2-5-7-10 Bags

I am having a Premier jewelry party at my home on Sunday and I made some 2-5-7-10 boxes to give as a gift to everyone who attends my party (or places an order before the party). I wanted to do something with a jewelry or "bling" theme so this Rubber Romance stamp was perfect. I added Stampin Up! Dazzling Diamonds to give it a little more sparkle. Of course, what better to put in the boxes for a goup of women than some chocolates! So far, I have made 25 boxes - I would rather have too many rather than not enough.

If you have never made the 2-5-7-10 boxes they are really easy to make. There is a great tutorial at Splistcoaststampers if you need instructions. I have to tell you, I recently purchased a Scor-Pal and this made these boxes even easier to make. I think I was able to score them in half the time in would normally take. My Scor-Pal was worth every penny! I found mine at Archiver's and was able to use my 30% off coupon - even better.

The Details: Stamp: Rubber Romance Paper: Assorted Stampin Up! Ribbon: Stampin Up!, Misc: Copic Markers, Scallop Scissors, and Dazzling Diamonds.

Thanks for stopping by and looking!

Coffee anyone?

Well, it wasn't a good weekend for stamping, but I did manage to get one card finished. I was in Joann's this weekend and found the cutest K & Company brads that I just had to find a use for them. I made this card using Inky Antics stamps - and my K & Co brad. I actually designed the card around the brad - I picked the paper and ribbon that would match and went from there. Since it was a deep chocolate brown I thought something with a coffee theme was in order. See what you think. I hope you like it!

Details:

Stamps: Inky Antics. Paper: Stampin Up! Chocolate Chip, Designer Paper Misc: K & Co brads

Bad Blogger

I'm sorry I've been such a bad blogger - seems I just never have enough time to stamp. By the time I get everything done around the house it's usually time to go to bed! This weekend I picked 6.5 pounds of strawberries at a local greenhouse. The strawberries are hydraponic so you just stand and cut them off the stem - pretty neat. It took me about 20 minutes to pick them. Then, I made strawberry freezer jam. I was able to get 20 jars - which was 3 batches. It came out pretty good, even if I do say so myself. Next, I am going to try peach jam.

Well, here's a card I haven't shown you before. I just love the American Art Stamps Emerson line - so funny. The paper is from a Glitter Stack I bought ages ago at Joann's. I also used some Stampin Up! Barely Banana with it. I used Copics to color the image.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy 4th everyone! I hope everybody is having a great holiday! Today I am going to share this Rubber Romance card with you. Once again, I did some paper piecing to add some interest to her bags. I hope you like it!

The stamps are Rubber Romance and Inky Antics (sentiment).

I am hoping to find a little time to stamp this weekend - but I'm not counting on it.

Enjoy the long holiday weekend!

Sympathy Card for a Pet

Today I made a sympathy card for a friend who's dear dog died very suddenly. He was only three years old and had been in good health, so the loss was especially difficult. Anyone who is a "pet parent" knows how they become part of your family and you grieve over the loss just as you would a person. So, I wanted to send her a nice card to let her know I was thinking of her and understand what she is going through.

Details:
Stamps: My Favorite Things and Repeat Impressions
Paper: Stampin Up! Brilliant Blue, Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White

Thanks for looking and I hope everyone has a great week!

Pretty in Pink

I had this pretty flower stamp that I never used and was in the mood for something pink. I love this satin ribbon - I got it in a ribbon share. If you have never participated in a ribbon share, I highly recommend joining one. It's a great way to get a large selection of ribbon. I have joined shares hosted by Jill and Jodi aka Confessions of a Ribbon Addict and I've never been disappointed. They will post the shares on their blogs when they are hosting one - so visit their blogs to see what they have going on.

Well, on to the card:

Details:

Stamp: Stamps by Judith Paper: Doodlebug Designs - Bubblegum Sweet Stripes and Stampin Up! Misc: Copic markers, satin ribbon

Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday Bella

Well today I finally found some time to stamp! I have a couple of birthday cards I wanted to get done this weekend, so tonight I am going to show you two very similar cards I made using the Birthday Cake Bella. I just love to paper piece her! As you can see, I used the same D.P. on both the cards - just switched how I used them! I also used my nestabilities to make the rectangle shapes - I just love my Nesties!

