QUILT BLOCK ADVENT CALENDAR

Last Year...


I made an Advent Calendar that although was fun to look at, took many hours to complete. So this year I wanted something quick and easy, but something that still said WOW and looked nice. Well, this little doozie (well it isn't so little it measures 16"x16") costs less than pennies to make and I was able to finish it, and make the tutorial in less than an hour!

I had been thinking about a design that would compliment my home decor and be a bit different from the usual. I hope you think this fits the challenge! Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy!~Donna



TUTORIAL

STAMP SOMETHING RANDOM

This is a sweet "Thank You" hostess gift for the gal who makes the turkey this Thursday! Filled with cinnamon scented pinecones it creates the perfect mood for the beginning of the holiday season! That wonderful scent conjures up childhood memories without having to light a candle, and it will make a great table favor too when decorating your dining room. This project fullfilled this week's Stamp Something Random challenge "THANKS" as well :) Enjoy!~Donna

need to make one? check it out here

METALLIC FINISHES CHALLENGE!

Crafty Creations has a challenge today for Metallic Finishes. Here I used aluminum foil layered onto card stock and then ran it through the Big Shot for some added shiny fun to my card. I also ran my whisper white card stock through through the big shot using masks to create just a border of dots in the middle of the card. Of course I couldn't resist making another Polygon Box either! LOL Have a great day! Enjoy~Donna

Stampin' Up! style Gift Tags and Cards

Hey everyone!
Here are two of the five tag designs we made in class last evening. The girls had a ball and were actually happy to be gone in an hour and a half with more than a dozen tags, unlike the class before when they had a little too much sugar and complicated techniques which caused the class to linger in laughter far beyond a respectable hour! LOL! So here you see a simple embossed ornament on a larger tag to incorporate a second stamp for the sentiment. The little teddy bear tag in the background is from an inexpensive stamp set called Bearing Gifts! I had the girls remove the "to and from" form the main stamp and mount it on the side of the set so it becomes more versatile and can be used for baby shower invites, and even new baby cards or baby birthday cards too! Each lady got to take the stamp set home at the end of the night and a good time was had by all! I hope you enjoy the co ordinating card too! Have a great day and thanks for stopping in! ~Donna

TUESDAY CHALLENGES make for a fun day!

I have a class this evening that I am no where close to being prepared for BECAUSE I am always playing with a card. LOL!
Today was no exception I woke at 6:30 to get started for the day, with the thought in my head "...do not turn on the computer, or play...just go get ready for tonight" Well, as my coffee was brewing I turned on this machine and here I sit. My stamp room still in an array of creating, and projects not cut for this evening but a NEW card made using two challenges for Tuesday......and you know what? At least I am smiling LOL!!!!! Okay so I'll just have to move a tad faster for the rest of the day! Anyhoooooo, here is a card for this challenge
and this challenge

You'll have to click on them to see what they are! One is for the colors red green and gold the other is for a the layout.

I also have a little secret, the layout needed a strip of something across the bottom behind the square layer. I wanted to use ribbon but when I decided to do a bow too, the ribbon would have been on top of the layer, UNTIL I punched a hole in the cardstock and ran the tails through the hole and behind the layer, leaving the bow on top. Enjoy! Thanks for coming by~Donna

CASEing a super cute project!

SOMETIMES you just don't need to re invent the wheel! CASEing is not a BAD WORD!!!

Here I cased a project that caught my eye this morning! Last year I did a framed piece of some snowmen hanging out their mittens and loved it so much that I had a class for the same project. When I saw this idea this morning, I stopped everything and whipped a duplicate up in less than a hour start to finish! I even have a tutorial on how I made mine so you can try it too! Enjoy!~Donna

<-----grab a frame with a glass size of 12 x 5. I got mine at Walmart

<-----cut a piece of bashful blue 12"x 5"

<-----cut three strips of white 2" x 11 1/2"

tear them creating a rough edge. Using a glue pen add

glitter to the rough edges--------------->

layer the white layers to the bashful blue making it look like snow drifts!

Use a Big Shot or stamp letters to make the word SNOW; stamp some snowmen and color them!

Add the word and your cut out snow men figures to your framed snow drifts! Decorate with ribbon and buttons...ENJOY! See you next time!

You can see the original at the Stampspaperglitter web site.

PAPAER CUTS #44

Good Monday morning everyone!

I must apologize for getting the Paper Cuts for this week out so late but, I played hookey all weekend. Hubby and I went away on Friday night and just got home at 12:30 am today! SO, I am a bit blurry eyed and so far behind!!! LOL!

It was worth it though because the bed I got to sleep in all weekend was soooooooo yummy and on the 26th floor of a fun hotel where I was looking down at the soaring birds and miles and miles of pine trees, in the bath tub no less! WOW! It was so relaxing and a perfect take care of the senses kind of weekend. SO, here I am a bit tired but ready for a new week. So, let's get on with the business of the day, shall we?

Today's Paper Cuts is a money holder. I know with the holidays just about to begin we can all use a few of these. Hope you like it! See you later......~Donna

Stampin' Up! inspired Designer Thanksgiving Trio!

