More July Birthdays...and a couple sneak peaks..

I went to see my blog and was shocked that I never posted my earlier birthday cards for this month, especially since there are a couple I am really proud of!

The first card was made for my husbands Uncle, he always takes care of the family wiener roasts on the farm, and so I let that be my inspiration. I will really miss this stamp set, I wish I had given in and bought it a long time ago...but now it's retiring...{snif, snif} I am pretty sure this set will have a place in my private stash though!

{Recipe}

Stamps:Happy Camper, Nature Trail wheel, weathered
Paper: always artichoke, not quite navy, very vanilla, close to cocoa, pumpkin pie
Ink:Same as CS & Basic black, Whisper white, summer sun, garden green, chocolate chip
Tools & Acc:silver elastic cord, Crystal Effects (on the lantern)


The next card was made for a 14 year old girl who, well, loves everything pink! I figured pink + flowers + glitter+ monkey = can't go wrong! Apparently I found a winning combination because she loved it =)

{Recipe}
Stamps: Sock monkey, polka dot BG, Heard from the Heart
Paper: pirouette pink, pretty in pink CA & DSP, whisper white, going gray
Ink:Same as CS & Basic black, Whisper white
Tools & Acc: three for you punch, new scalloped edge punch, chunky essentials glitter in clear. 2-way glue

This last card is by far may favourite and that is in part because it was such a huge challenge. I mean, what do you make for a 16 year old boy??(that he will actually like...) Well fortunately for me he likes computers and tech stuff and my Pun Fun stamp set (with the little space ship) and my small star punch just arrived! The acetate window and the general colour scheme were inspired by someone on SCS, though I'm afraid I can't remember who. i decided to use my new space ship, and to make a tilt card (the space ship tips and turns when you tilt the card). The space ship seemed kind of forlorn on its own so I created a 'vapour trail' for it using one of the flourishes from the stitched exotics set. For the numbers I covered chip board numbers with encore silver ink and then embossed them with Iridescent Ice. It gives them a fun spacey feel!


{Recipe}
Stamps:Pun fun, All Holidays, stitched exotics
Paper: Wild wasabi, pumpkin pie, whisper white, Jersey shore DSP, acetate
Ink:Same as CS & Basic black, brilliant blue, silver
Tools & Acc:Chip board # from lots of letters set, iridescent ice EP, star punch, 2-way glue, dazzling diamonds glitter

July Birthdays..

I think every family has a month or two of the year that is birthday crazy. In my house it's may, in my extended family it's July and with my friends it's September. I am uber behind on my Family cards this year because I have been so focused on making swaps etc. for convention. I have Finally finished cards 5 and 6 of 10-11needed! But I still have a little ways to go to be in the clear. It's crazy but, I love it and I simply could not imagine buying someone a card now! Here are my last couple: This first card was for my maman, she loves these bright primary colours and has fond memories of biking as a child so she loves bicycle images (I actually had to borrow the stamp from her to make the card!!)
Recipe:

Stamps: Polka dot BG, Time for You, Party Hearty
Paper:Real red, Ballet blue, whisper white
Ink: Whisper white craft, versamark, ballet blue, summer sun, real red, basic black, garden green, creamy caramel.
Tools & Acc:Punches ( scallop circle, boho blossoms, ticket corner) black embossing powder, blender pen, 2-way glue, dazzling diamonds glitter, black gingham ribbon, red brads, silver elastic cord, button from new Button Bouquet!!


This next card is for my brother...um he's a little brother...and let's just say the monkey suits if you know what I mean! I love this little guy it's so much fun to 'dress him up' with all his little accessories, and who doesn't love a sock monkey!Recipe:

Stamps: Sock Monkey, All Holidays
Paper:Real red, Pacific Point, Basic Gray, whisper white
Ink: Whisper white craft ink, basic black, real red
Tools & Acc:Punch photo corner, su! ribbon originals ribbon, white signo gel pen.

I hope you enjoyed, and make sure to take some Stampin' time!