Details:

Stamps: Stamping Bella and Endless Creations (sentiment) Paper: Stampin Up! Ink: Pallette Noir and Copic Markers Misc: Nestabilities

I didn't have much time to play with my latest toy -Kohi-Noor pencils that I bought at Pat Catan's. It was customer appreciation day at the store so I ended up getting an extra 10% off my purchase - that made the set of 24 pencils around $9. I played with them a little and I understand why people have been raving about them - they really do spread like butter. I can't wait to spend a little more time working with these!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope everyone had a good weekend - it's back to work for me!

Some wine

Here's another quick card I made on Sunday. I was pressed for time, so I didn't have a lot of time to be creative. This card is for my brother-in-law, who loves red wine. Again, I was challenged to make a masculine card so I thought this combination worked pretty well.

Details:

Stamps: Impression Obsession Paper: Creative Imaginations (Signature Collection), SU Basic Black, SU Old Olive Misc: Ribbon (from one of the ribbon shares I joined), Charm (again, I've had this one for awhile), Crystal effects (on the wine)

Father's Day

Well, it's been a hectic weekend. I had 13 people for dinner today for a Father's Day and birthday celebration. I was busy making cards this morning because I never found any time all week to stamp. My Dad is a farmer, so I knew I wanted to use my A Muse tractor stamp. It's difficult for me to come up with masculine cards, but I thought this paper from Paper Patch had a kind of "country" theme to it - kind of reminds me of my dad's red handkerchief's. Anyway, I hope you all like it.

Details:

Stamps: A Muse and Stamps by Judith (sentiment) Paper: The Paper Patch (Red Bandana), SU Basic Black and SU Whisper White Misc: Crystal Effects (on tractor wheels), Copic Markers, Tool Charms (I have no idea where I got these - I have had them forever)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all were able to enjoy time with your Dad's today!

Pretties Bella

I have been a subscriber to the Paper Pretties "card in a box" club since it first started and have really enjoyed getting the kits each month. They are no longer offering the subscriptions and I recently received one of my last boxes - I will miss them. I thought I would share with you the latest card I made using the kit. This is one of my favorites. Sorry, but I don't know where the large brads are from - but they are super cute!

Details:

Stamps: Stamping Bella Paper: Bazill, Daisyd's Misc: Copic Markers

Brighton-Like Jewelry and a Bella

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. I am finding it very difficult to find time during the week to blog after I come home from work. Typically, I come home from work and then get a few things done around the house, then go to the gym and workout. By the time I get home it's about 7:30 and I'm usually in bed by nine so I can get back up the next day at 4:45 AM and start all over again!

Anyway, on to my latest post. I haven't made much jewelry lately but I got inspired by these pewter hearts I found at the bead shop. I love Brighton jewelry and I think I did a pretty good job at making a "Brighton-like" bracelet and necklace. I already have had 2 people ask me to make them sets! Here's what they look like:

Now for my Bella! I needed a little Thank-you for a co-worker who agreed to help me out with a project. I haven't used my Ginger Blossom paper from Stampin Up! too much and that was my inspiration for the card. I started with the paper and then went from there! Hope you like it!

Details:

Stamps: Stamping Bella and Paper Trey (sentiment) Paper: SU! Ginger Blossom, Groovy Guava, and Ruby Red Ribbon: SU! Groovy Guavy Misc: Nestabilities Ovals

Thank You Berry Much!

Today I have a PaperTrey card to show you. I love Paper Trey and I'm trying to use all my PaperTrey stamps that have never been inked. I thought this "Thank you berry much" sentiment was so cute, and perfect for summer. I added Diamond Glaze to the center berry to make it "pop". Hope you like it!

Details:

Stamps: PaperTrey Ink: Stampin Up! Real Red and Garden Green Paper: Stampin Up! Real Red and PaperTrey white Misc: Oval Nestabilities, Real Red Eyelets, Red Dotted Ribbon, Diamond Glaze

Bunny and Coffee

I think I'm on a kick with this Rubber Romance bunny stamp - I just think she is so cute. This time, I paired her with this great coffee saying "With enough caffeine, I could rule the world." Once again, I added a little rhinestone to her belly button and put some glitter on the bunny slippers.

Here are the details:

Stamp: Rubber Romance and InkaDinkaDo (sentiment) Ink: Palette and Copic Markers Card Stock: Stampin Up! Chocolate Chip and Whisper White and Jazz by Colorbok

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

Paper Trey Card Box

This weekend I played with some of my Paper Trey stamps. I bought them awhile ago but never got around to using them. Lately I have been trying to take all my stamps that I've never used and put them to good use. I made a set of six cards using various sentiments that come with the set. The one pictured here, "Bloom Where you're planted" is one of my favorites. I also used "With Gratitude" and "Friends Forever".