Well, here is the project I have been hinting about this week!
My NEW scallop trio boxes! I hope you'll like them. This trio makes for a great celebration ensemble that can be changed for any occassion just by using different colors. Can't you just see it in Pink Passion and Green Galore for a 12 year old's birthday party, or Red and Green for Christmas cheer! Each set has a votive candle holder/"lip gloss caddy", a candy nugget or place card holder, and a treat dish/"party favor box". This particular color combo is just perfect for Thanksgiving! Take a peek below for more pictures and here is a link for you to purchase the template! PLEASE USE A BATTERY OPERATED CANDLE when making the votive holder!ENJOY~Donna

Thanksgiving Gift Card

If you are giving a gift card this season or supporting the residents at a shelter this would make a nice presentation instead of the generic plain envelope. I triple layered the acorns and finished them off with Crystal Effects to give them some punch. A little gold glitter added to the leaves and it feels like sunshine! Enjoy your day! ~Donna

here 's a family idea that is not stick figures!

HI ALL!!!!

I am sure you know how popular the little family stick figures are, I see them everywhere but they really don't suit my decor. Well I took that idea and made it a little more upscale for an urban look. Here you use the bird images from the Stampin' Up! set ALWAYS and the Bigz Die BIRD WITH LEAVES AND FLOWERS! You can add many images as you need for your individual family. It makes a really nice and thoughtful gift, and don't you think it looks worthy of gift giving too! Be sure to type the family name on Stampin' Up! card stock using your computer, before you adhere the images. Then do some doodling to make the branches! I used Basic Black for everything except the base color, which is Bashful Blue. Go on now try it for yourself! I have lots more projects to come in the next few weeks so, please come visit again when you have a chance! ENJOY!~Donna

Another Beautiful Sample from Karen

Karen a very talented stamper over at Luv to Stamp made this variation of my Polygon Box and sent me a link to take a peek! I was so excited to see her interpretation. Go on by and check her out! PLUS send me a link to what you have made so I can see! Enjoy your day.....Donna

ACCESSORY to my PAPER CUTS CARD!

If you got a minute to view today's PAPER CUTS then this card is very familiar to you! However, you didn't get to see the box that went with it. This year my sister is hosting Thanksgiving and I made this little hostess box just for her. It is sort of has a shabby chic feel with this one color combo! I didn't think I would make another polygon box after the first one I previewed last week, but I am hooked! Every color combination changes the feel of the box. I learned that, when Debbie Pamment sent me her version of my polygon box! PLEASE send me pictures of what you have made too, so I can drool over them! I can't wait to see what you have done with the template! Thanks for stopping in!~Donna

Stampin' Up Snowman MojoStyle!

I just love this snowman from Stampin' Up! It is a "thank you note" stamp, but by cutting out the center and mounting it on the wooden block alone he makes a wonderful Snowman all by himself. Here I have used just his sweet face and mocked up the MOJO Monday sketch! Enjoy!~Donna

Silhouette PAPER CUTS #42 for Just You Girls Challenge

Hey everybody! How was your weekend?

Mine was great and very productive. I made TWO awesome projects that will be coming up on my blog soon. I wanted to post them today because I love them sooooooo much, but I am restraining myself. I am like a kid at Christmas, wanting to open presents, I can never wait for it to get here. I will actually post one of the projects this week because it is for Thanksgiving and it will give you time to make it! (ooooooooo special secret project) and then the other will be in a couple of weeks.

So for today I decided to do a challenge and make it my Paper Cuts card too. Autumn is the most colorful of the seasons I think, so I decided to take inspiration from Nie Nie's blog banner and do a silhouette with NO COLOR! I used the sketch for the challenge over at Just Us Girls and adapted it for my Paper Cuts with all the instructions and sizes. So ENJOY! ~Donna

STAMPIN' UP! ORNAMENT POP UP CARD

Sometimes a card is .....
just too much fun to make and this is that card! I had a smile on my face from beginning to end and it was as easy as it was fun. I think even your children would like doing this style. So, why not take a minute to make a "memory maker" with your little or big kids this afternoon!

I used the inspiration from Jayne Mercer's pumpkin card and scored some lines on the card background. I then used my ornament punch and punched two images. First stamp an image in silver ink on your punched ornament, then ink it up with versamark and heat set it. Next, re ink it with versamark and add Glassy Glaze Enamel to it. Heat this with your heat gun, it makes for a very shiny ornament! Take your second punched shape and score it in half, fold it on the crease and adhere it to the back of your stamped and punched image. You now have an awesome "pop-up" for your card! Easy peasy and so much WOW!!!! Enjoy~Donna ..........................score................... ...fold.....................tape.......... ..adhere

POLYGON BOX ~Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!

WOW you are all unbelievable.

Thanks so much for purchasing the tutorial for the Polygon Christmas Box! The demand was unexpected but so appreciated, and I have received some lovely notes as well. Here is just a peek from my blog friend Debbie Pamments version. She really put me to shame with this little treasure! It is just luscious don't you think? She'd love for you to stop by and say hello, so go on now! I hope you'll share the ones you make with me as well, so send me a picture. I cannot wait to see them all! ENJOY! ~Donna

Stampin Up's Pendant Park Christmas Card Set

Last week I started my Christmas Card Classes for 2009,
it seems like just yesterday we were doing the twelve weeks of Christmas in 2008! WOW!
I have decided to scale way back this year!
Take a peek at the samples we made, you can scroll below this post to see an up close photo of each card. Every layout is simple to replicate so you can easily make a quick stack of cards in one evening. The designs consist of basic stamping, but here we used an unusual stamp set for Christmas with "Pendant Park" for the wreath, and of course glitter on the ornament. The embossing folder really adds some punch for a wow factor. If you'd like just change up the look by using Whisper White card stock instead of Very Vanilla, and it will create a crisper card! Enjoy~and thanks for stopping by, and please come back again! ~Donna

Stampin Up Snowflake Punch Border!

