Suspension Card

This is one of the swaps that Kira made for our Convention activities back in July.  It is a suspension card, so the sentiment is attached using fishing wire and spins around inside the punched out scalloped circle when the card is opened - very cool!  The stamp set is a level 2 hostess set called Fast and Fabulous.  The background was embossed using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. 

It's NEVER Too Early to Prepare for the Holidays!

The new Bigz L Candy Wrapper die from the Holiday mini catalog is awesome!!  It takes a few tries to figure out how to fold it up, but then it's fairly easy and very cool!  The best tip we can offer is to make sure to fold back and forth on ALL of the score lines before assembling it, and definitely use sticky strip to secure the sides together.  We wrapped it with a 1-1/2 inch strip of basic black cardstock that was run through the Big Shot using the Vintage Wallpaper textured embossing folder.  The image is from the Batty for You stamp set and it is framed with that altered scallop circle.  The ends of the candy wrapper are tied up with 1/4 inch  Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon.

It's Getting Spooky

Here's a card that we did for a Las Vegas Late Night Stampers shoebox swap, which is coordinated by our wonderful friend and fellow Stampin Up demonstrator Sherrill Graff, and occurs here in Las Vegas on the first Thursday of each month.  We always share lots of great ideas.  The idea for the altered scallop circle came from Sandi McIver's blog http://www.sandimaciver.com/sandi_maciver/2010/08/whicked-cool.html - I immediately knew I needed to use it!  The card also features the new bat punch and the Wicked Cool stamp set.  Halloween will be here before you know it, so make sure you're prepared with cards and treats galore!

These pages showcase the Presto Patterns Specialty Paper.  If you haven't used or seen the paper yet, it's as though the patterns are embossed in the same color and they appear once you add color.  We sponged ink on to these pages prior to placing the elements.  Two of the three colors used in these layouts are retired, Bermuda Bay and Crushed Curry.  The third color is Basic Grey, and the ripped out Crate & Barrell catalog photo shows where the color inspiration came from.  The butterflies are cut using the Beautiful Butterflies Sizzix die, the title was stamped using the Lovely Letters alphabet set, and the inspire definition is from the Define Your Life stamp set and is stamped on a die-cut from from the Sizzix ovals die.  The Top Note die was used to make a photo mount. 

Scallop Circle Flowers

This is one of the many cards that we made during our stamping sessions in our hotel room at the annual Stampin Up Convention this past July.  The flowers are made with scallop circles punched from cardstock.  The scallop circles are then run through the crimper several times to break down the fibers so the two layers can be peeled apart.  After peeling each of them apart, we inked the edges, stacked them together, secured them with a brad in the center, and then ruffled them up.  This photo really doesn't do them justice because they are amazing in person.  The base cardstock layer is embossed with the Elegant Bouquet Sizzix embossing folder, the leaves are punched wings from the XL Two Step Bird punch.  The just for you sentiment is from the Just Believe stamp set (that we received as part of our convention registration fee - LOVE IT), and it's punched with the word window and layered on to the modern label.  We added a couple of the new basic rhinestone jewels on either side.

4x4 Mini Fold-Out Albums

We recently did these 4"x4" mini fold-out albums.  One of them uses the soon to be gone (Summer mini) Travel Journal Designer Series Paper, along with the Word Play stamp set.  The other uses the Play Date Paper, along with the Fox and Friends and hostess level 2 Apple Blossoms stamp sets.

Happy Stamping!  If you wish to check out our online Stampin Up catalogs, please use the links on the right.  You can SHOP 24 x 7 - YEAH!!!  The new Holiday mini catalog items will be available on September 1st!

Stampin Up Mini Milk Carton Owl

Here's one of our club projects for August.  The two-step owl punch is so versatile and "perches" nicely on this mini milk carton die stamped with the Woodgrain background stamp.