Now, here's a picture of the little card box I made to put them all in. If you remember in one of my previous posts, this is the box that I learned to make from Allison's workshop in the mail kit - it's a great kit and Allison't instructions (complete with color photos) are great!

I really would prefer the box in Only Orange but I needed a 12" x 12" sheet of cardstock and I didn't have any in that color. I think I see a Stampin Up! order for 12" x 12" paper in my future!

Card Details:

Stamps: Paper Trey, Ink: Versa Magic Persimmon, Stampin Up! Old Olive and Only Orange, Cardstock: Stampin! Up Only Orange and Whisper White Misc: Orange Stickles

Hope you all had a great holiday!

Rubber Romance "Bunny"

Today I made a card for a friend who was having a bad day. It's one of my favorite Rubber Romance girls, Bunny. I don't know if you can tell in the picture but I added a little rhinestone to her belly button and added a little glitter to her robe and bunny ears. I used my Nestabilities to create the ovals. I'm sorry, but I just had this little scrap of D.P. left and I have no idea who makes it.

Details:

Stamps: Rubber Romance and Inky Antics (sentiment) Paper: Bazill Ink: Palette Noir black and Copic markers Misc: Bella's Baubles and Stampin Up! ribbon

I hope this card brings a smile to my friend's face! Thanks for visiting me today. I am hoping to get a lot of stamping and jewelry making done over the long holiday weekend so please stop by over the weekend to see my creations and have a great Memorial Day!

Barbie - with an attitude!

Remember my shopping trip to Joann's over the weekend? Well, I saw some cute Barbie paper and it reminded me of fun sentiment that I have had for quite awhile. Here's the outside of the card:



and here's the inside:

Details:

Stamps: Rubber Romance and Viva Las Vegas (sentiment) Paper: Stampin Up! Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana and Whisper White Ribbon: Polka Dot organdy Ink: Palette Noir and Copic markers Misc: Rhinestones

Here's another version of the card:

Details:

Stamps: Rubber Romance and Viva Las Vegas (sentiment) Paper: Stampin Up! Real and Red and Whisper white and Reminisce "Disco Love" D.P. Ink: Palette Noir Black and Copic markers Misc: Rhinestones

Thanks for stopping by!

Ribbon Storage

As promised, today I am going to talk about ribbon storage. I'll admit it, I just love ribbon - I have tons and tons of it! I am constantly searching for the best method to store my ribbon. Thanks to the discussion forums at SplitCoast Stampers I have found some great ideas for storage. I can't take any credit for the ideas I am sharing with you today - I got all of my ideas from the very talented stampers over at SplitCoast and other bloggers who have shared their ideas for storage.

First, I would like to show you how I store my larger spools of ribbon. I'm talking about the full rolls of Stampin Up! ribbon which contain a lot of ribbon. Previously, I stored them on the rolls in drawers or baskets stashed in my stamping closet. I had so many rolls that they took up a great deal of room and it was difficult to see what I had. As you know, I have 2 cats who are usually in my room with me and they posed another problem - I could not leave my ribbon out because they would end up playing with it and I would find ribbon all through the house. How do I know this - I came home one day to find an entire roll of ribbon strung from my craft room (upstairs) down the hall and stairs!

So, I purchased Cropper Hopper 4 x 6 Ribbon Cards and wrapped my ribbon around it. Here's 2 pictures of the cards so you can see what they look like:

Now, what to store them in? I searched all over and finally found a storage unit I liked at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It measures 22" w x 15" d x 25" h (with wheels). Believe it or not, I was able to fit ALL of my large ribbon spools into one drawer - and still have a little room left over. I divided the drawer into sections by cutting poster board to fit inside the drawer. That way there is a clear division of the sections. I have taken a picture for you of the drawer wtih my ribbons inside:

Now, for my smaller spools of ribbon and ribbon that I got via ribbon shares. For my smaller rolls of ribbon I saw a great idea using clothes pins. Basically, all you do is wrap the ribbon around the pin and then I secured them in place with Goody pony tail holders that I purchased at Wallmart. The pins I bought were actually called Doll Pins at Joann's. Here's a picture so you get the idea:

Now, what I consider the best idea of all - what to store all those clothes pins in. I bought a clear jar at Bed, Bath, and Beyond to put all my ribbon spools into. After using my coupon I think I ended up paying about $5 for this large jar. I sat the jar on a bookcase in my craft room so it's in clear view. I gotta tell you - it just makes me happy to see all the pretty ribbon sitting in the jar! Here's a picture for you:

Thanks for stopping by. I am working on a PG-13 card for tomorrow. It's a funny sentiment that I found in my stash yesterday and that goes perfectly with some Barbie paper I found at Joann's. That's one of my projects for today. Please stop by tomorrow and I'll show you what I came up with!