Well, as I said in my last post
I love this season because I am stampin' stampin' and stampin' some more. Preparing for classes is the best, and we have already had two Christmas classes so far. In fact I have so much to show you, but I haven't gotten a chance to post the projects yet. The girls did 12 cards last week for $10 and they loved them so much they said over and over "I am going to use this layout for my cards this year!" That was until last night when they made some more, and got to use some new ribbon. Then I heard....."ohhhh I am going to use this for my card this year!" LOL I will be hearing that from now until Thanksgiving! Anyway, today I made a card that they will see but will not make. I was playing a bit with my snowflake punch and saw this idea on my scrap paper area. It reminds me of the mittens my mom used to make us for Christmas. So, this is to honor her. Now read on to see how to make the little border on this card.

Punch out some snowflakes and it will leave a negative image. That image can be opened up to make a neat little border. Just adhere it under some ribbon or designer paper and you have another versatile way to use a Christmas Punch all year long! ENJOY!~Donna

Christmas Polygon Gift Box

Okay this time of year

is the MOST fun for me, becaue I get to create lots of different things for the Holidays, so let the merriment begin! Here is a cute little polygon gift box that you can make for a special gift. It's relatively easy to put together and makes a wonderful presentation for a simple little candy gift or gift card. Hope you'll find lots of things here on my blog in the upcoming weeks that will inspire you this season. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you next time. Enjoy~ Donna

Want directions on how to make this?

PAPER CUTS # 41

I made this card
for the Color Throw Down challenge using Elegant Eggplant, Bordering Blue and Rich Razzleberry. Plus, it was a super fast card that you can make in a pinch so here is your Paper Cuts card for this week too! It works perfectly well for a holiday cards especially for a business, or for a stamp a stack of quick cards. Just take a stamp pad, here I used the Encore Gold pad and randomly stamped it on a piece of cardstock. Add a few snowflakes and a sentiment and you are done! Hope you enjoy it!

PPA and breast cancer awerness

Today I wanted to remember

my hilarious friend Jane Rampi. She was one of those once in a lifetime friends who brought lots of women together with her antics, great sense of humor and unstoppable stamina. I miss you dear Jane but I'll never forget. Jane died almost 16 years ago from breast cancer, yet I still feel her presence and laughter. Today I honor her with this card. PPA Paper Pals Arts is doing a "pink" challenge for breast cancer awareness month. Hop on over to play because they have some awesome SU prizes in store. Don't forget to do you self exam this evening...stay healthy!~Donna

WHAT? A Halloween/Christmas connection?

So did the question
yesterday get you thinking about a Halloween/Christmas connection? Well, it did me....so I got to thinking about what I could do to increase the usability of my halloween stamp sets. I decided I'd use my set From the Crypt just a bit longer to make this Seasonal Card! I love trying to figure out ways to approach things meant for one application for an entirely different idea. Go ahead I dare you!!!!!! Show me what you can come up with! Use something different to create something WONDERFUL! Enjoy~Donna

DO Christmas Cards and Halloween mix?

Why not make one of these pouches for those extra special goblins

that will be coming to your door. Jen Mabardy concocted this little goody so I thought I'd try it. When I saw them I knew I just had to make them for my class participants. Although we were making a set of Christmas cards in class tonight, halloween is just around the corner so I decorated the girls treats in a halloween theme. Here's how you can make them. Take a 6" x 6" piece of designer paper and put some sticky strip on one side and a 2" piece of tape in the center of each end. Wrap the paper around some candy bars or candy cups and the sticky strip will adhere the edge of the paper together. Next, use the crimping tool to crimp the taped ends closed. What a great little something for a sweet little someone. Hope it inspires you! Enjoy!~Donna

PAPER CUTS #40

Hubby says I need a new camera. He was a sweetie and took lots of pictures in different lighting and they all came out with a blue hue even in bright daylight....yuck! The worst thing is I love this camera, and now I will have to learn a new model. Not my strong suit! I tried adjusting this picture and it is a bit better, but hopefully I will have great ones for you next post. But, for now....

I did a very simple Paper Cuts
for a quick and easy card layout. There are just three graduated layers that can be cut in minutes and stamped for any occassion! All you need to do is use Pastel Chalks to create a colored background and stamp the pine tree from Lovely As A Tree horizontally to make a large evergreen tree off to the side. Then highlight the branches with Uni Glo Pen to create some snow and dimension! Finally, stamp a sentiment on a piece of CS and tear the edges to make it look worn. Add a bow and you are good to go! You can get the measurements over at Paper Cuts and view some of my other quick and easy cards there as well! ENJOY!~Donna

ORNAMENT CARD 2009

I am so disappointed in my camera or lighting lately.
Last year, I made an ornament card (you can see it here,) and the picture was devine if I may say so myslef. So, this year I decided to continue with that idea and I made an ornament card for 2009. It is luscious! HOWEVER, my photography is not showing that beauty to it's full potential. NOW my hubby owns a camera shop and has had cameras in his hands for over 45 years, wouldn't you think I could get some advice! LOL, I am hoping that maybe this weekend in between football games, pizza and male bonding I will be able to tap into his expertise!!!!!
For now, I will tell you a secret about the card and ornament topper. Last, year I used the real thing but this year I took the 5 petal punch from SU and some aluminum foil and made my own! Cool, huh? I also made a mask with the ornament punch and used Stampin' Pastels to shade the interior of the ornament, then I embossed an image from the stamp set PRICELESS. I decorated the card and even dyed the ribbon with my markers and voila! Enjoy your weekend, see you Monday for PAPER CUTS! ~Donna

