Wow!! What a Week!!! and Royal Blog Tour Clues!

I am so sorry that I have neglected my blog this week!! It was a week of deadlines :) And just when I thought I was ready to get back to blogging, my poor brother got sick last night and passed out at home. So, my sister-in-law, my mom, and I were in the emergency room all night long with him. Happy to report he is doing fine today. He had to have a couple of stitches because he split his lip open when he fell but he doesn't even have so much as a headached today :) Praise God!!!! But, I am operating on very limited sleep so I haven't even stamped today!! Oh well, I am just glad that he is doing so well!! :)

But, I have finished my projects for the UStamp With Dawn and Friends Get a Jump on Your Jingle event and the Royal Blog Tour!!! Woohoo!!!! How do I spell R-E-L-I-E-F??? LOL!!! It has been exhausting but I think you are going to be pleased with what I came up with :)

The Royal Blog Tour will go live on November 5th and you will have 4 days to be able to tour all of the castles!! There are 80 all together - all of them awesome, I might add :) There will be blog candy and chances to win prizes!! We have already had the Jester Play with scrambled words - did you guess them all??? They were fun!!! This week, I will post a clue every day for you to guess the names of the paths on the Royal Blog Tour. Once you have accumulated all 6 guesses, go to The Royal Blog Tour home page and click the Jester Play button to fill out your entry form.

I was having some problems with these at first so I have posted 2 clues for you tonight. Keep watch for the others each day this week along with some new fun cards!!

I know they are a little fuzzy but I hope you can read them well enough to play along - the prizes are awesome!!!! Wouldn't you just love to win a Big Shot, My Digital Studio, or a $100 Stampin' Up Shopping Spree?? I know, I would! LOL!!

There are some very exciting things coming in November. Be sure to visit the UStamp page to purchase Get a Jump on Your Jingle event. You will be amazed at the wonderful projects!! And you will see some awesome stuff on the Royal Blog Tour. And then, of course there is my Stamp-a-Stack on the 7th, my Monthly Card Class on the 13th, and the Christmas Gift Extravaganza on the 27th!!! Wow, a full calendar this month :) If you want to attend any of my events, please let me know - I would love to have you attend!

Thanks so much for coming by to visit today :) I love it when you come to visit!! 'Til next time..............

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!!

Because I Care

I am working on the cards for my November Card Class and on the samples I need to make for Sherrill Graff. The problem when it comes to Sherrill's cards is that they will be displayed from January to May and I am in Christmas mode!! LOL! I am finding it rather difficult to make something "bright and springy" :) I just want to work with bells, pine trees, and snowflakes! It's a good thing I have learned how to multi-task.

So, as I was putting the basic design for my card together, I was holding all of the layers to see how I wanted them to lay and I tapped one corner on the table. It shifted just one end of the cardstock I was holding and voila! - A new layout pattern:

Kinda quirky - just like me :) Love it!!

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Because I Care (Level 1 Hostess Set)

Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Pretty In Pink, Rose Red, Whisper White

Ink: Rose Red

Accessories: Certainly Celery 5/8-inch Satin Ribbon, Markers - Certainly Celery, Pretty In Pink and Rose Red, Stampin' Dimensionals

I used the markers to color the stamp so I could get both colors for the flower and stem. It is so easy to do this and you get just the colors you want without having gray outlines to try to color over. To me, it looks more realistic. After stamping, I dabbed the flower centers with the Rose Red marker. I love the way this turned out - and it is so simple!!

Well, back to work - Friday is the deadline for two sets of projects!! Time is running out :) Thanks for coming by today and sharing with me. 'Til next time...................

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

Christmas Gift Extravaganza !!!

These are all of the projects we will be making at the Christmas Gift Extravaganza on November 27th. Two of the gifts even include chocolate:) Cost for the event is $35 which includes 5 projects, a spool of Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, a package of Sticky Strip, and a sheet of Stampin' Dimensionals. You will use these products to make your projects and have plenty left over to make more at home! We will also make some gift tags with a cute little holder for you to tag your gifts. The event will start promptly at 1 pm and last until 4:30 pm at the Clubhouse in Cameron Estates in Santee, California. Spaces are limited so be sure to reserve yours today. Deadline for RSVP's is November 14th as we need to order your products. You can purchase to RSVP here or click the PayPal button under the Classes and Tutorials link in the left column. Once you purchase the event, we will e-mail you a flyer with directions.

