You really can’t tell from this scan, but the rose image actually has a cool texture to it from the technique called Faux Linen. I’m actually giggling to myself right now as I look at my scan! Somehow I managed to put the rose layer on upside down. Those new rosebuds shouldn’t be looking down!  What a goober! This card is also a buckle card that has a Word Window punch opening with a "belt" looping through. Perhaps, if I get a chance next week, I can photograph the card so you can see how it opens!

This faux leather technique is an oldie but a goodie! It is not one I do that often as it can get kinda time consuming. But, it’s kinda fun to bring it out now and again when you wanna impress someone! 

This card was actually kinda CASED from last year’s Art From the Heart CD that we could purchase at or after convention last year. I just changed one of the layers to a faux leather layer and rotated the Hodge Podge hardware around to accomodate the wide grosgrain ribbon.

Here’s the first of three cards being offered in my Technique Freaks class this coming Monday. This card uses the technique Black Magic. Warning!!! This technique can become quite addictive once you see how easy it is!

The real key to making this image pop on the black card stock is SU!’s Signo White Gel pen! A steal at $3.95! If you haven’t purchased one of these pens yet, hop on it! It is, unequivocally, the best white gel pen on the market! And, you can only purchase it from your favorite SU! demonstrator…ME!

My first 48 convention swaps are done! WAHOO!! Thanks to a little help from my friend Sheila Weber! Here’s a quick way to knock out a lot of cards at once:

Take a whole sheet of card stock and stamp your background design all over it. In this case, Sheila stamped 8 sheets of Confetti Cream with the various shells on Confetti Cream with Creamy Caramel, Sahara Sand and Close to Cocoa inks.

While she was doing that I cut 48 front panels in Confetti Cream and Chocolate chip as well as the back Chocolate Chip base.

I then stamped 48 Star Fish shells and water colored them just about around the time Sheila finished up her stampin’. Next was to adhere the starfish image to the chocolate chip layer. Next, was cutting the background sheets into 4 x 5 1/4 inch layers and then it was adding the ribbon. All the rest was just a speedy gluing and wala! 48 cards done! NEXT!

(above is a photo of a wall and mirror in my home office)

I swear on the bible that this was the easiest home decor project EVER!! This "Life Is Good" Decor Element was up on my wall in FIVE MINUTES!! I guess I should pre-qualify that I am not a read-your-instructions-and-measure-twice kind of girl! So, I literally, peeled, stuck to the wall (didn’t even bother to get a ladder or stool to stand on) with an adjustment to correct the slant and rubbed it on and peeled it off! I’m sure it helped that this was a nice big and bold image–but NOTE–this is the small size in our brochure! And for all you doubting Thomases out there, I have EGG-PEEL finish on my walls and it went on wonderfully!

This Create Definition was the medium size and again I just slapped it on. This one, however, needed to be handled a little more gingerly because of the smaller, thin letters. But with a little patience and a little more rubbing, it, too, went on without a snag! This is such a cinch!

How rewarding it was to take only 5-10 minutes and you’ve created a wall element that breathes new life into your decor. Just think of the unlimited possibilities and impact one of this Decor Elements can make quickly and easily on any surface in any room of your home!

I know now that I’ve seen how easy these are to work with, I had to order more. And they can’t get here fast enough!\

For more information, check out the brochure here. Or, view a brief video here.

Gosh this card is so stinkin’ cute!! I just wanna slip a quarter in there and get me a gumball! Hey, that just gave me another idea! Why not use our slit punch and give the card receiver even more fun with some quarters slid into some punched out slits?? AHA…more stampin’ for another day! Sigh…never enough time to stamp all the cool ideas in my head! :o)

This was the final project for my Designer Label punch class I had last Monday. It was also the favorite…even though mine is still the wrist watch. What’s yours? Why not post here and let me know!

As you can see from the picture below, I included some Hubba Bubba bubble gum. Now who wouldn’t want this as a token of fun and thoughtfulness?

Here’s the card ingredients:

Stamps: Curvy Verses, Celebrate You, Dotted background stamp (retiring!!!)

