Shoe Box Swap

Last Saturday, June 19, I was invited to join some other stampers and Stampin' Up! demonstrators at my friend Ann's cabin in the Colorado mountains for a shoe box swap and salad potluck. What a wonderful time we had touring Ann's property, making cards, and enjoying each other's company.

If you're not familiar with a shoe box swap, here's how it works -- each of the participants brings one finished card plus all the materials for each of the other participants to make that card. Then we move around the room and make each other's cards. In this case we had six participants, so we each made two cards. We made one set before lunch, and the other following a wonderful lunch on the front porch where we enjoyed a beautiful view on a beautiful day! Ann says this is her favorite place in the world -- and I can totally understand why!

Here are the cards we made. If you have questions about any of them, send me a message and I should be able to help you. (P.S. Don't be surprised if you see something similar to these cards at my upcoming workshops.)

Ann Lohmeyer's cards:



Jayne Fuller's cards:



Juli Whitfield's cards:



Julie Blanchet's cards:



Linda Anderson's cards:




My cards:



Hope you enjoyed looking at these as much as I enjoyed making them.

Cath ;D

Stencil Card

This is the third card we made at the June 12 workshops. Fun stuff using those stencils and sponges! It's based on a card made by my friend Ann Lohmeyer (also a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator).

Materials:
* Stamp Sets: Teeny Tiny Wishes; En Francais
* Card Stock: Soft Suede (8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; scraps for punches); Very Vanilla (5-1/4" x 4"; scraps for punches)
* Ink: Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad
* Accessories: Mostly Vintage Stencils@; Stampin' Sponges; Cogs@, 1-1/4" Circle, 3/4" Circle, Modern Label and Word Window Punches; Very Vanilla 5/8" Satin Ribbon@; SNAIL Adhesive; Stampin' Dimensionals; Two-Way Glue Pen

@ 2010 Summer Mini Catalog

Instructions:

1. Score 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" cardstock at 4-1/4" and fold in half to create card.

2. Using En Francais stamp and Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad, stamp once on scrap paper, and then WITHOUT REINKING, stamp second image on Very Vanilla card stock.

3. Place large stencil in upper left corner of Very Vanilla card stock and sponge Soft Suede ink over open spaces (note: this is a fairly fragile stencil, so be sure to use an up and down motion to daub the ink over the stencil -- don't rub). Place the smaller stencil in the lower right-hand corner and repeat (note, this will be a negative image with the ink smudged around it); repeat once more with the smaller stencil in the upper right-hand corner.

4. Use the Stampin' Sponge to smudge ink around edges of Very Vanilla card stock. Wrap a piece of ribbon around from front to back and adhere on back of card stock on each side; adhere card stock to front of card with SNAIL Adhesive.

5. Punch 3 sets of Cogs from Soft Suede card stock; punch one 1-1/4" and 3 3/4" circles from Very Vanilla card stock. Sponge Soft Suede ink around edges of all punched pieces. Use Two-Way Glue Pen to adhere one large cog to 1-1/4" circle; use SNAIL Adhesive to adhere circle to front of card over ribbon; use Two-Way Glue Pens to adhere second and third cogs directly to front of card as shown. Use Two-Way Glue Pen to adhere the 3 small cogs to the 3/4" circles; use Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere one to center of large cog mounted on 1-1/4" circle; use Mini Glue Dots or SNAIL Adhesive to adhere two remaining 3/4" circles to centers of remaining 2 cogs.

6. Punch Modern Label from Soft Suede card stock. Stamp greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes on scrap of Very Vanilla card stock; punch out with Word Window, and adhere with SNAIL Adhesive to Modern Label. Use Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere Modern Label to front of card over ribbon and cogs.

7. Optional: Cut a second piece of 5-1/4" x 4" Very Vanilla card stock. Sponge and/or embellish as desired and use SNAIL Adhesive to adhere to inside of card.

Bonus Tip:
* To use Stampin' Sponges without getting ink all over your fingers, cut sponges in fourths, then make handles with the Round Tab Punch -- fold and staple the shape over the cut corner edge of the sponge. They look like this:



Hope you have fun with this card!

