I Hate Good-Byes

And in just four days we have to say good-bye to many of the items in the 2011 Occasions Mini.

So if you've been thinking of getting things like:

Contact me to place your order before April 30th!

Happy Stamping!

Carol

The End, and the Beginning

Today's card represents both. April 30th is the last day to purchase from the 2011 Occasions Mini (I've used some of the lovely Springtime Vintage DSP), and May 1st is the beginning of the Summer Mini catalogue (there's a sneak peek of a new punch).

It's not a border punch, but you can make borders with it!

The colours used are Pear Pizzazz (it's becoming a passion!) and Baja Breeze. The ribbon is the Pear Pizzazz 1/2" Stitched-Poly Ribbon, along with Linen Thread to tie the tags. The tags were punched with Jewellry Tag Medium punch, and the new punch is called Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch (doesn't that sound like fun!!) The sentiment is from Tiny Tags Stamp set.

 

Be sure to check through the Occasions Mini to make sure you have everything you want before it's gone! Some things will be carried over in the new IB&C in July (punches, dies, letterpress plates, glimmer paper, spinner hands, crown & key trinkets, fabric, some colours of ribbon). But this gorgeous DSP is going, along with several other items. Contact me if you have any questions.

Happy Stamping!

Carol

Petal Cone Mobile Tutorial is ready!

I've been asked to provide a tutorial for this mobile and you can now purchase it for $1.00 (through paypal) by clicking on the photo on the right hand column.
It is fun and easy to make using the Big Shot and the Petal Cone die, and you can co-ordinate it to any colour scheme!
Thanks for stopping by!
Carol
PS The paypal button has been fixed!

Contemporary Wedding Set

This lovely wedding set was made by Maree, one of our ASI team members. I love the colours, the DSP, the design... and I think you will too!

 

Maree's set includes the wedding favour, a Thank You card (in the back) and the Wedding Invitation and RSVP.

The colours used are Marina Mist, Soft Suede,  and Whisper White. The DSP is Elegant Soiree.

 

The invitation and the RSVP cards are tucked inside the fold of the base card.

And the Thank You card features a Soft Suede heart embossed with the Elegant Lines Embossing Folder.

You can see more of Maree's creations on her Inky Moose blog.

It's the Last Week

to participate in the Spring is Blossoming promotion! They are only available until the end of April and then you will have to wait until the new catalogue in July to order them.

Remember with a $25 order you can also purchase the new Four Frames stamp set and/or the Paisley Petals Designer Series paper NOW instead of waiting until July for the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalogue to be released.

And they are beautiful!

 

If you want to order them before the end of April, contact me!

I love throwing out challenges to the Atlantic Stampers Ink team because they always deliver! Our last monthly swap required the use of Rich Razzleberry, Pretty in Pink, and Certainly Celery, AND a different fold.

Ta Da!

You can see how totally different styles, stamp sets, and folds, can all be tied together with colour.

Sandi's card has the front cover tuck behind the owl for closure.

Maree's card is the same fold theory as Sandi's, but is totally different!

My card (wish I knew the name of the fold) is all about scoring in the right places!!
A tutorial for this fold can be found here: 
http://sweeetdesignsbycheryl.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-believe-in-youvideo-on-funky-fold.html

Linda's card is simple and elegant.

Louise's card has a surprise inside, when you pull the edges a greeting pops up!

Aren't they lovely!

If anyone knows the proper names for these folds please let me know too!

Happy Stamping
Carol

Spreaster? Earing?

Real spring is here at last, my husband and I have been cleaning up our garden beds and raking and re-seeding the lawn, looking forward to the day when our backyard will look like this again:

Which is still almost two months away, but that's what spring and Easter are all about - Hope and Expectation!

So for all of you who are so kind to visit my blog I wish you a very Happy Easter, and a wonderful Happy Spring! Thanks for stopping by.

Sincerely,

Carol

What would you call this?

Grunge?

Distressed?

Inspirational?

I tried to make it all three, sort of a 'come from a hard place but survived and succeeded' type of thing...clear as mud?

Let me try to explain - the colours, Always Artichoke and More Mustard, make me think of rust and dirt with some green trying to grow. The Poppy Parade is the spirit trying to survive. The metal eyelets and brad along with the distressing represent roughness and hard times, while the tree is strength and trusting in yourself is the ticket to get out. Make any sense?

The words on the Always Artichoke DSP represent education, and the 'rope' on the brad and ticket is something to hold on to...

