Christmas Card #1

Why does it seem that every single blog post that I write begins with an apology for neglecting my blog? Well, here is yet another apology! I'm so sorry that I haven't been posting regularly. I have been up to my eyeballs in all things Christmas and am just now finally getting around to getting my own personal Christmas cards made and sent out. I am going to end up with four designs this year and this is the first one. It is being sent mostly to friends and family. It is a CASE of a card that I saw on splitcoast that was made by a member called jchill34. I loved the design of her card and wanted to make my own. I did make a few minor changes to make it my own and I love the way it turned out.

I hope that all of you are having a wonderful Christmas season and that you have been able to take a few moments here and there to relax and enjoy this wonderful time of year! I hope that all of you will have a very Merry Christmas and a new year filled with blessings and much happiness! I will be back soon to share the other three designs of my Christmas cards, so check back soon!

~Marla

Supplies Used: Welcome Christmas, Many Merry Messages (for inside sentiment)

Paper: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Whisper White

Ink: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso

Accessories: Scalloped Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Scallop Edge Border punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon punch, Big Shot, Petals a Plenty embossing folder, Glitter Spray (homemade using Champagne Mist glitter paint mixed with rubbing alcohol)

Techniques: dry embossing

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Technique Club Forming Now!

Hello! Would you like to learn some new stamping techniques? Well, I am bursting with ideas that I would love to share with you. I am forming a hostess club where we will focus on techniques that will wow, but that are a bit too involved for my regular classes.

How does a hostess club work?

- There must be six members.

- We will meet in my home once every other month for one year.

- On the date of each meeting, each member is responsible for placing a minimum $25 order (before tax and shipping). The orders will be combined to form a workshop that will receive hostess benefits.

- There will be a new hostess for each meeting. Members will choose their hostess month in the order that they sign up for the club. The hostess is responsible for bringing a light snack for all members to share. I will provide drinks.

What are the advantages of joining the club?

- Each member will receive at least $15 in free merchandise and a free hostess stamp set on their hostess month. You get the benefits of hosting a workshop without having to clean your house!

- You can purchase stamping supplies on a budget.

- You will make two WOW! projects at each meeting that you can take home.

- You get a girls' night out six times a year. (Who doesn't need that?)

-Each member will receive a free copy of the 2011-2012 Stampin' Up Idea Book and Catalog when it comes out in July. (If you don't already have a copy of the current catalog, you will receive one of those as well.)

I am thinking that we would meet on Friday evenings or nights, but I am open to another day as long as everyone agrees on the day. I would love to begin our club meetings in January. Our Sale-a-Bration sale begins in January, so that would be a great time to order and be a hostess! More details on Sale-a-Bration to come. If you are interested in joining this club, please email me at reedmarla@comcast.net or call me (304) 904-5883. I look forward to hearing from you!

~Marla Pin It

Emboss Resist

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving! I am visiting my parents for the holiday. We arrived last night after a long but uneventful trip. When traveling with two little ones, an uneventful trip is definitely something to be thankful for. I'm really looking forward to visiting with family and friends that I don't get to see often enough, and I am, of course, excited about all the good food!

Isn't this card so pretty? I saw a video on Dawn Griffith's blog where she made a card very similar to this one and decided that I needed to make my own. It used the emboss resist technique, which is where you heat emboss an image and then sponge or roll ink over it. The ink will not stick to the area that is embossed. The large flowers on the card were stamped with Versamark ink, then covered with clear embossing powder, then heat embossed with the heat tool. I then sponged over them with Crumb Cake ink on a sponge dauber. I think it turned out beautifully. I recently (finally) purchased the heat tool and it has been such a great investment. I have been using it all the time because there are so many really cool things that can be done with it.

Everyone have a safe and happy holiday!

~Marla

Supplies Used:
Stamp Sets: Occasional Quotes (level 3 hostess), Vintage Vogue
Paper: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
Ink: Versamark, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots EF, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Basic Pearls
Techniques: dry embossing, heat embossing, emboss resist, sponging Pin It

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

Hello! Happy Thanksgiving week to all of you! I just want to say that I am very thankful to all of you who come and visit my blog, come to my events, and place orders through me! I have had a really successful year and it's all thanks to you!

This is a birthday card I made for my niece, Hannah. She is turning six next week and I knew I needed to get a card made now before life gets super busy with Thanksgiving travels. We made a version of this card (which is a CASE of one made by Tessa Wise) at the birthday card class I held back in September, but I don't think that card ever got posted. I made this one to fit the color challenge on Splitcoast last week, which was Perfect Plum, Baja Breeze, and Pear Pizzazz. I have to say that I love this combo! I really love Baja Breeze and any shade of purple, so this was a great one for me. It's hard to see in the picture, but I heat embossed the balloons with VersaMark and clear embossing powder to make the balloons appear shiny. It gives a cool effect!

Everyone have a wonderful week! I have a few other cards to post this week, so check back often!

~Marla

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Everything Nice, Crazy for Cupcakes
Paper: Crumb Cake, Perfect Plum, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz
Ink: VersaMark, Black Staz On, Perfect Plum marker, Baja Breeze marker, Pear Pizzazz marker
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots EF, Scallop Border punch, Heat Tool, Clear Embossing Powder, Certainly Celery ribbon (retired), Linen Thread
Technique: dry embossing, heat embossing Pin It

This Deal is Too Good to Pass Up!

Until November 30th, the Stampin' Up demonstrator starter kit is half off! The kit that is
usually $175 (and contains $310 worth of products and supplies) is now only $87.50!

