A little lost

Hi stampers!  Sorry I haven't blogged much lately...I just haven't gotten around to it.  Shame on me!  It's like I'm a little lost in my own life right now, lol!  I just kind of forget :-)

My stamping has been very sporadic and I think it may have something to do with the Artisan contest as I'm kind of at a loss on what to enter as far as cards go.  I have lots of options but I'm having a hard time coming up with new ideas and also a hard time picking from what I have saved as contenders.  I guess that's not a BAD problem to have, lol!  BUT, I second guess myself :-)  I feel added pressure this year since I made the finals last year...I of course better at least make them this year, lol!  What?  Like I'm competitive????  :-)

Anyway, I have been stamping some today and I'm trying to try new things and branch out a little into styles that are slightly different than my usual "thing".  I'm also impatiently waiting the arrival of the sneak peek and the new catalog.  Day dreaming of all the new stuff is always a mojo killer, lol!  If you don't hear from me on Wednesday it's because I'm asleep after waking up at 1am to look at the new catalog online and place my pre-order...LIKE I'll be able to go back to sleep after that!  LOL!  I CANNOT WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON THE NEW IN COLORS!  Ok, sorry about the shouty but SQUEEEE!  I neeeeed them!

So, here's something I made and never got around to sharing:

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Make a wish
Paper:  Whisper white, baja breeze, midnight muse, patio party DSP
Ink:  Midnight muse, primrose petals, summer starfruit (markers)
Accessories:  Primrose petals satin stitched ribbon, baja breeze seam binding, silver basic designer  buttons

I'm going to CRY!  Like throw a fit and bawl when patio party retires!  I love that DSP.  It's fun and cheery!  And look at me!  Using the  free set I got at Regionals TWICE (or more...one may be a secret) already!  I may have a fever!  LOL!  For a set I didn't think I "needed" I kinda like it;-)

Ok, I'm off to try to stamp more...it will probably be half stamping and half dreaming about the new catalog, lol! ;-)


Happy stamping!

Display Stamper Audition

...application...try out?  Hi stampers!  So Stampin' Up is looking for display stampers for future events!  How fun!  Of course I have to audition or apply or try out...what to call it?  Hehe!  This has been a good warm up for the Artisan contest of as well.  We have to submit 3 cards, 2 3-D items and a scrap page....so here are my entries (warning...this is kind of long)!

This little box was inspired by the one in the catalog but I wanted to take it a little further.  So, I used the yummy pool party embossing powder to dress up the bottom of the box a little (I can't tell you how much I love that stuff).  I also jazzed up the flower a bit by poking the brad through not only the pool party flower but one of the little flower trim flowers as well.  I think it's so cute!  I also added a little ribbon leaf.  It's such a cute little box and really didn't take 5 minutes to put together even with the embossing with a little help from my SAMJ!

Stampin' Supplies:

Stamps:  Madison Avenue (SAB)

Paper:  Crumb cake

Ink:  Versamark

Accessories:  Gumball green stitched satin ribbon, pool party embossing powder, flower trim, 2011-2013 in color polka dot brads, pop-up posies kit, fancy favor die

For my second 3-D item I have another flower item but it's spring or at least it's supposed to be even if it doesn't feel it weather wise and spring means flowers!  And flowers make me think of my momma so I made her a fabric brooch for Mother's Day.  The more amore fabric was perfect because her favorite colors are red and blue.  The silicone craft mat made this so easy to put together with a little hot glue!

Stampin' Supplies:
Accessories:  More amore designer fabric, sycamore street ribbon & button pack (SAB), large basic pearls, gumball green stitched satin ribbon, fun flowers die

I'm kind of on a roll with the pop up posies kit!  It's probably one of my favorite items in the mini catalog and maybe one of my top picks of all time!  It's just so fun and cute and can be used in so many more ways than just some tags!  So, I decided I'd try to use parts of it on most of my projects.

As soon as I saw the little "cupcake liner" flowers I immediately thought of one of my all time favorite flowers...the daffodil.  So of course I had to make my own daffodil.  It makes the perfect Easter card!

Stampin" Supplies:

Stamps:  Teeny tiny wishes

Paper:  Very vanilla, crumb cake, daffodil delight, tea for two DSP

Ink:  Daffodil delight, calypso coral

Accessories:  Honeycomb embossing folder, pop-up posies kit, linen thread, lucky limeade ruffled ribbon

I love this next card and the bottle caps!  They are so fun to smash in the big shot and then pop something fun into the middle!  I also love the little pennant stamp from collage curios and thought it would work great with the patio party paper!  My sentiment is actually from the bitty banners stamp set.  I just carefully inked it as to not get the banner border which I didn't want.

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Collage curios, itty bitty banners
Paper:  Whisper white, baja breeze, midnight muse, summer starfruit, patio party DSP
Ink:  Baja breeze, midnight muse, summer starfruit, primrose petals (markers)
Accessories:  Soda pop tops, 1" circle punch, 1-3/4" scalloped circle punch, argyle embossing folder, primrose petals stitched satin ribbon, apothecary accents framelits, basic rhinestones

For my final card I wanted to do something more clean and simple...and of course use something else from the pop-up posies kit, ha!  I found the oval famelits work PERFECT in the kraft colored labels!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Feel goods, Oh, hello
Paper:  Whisper white, calypso coral
Ink:  So saffron, calypso coral, island indigo
Accessories:  Oval framelits, pop-up posies kit, vintage faceted designer buttons, linen thread

And finally we have my scrap page.  I used the you are my sunshine single stamp since my photo was of my and my hubby at a beach on our honeymoon!  The page is a BIT bright so I used a black and white photo as to not be TOO overwhelming:-)  The Oh, whale stamp set added some nice little waves!  I also added some glimmer paper to my sun rays and really liked the way it turned out! So sunny!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Sunshine (single stamp), Oh, whale
Paper:  Whisper white, daffodil delight, pool party, island indigo, summer smooches DSP, floral district DSP. brights DSP stack, champaign glimmer paper
Ink:  Daffodil delight, pool party, island indigo (ink and markers)
Accessories:  labels collection framelits

Whew!  Ok, I think that's it!  Thanks for sticking with me and wish me good luck:-)

Happy stamping!