Serene Snowflakes

One of my favorites sets that has been around for a couple of years is Serene Snowflakes. I am actually going to be using it for the next UStamp event - Get a Jump on Your Jingle. I will be designing a card with coordinating envelope and a 3-D item. I have my project started and I think you would love this event. You can purchase it here. For only $24.99 you get at least 40 3-D items and at least 40 cards! Judging by the past events, you will not want to miss this one - they have been fantastic!!

So, back to my card :) I love the versatility of this stamp set. You can use it as the focal point of your card or you can use all of the images to create your own designer series paper. And you can even do it all at once like this:

I used the largest snowflake for the focal point and embossed it with Silver Embossing Powder. I also embossed the smallest image which is group of three small snowflakes. And I love this Silver Tinsel Trim in the holiday mini catalog. It is wired so all I had to do was thread it through the border and twist it around to make it stay in place - NO KNOTS TO TIE....LOL!!! The ladies in my card class will LOVE this :) I also stamped everything on the Shimmery White cardstock to add some extra sparkle:

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Serene Snowflakes, Four The Holidays

Cardstock: Brushed Silver, Night of Navy, Shimmery White

Ink: Night of Navy, Versamark

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Silver Embossing Powder, Heat Tool and Powder Pals, Stampin' Dimensionals, Silver Tinsel Trim

I just love the way this card turned out. I have always loved the shimmer of the Brushed Silver Cardstock and it just stands out against the Night of Navy. This will definitely be part of my November card class. So simple and yet looks very elegant.

Thanks so much for coming by today and allowing me to share with you. Feel free to leave a comment - I always enjoy hearing from my visitors :) 'Til next time.................

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

Fang-tastic Halloween Card

It rained here most of the day yesterday - and I DO mean rained!!! Do you remember the song that said "It never rains in California - it pours, man it pours" ? Well, I was singing it all day yesterday :) I even had to drink some hot chocolate last night to get warmed up. I love this kind of weather as long as I can just stay indoors and stamp to my heart's content. And that is what I did :)

The more I use the Fang-tastic stamp set from the Holiday Mini Catalog, the more I like it! These little people are just so darn cute :) Now that fall seems to have settled in for a few days here in Southern California, I don't mind making some Halloween and fall cards. I don't do much for Halloween, as I have told you before, but I am having fun with this stamp set. I know a few little kids who would just love to get one of these cards with a treat bag full of candy:

Even the lace trim is smiling :) LOL!!

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Fang-tastic, Got Treats

Cardstock: Basic Black, Old Olive, Whisper White, Wicked Fun Designer Series Paper

Ink: Jet Black Stazon

Accessories: Raven Lace Trim, Old Olive Marker, Stampin' Dimensionals

This was another CAS (cute and simple) card that would be great for beginners! It was so simple easy to do. And I LOVE my clear mount stamps and blocks. I was able to line up all three stamps on one block and stamp them all at the same time - sooooo cool!!! I never did quite get the hang of the Stamp-a-ma-jig so this is no nice :) I can't wait until all of our stamps are available with the clear mount option!!

Thanks for coming by today, and I hope you enjoyed the card. 'Til next time...............

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

Winter Post

I was so excited to have my first official downline meeting last night. I just got a new member of my team on Oct. 1st. So, since 2 of them are local, we decided to get together. I want to do everything I can to make sure they are successful with their businesses and since Leni is very new, I wanted to help her out with any questions she had. We had such a great time getting to know one another and sharing ideas!!

I also designed 2 Make-and-Take projects for them. I kept them simple so they could use them as make-n-takes at their workshops or for a card class. I chose the Winter Post stamp set since we are getting close to the holidays and the very cool Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper for these:





I decided to do something totally different with my stamped layers this time. We cut the tag pieces using the Big Shot and the Two Tags Stampin' Up Exclusive die and used them for the top layers. I think they came out so cool!! And the girls just loved them :)

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Winter Post, All Holidays, Snow Swirled

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Jet Black Stazon

Accessories: Big Shot, Two Tags SU Exclusive die, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Victoria Lace Trim, Crop-a-Dile, Stampin' Dimensionals, Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler Markers