This is what is included in the CUSTOMIZABLE standard kit:

ANY $33.95 or lower set

ANY $28.95 or lower set

ANY $18.95 or lower set

ANY $9.95 or lower set

***Note that the $87.50 kit cost has already paid for the 4 sets above valued at $91.80. That means that EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE IS FREE! ***

$19.95 Brights Patterns Designer Series paper stack (OR color of you choice) FREE

$16.95 Stampin' Scrub FREE

$8.95 Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon (OR ribbon at same or lower price) FREE

$8.95 VersaMark pad (OR ink pad at same or lower price) FREE

$8.50 Whisper White card stock (OR color of you choice at same or lower price) FREE

$7.95 Small Chocolate Songbird Decor Elements piece (OR Decor Elements item at same or lower price) FREE

$6.95 Assorted 8 1/2 x 11 card stock (color assortment of your choice) FREE

$6.95 Clear Block C (OR clear block at same or lower price) FREE

$6.95 SNAIL adhesive (OR same or lower price adhesive) FREE

$6.50 Fast Flowers Stampin' Around Wheel (OR standard wheel of your choice) FREE

$5.95 Stampin' Around Self-Inking Handle FREE

$5.95 Classic ink pad (your choice of color) FREE

$5.95 Classic ink pad (your choice of color) FREE

$5.95 Classic ink pad (your choice of color) FREE

$5.95 Classic ink pad (you choice of color) FREE

$5.25 Uninked Cartridge (standard) FREE

$4.50 Stampin' Mist (OR StazOn cleaner) FREE

$3.95 Stampin' Dimensionals FREE

$3.50 Stampin' Write marker (your choice of color) FREE

$3.50 Stampin' Write marker (your choice of color) FREE

$3.32 Blender Pen (single) FREE

$2.95 Classic ink refill (your choice of color) FREE

$1.95 Decor Elements Applicator FREE

$1.17 Stampin' sponge (single) FREE

Catalogs ($29.95 for 8), business forms, and other printed business materials

Seen enough? Call me today (304) 904-5883 and I'll answer any questions you have about being a hobby or business demo. We have low quarterly minimums and great benefits for demos if you choose to remain a demo. I'm so excited for all of you who will take advantage of this awesome deal! Stampin' Up has never had a deal this good and probably won't again for a very long time! Hope to hear from you soon!

-Marla Pin It

A Color Challenge!

Hello! I woke up super early yesterday morning and this is what I worked on. It is my customer thank you card for November, so if you have attended one of my events or placed an order with my in the past couple of weeks, keep an eye on your mailbox!

This card was inspired by one done by Julie Davison that I saw on Splitcoast. I changed the colors for my card to make it fall-ish and to make it fit with the color challenge #295 on Splitcoast, which was to use Peach Parfait, Early Espresso, and Cajun Craze (plus neutrals). I just bought the set called "Just Believe" that was new to the latest catalog and I love it! I have had my eye on it for a long time, but hadn't ordered it. I'm so glad I finally got it. It is a really lovely and versatile set.

Thanks for stopping by! See you again soon!

~Marla

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Just Believe
Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilly, Peach Parfait, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze
Ink: Peach Parfait, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze
Accessories: Scalloped Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Word Window punch, Early Espresso satin ribbon Pin It

More Candle Stamping

This is the other candle project that Denise and I completed yesterday. This one has a more everyday feel to it and could be displayed all year long. I think this one also turned out beautifully and I love the colors on this one.

This is the side view of the same candle. Isn't that image from "Just Believe" so pretty? I just love it!

Here are the step by step directions for stamping on candles. It is actually fairly easy once you get the hang of it.

1. Stamp your image onto white tissue paper. Color in the image with markers (if it is a line art image.)

2. Cut out the image leaving a small border.

3. Place the cut out image where you would like it to be on the candle.

4. Wrap a piece of wax paper tightly around the entire candle with the tissue paper piece in place.

5. Use the heat tool to melt the stamped image into the surface of the candle.

6. Remove the wax paper.

7. Add more stamped images, if desired.

8. Decorate your candle with ribbon or other embellishments, if desired.

Enjoy! Have a great day!

~Marla

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Just Believe

Ink: Markers in Pear Pizzazz, Perfect Plum, Rich Razzleberry, and Concord Crush

Paper: Whisper White CS, Rich Razzleberry CS

Accessories: markers, heat tool, tissue paper, wax paper, Rich Razzleberry polka dot grosgrain ribbon

Techniques: stamping on candles

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Stamping on Candles

Hello to anyone out there who still checks my very neglected blog! I held my first Christmas card buffet on Saturday and it was so much fun and a great success! I had six wonderful ladies here and they made a total of 160 cards! I'm already looking forward to the next one on November 19th! While this event was a blast, it took A LOT of preparation, which is why my poor blog has been so neglected lately. I finally got a chance to stamp for fun today with my friend Denise. We are planning to make some handmade gifts for Christmas this year and we decided to try our hand at stamping on candles. We were really pleased with the results. There is a great tutorial on splitcoaststampers in the resource section if you would like to try this for yourself.

Everyone have a GREAT day and I will try to post A LOT more often in the coming days and weeks!

~Marla

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Serene Snowflakes, Jolly Old St. Nick
Ink: Marina Mist
Paper: Marina Mist CS, Brushed Silver CS
Accessories: heat tool, wax paper, tissue paper, rhinestones, dazzling diamonds, taffeta ribbon, Scalloped Circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch
Techniques: stamping on candles Pin It

In Color Thank You Notes

Hello! I hope that you are experiencing the cooler Fall temperatures where ever you are! It has been so nice here the past few days. Fall seems to have finally arrived! After a long summer of many days of 100+ temperatures, the change is definitely welcome!

I made these cards to send to my customers who attended my recent birthday card SAS. It was a fun event with a great group of ladies. I really enjoyed it even though I was coming down with a little cold that day. If you were able to join me for this event, watch your mailbox for one of these cards! They should be arriving in the next day or two.

These were very quick and simple cards to make. They are made using the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder in the Big Shot. I brayered over the ebmossed images with three of our new in colors- Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, and Concord Crush. You can brayer the ink onto either side of the embossed image, depending on which look you prefer. The two different ways are displayed in the first picture. I punched out the scalloped oval to make a little window for the sentiment. Easy, peasy- you've got to love that!

I hope you have a wonderful day and week! Thank you for stopping by!

~Marla

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Thank You Kindly

Paper: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Concord Crush, Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade

Ink: Concord Crush, Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade

Accessories: Scalloped Oval Punch, Large Oval punch

Techniques: Dry Embossing, Brayering

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Christmas Card Buffet Choices

Hello! These are the cards that you will have to choose from at my Christmas Card Buffet. I have chosen cards that will be quick to stamp and assemble and none of them are very difficult, so even a brand new stamper could make any of them. When emailing me to preorder your cards, please give the card number and then how many of that type you would like to make. Thanks! I am really looking forward to this event and I hope that you are as well!

Card #1

This card is a CASE of a card made by Michellet Surette. It has the most assembly steps of the ten choices, but each card should take about ten to fifteen minutes to complete.


Card #2

This card is a CASE of a card made by a poster called "basketballmom" on Splitcoaststampers. Each card couuld be stamped and assembled in less than ten minutes.