Cath ;D

Sunshine Card

It's been a long time since I've posted -- I've missed you and I know some of you have missed getting instructions for new projects . . . . I've finally reached a point in my new job where I'm not coming home and nodding off every evening. And I have a free day today -- so let's see if I can catch up on some projects.

The first thing I want to share with you are the instructions from my last workshop (June 12). You already have the instructions for the masculine card (the one with the smooch spritz and the stars) since I had made it for one of my swaps and shared it with you, so let's move on to the Sunshine card. This was inspired by a design by Mandy Starner shown in the January 2010 issue of "Cards" magazine. Mandy's card was square and didn't use Stampin' Up! materials, but had more or less the same look at this -- it just made me happy!

Sunshine Card

Materials:
* Stamp Set: Teeny Tiny Wishes; Itty Bitty Bits@
* Paper: Soft Suede (8-1/2" x 5-1/2"), Crushed Curry# (about 4-1/4" x 4-1/4"; scrap for punch), Old Olive (1-1/4" x 8 1/2"), Whisper White (7/8" x 8 1/2"; scrap for punch) card stock; Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper ("DSP") (about 4-1/2" x 4-1/2"; scrap for punch)
* Ink: Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad; Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker
* Accessories: Butterfly, Scallop Trim Border, Modern Label, Word Window and Itty Bitty Shapes@ punches; Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Clear Circle and Scallop Circle Dies; Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin Ribbon; Aqua Painter (filled with bleach); uni-ball Signo Gel Pen; Bees & Blossoms Builder Wheel, Jumbo Wheel Handle and Builder Wheel Spindle & Spacers; Linen Thread; Bone Folder; Mat Pack and Paper Piercing Tool; Old Olive Brads; Mini Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive, and Stampin' Dimensionals

# Crushed Curry paper will be retired as of end of business on June 30; see below for alternate colors.
@ Summer 2010 Mini Catalog

Instructions:

1. Score Soft Suede card stock at 4-1/4" and fold in half to create card. Use Aqua Painter filled with bleach to draw wavy line around edge of front of card -- set aside to dry. As bleach dries, it will pull the color out of the card stock, creating a yellow wavy line. When bleach is completely dry, use the Gel Pen to trace another wavy line over the bleach line.

2. Use Big Shot to cut a Scallop Circle shape from the DSP and a Clear Circle shape from the Crushed Curry card stock. Layer the Crushed Curry Circle over the DSP Scallop Circle and adhere with SNAIL Adhesive. Cut the two layers in half to create the sun; use SNAIL Adhesive to adhere the half-circle to the front of the card at a slight angle. Use the Soft Suede marker to draw two wavy lines close to the round edge of the Crushed Curry circle.

3. Use Scallop Edge Trim punch along one long edge of Old Olive card stock; use SNAIL Adhesive to adhere to front of card at an angle covering bottom edge of half-circle; adhere the Whisper White cardstock over the Old Olive. Use scissors or paper cutter to trim extra card stock from edges of card.

4. Use the Bees & Blossoms Builder Wheel and Soft Suede ink to roll a row of flowers across the ribbon. Adhere ribbon to front of card over Whisper White card stock. Trim edges with Craft & Paper Scissors (in my house they're called Ribbon Scissors because they're used ONLY for ribbon).

5. Punch a Butterfly from a scrap of DSP; use Bone Folder to slightly curl wings (use it the same way you would use scissors to curl ribbon). Cut a piece of Linen Thread, fold in half and tie in a knot to create the body and antennae for the Butterfly; adhere to back of Butterfly with a Mini Glue Dot. Use a second Mini Glue Dot to adhere the assembled Butterfly to front of card over ribbon.

6. Use the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack and miscellanous colors of card stock and DSP to make a bunch of little flowers; adhere to the front of the card as shown with Mini Glue Dots. (Optional: Stamp Itty Bitty Bits images with Soft Suede ink before punching the shapes.)

7. Adhere Itty Bitty Buttons over some of the Itty Bitty Shapes with Mini Glue Dots. (Optional: Thread Linen Thread through the buttons and tie in knots before adhering to card.)

