My two oldest grandgirls wanted a new art project to do today.  I opened my craft cupboard and found 2 styrofoam cones.  That's when I remembered seeing the back of the new upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog.  Viola!  They took my pile of retired cardstock scraps and started punching circles.  They adhered them with glue dots, which isn't permanent, but good enough for a child's project.  The project on the mini catalog used brads to adhere the circles.

Here's a close up of their finished projects and a very small picture of the inspiration project on the mini catalog.

And here are the proud artists with their creations!  Not bad for 6 1/2 and 3 years old!

Tags: Holidays, Punches

On June 6 and 7, I held my Hostess & Club Members Appreciation Event.  This is one of my favorite events each year because it gives me a chance to give back to my customers who have supported my business all year.  Here are the projects that they made:

This card featured pansies made from the 119848 Butterfly XL Punch, along with these items 116968 Favorite Thoughts stamp set, 114511 Little Leaves Sizzlits Die, 115964 Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder.

This card featured 117657 Motorcycle and 119976 Square Lattice embossing folder.

Featured in this card was the 118611 Elements of Style Stamp Set and 119976 Square Lattice embossing folder.

This card used the Level 1 Hostess stamp set "It's the Thought", 117335 Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, 119859 Oval XL Punch and 119853 Eyelet Border Punch.

115963 Finial Press embossing folder,118309 Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, 119851 Curvy Label XL Punch and 117056 Itty Bitty Bits stamp set.

It was wonderful to see everyone and have time to chat and catch up with each other's lives.  Let me know if you are interested in joning my Stamp Club, Scrapbook Club, Big Shot Club or Technique Club.  I can send you more information.

Tags: Bigt Shot, Punches, Stamping

I had a swap for the Stamp Share for Leaders meeting on May 16.  When I saw the 120072 Rough Type ($18.95) alphabet stamp set in the Summer Mini Catalog, I knew I had to buy it.  I'm the antique and vintage lover. 

Supplies Used: 

Cardstock:  Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue

Accessories:  Chocolate Chip Ink, Star Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Bashful Blue 1" Double-Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Sizzix Square Lattice Embossing Folder

Tags: Big Shot, Punches, Stamping

During late April and early May, my most popular class was my "Here Birdy" class.  Everyone who attended made these projects using the 117191 XL Two Step Bird Punch ($15.95).  I'm loving this punch more and more!

The shabby chic card.

The tulip card (using 3 bird wings).

The lattice card.

The brayered card.

My late night discovery card.  I stamped the bird image from Friends 24-7 stamp set on the Whisper White cardstock.  Then I stamped the bird image again on Vellum Cardstock.  Let it dry and guess what????  It cuts about 98% of the bird image perfectly!  Yahoo!!!! 

I adhered the vellum bird image with a Pop Up Glue Dot, which looks like it's wing.

The bird house treat holder using the 117310 Mini Milk Carton Sizzix die ($32.95).

This last card wasn't part of the class, but one I played around with.  I used the 110755 Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive ($3.95) and adhere the bird and branch on the vanilla cardstock.  Then I put it through the Sizzix 119976 Square Lattice Embossing Folder ($7.95).  So then I just put about two inches of the bottom of the card also in the Square Lattice Embossing Folder.  Usually my experiments don't turn out the first time, but this one worked!

Tags: Big Shot, Punches, Stamping

At my March Downline Stampin’ DIVA Day, we made projects using the Elements of Style stamp set.  I was fortunate to get this stamp set free when I attended Leadership in January. 

I decided to use up my leftover precut cardstock supplies from stamp-a-stacks, technique clubs and card buffets.  This was a fun challenge for me to look at the cardstock and decide how to use the stamp set.  This stamp set screams Victorian or shabby chic styles to me, but these samples aren’t those styles at all.

(hmm…weird black line came from where?)

Stamp Set:  Elements of Style

Ink:  Basic Black

Cardstock:  Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White

Accessories:  Sizzix Big Shot, Sizzix Texturz plates #4, Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslits Die, 3/4" Real Red Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon

Stamp Set:  Elements of Style

Ink:  Basic Gray

Cardstock:  Apricot Appeal, Basic Gray, Very Vanilla,Sage Shadow, Nouveau Chic Designer Series Paper

Accessories:  Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Designer Label Punch, Large Oval Punch, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Sizzix Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die

Stamp Set:  Elements of Style, Thank You Kindly

Ink:  Soft Suede

Cardstock:  Dusty Durango, Summer Sun, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla

Accessories:  1 3/4" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch

Stamp Set:  Elements of Style

Ink:  VersaMark, Always Artichoke

Cardstock:  Barely Banana, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla

Accessories:  Heat Tool, Gold Embossing Powder, Gold Brads, Small Oval Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Dimensionals, Sizzix Big Shot, Sizzix Scallop Circle Die, Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Stamp Set:  Elements of Style

Ink:  Garden Green, Gable Green

Cardstock:  Garden Green, Gable Green, Very Vanilla

Accessories:  Round Tab Punch, Very Vanilla 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals

Stamp Set:  Elements of Style

Ink:  Versamark, Black Stazon

Cardstock:  Lovely Lilac, Brushed Gold, Very Vanilla, Cardstock Vellum

Accessories:  Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Watercolor Crayons, Blender Pens, Sizzix Big Shot, Sizzix Scallop Circle Die, Glue Stick

Stamp Set:  Elements of Style

Ink:  Real Red

Cardstock:  Real Red, Very Vanilla

Accessories:  3/4" Square Punch, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Dimensionals, Mat Pack, Paper Piercing Tool

Stamp Set:  Elements of Style and All Holidays

Ink:  Versamark, Not Quite Navy

Cardstock:  Bordering Blue, Not Quite Navy

Accessories:  Silver Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Spritzing Tool, Not Quite Navy Marker, Styled Silver Hodge Podge Hardware, Mat pack, Piercing tool, Cutter Kit (distressing tool)

This stamp set will be in the Summer Mini Catalog, which is available May 1-August 31, 2010.  So you can just drool over this set for a while, then contact me to order it!  It is a much more versatile stamp set than I originally thought.