Perfect Punches Birthday Card

Sorry I wasn't able to share new projects the last couple days. My internet was down for a day and a half and now I'm catching up. Isn't it amazing how something like that can throw you totally off?!

Here's a project we made at my new catalog open house. It's a clean and simple card. The template is the perfect go-to...just switch up the image and the colors and you're good for lots of occasions. In fact, you may recognize the layout as the same one I used for these baby cards last month.

Love the new Sunny Garden DSP -- it's the same as the old Cottage Wall paper with a new color scheme: yummy Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, and Pear Pizzazz!

Supplies: Perfect Punches, Poppy Parade ink & cardstock, Pear Pizzazz cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Sunny Garden DSP, Wide Oval Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Poppy Parade Ribbon

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Top 5 of July 2009

It's time to rewind! I looked over my posts from last summer and choose my top 5 favorite projects to share with you again. Click on each photo for more details about the project. Click here to see all my July 2009 blog posts.

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Petal Card Punch Pouch

Have you seen the new Stampin' Up! Petal Card Punch (#119273, $17.95)? The "inside" space for the card is tiny -- not much bigger than 1"! But put two of them together and you get the cutest little box -- sized just right for holding a bite size candy bar!

Thanks to Meg Loven for this super idea! I love finding new ways to use my punches! To make this treat, punch two petal cards and fold on three of the four score lines. Apply Mini Glue Dots to the flaps on one of the petal cards and adhere them together...in a "hug". Decorate the front and add candy!

I used the Smooch Pearlized Accent on the frosting of this cupcake. I love that stuff! Click here to see my other cupcake project using the Smooch Pearlized Accent.

TIP: The Petal Card Punch is a Double Punch and you'll get best results when you set this punch flat on the table, insert the cardstock and apply firm pressure with your entire hand. Check out this video from Stampin' Up! for more tips for the brand new punch design.

Supplies: Birthday Bakery, Jet Black Staz-On Ink, Rose Red marker & cardstock, Pink Pirouette marker, Pear Pizzazz marker, 1" Circle Punch, Petal Card Double Punch, lluminate Top Coat Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink, Pear Pizzazz Stitched Poly Ribbon, Mini Glue Dots,

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Just Believe Go Green Thank You Card

"Just Believe" was at the top of my list when I saw the new catalog. I haven't had time to play with it much yet, but I did make this card for Stacey's Curtain Call Color Challenge #39.

A quick shout out to Beth, Lia, and Chris. We had a blast stamping tonight at our "Left Behind" shoebox swap! So sad I can't be at Convention, but we had fun with some new catalog products and enjoyed some "girl time". It was just what I needed. Thanks, girls!

Supplies: Just Believe, Wild Wasabi ink & cardstock, Certainly Celery ink & cardstock, Crumb Cake ink & cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 5/8" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon

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5-Minute Note Card with Elizabeth Stamp

One of my favorite stamps in the new catalog is this Elizabeth stamp. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be perfect with Teeny Tiny Wishes for quick cards. This is truly a 5-minute card! Start with the small Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes (20 for $5.95, #107311). I added a little Sweet & Sour DSP with glossy design on one end and embellished the stamped image with a little rhinestone flower.

I did this project with my stamp club this month and more than half of them bought the Elizabeth stamp! Add it to your Wish List: #117120, $9.95

Supplies: Elizabeth, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Soft Suede ink, Rose Red ink & cardstock, Sweet & Sour DSP, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents, Mini Glue Dots

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Smooch Pearlized Accent

The project I am sharing tonight is a simple tent treat holder. I filled one of the small cello bags (50 3"x5" bags for $3.95, #103104) with chocolate to go on the inside. The tag and row of cakes come from the hostess set Birthday Bakery.

I used the Illuminate Top Coat Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink (#121084, $5.50) to add some sparkle to the frosting on the cupcake. I love this stuff! It's so easy to apply the right amount to just the right place. It comes in four colors. This one, with the pink cap, is just of "clear" with glitter finish. (The Moonlight one is more opaque and pearlescent.)

