VOTE FOR BROOKE!!!

Please vote for Brooke! The voting actually opened tonight! Go to Jessica's Site and vote now!

Sneak Peek

Here's what we did in club this month. This is just a sneak peek...details to come!

Stamp Set: Tart & Tangy

Color Combo: Old Olive, More Mustard, Bravo Burgundy

Happy Halloween

Now that it's fall I think it's time to start thinking about Halloween...don't you?!! I love Halloween scrapbooking supplies. I just wish that we used them more than once a year!

This card used quite a few new things from the Holiday Mini Catalog:

*Dark & Dreary Stamp Set (WM #120837 $19.95, CM #121151 $14.95)

*Nite Owl DSP (#123012 $9.95)

*Lace Trim: Raven (#120988 $5.95)

Happy Halloween in about a month! (I have to put some brain power into what my daugther is gonna be for Halloween. Her and Daddy like to dress up in a cute combo. Last year they were a monkey and a banana. Any ideas??)

Nite Owl

This card used a few NEW items:

*Nite Owl DSP (#123012 $9.95)

*Glimmer Brads: Basics (#121003 $4.95)

*Embossing Folder: Spider Web (#120889 $7.95)

My favorite thing about this card is the Spider Web embossing folder! I am so excited to use this on almost all of my Halloween projects!! On this card we used a little Whisper White Craft Ink, but there are other ways of making this web pop out and you will see those soon!

The Great Pumpkin

While most of the items at the swap are cards, there are a few people that just LOVE to make 3D items for us! Here is one of them...

We made this cute pumpkin using the NEW Bigz L Die: Candy Wrapper (#120890 $32.95). We used two of them taped together in a circle. Fold the bottom part in to make a flat bottom and lace ribbon through the holes in the top and pull while pushing the flaps inside of the pumpkin.

You can barely see it in this picture but the other item we got to use from the mini catalog was Glimmer Brads. They can be found on page 36 of the Holiday Mini.

This project had a few cute ideas and tips to go along with it:
#1 - The leaves were made by punched a Scalloped Oval and then running it through the crimper. Put a little fold in the middle and you have a cute leaf!
#2 - The creator of this project, Diana Ball-Seitz, cut the 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon in half so that it was skinnier. I love this idea! It gave a little fray to the ribbon that is totally cute!!!

Card with a Gift Attached

This card was already made for us at the swap because the creator couldn't be at the event. So when we all picked it up we were amazed that it had a gift attached too!

The new item from the Holiday Mini is the Paisley Prints Stamp Set (WM #120817 $16.95, CM #121121 $12.95).

Here comes the gift part...
The Pumpkin Pie piece comes off and can be used as a magnetic bookmark! WOW! Just be sure to write about the gift in your card when you send it!!

Wouldn't this be a fun card for a gift of books??!!

And this color combo just pops and I like it: Poppy Parade (In Color), Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke, and Crumb Cake!

Bells & Boughs

Here are a few cards we made using the same new stamp set: Bells & Boughs (WM #120831 $19.95, CM #121142 $14.95).

Other new items used:

*Deck the Halls DSP (#120810 $9.95)

*Seam Binding: Cherry Cobbler (#120992 $6.95)

*Extra-Large Punch: 2-1/2" Circle (#120810 $16.95)

This card also used the Deck the Halls DSP and 2-1/2" Circle Punch. But we added in one new product:

*Bright Christmas Stamp Set (WM #121678 $13.95, CM #121318 $10.95)

While making this card I got to use the 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon. I have to say that I LOVE it! I didn't think I would, I thought it would be flimsy. But this ribbon is sturdy and makes a cute little bow! I will be adding this to my ribbon collection in more than one color I'm sure!! All of the colors can be found of page 191 of the Idea Book & Catalog.

The only thing from the Holday Mini catalog on this card is the Bells & Boughs Stamp Set. I love that Striped Grosgrain Ribbon. Check back in the days to come for a CUTE idea another swapper had for this ribbon!

Christmas Card Stamp-A-Stack #1

It's time to start thinking about making your Christmas cards. Come on over and you will get to make 20 Christmas cards for only $20. There will be 4 different designs and you will make 5 of each design. And here are the designs!!

