catch the fever!

You'll save a bundle during march with Stampin' Up!'s spring fever promotion! from march 1 through march 31, you'll get 50 percent off any one item in the new spring mini catalog when you purchase the polka dots & paisley bundle!

OR

Host a workshop totaling $400 or more (before tax & shipping) during march and get 50 percent off any one item from the spring mini catalog with no purchase required!

personally, i just love almost everything in the new spring mini. my favorite set (by far) is "doodle this". i have used it over and over since i got it! i can't wait to get my camera fixed so i can put the 12x12 page on here that i did for my oldest daughter using that set! and of course you have seen the coaster and "wonderful friend" card that i did using that set. it's so versatile! i have used my watercolor pencils, regular color pencils, aqua painters and ink, chalk, and my watercolor wonder crayons on them... i can't pick which method of coloring i like more! they're all just fantastic!

View the spring mini catalog

chipboard coaster

i got some chipboard coasters awhile ago and haven't played with them at all. i was at a loss for a gift idea so i thought i'd try my hand out on 'em. i painted the whole thing in nutmeg brown acrylic paint, painted over it in antique white acrylic paint, then sanded the whole thing, focusing on the edges. i used my "doodle this" and "doodle alphabet" stamp sets (spring mini catalog). i colored in the letters with colored pencils then used mineral spirits to make them like water colors. i traced over the vine-doodles with the versamarker and heat embossed. i used a moss embossing powder, don't really like how it turned out (the moss color is speckled with both light and dark green... kinda funky, not what i wanted for this project). for the flowers i used deco arts paper effects in metallic copper. i've had micro beads FOREVER and have done nothing with them. well, i changed all that when i made this. the petals on the big flower are pink micro-beads. the inside of the flower is heat embossed with "pharoahs gold" embossing powder (don't like it either. it's like a faint yellow with LOTS of sparkle). over all, i learned what i won't do again on a coaster, what works great on chipboard, and to test out your products before you used them. i also learned (well, was "gently" reminded) that it doesn't matter if you're happy with the outcome of your project or not. it's the thought that counts, it was loved!

wonderful friend

my friends birthday is coming up and i just got new stamps. what to do, what to do.... so i looked on SPS for some ideas and here's my version of what i found. this card turned out so cute, i wish i would have made two, one to keep, and one to give! the card base is Cameo corral, with Certainly celery and Whisper white for the layers. i stamped images from "doodle this" (spring mini) in black stazon ink and watercolored using my brand new watercolor wonder crayons! those things are great! nothings more frustrating then getting something new, loving it, and knowing they come in 3 other varieties! after stamping, heat drying, coloring the images, i cut them out and adhered them with dimensionals to make them pop. the word wonderful is from the "warm words" set (ink- versamark, then clear heat embossed), the word friend is from the "everyday flexible phrases" set (ink- Chocolate chip). before putting the Wwhite on, i used the corner punch and ink distressed the edges w/ Cchip ink. don't remember where i got the clip, but i had to have something that would tie in a round tab from my new punch! i hope she likes it! then again, if she doesn't, i get it back... :)

watercoloring love

one of my favorite sets from the winter mini (i say "one of" because as i look through it again, i keep saying "i love that set", "oh, i love that one too!", "gosh that's a great set!") is "love matters". this set is very versatile and was perfect for valentines day. the card base is pretty in pink. i used bashful blue and PIpink for the layers. the images are stamped on whisper white and watercolored using watercolor pencils and aquapainters. the flower is Bblue using "spring bouquet flower" punch. background is the swirl stamp from the "fresh fillers" set using versamark ink.

my husband

first let me explain him to you. he is the most talented man i think i have ever met, much less known. now don't confuse talent with intelligence. the man can build furniture and buildings from scratch, can make me lingerie without a pattern, cook like a chef from france, and doesn't know what month follows the next. he is so talented that i find myself hating him for it rather than finding myself lucky and proud. he is an incredible man that has been successful at everything he touches.
for valentines day he took advantage of my supplies and made me a card. one more thing that he's good at. he got out my cuttlebug and used the swirl embossing folder on the black CS, then combined three different sets (that coordinate, how did he know?) to stamp the card. he even stamped on the inside! i won't tell you what he wrote on the inside, but those nine words are the best i have ever gotten from him.
he also helped the kids make me cards. what a great holiday!

may you find joy

i think this card is so sophisticated. i just love this set, once again i hear myself say, "i'm so glad i got it!" *at least i actually use it. i don't know how many sets i have that i haven't touched. stamp sets are kinda like shoes. you see them, you want them, you just have to have them. then they sit in your closet because you have nothing that goes with them! instead of shopping for matching purses, skirts, or jewelry, we are shopping for paper, brads, and primas. same but different.
this card uses the winter mini set "trees three". card base is bashful blue, background paper is chocolate chip (torn), images are stamped on very vanilla and layered onto certainly celery. square Bblue button and Cchip grosgrain ribbon are also used. inks used are Cchip, Ccelery, mellow moss (sponged onto tree), and cranberry crisp.

my valentine

this was the card that i made for my husband for valentines day. he like it so much that he gave it back to me! <--- has any guy ever cared about the card, seriously? anyways, card base is
pretty in pink, i used the "just delightful" simply scrappin' kit from the sell-a-bration catalog for the bottom paper, stamped "my valentine" (everyday flexible phrases stamp set) onto certainly celery CS and used the small tag punch on it. stapled a piece of rose grosgrain ribbon to the tag. the flower is from the sell-a-bration set "delight in life", i watercolored it using ink pads and aqua painters. the ribbon is that incredible set from the winter mini, "flirty" ribbon originals. i used the tempting turquoise stampin' write marker and the color spritzer tool to get more coordinating color on the top of the card.

"thanks a bunch" in chocolate & turquoise

i cased this card idea from SPC, and just love it! i have used this card in several workshops, it's very easy and once again, so cute! i used the "love ya bunches" stamp set, card base is chocolate chip, coordinating paper is tempting turquoise, images are stamped on whisper white. i used blender pens and pastels (chalk) to color the images, used chocolate chip stampin' write marker and the color spritzer tool to add additional color to the white. ribbon used is chocolate chip & tempting turquoise.

yeah for casing!

i'll admit it. up until about 6 months ago, i didn't even know what "casing" meant! now it's a way of creative life. i see a t-shirt, and i case the idea in the design onto paper. i see a sun-set and i case the colors for my next water coloring project. i saw my friend, laurie's, blog, and i case it. thanks to all you smart and creative original folks out there. people like me appreciate it!