A couple of weeks ago I hosted a stamping class in the compound.  I wanted to see if there was enough interest to start teaching regular classes in the fall.  There seems to be a fair bit of interest, so now the only trick is how to get enough supplies into Saudi.  We're coming back to the US for a visit this summer, so I imagine I'll have a suitcase full of stamping supplies on the way back.  :-)

Anyway, this is the card we made at the class.  Since the majority of the ladies had never stamped before, I wanted to do something pretty simple.  This card basically consists of stamping and then punching (the flower and sentiment) and the using an embossing folder through the Big Shot.  Almost everyone was pleasantly surprised at how easy the card was to make, and they agreed that tying the knot was the hardest part of the card!

Don't forget that today is the last day to enter the drawing for $40 worth of free Stamin' Up! product!  You can see more information and enter the drawing by leaving a comment on THIS post.  There aren't very many comments yet, so your chances are pretty good.  :-)

Stamps:  Flower Shop
Ink:  Raspberry Ripple
Paper:  Raspberry Ripple, Baked Brown Sugar and Whisper White
Accessories:  Pansy Flower Punch, Decorative Label Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Square Lattic Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Whisper White grosgrain ribbon, Pearl Basic Jewels, dimensionals

Hi everyone!  I thought I would pop in, let you know what I've been up to, share one of the few cards I've stamped in the last 10 months, and offer some free product!  (Ok, and see if anyone still follows this blog, lol)

First I'll let you know where I've been. . . or rather where I am. . . in Jubail, Saudi Arabia!  Crazy, huh?  Our family relocated here with my husband's job last October (2013) and we plan on being here for a few more years.  It's been an interesting experience with ups and downs, although overall we are enjoying our time here and the opportunities that come with expat life.  I am adjusting to not driving and wearing an abaya, among other things.  If you are curious to learn more about our adventures in Saudi, you can check out my Winding My Way blog.

Now back to stamping!  I needed a wedding card, so I pulled out my stamping supplies and went to work.  It had been a long time since I had created anything, so I kept it pretty simple.  :-)

I used the Dress Up framelits for the dress as well as the dress layers.  The texture for the dress comes from the Lacy Brocade embossing folder.  I used the Ovals Collection framelits and coordinating Occasions paper-piercing pack for the Smoky Slate oval layer.  The sentiment is from the Curly Cute stamp set.  I made up a few cards to have on hand just playing around with different colors of ribbons and accessories.


Even though I am so far away, I will still be stamping!  It's taken me a little while to feel settled here, but I have committed to teaching stamping classes in my compound here starting this September.  (Of course it didn't help that 3 months after moving here we moved again to a different compound in the same city.)  So although I don't plan to post more than occasionally over the summer, I'll be back to regular stamping this fall.  :-)  

In the meantime, since there is a new catalog to celebrate (yay!) I thought it would be fun to give away some free product.  To be entered into the drawing:

1.  Leave a comment on this post no later than June 29th, 2014.
2.  If you'd like to be entered a second time, you can leave a comment on any post over at my Winding My Way blog, also no later than June 29th, 2014.

I'll randomly choose a comment on June 30th and the winner will receive a $40 Stampin Up shopping spree (US addresses only please, I'll pay the tax and shipping too).  I will contact the winner on June 30th and they will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Stamps:  Curly Cute
Ink:  Smoky Slate
Paper:  Smoky Slate and Whisper White
Accessories:  Lacy Brocade EF, Dress Up and Oval Collection framelits, Big Shot, Occasions paper-piercing pack, paper-piercing tool, rhinestones, ribbon

Hi all!  Sorry for the long absence. . . there's a big move on the horizon for our family, so between that and spending a good part of the summer visiting family I haven't been stamping much.  :-)  I'll post later more about all that, but for now on to this month's Stampin' Celebration challenge!  

This is an exciting month over at Stampin' Celebration since we have some new stampers who have been selected to join our Design Team!  So make sure to head over to the blog to see who's joined us.  There's lots of talent as well as great inspiration this month.  :-)  



It's been a while since I stamped anything, so I thought I'd go simple.  :-)   I loved the bold colors and simple style of these photos.  