Card stock/paper: Glorious Green, Real Red, Summer Sun, Ballet Blue, Only Orange, Brushed Silver, Basic Black and Whisper White

Ink: White Craft pad, Ballet Blue and Real Red Classic pad

Accessories: Designer Label punch, 1" Circle punch, 1/2" Circle punch, 1/4" Circle punch, Slot punch, 5/8" Brocade Blue grosgrain ribbon

I thought this card came out adorable! It evolved first from the Designer Paper I was trying to use up (Fall Flowers) — here begat the color combination from pulling out the colors from the paper. The card layout was inspired by the card on page 47 of the this year’s Spring Summer Collection catalog with the flowers in the wheelbarrow. See the similarities?

Card Ingredients:

Stamp Set: Short & Sweet

Card Stock/Papers: Old Olive, Really Rust, Soft Sky, Sahara Sand and Fall Flowers paper

Inks: Old Olive and Really Rust

Accessories: Designer Label punch, 1/4" Circle punch, Ticket Corner punch, Word Window punch, Three For You flowers punch (from punch box) Gold Brads, and Linen Thread

Here’s the 2nd card from my Get Punchy class this month featuring the Designer Label punch. I was tickled with how this card came out especially when I found the appropriate greeting in the Curvy Verses set and had the cool idea to use a Build-A-Brad for the watch face layered on top of the Circle of Friendship stamp set. This stamp set is part of the eScape bundled product offering good only through MONDAY!  This is the same product I used to create that cute box of Love Notes posted here.

Here’s the Card Ingredients for my "time" card: 

Stamps: Circle of Friendship, Curvy Verses

Inks: Purely Pomegranate

Card Stock/Papers: Ruby Red, Groovy Guava, Certainly Celery, Whisper White and Ginger Blossoms paper

Accessories: Designer label punch, 1" Circle punch, 1/2" circle punch, 3/4" Square punch, Corner rounder punch, Horizontal Slot punch, Paper Piercer and Mat Pack

This month we focused on the Designer Label punch. The fun stoplight made from this punch made it easy to choose the stamp set and theme for this card. I love the Loads of Love stamp set! I usually use it a lot for a short period of time and then put it away for awhile only to be re-discovered as an old favorite again!

Since I know most of our Designer Papers have our In-Colors in there somewhere and will be retiring at the end of July, I’ve been trying to use them up as much as possible in my classes and workshops. This paper came from the Cutie Pie pack!

So, here’s the ingredients for this card:

Stamps: Loads of Love and Loads of Love Accessories

Ink: Stazon Black

Card Stock/Papers: Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Real Red, Summer Sun and Cutie Pie Designer paper

Accessories: Moss Taffeta  ribbon, Small Oval punch, Watercolor Crayons, Aqua painters, Designer Label punch, 1/2" Circle punch

This was my last card from my Technique Freaks class using the Heat & Stick powder technique. We have such beautiful glitters right now. And the wonderful new silhouette sets like She’s All That and Essence of Love from the Occasions Mini (going away in just a few days! Don’t miss out!) are perfect for this technique.

Here’s the ingredients for the card:

Stamp Set: She’s All That

Inks: Versamark

Papers/Card Stock: Close to Cocoa, Purely Pomegranate, Pretty in Pink and Berry Bliss Designer Series Paper

Accessories: Flat back pearls from the Pretties Kit, Rose Pink glitter from the Fine Cosmo stack, Boho Blossoms punch, Ticket Corner punch and Purely Pomegranate Double Stitched ribbon

Technique Instructions: 

Heat & Stick Powder with Glitter Technique

Supplies:  Embossing Buddy, Pigment, Versamark or Craft Ink, Heat & Stick Powder, Glitter, Embossing Heat Gun, and two Powder Pal trays.

Rub embossing buddy over cardstock to remove static.

Stamp the image using one of the above mentioned pads.

Place card in Powder Pal tray, pour Heat & Stick Powder over stamped image, and shake off excess into the tray.

Heat the stamped and powdered image just enough for it to go from dull to shiny.  DO NOT overheat, as it takes the tackiness away.

Go to the second Powder Pals Tray and pour glitter onto the heated Heat & Stick Powder. 

Re-heat to set glitter into the Heat & Stick Powder.