On a Pedestal

Another swap from my trip to Phoenix. (I told you it was a good trip!)...

Color combo - Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay

Don't you love how the cherry is tipped on the side? When we create, we often try to line things up perfectly. Next time you make a card, try something a little "tipsy" and let me know how it works out!

Do you remember the book about the Kangaroo with no pockets?

One of my favorite books when I was a kid was Katy No Pocket (I think that was the name). It was about a mother kangaroo who didn't have a pocket to carry her baby kangaroo. She wandered into the city, met a carpenter who gave her his carpenter apron, and then she had pockets galore to hold her baby and other little animals.

This kangaroo has a great pocket with lots of fun things to put in her pocket, including a baby kangaroo! I might need to break down and buy this set, Build-a-Roo ($25.96, set of 10), it brings back good memories. :) It's versatile enough to be used for many occasions - birthday, Valentine's Day, new baby, thank you, general love and friendship..... hmmm.... so many stamp sets, so little time. :)

Thoughts and Prayers

Here's another swap from my Leadership Convention in Phoenix. The stamp set, Thoughts and Prayers ($25.95, set of 8), is focused on comforting friends in time of sickness and loss, but the tree and flower stamps can be used for many occasions.

The layout of this card could be used with lots of stamp sets.

Wanted

My downline, Jenny, made this cute card for our demonstrator team swap.

A little bit of magic...

This stamp set, A Little Bit of Magic, reminds me of the fairies I painted on Sarah's wall when she was little, whimsical and cute. I love the textured background made by the square lattice embossing folder ($7.95).

This is from a mail in swap. All products are from the Summer Mini.

On creativity....

Do you ever find that your expectations of yourself are a little too high? Do you expect that every time you sit down you should be able to create a masterpiece? I was browsing blogs of some very talented demonstrators and I found that I had idea overload. When I sat down to design cards for some upcoming classes, nothing I made seemed good enough. I was in a creativity drought!

What to do? I asked myself what it was that I liked about the projects I had just seen. Layers, layers and more layers, unconventional sizes, layouts and texture.... So I started playing. The first card I made looked a lot like this one except instead of old olive, it was turquoise. I liked it for a day or so and then ripped off all of the layers and re-made the card on Old Olive card stock. I kept playing for a while longer and ended up with the cool butterfly card that is featured in my June 4th stamp-a-stack class!

To me creativity is about trying new things, persevering when you doubt yourself, the courage to make things you aren't sure are going to turnout, keeping your expectations reasonable and just PLAYING. :)

More Sweet Scoops!

The colors look as yummy as the ice cream. A cute combo of crushed curry, melon mambo and chocolate chip this card is sure to please!

I received this card in a mail-in swap coordinated by a demo friend in PA.

Watercolor Trio

It's amazing what a few markers can do....

This beautiful card is another I received from my mail-in swap! I love the colors: Melon Mambo, So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive and Basic Black!

I may have to buy this stamp set just to make this card! This beautiful set of 7 stamps includes 3 floral images, three greetings and the cute little butterfly. Starting at $16.95 for clear-mount stamps, it's a bargain you won't want to miss!

Sweet Scoops

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Put together your own ice cream social with our Two-Step Stampin’ Sweet Scoops set. Complete with hard or soft serve options, your choice of a cake cone or sugar cone, and some tasty toppings, you’ll be able to create a different ice cream delight for each of your projects. Get scoopin’ with this set on your next scrapbook page, birthday card, or party invitation. Available in wood-mount and clear-mount. Also available in French.

Set Quantity: 8

Sweet Scoops	117078
Price: $18.95 wood-mount, $14.95 clear-mount

This stamp set is perfect for summer birthday cards and invitations!

On this card, the ice cream is stamped in So Saffron, Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery. The ripples of the ice cream were stamped off in More Mustard, Not Quite Navy and Garden Green. The cone is stamped in Soft Suede on Kraft. Quick and easy!

June 4th Stamp-a-stack!

I just finished planning my June Stamp-a-stack! This group of cards was designed with NO water coloring, very limited hand-cutting and cards generic enough to apply to ANY occasion. Choose your own greeting to customize the cards for your upcoming celebrations.

Join us on June 4th at 7 PM to make 12 quick and easy cards! Class fee: $15. RSVP now to save your spot!

And the winner of the free stamp set is.....

Karen Sladden!

Karen - Thanks so much for posting comments. You've won the Hostess Level 1 Stamp set: Holiday Best!

Congrats!

Congrats, Grad!

Here's another Summer Mini Swap that I received. I love the layout of this card!

Elements of Style - Summer Mini

Here's one of the cards I received from my Summer Mini swap. It was made by my friend, Karen Burke. I like her color combo: Kraft, Bravo Burgundy, Regal Rose and Bashful Blue. Her ribbon technique is really cool too.

6x6 Technique Scrap book

I love this scrap book from the Summer Mini. I love polka dots and old olive, so what's not to love. The cover is a very durable vinyl, perfect for a technique book. Since I will be teaching more technique classes over the next few months, so I wanted to make a nice book to display them in. I was able to adhere design right to the front of the album. The techniques will be on 6x6 scrapbook pages so it will be a perfect fit.

I used the Scallop Oval Die, the Flower Fusion Sizzlit, the leaf from the Flower Layers Die and the smaller leaves from the XL Bird Punch.

Technique Tuesday - It's a piece of cake!

I hope you will join us on Tuesday, May 18th for Technique Tuesday. This class is a piece of cake!

Learn how to:
- make a GORGEOUS 3-D flower using one of my favorite punches
- make a goodie box shaped like a piece of cake
- use baby wipes(???) as a stamp pad
- dry emboss using the Sizzix!

I promise you will be inspired and have fun!

Materials to bring:
- adhesive (SNAIL/Tombow)
- Sticky strip tape (red tape)
- bone folder (if you have one)
- paper piercing tool (if you have one)

The class is from 6:30-9:00 PM at my house in Webster. Kindly RSVP by Sunday, May 16th. Class fee: $15 or FREE with a $50 purchase. See you then!

Happy Mother's Day! (Mom - don't open until Monday)

One of my mom's charming characteristics is that blue is her favorite color. Well, it's more than that, blue is the only color.... I love to tease her about it. Everything in her house matches, because, well, it's blue. My mom's home is beautiful; she has a knack for decorating. So, for Mother's Day I had to make her some blue decorative things for her house.

Happy Mother's Day, mom, I love you!

I'm giving away a free stamp set!!!!

Post a comment on my blog by 5 PM on Sunday and you may win a FREE stamp set!