I used my Pear Pizzazz and Coastal Cabana markers to ink up the flower image from the Morning Meadow (hostess) set.  (Side note:  I just love the hostess sets in the current catalog!)  Although the picture doesn't really show it, I added Crystal Effects on just the flowers for a little dimension and shine.  The rhinestones add even more bling.  :-)  

To get the little 'notch' in the Basic Gray layer, I used the edge of one of the framelits from the Apothecary Accents set:  



I ran it through the Big Shot twice--once on each end.  The card below uses the colors Calypso Coral and (again) Pear Pizzazz.  I enjoy making sets of cards that I can give as gifts. . . fairly simple and easy to change the colors up.  I'll make a few more of each of these, a couple in Wisteria Wonder, and I'll have a gift ready to go.  :-)  



Now it's your turn to play along with us at Stampin' Celebration. And also remember to take a look at what the other design team members created! 


You have until Sept 25th to play along. And don't forget to check back on the 15th for some more inspiration. :-) 

To follow along on this month's Blog Hop, simply click the links below:

 
Hi all!  It's time for another Stampin' Celebration challenge.  Look at the fun inspiration piece we have this month: 


I love butterflies, so that picture caught my eye immediately.  :-)  I also like the variety and combination of what I would call 'bold pastel' colors, so I tried to incorporate those as well. 

I used the Elegant Butterfly punch and the new Bitty Butterfly punch (from the Sping Catalog).  Some have a layer of vellum over the top, some have rhinestones, down the middle, and some are covered with Dazzling Diamonds glitter (using Mulitpurpose Adhesive Sheets).  Most are stamped with the Papillon Potpourri stamp (using Versamark) and a couple are pieces of Designer Paper. 

The background was made using the Fancy Fan Folder Embossing Die, and Perfect Plum 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon is tied around. 


We'd love to have you play along with us this month at Stampin' Celebration! You have until March 25th to link your creation (a card, 3D item, digital item, scrapbook layout, etc.) to the Stampin' Celebration blog and be in the running for the "Pick of the Party" at the end of the month.

And remember to check back on the 15th to see what the sketch challenge is for this month!  We can't wait to see what Stampin' Celebration inspires you to create!


Stamps:  Papillion Potpourri
Ink:  Versamark Ink
Paper:  Marina Mist, Perfect Plum, So Saffron, Rose Red, Wild Wasabi, Vellum, random DSP, and Whisper White
Accessories:  Elegant Butterfly punch, Bitty Butterfly punch, linen thread, 3/8" Perfect Plum Taffeta Ribbon, rhinestones, Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Big Shot, dimensionals

 
Stampin' Up's premiere promotion of the year has started!  Sale-A-Bration is here, and this card showcases one of the stamp sets--called Feeling Sentimental--that is available for free with a $50 purchase. 

I needed a birthday card for my grandpa, so I set to work with this stamp set.  I also wanted to participate in the SUO challenge--using your 'New Toys'. 


The image is inked with Early Espresso, and I also sponged (and distressed) all the edges with the same color.  I added some of the new Natural 7/16" Trim Ribbon and one of the new Silver Basics Designer Buttons.  I really like both of these products.  The buttons are nice because they are thin, they don't add too much 'up' to your card. 

Thanks for coming by!  Remember that there are several ways to party during Sale-A-Bration:

Shop:  With each $50 purchase you can choose an item (for FREE!) from the Sale-A-Bration catalog. 

Host:  Have a party with your friends and earn Sale-A-Bration freebies!  With a $150 order you get (in addition to all the normal benefits) a package of Silver Glimmer Paper.  With a $400 order you get the Glimmer Paper PLUS a product bundle. 

Join:  When you join the Stampin Up family during Sale-A-Bration, you get 25% more product for free in your starter kit.  Whether you are looking for a discount on your product or a new career, Stampin Up has a place for you! 