And inside is the inspiration:

 

I hope you can see and feel what I wanted the card to say.

Happy Stamping!

Carol

When I visit I always take

A box of cards as a Thank You for the lovely hospitality. So since we are going to visit friends tomorrow to see their new cottage, I made up this collection of cards today:

I used a selection of different sheets from the Designer Series Paper, Springtime Vintage, found in the Occasions Mini (only one week left!) which co-ordinates with, among other colours, Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze, and Night of Navy. I made six cards and a matching box.

These are the vertical cards, and you can see a peek of the inside decoration on each.

These are the horizontal cards and you can see the box in the background.

I used a variety of stamp sets including Upsy Daisy, Friends 24/7, Just Believe, Countryside, and Watercolour Trio. The inks are Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze, and Night of Navy.

I hope she likes them!  Which one is your favourite?

Happy Stamping,
Carol

Introducing Max

I think it's time you've all met the furry joy AND bane of my life... Max

As you can see by the expression on his face, he has a healthy sense of self esteem! Instinctively knowing that when he found his 'pet person' that the world would unfold as it should - with himself in charge.

Here you see him showing me that instead of listening to a tutorial and taking notes I should be taking him outside - NOW!

 

He likes to supervise and make sure that my cleaning is up to standard...

In every corner....

HIS standard...

But I love the fact that he trusts me and likes to stay close to me wherever I am...

Max is a very special friend, and I love him.

If you are owned by someone furry, tell me about them! Leave a comment below!
Happy Stamping!
Carol

Another Wedding Ensemble

This beautiful wedding ensemble was made by our newest Atlantic Stampers Ink team member, Louise. She blew us all away with this gorgeous set! We could choose any theme and Louise chose an 'outdoor wedding'.
The invitation starts "Come join us under the shade of the old apple tree...". The set also includes the RSVP card, a Thank you card, and a wedding favour that includes two hearts embedded with seeds that you can plant. Adorable!

Here is another shot of the set.

Do you see the lawn chair inside the invitation - isn't that the sweetest! Click on the photos to see a larger image.

You can visit Louise's new blog "Scrappin Barn" to see more of her terrific designs! (And be sure to leave a message!)

Happy Stamping!
Carol

Scrapbooking on the road

On the Road with My Digital Studio

Are you overwhelmed with all of the digital photos stuck on your computer and your camera? Are you eager to enjoy and show off your trip photos? What if you could be showing off your photos soon after you get home? (And showing them off on your camera or your phone does NOT count.) If this appeals to you, then I have your answer - My Digital Studio!

The next time that you pack your bags for a fabulous trip, don’t forget to pack your laptop, too. When you have the My Digital Studio software (#118108) loaded onto your computer, you are ready to scrapbook - anytime, anywhere. Seriously.

Imagine taking time at the end of each day of your trip to load photos onto your computer, create a few pages with My Digital Studio, and add the details of who, what, where, when, and why. And if you find that you don’t have quite the right images for the pages you are creating, you can download new ones into My Digital Studio with the click of a button. At the end of your trip, you will have completely scrapbooked all of your trip photos and captured all of the thoughts and memories with your journaling. (No more trying to remember everything!) All you need to do is upload it to Stampin’ Up!’s printing service and your FINISHED scrapbook will be printed, bound, and sent back to you for you to enjoy.

No paper, no stamps, no albums, no embellishments, no adhesive ... all you need is your computer with the My Digital Studio software loaded on to it. It travels with you everywhere and offers a simple way to creatively document your memories. And best of all, it gets your photos off of your computer, your camera, and even your phone, and into a scrapbook where they will be preserved and enjoyed for years to come.

Membership DOES have its privileges!

Have you signed up to be on my mailing list yet? There are lots of good reasons for you to become a member, and no bad ones that I can think of! When you join you will be given access to a free tutorial, then twice a month you will receive a newsletter offering ideas, promotions, tips, and treats. Members of my mailing list receive  special 'Twelve Days of Christmas' project mailings, and other special membership privileges too!!

So sign up right now by typing your email address in the spot at the top of the left hand column. (Your contact information is for my use only and will not be sold or shared with anyone else.) I'm looking forward to seeing your name on my list!

Happy Stamping
Carol

Tis Almost the Season

For Weddings!

Our Atlantic Stampers Ink team challenge this quarter was to create a wedding ensemble. Our meeting was this past weekend and OH! such beautiful wedding invitations there were! I'll show you mine first.

