Paper Pumpkin August Cards - Monthly Creativity Escape

I was excited about the little bicycle stamp and banner stamp in this month's paper pumpkin. 

Here's a close up of the cards.  I changed the layout only slightly.  They're cuter in person when you can really see the polka dot background.

Today's the last day for the $10 for the first two months special.  After today it's back to the regular $19.95 (still a great price!).  Both prices include shipping.  Join today by clicking on my Paper Pumpkin logo in the side bar.

Be among the first 3 to join with me and get a free Paper Pumpkin kit from a past month mailed to you (this is only offered through me).  Click here to see my previous post for details.

Happy Stampin'

Rolling Waves, Sand Between Your Toes, & Wind in Your Hair

I love Gulf Shores!  I had a great week at the beach with family.  I always especially enjoy spending time with my older brother, Bruce.  He won our annual Backgammon tournament this year...it's always pretty even.  We also played Mexican Train Dominoes and Skipbo with everyone.  Since he has been battling fatigue recently, I did a lot more cooking than usual by preparing all his meals.  Thankfully, he worked up the strength to join me walking on the beach and floating in the ocean almost every day.

Playing in the sand...

Next weekend I'm crafting all weekend with my stamping friends at a local craft retreat.  Life is good!

Happy Stampin'

My Paper Pumpkin - Party Pennants & Last Week of Free Kit

I made my Party Pennants Pumpkin Kit with my friend, Linda, at work during lunch.  I added sponging to the edges of everything and a few rhinestones, but other than that, it's just how it was designed.

I hung the little banner flags back to back so you can see a message from either side.  They're meant to be put in a cake, cupcakes, or bottles weighted with sand or something.

I can't wait for my August Paper Pumpkin to arrive.  It's called Pedal Praise, but that's the only hint I have.  You have to wait until you get the shiny red box in the mail...it's a surprise each month!

There's a promotion this month for $10 for the first 2 months plus a free kit from me.  Read about it in my July 29th post: click here.

Happy Stampin'

Winter Frost Merry Card - Expressions Thinlits Die

The last Stamp Night project for August celebrates Christmas with some of the colors in the Winter Frost designer series paper.

Colors:

• Island Indigo
• Pool Party
• Smoky Slate
• Silver

Tools / Supplies

• Expressions Thinlits Dies
• Silver Foil Sheets
• Stylish Stripes Embossing Folder
• Frosted Finishes Embellishments
• Silver Glimmer Paper
• Winter Frost Designer Series Paper
• Island Indigo Baker's Twine
• Mosiac Punch
• 3/16" Corner Punch
• Stampin' Sponge
• Paper Piercer
• Glue Dots
• Dimensionals

Use the Paper Piercer to poke out the "Merry" expression from the Thinlits Die.  There are little holes in the front to poke through to release the words.

The Frosted Finishes Embellishment is a beautiful accent on the ornament.  Just make sure you give it 2 stamps since it's thicker.  You can also use these ornate embellishments for bow, banner and package decorations.

Happy Stampin'

Magnificent Maple - Crayon Rubbed Embossing Technique

My August Stamp Night card celebrating Fall also demonstrates my technique for this month.

Stamps:

• Magnificent Maple
• Four You
• Gorgeous Grunge

 Colors:

• Cajun Craze
• Crushed Curry
• Chocolate Chip
• Pumpkin Pie
• Whisper White

Tools / Supplies

• white crayon (raid your kid's crayon box)
• Burlap Ribbon
• Woodgrain embossing folder
• Brayer
• Glimmer Brads - Basics
• Paper Towel
• Dimensionals

I love how this turned out.  You get the best results by rubbing the crayon firmly and going over it several times.  Here's the instructions for the technique written out in my Technique Journal page.

Tomorrow I'll post the Christmas card.

Happy Stampin'

Beach House & Halloween Toil & Trouble Card

I'm enjoying a little time off at the beach.  My dad rented a beach house for our side of the family.  He has done it almost every year for the last 10 years or so.  I have a deep love for the ocean since I grew up going on ocean vacations (or should I say adventures) on our family's 24 foot sailboat.  I haven't been sailing in quite a while though.

