My Very First Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop Sale-a-Bration and Valentine edition! This blog hop will take place on the first Thursday of each month. The blog hop started a couple of months ago, but I decided to take the plunge and hop right in beginning this month! I'm really excited to be participating with this fabulous group of stampers and I hope that you will stop by each month to take a look at all of the projects! If you are following the blogs in order, you just arrived from Linda's blog. If you get lost anywhere along the way, there is a complete list of all of the blogs at the bottom of the page. Happy hopping!

This month the theme of the blog hop is Sale-a-Bration and Valentines Day. I did one project for each theme. My first project is a fun folds card. I have to admit that I really have never branched out and done fun folds, but I saw a great video tutorial on Mary Fish's blog on Tuesday (yes, two days ago- I am a procrastinator and sometimes it pays off!) that showed how to make a really great (and easy) fun fold card and I decided to give it a try. I wanted something a little bit different and special for my very first blog hop! If you would like to try making a card like this, go check out the tutorial that Mary Fish posted.

Here is the card when it is tied closed. I used lots of different products from both the SAB and Occasions mini catalogs. For a complete list of products, see below.

And when the card is all opened up to reveal the hidden panel...

What do you think? I really like the way that this card turned out. I am LOVING the DSP in the SAB catalog! I have gone through almost an entire pack already, but have no fear- more is on its way! Although I was a little hesitant to try a different fold, I have to say that this one is really easy and this card went together very quickly. If you have never done a fun fold, give this one a try. It is great for a first fun fold card!

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Fresh Vintage (SAB), Tiny Tags
Paper: Crumb Cake CS, Calypso Coral CS, Baja Breeze CS, Very Vanilla CS, Everyday Enchantment DSP
Ink: Calyspo Coral, Baja Breeze, Lucky Limeade, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Simply Scored, Big Shot, Labels Collection Framelits, Everyday Enchantment brad (SAB), Victoria Crochet Trim, Color Spritzer, stampin' sponge


I did some sweet and simple Valentine's Day lollipop holders for my 3D project. I saw some made by Angie Juda on Pinterest and followed the easy instructions in her video tutorial to make them. I used the Sweet Shop DSP from the Occasions mini catalog as well as the Fashionable Hearts embosslit to embellish these little treats.

This one was my favorite. I love the color combination on this little treat. So bright and cheery!

Stampin' Supplies Used:
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Sweet Shop DSP
Ink: Island Indigo, Poppy Parade, Wisteria Wonder
Accessories: Simply Scored, Big Shot, Fashionable Hearts embosslit, 1 3/4" Scalloped Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, sticky strip, white baker's twine, dimensionals

Well, I hope that you have enjoyed my projects! I have to give a special thanks to my friend, Rita. She gave me the vote of confidence that I needed that my projects were "blog hop worthy" as I was a little nervous about what to make. Thanks, Rita! :)

Thanks for stopping by! See you again soon! Hop on over to Michelle's blog next! Try to leave some encouraging comments along the way!

~Marla

Blog Hop Participants:

Shellie G. of Creative Electica

Annie L. of Love Me Cards

Pam S. of Stampin' in the Sun!

Nancy B. of Lady Stamps a Lot

Anji C. of Altered Scraps Blog

Rose C. of Stamp with Rose

Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya

Amanda H. of Live Laugh Craft

Dawn S. of Dawn's Creative Chalet

Patricia T. of Sunnyone Stampin'

Heather W. of Heather's Stampin' Blog

Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu

Linda O. of Stamp at Linda's

Marla R. of Marla's Stampin' Spot (You are here!)

Michele M. of Michele's Stampin' Blog

Darcy J. of DJ's Stampin' Place

Pam S. of Sunny Girl Scraps

Kim R. of Stamping with Kim

CASE of a CASE of a CASE

Hello again! I hope I'm not too late to the game in posting this card. I have been seeing this card and versions of it EVERYWHERE! A card similar to this one was featured in Stampin Success magazine (a publication that Stampin' Up demonstrators receive monthly) and it must have been very popular. I decided to do my own, which you can see to the left (my CASE of a CASE because I saw a version of this card on Pinterest and that's what made me take notice of it in the magazine). I also decided to change it up a bit by using another sheet from the same pack of DSP (Everyday Enchantment- which is being offered as one of the SAB choices this year!). The design of the paper is the same, but the colors are different.