My bff, Debbie, in Michigan sent me a bunch of my stamp sets in the mail. In order to get them all in the smallest box possible, I had to have her take the wood-mounted ones out of their storage boxes. So, I have two boxes that are about 14-inches square full of stamps. The problem that comes with that is when I started designing these two cards, I just started pulling out stamps, thinking - this would be cute, and so would this one,.........and I ended up combining three sets..LOL!! But, I think, all in all, they turned out pretty cute! :)

One of these will be part of my November card class for sure! They are just so simple and cute and go together super fast. I am so excited to be doing classes again and am looking forward to more downline meetings. If you are a demonstrator in the San Diego area you are welcome to join us each month on the first Monday evening. Just drop me a note at laurie.gibson57@yahoo.com to RSVP for the meetings. If we have enough interest, we can even get a swap going :) I love to share ideas!!

Thanks for stopping by today and sharing. As always, I do appreciate your visits and your comments. 'Til next time.............

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!!

Dasher

Card class was awesome today!!! Six ladies came and we made 8 cards with coordinating envelopes. It was so much fun and I made some new friends :) That is what I love most about my job - sharing and making friends !!! Life just doesn't get any better :) Oh, and the new M&M's with the pretzels inside are waaayyy better than I thought they would be :)

So, I decided to give you a peek at another one of the cards we made today. This one uses one of our single Under $10 stamps - Dasher. He is definitely one of my favorites. And, of course, we used the Big Shot (check my previous post for a chance to get one FREE) and the fabulous Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder. I love the way it turned out:

I just love Poppy Parade! It is kind of an orangy-red that is just amazing no matter what you use with it :) It is one of the new In Colors and I anticipate using it alot! We used the sponge dauber with the Poppy Parade classic ink to add a blush of color to the little flowers after running the Very Vanilla layer through the Big Shot and dabbed the little dots in between with the Early Espresso marker:

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Dasher

Cardstock: Poppy Parade, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla

Ink: Early Espresso, Poppy Parade

Accessories: Poppy Parade 1/2-inch Stitched Poly Ribbon, Big Shot with Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder, Sponge Dauber, Early Espresso Marker, Stampin' Dimensionals

This was one of the CAS (Cute And Simple) cards for the class. It looks like you put so much work into it, but it really was quite quick and simple. I love the flowers on this embossing folder - you could make them any color to add a beautiful background to your cards. Can't wait to play around with that one more :) Can you believe that I did not do even ONE card using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder for this class ?? LOL!! I just wanted to show you that we do carry more than just that one :) I really do LOVE them all!!

I will have the class planner available for purchase the beginning of the week. It will include all of the measurements and details to make all 8 cards from my class - so be sure to check the tutorials list here on my blog.

Thanks for coming by today and sharing with me - I appreciate all of my readers :) 'Til next time..............

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

PRIZES - PRIZES - PRIZES!!!

So, have you bought your Big Shot yet????? How would you like a chance to win one?? If you already have one, how would you like the chance to win a $100 Stampin' Up Shopping Spree?

Just go HERE and play the Jester's Game on The Royal Blog Tour site. Hurry, because your entry needs to be in by Monday night.

Then look for more chances to be entered in the Grand Prize Drawing on the tour. It's coming soon !!! :)

'Til next time.........

Happy Stamping and good luck,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!!

Sincere Salutations

I have been busy getting things ready for my October card class tomorrow. I have all of the cards designed and now just need to finish up the cutting :) In other words, the easy part's over! But, I don't mind because I am just excited to have a class again!! I miss that so much! I have been trying to keep the cards fairly simple so we can finish them up in just a couple of hours. And it was fun because I could use all three holidays that will happen yet this year :) I had a blast designing these.

I tried to do a good variety in addition to the holiday cards and this is one that we will be making:

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Sincere Salutations, A Cardinal Christmas

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Garden Green, Very Vanilla, Woodland Walk DSP

Ink: Garden Green, Early Espresso

Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch, Very Vanilla 5/8-inch Satin Ribbon

I just love the Woodland Walk Designer Series Paper. I know that it coordinates with the Growing Green stamp set but as long as you don't use the sheets with no flowers on them, you can mix it up with other sets. I used the branch from A Cardinal Christmas and one of the sentiments from Sincere Salutations for a simple card that can be used for more than one occasion :) Cute and Simple - the perfect combination for a card class :)

Next week I will add the tutorial for my class planner in the left column here on my blog so, if you are interested come back and purchase it for your class. It will include all measurements, photos, and any special instructions for each of the 8 cards we make tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by today and allowing me to share with you. As always, I welcome your comments and appreciate your support. 'Til next time...............