If you have any question, don't hesitate to ask.  :-) 

Stamps:  Feeling Sentimental, Essentials
Ink:  Early Espresso
Paper:  Very Vanilla, First Edition Specialty DSP
Accessories:  Natural Trim Ribbon, Silver Basics Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Stampin' Distress Tool, Bitty Banners Framelits, Big Shot, dimensionals

Anyway, you can see that I took the snowflake theme, the pink and blue and ran with that.  I figure my son will use the blue ones and my daughter will use the pink ones.  I used the Note Cards (finished size is 3 1/2" by 5") that come pre-scored 20 to a package, with envelopes, for $5.95.  I used by Snow Flurry die and Big Shot to cut out the snow flakes. 


After I cut out the snowflakes from the Silver Shimmer Paper, I sponged coordinating ink onto the snowflake.  Plenty of shimmer still shines through! 


There are a couple sneak peeks here from the Spring Catalog that goes live in just a couple days (Jan 3rd): the stamp set, called Essentials, and the Large Rhinestones.  Look at the pretty bling.  :-) 


Simple, huh?  :-)   We'd love to have you play along with us this month at Stampin' Celebration! You have until January 25th to link your creation (a card, 3D item, digital item, scrapbook layout, etc.) to the Stampin' Celebration blog and be in the running for the "Pick of the Party" at the end of the month. We can't wait to see what Stampin' Celebration inspires you to create!

Made it all the way to Day number 12 of the '12 Days of Christmas'!  This is another one of the cards from a Stamp-A-Stack class.  This is an idea that I've seen lots of different places and just made my own version of it. 

The rectangles of Naturals White card stock are (top) 1 3/4" by 1 5/8" and (bottom) 3" by 1 5/8".  I sponged around the edges to add some definition, and added a Glimmer Brad for the door knob. 

For the wreath, the largest wreath is created by punching first with the 1 3/8" Circle Punch and then with the 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch.  For the smaller wreath, I stamped with Gumball Green, punched the middle out with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch, and then ran it through the Big Shot with one of the framelits from the Floral Frames collection. 

The wreath was spritzed with a mix of Frost White Shimmer paint and rubbing alcohol, and the bow was added with a glue dot. 

I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season with family and those you love! 

Stamps:  Day Dream Medallions
Ink:  Gumball Green, Soft Suede (for sponging)
Paper:  Naturals White, Gumball Green
Accessories:  Floral Frames Framelits, Big Shot, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Basics Glimmer Brads, Raspberry Ripple Stitched Satin Ribbon, Frost White Shimmer Paint (mixed with rubbing alcohol), sponge, dimensionals

 
 
Day 11 of the '12 Days of Christmas'!  Today I have two cards to show you that both use the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set and coordinating Holiday Ornaments Framelits collection. 
 
The first card is one that we made at a Stampers Club meeting.  The Designer Paper is from the Festival of Prints DSP stack (where else?!) and the Lucky Limeade Circle was cut out using the Bigz Clear Circle Die (just now realized that is no longer available in the catalog!) and is about a 3 3/4" circle.  The circle is also sprayed with a combination of Frost White Shimmer Paint and Rubbing Alcohol to give it a subtle sparkle. 
 
Stamps:  Ornament Keepsakes, More Merry Messages
Ink:  Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler
Paper:  Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Festival of Prints DSP Stack
Accessories:  Holiday Ornaments Framelits, Clear Bigz Circle Die, Big Shot, Very Vanilla 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Frost White Shimmer Paint (mixed with rubbing alcohol), Rhinestone Jewels, dimensionals
 
 
This card is one that I had designed as an option for my Stamp-A-Stack classes, but it ended up not making the cut.  :-)  Pretty simple, just takes a little time to do the paper piercing around the edges. 

The 'strings' that the ornaments are hanging from were drawn using a ruler and one of the new Silver Stampin' Dazzle Markers. 
 
Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler, Silver Stampin' Dazzle Marker
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Silver Shimmer Paper
Accessories:  Holiday Ornaments Framelits, Big Shot, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Rhinestone Jewels, White Baker's Twine, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack, Paper-Piercing Tool, dimensionals 

Back again with another Christmas card!  This is another card from one of my Stamp-A-Stack classes this fall.  This card is really pretty simple to make--the only time consuming part was the paper piercing.  Although I love having all the new paper-piercing templates because they make it so easy to have perfectly lined up holes.  :-) 

This card uses the Evergreen stamp set found in the Holiday Mini Catalog and the More Merry Messages stamp set from the big Catalog.  I hand-cut the banner ends on the sentiment. 