Card #3

This card is my original design. It could be made in five to ten minutes.




Card #4

This one is also my original design. It could be completed in under ten minutes.

Card #5

This card is a CASE of a card made by Ilina Crouse. The only difficult part of this card is the bow. It should take ten to fifteen minutes to complete.

Card #6

This is a CASE of Marie Shaughnessy's card. It would take less than ten minutes to complete.

Card #7

This card is a CASE of a card made by Christy Fulk. It uses non traditional colors- Rich Razzleberry, Baja Breeze, and Crumb Cake. It could be completed in five to ten minutes.

Card #8

This card was inspired by a card made by Mindy Backes. It could be made in about ten minutes.

Card #9

This card is a CASE of a card made by Jennifer Weide. It could be completed in five to ten minutes.

Card #10

This card is my original design. It is a little bit more advanced because it is a little tricky to get all of the layers straight. It could be completed in about ten minutes.

Thanks for looking! I hope that you like what you see and are able to make it to one of the card buffets. Have a great day!

-Marla

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Fifth Ave. Floral in Neutrals

Hello and Happpy Labor Day Weekend! I'm a little sad to see the unofficial end of summer come because this has been a GREAT summer, but I am ready for some fall weather. Mother Nature doesn't seem to understand that fall is coming. We have had 90-100 degree temperatures here for over a week!

This card is CASE'd from Ronda Wade. I love her cards- they are very simple in design and layout, but very nicely done and so pretty! This card is done in all neutrals and I think it is an elegant color combination. I stamped the flowers in Early Espresso and Crumb Cake on Very Vanilla CS and then sponged on some of the images using Crumb Cake ink and a sponge dauber. I then ran my stamped image panel through my Big Shot in the Square Lattice folder. I love the effect this gives. It softenes up the images really beautifully. I cut out the corners with my 1/2" circle punch (because I don't have a ticket corner punch, but that would have been easier) and mounted it onto Early Espress CS. I tied the ribbon on and added the sentiment from the retired set "Well Scripted" and punched it out with the scalloped oval punch and then used the wide oval punch and Early Espresso for the layer. The card base is Crumb Cake CS.

Hope you like this one and that you have a fun, relaxing weekend! Enjoy!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Fifth Ave. Floral, Well Scripted (retired)
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
Paper: Very Vanilla CS, Crumb Cake CS, Early Espresso CS
Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice folder, 1/2" circle punch, scalloped oval punch, wide oval punch, Early Espress ribbon
Techniques: dry embossing Pin It

Perfect Punches Meets Elegant Lines

Hello again! I am finally getting used to my new daily routine and found a few minutes to make this very quick card this morning. I love this card and it literally took less than five minuutes to make. This is one of the cards we will be making at my birthday card class on September 18th. If you have not already registered for this class, please do so very soon so I can be sure to have materials prepared for you.

This card is a CASE of a card I saw on splitcaoast made by Jen Sannes. I didn't change much about it except that I used Rich Razzleberry ribbon and cardstock for the card base. I figure if you can use rich Razzleberry, you might as well! I love Baja Breeze and Rich Razzleberry together. It's one of my favorite color combinations! Soft Suede accents them both nicely, too.

Have a great day and I hope to have more cards to post soon, so keep checking back!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Perfect Punches

Ink: Soft Suede

Paper: Rich Razzleberry CS, Soft Suede CS, Baja Breeze CS, Very Vanilla CS

Accessories: Basic Pearls, Elegant Lines folder, Big Shot, Dimensionals, RR Satin Ribbon, Glue Dots, Wide Oval punch

Techniques: Dry embossing, sponging

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FINALLY!!!!

I finally got a chance to sit down tonight and stamp. Each day this week, I hoped to get the chance and it just didn't happen. Now that we have a week of school behind us and are settling into our new routine, I am hoping to get more opportunities to stamp.

This is an official Marla Reed original! I didn't CASE this one- can you believe it? My sweet boy started Kindergarten last Monday and I intended to make a card to send for his teacher and her aide on the first day, but it just didn't happen. I am going to send these in on Monday to thank them both for helping him have a great first week of school. I used the set from the Summer Mini catalog called, "First Day". I think it is such a cute set and I bought it mostly for scrapbooking, but it makes great teacher cards, too. If you are interested in ordering this set or any of the others from the Summer mini, please contact me as soon as possible because Tuesday, August 31st is the last day that we can order from the mini catalog. The Holiday mini starts the following day, September 1st. If you would like a copy of it, please leave me a message, give me a call, or email me and I will arrange to get a copy to you.

I hope that you enjoyed the card! I hope to have lots more for you in the near future. Take care until then!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Thank You Kindly, First Day
Papers: Real Red CS, Old Olive CS, Whisper White CS
Ink: Staz On, Real Red marker, Old Olive marker, Blush Blossom marker, Early Espresso marker
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note Die, Stamp-a-ma-jig, 1 3/8" circle punch, Scalloped Circle punch Pin It

So Sorry!

Hello! I just wanted to take a minute to say that I am so sorry I have not been blogging much lately! With everyone in my family having birthdays this month and also getting ready to send my son off to Kindergarten, August has been a whirlwind month for me. My daughter is going to Nana's house tomorrow, so I'm hoping to squeeze in a few minutes of stamping. I should have something to post later this week. Thanks for checking in!

Until later,
Marla Pin It

Holiday Mini Preview!

Hello! Sorry it has taken me so long to get a new card posted. My camera battery died while I was on vacation and I didn't have my charger with me. I got home and realized it wasn't here either and that's when I realized that I left it at my parents' house. I had to wait for my mom to mail it to me before I could take this picture. I actually made this card a few days ago.

This card is made with a couple of products from the holiday mini catalog, which will start on September 1st. The background is made with the new spiderweb embossing folder. I brayered Whisper White craft over it. It didn't work perfectly because I had a few smudges and smears. Oh well! I will just have to keep trying until I perfect the technique.

That adorable witch and the sentiment are from a new set for Halloween called "Fangtastic" also from the Holiday mini. I have my holiday minis on their way, so let me know if you would like one and I will get one to you once they arrive. You will also be able to view it online beginning September 1st.

Don't forget: My tax free sale will end on Sunday. If you are interested in ordering, you must call or email your order to me by 9:00 p.m. on Sunday evening. Also, the sales period for the Summer Mini catalog will end on August 31st, so if you want anything from it, be sure to order before the 31st.