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

Growing Green

When I first started out today, I just could not get in the groove! I couldn't think of a thing to make - I hate it when that happens!! So, I needed some inspiration. All I knew was that I needed to make something cute and simple for my card class on Saturday. I didn't even know HOW I would find the inspiration for it......so frustrating when I get like that!!

So, I just sat back, watched Dancing With The Stars - The Results on my laptop and still wasn't feeling the love :( So, I decided to play a game of Spider Solitaire. Well, my day picked up when I won and then the little fireworks went off my screen and lo and behold.......the color combo looked like Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, and Wild Wasabi!! So, I had my colors...now I just needed to figure out the rest. Growing Green caught my eye and it all came out looking like this:

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Growing Green, Sincere Salutations

Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi

Accessories: Marina Mist 5/8-inch Satin Ribbon

It just goes to show, that inspiration can come from places you least expect :) I always start with my colors first and then put a stamp set in the mix. And we can find colors everywhere! I even found my next combo in that same game :) It was on one of the face cards. I will have something done with that one tomorrow for you.

If you are counting along with me, this makes 4 down and 46 to go for Sherrill Graff. As usual, I procrastinated just a bit so it will be cutting it close to have these to her on the 15th of December - I may have to double up on a few days. Oh well, those of you who know me can attest to this being normal for me :) LOL!!

Thanks for stopping by today and sharing with me. Hopefully, you found a little bit of inspiration for your next project :) 'Til next time................

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

Cards With Cool Moves

My project posted on the UStamp With Dawn and Friends Cards With Cool Moves event today so I can finally show you the cards I created for it :) I had soooooo much fun making these! When you purchase the event (you can do that here), you get more than 80 cards with coordinating envelopes. Half of them are cards with some type of movement. None of the movements, stamp sets, or color combinations are duplicated so you can get tons of new ideas!!! The designers really outdid themselves this time. The cards are AMAZING!!!!!

I chose the Friends Never Fade stamp set and the Waterfall card for my movement. I just love making these cards - they are so fun!! Of course, I cannot give you all of the details - you need to purchase the event to get those. But, I did want you to get of taste of some of the cards you will get :) This is both of them together:

Here is a closer view of my Waterfall Card and coordinating envelope:

And here is the regular card and coordinating envelope:

I had alot of fun this time and am really looking forward to guest designing for the next event - it is called Get a Jump on Your Jingle. Yep - you guessed it!! It is a Holiday event :) So, hurry and purchase your cool moves and then get a Jump on Your Jingle which includes 40 cards and 40 3-D projects!! You will not be disappointed!!!

Thanks for coming by today and sharing some Cool Moves with me :) As always, I welcome and appreciate your comments and your loyalty. 'Til next time..............

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

Butterfly Prints

I was so excited when the new catalog came out in July because it had some really cute sets that coordinate with so many of our punches. One of those sets is called Butterfly Prints. It contains three different printed butterfly shapes that can be puched out with the Butterfly Punch. And it has the cutest little verse about butterflies spreading love wherever they go :) So, it made me think that stampers are a lot like butterflies.....we spread love with our handmade cards :) Kind of cool, actually.

Anyway, when I started planning the card for this stamp set, I just had to use colors that were bright and summery. So, I chose Daffodil Delight and Shimmery White for some added dazzle to come up with this:





I just love the way Stampin' Up products coordinate with each other. My cardstock, ink, and ribbon are all Daffodil Delight. All I had to add was the Shimmery White for a complete combination. It is hard to see the shimmer so here is a closer look:





You still have to look pretty close. I just couldn't get the light at the right angle. It is so much prettier in person :) And, see, I DO have more than just the Square Lattice Embossing Folder! LOL!

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Butterfly Prints

Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Shimmery White

Ink: Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Daffodil Delight 1 1/4-inch Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Butterfly Punch, Circle Rhinestone Brads, Big Shot with Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots

I love the sparkle in the Shimmery White cardstock!! It just adds that little sparkle without me ending up glistening from glitter :) To make the antennae, I just opened the prongs on the rhinestone brads and twisted them just a bit to form a "v" on the back and then attached them with a Mini Glue Dot to the card front right in the "v" of the butterfly which was added with a dimensional. It was so cool that the Circle Rhinestone Brads even had a pale yellow rhinestone!! I am definitely going to do a card front of this for Sherrill Graff, too. So, now I have 3 down and only 47 to go :)

So, I am off to the design room :) Thanks for coming by today and sharing with me. 'Til next time.............

