Suspension Spinner Card

We made this Suspension Spinner card in my Stamp Club in May. It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but the white circle is textured with the small dots (the dimpled side is facing out here) and is supposed to be a golf ball. The ball is suspended on a piece of fishing line. If you "wind" it up before you close the card, it will spin when the card is opened!

Here's a side view to see the detail on the golf ball. I used a little Going Gray and rubbed it over the dimples to highlight them a little more.

This is an easy card to put together! Start by punching a 1-3/8" Circle in the Basic Gray card. I put the punch all the way in and lined up up about 1/4" from the fold. Center the 4" x 5-1/4" Baja Breeze cardstock over the card.

Flip it over and trace the circle that was punched onto the Baja Breeze cardstock. Use this as a guide to know where to punch the Baja Breeze cardstock. (Punching through two sheets of cardstock at once is not recommended. The punch is designed to only punch one sheet at a time.)

Adhere Sticky Strip above and below the window on the Basic Gray card. Adhere a small piece of fishing line (you can also use dental floss here). Add another piece of sticky strip over the first line to ensure the line stays in place.

Put Sticky Strip on the back side of one of your spinners. Here, it's two circles of textured cardstock. The back side is the side with raised dots, which I don't want to show. Remove the red liner and put behind the fishing line. Adhere to the second spinner piece so that the backs sides are pasted together covering the fishing line.

Supplies: And Any Mower, Baja Breeze ink & cardstock, Kiwi Kiss ink & cardstock, Basic Gray ink & cardstock, Blush Blossom marker, Blender Pen, Scissors (to hand cut the "grass"), Sticky Strip, Fishing Line, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch (for spinners), SU Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plate for the Big Shot

Ribboned Butterfly Card

Sorry for the silence the last 48 hours. I'm getting over a little flu bug that hit mid-week. I feel mostly better, but my shoulder and back are soooo sore. I think it's from sleeping in a weird position. Well, I've got a quick post for you and then it's back to the heating pad!

This card is one I made up for that Great Friend Display board that I put together for the demonstrator group meeting earlier this month. It uses the same stamp set (Great Friend) and the Walk in the Park DSP as my Card Purse Kit. There's only ONE day left to sign up for this kit, so check out all the details here and buy your kit now! If you're in Illinois -- I am considering changing the location of the live class to Rochester, so if you would like to attend, please call or email me!

NOTE: This is NOT one of the cards included in the kit. Not that this card isn't cute, but the cards in the kit are EVEN better! Make sure to check out all the pictures here.

Supplies: Great Friend, Walk in the Park DSP, Cameo Coral ink & cardstock, Baja Breeze cardstock, Basic Gray ink, Whisper White cardstock, 1/4" White Grosgrain ribbon, Silver Brads, 1-3/4" Circle Punch

Forest Friends Birthday Card

I just loved Ann Holtrop's Forest Friends card from our group's Occasions Mini swap. I tried CASEing it from memory one night and ended up with a slightly different layout. I just love the clean and simple feel of this card.

Would you like to get in on our next group swap? Sign up as a demonstrator for only $75 and you can participate in our 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog Preview swap next month!

Supplies: Forest Friends, A Little Birthday Cheer, Chocolate Chip marker & cardstock, Old Olive marker & cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Scallop Edge Punch, Good Morning Sunshine DSP, Stampin' Dimensionals

Wedding Clear Envelope Album

I made up this Clear Envelope Album for Terri with photos from her wedding to give to her at Stamp Club last week. This is such a quick and easy project! And what perfect timing -- Tara just posted a tutorial on how to make one! (It's almost all the same except I used Jumbo Eyelets instead of ribbon.)

Supplies: Warm Words, Fundamental Phrases, Walk in the Park DSP, Baja Breeze ink & cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Basic Gray ink, Clear Envelopes, Crop-a-Dile, Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Matchbox Die (tag) for the Big Shot, 1-3/4" Circle Punch

Great Friend Window Card

This week, I am working on preparing the Great Friend Card Purse Kits. Have you ordered yours yet? If you live in the area, you can attend this class in person on Saturday, June 6th. If you can't make the class or live too far away, you can get the project kit "to go" and I will mail you the pre-cut projects materials. Click here for details and to purchase your project kit.