Have a great day! It is rainy here, so maybe I will get a little more stamping done today!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Fang-tastic, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Stazon, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Blushing Bride Stampin' Write markers, Whisper White Craft ink
Paper: Basic Black CS, Pumpkin Pie CS, Rich Razzleberry CS, Old Olive CS, Whisper White CS
Accessories: Small Oval punch, Large Oval punch, Big Shot, Spiderweb Embossing folder, Brayer
Techniques: Dry Embossing, Brayering Pin It

Tax Free Week!

Hello everyone! I am back from the beach safe and sound! We had a great time and it is good to be home, but with all the laundry and unpacking, I feel like I need another vacation! I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and still have not picked up a stamp since getting home. I have an order arriving later today, so hopefully I'll have some creations to share tomorrow!

I did want to let you know that I am offering a tax free sale this week. If you email or call me with an order between now and Sunday, August 15th, you will not pay sales tax on your order. Online orders are not included in this special. Orders must be recieved by 9:00 p.m. on Sunday in order to qualify. If you do not have a catalog, please contact me to purchase one for $5 (or free with a $50 order) or you can view the catalog on my website (http://marlareed.stampinup.net).

Thanks for stopping by! Can't wait to have some new cards to post this week!

~Marla Pin It

Off to the beach...

Hello friends! I haven't posted much this week because I have been crazy busy getting ready to go on vacation. We leave tomorrow for the beach, so I won't be blogging until at least next Monday (August 9th). Everyone have a great week! See you soon! Pin It

Birthday Invitation

Oops! I didn't get this posted yesterday as I had promised! Sorry!

My daughter will turn two and my son will turn five in August (sniff, sniff)! I can't believe how quickly time is passing. Anyway, because their birthdays are one week apart, we are having one big party for both of them together. This is the invitation I made. I used the Sweet Scoops set from the Summer Mini catalog. I love this set! Isn't it so cute?

This invitation could easily be made into a birthday card. I have to admit that the patterned paper I used is not Stampin' Up. It is from a stack of paper that my sister-in-law gave me for my birthday and I loved the bright colors and knew it would be perfect for this invitation. It reminds me of the Island Oasis DSP from the Summer Mini catalog, so that would make an excellent substitution if you want to make your own version of this card. There was a good amount of cutting involved in making this card, but I had my mom and my sister here to help. Thank goodness for them!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Sweet Scoops, Afterthoughts (level 1 hostess set)
Paper: Marina Mist CS, Pumpkin Pie CS, Whisper White CS, non-SU patterned paper
Ink: Old Olive, Marina Mist, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake, Real Red
Accessories: Stampin' Write markers Pin It

Mascuine Birthday SAS #5

Hello! This is the fifth and final card from my card class on Friday. It is a very simple masculine birthday card. I always try to include a masculine card in the mix when I do classes because I find them to be a bit of a challenge to make and when I need one, I don't always have one on hand. I CASE'd this card from one made by Bard Mullikin that I saw on splitcoast (of course!). It went together very quickly and easily. I love this pattern in the Greenhouse Gala paper because it isn't flowery and works well for masculine cards. Enjoy!

I worked on the invitations to my kids' birthday party (their birthdays are one week apart, so we can get by with just one party, how lucky is that?). I will post it tomorrow. Until then, have a great day and try to stay cool!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Perfect Punches

Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White CS, Greenhouse Gala DSP

Ink: Real Red

Accessories: Wide Oval punch, Big Shot, Lots of Tags Sizzlit, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack

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SAS Card #4

Good Morning! I had my card making class last night! It was great fun! This is the fourth card that we made. It is yet another CASE from a card I saw on splitcoast that was posted by a poster called mahodgman. I loved the simple layout. It was perfect for a class! This is a nice, quick, simple card with just a little stamping, a little cutting, and a little layering. That's about it! Hope you like this one!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Friends Never Fade, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Baja Breeze CS, Early Espresso CS, Pear Pizzazz CS, Whisper White CS, Greenhouse Gala DSP
Ink: Baja Breeze, Early Espresso
Accessories: Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, 1/8" Early Espresso ribbon, Dimensionals Pin It

Pendant Park Hello

Hi there! Isn't this a cute little set? I've had my eye on it for over a year and I finally ordered it. I love that it is one of the few older sets that they made available in wood mount or clear mount. I am a sucker for squirrels (even tiny ones like these!) so I knew it was only a matter of time before this set would be added to my collection.

I CASE'd this card from one posted by a posted called LYP on splitcoast, but I did change mine up quite a bit. I used different colors and made my card landscape rather than portrait. I love the little strip behind the main image panel. It is made from one of the stamps in this set. It is only about 4" long, so not long enough to make it all the way across a card front, but I solved that problem by stamping it, cutting it out, layering it on a piece of Soft Suede CS, and then cutting the strip in half before adhering it to the card front. With the image piece layered on top, you can't tell that it is cut.

I also used a technique called masking on this card. Do you see that the tree does not show behind the bench? I did this by stamping the bench on the CS, then stamping it again on a post-it and cutting it out. The post-it is then stuck directly over the bench on the CS. I then stamped the tree and the part that is covered by the post-it is left clean. Lift up the post-it and it looks like the bench is blocking the view of the tree. Cool, huh? Sorry if my directions are a little confusing! Leave me a comment or send me an email if you want clarification. :-)

I think this card turned out cute and is a nice, somewhat masculine card. (I always need masculine cards!) The sentiment could easily be switched with one from Teeny Tiny Wishes, so if could fit any occasion. Well, hope you like this one! Card #4 tomorrow! Stop back by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Pendant Park
Ink: Soft Suede, Old Olive
Paper: Very Vanilla CS, Old Olive CS, Soft Suede CS
Accessories: Small Oval punch, Large Oval punch, Scalloped Oval punch
Techniques: Masking Pin It

SAS Supply Storage

Hello! I know this isn't a picture of a card, but I found these great bins at Wal Mart in the kitchen storage section and thought I would share them. I think they could be very useful for storing craft supplies. I also thought that my demo friends might like them for storing supplies for SAS's. Each bin in the picture is holding all the supplies needed to make each card. When it is time to make a card, I can remove the bin from the stack and everything is in there and ready to go. These are loaded with supplies for tomorrow's SAS. Best of all, they were very inexpensive. They were only $4.97 for a three pack, so I paid less than $10 for all six of these bins. Hope you find this helpful!