Halloween Mummy Pail

Tonight I had a workshop
where we made the two cards I have posted this past week and this cute candy pail that I have seen floating around in blogland. This is Dori's finished project and we made it from an empty paint can that you can get at Lowe's. Next, get dad's old tee shirt and tear it into long strips. You can take some cotton batten to puff up a nose,and add some funky veined eyes. When all done you end up with the cutest pail for your children to collect their loot in , or you can fill it with candy to give out at your door! Enjoy~Donna

HALLOWEEN SHABBY CHIC

HALLOWEEN......

is such a fleeting holiday squeezed in just before Thanksgiving and Christmas that you hardly have time to take in the images. The stores have already decorated for the rest of the season, and if you do not get to them in September while you are school shopping, you'll hardly know there were decorations for Halloween. Now, I myself do not go all out decorating except for a little pumpkin here and there, but I happen to love the two new sets from Stampin' UP! this year, and want to use them as much as I can before it is time to move on to Thanksgiving. SO! I decided to make this "Gothic Chic" card for my favorite skull so he'd be ready to party with the ghosts at the uptown soiree! I hope you enjoy the result and skip on over to PAPER CUTS for all of the quick measurements! Have a ghoud Monday and thanks for stopping by!~Donna

Scary Halloween Card

Hey there!
I hope you are enjoying your day! It is a typical bright sunnny, warm colored day here in the northeast albeit a bit more chilly than I like, but beautiful all the same. There are more pinecones and acorns then I can remember in recent years. I hope that isn't a sign of a rough winter, because I cannot handle a lot of snow! AGH....let's not think about it today.
Yesterday I was helping to do some detective work at my son's new "old" house and we had to take up some flooring. It was the old linoleum rug patterns from the 50's! So cool and retro, I am sure I could have sold it on ebay for megabucks but, I have NO patience. However, when we lifted up the floor we found it had all been lined with newspapers from back in the day. Well, you know the day stopped there and I was reading for the next hour LOL! Anyhow, the date was May 17th 1953.....I realized I was just 11 days old when the floor was put down! No wonder the house sags, and creeks and just plain looks like it needs a re do! Oh if my body could be transformed that easily! LOL....enough laughing now.......let's move along and I'll explain this card instead!
Here I used a watercolor wash that I found in a great tutorial from Andrea Walford. Next, I used several stamp sets to create this scene. First I used House of Haunts and stamped it in versa mark on the bottom edge of my paper and embossed it in black. Then I used Embrace Life to make branches for my cute or scary rub on crows to sit on. I added a few sentiments, and now I have a great card to demonstrate at my next card class. I hope you like it too! See you soon!~Donna

OCTOBER PAPER CUTS KIT

Here is this months Paper Cuts Kit.

Once a month I offer my Paper Cuts in a kit so all you need to do is stamp the image and assemble the cards! NO MEASURING OR CUTTING!!!! It is a quick and easier way to make these cards when you just do not have time! Click HERE for all the details and ordering info. Did you see that just by orienting the card horizontally, you can have two different looks! Enjoy!~Donna

Stamp Something Random! BROWN

Simplicity sometimes makes the biggest impact don't you think? Today I am making an anniversary card for my son and "daughter". I hate the diminishing feeling "daughter in law" invokes so I am calling Katie my"daughter". They have been married for two years this weekend and this is the card I made and will submit to Stamp Something Random! I used the Satin Ribbon from last year that I absolutely loved, and now Stampin' Up has it back in inventory for a short time while supplies last! Yippeeeee...! I also used a technique so eloquently explained on my down line Jeanette Mitchell's blog for shadowing the wheat! She does beautiful work so be sure to check her out! She had a great teacher teeheeheee and has a genuine talent and style all her own! Enjoy your weekend!~Donna

Stampin' Up Pretties Pumpkin

GOODMORNING!!!!!!!!

it is still dark here this morning so my picture is dark too but I couldn't wait for the sun to come up to post this entry. For this project I used the Stampin' Up Pretties petals and corduroy buttons to make these Black Eyed Susans. My inspiration came from my son's home this weekend when I saw his fall garden all in bloom with beautiful colors. I do not have Black Eyed Susans but I know where I can get some for next year teeehheeeeheeee! I used a styrofaom ball and a branch from my yard altered with paper mache, added the flowers with common pins, then added a curl of Creamy Caramel Card Stock and here I have a cute decoration for the entire fall season. You can use smaller styrofoam balls to make individual place card holders for Thanksgiving too!!!! Enjoy!~Donna

Stampin'Up goodies for challenges and Nie on Oprah!

Hi everyone, how is your day going?
Can't you just feel the texture on this card!