Date and Time: Monday, October 11th 7-9pm

Using four different Christmas stamp sets was fun!

Card #1 was made with the Holiday Happiness Stamp Set (WM #120786, CM #120792) and the Christmas Greeting Stamp Set (WM #115448 $10.95).

Card #2 was made using the Big on Christmas Stamp Set (#116578 $19.95). You will also get your hands on some satin ribbon and the NEW Glass Glitter from the mini catalog.

Card #3 was made using the Snow Swirled Stamp Set. You will also get to use waffle paper, taffeta ribbon and a jewel! So cute!

Card #4 was made using the A Cute Christmas Stamp Set (WM #120825 $25.95, CM #121133 $18.95). You will also get to use some of the Candy Cane Christmas DSP (#120809 $11.95).

The cost of this class is $20 and does not include envelopes. If you would like envelopes you will need to send in your request when you email me to reserve your spot for the class. Price for 20 envelopes will be $3.25.

It will take you approximately 2 hours to comeplete these cards. Please bring your own adhesive, scissors, and bone folder to the class.

If you would like to complete more than 10 cards please let me know how many sets you would like. Cards are only available in sets of 20.

Email me today to reserve your spot in the class: demokimsu@yahoo.com. Reservation Deadline is September 30th at 9pm.

My Swap Card

This week (and maybe longer) you will be seeing the swap cards I made at the event I talked about yesterday. This is my card!!

New Items Used:

*A Cute Christmas Stamp Set (WM #120825 $25.95, CM #121133 $18.95)

*Candy Cane Christmas DSP (#120809 $11.95)

*Extra-Large Punch: 2-1/2" Circle (#120906 $16.95)

*Big Designer Buttons: Candy Cane (#121718 $8.95)

I just love everything about this "Cute Christmas" line. I think the glittery paper and the big buttons are my favorite!!

Colors included in this line: Baja Breeze, Garden Green, Blushing Bride, and Real Red.

French Foliage

A few items that we made at the swap event used the stamp set French Foliage (WM #120845 $19.95, CM #121166 $14.95).

I just love how realistic these leaves look.

This is a little gift folder with a keychain inside. Just love these colors together: Cajan Craze, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, and Very Vanilla.

Holiday Mini Card Ideas

A few weeks ago I participated in a Demo Shoebox Swap. I got to make tons of cards using new stuff from the Holiday Mini (link on the side bar)! Over the next few days I will be going through those cards and highlighting some NEW products!!

I just LOVE this card. It's a very simple two color card: Basic Gray and Cherry Cobbler. Here is a list of the new items we used:

*Tags til Christmas stamp set (WM #120847 $30.95, CM #121169 $22.95)

*Extra-Large Punch; Decorative Label (#120907 $16.95)

*Embossing Folder: Northern Flurry (#120902 $7.95)

*Class Glitter: Silver (#120995 $3.95)

*Seam Binding: Cherry Cobbler (#120992 $6.95)

The base of this card is Basic Gray. A mat of Basic Gray (4" x 5.25") was embossed and then spritzed with Smooch Spritz. After this was done we inked the edges with a little Basic Gray ink so that it would stand out a little. Then we added a few pearl accents to the middle of the snowflakes!

The Glass Glitter was applied by using a Two-Way Glue Pen to draw a circle and then sprinkling it on top. It works GREAT!

This card was created by Shelly. Don't you just love it???

Open House

If you missed my Open House this past Monday night, you missed a fun night of stamping and giveaways! I wanted to show off the card that we made! We used a few new products from the Holiday Mini catalog that I will be highlighting in the next few days: Candy Cane Christmas DSP and the 2-1/2" Circle punch! I am loving these two new items and can't wait to tell you more about them!

Daddy's Girl

Well this past weekend I went to Archiver's to scrapbook with Jinny! They have fun $5 crops now! You pay $5 to reserve your spot and then you get $5 off the product that you purchase! YAY! It was pretty good and I only ended up spending $25 at the store! WOO HOO!

Anyway...here is one of the layouts that I completed (sorry the picture is a little dark on one side and light on the other). This layout is actually 2 sketches from Sketchy Thursdays that I put together into one 2 page layout!

I used my Echo Park Paper Company kit...Sweet Summertime! I LOVE it!!! I just loved using it to highlight the love that Brooke has for her Daddy and vice versa!