I'll be posting card #3 later today! Have a good one until then! Pin It

Love that Greenhouse Gala Paper!

Hello again! Can you believe I'm posting two days in a row? Hehe! Here is card #2 from my SAS this weekend. This card is a CASE of one made by Kerin Sylvester. I saw hers on splitcoast and had to try it for myself. The main thing that I changed is that her stamped image is a circle with a scalloped circle behind and for mine I used the Scalloped Rectangle Clearlit to back my image. I think it worked well for this stamp. I did have to leave part of the flower off when I colored the stamp with markers. Otherwise, it wouldn't have fit on this fairly small rectangle.

One other thing I wanted to point out is that I created the little sentiment tag by using the small oval punch and then I made the little semi-circle for the ribbon using the scallop trim border punch. If you take the end of the small oval and line it up with the scallop in the border punch, it will give you a great little cut-out that is perfect for a little piece of ribbon. Anyway, I hope that you like this one. It's a fairly quick card to make.

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Friends Never Fade, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Early Espresso CS, Crumb Cake CS, Cherry Cobbler CS, Pear Pizzazz CS, Whisper White CS, Greenhouse Gala DSP
Accessories: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Scalloped Rectangle Clearlit, Small Oval punch, Scallop Trim Border punch, 1/8" Early Espresso ribbon, Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write markers Pin It

I'm Back!

Hello! Sorry that I've been MIA for so long! I was away visiting family and did no stamping. No stamping = nothing to post. I'm back now though and getting ready for a SAS (stamp-a-stack) that I am having this Friday. This is one of the cards that we will be making. It is a CASE from the front of the August Stampin' Success, which is a magazine that is published for SU! demos. I used the same layout and stamp set, but I did change a few of the elements of this card. The original had white satin ribbon and I didn't have any so I substituted a strip of Greenhouse Gala DSP for the ribbon. I also changed the colors so that I could play along with a recent color challenge on splitcoast. It was Baja Breeze, So Saffron, and Rich Razzleberry. I really like these colors together. I also added a tiny amount of Certainly Celery to make the stem and leaves for my flower. This is a pretty simple card, but I am happy with the way that it turned out. I hope that everyone coming to my SAS will like it too!

I have all my cards prepped for Friday, so I will have five cards to post this week. Check back often- I won't let you down! Have a great day! See you tomorrow!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: For All You Do, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Baja Breeze, Rich Razzleberry
Paper: Rich Razzleberry CS, So Saffron CS, Baja Breeze CS, Whisper White CS, Greenhouse Gala DSP
Accessories: Dimensionals Pin It

Sunny Flowers

Hello again! I have been a crazy stampin' fool this week. My most recent order consisted mostly of new color markers, ink pads, and papers as well as a few tools that I had never purchased. I finally got the Color Spritzer, which I used on this card. If you are not familiar with this product, it is a tool that puts little speckles on your project using a Stampin' Write marker. I blows ink off of the tip of the marker and onto your project. I may have over-spritzed this one a bit as I was trying to get used to using this brand new tool, but I still like the way it turned out.



This card also features one of my favorite stamp sets, "Inspired by Nature". I just love those flowers and the other image in this set is tall grass. It is very pretty. I colored directly on the stamp with Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, and Early Espresso Stampin' Write markers and then stamped onto Whisper White.



Enjoy this bright and sunny card!



Supplies Used:

Stamps: Inspired by Nature, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso Stampin' Write markers

Paper: Daffodil Delight textured CS, Early Espresso CS, Whisper White CS

Accessories: Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Early Espresso 1/8" ribbon, Color Spritzer Pin It

New Goodies!

Here is one of the cards that I made while playing with my new goodies last night. I think it turned out really nicely. This may be one of the cards that we make at my card making class on July 23rd. We'll see!

I "colored" the flower and the leaves by using the paper piecing technique with the new Greenhouse Gala DSP. I saw this idea on Connie Tumm's blog- http://connietumm1.typepad.com/blog/ I thought her idea was just brilliant and had to try it out for myself! For the background piece, I ran a piece of Baja Breeze CS through the Big Shot in my Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. I then inked up my (brand new!) brayer with Early Espresso ink and ran it over the raised sections of the cardstock. I love the effect this gives!

Aside from the cutting out of the flower and leaves, this card is very quick and easy to make. I had a lot of fun working with my new colors and supplies last night! Hope you enjoy this card!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Because I Care
Ink: Early Espresso
Paper: Greenhouse Gala DSP, Early Espresso CS, Baja Breeze CS, Whisper White CS
Accessories: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper emossing folder, Brayer, Large Oval punch, Scalloped Oval punch, Early Espresso 1/8" taffetta ribbon
Techniques: Paper Piecing, Brayering, Sponging Pin It

Grab Your Scissors!

Hello! I hope that all of you had a safe and happy July 4th! I had a great time. My hubby had a five day weekend and we really took advantage of his time off. We went for a long family walk (not a small task with a 1-year-old and four-year-old in tow), went to see a movie at the drive-in, and went to my Father-in-law's birthday party where we set off a few fireworks. It was great fun! Now it's back to reality. I have my new catalog party coming up this weekend, so I am busy stamping and getting ready for that.

I made this card last night while waiting for my box of new goodies that arrived today. It is a thank you card for my parents, who very generously rented a beach house for our family vacation this year. It will be a full house with my parents, my brother and his wife, my sister and her boyfriend, and me and my crew. We are leaving in just a few more weeks and I can't wait.

Anyway, I made this little beach scene using the "Just Beachy" stamp set that was in last summer's mini catalog. I think it is the cutest set, and I haven't really used it much. I had to pull it out last night because it was perfect for this card! It's hard to see in the picture, but the sky is made from a torn piece of Whisper White CS that I sponged with Bashful Blue ink. The sand is Crumb Cake CS, and the water is a torn piece of retired Sweet Pea DSP. I thought the pattern sort of looked like ocean waves, so I went with it! There was a tremendous amount of intricate cutting involved in making this card, so I can pretty much guarantee that it will be a one of a kind (unless one of you wants to CASE it!)