I hope you are finding some time to make one or two of your own, and have some fun in the process. Today's card is being made for two challenges. One is Color Throw Down using olive green, dark yellow, dark brown and kraft for the colors. The second is MoJo Monday which is featuring this sketch. When you are finding it difficult to come up with something fresh and new combine some favorite elements of your own with some challenges on the web and you might be surprised at how easy it is to come up with a pretty card. Enjoy! I'll have the 3d pumkin project for you tomorrow so stop by then. ALSO! for any of you wishing to see NieNie make sure to watch Oprah this afternoon! Have a good afternoon!~Donna

Stampin'Up Punch Halloween Lantern

Okay! October is here, so that means it is time to get into the swing of Halloween and Fall decorations.
There is no segment for PAPER CUTS today, but I am going to show you how to make this cool Luminarie to line your walkway on Halloween Night! Just add a votive candle or battery operated light pack and you have a really fun decoration!!!! So, scroll down for all the instructions, and think Christmas Lantern too...! Stop by soon to see the cute 3D pumkin project I'll be showing! ENJOY!!!~Donna

you will need 4 pieces of basic black cardstock cut 5 1/2" x 3 1/4"

Take two of the pieces of card stock along with your Designer Label Punch and punch the top right and left side. Line your punch up so it is even with the top edge of the paper and half way in the middle of the punch opening like shown.

This will make the top of your lantern. Make sue you only do this to two of the pieces of CS

Next take your square punch, either the 1 1/4" or the 1 3/8" and punch out the center of your lantern like shown.

Use reinkers to color a piece of 3" x 3 1/2" vellum and then stamp a halloween image on the backside of the vellum. Adhere it to the punched lantern pieces with snail as shown.

Take the last two pieces of CS and score at 1/4" on both long sides. Trim them so they are only as high as the straight edge of the front and back of the lantern, as shown, fold scored edges as shown.

Adhere all four pieces of cardstock together to make and open bottom box/lantern

Add a wire handle and you are done!!!! I hope you enjoy the project.....please think of leaving a link for these instructions if you make one for yourself! Thanks for stopping by to visit!~Donna

Stampin' Up Corduroy and Christmas Embossing

I think Christmas Cards are my favorite
type of cards to make. Last year I couldn't get enough and started making them October first and did not finish until December 23rd! Maybe I won't have as many this year but I am certainly in the beginning of the marathon long Christmas Card making season. I made this one for the ABC CHALLENGE "E" is for embossing. You all know green and all the shades of green are my favorite colors so I could not resist! PLUS! How pretty is green and vanilla and sahara sand together. Add a little corduroy button for texture and satin ribbon and you are good to go, oh and don't forget some pearls! Yummmmmmmmy! Have a great day, and try a challenge! ~Donna

Stampin' Up and Color Throw Down #62

I just love to do the color throw down, it reminds me of the Color Inspiration that Kwerner used to do. Anyway, today I used Stampin' Up colors Razzleberry, Old Olive, Basic Gray, Really Rust and neurtrals ,very vanilla and basic black to create the eerie halloween colors in this card. I like the look of the sponged Basic Gray on the edges too! I am enjoying my set From the Crypt but know it will only be used for a short time during this month, so why not order yours too! Get a move on now and make some Halloween Cards!~ Donna

Stampin Up sets and Mojo Monday 106

Mojo Monday

usually gets me inspired for the new week but today, the card just didn't come easily for me. So, see not everyday is fun and fancy! LOL!!!!! I had Night of Navy and Certainly Celery in my head for this card, but it didn't come together as I planned. Maybe you will get an idea from this to try yourself and improve on the color scheme...if you do let me know so I can come and visit you and see what you made!

Stampin' Up! Ideas for Papercuts!

PaperCuts #37

This week, I am going to a quilt show because...
one of my older (in time only) friends has one of her quilts entered and on display! Therfore, I thought it would be a good jumping off pointfor me to use a quilt motif for this week's Paper Cuts! For today's card I used simple blocked areas and some ribbon and buttons. I learned a new trick on someone's blog about tying a ribbon easily by using a button and running some twine through the holes and around the ribbon. It is such a good idea for anyone who is intimidated by tying a bow!
I want to thank all of you who visit and support my blog ideas. I enjoy and appreciate all of your comments too! So, I am going to send one of you some traffic okay! I visit Ms. Samantha over at Penrith Crafts from time to time and she has some great sketches! If you have nothing to do today why not jump over and say hello! Tell her I sent you, and see what fun things you can find there. Enjoy your week! ~Donna

Stamp Something Random

Stampin Up with movie stars and Greenhouse Garden

Ok so star gazing was a bust, or at least a semi bust...

I did get to see the helicopter that dropped "Tom" off in the field does that count? I heard on the news that the production company was blocking off streets around the area of filming, and that people would not really be able to see anything.....well, anyone who knows me knows I LOVE a challenge! So I did a mapquest of the area, and found the corn field to be huge, but there was a "secret" way in and voila! No Police, no barracades, no nothing! OKAY so I had to trapse through a hay field and a block of woods to get a glimpes without being detected but it was worth the quest! LOL!

I love the whole idea of stuff like this, and yes I only saw the plane and the lights and the cameras and the crew but it was still fun! They are going to shoot the big bang explosion tonight, and have warned residents they may have shattered windows but not to worry they have a lot of insurance LOL!!!! I am glad I am not a neighbor! Okay, so that was my "big" excitement of the evening, now on to today's card!

So, here it is a card I did a while back using the Greenhouse Garden stamp set. This set is so forgiving and so easy to use, and it makes the best cards! It is perfect for a beginner and pro a like. If you don't have great handwriting don't be afraid to run your thoughts through the computer before you send it off! Here I decorated the inside of the card as well with just some stamping! Enjoy your weekend and come on back Monday for PAPER CUTS!~Donna

A STAMPIN'UP! Blog ....full of fun ideas

September Morn.......

