Blended Sympathy

Happy Fab Friday! This is going to be a quick post. Tons going on this week. I always thought summer was supposed to be carefree and relaxing. I'm not finding that to be the case this year. How about you?

Anyway, we have a fun sketch for you over at Fab Friday.

My interpretation is a little "loose". I hope my design team friends won't mind. I got a new stamp set that I wanted to use, so I made the sketch fit my idea.

I have to give a shout out to my best stampy friend, Rita. She encouraged me to go for a mostly white card. I almost never have this much white on a card, but it did turn out pretty. I also got to get in a little more practice with my Blendabilities. They are so fun to color with! I will try to get back soon to post a supply list, but no time at the moment.

I hope you'll join us at Fab Friday! We'd love to see your work! Pin It

Work of Art

Hey stampers! So, I got to go to the Stampin' Up Catalog Premier party in Alexandria on Monday night and they gave away a brand new stamp set to all attendees. I was so excited because it was one that they used a lot during the demonstrations that night and it was definitely on my wish list. I got a few minutes this morning to try it out and this is what I made.

Stamps: Work of Art
Paper: Crumb Cake, Strawberry Slush, Whisper White
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Strawberry Slush, Crumb Cake
Accessories: rhinestone

It's super simple and was very quick to make, but I like the way it turned out. I stamps the large brushstroke with Rich Razzleberry and then stamped two more times below it without inking up the stamp again. Cool effect, isn't it? I have to give credit to my friend, Amanda, for suggesting stamping off.

I'm noticing that my picture is a little crooked and isn't the best, but I wanted to get this posted quickly before I eat my lunch and head out in the rain to run errands. Have a great day! Pin It

Simply Sketched Sympathy for FabFri35

Hey there! Happy Valentine's Day! I hope that you are not one of the many, many people that are buried under mega amounts of snow (like I am). We got about 12" overnight Wednesday night and another 3" or so during the morning yesterday for a total of 15" by around noon yesterday. Crazy, crazy winter! I'm so ready for spring! How about you?

So, I'm glad that we didn't make any major Valentine's Day plans because we wouldn't have been able to keep them anyway. Valentine's Day is a special day for my hubby and me. We met on a blind date on Valentine's Day in 2000! Nothing like a high pressure first date, right? Cupid must have been smiling on us that day though because here it is fourteen years later and we are still going strong.

Anyway, you did not come to hear about the snow or how I met my husband, you came to see my latest Fab Friday card. We have a sketch this time. Even though it is Valentine's Day, I don't have a valentine to share this time. Sorry about that! Poor planning on my part. I made this card as a possible class card and then decided that my customers probably wouldn't like the watercoloring. I don't find this image particularly easy to color, and I am not very skilled when it comes to watercoloring, but I try. I can't wait for Stampin' Up to release Blendabilities, their new alcohol markers soon. I hope that they will help me hone my skill! Anyway, here is the fun Fab Friday sketch...

 

 

And here is my card...

 

 

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Simply Sketched, Hello Doily

Paper: Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Smoky Slate, Whisper White, In Color DSP stack

Ink: Basic Gray, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding

Accessories: Blender Pen, Pistachio Pudding ruffled ribbon

 

OK, now it is your turn! Pop on over to Fab Friday and play along with us! I can't wait to see your creations. Also, be sure to visit our newest design team member, Brian King, and give him a big welcome!

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Hearts a Flutter Valentine

Hello! It is Friday and the Fab Friday team is back from our break and ready for a brand new color challenge! It's a color challenge this time, and I LOVE these colors together! What do you think?

So pretty, right? Here is the card I made using these colors (that are conveniently found in the Fresh Prints DSP stack). We made this card at my stamp-a-stack last Friday, and I think everyone really liked it.

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Hearts a Flutter, Bitty Banners
Paper: Real Red, Crumb Cake, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Fresh Prints DSP stack
Ink: Real Red, Coastal Cabana
Accessories: Big Shot, Bitty Banners framelits, Arrows EF, Postage Stamp punch, Banner punch

Please be sure to stop by and play along with us at Fab Friday. The challenge doesn't close until February 13th, so you have lots of time! Can't wait to see what you create! Pin It

Sending Good Thoughts

Hello and Happy New Year! It sure has been a looooooong time since I last posted. I hope that anyone reading this had a wonderful Christmas and that the new year is treating you well so far! Life for us was super busy around the holidays and then when the kids finally returned to school after the long Christmas break, we had bad weather and they missed two and a half days of school last week! On top of that, we had frozen pipes during an extremely cold couple of days and were completely without water. It has been interesting to say the least! This week has finally been more normal and I have been able to spend some time in my stamp room preparing for my upcoming class.

