We're not in Kansas anymore Toto!

I'm just back from Stampin' Up!'s Kansas City Regional Seminar. It was a great time! I took about 65 "swaps" with me to trade with other demos that were there - here are the goodies:

I'm really fond of this one - I think I love the simplicity of it. It uses Whisper White cardstock for the base, and Maine Blueberry Designers Series paper - I'm in love (LOVE) with this paper. I used the scallop edge punch to do the scallop. The only stamp set I used was Best Yet (hostess yet), and I used my markers on it to get the two colors. Punched it out with the large oval punch, then punched a larger oval in Old Olive cardstock with the Wide Oval Punch . Added a couple of brads, and some Bashful Blue striped ribbon and voila - instant beauty!


Card #2 - Yep - I'm loving this too!! Simple, elegant, and easy!!! Here I used the Snow Swirled Set that's in the Idea Book. Stamped the snowflakes with Versamark, then used my Iridecent Ice Embossing Powder and embossed away. I had also tried this using Heat and Stick and Dazzling Diamonds, but the detail was really lost because DD is just a little too "chunky". Then, tied a ribbon in it - the new Alpine Ribbon that is in the Winter Mini - it's great stuff. You get a lot of ribbon, some is this striped grosgrain, and the other is a felt ribbon, that you'll in a second, but you gotta keep reading! Lastly, I stamped Season's Greetings in Choc. Chip on Very Vanilla and punched it with the Wide Oval Punch, edged the sides with Choc. Chip and stuck it on with Stampin Dimensionals.....oh yeah, Baha Breeze was the base for this one....

... and this one too. Baja Breeze base that is. I used the To You and Yours Stamp Set...kinda vintage, very classic...makes me sing, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" And when I do my voice automatically changes to that of Bing Crosby is it??? I don't know...back to the card....okay, I stamped the house in Choc. Chip on Naturals Ivory. (one of my new very favorite papers), then punched the corners with my ticket punch, layered it on Choc. Chip paper. Added a little two way glue to the "snow" swirls and sprinkled on some Dazzling Diamonds. Oh, it's coming together! Then, I punched (using the horizontal slot punch) a slot for my ribbon to go thru. I had to do this side by side about 3 times to get the slot long enough for this Choc Chip stitched ribbon to fit thru. I'm not going to take credit for this one, I totally CASED it off of Splitcoast. I'd give credit to the person if I could find it again....She however added felt fusion flowers in Choc Chip and it completely added a WOW factor. If I would have had some on hand, I would have been all over it....

Then we move onto Upsy Daisy. Holy cow this set is versatile...it can be masculine, it can be feminine...I'm loving it. This was super easy. Basic Grey base, add a strip of Prestwick DS Paper, stamp the daisies in Not Quite Navy on Naturals Ivory (remember one of my new favorite papers!), layer it on Not Quite Navy, add some Navy Ribbon and a couple of brads, and viola! Simple, super easy card....done!


Another Christmas card here - and really pretty simple. Remember, any time you add DS paper to a card, your life gets easier.... I started with an Old Olive base, added some paper from Holiday Treasures, and tied a bow on with Baha Breeze Striped Grosgrain ribbon. I'm all about ribbon these days. Just like the DS paper, it's an instant addition that really makes your card something to love. And really, ribbon isn't a huge costly thing, a little goes a long way. Well, then I stamped the tree from Snow Swirled on Baha Breeze with Versamark, and used Iridecent Ice embossing powder, used the ticket corner punch, layered it on Choc Chip, and Riding Hood Red papers. Another elegant Christmas card done my Moi! Do a little dance....

Last swap card was the first one to be gone, and I really love him! Of course, I did save one for myself, and I don't know that I'll part with it, unless I make more....are you ready to see it???I should give you fair warning - the set I used is from the Winter Mini and the Winter Mini is DANGEROUS!!!! I really mean it. I was a naughty, naughty girl and ordered not just 2 sets from it, not 3, but 5 - yes FIVE stamp sets from the mini....this is probably my favorite mini ever! It's got a lot of vintage inspired sets, and I just love that look! Well, and to really sway me, Stampin' Up! offered us demonstrators an additional 20% off the sets we preordered. Talk about enabling! What a great incentive...I love Stampin' Up! Oh, so you wanted to see that card right? Okay, here goes nothing!