The last few days of summer weather are being counted and treasured now, with the last picks of bright summer blooms, the collecting of seeds for next years bounty and make shift rides on papa's dolly all on the agenda! It won't be long before all this warmth turns to white crystals!

I have nothing to show in stamping today because I was busy staying in the moment of play!

PLUS!

They (meaning Hollywood) are shooting a plane crash scene in a corn field in the next town over from me so I am gonna go star gazing this evening! Tom Cruise and Cameron Dias are in the neighborhood! See ya soon with a treat or two!!!~Donna

ButternutSage sounds like something fall.....

Here are some samples of the set of

note cards and the framed fall item the girls did in class last night. They also made the cards I showed here last week.

We tried a lot of different embossing techniques and here you can see one of them we tried on the center image of the framed item. A piece of creamy caramel card stock was run through the Big Shot and then distressed using SU gold ink pad and stampin' pastels. The leaves were embossed in gold embossing powder on Very Vanilla card stock and then rubbed with a dauber and stampin pastels as well. To make the note card we used the texturz plates and a simple gold embossed image, leaving the inside layered with a piece of clean white card stock for a handwritten image. Enjoy!~Donna

PAPER CUTS # 36

Well, another Monday morning is here and this year is just flying by.
It is the last day of summer and has felt like fall all weekend! I love the colors and crisp cool air of fall but it makes me think of what is ahead so I hate to rush this season. As you probably know by now I am not a lover of winter.
Anyway, I have lots of autumn birthdays so I will be making a lot of fall birthday cards. This first one is for my son in law Jay! He will be turning the big 40! It doesn't seem possible that I will have a son in law that old! YIKES! Anyway, he is having a difficult time with the idea and I did not want to rub it in with a big 40 on his card, so instead I was a little fresh by letting him know he is now in the "autumn" season of his life with this card, LOL! I am honoring him by making his card the Paper Cuts for this week! Enjoy!~Donna

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Autumn Days, On Your Birthday

CS: Basic Black, Sage Shadow, More Mustard, Very Vanilla

Acessoires: 1 3/8 circle punch, 1 3/8 square punch, 1/4" grosgrain ribbon frayed

Paper Cuts: here
~thanks for taking a moment to visit me!

MOJO MONDAY #105

It is the last day of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere...I hope it was as wonderful for you as it was for me ....and for all of you down under ENJOY!!!!!!

ORNAMENT PUNCH MAGIC

WOW!!!!

I was browsing your blogs yesterday while I waited for the dinner hour and came across this awesome and clever idea from Lisa Atha. She has taken the ornament punch and quickly turned it into a vase! I was so impressed I didn't even change the colors scheme. It always amazes me what fellow demonstrators come up with. Take a peek at her creativity and tell her I sent you! Enjoy!~Donna

AUTUMN LEAVES ARE NOW FALLING...

Hey everyone!

Do you all remember singing that song when you were young? I always think of it when the leaves begin to fall, and today I made a card that uses rich fall colors, gold embossing powder and bleach to celebrate the beginning of the fall season! I only wish you could see these colors in person, the camera certainly does them no justice.

First of all I began with a piece of Sage Shadow that I ran through my texturz plate. Then I lightly lightened it by rubbing my Whisper White craft ink pad over the raised embossed image. This technique gave the paper an aged feeling. Then I spritzed some Dusty Durango card stock with bleach and let it bleed. While I waited for the bleach to dry I embossed the leaves in Autumn Splendor from the NEW mini catalog with gold embossing powder and colored them with markers and Stampin' Pastels. This technique makes the leaves colorful with layer upon layer of depth in color! I hope you like the result and will try one of these techniques for yourself this season!~Enjoy

STAMPIN UP CHRISTMAS CARD revisited

It seems like I got a lot of emails yesterday wanting to know what the inside of the petal pouch looked like. SO here it is. You may decorate it anyway you like and even add a gift enclosure. I just added a small sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes and a gilded snowflake....I also added extra half circles to peek out under the folded petal, but the posibilities are endless. Just attach your ribbon and tag to the outside edges and the pouch opens and closes with ease. I hope this answered your curiousity! Enjoy~Donna

Stampin' Up CHRISTMAS.... RETRO STYLE for Color Throwdown

Today I wanted to do the Color Thowdown challenge and when I saw the colors, I thought they were a bit toobright for my taste...

HOWEVER I then thought RETRO CHRISTAMS! It worked LOL!!!!

I love this little gift card holder card and although I usually design this stamp set in a more traditional theme, I love how it turned out!

Here I used Winter Post from Stampin' Up and shadowed the deer on the paper and then added a bit of the snowflake to the edges, punched it out with the new ornament punch and voila.

I made a petal pouch for the gift card and ran a few of the coordinating colors in Barely Banana, and Bermuda Bay through the die cut again to get whisper thin pieces of color under the petal folds. Enjoy! ~Donna

Cape Cod Night of Navy and Cream

GOOD MONDAY MORNING everyone!

this weekend went by just right...not too fast nor too slowly! I worked on Saturday and had the awesome opportunity to set up for three weddings. Oh my, can you say wedding planner. I think I just found a new job. It was so much fun, being behind the scene to make a bride feel special on her day. All three weddings were on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and all in the most wonderful ocean side neighborhoods. Each bride had beautiful views under big billowing white tents for their receptions. The one that I was most struck with was a Navy and Cream color theme, with polka dots. Just simple and elegant!