August Christmas Card Take-Out Class-Take Two!

Well I've gotten the vibe that a lot of you are not very fond of a pink Christmas card!! While others absolutely love it! Not being a big pink fan myself, the last card in my take-out class was a bit of a stretch for me, though I did fall in love with the little pink sparkly penguin! Any how, if you are one of those people who were turned off by the pink I have good news: I am offering a blue alternative version too. So when you place your order simply tell me if you want the pink or the blue penguin! The other fun thing I realized about this card is that because of the saying (From our house to yours) you could really personalize this card and put a penguin for each member of your family! You know: Dad gets the scarf, sister gets to be glittery, mom gets eyelashes, brother...gets a hockey stick? Have fun with it!

August Christmas Card Take-Out Class

Here are the sample cards I promised you in my newsletter. If you register for the Take-Out Christmas Card Class you will receive the Stamp set Punch Pals ($43.85 with shipping) plus all the pre-cut paper, ribbons, embelishments and envelopes to make a total of 10 cards (2 of 5 designs). More information bellow the photos. I really enjoyed making these cards and I am sure you will too!

August's Take-Out Christmas Card Workshop

Summer can be such a crazy time, I know it can be challenging to get to a fixed class, so why not take it to go? I will be offering a Christmas Card workshop that you can bring home and do when the time suits you best.

The class features the adorable Christmas stamp set, Punch Pals, on page 34 of the Spring/summer 2008 caty. This is a fabulous and versatile holiday stamp set which is designed to coordinate well with many of our punches.

The Stamp set alone costs (including shipping) $43.98, if you 'enroll' for this class for $54 ($49 for VIP members) you will receive the following:

• The Punch Pals stamp set
  
• Coloured photos and instructions for 5 different cards featuring many of the new incolors!
  
• The Supplies to create 2 of each card
• 10 Whisper white envelopes
• 10% off any items on the recomended supplies list
  

FAQ

What if I already have the stamp set?
If you would still like to make the cards the supplies and instructions are available for $15 ($10 for VIP members)

Where can I see samples of the cards in the kit?
I will be posting images of the 5 cards included in the kit tuesday on my blog.

When do I need to have my order in for?
I will be placing an order for the kit materials on August 5th. If there is enough interest I may also place a later order.

What kind of additional supplies will I need?
Other than the stamping basics (scissors, adhessive, bone folder...) you will need a selection of inks, colouring tools, and a number of punches. For the inks I will offer recomendations for suitable alternative colours. For the punches, once you receive the reccomended supplies list simply identify the punches you do not have and I will pre-punch the necessary pieces for you. Also remember, you can order any necessary supplies at 10% off!

If you have any additional questions or would like to purchase this Take-Out Christmas card class please contact me.

Sale on Select Retiring Accessories

Stampin`Up! has chosen a selection of retiring accessories to run a special on! The items bellow are available while supplies last at 25% off!

Item #	Pg. #	Description	Regular Price	25% Off Price
109117	167	Pocket Notes assortment	$12.04	$9.03
110479	168	Jersey Shore Designer Series paper	$12.04	$9.03
110699	168	East Coast Prep Designer Series paper	$12.04	$9.03
109159	169	Flowers For You Designer Series paper	$12.04	$9.03
110273	169	Spring Fling Designer Series paper	$12.04	$9.03
110748	170	Notebook Designer Series paper	$12.04	$9.03
109153	170	Porcelain Prints Designer Series paper	$12.04	$9.03
110751	171	Azure Designer Series paper	$12.04	$9.03
109164	171	River Rock Prints Designer Series paper	$12.04	$9.03
109175	171	Almost Amethyst Prints Designer Series paper	$12.04	$9.03
109168	171	Groovy Guava Prints Designer Series paper	$12.04	$9.03
109169	171	Close to Cocoa Prints Designer Series paper	$12.04	$9.03
110284	182	Eastern Elegance Rub-Ons	$12.97	$9.73
110285	182	Urban West Rub-Ons	$12.97	$9.73
110281	182	Cherished Memories Rub-Ons	$12.97	$9.73
109185	190	Jersey Ribbon Originals	$15.76	$11.82
109187	190	District Ribbon Originals	$15.76	$11.82
109189	190	Beachfront Ribbon Originals	$15.76	$11.82
110716	191	Wild Wasabi striped grosgrain ribbon	$9.77	$7.32
109062	191	River Rock double-stitched grosgrain ribbon	$11.11	$8.34

