My Inky Friends 2018 Holiday Catalog Showcase

So happy to be hopping with the Inky Friends and showing off the fabulous products from the 2018 Holiday Catalog.  I love so many things in this book.  It was really hard for me to pick what I would feature in this hop.  But I settled on the Cauldron Bubble Bundle.

I'm one that can really take or leave Halloween.  Some years I go all out and decorate for it.  Other years I just ignore it.  But when I saw the witch in the Cauldron Bubble Stamp set, I fell in love.  I don't know how many years I dressed up as a witch for Halloween as a kid.  I know my mom made me at least two black witch dresses so that means it was likely four years in a row.  And the witch in this set just reminds me of a cute dress up witch.  Isn't she adorable?

Colors: Basic Black, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green,  Smokey Slate, Rich Razzleberry and Blackberry Bliss.  Stamps: Cauldron Bubble.  Big Shot: Cauldron Framelits,  Stitched Shapes and Layering Ovals.  Accessories: Toil and Trouble Designer Series Paper, Stampin' Blends, Metallics Sequin Assortment.

The other fabulous thing about this bundle is how well the Framelits match up with the Designer Series Paper.  For this Hand Sanitizer Holder, I cut the witches hat and the cat out of the Designer Series Paper with the Framelits.

Colors: Gorgeous Grape, Basic Black, and Daffodil Delight.  Stamp: Cauldron Bubble.  Big Shot: Cauldron Framelits, Stitched Shapes and Layering Circles.  Accessories: Toil and Trouble Designer Series Paper, and Basic Black  3/8" shimmer ribbon. 

For this banner, I used the new Black Foil Sheets that are also featured in the Suite to cut out the letters and the webs.  The witch, cat and cauldron were cut out the Designer Series Paper with the Framelits again.  The Ghost was stamped and shaded with Stampin' Blends.  Click on the picture to  get a better look at the details.

Colors: Basic Black, Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green, Cajun Craze, Whisper White, Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie.  Stamps: Cauldron Bubble.  Big Shot, Cauldron Framelits.  Accessories: Stampin' Blends, Toil and Trouble Designer Series Paper, Black Foil Sheets, 1/8" Whisper White Sheer Ribbon, and Gorgeous Grape 1/4" mini striped ribbon.

I hope you have fallen in love with the Cauldron Bubble Bundle and Toil and Trouble Suite as much as I have.  Be sure to check out all the stops along the hop for more fabulous projects featuring items from the Holiday Catalog.  You can also check out the My Inky Friends website for more information and for some fun challenges.  Happy Stamping!

My Inky Friends:

Cindy Elam: Heart's Delight Cards
Mary Haugen: Center Stage Stamping
Twila Davis: Stamp A Little Longer
Mickey Roberts: Paper Conversation
Sarah Willis: Sarah's Ink Spot
Rhonda Griffin: The Stampin' Bunny
Tanya Boser: Tinkerin' in Ink
Sharlene Luciano: Stamp with Shar
Betty Traciak: Kitty Stamps
Paula Wright: Stampin' with Paula

Wood Rose Hamburger Box

A couple of weeks back, I showed a project I made with the Hamburger Box die on The Stamp Review Crew Blog Hop.  Today I have another one for you:

Colors: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Coral Calypso, Crisp Cantaloupe, and Pear Pizzazz.  Stamps: Hardwood and Perfect Pennants.  Big Shot: Hamburger Box Bigz XL and Spiral Flower Originals. Punch: Fun Flower.  Accessories: Tea Lace Doilies, Coral Calypso Seam Binding Ribbon.  

I haven't had a chance to use the Spiral Cut Flower die in the past few months.  Here I cut two of them out: one out of Coral Calypso and one out of Crisp Cantaloupe.  Then I wound them up together (after breaking up the paper fibers with a bone folder) to make a single rose monochromatic rose.  it was still missing something, so I added some leaves by punching just a section of the Fun Flower punch.

