Zoo Babies Birthday Card

This card was inspired by Amy Koenders. Her cheerful color combination of Marina Mist, Smoky Slate and Crushed Curry was perfect for this birthday card! The card features "Zoo Babies" and "Remembering Your Birthday" stamp sets. Although the embossing folder and ribbon are retired, substitutions could easily be made for both.

Affection Collection Cards

We received the Affection Collection stamp set as part of our Convention 2012 package.  These two cards feature the set, along with the new Lacy Brocade embossing folder, Window Frames Framelits Collection, and Festive Paper-Piercing Pack, all three from the Holiday 2012 catalog.  Our apologies for the poor lighting in the photos, the top colors are Elegant Eggplant and Perfect Plum, and the bottom colors are River Rock and Always Artichoke, both with a Very Vanilla base. 

Punched Hearts Valentine Card

Crazy?!  Perhaps!!  Yes, this card includes 30 embossed and punched hearts.  We first textured six pieces of cardstock in Real Red, Rich Razzleberry, Rose Red, Melon Mambo, Regal Rose, and Pretty In Pink using the Snow Burst embossing folder for the Big Shot.  The hearts were punched out using the small heart punch and then raised using Stampin' Dimensionals on a 4" square of Chocolate Chip layered on a Crumb Cake card.  The sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set, punched out with the Word Window, and then layered on a Modern Label, and finished off with a couple of small rhinestones.

Dual Purpose Card with French Foliage

We were so pleased to learn that the French Foliage set was carried into the main Idea Book & Catalog after making it's debut in last year's Holiday mini catalog!  These cards feature the beautiful fall images along with sentiments from the Perfectly Penned and Curvy Verses sets on page 154 of the main catalog.  Although it's hard to see in the photo, the Perfect Plum panel has score lines as accents around the edges, done using the NEW Simply Scored tool!

Flower Fest Birthday Card

Here's a simple card using one of the images from the Flower Fest set.  Most of the images coordinate with one of the punches.  The Happy Birthday sentiment is from the Messages for Mom set.  

Mother's Day Tulips

This card was actually CASE'd directly from another demonstrator, but we apologize that we can't recall who it was.  The tulips were made using the wings from the bird punch, and the tulip leaves were made from the bird's body.  The background scallop was cut with the scallop #2 die for the big shot and the layered circle was cut with the 3" circle die.  The outside greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and the inside sentiment is from the Bring on the Cake set.  The white dots around the scallops were done using the white uni-ball Signo gel pen.

Thanks for Caring Card

This is one of the cards that we did this week for April's Big Shot Club.  It features the use of the scallop rectangle clearlits die, which is kind of lost in the catalog on page 211.  The very cool thing about the clearlit die is that you can stamp your image and then see through the die to cut perfectly around it.  Our club members enjoyed seeing the benefit of this die.  The image and sentiment are from the Thanks for Caring set in the Occasions mini catalog, which ends on April 30th.

Embossed Texture Birthday Card

Scot's younger son, Landon, celebrated his 14th birthday last Thursday, 2/17, and this is the card that Kira made for him.  It features the Bring on the Cake set from the Occasions mini catalog.  The entire background with all of the stars and larger circle were run through the Big Shot using the square lattice embossing folder. 

Butterfly Bliss

This card incorporates more of the items that are available for FREE during Sale-a-Bration.  The coordinating ribbon and buttons are part of the Ice Cream Parlor ribbon & button pack.  The butterflies were stamped with an image from the Sale-a-Bration exclusive Bliss set and then punched with the butterfly punch. The sentiment comes from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set.

In Color Thank You Card

This card pairs two of the wonderful In Colors, Concord Crush and Peach Parfait, along with the Just Believe stamp set and the Big Shot.  The Whisper White background was embossed with the square lattice folder and the scalloped square was die cut with the scallop squares duo Bigz die.  Punches used were the ticket corner, word window, modern label, and corner rounder.  Basic rhinestones embellish the corners of the scalloped square.

Critter Thank You Card

Once again, we are so sad to see the Merry Crittermas stamp set retiring along with the Holiday mini catalog on January 3rd.  This simple thank you note incorporates some of the Jolly Holiday DSP along with the cuddly critter image from the set.  The critter was colored with a blender pen and coordinating classic ink pads.

Holiday Mini Catalog Ends Soon!

It's always bittersweet when our mini catalogs transition.  It's exciting because that means that FUN, NEW STUFF is going to be available in the next one (Occasions mini catalog starts 1/4/11); but it also means that our favorites in the current one will no longer be available.  The images (large and small paisley hearts) used in this card are from the Paisley Prints set, which we received at Convention this past summer, and we admit was not initially one of our favorites.  However, it has grown on us, and we were hoping to use the leaf and tree images during the holidays (but those came and went in a hurry), and now the hearts would be ideal for Valentine's Day, so we thought ahead, since this set is only available through January 3rd.  The sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set.  It's tough to think about Valentine's Day already amidst the lingering Christmas decorations, but it will be here before we know it and gone in a hurry, so plan ahead!  