Here is the first card I made. It was inspired by this card I saw on Pinterest (always great for when the mojo is in short supply).

I really like the versatility of this greeting. It could be a thinking of you, get well, good luck, or even a birthday card. My customers requested get well/thinking of you as one of the card types for my class, so this one definitely works for that. I am not really a pastel person, but I do think the colors in the Sweet Sorbet DSP (free with a $50 order during Sale-a-Bration) are pretty and perfect for spring (which I hope will come early this year).

Stampin' Up Supplies:
Stamps: Perfect Pennants, Papillion Potpourri, Betsy's Blossoms
Ink: Basic Gray, Pool Party, Summer Startfruit
Paper: Pool Party, Sahara Sand, Crisp Cantaloupe, Basic Black, Whisper White, Sweet Sorbet DSP
Accessories: Scalloped Tag punch, Pistachio Pudding ruffled stretch ribbon, small butterfly punch, baker's twine

Thanks for stopping by! Come back tomorrow because I will have my next card then. Pin It

Christmas Card Buffet Choices (Round 2)

Hey there! This is going to be super quick because it is almost time for my kiddos to get home from school. I promise I will come back soon and post supply lists for the cards, but for now, just pictures. :)

If you plan to attend the buffet on November 22nd at 7:00, please email me (reedmarla622@gmail.com) with your choices no later than Monday, November 11th at 9:00 a.m. Please remember to use the name of each card design to avoid confusion, and also be sure to tell me how many you want to make of each design you choose. Thanks!

Card #1- Elf Shoes

 

Inspired by a card made by Dawn Olchefske

 

 

Card #2- Nativity

 

Inspired by a card made by Kay Kalthoff

 

Card #3- Ornament

Inspired by a card made by Lorri Heiling

 

Card #4- Snowflakes

Card #5- Tree

Inspired by a card made by Amanda Mertz

 

 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you can make it to the buffet on Friday, November 22nd at 7:00!

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Truly Grateful for Fab Friday!

Hey stamping peeps! It's Friday and time for another Fab Friday challenge! Yay! We have a wonderful fall color combination for you this time. Check it out...

 

These colors are the ones in the awesome Sweater Weather DSP, so that made it easy to come up with my card. I really love the Truly Grateful stamp set! That background stamp is great (I am a sucker for background stamps) and the font on the sentiment is really nice too. It is a little bit hard to see in the picture, but I ran the DSP layer through the Big Shot in the Square Lattice EF to give it some extra texture.



 

 

 

 

Stamps: Truly Grateful

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Sweater Weather DSP

Ink: Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, Naturals button, linen thread

 

OK, now it's your turn! Be sure to stop by over at Fab Friday and see what my fellow design team members have come up with and be sure to play along with us!

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Washi Tape for Fab Friday!

Wow! Those two weeks just slipped away from me! In the past two weeks, both of my kiddos have celebrated their birthdays (and my hubby's is tomorrow) and school has started! We have had a skating party, a family party, and a trip to the American Girl store. Is it hard to believe that my stamp time has been extremely limited?!? My youngest started Kindergarten on Monday so I am adjusting to my new routine and schedule as a SAHM with all of her kids in school. I have to say that so far, I'm not loving it. Sure, I have more time to myself and am able to get more done (and much more efficiently), but my house is just SO quiet. I miss my little rascals during the day. I told my husband that I may have to resort to watching trashy daytime TV just to have a little bit of noise in the house!

So, anyway, my apologies for not posting, but at least now you understand the reason. It is time for another challenge at Fab Friday! Yay! It is a sketch challenge this time. Check it out!

I see lots of possibilities for this sketch. It is a pretty versatile one! I am teaching two classes today all about washi tape, so I have it on the brain and decided to use it for my card. I think this card could easily fit many occasions by simply changing the sentiment.

 

 

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:

Stamps: Chalk Talk, Hearts a Flutter

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Basic Gray, Very Vanilla

Ink: Basic Gray, Cherry Cobbler

Accessories: Big Shot, Hearts a Flutter framelits, Large Heart punch, Cherry Cobbler seam binding, Season of Style washi tape, Epic Day washi tape

Technique: double bow

 

Isn't that bow pretty? I saw a youtube video about how to tie them and decided to give it a try. It wasn't hard, but I will have to do it MANY more times before I can do it on my own.