Here is the first sketch.

And here is my take on it. I pretty much copied this sketch exactly! I loved it! And check out that little Bingo circle chip. That was part of my purchase from Archiver's I wanted those and I made a deal that I could buy them but I had to use at least one that night! And I did!!

Here is a close up of my little scallop circles with some American Crafts flair and a clear button.

Here is the 2nd sketch.

And here is my take on it! Still using Echo Park and American Crafts flair with a few added jewels from Stampin Up!

Journaling Reads: "Watching Daddy play the guitar. You were so into the music. 1.19.2010" AND "Playing on the couch. 2.16.2010"

I faux stitched with a Basic Gray marker around the big circle. And finished the layout off with the saying, "Happy Days".

Hope you enjoyed my layout. Head on over to Sketchy Thursdays every Thursday to get a new scrapbook layout sketch. It's fun to play along!

Quick Post

Just a quick post as I'm running around the house...getting it clean, preparing food, need to hop in the shower while this one is still napping...

I'm getting ready for my Holiday Mini Open House tonight! Back to regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow! :) I have a lot of crafty things to show you!

But for now...isn't my little one so cute drinking part of Mommy's 1/2 price cream slush from Sonic??!!!

Softball

SCRAPBOOK Challenge #2: Create a layout based on this sketch...

And here is my layout...

As I was getting ready for my crop a few weeks ago, I threw all of these patterned papers together and wasn't very excited about it. But as I started to work with them and the sketch, I started to LOVE it!!!

I love Polka Dot paper! (Side Note: Brooke is into calling every circular object a ball. Dots on i's, the Pepsi logo, polka dot patterns, the center of flowers. It's kinda cute!)

I used the Varsity Alphabet and Numbers sets for this page. They are just perfect for sports themed projects!!

14 Months

SCRAPBOOK Challenge #1: Trade an item with another scrapper and create a layout with it.

Here is a layout I made to showcase Brooke at 14 months. I traded with my mom. She gave me that cute white flower border strip and I gave her a few chipboard pieces to play with.

At first I didn't know what I was going to do with this strip but I added a few felt flowers to it and I think it goes nicely with my page!

Journaling still needs to be added to this page. Do you ever feel like you need a WHOLE day to just journal on pages that you haven't yet?! I do! But I have to really be in the mood to journal, don't you?! Good think I have a blog and all of my journaling is already written down here for this page!

Button Share

With the start of the New Holiday Mini, I decided to start a featured product of the month. I will send out emails once a week with projects attached using the featured product, you will see samples featured on my blog, AND there will be a chance to get a discount on these products OR be part of a share where you can gain a lot of colors and styles without spending a ton of money!

This month we focusing on Stampin Up's buttons!! These fun and whimsical buttons are a sweet 3-D accent for tags, cards, and scrapbook pages. Available in many of Stampin' Up!'s exclusive colors. This month you will have the opportunity to be part of a "Button Share"! Where you can get a sampling of 112 buttons for only $18.00! If you were to purchase all 7 types of buttons I am offering, you would spend over $60! This is an awesome discount!

There are a few different options so read on to find out more about the shares and see the attached pictures to look at the buttons. You can also view these buttons on page 186 of your Idea Book & Catalog and page 17 of the Holiday Mini.

Option #1: Designer Color Collection Button Share
Stampin Up has 4 sets of buttons in the 4 color collections – Regals, Neutrals, Brights and Subtles (*see below to view all colors in each button collection) . Each package contains 72 buttons, 4 each of 3 styles in 6 different colors.

Button styles are: Large Marbled, Double Circle, and Small Flower.

I will order all four packages of buttons and divide them up in 4 sets. You will receive one button each of the 3 styles in all the colors. The cost is $12 for 72 buttons.

Option #2: Big Designer Holiday Mini Button Share
Stampin Up has 2 sets of BIG buttons in the Holiday Mini: Deck the Halls and Candy Cane (**See below to view all colors in each button set.) Each package contains 48 buttons, 4 each of 3 styles in 4 different colors.

Button styles are: Four-Hole 1" diam., Two-Hole 1" diam., and 3/4" diam.