Well, I guess I'll get back to playing with my new stamps that arrived today! I just love a visit from that big, brown truck! Have a great evening!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Just Beachy (retired)
Ink: Jet Black Staz On, various Stampin' Write markers
Paper: Whisper White and Crumb Cake CS, Sweet Pea DSP (retired)
Accessories: Scissors!!!, sponges
Techniques: Sponging Pin It

Sweet Scoops

Happy July 4th Weekend! I thought a birthday card would be fitting for our country's birthday, so here it is! I finally got this set a couple of days ago. It is from the Summer Mini catalog and is only available until August 31st, so if you love it as much as I do, order before it's too late. I wanted this set as soon as I saw it, but I had other things that I needed to order first. I think that this set will be seeing a lot of use because I make tons of birthday cards!

The idea for this card came from one that I saw on splitcoast, but I don't remember who posted it... sorry! I used the color combo of Crumb Cake, Regal Rose and So Saffron. I made a second card using Bashful Blue in place of the Regal Rose, but it is just a little too subtle. I think I will redo it with Marina Mist when it arrives on Tuesday. I also want to try using the new Crumb Cake ink for the cone. This card also used the Square Lattice embossing folder. I think it gives the card a nice look and the pattern in it sort of reminds me of an ice cream cone.

Hope that you like this one and that all of you have a fun and safe holiday weekend! Happy Birthday, America!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Sweet Scoops, Very Versatile (retired)
Ink: Regal Rose, So Saffron
Paper: Crumb Cake CS, Regal Rose CS, Whisper White CS, Close to Cocoa CS
Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, Dazzling Diamonds, 2-way Glue Pen, Dimensionals, Wide Oval punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, 5/8" So Saffron Grosgrain ribbon (retired) Pin It

New Colors!

Hello again! It is day four of VBS week and I am having a great time, but I'm so exhausted! I sat down this afternoon and made these two cards for our VBS coordinators. I hope they will like them and I hope you do, too!

These cards are direct CASE's of some cards that I saw on splitcoast. They were made by flowerbugnd1 and cjoman, but I don't know who had the original idea. These look like they would be difficult (or at least they did to me), but they were actually quite simple and quick to put together. The flower petals are made with the 3/4" circle and large oval punches. I punched the circle first and then punched the oval so that the circle was off centered. I made six petals and then layered them to make my flower. The yellow circle in the center was punched with the 3/4" circle punch as well.

These are three of our new core colors- Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler, and Daffodil Delight. They can be ordered starting tomorrow when our new catalog year begins. I'm really excited about all the color changes that have taken place. The new color collections are all so pretty and work so nicely together. Can't wait to get all the colors!

If you are coming to my new catalog party on July 10th, you will be getting these cards as a little gift from me to thank you for coming and I will even show you exactly how they are made!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Thank You Kindly
Paper: Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: 3/4" punch, Large Oval Punch, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, 2-way glue pen Pin It

The More The Merrier

Good Morning! This is the other birthday card that I worked on the other night. It is another simple card. I think it would be great for a little girl's birthday. We seem to have lots of summer birthdays, so I need to keep plenty of birthday cards on hand!

This card just involves layering and coloring. I layered a piece of Melon Mambo CS at the top of my Certainly Celery card base. The image piece is a strip of Whisper White CS layered over a piece of So Saffron CS that was punched at the top and bottom with the Scallop Trim border punch. The So Saffron is layered onto a piece of Perfect Plum CS. I stamped the row of cupcakes from the level 3 hostess set "The More the Merrier", which is retiring in a few days when the new catalog takes effect. I have used these little cupcakes like crazy this year, so I will be holding on to this set for a long time to come!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great Monday!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: The More the Merrier, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Paper: Whisper White CS, So Saffron CS, Perfect Plum CS, Certainly Celery CS

Ink: Jet Black Staz On, various Stampin' Write markers

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch

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Sweet and Simple

Hello! Sorry that I've been neglecting my blog... again! I was out of town visiting my family this past week, so I didn't do any stamping at all. I finally found a few minutes to sit down last night and make a few cards. I went to a birthday party yesterday and realized that my birthday card stash is terribly low, so that was what I worked on.

This card is super simple to make! It has very little stamping and is mostly made using the Big Shot. I simply ran the Whisper White cardstock through using the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder and then cut out butterflies with my Beautiful Wings embosslit in the Big Shot. Stamp on a sentiment and adhere the butterflies and you're done! It doesn't get much easier than that!

We have VBS this week, so I probably won't have much time to stamp, but I do have a few pictures taken of the cards I made yesterday. Hopefully, I will find a minute to post them. I have some new goodies arriving later this week, so maybe I can post some sneak peeks from the brand new catalog soon!

Don't forget- this Thursday (July 1st) is the RSVP date for both my new catalog party on July 10th and my all occasion card making class on July 23rd. If you have any questions or are interested in attending, please leave me a comment or email me at reedmarla@comcast.net. Thanks and have a great day!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Well Scripted (retired- boo hoo!)

Ink: Melon Mambo

Paper: Whisper White CS, Perfect Plum CS, Marina Mist (brand new color!) CS, Old Olive CS, Daffodil Delight (another new color!) CS, Pumpkin Pie CS, and Real Red CS

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Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day weekend, everyone! I made this card this morning. It is for my kids to give to my husband. I also made one that says "Pop Pop" and another that says "Pappaw" for the grandpas. Isn't it handy that this tape measure makes such nice d's and p's? These cards were inspired by several that I have seen on splitcoast. I'm not sure who had the original idea, but I think these cards are so cute. I hope that everyone is able to spend this weekend with all the men who are near and dear to you! Have a great weekend!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Totally Tool
Ink: Basic Gray, So Saffron, Jet Black Staz On
Paper: Sweet Pea DSP (retired), Kraft CS, Whisper White CS
Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-jig (a must for this project!), blender pens

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New Catalog CASE

Hello! This card was CASE'd from the new catalog. I just love this little rocket ship from Pun Fun. It is the reason that I bought the set. This was a really fun card to make and I think a little boy would love getting this card for his birthday. The rocket is stamped on the less shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil glued down to a piece of cardstock. I have to give my sister the credit for that idea. She came up with it while I was working on this card. The inside is stamped with the circle stamp from the Starring You set and there is a border of stars stamped from the same set along the bottom of the inside. Sorry I didn't get a picture of the inside, too!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Pun Fun, Starring You, Whimsy wheel

Paper: So Saffron CS, Old Olive CS, Always Artichoke CS, Brilliant Blue CS (retiring)

Ink: Jet Black Staz On, Brilliant Blue (retiring)

Accessories: 2-way glue pen, 1 3/4" circle punch, 1/2" circle punch, 1/4" circle punch (non-SU), Large Star punch, Star punch, So Saffron brads, aluminum foil (non-SU)

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For All You Do

Hello! This is the third of the four cards I am posting from my card making event on Friday. This one was cased from splitcoast (as you will find most of my creations are!). I'm afraid that I don't remember who originally created it. It was a quick and simple card to make and I love the way it turned out. I love pretty much anything that has purple as its main color! The squares with the flowers are from the "For All You Do" set. Two of the squares are stamped normally and two of the squares were stamped of once to give them the lighter shade. Hope you like this one!