The card to the right is my CASE of a CASE of a CASE. I CASE'd the card above by changing up the colors to match the ones found in this design of the DSP.

There are tons of Sale-a-Bration sneak peeks in this card- the Everyday Enchantment DSP, the Fresh Vintage stamp set, and the brad in the middle of my stamped embellishment is part of a third SAB choice that includes two spools of ribbon and 30 of these adorable printed brads.

You can choose one of these awesome products or one of the many other amazing offerings each time you spend $50 during Sale-a-Bration. The fun begins on Tuesday and lasts until the end of March. I can't wait!

Here is a side by side of the two cards. Which one do you prefer? For the moment, I prefer the one on the right because the colors are a little brighter, but that could change if I keep looking at them long enough. Hehe! I think that we might make both versions of this card at my class coming up on January 28th, but the only way to know for sure is to show up for the class! I'm really looking forward to it! Hope to see you there!



Thanks for stopping by!


~Marla


Supplies Used:
Stamps: Fresh Vintage (SAB), Apothecary Art
Paper: Everyday Enchantment DSP, Lucky Limeade, Soft Suede, Calyso Coral, Pool Party, Naturals Ivory, Very Vanilla
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Soft Suede, Calyso Coral, Pool Party
Accessories: Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch, 1 1/4" Circle punch, sponge

Back in the Saddle!

Hello again! I finally got a chance to sit down and play with some new goodies today. I held off on placing my Occasions Mini catalog preorder until after Christmas because I knew that as busy as things would be in December, that everything would sit neglected. There is nothing worse than having new goodies and no time to play with them! My order finally came on Thursday and I got to open it all up and play today- yay!

This card is a mixture of old and new. The embossed hearts were created using the brand-new embosslit from the Occasions Mini catalog called "Fashionable Hearts". I really like that with one run through the Big Shot I get five hearts that are embossed and cut out! So quick and easy.

The inspiration for this card came from a card that I saw on Pinterest. (Have you joined the Pinterest craze yet? I have found so many great ideas for both my crafty life and my home life on there. It is an awesome site, but be warned- it can be addictive!) Anyway, this card was my inspiration. I'm afraid that my card may be more of a copy than a CASE. I didn't intend for that to happen. I sat down and made my card having not seen the "inspiration" card in quite a while and when I went back to look at it, my card was very similar! Oops! I guess the idea got really stuck in my head!

This card (or some variation of it) will be one of the cards that we make at my "In with the New" card-making class on January 28th. I love that this card could be a valentine or a thinking of you card. I love versatility!

I hope to finish up my samples for the class later this week, so be sure to check back to see more previews! Have a wonderful week!

~Marla

Supplies Used:
Stamps: En Francais, I {Heart} Hearts, Easy Events
Paper: Baja Breeze, Rose Red, So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake
Ink: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso
Accessories: Big Shot, Tiny Box and Envelope die, bakers twine, Fashionable Hearts embosslit, Heart to Heart punch, stampin sponge

Happy New Year!

Hello, stamping friends! I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas and that the New Year is off to a great start for you. I need to apologize (as always) for not blogging much lately. The past couple of months have been extrememly busy for me (as I'm sure they were for you as well). When life gets busy, stamping tends to get pushed to the back burner and other things take priority. We had a wonderful Christmas this year full of class parties, school programs, cookie baking, drives to look at lights, and spending time with family. Even though I stay very busy during December, it is always one of my favorite months. Lots of memories are made to be cherished for years to come.

Because I haven't done much stamping lately, I decided to do this post as a year in review and re-post some of my favorite cards from 2011. Here we go!

