Truly Loving Wisteria Wonder

Hello Friends,

Happy Wednesday, the week is half over already can you believe it? Personally, I would like summer to last just a little longer but I can hear the school bell getting louder and a new set of 1st graders waiting to meet me; school starts in 2 weeks...guess I better get busy stamping as much as I can before time passes me by!

Today's card was made with one of the new Stampin Up In Colors: Wisteria Wonder. I cannot say enough about how beautiful this color is. Make sure you let me know what you think!

Card Size: 3 1/2" X 5"

Stamp Set Used: Precious Butterflies

Colors Used: Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, and Whisper White

Accessories and Tools Used: Scallop Border Punch, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Beautiful Wings Embosslit die, 5/8" organza ribbon, and dimensionals 

Monday Sketch Challenge 1

Hello Friends,
I have decided to add something new to my blog. A Monday Sketch Challenge. What is it you ask??? Well, what I will do every Monday is post a new layout (sketch) for a card. I will also post my example. Then, you can make a card using the sketch and email a picture of it to me so I can add it to the post. Things to remember: You can be as creative as you would like and the measurements for your card is up to you!! It will be fun. The main idea for this new task is because if you are like me, you tend to use the same style latouts for your cards. Now we will have to challenge ourselves to try something different. I am really excited about this because I am convinced I will end up finding new layouts that I love and will want to use over and over again. So here is our first challenge....

These sketches come from Stampin Up's Demonstrators website. This one was created by Susie Nelson. I think this one is a pretty simple one to get everyone started. I hope you will give it a try! Below you will find the one I came up with. Have a wonderful week!

Card Size: 5" X 5"

Stamp Set Used: Cottage Garden

Colors Used: Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo, So Saffron, Whisper White, and Basic Black

Accessories and Tools Used: 2010-2011 Hostess Designer Series Paper pack, Basic Rhinestones, and dimensionsals.

Here is my friend, Jessica's card for this challenge. Way to go Jessica, I knew you would love this challenge. Now where was this card when the 4th of July arrived, I know I could have used it.

The next adorable card was made by my friend Evelyn.I love the colors you chose. It's just so amazing to me how the same layout can create so many different cards.

Here is a card made by one of the sweetest girls I know, Sierra. Those butterflies are so cute! I just love your colors. Reminds me of one of our new In Colors called Pool Party!!!

And the next one is another sweetheart's entry. Her name is Aliya. Yes you guessed it they are sisters. I am so lucky to know these two lovely girls. Aliya's card is bright, bold, and exciting. Whoever gets this card, sure is a lucky person!

I am loving everyone's entries......Keep them coming!

The next one is from a lovely friend of mine named Marcia, she is one creative lady! Just love pink and browns together!!! Marcia, you finally convinced me that I NEED this set and it was one I was willing to without...Just great another addition to my never ending stamp wish lis LOL.

Using your Idea Book and Catalog as a resource!

Hello Friends,

This week, during my card class I covered something in class that a lot of my friends were not present to hear, so I am sharing it with you here!

Stampin Up's Idea and Catalog can give you so much more than just a place to find your stamping needs or wants. It has the word IDEA in the title because there are tons of great ideas inside of it. A lot of people say to me, "Sandi, you are so creative which is why you are so good at doing what you do, I could NEVER do that!" Well, I am here to say that that is simply NOT true!! Use your catalog, that's what it is for.

I love to create something unique and creative, but just like the world's greatest authors, I get creator's block (writer's block). So instead of thinking that today is just not my day to make anything and give up, I pick up my catalog and flip through it for inspiration. Sometimes I will find something that I kind of like but would change something to make it my own, sometimes I will find something I know I would like if it were in a different color scheme; so I change it to fit my color choices, and other times I will make something exactly like in the catalog. The truth is, no matter where your inspiration comes from, the person you are making your card or gift for will simply adore it, and usually will never know that it wasn't your own creation! Ok my preaching is over..... Now I will show you the two cards I created with my sermon in mind LOL......

 This first card can be found on page 75 in your Stampin Up Idea and Catalog. When you locate this card you will find that it was in a completely different color scheme. I chose to make mine more summery by changing the colors and using some of the new IN Colors; Wisperia Wonder, and Calypso Coral, as well as some other favorites; Baja Breeze and Daffodil Delight whereas, the one in the catalog was done in Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Certainly Celery, and Real Red. Both cards are laid out completely the same but the colors are changed, giving this card a whole new look that I love. Feel free and compare the two, you will find that even though the are exactly the same card they look very different.

For this next card, you will find it on page 136 in your Stampin Up Idea and Catalog. For this one I made it exactly the same except for two things, first,  I didn't have any white Bakers Twine so I used a white ribbon instead and second, I didn't have the pinking hearts border punch so I used my scallop border punch. Cute isn't it? I thought so too so I didn't need to change anything.

So what do you think? Feel inspired to flip through your catalog again and find a new use for it? In fact, if you have our previous catalogs and thought about tossing them...don't because now you know another used for them. And if your thinking, "But Sandi, some of the stamps in my old catalog are not available anymore so I couldn't use it if I wanted to". My answer to that is, "Yes you are right, the stamp set is no longer available, BUT, you might like a card layout in the catalog that you can use to make a card with a current or favorite set!

Well I hope I gave you a bit of advice and a new inspiration that you may have not thought of. Oh, and if you don't have the current catalog, I have some available, just give me a call! Take care

Stamp Sets Used: Tiny Tags and Little Friends

Colors Used: Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, Baja Breezr, Wisperia Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Melon Mambo, Temtpint Turquoise, Whisper White

Accessories and Tools- Brights Designer Buttons, Hemp, Designer Series Papers from the Subtles and Brights collection, Scallop Border Punch, Jewelry Tag punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Stamp-a-ma-jig, piercing tool, mat pack, dimensionals, glue dots, and Stampin Write Markers

It's Summertime!