This card is one of the projects in the Great Friend Card Purse Kit. It was inspired by a project by Betty Traciak that was posted on the Demonstrator Website. As a demonstrator, I have access to 100's -- maybe even 1000's -- of ideas on the exclusive Demonstrator Website. Click here to find out how you can get your own password to this site!

I used the Jet Black StazOn ink to stamp the greeting on a piece of Window Sheet. The butterfly is stamped on the inside of the card and peeks through the window.

Supplies: Great Friend, Jet Black StazOn ink, Baja Breeze ink & cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Walk in the Park DSP, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Window Sheets, White Satin Ribbon

Complete instructions are available for those who attend my Great Friend Card Purse class or purchase the Project Kit. Click here for details. There's just one week left to sign up!

Say It With Scallops Series: Day 6

Today is the last day of my Say It With Scallops Virtual Fundraiser. I hope you have enjoyed all of the projects featuring the Say It With Scallops stamp set. To view them all at once, click here.

Any online orders placed today on my website will count toward the fundraiser and I will donate 20% of your order to our local Ronald McDonald House. Click here to go to my website and "Shop Now".

For my last Say It With Scallops project, I used two of the stamps from Say It With Scallops to create sort of a collage. Can you spot which two?

The "hi" stamp is obvious. But the other one may not be: it's the thank you greeting without the frame. (I inked it up with my black marker) and then stamped the "u" from Jumble Alphabet (on sale 20% off this month; click here for details) in red.

I love making cards, art, or scrapbook pages like this. It's kind of like making a quilt. Each square is different and then you pull it all together with a central theme. In this case, I used Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration Challenge #53. These colors are so bring and fun. I'm also working on a scrapbook page with these colors too. I have a perfect picture of Thomas from Touch-a-Truck day last week. Check back tomorrow to see it!

Supplies: Say It With Scallops, Jumble Alphabet, Real Red ink, Pacific Point ink, Basic Black marker & cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Kraft cardstock, Good Morning Sunshine DSP, Pink Flamingo DSP, Rockability DSP, Summer Sun Corduroy Buttons, Bold Brights Brads, Black Gingham Ribbon, 1/2" Circle Punch, Scallop Square Punch, Stampin' Dimesionals

Celebrate Today Treat Holder

With such an incredible special as the $75 Starter Kit, I challenged my downline to each recruit at least one person this month. And as extra incentive, I threw in a little bonus -- that I would make each of them a make and take kit, including supplies to make 20 cards (or 15 3-D projects).

Jessica was the first to recruit this month and I made up this patriotic treat holder...then I pre-cut the materials to make 15 more so she can use it at an upcoming workshop or club meeting. (Click here for measurements and details in the original post, a valentine version of this treat holder.) I didn't have a chance to put anything inside, but I could see a bag of silver Hershey kisses inside -- making the star cut-outs really pop!

If you're in my downline, you have one week left to qualify for a make and take kit of your own! And if you're not in my downline yet, you have one week left to sign up for just $75! Click here for all the details.

This project is perfect, both in colors and in theme, for Stacey's latest Jewelry Color Inspiration Challenge #38. Play along with us this week!

Supplies: Stars Jumbo Wheel, Starring You, Real Red ink & cardstock, Pacific Point cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Pacific Point Ribbon, Large Star Punch, Small Star Punch, Word Window Punch, Paper Crimper, Bulk Chipboard Stars, Bulk Star Rub-Ons, Silver Brads

Say It With Scallops Series: Day 5

I was inspired by the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge #33 when I created this 8-1/2" x 8-1/2" scrapbook page for Elise's book. The movie this week is Ever After. I just love this fairytale! I used a flourish, pink tones, and rhinestones to give these pages a princess sort of feel.

I used the thank you stamp from Say It With Scallops and covered up the greeting with a little square stamped with 6. (The number and "months" stamp come from the Short Order Numbers set.)