This is just one of the projects being offered at my August Stampin' Buffet.  It would be perfect to fill with a little treat for your child's teacher for Back to School or really, it works for so many occasions.  Sign up to come to my class today!

This is also a great time to mention that starting on Friday, August 1, Stampin' Up! is offering a special on the Big Shot. If you purchase one during the month of August, you can choose from one of 5 different stamp set/framelit bundles absolutely free! And if you already own a Big Shot, you can still purchase the bundles (not offered in the current catalog) at a 15% savings.   I will have more details on this offer next week.  

New Fry Box Bigz L Die

The new catalog features both a new hamburger box die and a new french fry box die.  I knew I wanted to get one of these for my customers to try out at my All-You-Can-Stamp Buffet, but I debated back and forth over which one to choose.   Finally, I picked the fry box:

Colors: Bermuda Bay and Tangelo Twist.  Stamps: Work of Art and Regarding Dahlias.  Big Shot: Fry Box Bigz L.  Punches: Banner and Hexagon.  Accessories: Bermuda Bay 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon.

So glad I picked this die.  It is so simple to put together and so cute! It was very popular at the class with lots of people making several for their coworkers or neighbors.  Love projects like that! I probably will still get the Hamburger Box die eventually, but for now, this will do.

Don't forget that Friday is the Stampin' Addict New Catalog Blog Hop.  You won't want to miss this one.  We'll see you then!

Farewell to the Lattice Die

When the retirement lists came out on Monday, one of the areas of the catalog hardest hit was the Big Shot.  We are losing a lot of Bigz, Bigz XL, Sizzlits, and even a few embossing folders.  One of those items is the Lattice Bigz die.  This die cuts a very beautiful shape and I have been guilty of not using it nearly enough over the years it has been current. 

I must have had a little ESP when I was creating cards for my Spring Fling Stampin' Buffet because I made a card with this die.  It was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest and that person credited Dawn Olchefske with the original idea.

Colors: Pool Party, Very Vanilla.  Stamps: Express Yourself.  Big Shot: Window Frame Collection Framelits, Lattice Bigz Die.  Accessories: Pearl Jewels, Vanilla Seam Binding, Vellum Card stock.

Isn't it perfect how well the Lattice Die fits inside that Window Frame Framelits?  It's a beautiful card for almost any occasion. 

Yesterday, I had another idea for a similar card to show this fun layer to my club gals.  This is what I came up with:

Colors: Whisper White and Marina Mist.  Stamps: Perfectly Penned.  Big Shot: Windows Frame Collection Framelits, Lattice Bigz Die and Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Punch: Itty Bitty Punch Pack.  Accessories: Pearl Jewels, Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper. 

This card features a lot more retiring product: Perfectly Penned Stamp Set, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Lattice Bigz Die and the Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper.  I will miss all of these, but quite possibly, I will miss the Itty Bitty Punch Pack the most.  I use that set all the time to make cute little flowers.  If you don't have it in your collection, now is the time to get it before it sells out!

All retiring items, including stamps, are only available while supplies last so hurry and place your order today.  You can also take advantage of FREE SHIPPING through April 25.  You can see all the items on the retirement lists here:

RETIRING STAMPS

RETIRING ACCESSORIES

You can also just head on over to my ONLINE STORE and click "Shop" button under my name on the top right.  Once you get to the store, there is a separate category for retiring products on the left menu.  Remember, all items are included in the FREE SHIPPING offer on the site so take advantage of the savings store wide.

Come back on Friday for a Stampin' Addicts Blog Hop featuring several retiring products.  I will be showcasing my favorite set from the retirement list: Happy Day.  Hope to see you then!

Fringed Bow Box

More details today on the Fringed Bow Box from last weekend's Stampin' Addicts Winter Holiday Blog Hop.  First, here's a reminder of what it looked like:

And here it is from a different angle.

