Variation on a theme...

...that's what today's card is.  After making the card I posted yesterday I decided to try  different layout using many of the same elements.  This is what I came up with...

Holiday card using Bright Hopes stamp set.

Inside view...look familiar??

So this time, instead of using the rock and roll technique, I used my markers to be more precise as to where I was using the darker shade.  I inked the stamp with my pool party ink pad and then used my island indigo marker to colour the parts I wanted darker.  I also heat embossed the entire focal image using iridescent ice which gives it a ton of sparkle.  I used many of the same elements as I did on yesterday's card, but instead of rhinestones I used the silver mini brads...love those little guys!  Now my dilemma is which card I like best!  I'd love to hear what you all think!

Rock 'n' Roll Hopes

Today's post is one I designed for a Stamp-A-Stack I am doing on Saturday evening.  I wanted something elegant yet clean and so I turned to the Bright Hopes set from the Holiday Mini.  I love this year's in-colours, especially pool party and island indigo, so I decided to combine them using the rock and roll technique.  This simple, yet effective technique is a quick and easy way to get a multi-coloured image...have a look...

Holiday card using the Bright Hopes set from the Holiday Mini

Inside view

I am trying to use a lot of whisper white these days...here's a funny story why...

A couple of weeks ago I was in the midst of prepping for three large Stamp-A-Stacks in a short period of time.  I ran short of some cardstock and needed to place an expedited order to get it here in time.  I was at school (I'm a teacher by day) and was rushing to get my order in by 9:00 am MT so that it would ship that day.  I was distracted and rushed and when I went to enter a quantity of 2 packages of whisper white cardstock I neglected to delete the default quantity of 1.  That meant that when I entered 2 packages it actually registered 12!!  Being too rushed to notice I submitted my order and was rather surprised when my package arrived two days later with a whole lot of whisper white cardstock in it!  So...anybody need any whisper white cardstock???

I do have to say, I am liking the white-on-white background look.  I actually did a variation on this card that I'll post for you tomorrow.  In the meantime I am off to Kindermusik with my son!

Scenic Embossed Season

This week is a busy one!  I have my Stamps-A-Latte club on Thursday, Stamp-A-Stacks on Friday and Saturday and my Gift Tags class next Monday!  Talk about a lot of cutting to do!  Not to mention designing some of the projects!  My Stamps-A-Latte Ladies like to learn techniques, so this month we are doing two.  Today's project uses multi-coloured embossing and I love the way it turned out.  Check it out...

Holiday card using the Scenic Season set and multi-coloured embossing technique

Inside view with image from the Christmas Lodge set.

Isn't that a cool effect???  I used gold, pewter, silver and iridescent ice embossing powder on the trees...I'm not sure if all the variations in colour show up in the photo.  In looks pretty cool in real life.  I kept the rest of the card clean and simple to highlight the image.  The sentiment and the inside of the card are stamped in soft suede.  I used a bit of quilted satin ribbon in cherry cobbler and a neutrals glimmer brad to finish it off.   I sure hope my club ladies like this one as much as I do!

Christmas Collage

Today's post is one I stamped just for fun!!  Today is the first day in a VERY long time that I've been able to just create for the sake of creating and not with a particular class or event in mind.  This card isn't one I would do in a class...a wee bit too fussy for that...but I sure do like it! 

Vintage-y Christmas Card using Christmas Collage background stamp, Winter Post and sentiment from Bells and Boughs sets.

Inside of view using sentiment from Many Merry Messages and image from Bells and Boughs.

So, whaddya think of the colour scheme?  Not exactly your traditional red and green Christmas card...but I have to say I really like it!  I was inspired by a card by Linda Creech that I saw on our demonstrator forum.  Linda's card also used soft colours and pewter embossing powder...such a great combination!  The colours I used were blushing bride, baja breeze, crumb cake and sahara sand (card base).  The background image was embossed using the pewter embossing powder (sure hope THAT stuff carries over when this mini is done!), as was the deer image from the Winter Post set.  The rest of the images on the inside and the sentiment on the front were stamped in crumb cake.  I finished it off with yet another package-tied ribbon treatment (I seem to be on a roll with that lately!) using very vanilla seam binding ribbon and an antique brad.  I am really pleased with the way this turned out...who would have thought such non-traditional colours would combine to create such a beautiful holiday card?!?