*Discounted price reflects the seven percent price adjustment effective during the Spring-Summer 2008 catalogue sales period

As with all retiring accessories these are sure to go fast so don't delay in sending me your order!

Retired Accessories are Announced

Stampin' up just released their Retiring Accessories list, take a peek bellow to see what we will be saying goodbye to. Remember these accessories are only available while supplies last...and they go fast! So, if there is anything you need e-mail me ASAP!

Item Number	Page #	Product Description
109200	177	Accents & Elements Build A Flower
110718	177	Accents & Elements Lucky Star
110719	177	Accents & Elements Messenger
103158	184	Acrylic Graph & Grid
108638	163	Card Stock 12 X 12 In Color
108642	163	Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 Blue Bayou
108643	163	Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 Groovy Guava
108637	163	Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 In Color
108640	163	Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 River Rock
108639	163	Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 Soft Sky
108641	163	Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 Wild Wasabi
108644	163	Card Stock 8-1/2 X 11 Purely Pomegranate
103975	166	Card Stock Brushed Copper
108694	163	Card Stock Textured 12 X 12 In Color
107312	167	Cards & Envelopes Gift Whisper White
107292	167	Cards & Envelopes Greeting Whisper White
109116	167	Notes & Envelopes Long Notes
109118	167	Notes & Envelopes Love Notes
109117	167	Notes & Envelopes Pocket Notes*
110729	167	Notes & Envelopes Scallop Notes
109119	167	Notes & Envelopes Gift Notes
109018	163	Classic Stampin' Ink Blue Bayou
109019	163	Classic Stampin' Ink Groovy Guava
109017	163	Classic Stampin' Ink Purely Pomegranate
109016	163	Classic Stampin' Ink River Rock
109015	163	Classic Stampin' Ink Soft Sky
109020	163	Classic Stampin' Ink Wild Wasabi
109013	163	Classic Stampin' Pad Blue Bayou
109012	163	Classic Stampin' Pad Groovy Guava
109011	163	Classic Stampin' Pad Purely Pomegranate
109010	163	Classic Stampin' Pad River Rock
109009	163	Classic Stampin' Pad Soft Sky
109014	163	Classic Stampin' Pad Wild Wasabi
110751	171	Designer Series Paper Azure*
110696	169	Designer Series Paper Bali Breeze
110749	169	Designer Series Paper Berry Bliss
109154	169	Designer Series Paper Cutie Pie
110699	168	Designer Series Paper East Coast Prep*
109160	170	Designer Series Paper Fall Flowers
109159	169	Designer Series Paper Flowers For You*
110697	169	Designer Series Paper Ginger Blossom
110479	168	Designer Series Paper Jersey Shore*
109151	170	Designer Series Paper Le Jardin
110748	170	Designer Series Paper Notebook*
110750	171	Designer Series Paper Olive Press
109153	170	Designer Series Paper Porcelain Prints*
109175	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Almost Amethyst*
109177	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Always Artichoke
109173	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Blue Bayou
109174	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Brilliant Blue
109178	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Certainly Celery
109169	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Close to Cocoa*
109168	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Groovy Guava*
109171	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Lovely Lilac
109172	171	Designer Series Paper Prints More Mustard
109176	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Old Olive
109170	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Pumpkin Pie
109164	171	Designer Series Paper Prints River Rock*
109167	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Rose Red
109166	171	Designer Series Paper Prints So Saffron
109165	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Soft Sky