I do want to post my August Stamp Night projects.  I'm spending a little time in the evenings to catch up on that.  Here's the first one:

Stamps:

• Toil & Trouble
• Best of Halloween
• Tags 4 You

Colors:

• Summer Starfruit
• Basic Black
• Pumpkin Pie
• Very Vanilla

Tools/Supplies:

• Jet Black StazOn pad (to stamp on top of Washi Tape)
• Rhinestone Basic Jewels
• Witches' Brew Designer Series Paper
• Witches' Brew Washi Tape
• Labels Collection Framelits
• Label Bracket punch
• Label Card Thinlits Die
• Dimensionals

I decided that for August I would do a Halloween, Fall, & Christmas card to play with all the new stuff that just came out in the Holiday Catalog.  I'll post the other two tomorrow and the next day.

Happy Stampin'

Festive Flurry & Lovely as a Tree for My Stamp-a-Stack Class

The last card from my Stamp-a-Stack class.  I'm repeating this class on Sunday, October 13th if you missed it.

This one uses a long time favorite stamp set, Lovely as a Tree.  Every year us demos wait to see if this will be the year they retire this set and then breathe a sigh of relief when it survives the retirement list.

You can't tell in the photo much, but I added Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the grass line.  Everyone went crazy glittering their trees and grass line.  I even had one friend glitter the tree on her envelope!

Stamp Sets:

• Lovely as a Tree
• Festive Flurry
• Tags 4 You

Colors:

• Basic Gray
• Midnight Muse
• Smoky Slate
• Whisper White

Tools / Supplies

• Illuminate Glimmer Watermark Stampin' pad
• Rhinestone Basic Jewels
• 2-Way Glue Pen
• Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter
• Bracket Label Punch
• Ovals Collection Framelits Dies
• Silver 1/8" Ribbon
• Dimensionals

Here's the inside.  Since it's on a dark card stock base, I added a white inside for the greeting.

When I make more of these, I plan to use more glitter.  I already ordered another little jar of Dazzling Diamonds just in case.

Happy Stampin'

Christmas Messages Stamp Set - Deck the Halls Card

Here's my 2nd design for the Christmas Stamp-a-Stack class.  I love all the brown and gold.

Stamp Set:

• Christmas Messages

Colors:

• Baked Brown Sugar
• Early Espresso
• Champagne
• Gold
• Crumb Cake
• Whisper Whte

Tools / Extras:

• Seam Binding Ribbon
• Champagne Glimmer Paper
• Gold Foil Sheets
• Ruffle Stretch Trim
• Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder
• Chevron Border Punch
• Circle punch

The Gold Foil and Silver Foil sheets in the Holiday Catalog are very sturdy paper that can be embossed, punched, & die cut.  Not what I thought until I ordered them...I can't wait to emboss some more sheets with other folders.

Happy Stampin'

Joyful Christmas Stamp Set - Stamp-a-Stack Card

Here is the first Christmas card for this season!  I wanted to play with my Season of Style Designer Washi Tape.  The poinsettia is heat embossed with Cherry Cobbler ink sponged (rubbed) all over the image before cutting out.

Stamp Set:

• Joyful Christmas

Colors:

• Crumb Cake
• Cherry Cobbler
• Old Olive
• Naturals White

Tools / Supplies:

• Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder
• Heat Tool
• Season of Style Designer Washi Tape
• Uni-ball White Gel Pen
• Dimensionals

This is one of the 3 designs for my Christmas Stamp-a-Stack classes this year.  I just had the first one on Sunday and will repeat this class on Sunday, October 13th.

Happy Stampin'

Stampin' Up! Convention 2013 - Some More Projects

Here are some of Sara's projects from convention.  I loved her presentation and especially her Halloween frame.  I wasn't fast enough to get photos in the gathering place, but luckily my downline, Laura, managed to get these!

Sara was showcasing the kits from the Holiday Catalog:

• Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit
• Build a Banner Simply Created Kit
• Christmas Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit
• Halloween Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit

She used the Tablescape to make a scrapbook of her family...one page for each person and decorated the cardboard it came in for the front and back covers (some of the pages are under the banner in the first photo).

The canvas paper banners are very sturdy with big grommets already done for you.  Also, they showed us that you only spray briefly to get the color when using the stencils (less is more...don't soak the canvas).


Laura and Me during General Session or Awards Night on Friday.

Happy Stampin'