Great new items on the Clearance Rack!

Stampin' Up just added 55 new items to the online Clearance Rack.  These items include punches, DSP, embellishments and other items from the most recent Holiday Mini.  If you are a Christmas lover like me, you'll want to load up for this year's holiday crafting...all at 40-60% off retail!  Click HERE to view the Clearance Rack now and start shopping!  Hurry...these deals are only while supplies last!

More Smooches

In case you haven't figured it out by now, I am in LOVE with the new Summer Smooches DSP!  The colours are fabulous and the small-scale patterns are perfect for cardmaking and scrapbooking alike!  I am especially enjoying all of the single coloured patterns it offers...check out today's projects:

Cute little gift ensemble featuring Summer Smooches DSP and the Bright Blossoms stamp set.  Sentiment is from Fabulous Phrases

Close-up of the card...

...and the adorable mini purse.

What's not to love about this paper??  It is fun and chic and so bright and cheerful.  Both of these projects are pretty straightforward.  The only things you might not be able to figure out from the photos are the scalloped yellow detail on the card...I used my scallop border punch and then punched a hole in each scallop with my 1/16" hole punch. I liked that it sort of mimicked the pattern in the paper.  The ribbon is the new daffodil delight seam binding ribbon...so rich and yummy...love it!  On the purse I added a little rich razzleberry button (from the brights pack) and then adhered a large rhinestone in the centre...so simple and perfectly chic!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!  I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful day with friends and family...and lots of chocolate!  We have had the PERFECT Easter weekend around here!  Before I tell you all about that, let me show you some cute little treat holders I put together for Max's pre-school Easter party last week...

Easter treat holders using receycled embellishment containers (I have about a million of those!) and featuring the Everybunny stamp set.

I have been looking for a way to use up some of the millions of empty embellishment containers I have kicking around my craft room.  This little project was the perfect solution!  Since I had to make 12 of them, I kept them pretty simple.  They were a hit with the pre-school crowd!

Now on to the rest of the weekend.  Yesterday was Max's Angry Birds birthday party...what a hoot that was!  I mentioned on Friday that I had made most of the decorations for the party, as there really isn't much out there to buy.  Here are some photos of the various projects...

Loot bags and party hats

Close up of Yellow bird (Max's fav)

...and a King Pig (my fav)

Balloons

Fun, huh?  All of the above were made using a free PDF of the faces I found online HERE.  I just printed them off in varying sizes for the different items (full page for the balloons, quarter page for the bags and hats).  I used Stampin' Up Big Shot Multi-purpose adhsive sheets to adhere the faces...made it really easy and those bird parts STAYED PUT!  The best part of all of it is that because the characters all use basic primary colours, I was able to purchase all of the supplies at our local dollar store!  Yippee...saved a ton of money there!
Now the cake, on the other hand, was anything BUT easy!  It took me two weekends to make...last weekend I made all the little characters out of almond paste (marzipan) and then this weekend I put it all together.  Here are some photos of what took hours to create and mere seconds to destroy...

Angry Birds Cake...my version!

The piggies...

...and the birds.  (no, those aren't hotdogs on the cake...they're almond paste logs!)

All the kids loved the decorations and had fun at the party.  I can't say enough about Playfit Kids Club, here in Cambridge.  They are great to work with and it is the easiest, no muss, no fuss party ever!  My final photo is of the birthday boy...my sweet, FIVE-YEAR-OLD Maxwell...

Happy birthday Maxwell!

An Angry Birds Birthday

Today my baby turns FIVE!  How is it possible that my sweet baby boy is starting Kindergarten in the fall??  I remember every single detail of the day he was born...Good Friday, 2007 at 9:50 pm.  Tomorrow we are celebrating his big day with all of his friends from school at a local indoor playground/kids gym.  The theme of this year's party is, of course, Angry Birds.  Max is crazy about that game and loves all the little characters.  So, being the crafty (and not-very-bright) mommy I am, I set out to create an Angry Birds-themed party.  Since there isn't a whole lot on the market yet here in terms of party supplies, I got creative and made my own.  Have a look...