I mocked up the 2nd page, but I think I may change the photos before I finish it. I can't decide between other photos of Elise playing and eating or the photos from Hawaii and Easter of her wearing the same dress. Once I decide, I'll add journaling on the top note.

Supplies: Say It With Scallops, Baroque Motifs (flourish), Short Order Numbers, Rose Red ink & cardstock, Pretty in Pink ink & cardstock, Flower Fusion, Flower Fusion Too, Rhinestone Brads, Top Note die for the Big Shot, Crafter's Toolkit

Only one day left for the Say It With Scallop Virtual Fundraiser. Place any order on my website and I'll donate 20% to the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield, IL. And check back tomorrow for one last project using the Say It With Scallops stamp set.

Say It With Scallops Series: Day 4

Our favorite babysitter is graduating high school today. We're going to miss her when she goes off to college at the end of the summer! We are attending her open house this afternoon. Her invitations were pink and brown, so I made a pink and brown card. I never figured out what to get her, so we're going with cold, hard cash. What graduate wouldn't love that!?

I remembered seeing this little peek-a-boo cash card at our demonstrator group meeting last week. (I think it was Rae Ann that brought it, but now I can't remember.) The design is very simple. It's basically a piece of cardstock that is scored/folded in two places to create a card with a pocket.

Here's the front view; I kept it pretty simple. (In hindsight, I wish I would have done a layered scallop circle in front instad of the square. Oh well...)

And the inside:

I used the 1-3/8" Circle Punch to create the window for Andrew Jackson to peek through.

The measurements for my card were 6-1/2" x 8-1/4" and I scored at 2-3/4" and 5-1/2".

Supplies: Say It With Scallops, Starring You (way to go), Pretty in Pink marker & cardstock, Close to Cocoa marker & cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Small Star Punch, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Square Punch, Berry Bliss DSP (retired)

This set is not just for card-making! Check back tomorrow for a new non-card project using the Say It With Scallops stamp set. Click here for all the details on my virtual fundraiser.

Say It With Scallops Series: Day 3

Do you ever create a card that just doesn't look quite right and you set it aside and come back to it? My original concept for this card didn't turn out the way I wanted, so I let it sit for awhile and I came back to it this morning and tried to make it less fussy. I think I like the end result. What do you think?

Maybe it's that bright Washington Apple paper that I'm struggling with...it is very bold. I do love the color combination that it gave the card and it pulls the rest of the card together.

Supplies: Say It With Scallops, Fundamental Phrases, Washington Apple DSP, Riding Hood Red ink, Whisper White cardstock, So Saffron cardstock, Pumpkin Pie cardstock, Soft Subtles Brads, Scallop Square Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, 1/4" Bashful Blue Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Click over to Stacey's blog and see what's she has for us today. And don't forget to place your online order on my website before Tuesday night. I'll donate 20% of these orders to our local Ronald McDonald House. Click here for all the details.

Say It With Scallops Series: Day 2

Images from the Say It With Scallops stamp set are designed to fit in the Scallop Square Punch, however, you can use a variety of other punches as well. Don't let the shape of the original image keep you from using it in other ways. For these cards, I used the "for you" stamp and punched on the words using the Small Oval Punch.

You might not be able to tell from the photo, but these are micro mini cards -- they are 2" x 2". Really, they are more like gift tags that would be great to stick in a gift bag or tie on with a ribbon. I have a feeling this size is going to be trendy this summer. I ran out of time to make a box for these. Wouldn't it be great if we had a die that made a box that fit 2" x 2" cards!? Hmmm...

I made 10 cards and they were all a little different, using pieces of the Parisian Breeze Speciality DSP and Baja Breeze cardstock. (Don't forget the Designer Series Paper is on special this month! Click here for details.) Here's some close-ups of a few of the cards:

Check out Stacey's Day Two project using the Say It With Scallops stamp set. And if you haven't done it yet, make sure to place an order on my website this weekend. I'll be donating 20% of your order to the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield, IL. Thanks for your support!