SO, that is where this weeks Paper Cuts inspiration comes from. If I had gone to this wedding instead of being the one to set up cupcakes for the wedding, this is the card I would have brought. Simply understated navy and cream! Go on over to my paper cuts section for all the dimensions and have fun! See you back here soon!~Donna

FOREST FRIENDS FOUR WAYS!!!!

template available
In a recent class
my customers all bought the stamp set Forest Friends and wanted to make cards that were a little different than what you might expect from this set. So we set out to make a sweet Halloween card, a Christmas card and a Sympathy card. It is fun to try to think outside of the box to make one stamp set do a lot of different things! Of course it always makes the most adorable Baby card too! If you'd like the template you can order it here!

ABC challenge "D" is for die cut

SOMETIMES,

you just need a quick card as you are running out the door. Well nothing could be easier than this card, especially if you have some different sized layers cut in advance. I always cut one piece of cardstock for each color in layers just for this purpose. I keep the layers in the same folder that I have the standard cardstock sheets in, and they are always handy!

So today I needed to do the ABC challenge and it was "D" is for Die Cuts! I grabbed a card base in Very Vanilla, and a layer piece of very vanilla, barely banana, and basic black. I ran the layer of very vanilla through my embossing folder and then cut it with the Top Note Die! Used my paper trimmer to cut the top note and layered everything together! Picked out a quick sentiment, here I even usewd one of my favorite "old" stamps from SU, and I was done lickity split!

I hope this gives you a couple of quick tips to make your card making fun and easy too, for those days when you just do not have time to play! Enjoy~Donna

PAPER CUTS # 34 PLUS Kit option!

WOW!
Was I missing in action last week or what! I cannot believe how busy I have been, and unfortunately some things have had to be re juggled and not updated as often. I was able to go out to breakfast one morning with a friend of mine, that I have not seen for 10 months and we were remarking on just how busy we are! We are actually more busy now then when our children were being car pooled from activity to activity. I could not have imagined that it would EVER have been worse than that but, here I am to tell you it is! LOL! I hope I will see you more this week!

Anyway, I had time on Saturday morning to make a Paper Cuts Card and to assemble this months PAPER CUTS KIT! Then it was off to do construction on my son and his wife's "new" old home! Whew......so here is the scoop on this week's PAPER CUTS! ENJOY!

I just love Plum and Moss together and it makes for such a pretty fall color combination too! Here you can use this card for birthdays, thinking of you, thank you and even a Thanksgiving Card! PLUS!!!! If you don't have time to cut all the pieces yourself you have the option of getting the kit with everything you need all ready for you to just sit down and assemble lickity split!
DIRECTIONS or ORDER THE KIT HERE

MOJO MONDAY 103

Hi everyone,
well it seems I have more time to stamp so far on this long weekend, and that makes me smile. I am on my way to work but wanted to do a MOJO card and came up with this. Here I used the Versa mark and white reinker stamp off technique using the Leaf Lines set! I love this set it is so versatile, and look what a wonderful masculine card this makes! Super with fall colors too! You can see other examples of this technique here Enjoy!

A Season for all things.........

WOW! where did summer go? I really cannot believe September is here, and summer for all intents has become a memory. The kids are either back to school, or are preparing to go back, and the weather has certainly turned to thoughts of a new season. It is a little sad, but I know we will have some hot weather ahead and then the expectations of the holidays. SO, today I decided to make a card with the past and the future all tied into one. I used the soft sun and sand colors of the summer with the image of falling leaves of the fall and the cold thoughts of upcoming snows with crystals and shimmer in this card. I hope you enjoy it!

How do you like that ribbon? I used crystal effects on it to distess it and then added a sentiment that was torn out.

PAPER CUTS # 33

Good Monday to all of you!

Well, the weekend is over, crisp weather is in the air, a preview of the the fall to come, and it's time for another PAPER CUTS! Todays card is really simple but cute just the same! So hop on over to my side bar or click here for the directions and measurements! I hope you enjoy it! ~Donna

ABC~ COLOR THROW DOWN

I just wanted to say thanks for all your encouragement as I did that gosh awful prep! YIKES just like drinking slimey goat spit. Uhuh.....exactly......good news, I don't have to do it again for five more years, and I am going to pray very hard for some smart scientist to come up with something better before then. At least I found a website with live chat for everyone who was prepping, it was comical. We would get three words typed and have to run....LOL. Hey you have to have a sense of humor with this LOL! However, as I promised the drugs were so worth it...hehehehehhehehe! Enough already lets get to this card!

Today's card was for three different things. First is the ABC Challenge "C" is for circles, then the COLOR THROW DOWN CHALLENGE pink, blue and celery, and then the real reason to give to someone who has just had a new baby! I ran a standard card base through my Big Shot with the new Petals-A-Plenty embossing folder from Stampin Up. It is going to be perfect for the holidays because it looks like poinsetters! It will available for everyone in less than a week!!!! After embossing the paper I folded it in half and ran it through the Big Shot again with the scallop circle. Then I punched a half circle from the 1 3/8 punch to make a bib! Have a great day!~Donna

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Hi everyone!