It includes the wedding invitation, the RSVP card (in the side pocket) a Thank You card and a wedding favour. The colours used are Basic Gray, Blushing Bride, and Whisper White. The envelopes and the cards are all heat embossed with Whisper White. The front of the invitation is embossed using the En Francais stamp, and then stamped with an image from the Elements of Style set.

This is the card closed. You can see the hearts are embossed with the Very Vintage wheel in white and the ribbon holds the card closed. The Thank You card is two sided - one side for the thank you note, the other is embossed in Vintage as well. (you can see it under the favour above).

Here is a close up of the wedding favour. I used the Scallop Square die for the base in Blushing Bride, and then embossed the Basic Gray. Fold two opposite corners together, punch a hole and tie with ribbon. They are very easy to make, and you could use DSP instead of embossing which would make them very quick to make!

I'll be showing you more samples this week so be sure to visit again!
If you would like to order supplies to make projects like these, just contact me!

Happy Stamping
Carol

Look What I Got in My Grab Bags!!!

My Grab Bags from the on-line Clearance Rack came today!! Now I love surprises just for the surprise... (except for the time my neighbour brought me a present when we were about eight... it was all wrapped up in pretty paper and inside was a ... gas can cover. Interesting that it didn't turn me off of surprises for life! Guess I'm an optimist.)

Anyway, I ordered a $6 grab bag, and a $12 grab bag... Can you stand the wait????



Here is the $6

It includes:

9 sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock (3 sheets of 3 different colours)
1 sheet of die cut images

2 small packages of ribbon (I didn't measure them)
10 pre-folded cards in two colours
12 confetti envelopes
20 smaller pre-cut pieces of cardstock for layering, stamping, or punching


ALL FOR SIX DOLLARS!! I love it!



OK, OK, now for the $12 package:

There are
10 12x12 two-sided sheets of Designer paper (all the same)
10 sheets of die cut images (all the same)
You know what that means - a whole co-ordinating scrapbook or card sets!!
Also: 
4 small packages of ribbon
10 pre-folded cards
10 envelopes
6 buttons
4 small note cards and matching envelopes
sheet of 6 die cut chipboard 2 inch circles
1 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of Designer paper
40 pre cut sheets of cardstock to layer

...sigh... Sometimes surprises really are great!

It's not too late to order yours! I can't guarantee that it will be the same as mine, or that it won't be either!! You can do it directly on-line, or if you live close to me just contact me!
Have fun!

Carol

Mother's Day Gift Set Class and Class Planner

What to do on a rainy, windy day? Put together a special gift for Mother's Day! Or any day!

The set includes a 4 1/2 x 5 inch (closed) double photo frame, a petal cone for you to fill with your Mom's favourite candy, and a card.

The classes will be held on Tuesday, April 26, 7-9pm in my Stamping Studio, and repeated again on Monday, May 2, 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm.  (Not all sets will be made with the same Designer Series Paper)

The Fee for the class is $30

Registration Deadline is April 20.

This set will also be available for a Class Planner later this week.

Book your class space now!

Just in Time Easter Class

Here are the cards we are making in the "Just in Time" Easter class this week. All of them have been inspired by someone else's work.

 This happy bunny with his basket of eggs was inspired by Kim Score. The bunny is made with a collection of punches:
Small oval, 1 3/8" round, 3/4" round, ornament, Blossom Petals, Cupcake, and 2 1/2" circle.
The colours used are Marina Mist, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, River Rock, and Whisper White.

The next bunny card is inspired by and CASEd from Jackie Topa:

I always chuckle when I see these bunnies peeking up from behind their little grass hills - are they hiding the eggs or looking for them?!
The punches used for this card are Blossom Petals and Small Oval. Colours are Whisper White Marina Mist, Pretty in Pink, Daffodil Delight, and Pear Pizzazz, and Tempting Turquoise.

This religious card was CASEd from Dawn Olchefske

The cross is made from a section of the Lattice die - you can see it when you turn the die cut diagonally. The colours used are Baha Breeze, Soft Suede, and Whisper White. The DSP is from Elegant Soiree.

The final card has a spring theme and uses my favourite colour combination - pink and green.

The pink is Pretty in Pink, the green is Pear Pizzazz. And I even touched it up with a bit of bling and pearls.

Have a happy Sunday!

Carol
If you would like to attend classes and learn how to make cards like these, just send me an email and we will set something up!