See you tomorrow for Day 10 of the '12 Days of Christmas'. 

Stamps:  Evergreen, More Merry Messages
Ink:  River Rock, Always Artichoke
Paper:  Always Artichoke, River Rock, Whisper White
Accessories:  Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Big Shot, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, dimensionals

I think I'm finally done with Christmas shopping!  Nothing like waiting until the last minute.  :-)  How about you?  When did/will you finish your shopping? 

This is another card from one of my Stamp-A-Stack classes.  Several people commented on how much easier it was to make this cards than they thought it would be.  The Cherry Cobbler layer is the new Core'dinations card stock that was run through the Big Shot with the new Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder.  I didn't sand mine down very much after embossing, but you can gently sand it to bring out more of the middle (lighter color) of the paper to give more contrast. 

A tip--when you add the Dazzling Details to the card (the 'snow' under the sleigh) make sure it doesn't touch where you have stamped--otherwise it will run the ink! 

Stamps:  Open Sleigh, More Merry Messages
Ink:  Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla
Accessories:  Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Early Espresso Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Dazzling Details, sanding block, Core'dinations dust buddy, dimensionals

Can you believe it's already December 15th?  Are you ready for your holiday celebrations yet?  I'm definitely still working on getting ready for mine! 

So I have to confess that this is a card I actually made a couple years ago. . . but I found it in my files and thought it went along with the Stampin' Celebration theme this month.  So this is your reminder to play along with us at Stampin' Celebration this month.  Link your creation to the Stampin' Celebration so we can see your project.


This card is was fun to make because you make the tree out of a literally a scrap of fabric.  All you need is a little square of fabric--2" by 2"--and a slightly smaller piece of Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet (MAS).  Here I used the Deck the Halls Designer Fabric.  Peel off one side of the MAS and stick it to the back of the fabric.  Run that through the Big Shot with the Scallop Squares Due Bigz die (the smaller square).  The you cut your scallop square into 4 triangle, peel off the second backing of the MAS and stick the fabric to your card creating your tree.  It's like a fabric sticker.  :-) 

And, if you don't already have some of the Deck the Halls Designer Fabric, you can actually find it on the Clearance Rack right now for 99 cents!  While you are there, check out all the new items--over 300--that have been added as part of a Clearance Rack Blitz.  For the first time ever, there are stamp sets on the Clearance Rack!  Don't already have a demonstrator to shop with?  You can go to http://allison.stampinup.net and click on "shop now" in the top right corner. 

See you tomorrow for Day 5 of my '12 Days of Christmas' series! 

Stamps: Four the Holidays 
Ink:  Always Artichoke
Paper:  River Rock, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake
Accessories:  Deck the Halls Designer Fabric, Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets, Scallop Squares Duo Bigz Die, Big Shot, Glimmer Brads, Silver Glass Stampin' Glitter, Always Artichoke Seam Binding Ribbon
 

Day number 3!  I really like the way this card turned out.  I love the traditional colors and tree mixed with a little more of a clean/modern feel.  This also happens to be another one of the cards that we made at one of my Stamp-A-Stack classes. 
 
This card uses one of my favorite products from the Holiday Catalog--the Festival of Prints DSP Stack (found on page 20).  I never would have purchased that little stack of paper except for the fact that I saw it being used at convention.  Now I've almost made it through 4 of the stacks--So you'll definitely being seeing more projects using it in the next while.  :-) 

Another item of note is the use of framelits on this card.  Framelits are one of those things that I can't believe I used to stamp without--they make cutting out images SO easy, and require much less storage space than punches.  I've used both this Scentasational Season stamp set and the coordinating Holiday Collection framelits a lot this year! 

Check back tomorrow for day number 4 of my '12 Days of Christmas'! 

