridges.  What do you think?

Just a reminder that today is the last day to order from the Holiday Catalog so if there is anything on your list you still need, give me a call today.  Come back on Friday to get all the details on the card I made for the blog hop. See you then!