109163	171	Designer Series Paper Prints Tempting Turquoise
110698	168	Designer Series Paper Spring Break
110273	169	Designer Series Paper Spring Fling*
110271	170	Designer Series Paper Spring Silhouettes
110272	170	Designer Series Paper Western Sky
107299	167	Envelope Confetti Cream Medium
105320	189	Eyelets Basic
100375	189	Eyelets Bold Brights
100381	189	Eyelets Earth Elements
107233	189	Eyelets Fresh Favorites I
107234	189	Eyelets Fresh Favorites II
105316	189	Eyelets Rich Regals
100378	189	Eyelets Soft Subtles
105515	188	Hodgepodge Hardware Pewter
105531	188	Hodgepodge Hardware Antique Brass
105532	188	Hodgepodge Hardware Aged Copper
101120	183	Metallic Art Pencils
107307	179	On Board Accents
109181	178	On Board Blossoms & Basic
109179	178	On Board Ginormous Pieces
107306	179	On Board Simon Lower
102678	166	Mulberry Paper White
109227	181	Punch Box Three For You
102686	180	Punch Handheld Rectangle
100271	183	Pure Color Pencils
109060	191	Ribbon Double-Stitched Blue Bayou
109063	191	Ribbon Double-Stitched Groovy Guava
109061	191	Ribbon Double-Stitched Purely Pomegranate
109062	191	Ribbon Double-Stitched River Rock*
109059	191	Ribbon Double-Stitched Soft Sky
109058	191	Ribbon Double-Stitched Wild Wasabi
109189	190	Ribbon Originals Beachfront*
109187	190	Ribbon Originals District*
109188	190	Ribbon Originals Fairy Tale
109185	190	Ribbon Originals Jersey*
109184	190	Ribbon Originals Sherbert
109186	190	Ribbon Originals Theater
110716	191	Ribbon Striped Grosgrain Wild Wasabi*
110281	182	Rub-Ons Cherished Memories*
110284	182	Rub-Ons Eastern Elegance*
110285	182	Rub-Ons Urban West*
110557	174	Simply Scrappin' Boho Blend
109610	174	Simply Scrappin' Confetti
110572	172	Simply Scrappin' Crew Kids Boy
110567	173	Simply Scrappin' Crew Kids Girl
109597	175	Simply Scrappin' Home Again
110562	174	Simply Scrappin' Rose Cottage
109648	173	Simply Scrappin' Special Delivery Boy
109627	173	Simply Scrappin' Special Delivery Girl
110587	175	Simply Scrappin' Summer Days
110577	175	Simply Scrappin' Tie The Knot
111184	15	Simply Sent Friendly Notes
109228	16	Simply Sent Simple Delights
109229	16	Simply Sent Three Thoughts
106662	197	Stampin'Around Wheel Daisy Field
107561	197	Stampin'Around Wheel Garden Annuals
109681	197	Stampin'Around Wheel Good Dog
109678	197	Stampin'Around Wheel Kisses
107482	197	Stampin'Around Wheel Lily Pad
109680	197	Stampin'Around Wheel Meow
109677	197	Stampin'Around Wheel Mistletoe
106610	196	Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Basics Outline
107467	196	Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Birthday
109571	196	Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Dilly Dally Baby
109570	196	Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Dilly Dally Friends
109569	196	Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Dilly Dally Party
108423	196	Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Leaves A La Carte
107468	196	Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Nature Hike
108980	196	Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Petals
107464	196	Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Rough Texture
111261	196	Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel Spunky Spots
109554	193	Stampin' Color Index Labels
109553	193	Stampin' Color Index Labels (French)
106694	194	Stampin' Kids Markers
101399	185	Stipple Brushes- THIS WAS LISTED IN ERROR AND IS NOT ACTUALLY DISCONTINUED!
102673	183	Zig Painty

*Items are 25% off and part of our discounted retiring accessories promotion.

-Updated Aug. 6th, items in Red are no longer available

I will attempt to update this list as products become unavailable but, I can`t promise it will be completely up to date when you look. Please contact me to find out if the items you need are still available.

Can't get Enough of my Square Punches!