Colors: Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Smoky Slate and Whisper White.  Stamps: Greetings of the Season (Holiday Carryover list). Big Shot: Gift Bow Bigz L Die.  Accessories: Bermuda Bay 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Winter Frost Designer Series Paper Stack, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, & Tag A Box Gift Box.

Just a couple of things to point out about this.  First, to make this bow I cut three of the larger double loops.  Then I folded the loops into the middle and cut each loop several times.  This will crease the loops.  To get them to look less creased, I just pushed the fringed pieces back towards the center.  I used my hot glue gun (we have such a love/hate relationship) and glued all the pieces together, including adding the ribbon.

Second, I feel the need to point out how perfect the Designer Series Paper Stack pieces work with these Tag A Box Gift Boxes. Almost like it was planned that way.  One piece from the stack makes the perfect cover for these boxes.  I just scored it 1-1/16" on each side and it makes the perfect cover for the box.  Scoring at 1-1/16" is a little tricky, but you just move the paper over so the edge is half way between the edge of your Simply Scored and the first 1/8" mark and then score at 1-1/8". 

It's hard to tell from the picture, but I did emboss the tag in Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder to add to the festive feel of this gift box.  This stamp is from the Greetings of the Season stamp set that isn't in either of the current catalogs.  It carried over from last year along with a few other Holiday stamps that aren't in any of the catalogs.  You can see them all here: 2013 Holiday Carryover List.

Thinlits Card Dies

I can't believe it is nearly the end of August.  Where has the time gone?  And I've kind of been a slacker this week.  We were offered a last minute spot at a different school for my 10 year old son last Thursday so he restarted fifth grade on Monday.  This leaves me home with my 8 year old all day until he goes back on track in 12 days (but who is counting right?).  And we're toying with buying a new car so that means I've entered full OCD mode and have spent entirely too much time looking at cars online the past few days.  We better buy one soon so I can get back to my life.

But you didn't come here to hear about my life, you came here to see something creative. So because I was I didn't post on Monday, I am sharing not one, but two cards with you today featuring the brand new Thinlits Card Dies that make swing cards a breeze!

First, what it looks like closed:

Colors: Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, Very Vanilla and Basic Black.  Stamps: Tags 4 You and Halloween Hello.  Big Shot: Lable Card Thinlits and Labels Framelits Collections.  Punch: Label Bracket and 1-3/4" Circle Punch. Accessories: Witches' Brew Designer Series Paper.

 Then, when you open the card up, that piece in the middle flips around to look like this:

It's been years since I have made one of these swing cards.  They just took too much effort.  But with these new Thinlits for the Big Shot, they are quick and simple and look fabulous! They come in two different shapes: Label (shown above) and Circle.

So what do the circle ones look like?  Here is my take on a card that Shelli Gardner showed on the mainstage at convention that is a little more stepped up:

Colors: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, and Whisper White. Stamps: Halloween Hello.  Big Shot: Circle Thinlits and Circle Framelits.  Punches: Bracket and Decorative Label.  Accessories:  Witches' Brew Designer Series Paper and Washi Tape, Black Stampin' Glitter, and Whisper White Bakers Twine.

And here is what it  looks like open.

Kind of fun how the little bat spins around on the bakers twine.  One of the best things about these Thinlits is they come with a bunch of accessory pieces to enhance your card.  I didn't use many of those pieces on these cards and unfortunately, these are not shown in any of the catalogs.  But you can check out all the details on this flyer:

And now to top off my other slacker excuses, my internet has gone down twice while I was trying to post this.  Talk about the post that takes all day!  Hopefully I will have more success on Friday!

Mosaic Madness Sneak Peek

As a perk for being a Senior Supervisor, every time a new preorder comes around, I get to purchase a select bundle of products at 40% off.  This time it was select products from the new Quatre Fancy Suite. I finally took some time yesterday to play with it and this is what I made:

Colors: Strawberry Slush, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight and Whisper White.  Stamps: Mosaic Madness, Really Good Greetings.  Big Shot: Modern Mosaic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Windows Collection Framelits. Punch: 2-1/2" Circle Punch.  Accessories: Quatrefancy Specialty Designer Series Paper, Rhinestone Jewels, Festive Paper Piercing Template, Versamark. 