Say it With Scallops Series: Day 1

I'm so excited to share projects with you using then Say It With Scallops stamp set. I hope you that if don't already own this versatile stamp set, that you will consider purchasing it before it retires on June 30. When you do, Stampin' Up! will donate $2 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. And if place your order on my website this weekend, I will also donate 20% of your merchandise total to our local house!

The first project I will be sharing comes directly from the Stampin' Up! Home Office. I love the way they cut pieces of this image and layered it with Stampin' Dimensionals.
Click here to see the list of supplies and instructions.

Click here to see two more Say It With Scallops samples from Stampin' Up!

And don't forget to check out Stacey's Day 1 project. It's sooo darling! She's giving the little notecard set away. I love that idea, so I'll work on a different goody to give away to a lucky stamper who places an order this weekend. Come back tomorrow to check it out!

In the meantime, take a look at some other cards I have made the Say It With Scallops stamp set over the last several months. (Click the collage to view these blog posts.)

Say It With Scallops Virtual Fundraiser

This Weekend Only: May 21-26

As part of the Making a Difference program, Stampin' Up! is a national sponsor of the Ronald McDonald House Charities. In addition to an annual contribution of $100,000, Stampin' Up! designs a stamp set to promote the partnership.

This year's stamp set, Say It With Scallops (#111678, $17.95) is about to retire! Buy it before June 30 and Stampin' Up! will donate $2 from the sale of that set to the RMHC. These multi-purpose images are perfectly sized for use with the Scallop Square punch (#112081, $15.95)!

To help promote Stampin' Up's involvement and to support our local house in Springfield, I am co-hosting a virtual fundraiser with my downline Stacey Schafer this Memorial Day Weekend!

• Watch our blogs for new "Say It With Scallops" projects posted every single day during the fundraiser.


• Place any online order via my website between May 21-26 and I will donate 20% of the merchandise total to the Springfield, IL Ronald McDonald House.

Thank you in advance for helping me "make a difference"!

More Reverse Masking

Sorry I missed my post for yesterday. It was a hectic day that ended with a great group meeting and stamp club in Springfield. I enjoyed visiting with everyone and I think despite some frustration with the pop-up cake die, everyone liked the projects!

I have THREE new projects to show you today! I loved that Faux Framed Soft Summer Card so much that I made more samples to demonstrate at my group meeting! Click here to learn more about the Reverse Masking technique.

Here's another one with the oval mask. I stamped the image with the mask still in place, so it stays in the oval.

Stamp Set: Upsy Daisy

Colors: Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, & More Mustard, Whisper White

Other Supplies: Coluzzle, Stamping Sponges

And here's one for Stacey's Jewelry Color Inspiration Challenge #37. I used the circle punches to create three windows for the focal point of this card. The Bashful Blue circle (on the left) didn't turn out very well in the photo, but I love the way this turned out. These colors are great together.

Stamp Set: Flowers in Silhouette, Soft Summer (greeting)

Colors: Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze, Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

Other Supplies: 1-1/4" Circle Punch, Stamping Sponges

And finally, here's one with the And Many Mower stamp set from the Occasions Mini Catalog. (It looks like the sponged sky didn't turn out well in the photo, sorry!) Doesn't that Spiral Punch look like little golf tees?

Stamp Set: And Many Mower
Colors: Baja Breeze (sponged sky), Basic Gray, So Saffron, Mellow Moss, Blush Blossom, Really Rust

Other Supplies: Spiral Punch, Circle Scissor Plus, Stamping Sponges

Some Thoughts on Being a Demonstrator

Tonight I'm preparing for my downline meeting and ssssh, don't tell my downline, I'm going to be talking about recruiting. And I can just see eyes roll as I even type that word. So many demonstrators and customers just cringe or completely tune out when this topic comes up, but I'm not really sure why.

I have been a demonstrator for almost 7 years. And I LOVE it! Sure, I've had moments of self-doubt and wanted to throw in the towel, and I've had some pretty incredible moments (Hawaii Incentive Trip topping the list) and milestones (100K in career sales), but it's all the in-between stuff that keeps me going. It's the surprise free stamp sets, it's the new life-long friends I've made, it's the confidence that has come from standing in front of a small or large group of women to demonstrate and share a project or idea. It's the empowerment I feel as a stay-at-home-mom to be able to get out of the house and interact with other women and contribute INCOME to our family finances. My Stampin' Up! money pays for the mortgage! Yes, I am serious! What would you like to pay for? A new car? Private schooling? Monthly mani/pedi? A family vacation? Student loans?