I have always been a fairly frugal person so the thought of spending on square punches seemed ridiculous. I thought, I can cut squares why would I want that? Then I got one free...within a week I had to have the smaller one too! I love these punches it makes it so easy to make a modern fun looking card. I would have avoided making these cards in the past because it was `fiddly`and things never looked quite right. Now that I have the 1-3/8" and 1-1/4" punches this kind of card is super easy!


Here are a couple of cards with very different looks but both using the matted square punches and some watercolouring. I featured the in colors in both cards because I know I will have to say farewell very soon!!


{Recipe}
Stamps: Embrace Life,
Paper: River Rock textured CS, Ruby Red, Ginger Blossom DSP, watercolour paper
Ink: Same as paper+ stazon black
Tools & Acc.: Aquapainter, earth elements watercolour wonder crayons, river rock and groovy guava double stitched ribbon, rhinestone brad from pretties kit, DD glitter, 2-way glue, punches: 1-3/8 & 1-1/4 square, small oval, word window


{Recipe}
Stamps: Unfrogettable (retiring...sigh...)
Paper: textured wild wasabi CS, watercolour paper, brilliant blue, Jersey shores DSP
Ink: Stazon black
Tools & Acc.: Aqua-painter, bold bright watercolour wonder crayons, crop-a-dile, white eyelets, corner rounder, DD glitter, 2-way glue, signo white gel pen, pumpkin pie 3/8 GG, punches: 1-3/8 & 1-1/4 square, small oval, designer label


This last card was lots of fun to do, I just randomly stamped images from the Unfrogettable set in stazon then watercoloured them, added a touch of glitter ( a must!) and punched out 6 squares from the page. By turning the punch up side down you can slide it around your paper until you see a pleasing design and punch!


Still more to come but I have to get my July Newsletter out first!

June's Technique Class: Faux Pas

June's Stampin' techniques class was all about the Faux. The techniques covered are Faux silk, faux linen, faux leather and faux wood. I had to postpone this class due to a large number of last minute cancellations but, if there is sufficient interest I will offer it again in July or August. So if you like what you see and would like to learn more, contact me! The following cards are planned for the class:

Faux Silk
{Recipe}
Stamps: Embrace Life, Canvas BG
Paper: Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Certainly Celery, Whisper White,
Ink: Same as paper+ basic black
Tools & Acc.: blenderpen, crop-a-dile, silver eyelets, glue stick, sponge, tissue paper, corner rounder

Faux Linen & Faux Leather

{Recipe}
Stamps: Infinite Goodness (Hostess), En Francais BG
Paper: Always Artichoke, Creamy Caramel,Glossy CS, watercolor paper
Ink: same as paper+ chocolate chip, close to cocoa, groovy guava, bashful blue, versamark
Tools & Acc.: blenderpen, antique silver brads,sanding block, sponge, crafter's tool kit, chocolate chip marker, gold EP, iron, spray bottle

Faux Wood

{Recipe}
Stamps: A Little Birdie Told Me, Spring Solitude (hostess) Canvas BG
Paper: Creamy caramel, Purely pomegranate, Whisper White, Soft sky & Close to cocoa DSP
Ink: Basic clack, creamy caramel, whisper white craft, close to cocoa, chocolate chip, purely pomegranate, soft sky, old olive
Tools & Acc.: 1-3/8 circle punch, scallop circle punch, designer label punch, 1in circle punch, crop-a-dile, silver eyelets, silver brad, silver paint pen, linen tread

Remember if you would like to learn how to make any of these project contact me. I would also be happy to offer a private class to you and a few friends featuring these projects! So send me a note at nlt@shaw.ca

Still more to come...but not tonight, it's late!!

Youch! Belated Father's Day

June was a bad blogging month... It looks like I have some major catching-up to do now! It seems that as soon as stuff starts to get crazy in my life the Blog is the first thing to suffer, and I have sooooooo many projects to share! I know "Bad Blogger!". Here are a few very late postings, shall I start with Father's day? Below are the cards I made for some of the Fathers in my life...