To make this card, first I took a piece of Island Indigo Card Stock and ran it through the Big Shot with the new Mosaic Madness Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  But I wanted to add a little more depth to the paper so I grabbed my Versamark Stamp Pad and rubbed it over the top of the texture to make it pop out more.   Then I went back with the Mosaic Madness stamp set and stamped in the "middle" (well almost he middle in some cases) of the larger openings. 

There is a coordinating punch that goes with this suite, but I was a little disappointed that it doesn't fit inside the embossing folder impressions.  But it is still nice to have a suite of products that beautifully coordinate together.  It has to be my favorite thing about Stampin' Up!

I also used a new greeting set called Really Good Greetings here.  It's a great set with lots of fun greetings, some of them a little more sassy than this one.  But I love this sentiment because it is something I truly believe: everything will be OK even if we can't see what OK is yet.

Finally, the card needed some embellishments so I added the rhinestones.  I wanted to use a button or something but I didn't have any new ones and I haven't had time to play with the new clay that is coming out soon and make one to match.  Hopefully next week.  That will give you something to anticipate.

Daydream Medallions

I just realized I had a couple more projects from my class last month that I still haven't shared here on my blog.  Last night, I was making up the extras of this card so I could send one to my aunt whose birthday is tomorrow:

Colors: Primrose Petal, Summer Starfruit, Very Vanilla, Gumball Green.  Stamps: Daydream Medallions and Perfect Punches.  Big Shot: Floral Frames Framelits.  Punches: XL Oval.  Accessories: Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack and In Color Dahlias. 

Daydream Medallions was another set we received at convention last year that I haven't used very much.  I bought the matching framelits as well, but they have been a little neglected too.  So I knew I wanted to use them for a card for my class. 

This card also features the Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack.  I love this little pack of paper.  I ordered it when the Spring Catalog first came out but I have been hoarding it because it is so pretty.  I finally decided I'd better actually use some of it before the Spring Catalog ends.   The papers are 4-1/2" x 6-1/2" and half a sheet fits perfectly on a card.  If you haven't checked this fun paper out, you need to soon.

Sale-A-Bration: The End is Near!

Sale-A-Bration ends this Friday, March 22.  So if you haven't already taken advantage of this great time to shop Stampin' Up!, now is the time.

I still haven't shown any projects with this Bloomin' Marvelous stamp set that is only available during Sale-A-Bration:

Colors: Not Quite Navy, Pool Party, So Saffron, Whisper White.  Stamps: Bloomin' Marvelous and Occasions Alphabet.  Big Shot: Apothecary Accents Framelits, Honeycomb Texture Impressions Embossing Folder.  Punches: Bitty Butterfly, Elegant Butterfly, Large Oval.  Accesories: Core'dinations Card Stock, Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Rhinestone Jewles, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack.

This card was loosely based on a card I saw on Stampin' Connections by Diane Vander Galien.  I changed up the colors and the butterfly images and added a different greeting.  This Bloomin' Marvelous comes with some really cute sayings but I needed this to be for my birthday class so I used a different one.  I love the Occasions Alphabet stamp set because it has 26 different fun greetings in it.

I do have an order going in this Friday if you are interested in taking advantage of Sale-A-Bration and combined shipping.  Just let me know.  You can also jump on over to my online store and shop to your hearts content there.  Just do it before Friday so you get your free items.  Don't miss out!