Stamps:  Scentsational Season, More Merry Messages
Ink:  Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight
Paper:  Festival of Prints DSP Stack, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Accessories:  Holiday Collection Framelits Dies, Big Shot, Cherry Cobbler Scallop Dots Ribbon (turned upside down), Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, White Baker's Twine

The second day of my '12 Days of Christmas' series!  This simple card shows off the new Holiday Frame Embossing Folder from the Mini Catalog.  Layered on top of that is one of the frames from the Designer Frames Folders set.  I simply tore along the edges of the frame and used some dimensionals to layer. 

The sentiment comes from More Merry Messages, and I hand cut the banner edges and then ran the edge of my Always Artichoke marker along the edges of the banner to give a little more definition. 

I punched River Rock card stock with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch to get that cute little scallop edge on the top and bottom.  And some seam binding ribbon and that's it!  This was a card that we made at one of my Stamp-A-Stack classes.  I love the elegance of the Holiday Frames EF, and I am planning to try to make this same card (different colors) as a wedding card.  We'll see how it turns out! 

See you tomorrow! 

Stamps:  More Merry Messages
Ink:  Always Artichoke
Paper:  Always Artichoke, River Rock, Whisper White
Accessories:  Holiday Frame Embossing Folder, Designer Frames Folders, Always Artichoke Seam Binding, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, dimensionals

Well it's been fun but crazy past couple weeks!  I've had Stamp-A-Stack classes, a class at my church, a craft bazaar at my daughter's preschool, and my regular Stamper's Club--a whirlwind of stamping.  :-)  So that means I have been stamping a lot and have lots of projects to share with you!  Most of what I've been doing is Christmas-related, so I thought it would be fun to do a '12 Days of Christmas' series on my blog.  So for the next 12 days I'm going to schedule a post with a Christmas project.  Just in case any of you are last minute crafters and need ideas--or for those who like to plan ahead for next year! 

 
The idea for this tree frame actually came from the Holiday Catalog--the gift bag on page 7.  I thought that was such a cute idea, although I figured if I went to that much work I wanted it to be framed, instead of on a bag that would probably be tossed.  :-)   I simplified a little and changed things up just a bit. 


These frames actually ended up being quite simple to make, and I made them with a group of ladies who have never stamped before--they were pleasantly surprised at how easy these were to put together. 

A couple notes of notes. . . When punching the 'wreath' and the star out of the middle of the scallop circle, start with the inside (smallest punch) first and then punch the outside (largest) second.  It is much easier to line up that way!  And, all of the Cherry Cobbler was sprayed with a mix of Frost White Shimmer Paint and rubbing alcohol. 

See you tomorrow for the 2nd Day of Christmas! 

Stamps:  More Merry Messages
Ink:  Early Espresso
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Be of Good Cheer DSP
Accessories:  1 1/4" Scallop Circle Punch and Merry Minis Punch Pack (both new in the Holiday Mini Catalog), 3/4" Circle punch, Circles #2 Origionals die (for the larger Early Espresso Circle), Big Shot, Naturals Designer Buttons, Hemp Twine, Certainly Celery button (discontinued), Cherry Cobbler ribbon (discontinued), glue dots, dimensionals, 8X10 frame

December is here!  I love this time of year and all of the traditions, celebrations, and extra time with family and loved ones.   Although, it's hard to believe that another year is almost done!  
 
Here's the Stampin Celebration Challenge for this month: 


I love the colors since I'm a monochromatic sort of person, :-) and the large bows caught my eye as well.  I've had this new Scalloped Tulle Ribbon since the Holiday Catalog pre-order so I thought it was finally about time to open it and use it!  Despite being over 3" wide it isn't very bulky on a card and is really easy to use and tie. 

I also used this card for a Stamp-A-Stack class, and since I knew that not everyone sends Nativity cards, I provided this image as a second option.  To stamp the images, I used a mix of Early Espresso reinker and Champagne Shimmer Paint that I sponged onto the stamp and then stamped on the paper.  This gives the image a subtle shimmer.  And other than taking a little time to add the paper piercing around the image, this is a simple card to mass produce for the holidays.