8. Punch Modern Label shape from Crushed Curry card stock; use Soft Suede marker to draw a double line close to edge of shape. Stamp greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes on scrap of Whisper White card stock; punch with Word Window and adhere to Modern Label shape. Use Mat Pack and Paper Piercing tool to punch two holes (one on each side of greeting), insert Brads and adhere to lower right front of card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

9. Optional: Cut additional piece of Whisper White cardstock (mine is 4" x 5-1/4") and adhere to inside of card for greeting. Use Mini Glue Dots to adhere several Itty Bitty Shapes; use Gel Pen to draw centers in shapes.

Here's a picture of the card I made for a Shoe Box Swap the weekend following my workshops (more about that later). For this card I substituted Marina Mist for Soft Suede; Delightful Daffodil for Crushed Curry; and Greenhouse Gala DSP for Razzleberry Lemonade (all available in the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog being released July 1.) I also used the Posy Party Builder Wheel on Whisper White Satin Ribbon instead of Bees & Blossoms on Pink.


Hope you enjoy this one.

Cath ;D

June 12 Workshop Projects

Finally! I finished the cards for this coming Saturday's workshops. A little change -- instead of one masculine card and two summer cards, it's two masculine cards and one summer card. We'll be using Smooch Spritz, Stencils, and Bitty Buttons . . . what fun!!!!

Here are the pictures. Hope you can join in the fun!

(Inspired by a card seen on the Stampin' Up! Demonstrators' Stampin' Connection)

(Inspired by a card seen in Cards magazine)

(Based on an original design by Ann Lohmeyer)


Cath ;D

Oops! It moved . . . .

As you may have noticed, I've moved all the stuff that used to be on the left to the right side of the page. But not to worry -- all the links to my Stampin' Up! website and the current catalogs are still there. The old background design with the polka dots made the important message about retiring items difficult to read, so I just needed to change to a design that was a little less "cluttered."

I hope you've been watching the retiring accessories list as it changes each day. Several items have already sold out, so be sure to get your orders in while there's still inventory left.

Today I plan to post photos of the projects we'll be making at next Saturday's workshops. We'll be playing with Smooch Spritz, Stencils, and Bitty Buttons! What fun! So I guess I should get busy and make my samples right now!!!!

Catch ya later.

Cath ;D

Masculine Birthday Card

Howdy, Stampers! Sorry it's been so long since my last post! I've been so busy with Stamp Camps and swaps and workshops that I just lost track of the days.

Today I'm posting instructions for one of the swap cards I made for my Front Range Stampers meeting last night. The two swap themes were Masculine Birthday Card and anything from the 2010 Summer Mini. For the Summer Mini swap, I used the Best Wishes square card and envelope (posted May 10 and 11) and changed it to a Thank You note. So I'm sharing with you today the Masculine Birthday Card. Hope you enjoy it!

Supplies:

Stamp Set: Teeny Tiny Wishes (115370, set of 24, $36.95)
Card Stock: Basic Gray (8 1/2" x 5 1/2", 5" x 4" for die cut, scraps for punches); Sahara Sand (5 1/4" x 4" x 2 pieces, scrap for punch); Brushed Gold (scraps for punches)
Ink: Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad; Gold Encore Pad
Adhesives: SNAIL; Stampin' Dimensionals
Punches: Large Star; Star; Large Oval; Modern Label; Word Window
Other Accessories: Big Shot; Top Notes Die; Square Lattice Embossing Folder*; Linen Thread; Clear Rhinestone Brad; Smooch Spritz in Vanilla Shimmer and Gold Glow*

* from 2010 Summer Mini Catalog

Instructions:

1. Score Basic Gray 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" card stock in half at 4 1/4" and fold away from score line to create card. Adhere one piece of Sahara Sand card stock to inside for message.

2. Insert second piece of Sahara Sand card stock into Embossing Folder and roll through Big Shot; adhere to front of card with SNAIL Adhesive.