Whirly Pinwheels

For some reason, March is always associated with windy days.  Remember making kites in March as a child?  Well, today, I don't have kites to share, I have pinwheels.  The Spring Catalog features a little sizzlet die that cuts the perfect cute pinwheel.  Here I have put two of them on a card:

Colors: Wisteria Wonder, Coral Calypso, Lucky Limeade and Whisper White , Crumb Cake.  Stamps: Itty Bitty Banners. Big Shot: Pinwheel Sizzlet S Die, Tasteful Trim Bigz XL, Cloudy Day Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Accessories: Brads, In Color Prints Pack Designer Series Paper.

This is loosely based on a card I saw on pinterest.  I love the textured clouds behind the pinwheels.  It just adds a little something special to the card.  Once you cut the pinwheels out with your die, I found it easiest to use one of the paper piercing tools to finish punching out the holes for the brads.  You do have to carefully gather all those ends together in the brad to keep from ripping through the holes. And you can't use a larger brad because they don't work.  (Ask me how I know. :))  These pinwheels are just glued to the page so they don't turn.  I suppose you could put the brad through the paper to get them to spin, but that seemed like a lot of work.

I will be offering this card at my Birthday Bash Stampin' Buffet next Friday and Saturday, along with nine others and a few other special projects.  You won't want to miss it!

One more Valentines Card

The technology gods were not cooperative this morning while I was trying to get this blog post done.  First, the battery in my good camera died.  Then I couldn't find a card reader for the one picture I took before the battery died.  *Sigh*  Hoping this day turns around quickly.

I needed one more card for one of my clubs last month and wanted it to be a Valentines and to be simple to make, yet cute.  So we made this:

Colors: Pink Pirouette, Primrose Petal, Raspberry Ripple.  Stamps: Wacky Wishes.  Big Shot: Fancy Fan Textured Embossing Folder and Hearts Framelits.  Accessories: Raspberry Ripple and Primrose Petal Stitched Satin Ribbon, Pink Pirouette Taffeta Ribbon and Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain, Rhinestone Jewels.

Seems like I first saw this technique at Convention last summer and it's taken me six months to finally get around to sharing it with my customers and all of you here on my blog.  It is very simple to do, but also gives texture and interest to your card. I just cut the heart out of the card with the Framelit.  Then stamped the card and ran it through the texture folder.  Next, I traced the heart onto the card stock that would be underneath and covered the entire area with adhesive.  Then you simply lay alternate ribbons over the adhesive to give you a fun striped look.  I think my customers liked it and now of course, I have other ideas for it too.

Hopefully by Friday I have found my charger and my card reader.  I've started getting ready for my March Birthday Class and have several new birthday cards to share with you. Wish me luck!

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!

Sparkly Snow

The Christmas season is now in full swing.  And while I am usually a holiday ahead, right now, I still have several more Christmas projects to share. 

Colors: Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, & Very Vanilla.  Stamps: Greetings of the Season.  Big Shot: Snow Flurry Big Shot Die.  Punches: Scallop Border.  Accessories: Champagne and Silver Glimmer Paper, Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon.  

It was hard to capture just how pretty and sparkly this card is in real life.  I had a few people come to my class that just had to make a few of these after they saw it in person.  The Stampin' Up! Glimmer Paper is just gorgeous and really adds the bling to any project.

Don't forget, the Online Extravaganza continues through November 28.  I haven't featured a My Digital Studio project in a few weeks, but you all know how much I love it and right now MDS2 is 50% off.  And it is just one of about 40 different products that are 20-50% off right now.  One of the items on sale is the Scallop Edge Border Punch that is featured on this card. It is 30% off and now only $11.17. Head on over to my store to check it out!

Two Tags Mini Candy Bar Holder

My class was a week ago, but I still have lots of projects to share with you.  Today, it's the cute little Two-Tags Mini Candy Bar Holder:

Colors: Garden Green, Real Red and Whisper White. Stamps: Jolly Bingo Bits and Tiny Tags.  Big Shot: Two-Tags Bigz Die. Punches: 1-3/4" Scallop, 1-3/8", 1-1/4", and 1" Circles.  Accessories: Polka Dot Parade and Real Red 1/4"Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon.