Supplies: Birthday Bakery, Jet Black Staz-On Ink, Baja Breeze marker & cardstock, Regal Rose marker & cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Scallop Edge Punch, Small Tag Punch, Tag Punch, Regal Rose 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Linen Thread, Illuminate Top Coat Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink, Stampin' Dimensionals, Small Cello Bags, 1/8" Hole Punch

I just got some photos from my mom, who is at the Stampin' Up! Convention in Salt Lake City. Why am I not there with her!?! I don't have a good answer to that question, but I can tell you that I wish I were there! Here are my girls at the opening Flower Power Party tonight with president Dale Fillmore. (That is Dale under the sunglasses, isn't it?)

Convention officially starts tomorrow, but today they got to check-in and shop at Memento Mall and swap and pick up their super cute convention bags with brand new stamp sets (including one from the upcoming Holiday Mini catalog!) Yeah, I'm jealous!! I won't be missing next year, I promise you that! Want to go with me!? Convention is open to all demonstrators! Check out the brand new Starter Kits here! Sign up now and that will be us having a blast in Salt Lake City this time next year!

(Psst...if you used to be a demonstrator, no matter how many years ago, you can come back this month for only $35!! Email me to get all the details and the paperwork to mail in. The rejoin kit is NOT available online, so make sure to give yourself enough time to mail it in. The $35 Rejoin Kit is only good until July 31st.)

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Piece of Cake

After seeing one by Jennifer Jackson, I just had to make my own "book to look" cake for my Open House last weekend. Here's my version:

Each "piece" is a little favor box. I put chocolates inside with a slip of paper with the name of a product that I will give the hostess as a gift for booking a party with me.

Would you like a piece of cake? Schedule a party with me in July or August and I'll save a piece of my special cake just for you!

I found the cake pattern a couple years ago when Stampin' Up! featured it as a project for a wedding shower. I meant to use the pattern for the bottom layer, but I messed up when I printed and printed the top layer pattern on my cardstock, so I ended up with a smaller cake.

Supplies: Barely Banana cardstock, Chocolate Chip cardstock, Chocolate Chip Patterns DSP, Sunny Garden DSP, Boho Flower Punch, Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents, Paper Daisies, Clear Buttons, Scallop Edge Punch, Sticky Strip

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Perfect Punches Congratulations

I made up these card for my downline with the highest sales during the month of June. I love the new Sunny Garden Designer Series Paper. It's so bright and cheerful and goes perfectly with the new In Colors Poppy Parade and Peach Parfait!

I made two versions with paper from the same pack. Which one do you like better? I can't decide...

The layout comes from the Clean & Simple Stamping Blog: FTL98.

Supplies: Perfect Punches, Poppy Parade ink & cardstock, Peach Parfait ink & cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, So Saffron cardstock, Sunny Garden DSP, In Color Patterns DSP (Pear Pizzazz), 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon, Modern Label Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

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Here's the stamp set I used on the last three posts. I love how it coordinates perfectly with a variety of punches! If you're punch-crazy like me, this is a must-have for your stamp collection!

In Color Friend Card

Tonight I am packaging up ribbon for the first group of In Color Bundles. If you ordered one before the 10th, it will be in the mail on Monday. I'm placing the second order this weekend. If you haven't ordered your In Color Bundle yet, make sure to check out all the details here. You get a little bit of everything -- ink (markers), cardstock, designer paper, and ribbon. It's a great sampler to try out the In Colors! Here's a card I made using the In Color DSP that comes in the bundle.

My card was inspired by this card created by Dawn Olchefske. I just switched the paper and made it square instead. (My card is 4-1/4" x 4-1/4".) Just a quick and clean layout. It's perfect for using up scraps of designer paper!