I will order both packages of buttons and divide them up in 4 sets. You will receive one button each of the 3 styles in all the colors. The cost is $6 for 24 buttons.

ORDER BOTH SETS OF BUTTONS AND RECEIVE 16 BITTY BUTTONS FREE! (4 each of each of the 4 designs...FOR FREE!)***

Email (demokimsu@yahoo.com) me to place your button order by Friday, September 10th @ noon. I will then place the orde for the buttons and pass them out when they come in and are sorted!

Keep in mind that you can order more than one set of each button share if you would like. Every time you order both option #1 and #2, you will receive FREE Bitty Buttons! Example: Two of #1 and Two of #2 would equal $36 and 32 FREE Bitty Buttons!!

$3 for shipping the buttons to you.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

*Colors availabe in Option #1: Designer Color Collection Button Share:
Brights - Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, Rich
Razzleberry.
Subtles - Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Rose Red, Marina Mist, Perfect
Plum.
Regals - Cherry Cobbler, Cajan Craze, More Mustard, Garden Green, Night of Navy,
Elegant Eggplant.
Neutrals - Early Espresso, Basic Black, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla,
Basic Gray.

**Colors available in Option #2: Big Designer Holiday Mini Button Share:
Deck the Halls - Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake
Candy Cane - Garden Green, Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride, Real Red

***Bitty Buttons are all Clear.

Patterned Paper

Card Challenge #2: Use at least 4 patterned papers on one card!

Natasha created this card. I love how she paired all of her patterns together! There are exactly 4, but it would have been easy to add more layers to her cute circle creation! And she again used one of my favorite buttons! Those Brights Collection buttons...I can't get enough of them!

Kathy created this card. She used patterned paper that she took from her 6x6 Sale-a-Bration stack! The leaves she stamped came from the Falling Leaves stamp set! I love this new set...it is perfect for fall and Thanksgiving themed projects!!

If you want to play along just add a link to your project in the comments section! I would love to see what you come up with!

Most posts to come! (And don't forget to read below...I'm posting a lot in these next few days which means multiple posts per day!)

CROP Challenges

3 Days without blogging...Eeeeeekkk! It must have been a holiday weekend!

Anyway, I'm back and I have a ton of posts lined up for you! So you might even get more than one per day!

My August crop was awesome and I did challenges just like last month so I wanted to share what I came up with as well as my customers! They are awesome too!

CARD Challenge #1: Find inspiration from a card on page 120-121 of the Idea Book & Catalog for a card of your own.

Kathy (my momma!) chose this card from page 121.

And here is her card! Isn't it super cute?! She used the new hostess stamp set: Birthday Bakery and the Priceless stamp set. The sentiment says, "If you are what you eat, eat something cute!" I love it!

Natasha used the middle card on this page as her inspiration.

She used the Falling Leaves stamp set and created a fall themed card! I just love it and it even included one of my very favorite buttons!

If you would like to play along just add the link to your card below. More posts below!

Baby Shower Game

A few weeks ago I hosted a baby shower. I was planning on playing the "You Can't Say 'Baby'" game using clothespins. I was also using clothespins as decoration around the house (mostly because Walmart had a pack of 100 for only $1! But also because they scream "BABY"!

So for the clothespins I was going to use for the game I thought I should decorate them. This way people couldn't just grab a clothespin from the bowl on the table when they lost theirs in the game. See, I was thinking ahead!

So I used hot glue and added brown, blue, and green ribbons to them. I LOVE them! I hope I get to host another baby shower for a baby boy soon!!

Creepy Crawly, Oh My Golly!

Card #5: Creepy Crawly, Oh My Golly!

I broke out the new In Colors for this card. Whenever they are new I kinda shy away from using them, but for a Halloween card I thought I should try a purple and orange combo and Concord Crush and Peach Parfait look so good together!

Batty for You (#116576 $23.95)
I love this stamp set too. I have had it for a few years but it's such a great Halloween set! I just love all of the options!!

Designer Jewels: Black Flourish (#120987 $4.95)
Of course I added some bling to this card too. And we have black bling for Halloween! I chose to cut apart my flourish and use all of the jewels seperately. It's so easy to cut them apart with scissors or an exacto knife.

And I just had to add some black satin ribbon to this card. What else would you expect??!