Supplies Used:



Stamps: For All You Do, Well Scripted (no longer available)

Paper: Sahara Sand CS, Rich Razzleberry CS, Whisper White CS

Ink: Rich Razzleberry

Techniques: Stamping Off Pin It

Masculine Birthday

Hello again! Two days in a row, can you believe it? Masculine cards are a great challenge for me. That's why I'm so glad that I finally bought the "Lovely as a Tree" stamp set. It is definitely a classic in the SU catalog. It's been around forever and I was sure it was going to retire, Tbut it didn't. We get this one for at least another year. It is quickly becoming my go-to set when making masculine cards.

This card was cased from a card I saw on splitcoast. If you've never checked it out, the address is splitcoaststampers.com. If you go to the gallery, there are literally millions of pictures of cards, scrapbook pages, and gift ideas. There is even a SU gallery where you can search by specific stamp sets. It's a very cool site. Anyway, back to the card, I did change several elements from the original. The colors are different and I added the brads in the corner as well as adding the woodgrain.

Hope you enjoy this one and I will try to post again tomorrow! Have a great Sunday!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Woodgrain background

Paper: Dusty Durango CS (retiring), Close to Cocoa CS (retiring), Kraft CS (being renamed Crumb Cake in the new catalog) Always Artichoke CS, Very Vanilla CS

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Always Artichoke brads (retiring), 1/16" hole punch

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Another Awash with Flowers

I had my card making event to benefit "From Our Hearts" last night and finally got a chance to take pictures of the cards we made this morning. I will be posting four of them over the next few days. We had great fun and made over 50 cards to send for our troops!

This card was a CASE from my upline, Melissa. She posted a similar card several weeks ago on her blog, and it inspired me to make this one. It was a quick and easy card to make. I ran the front of the card through my Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. I attached a small strip of So Saffron CS to the bottom of my Whisper White image piece. The images are stamped using the Awash with Flowers set and the sentiment if from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

Thanks for stopping by and I promise I will post more often this week! Have a great day!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Awash with Flowers, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Paper: Orchid Opulence CS (retiring this month), So Saffron CS, Whisper white CS

Ink: Orchid Opulence (retiring), So Saffron, Basic Gray

Accessories: White Taffeta ribbon, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Certainly Celery Stampin' Write marker

Techniques: Two-Step Stamping

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Graduation

Hello! I am adjusting to my new summer schedule and have been very busy the last few weeks and have had very little time to stamp, but I did sit down and make a couple of cards yesterday afternoon. This is one of them. It is a graduation card. The school's colors are orange, white and blue- in case that wasn't obvious! I don't have any graduation stamps sets, but I think that this set works well for graduation.

I have a card making event this coming Friday night. I have a group of ladies coming to make cards for a group called "From Our Hearts". They collect handmade cards to send to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan so that they can send them home to family and friends. I am really excited about doing this and love that my hobby can be used for such a good charity! I will be working hard this week on samples for Friday's event, so I should have plenty of cards to post.

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Starring You set (retiring this month)

Paper: Pumpkin Pie CS, Brilliant Blue CS (retiring this month), Whisper White CS

Ink: Brillant Blue (retiring), Pumpkin Pie

Accessories: silver brads, Wide Oval punch, Scalloped Oval punch, Large Oval punch

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Two Challenges in One Card!

Hello all! This card was made using two challenges I found. I haven't really done challenges before, but I am going to start so that my creations are more my own and not my version of someone else's idea! The color challenge I used was Rich Razzleberry, Dusty Durango, and So Saffron. I didn't think I would like the combo, but after looking at some examples, I decided to give it a try. I have to admit that Dusty Durango has not been a favorite, so I have an abundance of that color. I have to say that I do like it in this combo. This card turned out much better than I imagined. I also used a sketch from Stampin' Connection. It was sketch callenge 18. Combining a color challenge and a sketch challenge are a really good starting point if you are having a case of stamper's block and want to make something original. I think I may keep doing them and see what I can come up with!

Have a great Sunday!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Happy Moments set

Paper: Rich Razzleberry CS, Dusty Durango CS, So Saffron CS, Very Vanilla CS, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP

Ink: Jet Black Staz On

Accessories: So Saffron 5/8" grosgrain ribbon (retired), Scalloped Circle punch, 1 3/8 " Circle punch

Techniques: Paper Piecing (on the presents)

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Simple Sympathy

I am so sorry that I have been neglecting my blog lately. I have been really busy and haven't found much time to stamp. I made this card and a few others a couple of days ago, but I haven't had a moment to get pictures and write up blog entries until now. Whew!

This is a quick and very simple sympathy card. It came together very quickly. I made the grassy hill by tearing a piece of regular printer paper and then sponging Old Olive ink under the ripped part (if that makes any sense). It is a very simple technique, but gives a nice effect. I also did a little sponging around the brances of the tree to give it a little color.

Hope you like the card! I have a few pictures taken now, so I should be able to post more often over the next few days. Have a great day!

Supplies Used:

Paper: Soft Suede CS, Old Olive CS, Very Vanilla CS
Ink: Soft Suede, Old Olive
Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers set
Techniques: Sponging Pin It

Awash with Flowers... again!

Is it Friday already? This week has gone by so fast. Probably because I have been so busy. One of my projects this week was to clean up our basement (where my stamping area is) and once I got that done, I made this card to celebrate my nice, neat space. Now let's see how long it stays that way!


I just love this stamp set and the card that inspired me to make this one. This is a CASE from a card I found on Stampin' Connection made by Tessa Wise. I thought her card was just beautiful and tried to recreate it, but I'm afraid that I did not do the original justice!