Supplies: Perfect Punches, In Color Patterns DSP, Concord Crush ink & cardstock, Crumb Cake cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Blushing Bride cardstock, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accent. Curly Label Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

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Happy Birthday to Me! & Blog Candy Winner

Today is my birthday! I scheduled my new catalog open house for my birthday because I thought it would be lots of fun to have people over and stamp on my birthday. What better way to celebrate, right? Then this morning, I realized that meant I had to clean the house on my birthday. What was I thinking!? (wink!) My hubby took the day off to help with the kids and we got everything cleaned up and set up in time. Now I can kick back and relax in the clean family room. Too bad only half the house get cleaned. Next time I'll have to plan a whole-house open house so I have a reason to clean the rest of it! Do you clean like that too? I need an excuse (company coming over) to get it all done. Otherwise it just gets the quick job!

Anyway, enough about cleaning!! I've got two cards to share today. They are slightly different versions of the same card. I think I have a crush on Concord Crush! I love it a lot more than I thought I would!

The first card is the standard size: 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" and the second card is 3-1/2" x 5-1/2". Leave me a comment and let me know which card you like best.

Finally, it's time to pick a winner for the 400K Blog Candy I posted last week. I used Random.org to generate a number and the lucky winner is

Supplies: Perfect Punches, Concord Crush ink & cardstock, Pretty in Pink cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Very Vanilla cardstock, Lap of Luxury DSP, Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon, Wide Oval Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accent, Stampin' Dimensionals

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Poppy Silhouette Notecard

I'm up late again tonight finishing up some things for my open house and garage sale tomorrow. So I'll keep this post quick. A quick post for a quick card...I used the Notecards and Envelopes (#107311, $5.95 for 20) and cut a 1/4" off the front so the In Color Poppy Parade DSP could show through from the inside. And of course, a little rhinestone to dress up that flower. The perfect accent!

Supplies: Silhouette Sentiments (level 1 hostess set), Poppy Parade marker & cardstock, Garden Green marker, Basic Black ink, Whisper White cardstock, Whisper White Notecards & Envelopes, In Color Patterns DSP, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents, Stampin' Dimensionals


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Punched Posies: Hostess Giveaway

I have been doing lots of prep work to get ready for my Open House and Rubber Rummage Sale. If you are in Central Illinois, I hope you'll stop by my house at 2905 Maplewood Drive in Champaign on Friday (11 - 1 or 4:30 -7) or Saturday morning (9-11) to say hello, pick up a copy of the new catalog, make a project, and shop for discontinued products on sale up to 60% off. There will be lots of door prizes, of course. And it's my birthday so I'll be serving cupcakes...and if I can get it made it time, another special kind of cake! If you schedule a party with me in July or August, you'll get a slice of this paper cake with a special surprise inside. (I promise I'll post pictures this weekend.)

In addition to the cake, hostesses will also be entered in a drawing to receive a special prize basket. You don't have to attend the open house to get in the drawing, so email or call me to schedule your party! Here's the basket of goodies!

The Hostess Giveaway basket (at $75 value!) includes:

• Punched Posies stamp set
• Congrats stamp set (retired SAB set from a few years ago)
  
• SNAIL Adhesive
• Assorted New Core Color Cardstock (20 sheets; 4 each of 5 colors)
  
• Cherry Cobbler ink pad
• Daffodil Delight ink pad
• Marina Mist ink pad
  

And to inspire everyone to book a workshop, I made a card using the stamp set and colors in the basket:

Don't you just love these yummy new colors?!

Supplies: Punched Posies, It's Your Birthday, Marina Mist ink & cardstock, Cherry Cobbler ink & cardstock, Daffodil Delight ink, Whisper White cardstock, Fancy Flower Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Top Note Die for the Big Shot, 3/8" Daffodil Delight Grosgrain Ribbon, Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents, Stampin' Dimensionals

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A Crown Fit for a Princess

I made this 3x3 mini card for my friend's daughter for her birthday last. What little princess wouldn't love this crown card -- and with "real" diamonds on it!!