This first card I made for my Grandpapa in Quebec. I love the tool box in this card because it's just perfect for someone like him who was always in the wood shop. I really liked the look of the screw head brads I've seen some people using but, since I don't have any I just drew an X on some plain silver brads. It's not quite as cool but, I still like the effect.
{Recipe}
Stamps: For Father (Occasions Mini Catalogue), Weathered BG, Canvas BG
Paper: not quite navy, creamy caramel, garden green, ruby red, watercolour paper
Ink: Same as paper+ whisper white craft ink, close to cocoa, stazon black
Tools & Acc.: watercolor wonder crayons, aquapainter, spiral punch, 1/2 in circle punch, standard hole punch, silver paint pen, silver brads.

The following card was made for my husbands grandfather. I had a blast making this card, I just got the Happy Camper stamp set and....I know it's retiring...sniff, sniff... but I am not going to be parting with this set any time soon!! There is just too much you can do with it!!

{Recipe}
Stamps: Happy camper, Wild about you
Paper: creamy caramel, basic black, real red, close to cocoa, brilliant blue, pumpkin pie, summer sun, real rust, bashful blue DSP, card stock weight velum.
Ink: whisper white craft ink, close to cocoa, creamy caramel, versamark, brilliant blue, wild wasabi
Tools & Acc.: silver EP, white EP, crystal effects (on the hot dog!), white signo gel pen, silver paint pen.

This card was made for my Father in law, I just wanted to make something cheerful and modern without having a theme. I was inspired by the colours in this Jersey Shores DSP and some cards I saw on SCS. I also just got my hands on the 1-3/8 and 1-1/4 square paper punches and I can't stop usint them!!

{Recipe}
Stamps: All Holidays
Paper: Brilliant blue, wild wasabi textured CS, Whisper White, Jersey Shores DSP.
Ink: brilliant blue, pumpkin pie, wild wasabi
Tools & Acc.: 1-3/8 square punch, double stitched and striped wild wasabi ribbon, pumpkin pie 3/8 GG, bold bright button, silver elastic thread, mini glue dots.

Now this final card has got to be my favourite, and it was definitely the most time consuming! I made this card for my husband. I love how flexible the All in the Family set is you really can make a caricature of anyone!

{Recipe}
Stamps: All Holidays, All in the Family
Paper: Brilliant blue, Whisper White, Jersey Shores DSP.
Ink: brilliant blue craft, pumpkin pie, wild wasabi
Tools & Acc.: 1-3/8 square punch, pumpkin pie 3/8 GG, mini glue dots, Blossom basics chipboard pk. many marvelous markers!

I hope you enjoyed my belated creations, there are more to come I swear!

Pretty Paper Flowers-Class

I am really excited about this months Techniques class called Pretty Paper Flowers! I will demonstrate many ways to create and give life to paper flowers and you will come away with three 'Pretty Projects'! This class has been expanded to 2 sessions and I still have room for more students on Thursday May 29 at 7pm. The cost of this class is $15 ($10 for VIP members). If you would like to join me for this class, please contact me. Also, remember, if you can't make the scheduled class, I am always willing to offer this or any other class for you and a few friends at a better time for you! Take a peek bellow at some of the projects we will make...


This beautiful square card was made using the Fabulous Flowers stamp set and a colour combo that I've fallen in love with: Perfect Plum, Old Olive and Soft Sky.


Because May is International Scrapbooking month (yes, there is such a thing!) Idecided to include a scapbook page among the projects. This cute and simple page incorporates a few different flower techniques. I thought the cheerfulness of this layout went well with a picture of my daughter and her first birthday cake.(It's about time I scrapped some of those photos, we will be celebrating her 2nd birthday this week end!!)


This final project is the one I am most proud of. I saw some lovely pictures of paper roses on the internet and I searched and searched to find out how to make them....but no luck! So, I sat down with some supplies and figured out how to make my own, now I can teach you! These flowers are time consuming but, well worth the effort. Each student will make a rose in the colour of their choice then we will attach them to a sweet little gift box.