Supplies Used:

Stamp Sets: Awash with Flowers, Whimsical Words, Vintage Vogue
Paper: Sahara Sand CS, Rose Red CS, Very Vanilla CS
Ink: So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Jet Black Staz On
Accessories: Blender Pens
Techniques: Masking Pin It

Bride and Groom Card

I found the template to make this bride and groom card on Lynn Pratt's blog. Aren't they a cute couple? I think the template makes a beautiful wedding card.

Instead of typing out a detailed description of each card, I am going to simply list a card recipe. If you have any questions about how things are done, leave me a comment and I will answer your question.

One thing that I do want to share in detail (and that is very hard to see in the picture) is that I sprayed the bride's gown and the Mellon Mambo cardstock with shimmer spray, which is rubbing alcohol mixed with a few drops of Champagne Mist shimmer paint (from the Holiday Mini, but it's still available for order). I mixed it in a small spray bottle that you can find in the travel sized toiletries section at the drug store. I sprayed the shimmer spray on the pink piece of paper and on the bride's dress. The additional layer on her dress is covered with 2-way glue and dazzling diamonds glitter.

Supplies Used:

Stamp Set: Everything Nice (on the inside)

Paper: Mellon Mambo, Basic Black, Whisper White

Accessories: Big Shot, Beautiful Bouquet Embossing Folder, 2-Way Glue, Dazzling diamonds glitter, homemade shimmer spray

PS- Sorry that this picture isn't the greatest! I'm still working on perfecting my photography skills!

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Butterfly Birthday

Happy Sunday, Everyone! Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Today's card is a CASE of a card I saw on splitcoast by karcher70. I thought it would be a great card to make because I just love these little butterflies and I have a bunch of red ribbon left over from the Christmas cards I made. I don't often use a lot of red, but I really like the simplicity of this card and how nicely it turned out.

My card base is Real Red cardstock and the fold is at the top of the card. I cut the butterflies out of Real Red and Whisper White cardstock using the Beautiful Wings embosslit die with my Big Shot. I adhered the red ones in a pattern on the front of the card which is Whisper White cardstock. I used a tiny bit of SNAIL adhesive right in the center of the butterflies so that I could fold the wings up slightly and give them some dimension. I then stamped the Butterfly Accent stamp from the Occasions mini catalog with Real Red classic ink and then layered the large white butterfly over the stamped image and added a rhinestone brad (from the Pretties Kit) to the center of the white butterfly. I punched the bottom of the image layer with the Scallop Border punch to dress it up a bit and stamped "Happy Birthday" from a retired set called "Very Versatile". The ribbon is 5/8" red grosgrain ribbon that is tied in a simple knot at the top of the card. I couldn't get a good picture of the inside, so I didn't post it, but I did stamp "Hope your birthday is the wish-come-true-kind" that is also from the Very Versatile set on the inside on W. White cardstock. I also adhered the largest red butterfly to the corner of the inside of the card. I have been stamping inside my cards a little more often know. I feel like it makes the card feel a little bit more finished. Do you prefer the insides of your cards to be blank or stamped?

Thanks for stopping by! This is the last card from my stamping marathon earlier this week, so I will have to come up with something new if I'm going to post again tomorrow. We'll see how it goes! Have a great day!

~Marla

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Sneak Peak

Hello again! I decided to post twice today because I have a busy day tomorrow and may not have a chance to post. This is a sneak peak at a set that will be in the new catalog. It is a two-step stamping set called "Awash with Flowers". I think it is really pretty! It is called two step stamping because the outline is a separate stamp from the stamp that is used to color it in. To make this card, I cut two pieces with the Top Note die, one in Melon Mambo and one in Whisper White. I stamped the outlines of the flowers in Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, So Saffron, and Old Olive classic inks. To fill in the images, I stamped off one time before stamping and used the same colors that I used for the outlines. Stamping off is when you stamp once onto scrap paper before stamping on your card. It gives a slightly lighter shade of the ink. I then layered the two Top Notes so that the Melon Mambo one was vertical and the whisper white was horizontal. (I think I saw somone on splitcoast use this layout, but don't remember who it was, sorry!) I then cut a piece off of the left side so that it would fit onto the So Saffron card base. I stamped "thinking of you" from the sentiment set called "Teeny, Tiny Wishes" in Rich Razzleberry. I added three So Saffron brads before adhering the Top Notes to the card base. What do you think of this new set? Isn't it so pretty?

Thanks for stopping back by!

Marla

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Quilted Top Note

Hello Stamping Friends! I just love this card. If you know me, you know why- it's because I LOVE purple! It is my all time favorite color and I think the shades in this paper look so pretty together. My inspiration for this card came from one I saw on Stampin' Connection made by Jennifer Weide. I just changed a few elements to make it my own. That is called CASE (copy and share everything) and I do it a lot. I love to see what other stampers are making and find my inspiration in their work. It's encouraged in the stamping world!

I've been seeing these Top Note quilts for a while, but this is my first attempt at making one, and here's how I did it. I took 1 1/4" squares of Cottage Wall DSP (which will be retiring in June- boo hoo!) and used SNAIL (adhesive) to attach them to a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of cardstock (the color doesn't really matter because it will be covered, but I used Orchid Opulence) so that the entire piece of cardstock is covered with DSP scraps. (You will use four scraps across and three up and down, so you need twelve squares to cover the cardstock.) I then centered the cardstock on my Top Note die and ran it through my Big Shot. Once that was done I ran it through the big Shot again, but this time I used the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder (it's a little hard to see the dots in the picture) and centered it on a 4 1/8" x 5 3/8" piece of Orchid Opulence cardstock (which is retiring in June and currently being sold while supplies last) and layered that piece over my Rich Razzleberry card base. I stamped "You're too kind" from the Whimsical Words set (a set that was only available during Sale-a-Bration) in Rich Razzleberry classic ink and punched it out using my Large Oval punch and layered that over a piece of Orchid Opulence cardstock that I punched out with the Scallop Oval punch. I popped that up in the center of the card using dimensionals. The cute little butterfly is from the set called "For All You Do" (a personal favorite) and stamped with Rich Razzleberry ink and cut out and popped up on dimensionals. I didn't take a picture but I stamped "thank you" and another butterfly from "For All You Do" on the inside of the card on W. White cardstock.

I got lots of stamping done yesterday while my little one was napping and my bigger little one was at Nana's, so I may post two cards today. We will have to see how the day progresses! Have a great one and if you like what you see, please leave me a comment. I love to know that you are visiting my blog!

Marla Pin It