I LOVE the new Basic Rhinestone Jewel Accents (#119246, $4.95)! I think it's my favorite thing in the new catalog. The sheet includes three different sizes and they are self-adhesive.

TIP: Use the paper piercing tool to move them from the storage sheet to your project. Also, you can use the row of smaller rhinestones individually, but you need to cut the sheet with scissors to separate the adhesive between them.

Supplies: Artistic Etchings, Short & Sweet, Pretty in Pink ink & cardstock, Very Vanilla cardstock, Basic Black ink, Brushed Silver cardstock, Pawsitively Prints DSP, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, 2-3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, Paper Piercing Tool, 1/8" Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon

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CASE the Catalog Challenge

Every year, I challenge my downline to "CASE the Catalog" and make a card inspired by a sample in the catalog, changing the stamp set or colors or both. [By the way, CASE stands for "Copy And Steal (or Share) Everything" or "Copy And Selectively Edit".] I love this little exercise mostly because it's a reminder that our catalog is more than that -- it's an Idea Book & Catalog, which is why it's called exactly that! The whole idea is that we get ideas and copy what we see -- whether it's the layout or colors or project exactly as it's shown. As a side note, you can find a list of supplies for all the projects shown in the catalog here.

Last night I was looking for a card to CASE for this challenge and found one on page 76. The main image is the Eiffel Tower, but since I didn't have that stamp set, I used the Eiffel Tower image from Artistic Etchings instead. Because it's a taller image, I also changed the orientation of the card.

I love the way it turned out! And I didn't have to "think" too much about it! I challenge you to CASE this catalog too! There are hundreds of samples just waiting to inspire you! Leave me a comment and let me know how the new catalog inspired your project!

Supplies: Artistic Etchings, Concord Crush ink & cardstock, Pear Pizzazz ink & cardstock, So Saffron cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, In Color Patterns DSP, Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents, Scallop Edge Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

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Tropical Name Frame

I made this name frame as a gift for my friend's daughters. They were kind of us to loan us their crib since we weren't ready to transition Elise into a crib when our Anna was born. Their Anna and Katie are getting ready to share a bedroom with bunk beds and a Hawaiian theme. I made this frame to go in their new room.

Supplies: Tropical Party, Rose Red ink & cardstock, Tempting Turquoise ink, So Saffron cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Island Oasis DSP, Scallop Edge Punch, Alphabet Simple Letters die for the Big Shot, Stampin' Dimensionals, frame

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Box Card with Drawer Tutorial

I was digging up some old project tutorials a couple months ago and came across a little box card with a "drawer" that pulled out to hold candy or a gift. I made a new version with the Tropical Party stamp set (using FTL97 as inspiration for the front cover layout). Click here for the tutorial with measurements and photos of the original project made with Fun & Fast Notes (#113500, $33.95).

Box Card with Drawer Tutorial

The chocolates are wrapped with 1" x 3" pieces of Island Oasis DSP.

Supplies: Tropical Party, Thank You Kindly, Full of Life, Old Olive ink & textured cardstock, Rose Red ink, Pumpkin Pie ink, Tempting Turquoise ink, So Saffron cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Island Oasis DSP, Ticket Corner Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, Rich Regal Brads, Paper Cutter with Scoring Blade, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals

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400K Blog Candy

Last week, the hit count passed 400,000 hits and over Memorial Day weekend, I celebrated my 2nd Blogoversary (the anniversary of when I started my blog). With two blog milestones to celebrate, I'd say it's time for some Blog Candy!

I want to hear from you! Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite thing in the new Idea Book & Catalog and you'll be entered in my Blog Candy drawing to win one of my favorite new products: the brand new Color Coach.

I love that the new Color Coach is more like a swatch book of the colors. And on the back side are suggested color combinations -- there's even room to add your own favorite combos. There's also color theory info so you can learn a little more about how to mix things up on your own. For only $14.95 (#121620), this should be at the top of your new catalog wish list!