Every party begins with an invitation, so, here is the one I made for Max's big day:

Birthday invitation featuring Angry Birds punch art created with Stampin' Up punches

So...these little guys took me a while!  I started them in January, for goodness sake!  It was worth the effort, though, as they got the stamp of approval from Max, my quality control expert (he tells me when things don't look the way they're "supposed to").  Now I know I will get plenty of requests for how to create each character, so here is a quick list of the punches used for the various bird and piggy parts:

Red Bird: 
Body: 1 3/8" circle in real red, then a second in crumb cake, torn
Beak:  wind from bird builder punch, trimmed
Eyes:  owl builder - white medium circle, black smallest circle
Eyebrows:  candle from cupcake builder, trimmed
Hair:  candle from cupcake builder, trimmed

Yellow Bird:
Body: XL oval, trimmed into triangle shape
Beak:  wing from bird builder, trimmed
Eyes:  owl builder - white medium circle, black smallest circle; black outline itty bitty shapes circle
Belly:  Med. oval trimmed
Eyebrows:  candle from cupcake builder, trimmed
Hair: two tails from bird builder, trimmed

Helmet Pig:
Body: XL oval
Nose: 1/4" circle
Mouth:  itty bitty shapes circle
Eyes:   owl builder - white medium circle, black smallest circle, purple largest, cut in half
Helmet:  punch half XL oval, then punch again around the hole
Straps: candle from cupcake builder, cut in half

Whew...that almost took me as long to type as they did to make!  In case you're wondering, the "You're invited"  was printed with my computer using the Angry Birds font that I found online.  The DSP I used for the background and the present is from the Big Top Birthday pack.

I'll be back tomorrow with photos of all the party decorations we made and, of course the cake...which at the moment is sitting undecorated on my kitchen table...off to work I go!

Smooches for Mom

I just can't get enough of the new Summer Smooches DSP!  I am absolutely loving the bright, cheerful patterns and the coordinating Bright Blossoms stamp set.  I used both in today's projects...

Sweet Gift Ensemble for Mom featuring the Bright Blossoms stamp set and Summer Smooches DSP

Card for Mom with matching envelope

Inside view

Sweet little purse...perfectly sized for jewelry for Mom!

I adore the new Petite Purse die!  It is SO sweet and easy to assemble!  I see many more petite purses in my future!  I also don't know how we ever did without the diagonal plate for the Simply Scored...I love creating my own coordinating envelopes; and it's so fast and easy!  With all these great new products its hard to believe we are nearing the launch of a new catalogue!  I can't wait to see what new goodies Stampin' Up has in store for us!

Easter Smooches

Today's project features more product from the new Summer Smooches promotion.  I designed this cute little treat holder for my Big Shot Club, which met last week.  This month we were focusing on the XL dies, particularly the boxes and ways to make already great products do even more.  I showed my club members how to extend the treat die to more than double the size...just right for holding a full-sized chocolate bar...or a whole lot of mini chocolate eggs!

Bright and sunny Easter treat using the Treat Wrapper die, the Everybunny stamp set and Summer Smooches DSP and fabric brad.

Label detail

So...wondering how to make this little treat wrapper into a big one?  I'm working on a tutorial for this...stay tuned!  Hopefully I'll have it for you by this weekend.  In the meantime, have a great week...I'll be back with more Smooches tomorrow!

No April Foolin' Here...

Today is a BIG day on many levels.  Firstly, my impartial judge, Maxwell (my almost-five-year-old son), drew the winner of my Sale-a-bration Big Shot draw.  I am happy to announce the winner is...

ROB KRETE!!!

Congratulations to Rob, who earned SIXTEEN draw tickets during Sale-a-bration this year with a very successful workshop on the very first day of the promotion back in January.  Now I know for a fact that Rob already owns a Big Shot, so he'll be able to choose $122.95 worth of dies and/or accessories to use with his Big Shot.  Congratulations, again, Rob!

Now, on to the other big news of the day.  It's time for Summer Smooches!

This fabulous suite of coordinating products is now available.  Click HERE to view a PDF flyer showing all of the beautiful products in this promotion.  Many of these items will be in the new Annual Catalogue, which launches on June 1st, so this is your chance to get your hands on some great new goodies two months early!

Today's project is one I created using some of the new Summer Smooches products.  In fact, all this week, I'll be showcasing several items from this promotion to whet your appetite for Smooches!  Have a look...

All-occasion card featuring the Bright Blossoms stamp set and Summer Smooches DSP.

I simply adore the colours and patterns in this DSP!  There is truly something for just about any project you wish to design.  I am having such fun playing with it and coming up with fun projects.  Stay tuned this week for more inspiration.