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

Birthday Bakery and Guest Blogging

I love birthdays!! And not for the presents - I love the cake :) LOL!!! As kids, my brothers and I got to choose our birthday dinner, tell Mom what kind of cake we wanted, and the best part - we didn't have to help with dishes that day :) My cake choice was always "chocolate with chocolate frosting"! And I loved every bite :)......still do, in fact :) So, what does this have to do with stamping???? Well.........

One of the Level 1 Hostess Sets offers a variety of treats. The set is called Birthday Bakery. I know - it congers up all kinds of images in your mind. It is so hard to choose just one, so they put them all in a row:

Can't you just taste that sweet frosting? And did you notice the cherries on top of that really tall cake?? Toooo cute!! And so much fun! I absolutely LOVE this verse:

Wow, that could make grocery shopping so much less depressing :)

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Birthday Bakery

Cardstock: Pretty In Pink, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Candy Cane Christmas Designer Series Paper

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Pretty In Pink 5/8-inch Satin Ribbon, Markers - Chocolate Chip, Pretty In Pink, Real Red

This is one of those Cute and Simple cards that are perfect for a card class - and we will be making it at mine next Saturday. It also will be of the sample card fronts I send to Sherrill Graff for the contest I won. You can earn this stamp set by hosting a workshop or by placing a $150 order here :) Seriously, though, I would love to do a workshop with you if you live in the San Diego area. If you are further away, you and your friends can add your orders together and you can enter it as one order in my online store and earn the Hostess Benefits.

And now for a note about blogging. I have been invited to be a Guest Blogger At the Ladies Room tonight. Be sure to check the site - it offers some great advice for women who want to be or already are in business for themselves. If that is something you have been considering, I would love to have you as part of my Stampin' Up team. You can join here using the recruiting password you rock.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing with me today. Now, I have to go bake some cupcakes :) As always, I appreciate each and every one of you who stops by. Feel free to leave a comment anytime. I enjoy hearing your thoughts :) 'Til next time............

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!

The winner of my Haunted Milk Crate tutorial is.........

Cindy De Witt

Congratulations, Cindy!! Please e-mail me privately at laurie.gibson57@yahoo.com with your information so I can send you the tutorial.

Thank you all so much for your gracious comments!!! I truly enjoy sharing my creations with you! I appreciate you visiting my blog and hopefully you all have found something here that inspires you to explore your own creativity. I sincerely hope that you will continue to visit and share with me. 'Til next time..........

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

Christmas Classics

Well, I have some customers who are interested in a card class this month!! I am so excited to be getting this going! I used to have one every month in Michigan and I really miss it. It is such good motivation for me and it gives me what I love best - the opportunity to share with others :)
Oh my gosh, this just posted and I am nowhere near ready for that!! :) Gotta love technology, right??? Anyway, back to what I was saying....... I need to design 8 cards for my new card class and since it will be mid-October, I have three holidays to play with :) So this is the first card:

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Christmas Classics

Cardstock: Real Red, Blushing Bride, Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi, Candy Cane Christmas DSP, Whisper White

Ink: Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride, Real Red, Wild Wasabi

Accessories: Real Red 1/8-inch Taffeta Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

I love this stamp set. It is just cute and simple. And I love this Designer Series Paper!! Sometimes it is fun to steer away from the traditional colors of Christmas and have a little fun with different color combos. This one is awesome - and there are coordinating products that go with it. You will find it under the Holiday Mini category in my online store. There are 2 stamp sets, fabric, and big designer buttons that match!! Toooo fun! I can't wait for the group to make this :)

Thanks for coming by today and sharing with me. I will be announcing my blog candy winner this afternoon so be sure to check back to see if you won :) 'Til next time............