Hello Friends,

Today I am loving my summer vacation which is why I made this card....

I have to say, Stampin Up really captured summer this year in their Summer Mini. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE stamp sets that show kids having fun. I am a mother of 5 after all! If you listen carefully I think you might even be able to hear the children at the beach laughing and having a good time. I hope they remembered to wear sunscreen!

 Notice how I left one flip-flop in the sand and one by the sentiment, I did this because whenever we take a trip to the beach someone in our family ALWAYS loses one of their flip-flops. Sometimes I think someone's dog ran off with them, but to be all honest my kids probably buried them deep down in the sand and forgot where, they have an absent minded mother so it really isn't their fault, their fogetfulness was inheritted :o)

Do you like my textured sand and the way the water looks alive? I know I actually had a spout of brillance today! I used a background stamp for the texture (which unfortunately is retired but you can get the same effect with Stampin Up's color spritzing tool) and Crystal Effects to make the water look wet.

 Stay safe, suncreened, and have a wonderful summer adventure!!!

Stamp Sets Used: Sunny Fun

Colors Used: Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue, Pacific Point, and Whisper White

Tools Used: Color pencils, Blender Pen, Crystal Effects, and a dauber

Love & Care

Hello Friends,

Happy Weekend!!!

I cannot express how beautiful it is outside today. So I decided to make a card that expresses beauty through nature. Hope you like it.

Beautiful, isn't it?

This card was so easy to make. Notice, I didn't use any embellishments? Well, I wanted to make a card with just some ink and paper. I wanted to express the fact that you do not have to have everything in the Stampin Up catalog to make a great card (although my dream is to have almost everything :o), or that sometimes less is more!

What makes this card stand out? Well instead of using an ink pad, I chose to use my Stampin Write markers so that I could layer three different pinks to make the flowers look more alive rather than flat. I also used my best tool; my hands, to make a few tears in my layers to give the card a different edge. Then once I tore my edges, I used a dauber and rubbed some ink onto the edges to bring out the torn paper texture. Sound easy? That's because it was super easy! I hope you enjoyed stopping by today, I am off to enjoy the beautiful day, you should too!!!

Stamp Set Used: Love & Care

Colors Used: Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Always Artichoke

Accessories or Tools Used: daubers and Stampin Write Markers

Birthdays are so much fun!

Hello Friends,

Have you ever pondered how birthdays are so much better when you are a kid? Why is that? Is it because we love the cake and ice cream? No, because I still love the cake and lots of ice cream. Could it be the presents? Nah, because if you say you didn't care if you got anything, you would be lying!!! Presents are always fun and exciting to open. Maybe it's because when your a child you get to have a theme party? I don't know about you, but when I was a kid I begged my mother to make my birthday party a Barbie, Princess, Strawberry Shortcake, or whatever the IN thing was at the time, party. And if you decorated everything and sent out invitations in your special theme, chances were, all your friends would buy you a gift that revolved around your theme!!! Hmmm, maybe I should make a diamond party? Then maybe I would get lots of diamonds? After all, they say Diamonds are a girls bestfriend :o)

Anyways, today's card was made for my little nephew Javier. We will be attending his 6th birthday party this weekend (a Pirate Party LOL) and with taking my summer art college class I figured I better get busy on his card instead of stressing at the last minute. So here is what I came up with...

What's the matter? You were expecting a Pirate card :o)   Not this time!

This card is a fun greeting card because I chose colors that are bright, cheery, and could be given to anyone, not just a little boy. In fact, I actually made a bunch to save and pass out throughout the year! Have a wonderful week and as always, Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp Set Used: Happiest Birthday Wishes (This is a hostess set, so if you love it call me and we can set up a workshop so that you can earn this set for free!!!)

Color Scheme: Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, and Whisper White

Accessories and Tools Used: Scallop Border punch, Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper, and Hemp

Ice Cream on a HOT day!!!

Hello Friends, Happy Tuesday,

Today's card I made because the weather has been so hot lately that all my family can think about is Ice  Cream!!! And when you look at the card, I can tell you that we have probably had one of each kind of ice cream displayed this summer.

Doesn't it make you want to stop the next Ice Cream man in your neighborhood and buy one?

I love this card. My dear friend, Roxanne was the inspiration for this card. She told me, "You should try making a card that fits into a legal size envelope. So even though I wasn't sure I could come up with something, I tried anyways. Guess what? She was right, now I am going to try making more cards in this size.

This card also uses a tool that I had no clue how to use when I bought it but have now decided is my

FAVORITE tool. It's called the Stamp- A- Ma- Jig. It helps you align any stamp perfectly straight. If you look at my card you will notice that some of the ice cream treats repeat.I used the stamp-a-ma-jig and lined the two images up and then stamped. Now both images look like one continuous but straight image. Are you amazed? I was, because most of you that know me think that I ALWAYS stamp perfectly, this is totally NOT true. Most of the time I stamp several practice cards, throw them away because they are crooked, and then stamp again. Truth is, it probably takes me 3-4 tries before I end up with something I am proud of. But, now that I have learned how to use this tool, I can stamp perfectly the first time, everytime. I am telling you, this is now a MUST HAVE item!

Well, have a wonderful summer day, stay cool, and listen carefully you might be able to hear the next Ice Cream man in your neighborhood!

Stamps Used: Summer Fun

Colors Used: Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, and Whisper White

Accessories Used: Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, Scallop Border Punch, Scalloped circle punch, corner rounder, Stampin Write Markers, Designer Series Paper Brights collection, and a popcicle stick.