 

OK, now it's your turn! Come on over to Fab Friday and play along with us!

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Blooming With Kindness for Fab Friday

TGIF! Wow! It has been a long week and I'm glad that Friday is finally here. As the end of the school year approaches, life has gotten busy, busy, busy. There are so many activities and field trips and programs! Add to that my son's soccer schedule, and it seems that I run all week long. Speaking of running, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to become an actual runner (not just a crazy mom running all over the place) and I am proud to say that I have actually met my goal. On April 27th, I ran in my first ever 5k and it was wonderful! I had never been a runner before and when I started, it was definitely a struggle. I used the Couch to 5k app on my iPhone and it really helped me reach my goal. Here is a picture of me just after I crossed the finish line. My official time was 33:59 (a personal best by over a minute).

And here is a picture of "Team Josh". We had special shirts made and ran in memory of my dear friend, Josh, who sadly passed away this past December. He was a great inspiration to me in my journey to get fit and we miss him terribly. The airplane in the background is a C5 military jet. The race was held at the Air National Guard base that is practically in my backyard.

 OK, enough personal stuff. You visited to see my card for Fab Friday and here it is...

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Blooming with Kindness, Papillon Potpourri
Paper: Raspberry Ripple, Soft Suede, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit, Very Vanilla, 2013-2014 In Color DSP stack (retiring)
Ink: Soft Suede, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit
Accessories: Big Shot, Apothecary Accents framelits, Fancy Fan embossing folder, small butterfly punch, Raspberry Ripple stitched satin ribbon, pearls

To make my flower have a little extra dimension, I stamped it once and then moved the stamp slightly and stamped again without re-inking. I really like this flower done this way. I did this card as a class card because it could easily be used for lots of different occasions simply by switching the sentiment.

The challenge this week is a color challenge. Check it out...

Isn't it a pretty combination of colors? I hope you will come on over to Fab Friday and play along with us!

 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

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MPP Meets FMS

Hello there! I haven't had much time to stamp lately, but I wanted to play along with the fun, new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches. I also received my first shipment from my My Paper Pumpkin subscription this week. I thought it would be fun to combine elements from the kit to make a card for FMS.

Here is the sketch...

And here is my take on the sketch using the My Paper Pumpkin kit as well as a few additional supplies...

Stampin' Up Supplies:
Stamps: My Paper Pumpkin
Paper: My Paper Pumpkin card base, My Paper Pumpkin DSP, Basic Gray, So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise, Lucky Limeade cardstocks
Ink: Basic Gray
Accessories: Big Shot, 3" Circle Die, Fun Flowers die, Tasteful Trim Die, button (My Paper Pumpkin), Lucky Limeade baker's twine

This card was very quick and easy to put together. It was really fun to use elements from the kit, but still make my own design. I decided to keep it really clean and simple and not to add too many elements beyond what was in the kit. I really only added the baker's twine and pieces cut using the Big Shot and dies.

I hope you like my card and that it will help to get my mojo flowing again. I hope to try to stamp again sometime in the next few days. Maybe I will have more to share soon. Until then, take care and happy stamping. :)

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Bloomin' Marvelous for Fab Friday

Hey there, stampers! Thanks for stopping by today! It is time once again for a new Fab Friday challenge. We have a pretty color combination that is perfect for springtime! Check it out...

Now, I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of Pink Pirouette. I have hardly ever used it, but I do think it is pretty in this combination and I don't think any of our other pinks would have worked as well. Calypso Coral is a color that had to grow on me, but now that I have used it for almost two years, I really like it and will miss it when it retires with the current catalog. :-( Here is my card using these pretty colors. I hope you like it!

Stampin' Up Supplies:
Stamps: Bloomin' Marvelous
Paper: Sahara Sand, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade
Accessories: Big Shot, Fancy Fan EF, Adorning Accents Edgelits, 1 3/4" Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Bitty Butterfly punch, Whisper White Organza Ribbon, Basic Pearls, dimensionals

I hope you can see the Pink Pirouette butterflies on my card. It is such a light shade of pink that my camera had a hard time picking it up. We made a simpler version of this card at a recent class and I just stepped it up a bit for the challenge. The only additions were the Adorning Accents Edgelits and all of the pearls. If you are looking for a way to dress up a card, our pearls are a wonderful and inexpensive way to do just that! I think this would make a great springtime wedding card and this sentiment from the Sale-a-Bration set, Bloomin' Marvelous, is perfect for a wedding.