Its Digital Scrapbooking Day!

Stampin' Up! is celebrating Digital Scrapbooking Day from Nov. 4 -7th.  This event is designed to highlight some of the fantastic projects you can create using My Digital Studio.  Check out the Event page at MyDigitalStudio.net to learn how you can access FREE digital content during this special event.  Hurry...the event ends Monday, November 7th!

Now on to today's post.  This is another card I designed for my Christmas Club last month.  It uses my favourite set from the Holiday Mini, Christmas Lodge, and makes use of the coordinating DSP called Frostwood Lodge.  See what you think:

Rustic Christmas card using the Christmas Lodge stamp set and Frostwood Lodge DSP from the Holiday Mini

Inside of card using sentiment from Christmas Lodge.

I have to say that this is one of my favourite Christmas cards that I've created this year.  I really love the images in this stamp set but have found it a challenge to use them effectively because they are quite large.  I saw a card online where someone had stamped on the birch-bark-patterned DSP and a light bulb went off.  The result was the focal image on this card.  I added the quilted satin ribbon for richness and embossed the background for additional texture.  I absolutely love the  way Stampin' Up's products all coordinate.  It makes it so easy to put together a cohesive project with very little effort.  The products in the Frostwood Lodge Suite are a perfect example of this (and my  current favorites!)

Pines and Poinsettias for Christmas

I am off on our annual Arts Retreat at school but I was on the ball enough to pre-schedule this post...are you impressed???  Given my posting track record the past couple of months, I sure am!
Today's card is one I designed for my Christmas Club last month.  It uses a set that I initially wasn't crazy about but that has grown on me as I've started to use it.  The same goes for the coordinating DSP...didn't like it much at first but now really quite enjoy creating with it.  Its funny how that happens, no?  Anyhow, here's the card:

Christmas card featuring the Pines and Poinsettias stamp set and Holly Berry Bouquet DSP.

Inside of card with sentiment from Petite pairs

Kinda pretty, huh?  I have to admit I was dead wrong about the use of wild wasabi for Christmas.  It just works so well in this paper I almost don't notice that its a colour I really don't care for!  I really love the glittery polka dotted paper in this pack...so fun and festive!  The real red satin ribbon adds just the right amount of richness to balance out the bling and keep things elegant.  The mini jingle bell adds just a touch of whimsy...can you tell I'm loving those things??  All in all a card design I will certainly use again and one my club members liked too!

New Month...new Promotion!

Now that the Halloween hoopla is over its time to gear up for the next big holiday which, for us Canadians, is Christmas!  Stampin' Up is giving an early Christmas gift to all who host a $450 or more workshop in the month of November in the form of an extra $45 in FREE product on top of the already terrific hostess benefits.  That means $115 in FREE STUFF for a workshop with $450 in sales...that could be the Big Shot you've always wanted for only $5!!  The best part is that there is no shipping or handling charged on hostess benefits, so its an even BETTER deal!  If you haven't already done so, call or email your favourite demonstrator to schedule your workshop and start planning your shopping spree!
Continuing in a gift-giving theme, today's project is a collection of gift tags for my upcoming Gift Tags class.  Check these out...

Assortment of gift tags for my upcoming class.

More tags for my upcoming class

I really like making tags...they are so quick and easy and add so much to even the simplest of gifts.  These are the ones we'll be doing on Monday, November 14th at my Holiday Gift Tags class.  Details are under the Upcoming Events tab if you are interested in joining us.  If not, I hope these little projects have inspired you to pull out your scraps and start creating some tags of your own!