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

Fireside Christmas

I am such a kid at this time of the year. As soon as I start hearing about Halloween, my mind starts anticipating Thanksgiving and Christmas - ESPECIALLY Christmas :) I love the season and everything it offers - the anticipation, the shopping, giving gifts, the excitement, the music, the decorations.......oh my gosh, I could go on all day about it :) !!!! One thing I always look forward to is decorating the mantle over my fireplace, hanging the stockings, and curling up in front of a nice warm fire on a crisp, cold evening. Hmmmmmm - can you smell the woodsmoke?? Well, I might be able to do that this year since I have relocated, but I can still enjoy the thought with this card:

I can hear the fire crackling and smell the cookies baking :) It needs to get just a bit cooler here in Santee before that becomes a reality, though. C'mon December!!!!

I decided that I just could not do this card without adding the sentiment from the stamp set on the inside:




The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Fireside Christmas, Heard From the Heart

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Designer Series Paper from Christmas Cheer Simply Scrappin' Kit

Ink: Always Artichoke, Basic Gray, Cherry Cobbler

Accessories: Big Shot with Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Stampin' Dimensionals, Markers - Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, Basic Black, Sahara Sand, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight

I used the Big Shot and embossing folder to create a "brick" texture to the designer series paper layer behind the images. You probably think that is the only one I own - but, really, I do have more of them :)

I love this stamp set. It is so versatile - perfect for coloring with markers or leaving plain for a vintage look. You can make this as modern or as old-fashioned as your heart desires. But, either way, it is bound to make you long for a fire and a cup of hot chocolate :)

Thanks for coming by and reminiscing with me today. I always enjoy our time together as well as the comments you are kind enough to leave. 'Til next time..........

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

BLOG CANDY!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh! I cannot believe I have had a little over 10,000 hits on my blog!!!!! I am so excited to be able to share with so many people! I love to stamp and it is so fun to put my creations on here and hopefully give all of you a bit of inspiration.

So, because I am so excited I am offering some blog candy!! All you have to do is leave a comment to this post by 12:00 pm on Thursday. I will randomly choose TWO WINNERS who will each receive my Haunted Milk Crate Tutorial.

Thank you so much for being loyal visitors. I am looking forward to sharing even more with you in the upcoming months~!!

'Til next time............

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!!!

Just Believe Challenge 90

So, I have to tell about my day so far. I went to the most AMAZING meeting At The Ladies Room today for lunch. Where is that you ask? Well, it was at the Marie Calendar's Restaurant and we had the best cheesy potato soup with warm cornbread!! I know, your mouth is watering, isn't it????? It was so good!! And since fall finally decided to arrive in San Diego today, it totally "hit the spot!" As my idol would say....."yum-o!!" LOL!

Anyway, at this meeting, I met an incredible group of women who are involved in Direct Sales. We swapped a lot of ideas and had so much fun getting to know each other. So, I wanted to create something special for our leader, Sally Lowry, to thank her for the invitation. Lo and behold, one of the tips we shared was entering challenges so I created this card for her that also meets the Challenge 90 in the Late Night Stampers yahoo group I belong to:

The challenge was to use our In Colors in our choice of two different ways - either just In Colors, or at least one of them in our color combo. They all coordinate so well together as well as with our core colors so this challenge was actually fairly easy :) I like that kind of challenge - they aren't so taxing to my poor tired brain.

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Just Believe

Cardstock: Blushing Bride, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White

Ink: Blushing Bride, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz

Accessories: Big Shot with Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Concord Crush 1/2-inch Stitched-Poly Ribbon, Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals

I really hope Sally enjoys this card as much I as I enjoyed making it :) I love it when I have a reason to make a card other than just for adding it to my collection. It just gives purpose to my hobby :) And, I do love a challenge!!

Well, I need to get back to designing for the upcoming UStamp event and have you noticed the crown at the top of the left column? Well, that is for an event that you absolutely will NOT want to miss - and it's FREE!!!! Keep checking back for more details......you will love it!!! Thanks for stopping by today and sharing with me. As always, I welcome your comments - I love to hear from my visitors :) 'Til next time...............

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

Jolly Little Snowman

My favorite holiday has always been and always will be Christmas. Those of you who know me, know that I don't ever take my tree down unless I absolutely have to. It 's just tooo pretty..LOL! I would celebrate that season year 'round if I could (and I do try). So, when fall comes, I am more than ready to start designing Christmas cards. I have been playing with Halloween and Thanksgiving but my "creative itch" is ready to move on! :)

So, I decided to do something with that cute little snowman in the Jolly Old St. Nick stamp set in the Holiday Mini Catalog. I think he is just the sweetest little guy! Don't you agree? This is the card I made with him today:

I apologize for the skewed colors. I took the picture outside on a covered patio late in the afternoon and no matter what I do I can't get it to lighten up.