These cute little treats were inspired by something Becky Roberts shared on her blog several months ago.  To make them, cut two of the scallop-topped tags with the Two-Tags Die.  Score each of them 1/4" from the bottom of the tag and then one of them at the bottom of the scallop.  Using sticky strip, adhere the bottom tabs together to make on long tag.  Fold along the score lines, insert a small candy bar and tie a ribbon around to hold it together.  Decorate as you please. These would be perfect for any holiday or occasion and are so easy to put together.

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you haven't blown your entire wad on this Black Friday.  Don't forget that Stampin' Up! has it's own sale going on right now.  Head on over to my online store to shop it now!

Stampin' Up! is Oozing with News!

What is the next big thing coming out of Stampin' Up!  How about several new things?  And I just can't decide what I am most excited about.

I know I have a few customers out there that love the Big Shot Textured Impressions Embossing Folders but have an electronic die cut machine already so they don't want to buy a Big Shot.  For a limited time and only while supplies last, Stampin' Up! is offering the Sizzix Textured Boutique Embossing Machine to test the waters.

The Texture Boutique works with Textured Impressions Embossing Folders to transform ordinary cardstock, paper, metallic foil, or vellum into an embossed, textured masterpiece. This machine embosses only; it does not die cut. Want to see it in action?

You have two options when purchasing the machine: a bundle that includes the machine and two Textured Impressions Embossing Folders (Flower Garden and Stripes) for $39.95; or you can just get the machine by itself for $29.95.  It would make a wonderful gift for this holiday season, but you don't want to wait too long.  Stampin' Up! only has a limited number of these available.  Contact me today if you would like to get one before they are GONE!

What else does Stampin' Up! have up it's sleeve?  How about cards that talk?

With Talking Tag, you can send a gift that is uniquely you. Talking Tag is a message label you can attach to cards, invitations, gifts . . . anything! Personalize birthday cards, Christmas gifts or even record quick instructions for a project. Now your pictures really can say a thousand words! These come in packs of 10 and are $7.95.

Still more?  Of course!  Stampin' Up! just launched it's first app for iPhones, iPods, and iPads called Simply Sent.  It's a fun new app that allows you to send personalized greetings to your friends phones, emails or other social media.  Now the sad part for me, I only have a dumb phone so I can't play with this app.  (I hope my husband is reading this since I have a birthday and Christmas coming up!  Hint! Hint!)  But my wonderful friend Missi sent me something that she put together in less than a minute this morning:

How fun is that?  Instant birthday, thank you or just because greetings sent right to your friend to make them smile.  So head on over to the iTunes App Store and do a quick search for Simply Sent.  The best part, it is FREE!!!

And not to sound like a informercial, but there is still more! Starting next Monday, Stampin' Up! is once again having it's ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA with savings up to 50% and 24-hour only doorbusters.  You will want to check back here or on my Facebook page on Monday for all the details!

Petal Cone Santa

I  knew I was going to have to offer these at a class because it turns out that I pinned it multiple times from multiple sources to on Pinterest.

Colors: Riding Hood Red, Whisper White and Garden Green, Basic Black.  Big Shot: Petal Cone L Bigz Die, Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder.  Punches: 1-1/4 and 1-3/4 Scallop Circle, Large and Scallop Oval, Cupcake and Owl, Word Window, Small Circle from Itty Bitty Shape Pack. Accessories: Sliver Glimmer Paper, Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details.

I think I traced the origin of this box to Mary at Mary's Craft Room.  I don't get nearly enough use out of this petal-cone die so I love when I find new uses for it. Pretty sure I will be making more of these for teacher and special friend gifts this holiday season.