I hope you can join us on the 29th!

Father's Day Class

Well, this was supposed to get posted yesterday but,the day got away on me! So here we go a day late. Today I have a couple of really fun projects to show you. These projects will be featured at my Father's Day Class on June 12th (more info to follow)






This first picture is of a family name frame, this is what the original class project was going to be. I really liked working with the All in the Family stamp set, you can easily create caricatures of you family using the various stick body parts though, a Stamp-a-ma-jig is a must for this set! I found it pretty easy to customize each character to represent my family the only thing I think they need to add is a bald head and a beard/goatee. I sort of drew a beard on my husband and I actually gave the dog longer legs because our pooch is a giant! I did not have a current family picture to place in the frame so I created a little insert with a 'T' and the definition for 'Together" on it. I used the Summer Picnic DSP to accent my frame but you could really pick any paper to match your family or home decor. I really like this project and I thought anyone would enjoy making one. Even if you are grown up, moved out but, yet to start a family , I thought it might be a fun gift for your parents featuring you and your siblings. But, alas...only my friends with their own children have shown interest....so....Thanks to our recent Extravaganza I had another idea. I`ve decided that, if you do not want to make a Family Name Frame, to invite you to decorate a shadowbox frame to match your home decor!





This is the frame I decorated, I absolutely love the Ginger Blossom Paper and so I decided to feature it. Once again I could not find a suitable photo so I created a complimentary insert instead. I am quite please with how it turned out and I can`t wait to create more of these!!

In case you are interested, the class information is as follows:


Date: Thursday June 12th, 7 pm


Location: My Home


Cost: $30 ($25 for VIP members)


Details: Payment of class fee is required to reserve your spot. Please mention if you would prefer a black or cream coloured frame. Everything you need to make one frame will be provided but, please do bring your own dry double-sided adhesive. If you wish an additional frame can be made for $15 (you must indicate this at time of registration)


I hope you can join us on the 12th!

Chipboard Inspirations

This month, Stampin' Up! is offering %25 percent off chipboard products with any $40 order! I love chip board but, I find people are generally in 2 camps: either they can't get enough of the stuff or they have no idea how they would/could use it. I thought I would give some tips on how you can use chip board, and show you a few of my recent chipboard projects.

The project just above this text is a frame I made using the Ginormous Pieces chipboard pack. This is a really fun collection because it has oversized pieces that can stand alone as in the project above or be used on scrapbook pages for a major impact plus it also includes some smaller accent pieces that would fit nicely on cards.I covered the frame with DSP and punched the holes with my crop-a-dile (love that tool!) The rest of the recipe is as follows:

Stamps: Tart & Tangy


Inks: Real red (craft & classic), Old Olive, Whisper White Craft ink, bashful blue marker

Papers: real red textured cardstock, summer picnic dsp (from occasions mini Caty)

Tools & Accessories: Ginormous pieces chipboard, Crop-a-dile, real red 5/8 inch grosgrain ribbon, black gingham ribbon, silk flower from Pretties kit, scallop circle punch, 1-3/8 circle punch, Crystal Effects, Eastern Elegance Rub-ons, Tombow adhesive, glue dots.


20 ways to use Chipboard:

1. Colour it with markers
2. Colour it with classic ink by pressing it directly into the ink pad or use your brayer (best for darker colours)
3. Colour it with craft ink by pressing it directly into ink pad or apply with a sponge (any colour)
4. Coat with craft ink or Versamark and emboss with clear or coloured EP.
5. Cover with designer series paper by gluing chipboard to paper, cutting it out roughly then sanding edges smooth with a sanding block.
6. Distress by sanding, sponging or stipling.
7. Cover in glitter or microbeads
8. Stamp on it
9. Emboss designs on it
10. Doodle on it
11. Pierce holes and set eyelets in it
12. Apply rub-ons
13. Layer it
14. Create flowers, creatures and object with various pieces (like punch art)
    
15. Cut it using a craft knife
    
16. Wrap it with ribbon or twine
17. Place shape under a piece of cardstock and use a stylus to dry emboss the shape
18. Use both shapes and their negatives as stencils to create new pieces.
19. Use larger pieces to create frames, 3-d projects or album covers
20. Experiment and try your favourite paper craft technique on a new surface!