Patio Party

Hi stampers!  I have a card to share today from a couple of month ago!  Eeep!  I made it for my soon-to-be niece for her fourth birthday:-)  She's ALL kinds of girly (yes she loves the little purse die and I can't wait to make her something with the dress stamps and framelits) and loves my cards.  In fact, when I sent her mom one she quickly snatched it away and said it was hers, lol!

I was going to make her something more juvenile but I just love the patio party DSP and the colors are right up her alley and girly!  And what little girl (or anyone for that matter) doesn't love some CAKE??????  :-)  I also knew she'd like some fun stuff like the dahlia and pearls.  So, I came up with this card:

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Make a cake,
Paper:  Whisper white, baja breeze, primrose petals, midnight muse, Patio party DSP
Ink:  Primrose petals, midnight muse
Accessories:  Circle punch, perfect pennants die, dotted scallop border punch, itty bitty punch pack, basic pearls, in color dahlias

I just love the perfect pennants die and not for the pennants but for the one scalloped circle because it fits behind the 2.5" circle punch!  The die was worth getting just for that!  I also have to say I LOVE the font of the happy birthday stamp!  It's so fun!

That's it for today!  Hoping to get some good stamp time tonight and tomorrow!  I cleaned my studio yesterday so hopefully it will help me be more focused and creative instead of rocking back and forth in the corner since it's such a disaster, lol!

Happy stamping!

Busy Cake

Hi stampers!  Have you ever been in the middle of making a card and hate it???  Well this was me and this card last week.  I had wanted to use this DSP pattern for a few weeks as I thought it would make a great background but just couldn't make it work.  So, after hating it and being frustrated I just quit working on it and went to bed:-)  And when I came back to it a day or two later I ended up coming up with something that I loved!  I need to remember to just walk away the next time something isn't working out like I want it to!  It IS a bit busy but I like it since I kept everything else pretty simple.

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Make a cake, sweet essentials
Paper:  Whisper white, baja breeze, summer starfruit, midnight muse, patio party
Ink:  Primrose petals, midnight muse
Accessories:  Circle and scalloped circle punches, basic rhinestones

I haven't made much of anything this week with school starting and getting out of football practice pretty late and then still needing to work out as well.  I've tried to stamp but I've just been tired.  And it's just easier to THINK about stamping and cruise Pinterest, ha! I did just get my box of FREE stuff from my Artisan Finaliset shopping spree!  So, I'll have to try to ink that stuff up this week and weekend!  It was so hard to decide what to get for free.  I had to make "it count", ha!!!!!  Anyone else have a hard time picking free stuff???

Happy stamping!

SHUTTHEFRONTDOOR!

Hi stampers!  Sorry about the shouty title but I have super exciting news!  Probably the most exciting stampy news ev-ah!  I found out this week that I've made the list of 20 finalists for the Artisan Award Design Team for Stampin' Up!!!!  Gah!!!!  I am shut-the-front-door and over-the moon excited!  And I apologize for not announcing it sooner but we have been in Vegas:-) So, it was super exciting to get the call in Vegas!  I'm still in SHOCK that they picked me as I feel very unworthy seeing the other finalists!  What a group!  I'm so excited but a little sad that some of my friends who are AWESOME-SAUCE aren't on the list with me!  But my good friend Wendy is...you can read how it went down over on her blog here.  It was kinda funny:-)  I really don't remember much of the call or what the VERY sweet lady said as I was freaking out!  I'm just glad we happened to be in our room instead of out on the strip or in the casino where I probably wouldn't have heard the phone:-)  I thought I'd try my luck at the slots after I got the call....seems my luck had run out, lol!

Anyway I've already gotten a lot of comments and congratulations and I want to thank everyone for their kind words:-)  Of course I really want to win but it's really just an honor to make the finals and again, I'm very in awe of all the talent on that short list!  It's going to be a long wait to find out the winners at convention!  I can't wait to share my projects with you but I can't just yet....so you'll have to suffer along with me and the rest of the finalists, hehe!

I can show you this card though!  I figured I'd show you a simple one after all the shouty up there...and I'm tired...I need a vacation from my vacation, lol!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Made for you
Paper:  Whisper white, baja breeze, midnight muse, patio party DSP
Ink:  Midnight muse
Accessories:  Circle punch, subtles brads, baker's twine

I've been meaning to make one of these circle banner cards for a while and since I just can't seem to get enough of the patio party DSP......well I had no choice did I?  It was quite simple to just fold the circles over.  I used mini glue dots to keep them in place and before I adhered them I made sure to crease them really good with my bone folder.

Well, I need to rest up!  I'm home for two days and then off for a work conference!  Not very good timing on my part!  I'll try to post again soon!

Happy stamping!