Ghiradelli Chocolate Holder

This idea came from Jill Hilliard, such an easy treat holder!  This was also a great use for our leftover scraps of Candy Cane DSP (which is unfortunately sold out).  As you can see, we tried a it a couple of different ways using each side of the paper, tilting the sentiment and spacing the ribbon holes differently.  The measurement is so easy and you can get 3 of them out of an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of cardstock, and save time by scoring the full sheet first.  Cut the full sheet into 9" x 8", score along the 8" side at 3 7/8" and 4 1/8", then cut on the 9" side into three 3" pieces.  The sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set.

Marker Thumping Technique Card

This card demonstrates the marker thumping technique.  The pine tree image was inked with the Crumb Cake pad and then randomly "thumped" with the brush tip of a Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write marker and then stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock.  This idea came from Max Conrad's blog.  The base panel of the card was embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper folder.  The sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set, punched with the word window and then layered on a modern label.  Finishing touches include basic rhinestone jewels, 1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon, and hemp twine.   

Happy Halloween!

Two things that are hard to see in the photo (it was a last minute idea late last night) - the card base is Early Espresso and the Daffodil Delight panel is embossed with the paisley Sizzix texture plate.  We couldn't let the holiday pass by for another year without a final Halloween wish for 2010.  The pumpkin image is from the Paisley Prints stamp set in the Holiday mini catalog (another one of the included sets in our Convention registration fee).  The happy halloween sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set.  The white piece was cut using the Top Note die for the Big Shot - cut once and then turned 90 degrees and run through again.  The card is completed with a touch of Early Espresso 1/8" taffeta ribbon.  We wish you a fun, safe, and Happy Halloween and hope your day is filled with wonderful treats!  

Fall Fancy Favor Box

This is one of our October club projects - won't it look great with a bag of trail mix of a variety of mixed nuts for the fall season?!  This is the Fancy Favor die cut using the Big Shot.  The box was stamped using the jumbo Bright Blessings Stampin' Around wheel and the Falling Leaves set.  "Grateful" was punched using the modern label punch and then layered on a die cut from the Magnetic Movers & Shapers Punch Windows.  The handle was done using the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch.  Although you can't see them, the handle is held on with two of the coordinating glimmer brads, which are available in the Holiday mini catalog.

Wood Sheet Wonder

This is one of the cards that our Big Shot Club members will be doing at this month's workshop.  The Lattice die was cut out from one of our wood sheets.  Prior to running it through the Big Shot, we put it onto one of the multipurpose adhesive sheets, which are available in the Holiday mini catalog.  The wood grain is a nice touch with the lattice die cut.  We saved the "petal" shapes from inside the lattice to make other designs, like flowers with a brad in the center.  The background was embossed with the Elegant Bouquet folder, and of course, the sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  The bird was done with the punch and the edges were sponged with Soft Suede ink to make it stand out.

Just Believe In Color Notecards and Envelopes

This idea was CASE'd from Jill Hilliard.  We loved her simple use of the Just Believe stamp set with the notecards and envelopes in all five of the In Colors.  We added some coordinating ribbon and basic rhinestones to each side of the sentiment, adn of course stamped the envelopes.  Watch for a class coming soon featuring this stamp set and the notecard and envelope packs!

Just For You, Your Majesty!

This card is totally CASE'd from a swap received at Convention from fellow demonstrator Jan Burnett.  There was one color alteration made - the original card base was Basic Black instead of Bravo Burgundy.  It's hard to see, but there are three basic rhinestone jewels on the crown.  The sentiment is from the Just Believe stamp set and the crown is from Artistic Etchings.  The strip of paper behind the crown is from the Newsprint DSP collection.  The Crumb Cake background is embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.  Several punches were used including word window, modern label, 1 3/8" circle, 1 3/4" circle, and the 2 3/8" scallop. 

Another Early Halloween Idea

Like we said (and we'll probably say it a million more times - HA!), it's NEVER too early to start on your holiday cards!  Here is another Halloween card idea using the new spider web embossing folder along with the Batty for You stamp set and the Top Note die.  The new 2 1/2" circle punch from the holiday mini was used to punch out the area for the spider.  You'll notice some of the great new 1/8" taffeta ribbon tied on the side - LOVE that new thin ribbon, it is so versatile!  The sentiment is from one of our favorite sets, Teeny Tiny Wishes and layered on the small oval and modern label punches.  The texture on the Top Note was done with the Wonderfully Worn background stamp.