Here are a couple more projects to inspire you: the first project is a mini album using the Loonies for littles kit available this month as a fund raiser for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Canada. This lovely album was so easy to complete using the decorative papers, self-Adhesive die cuts and unique stamps that came with the kit. In fact I think the most consuming part of this project was choosing the photos to use inside!! Stampin' Up! carries 2 sizes of these mini spiral albums or journals as well as a number of other items that are just perfect for creating your own books.










The last project I will share with you today is made with one of our ChipBoard Clipboards and pieces from a Simply Scrappin' Kit. The clipboards come in 3 very different
sizes and offer a really unique way to display special photos or notes. I can't believe how quickly and easily this project came together using the elements from the Simply Scrappin' kit! I think I will definitely have to take a closer look at the other kits! Well, that's it for today take a peak back tomorrow for another fun project featuring Chipboard! Also if you have any neat chipboard projects you would like to share send me a picture!

Special Birthday Post.

Hi Daniel, You're 3 today, Happy Birthday!!! This is a picture of the birthday card that I made you but was too silly to put it in the mail on time...It's filled with lot's of love and happy birthday wishes from Will, Gabby and I. I hope you have a great day today and a yummy Bday meal with mom and dad and your brothers.
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For anyone else who is interested, here is the recipe for this card:

Stamps: Bugs and Kisses
Paper: whisper white, blue bayou, pumpkin pie, soft sky.
Ink: same as ink + old olive
Tools & Acc.: Spiral punch, circle punches, pumkin pie marker, number sticker from retired simply scrappin kit.

Open House

Ack!! I almost forgot to mention that I will be having an open house Saturday April 26th between 2-5pm. Anyone in the region is welcome to join me. We will be making a mother's day card and a mini scrap book page, plus there will be special offers, door prizes and light refreshments. If you can pop by, even for a moment I would love to see you. Come and see what Stampin' Up! and I have to offer you this spring! for additional info, e-mail me at nlt@shaw.ca.

Funky Pretties

Well once again I find myself at the end of the day with very little time but, I still want to share a little something with you. From my huge collection of images from montreal I picked out a few that had to do with tomorrow's Dyeing for Spring Class. This class is all about dyeing/colouring embellishments such as the silk flowers in the Pretties kit or ribbon or even metal pieces. The pictures in this post show a few of the wild things you can do to the silk flowers from the Pretties kit.

The first card shows a flower that has been delicately coloured with pastels and then mounted to look like an upright flower. I thought that was really neat and would never have thought to use the blooms this way.

The second picture shows off a cute gift box. The flower on this bow was coloured by pressing it into an Encore gold ink pad, the ink seeps right through it and you'd never guess that it was 'home-coloured'.

The third picture is of a really pretty card. The silk flower here was coloured using markers and then covered in dazzling diamonds glitter. It really shimmered.

The final card is really wild, definitely not my style but effective all the same. The flower on this card was 'smooshed' into a Versamark pad and then dipped in black embossing powder and heated. It gives it a very unusual look reminiscent of patent leather or more likely black vinyl!!

I hope these projects have inspired you to play with the pretties kit. If it has I am offering a free re-inker in the colour of you choice to anyone who orders the pretties kit before the end of the month, if you're interested, please e-mail me.

Today's a quicky...

Oof it is really getting to late for me tonight but, I really don't want to break my roll so, here are a few of the swaps I received in Montreal... Ok, while the other projects are fairly self-explanatory I had better tell you a little about this last one. This is actually a pretty little sleeve to hold a nail file. They even stamped right on the file, cool eh? I think my mom and I are going to do a bunch of these to give out to her clients, she's an esthetician so this is perfect! More tomorrow...