January- This card was pretty simple, but it used a set that I really loved from the last catalog (Because I Care). I liked the background as well. I stamped with a clear block to make it and thought that it gave a nice touch. 

February- I made this card for a wonderful friend and customer. I loved the sparkle and the flower I made with satin ribbon that was heated with the heat tool to give it the curled appearance.

March- This is a card that I have redone in different ways many times, but I love each variation. So pretty and elegant...

No April posts, so we'll move on to May- This was the Mother's Day card that I made for my mom. I really liked the color combination and the sparkle.

June- I loved this card for several reasons. It used my three favorites from the new in colors and it was an unusual card for me because it was a large square card (5 1/2" x 5 1/2"). 

July- Lots of favorites from this month. (I'll blame it on all of the inspiration I got at Convention.) This was one of my cards for an organized swap I participated in at Convention. Loved the color combo and the cupcakes done with this technique.



I loved this little note card that I made using the Easy Events set. I really liked the color combo and the adorable little hearts give it such a cute touch. 

This is a card that we made at my July Hostess Club meeting. I loved the cupcake "colored" using the paper piecing technique. I love this girly birthday card!

August- Doilies and my favorite new in color (Wisteria Wonder)! What's not to love in this card? :-)

September- How adorable is this little guy?

This was a challenge card that I made using my favorite set from the Holiday mini. I made this card within an hour of receiving this set on my doorstep and I just loved the way it turned out!

October- I told you it was my favorite Holiday mini set...



November- I LOVED this Christmas card. Welcome Christmas is a great set and I have used it tons!

I hope you enjoyed my year in review! I will hopefull have some new cards to post soon! Take care until then!

~Marla

Choices, Choices, Choices!

Hello Stamping Friends! I need to start out with two apologies- first of all, I am SO sorry that I haven't been posting regularly. Life has been crazy busy lately. I was supposed to attend my first craft fair last Saturday and spent two weeks preparing for it and then- IT SNOWED! I didn't get to go the fair after all and was very disappointed, but I do have lots of cool things to use as gifts. I will get some pictures taken and show them to you very soon! The second apology is for the photography on this blog post. I promised to post my pictures for my next and final Christmas card buffet today and I didn't get finished with the last card until it was already dark. Nighttime card photography is definitely not the best, but hopefully you will be able to tell enough about the cards to make your choices.

Here is the mini muffin tin advent calendar. I was really pleased with how it turned out. I really like the Letters for Santa DSP for this project. Each numbered cover has magnets on the back, so it can be hung and the covers won't move. Because this is made with a muffin tin, you can give a little treat on each day as you count down to Christmas. The first picture shows the entire project and the next two are close ups to show a little more detail. I hope you like it!



Supplies Used:
Stamps: 25 & Counting
Paper: Letters to Santa DSP, Old Olive CS, Riding Hood Red CS, Marina Mist CS, Early Espresso CS, Whisper White CS
Ink: Early Espresso, Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, Marina Mist, Blushing Bride, Staz On
Accessories: mini muffin tin, scalloped square punch, 1" square punch, Cherry Cobbler 1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon

On to the card choices for the buffet! When ordering your cards, please call them by the name posted directly above each card. This will ensure that I prepare the correct supplies for you. Thanks!

Welcome Christmas

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Welcome Christmas, Netting (background), Pines and Poinsettas, Petite Pairs
Paper: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper EF, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Cherry Cobbler quilted satin ribbon, basic pearls, stampin' sponge
CASE of this card made by Jen Sannes


Wreath

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Perfect Punches
Paper: Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Brushed Gold
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Big Shot, Petal-a-Plenty EF, 2 3/8" scalloped circle punch, 1 3/4" scalloped circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, dimensionals, sponge
CASE of this card by Dawn Olchefske


Snowman

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Snow Much Fun, Christmas Greetings
Paper: Pool Party, Blushing Bride, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Staz On, Basic Gray marker, Pool Party marker, Blushing Bride marker, Peach Parfait marker
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots EF, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Snowflake punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1" circle punch, basic rhinestone, shimmer spray (lots of it!)
CASE of this card made by LeeAnn Greff

Christmas Tree

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Bright Hope, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo, Baja Breeze, Whisper White

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo, Baja Breeze

Accessories: Silver Glimmer paper, Baja Breeze seam binding, Scallop Oval punch, Large Oval punch, shimmer spray (sprayed heavily!)