Isn't he ADORABLE? I used the cute little scarecrow from Happy Blessings out of the Winter Mini. The DS paper is also in that mini - remember - very dangerous! It's called Autumn Vine. The colors in the paper are gojus! I hope they keep it around a while! I already tried to order more of the paper, and SU! wouldn't let me!!!! Is that a sign or what???? We are only allowed one per preorder period....Well, I'm ready for some more dang it. So I inked him up with Stazon on Very Vanilla, used my Watercolor Wonder Crayons and a blender pen. I took my blender pen and grabbed color off of the crayon instead of using the crayon directly on the paper. I scraped the edges of the Vanilla across my Choc Chip pad to distress them and used the Choc Chip marker to do some faux stitching. Then I popped him up off the page with Stampin' Dimensionals. I also used that Alpine ribbon that's in the....MINI!!! (if you need a copy of the mini, please let me know....) And some Earth Elements buttons with some hemp twine. Here's a close up:

Pretty darn cute wouldn't you say???? Okay - I really must go take care of some laundry and unpack my stuff from KC....

Keep on stampin'!

World Card Making Day - Upsy Daisy Class

If you’re looking for quick and easy cards to make that have a real “wow” factor, then this class is perfect for you! You’ll use the Upsy Daisy stamp set and Urban Garden designer paper to create eight stunning cards in four designs and a sleek little box to hold them in.

Date: October 4th, 2008 sign up deadline is Sept. 25th

Time: 9am - 11amCost: $25 or $10 with a purchase of the product bundle (see below)

Location: Denison Municipal Utilities

Please email me to sign up for this class: thearkfelds@fmctc.com

Product Bundle: Purchase the Upsy Daisy Stamp Set (currently offered at 15% off), half a pack of Urban Garden Designer Paper, one roll of Baha Breeze Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and one roll of Kiwi Kiss Striped Grosgrain Ribbon for $41 (plus shipping and tax) and you can take the class for $10. This way you can go home and create more of the cards that we make at class!!! Bonus for you!

If you can't make it to class, but want to "participate", ask me about the Class-to-Go option!

Back from sabatical...

Oh, I really wish that were my excuse. For a while there I forgot that my blog even existed....and really there isn't an excuse that this poor site hasn't been updated for an eternity. I've just been flat out busy. Summer, kids, camping, kids, work, play, kids. You all know what I mean. But just because I haven't been posting jack-diddly here, doesn't mean I haven't been creating away. There have been many a nights sitting in my craft room with the juices flowing, when I really should be in bed instead. My body has figured out that I can stay up past 9:30pm, and it doesn't kill me at all. I fondly remembered that Jay Leno has this great monologue, and yeah - it's worth staying up for sometimes. But, I have been working and have made some great things - some of which I have forgotten to photograph. Like the card that I submitted to Stampin' Up! for one of their monthly contests, which I obviously didn't win, because the phone has not rang on this end from Salt Lake City. And trust me, I've been checking not only the answering machine, but also the caller id....Shelli, feel free, give me a call sometime.





Yeah, I know, you really want to see what I've been creating....here it goes:








I made this little bottle topper last night as a gift for our babysitter's birthday today. She said that she really appreciated the enabling! FYI - this is a bottle of Fetzer Gerwurtztraminer. It's YUMMY!! A nice white with fruity undertones, not too sweet, not too dry. I'm in love! Here's a close up of the topper. In the box, I tucked a gift certificate:



This stamp is from Happy Blessings and can be found in the Holiday Mini - available Oct. 1. And the paper is also from the mini - Autumn Vine. It's great paper. I think I'm loving it more so than all of the holiday paper. It combines Choc. Chip, Really Rust, More Mustard (which I NEVER use) and Sage Shadow. Makes a really great combo. I also used Choc. Chip wide grosgrain ribbon and choc. chip paper. The directions for the box can be found here on Splitcoast Stampers.

Here is a card that we made at our last Stamp Club meeting. We have so much fun at our club meetings, I wish we could do it more often. It's a great group of gals! Anyway, I LOVE this card - that's right love it! I CASED it off of Splitcoast, and can't remember exactly who...she did have some felt flowers included on her card, I opted for dazzling diamonds instead. I also used the ticket punch. But, I really love the combo of Choc. Chip and Baha Breeze. Warm and cool all at the same time! Who'd a thunk it?


This stamp set is To You and Yours. I LOVE it for it's simplicity and elegance. The background is stamped with snowflake images from Snow Swirled. The little snowflake is down in Baha Breeze, while the bigger flake is with Versamark. It helps give a little dimension I think. (doesn't show the best here) I stamped the house with Choc Chip, then used my 2-way glue pen and sprinkled dazzling diamonds over the top... gojus!

Our technique for this month was moonlighting. I cased this card from the infamous Jan Tink, the goddess that she is. If you haven't checked out her blog, do so.



There is a great tutorial on her blog for this moonlighting tech. My photo isn't great colorwise....

Here is our other moonlit card:




This one uses the Upsy Daisy set that I love....it can be masculine - kinda like the card here, or it can be way feminine. It's nice a versital. Again, the color seems off. This was Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Choc. Chip ribbon, black ink, Really Rust and Pumpkin Pie for the sky. Very simple, and quite easy really. And if you like this stamp set, be sure to check out my upcoming class for World Card Making Day. You won't want to miss it!