The complete list of supplies:

Stamp Set: Jolly Old St. Nick

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Real Red, Whisper White, Candy Cane Christmas Specialty DSP

Ink: Basic Gray, Real Red

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Northern Frost Decorative Strip, Marina Mist 1/8-inch Taffeta Ribbon, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Circle Ice Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Stampin' Write Markers - Marina Mist, Real Red, Bashful Blue

I learned a little trick for using just the rhinestones in our brads. Turn the brad over and open the prongs completely. You will see two tiny prongs as well that help hold the stone in place. Open those (I used the blade of my paper snips to lift them) and you can pop the stone out. I used glue dots to attach them to the center of the snowflakes that I had cut with my Big Shot (you know you really need this!!) I did this because I wanted those blue rhinestones but there is just no way to use the actual brad without the long prongs showing through. I added some dazzling diamonds to the "snow" to add some extra bling :) I really like the way this turned out and I foresee "building" many snowmen in the future :) The beauty of it all is that I don't have to shovel the stuff he is made 0f anymore. This way is much nicer!!

I hope you enjoy this little guy. This stamp set is just so cute. You can purchase it in my online store today. Thanks for stopping in and sharing. Please consider leaving a comment - I love to hear from my visitors :) 'Til next time.........

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!

The Haunted Milk Box and Tutorial

As you all know, I have never been one to celebrate Halloween. But this year, Stampin' Up has so many cute stamp sets and accessories that I have just been bitten by the bug (probably a spider :) ). I decided to combine this new attitude with one of my favorite projects - the Mini Milk Carton. I needed a container for them and since my directions for the box I made at Easter somehow didn't make it out here with me, I set to work to come up with a new one.

I never really associated purple with Halloween but I must admit that it has become one of my faves when putting together a color combo for the holiday. Today was no exception. Concord Crush was the first color I pulled out of the drawer :) Then it was just a matter of choosing the coordinating colors of Tangerine Tango and Basic Black. This is how the project turned out:

I had so much fun putting this together!! I love these little milk cartons and was inspired to make these little sets by Becky Roberts. They are the easiest treat holders I have ever made :) The die cuts and scores all in one motion - easy peasy!!! I did two of the sides using the fun little images from the Fang-tastic stamp set. This is the first one:

Isn't this little guy a cutie?? LOL!!! I love Halloween images that are not scary or gory. I added him for the little boys and added this for little girls:

She is just too cute :) I stamped both of them onto scraps of Whisper White, cut them out and attached them with dimensionals. On the other two sides, I stamped the "Spooky" image from the Wicked Cool stamp set and attached them with dimensionals as well:

And, I created my own Designer Series Paper on my computer. I just typed a bunch of halloween-ish words (not sure that is a real word but it works for me) and then printed them on Whisper White cardstock. I cut strips just wide enough to cover the bottom portion of the milk cartons. I love the way it turned out:

I stamped and punched out the images for the tags and tied them on with the gorgeous Raven Lace Trim from the Holiday Mini Catalog. Then I made a couple of cute little ghosts to top off the milk crate.

Don't you just love his little googlie eyes?? He is soooo cute! :)

If you would like to purchase my tutorial to make your own Haunted Milk Crate, just click on the paypal button in my classes and tutorial section. The tutorial sells for $3.95 and will be deliver via e-mail. The kit sells for $12.95 which includes priority mail shipping and the e-mailed tutorial. Both options include a pdf document for the designer series paper. The kit includes all cardstock pieces, punched pieces and embellishments except for adhesives. You will need to purchase the stamp sets and you can do that here.

I can also officially announce now that I am returning as a Guest Designer for the next UStamp event - Get a Jump on Your Jingle. As you may have guessed, it is a holiday edition. You will receive step-by-step instructions for 40 cards and 40 3-D projects!!! Check back and I will tell you when you can purchase the event. It is going to be awesome!! I am so excited to be part of another UStamp!

I hope you enjoyed my project today. I had so much fun creating it. Thanks for stopping by and sharing with me. 'Til next time.................

Happy Stamping,

Laurie

Remember to get your mammogram!