I think the question really isn't WHY would you want to be a demonstrator, it's WHY WOULDN'T you want to be a demonstrator? And for those demonstrators out there who are afraid of recruiting -- why wouldn't you want to share the opportunity to do something that you yourself enjoy so much?

When I saw that Scrapbooking Starter Kit for only $75, I was completely floored. This is the lowest price of a starter kit I have ever seen. And I honestly was afraid that EVERYONE would sign up. This opportunity is priceless and the starter kit is cheap! I imagined having so many new recruits that I wouldn't have any customers left! (GRIN)

If you're ready to take the plunge and join the Stampin' Up! family, the time is NOW! If you're already working with a local demonstrator, please ask her for more information. If you're not (or if you're one of my loyal stampers; hi ladies!!), please contact me to learn how you can be a part of my team of over 50 Ju-bilant Stampers in Illinois and across the entire country. (You'll find my contact info at the tippy top of the page in my blog header.) Or click here for more information right now about the kit and how you can sign up online.

Have you heard about our fabulous annual convention? Have you seen pictures of confetti-flying with UPS men passing out free stamps? You can join me for this year's convention in Salt Lake City this August. Join now by purchasing the $75 Starter Kit and register to attend convention. I'll even save you a bed in my hotel room!

Monogram Stationary Sets

Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week and I wanted to show Thomas and Claire's teachers how much we truly do appreciate them. The kids just love their teachers and it's kind of sad to think it's soon time to say goodbye!

I made each teacher a set of monogram notecards using some leftover cardstock that was already pre-cut and ready to go from a class I did last spring.

You can find all the details & measurements for this project by clicking here to view my original post.

If you're the kind of person that likes pre-cut project materials, be sure to check out my Project Kits.

Faux Framed Soft Summer Card

Whew! I realize after making this card that very simple designs need to be executed with perfection! I wouldn't call this perfection, but after many attempts, I'm done trying! Here is my card for Kristina Werner's latest Color Inspiration Challenge #52. She picked great colors this week: Baja Breeze, So Saffron, More Mustard, Sahara Sand, and Whisper White.

I did a reverse masking technique (also called Faux Frame) on this card. I cut an oval using the Coluzzle, laid the negative image on my cardstock and then sponged the inside of the oval. When I removed the mask, the sponged oval remains on the cardstock. I used Sahara Sand for the sponging and to color the stem and leaves of the flower. The outline is in More Mustard and the flowers are colored with So Saffron. I think it's hard to see, but there's some 2-way glue and Dazzling Diamonds to really make this card sparkle.

Supplies: Soft Summer (Occasions Mini), Baja Breeze ink & cardstock, Sahara Sand ink & cardstock, More Mustard ink, So Saffron ink, Whisper White cardstock, Coluzzle, Stampin' Sponges, Blender Pen, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Cutter Kit, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Monogram Accordion Chipboard Purse

I absolutely love the accordion purse that we made in Hawaii (click here to see the original). I CASEd it using the Great Friend stamp set and Walk in the Park DSP for my new Great Friend Card Purse class. Click here for more info about the class and how you can order the kit "to go".

Supplies: Great Friend, Walk in the Park DSP, Cameo Coral ink, Kiwi Kiss ink & textured cardstock, So Saffron cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Book Basics Small Chipboard, Crafter's Toolkit, Circle Designer Brads, Corner Rounder, Paper Cutter with Scoring Blade, Linen Thread, Kiwi Kiss Ribbon, Scallop Circle die for the Big Shot, Serif Essentials Alphabet die for the Big Shot, Tombow Multi Adhesive, Sticky Strip, SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals

Complete instructions are available for those who attend my Great Friend Card Purse class or purchase the Project Kit. Click here for details.