Thanks for stopping by today! Be sure to swing on over to Fab Friday and play along with us! You have almost two weeks to enter your creation. This challenge closes on March 28th. Also, be sure to visit Justin Krieger's blog to welcome him as the newest member of our design team. Welcome aboard, Justin! Pin It

Fab Birthday!

Hello and Happy New Year! For my first post in 2013, I have my creations for the new Fab Friday Challenge. Mindy has a fun sketch for us this time. I think it is really versatile and has lots of possibilities. I can't wait to see what you do with it!

Here is my take on the sketch...

 

I like the sketch so much that I made two versions of the same card. I am in desperate need of birthday cards in my stash. My kids seem to go to at least one birthday party each month, so I can't seem to keep a good supply of birthday cards. I wanted to make a feminine and masculine version, but they are both pretty gender neutral.

 

Here are close ups of each of them.

 

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Bring on the Cake, Create a Cupcake
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Red Glimmer, Summer Smooches DSP
Ink: Black Staz On, Rich Razzleberry, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Cupcake Builder punch, 1" Square punch, Brights buttons, Baker's twine

Come on over to Fab Friday and play along! I can't wait to see what YOU make!

~Marla



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2012 Year in Review (Part Two)

Hello again! I'm back to share part two of my Year in Review for 2012. Picking favorites for the second half of the year was a challenge. I had 13 blog posts in July alone! Here are my faves for July through December. Enjoy!

July

 

I'm not sure that I can really express how much I LOVE this stamp set. It has to be one of my favorites ever. I also love it paired with this DSP. A fun Fall card!

August

 

See? I told you I loved the jar! This is the same DSP that I used in the card above, but these patterns gave this card a different look.

September

 

This was the Christmas card that I sent out to my customers. I loved all of the shimmer on this one!

October

 

I loved this sketch and I thought it worked really well with this color combination because it allowed me to use the strips of DSP to incorporate a color challenge that I really like, but found quite challenging.

November

 

I really liked this color combination for a fall card.

December

 

This was my first ever page made with My Digital Studio. I had so much fun designing it and was really please with the end result.

There you have it! Good bye 2012 and Hello 2013! Happy New Year!!!!!!













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2012 Year in Review (Part One)

Hello all! I'm sorry that I haven't been blogging lately. December is always a busy month as we prepare for Christmas, but this December also had several sad events for my family and they occupied my mind and my time. Stamping simply hasn't been a priority. I am very hopeful for things to turn around in 2013. I am anxious for a new year and a fresh outlook. I hope you are as well.

I decided to look back through my blog posts for the year as part of my reflection on 2012. I was reminded of the "Year in Review" post from last year and thought it would be fun to do another one. To keep this post from getting long and boring, I will post only one card for each month and break the list up into two parts. Check back tomorrow for part two.

I have to say that I am proud of where my stamping has taken me this year. Early in the year, I participated in a monthly blog hop that really helped to get me out of my comfort zone and take the leap to start designing my own projects (rather than mostly CASEing my creations). In May, I entered many stamping challenges,  and much to my great surprise, I actually won a few of them. It was a real boost to my confidence in my stamping ability. In August, I became a design team member for the Fab Friday challenge. In December, I finally took the plunge and tried my hand at My Digital Studio and loved it. It has been a good stamping year.

Without further ado, here are my favorite creations for 2012...

January

 

This card was inspired by a card that I saw on Pinterest. I love the colors and textured hearts. This was a card at my January class and man, did my Big Shot get a workout!

 

 

February

 

I made these adorable little lollipop holders for Valentine's Day. I loved the bright, non-traditional colors.

March

 

I made this little Easter treat for a workshop in March. I just loved this paper and the fact that the M&M's matched it almost perfectly made it even cuter!

April

 







 

I'll admit that this is not one of my all-time favorite cards, but I did design it myself and was proud of that fact so it still made the list. ;-) I do like the bright colors and little flower buttons.

 

May

 

May was a good stamping month, so choosing a favorite was tough. I loved everything about this card- the colors, the sketch (both from challenges), and the textures.

June

 

Love the colors and the bling on this one!

OK! That's it for part one. Stop back tomorrow to see my faves for July through December. Thanks for stopping by!