A Marla Reed Original! :)

OK, I hope that you like the cards and calendar. I tried to provide a mixture of traditional and non-traditional along with a couple of different styles. If you are coming to the class on November 19th, please email me (reedmarla@comcast.net) with you preorder no later than 9:00 p.m. this Sunday, November 6th. Thanks and I hope to see you there!

~Marla



Choices for Christmas Card Buffet #2

Hello there! My second Christmas Card Buffet is coming up on October 22nd. Below are the choices. If you plan to attend, please email me at reedmarla@comcast.net to let me know which designs you would like to make as well as how many of each design. Please call the cards by the name posted above them. Thanks!


The Sounding Joy...
Supplies Used:
Stamps: The Sounding Joy
Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant
Accessories: Big Shot, Snow Burst EF, Crumb Cake seam binding
Case of this card made by Marie Shaughnessy

Snow Much Fun...
Supplies Used:
Stamps: Snow Much Fun
Paper: Baja Breeze, Island Indigo, Whisper White
Ink: Stazon, Baja Breeze, Island Indigo, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Big Shot, Northern Flurry EF, 2 Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Blender Pens, Baja Breeze seam binding
CASE of this card made by my friend, Rita Wright

Christmas Tree...
Supplies Used:
Stamps: Pennant Parade, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Lucky Limeade, More Mustard
Accessories: Big Shot, Petals-a-Plenty EF, brayer, 2 1/2" circle punch, 2 3/8" scalloped circle punch, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, Cherry Cobbler quilted satin ribbon

Holly, Jolly Christmas...
Supplies Used:
Stamps: Festive & Fun
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Pool Party, Whisper White
Ink: Stazon, Riding Hood Red, Pool Party, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots EF, Stripes EF, Chocolate Chip scallop dots ribbon, Scallop Trim border punch, dimensionals, glue dots
CASE of this card made by Chris Smith

I hope you liked these cards! If you are local, please plan to attend this fun class and leave with a whole stack of Christmas cards to give to your friends and family!

Have a wonderful day!

~Marla

Cookie Stamps for a Good Cause!

Hi there, stamping friends! Stampin' Up! has a brand new product available- Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps! These stamps are not for paper and ink, but for cookie dough. All you do, is prepare your cookie recipe (there are two included with the stamps) and stamp the shape you want into the dough. These are great fun for kids and would make an excellent gift!

To make them even sweeter, I have decided to donate all of my commission on the sale of these stamps to two awesome organizations that assist families battling childhood cancer. A friend of mine has a little girl named Jessica who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when she was five years old. I am happy to report that Jessica is now seven years old and just completed her final chemo treatment. Her mom founded an organization called Jessica Rocks which supports another organization called Timmy's Fund. Timmy Quigley was diagnosed with a very aggressive brain tumor at the age of two and unfortunately did not survive. His parents founded Timmy's Fund to assist other families who were battling childhood cancer. They assist with transportation, food, and lodging expenses for all families who have children being treated for cancer at West Virginia University's Children's Hospital. The best part is that 100% of the donations collected goes directly to the families.

Any time anyone purchases this product from me, $3.39 will be donated to Jessica Rocks/Timmy's Fund. You can help by making a purchase or by collecting orders from your family and friends. If you are able to sell ten sets of the Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps, it could be entered as your own workshop order and you would raise $33.90 for these awesome charities and you would also earn $25 in free Stampin' Up merchandise.

Please click on the links above and read more about these incredible charities. Send me an email at reedmarla@comcast.net if you would like to place an order, collect your own orders, or you would like additional information.

Thank you!

~Marla