I'll draw for one winner next Friday, July 16th. That just happens to be my birthday, but one of YOU will be getting this birthday gift from me!

Next Friday is also the day of my New Catalog Open House and Rubber Rummage Sale, so be sure to stop by if you are in Champaign! I'll be serving birthday cupcakes and giving away more free prizes!

For my record more than anything else, here are the latest blog stats, as of today, 7-9-10:

• Days Blogging: 769
• # of Posts: 718
• # of Hits: 409,309
• Stamping Top 500 Rank: 78

Thanks for visiting!

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Greenhouse Gala Swap Card

I'm so happy to have Baja Breeze back! I just love the way it goes with so many other colors. I used it as the base for this card that I made for our group's New Catalog Preview Swap.

Recognize the layout? It's FTL95 layout from Clean & Simple Stamping that I used on the sympathy card I posted last week.

A special shout-out to Lia Hege for helping me make my swap cards. She more or less invited herself over, knowing I was stressed with too much to get done and stamped them for me. THANK YOU, Lia, not only for your help, but also the grown-up company while we worked. You're the best!

Supplies: Friends Never Fade, Thank You Kindly, Pear Pizzazz marker & cardstock, Chocolate Chip marker & cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Baja Breeze cardstock, Greenhouse Gala DSP, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

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Blind-Folded Stamping

One of the other games we played at my Customer Appreciation event last month was Blind-Folded Stamping. We did this a couple of years ago and it was so much fun, I had to bring it back! Although this year, my stampers weren't so keen on me taking pictures of them blind-folded, so you'll have to imagine that part for yourself!

Set-Up: I prepared identical materials at two stations. Each station had two stampers, one who has blind-folded. After the blindfolds went on, I revealed the cards and the person without the blindfold had to instruct and direct the person with the blindfold how to make the card. As you can imagine, there was lots of laughing! But I was really impressed with how well our stampers did!

Here are the cards they made:

Supplies: Razzle Dazzles, Friends 24-7, Fundamental Phrases, Rich Razzleberry ink & cardstock, Melon Mambo ink & cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP, 1-3/8" Circle Punch (pre-punched), Chipboard Flower, Stampin' Dimensionals

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New Project Kit: Island Oasis

It's time for a new project kit! My project kits are a great alternative to attending a class in person. Everything comes pre-cut and ready to stamp in the convenience and comfort of your own home when your schedule allows.

This bright and colorful card set is such a beautiful way to celebrate any holiday this summer!

Click here for more details and to order your own kit.
http://juliedavison.com/ProjectKits/1007_IslandOasis/

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Limited Supply Challenge: June 2010

Last month, I had my annual customer appreciation events. This time, I held the extra festivities on Stamp Club night and invited others to join us. In addition to extra gifts and ordering specials, we played a few games. One of the games was a limited supply stamping challenge. You may remember we did this last June too. (Click here to see last year's post.)

Just like last year, I set out limited supplies and asked each stamper to create a card using only the supplies on the table. The stamping supplies included: Cheep Talk stamp set, Bugs & Kisses stamp set, Bermuda Bay ink pad, Chocolate Chip ink pad, Pumpkin Pie ink pad, Scallop Circle Punch, Paper Cutter, 8-1/2" x 4-1/4" Bermuda Bay cardstock, 8-1/2" x 1" Bermuda Bay cardstock, 6" x 1-1/2" Sweet Pea DSP (Chocolate Polka Dot Design on one side with Pumpkin Pie design on the other), 2" x 2" Pumpkin Pie cardstock, and 5-1/2" x 3" Whisper White cardstock. Each person was allowed to cut, tear, or omit any of the cardstock and paper, but could use no more than one of each piece.

I was amazed at how different all the cards were! Click here to see their creations.

Before I put everything away on the last night, I sat down and made a few cards of my own:

Ready to play along? Use the same limited supplies that we did and post a link to your sample in the comments section of this post. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

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