3. Roll 5" x 4" Basic Gray card stock through Big Shot with Top Notes Die; spray with both Vanilla Shimmer and Gold Glow Smooch Spritz and allow to dry. When dry, wrap Linen Thread around Top Notes shape 3 times and tie in a knot (around all three strands) on front of card. Use SNAIL Adhesive to adhere to front of card over Sahara Sand card stock.

4. Punch two Stars and one Large Star from Brushed Gold card stock; punch one Large Star from Basic Gray card stock. Distress edges of Basic Gray Large Star with Gold Encore pad. Layer Brushed Gold Large Star over Basic Gray Large Star (offset slightly so both stars are showing), and attach Clear Rhinestone Brad through both thicknesses. Adhere to front of card over Linen Thread with a Stampin' Dimensional. Use Mini Glue Dots to adhere the two smaller Brushed Gold Stars to the Card as shown.

5. Punch Large Oval from Brushed Gold card stock; punch Modern Label from Basic Gray card stock. Stamp greeting on Sahara Sand card stock and punch with Word Window. Adhere greeting to Modern Label with SNAIL Adhesive. Distress edges of Modern Label with Gold Encore Pad (it's good if some of the ink gets on the Sahara Sand greeting). Use SNAIL Adhesive to adhere Modern Label to Large Oval, and adhere Large Oval to front of card.

That's it! You're finished! Enjoy!

Until next time . . . keep stampin!

Cathy ;D

Note: In case you were wondering . . . that lighter portion at the bottom of the card is actually a reflection from the flash off the top of the file cabinet where I took the photo -- not part of the design (tee hee).

Congratulations, Grad!!!!

I've been making several of these money holder cards for my co-workers this past week. The design is Jayne Fuller's from the May 1 Stamp Camp North.

Materials:

Stamp Sets (both from Summer 2010 Mini Catalog):
Go, Graduate (118519-w $19.95, 120054-c $14.95; set of 8)
Happy Grad (inside) (117006-w $8.95; set of 1)

Ink:
Basic Gray
Black StazOn
Stampin' Write Markers - Soft Subtles

Card stock:
Basic Gray (9" x 6-5/8")
Basic Black (5" x 3"; 4-1/4" x 3/4")
Shimmery White (4-1/4" x 2-3/4"; 6-3/8" x 3 for inside; scraps for sentiment and caps)

Accessories:
Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon (about 10")
Stampin' Pastels (black)
Blender Pen
Large Oval Punch
SNAIL Adhesive
Stampin' Dimensionals
Sticky Strip

Instructions:
1. Score 9" x 6-5/8" Basic Gray card stock at 3-1/4" and 6-1/2"; fold away from scorelines. Position the oval punch over the edge of the shortest flap to create the cutout in the money pocket; fold up pocket and adhere with Sticky Strip.
2. Using Black StazOn ink, stamp gowns & feet image near bottom of 4-1/4" x 2-3/4" Shimmery White card stock; stamp several caps across top edge above feet; stamp the same number of caps and the Congratulations, Graduate! sentiment on a scrap piece of Shimmery White card stock; and stamp several more caps on the 6-3/8" x 3" Shimmery White card stock (for inside of card). Also stamp Happy Graduation image on inside of card.
3. Use Blender Pen with black chalk to color in all caps and gowns; use Soft Subtles Stampin' Write Markers to color in legs and shoes. Adhere 6-3/8" x 3" card stock to inside of card above pocket.
4. Using SNAIL Adhesive, adhere 4-1/4" x 2-3/4" Shimmery White card stock near right edge of 5" x 3" Basic Black card stock; adhere 4-1/4" x 3/4" Basic Black over Shimmery White card stock between caps and gowns. Wrap ribbon around Basic Black card stock near left edge and tie a knot in the front. Adhere entire piece to center front of card.
5. Cut out Congratulations, Graduate! and adhere to front of card over black strip; cut out extra caps and adhere over stamped caps with Stampin' Dimensionals (one piece cut in half is the perfect size).

Now put money in the pocket and send your card to YOUR happy grad!!!!

Thanks again to Jayne for a great design!!!!

Cath ;D