To make the tiny holly for Santa's hat brim, I started with the Word Window punch and then took notches out of it with the small circle punch from Itty Bitty Shapes.  It might seem hard to believe that it started out that long, but it did. :)

Scentsational Season Cards

When I first saw the Holiday Mini Catalog, I admit, I wasn't very excited about the Scentsational Season Bundle.  However, it was included in the preview bundle that Sr. Supervisors could purchase at an additional discount.  And you know I can't resist a good discount.  And I'm so glad that I bought it because I have loved using it.  And I love that these cute, simple shapes don't have to be cut out because they have matching framelits.

Today I am featuring two cards made with this set:

Colors: Whisper White and Real Red.  Stamps: Snowflake Soiree and Scentsational Season. Big Shot: Windows and Holiday Collections Framlits and Polka Dot Embossing Folder.  Accessories: Bright Glitter Brads, Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper, Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Festive Paper-Piercing Pack.

This card was CASed from a card by Jennifer Weide at SunflowerStamper.  When I saw her card, I knew I wanted to make something similar, if for no other reason than I have a ton of that Red Polka Dot paper left after my Halloween Class. I added an extra candy cane to it and changed up the greeting (I just love that Merry stamps).  And since I also have a ton of Real Red Glimmer Brads left over from my Halloween Class as well (I used the other colors that come in the pack) I added them too.  To make the card more mailable, you could leave them off too.  I originally embossed these with the peppermint embossing powder but they have discontinued it due to quality issues.

Colors: Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla.  Stamps: Greetings of the Season and Scentsational Season.  Big Shot: Labels and Holiday Collection Framelits, Tasteful Trim XL Bigz.  Accessories: Festive Paper-Piercing Pack, Sugar and Spice Embossing Powder, Rhinestone Jewels, Be of Good Cheer Designer Series Paper. 

I was also trying to make this card mailable so I didn't want to add too much dimension to it.  But I did emboss it with the Sugar and Spice Embossing Powder.  It made my craft room smell so yummy!  This little gingerbread man is just so adorable.

These are just two of the cards available at my Christmas Stampin' Buffet this weekend.  The last day to RSVP is tomorrow (Tuesday, November 13) so let me know you are coming ASAP!

Christmas Frame Insert

These frame inserts have been a fun way to mark different seasons this year. So of course I had to make a Christmas-themed one. 

Colors: Very Vanilla, Gumball Green, and Cherry Cobbler. Stamps: Snowflake Soiree.  Big Shot: Window Collection Framelits; Typeset Alphabet Bigz, Snow Flurry Bigz.  Punches: Decorative Label Punch, 1-3/4" Circle, X-Large Oval, Large Oval, Butterfly, Cupcake, and Owl.  Accessories: Be of Good Cheer Designer Series Paper, Silver Glimmer Paper, & Rhinestone Jewels, White Gel Pen.

I love the look of punch art but I just don't do it enough.  I found inspiration for this Santa by looking at several other punch art Santas on Pintrest.  My original addition to it was to use the top of the butterfly punch for the mustache.  Others had used the wing from bird punch to make it, but I don't have that punch so I improvised. 

This is just one of the projects you can make at my Christmas Stampin' Buffet on November 16 or 17.  It is $6.  I am currently not offering it as a kit because I am doing a bit of traveling over Thanksgiving and I am not sure I'll be able to get them shipped in time.  But if there is a demand for them, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

And as promised (drum roll please . . .) the winner of the One Big Sale-Bration CD  full of MDS content is NANC.  So Nanc, please email me your mailing address (paulastamps@gmail.com) and I will get it right out to you!

Window Framelit Fun Fold: Take 2

Here is the promised Christmas version of my Window Framelit trifold card:

Colors: Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla.  Stamps: Scentsational Season, Family Reunion.  Big Shot: Window Collection Framelits, Banner Framelit Collection, Polk Dot Embossing Folder.  Accessories: Be of Good Cheer Designer Series Paper, Gum Ball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon, Festive Paper Piercing Pack.

How cute would it be if you opened up this card and found a cute family photo inside with a personalized greeting on it?  That was my thought when I made this card, but I haven't settled on my own personal Christmas Card yet this year.

Enjoy!