 

 







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November Buffet Choices

I have been hard at work getting everything ready for my upcoming Christmas Project buffets. Below are the projects for November. If you plan to attend on either Saturday, November 3rd (10:00-2:00) or Friday, November 16th (7:00-11:00), please look at the choices below and email me (reedmarla622@gmail.com) with a list of the projects that you would like to make along with the quantity of each. Please use the name posted above each picture in your list to avoid any confusion. Thanks and I hope to see you at one of these fun events.

 

#1- Rudolph

For more details on this card, click here.

 

 

#2 Ornament

 

For more details, click here.

 

 

#3 Wise Men

 

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Come to Bethlehem

Paper: Midnight Muse, Crumb Cake

Ink: Midnight Muse

Accessories: Big Shot, Labels framelits, Crumb Cake seam binding, basic rhinestones

Inspired by this card

 

#4 Christmas Cheer

 

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Scentsational Season, Sweet Essentials

Paper: Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White

Ink: Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Illuminate

Accessories: Big Shot, Northern Flurry EF, Holiday Collection framelits, 3/4" circle punch, Cherry Cobbler seam binding, rhinestones

Inspired by this card

 

#5 Banners

 



 

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Greeting of the Season

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green, Very Vanilla, Be of Good Cheer DSP

Ink: Gumball Green

Accessories: Big Shot, Petals-a-Plenty EF, Cherry Cobbler seam binding

 

 

#6 Treat Holder

 

front

 

back

 

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Embellished Events, Delightful Decorations, Tiny Tags

Paper: Basic Black, Real Red,Whisper White, red glimmer paper

Ink: Real Red

Accessories: 2 3/8" Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/4" Circle punch, Ornament punch, Jewelry Tag punch, Simply Scored, Simply Scored Diagonal Plate, small silver brad

Inspired by this project made by Dawn Griffith

 

 

The double treat holder has a pocket on each side. It is the perfect size to fit a Ghirardelli square chocolate on one side and a gift card on the other (or two chocolates or two gift cards).

 

 

Thanks for taking a minute to look over my projects. I hope to see you at one of my November events! Be sure to stop back by tomorrow to see the new Fab Friday challenge!

 

~Marla

 

 

 





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Shimmery Evergreen

Wow! I got my Christmas buffet choices posted just under the wire. I think they posted at 9:00 last night! Whew! It has just been one of those weeks. If you would like to see all of the choices, click here.

I am doing a full blog post on all of the choices because I didn't want to make my blog post with all of them too long. Here is today's card...

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Evergreen
Paper: Early Espresso CS, Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations CS, Very Vanilla CS, Champagne Glimmer
Ink: Crumb Cake (stamped off), Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Big Shot, Lacy Brocade EF, Holiday Collection framelits, sanding tool, Very Vanilla seam binding
Inspired by this card made by my friend, Rita

It is very hard to read the print in this picture, but the words that make the tree shape are from Silent Night, which is one of my favorite Christmas hymns.

A little trick for this card- cut out the star for the top of the tree (and maybe a couple of other shapes to save for another project) from the center of the piece of Glimmer paper layered behind the main image panel. This will save you some money and help that beautiful paper last and last.

Thanks for stopping by! I will have another card to share tomorrow!

~Marla


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October Christmas Buffet Choices

Hello there! As promised, here are the choices for my Christmas buffets for the month of October. Remember, November will have six entirely different projects, so if you want to make these, be sure to attend one of the October buffets.

If you plan to attend, please email me (reedmarla622@gmail.com) with your choices no later than next Wednesday, September 26th. Be sure to include the names of the projects as well as how many you would like to make of each.

I will do a separate blog post on each project (if I haven't already posted it), so be sure to check back if you would like more details on a specific project. Also, there may be slight variations to the projects in order to conserve supplies. Any changes will be small and will not change the overall feel or design of the project.

#1 Cookie Jar

 

 

For more details, click here.

 



#2 Silver Snowflakes

 

For more details, click here.

 

#3 Jolly Christmas Tree

 

 

 

  #4 Shimmery Evergreen

 

 

 For more details, click here.

 

#5 Ornament

 

For more details, click here.

 



 #6 Stocking Gift Card Holder

 

 

 

There will be four different combinations for the stockings- Real Red stocking with Garden Green trim (as pictured), Garden Green Stocking with Real Red trim, Cherry Cobbler stocking with Always Artichoke trim, and Always Artichoke stocking with Cherry Cobbler trim. There is a slot cut into the back layer to hold a gift card.

 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at the choices. I hope you can make it to one of the buffets on October 13th or 26th. Be sure to check back this week for blog posts for the remaining projects.

 

~Marla

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