Shopping Bella

Sorry I haven't posted much this past week. I injured my back on Tuesday night and I haven't been able to get too much stamping done - until yesterday. I made a shopping trip to Joann's and that inspired me to make a few new cards and to organize my ribbon.

Today's card features shopping bella. It is really a birthday card for my niece who loves to shop. I hope she likes it.

Details:

Stamps: Stamping Bella

Paper: Stampin Up! Bashful blue and Orchid Opulence

Ink: Palette Noir Black and Copic markers

Misc: Rhinestones

Please stop by tomorrow and I'll share some pictures of my ribbon storage for both large and small rolls of ribbon - remember when I said I was an organizaton freak!

Thanks for visiting. I'll try to post more next week - I promise.

Bella and Blog Tip

Today I thought I would share another Bella and an organization tip for keeping your own electronic stamping notebook.

First, the Bella. Today I have stamping bella to show you. I paper pieced her dress using Stamping Up! D.P. I just love the sentiment - which is also from Stamping Bella. It says "Stamps $6457.33 Supplies $7872.58 handmade card: priceless" How true is that!

Details:

Stamps: Stamping Bella Paper: Stampin Up! Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink and D.P. Ink: Palette Noir black Technique: Paper Piecing and Gamasol and Colored Pencils Misc: Pretty in Pink Brads (Stampin Up!)

Now, my little tip for organizing all your stamping ideas from blogs. I know that I find so many great ideas on blogs and I thought it would be great to be able to save them and categorize them in a way that I could easily find what I was looking for.

What works best for me is to use Microsoft OneNote 2007 to create an online library of all my favorite cards and ideas. In case you have never used OneNote it is basically nothing more than an electronic notebook. You can create different notebooks and then create groupings under each notebook.

What I did was create a Stamping notebook and then I created categories (called section groups in OneNote) under that for each of my favorite stamp vendors - so I have a category (section group) for Stamping Bella, MFT, Cornish Heritage Farms, Stampin Up!, etc. I even have a category for Tutorials, Gift Ideas - you can add whatever you want. Then I created a sub-category (called a section) under each of these for specific sets or stamps. For example, under Stamping Bella I have a section for CosmoBella. Then, you can just copy and paste or use the "Send to OneNote" command to file the card using that particular stamp in the appropriate location. You don't need to create all your categories and sections at once - I just create them as needed when I want to add to my notebook.

The advantage is that I have all my ideas in one place and I when I paste them into OneNote it keeps all the links to the original post so I can see exactly where I got my idea - and I can give the individual credit for their work. No longer do I need to sit and think - "Where did I see that tutorial on the 2-4-6-8 box?". Also, I can save the entire notebook to a PDF document if I want to take it to another computer that doesn't have OneNote on it.

One thing to keep in mind - you will find an option on your browser to "Send to One Note" - in IE7 this is located under Tools - Send to OneNote. This option will send the entire web page to OneNote and file it under the "Unfiled Notes" section. Then, you will need to go in and move it to the proper location. To get around this, I just highlight the portion of the web page that I want to copy (I typically avoid copying the blog rolls and archive sections on the page) and then just hold down the CTRL + C on the keyboard to copy the highlighted contents. Then, I navigate to OneNote and either go to the location where I want to paste the contents (may need to create the appropriate section group or section) and either use CTRL + V on the keyboard or use the menu in OneNote to Edit - Paste the contents.

I have only used the 2007 version of OneNote so I can't speak to the 2003 version. It is my understanding that the 2007 version is much nicer to use. Also, I use Google reader to subscribe to all my blogs so that I don't need to visit each blog or rely on an email messge to tell me when they have been updated. Google reader is free - you just need to create an account to use it. I just add my subscriptions in Google reader and I log in and it tells me what blogs have been updated with all the links right there for me. I believe there are similar products that do this as well.

I hope you find this tip useful. I know it really works for me - but I am somewhat of an organization "freak". Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.