Well today, I will be happily delirious, and legally on drugs! WHAT!!!! Yup it is my annual colonoscopy and although the prep is not fun, the payoff is worth it. I don't know what they give you when you have the procedure, but boy is it fun! LOL! It kinda makes the it all worth while.
BUT SERIOUSLY, my mom died of colon cancer 16 years ago and it could have been prevented with a little knowledge and screening. So, if you are over 40 with a history in your family do not delay in early screening. Otherwise, mark your 50th birthday with a good "clean" bill of health! It's life saving.
I'll be back tomorrow when my head clears from the funny juice, for another fun card. In the meantime I am going to enjoy this! See you then! ~Donna

MOJO MONDAY 101

OKAY so I am in

a "back to school rut", but I always enjoyed the first day of school and these colors and the pencil inspiration from Kelly has gotten me wishing I was 6 again (just for the day of course)!

My sister is the principal at the local elementary school and she always leaves a goody on the teachers desks for their return back to school. This little 4 x 4 square card (MOJO101 sketch) is just what she can order up! Then how about the layout below for the (Simon Says Challenge) some cute flash cards for your kindergartener! You can make the lined paper yourself or use store bought. ALSO!!!! If you let your child cut the letters from the die cuts they will feel that they have contributed to the project, and the learning process will be more fun! You can see more about the pencil and crayon boxes here ENJOY! ~Donna

PAPER CUTS #32

Oh tra la tra la!
Carly (my youngest granchild and cutie patootie grand daughter) turned two this week, and her party was yesterday! She had her annual doctors visit on her birthday and she has the vocabulary of a three year old....um uh uh I could have told you that! She is a hoot, and so much fun to be with. I think she is the first female in this "little" family of 4 generations that actually does not have an "A" personality yet LOL!!!! Delightful!
Anyway, I made this card for her special day with lots of glitter to make her mum fret! So, I thought, why not use it as a paper cuts card too! ENJOY!

SU BACK TO SCHOOL PENCILS

Hey everyone!

Well, the weekend is almost in full swing and I am thinking we will have a little of Hurricane Bill stopping by, but I wanted to show you this cute project. I went to my upline's monthly meeting the other night and Kelly showed us this adorable back to school teacher gift! Well, you know I couldn't wait to get home and try my own version!

I loved getting a brand new set of crayons when I was little and still love the smell today when I open a new box of crayons! So, I decided to make my grandson a "new box of Candy Crayons" for his first day of school coming up next week! What do you think? Kinda CUTE huh!!!!! I have a template over on my sidebar if you need it! Enjoy your weekend, and I'll see you Monday!

Stampin' Up college bound

ANYONE
who has a friend, who is a mom, and who is sending her first son off to college, knows it is a letting go process for her. Why not make a little easier. Give a little something to the big guy before he leaves for school! Tuck this little set of cards secretly into his gear with a note explaining why, and he will have the perfect, but quick card to send back to his mom during his first week away at school. Won't she be impressed! The cards are pretty simple and fit in this cute brief case (get template here). You can even mix sentiments to create all kinds of creative messages like....
"You're a great mom xoxoxoxox...please send money"
or maybe ....
"mom I just wanted to say...can you do my laundry this weekend?"
Make it fun and funny, but most of all put a smile on that lonesome moms face this fall with this set ...~enjoy!

LESSONS of LIFE....from the NieNie Dialogues

very rarely

do I veer off from Stampin' Up on my blog unless it is about Cupcake Charlie's or my grandchildren, but today I wanted to post this picture.

I am sure all of you who visit regularly already know what it is about, but for those who are new to my blog let me tell you a story.

Last, year on a clear sunny summer day, I sat at my computer blog surfing and reading comments when I fell deep into the NieNieDialogues. From the moment I saw Stephanie's home crafted banner set between the pink lemonade filled crystal and chocolate cake I knew there was something special there. Her style of photo journaling made me feel like I was her neighbor, and her grace of mothering made me wish I had known her when I was a young mother, and her devotion to her husband made me feel inadequate in my own marriage. As I read more of her post about getting ready for the school year I scrolled to the next post, and the next post after that and then there were no more of her posts, and wonderful life moments, or photographs. That is when I read a note from her sister Courtney to all of the nienie readers about the tragic accident Stephanie and her beloved husband had been in. That is where the story begins, and this picture is where the story is illuminated!

Nie nie marked the anniversary of her accident this weekend, by hiking up the "Y" mountain in Utah! Her story will go on to inspire and teach hope and faith, and I hope you will find great lessons in it, but for today just look at NieNie illuminated at the top of the mountain! Then go check out her story of courage! What a miracle! WELCOME back Nie.....

PAPER CUTS #31 plus THE PC KIT

I am posting the PAPER CUTS early this week, because I am going to offer not only the directions for you to make them yourself but, I am also offering a new service called THE PAPER CUTS KIT ! You will be able to make 8 finished cards with each monthly kit! I will choose a card from my PAPER CUTS series each month that will become "the" Kit. The kits will include everything you need to complete the cards. However, it will not include stamp sets, envelopes or ink. ALL featured embossing and paper cuts will be included too! So if you don't have the time to cut out the pattern, you NOW have the opportunity to order the ingredients instead....right here on line! Check out my PAPER CUTS for ordering details! ~ENJOY

What a difference a year makes! Stephanie Nielson

BALLOONS FOR STEPHANIELast year on this day my life changed for the better. When I reflect back to why, I feel small and insignificant, but most of all inspired. The story began ..."a Utah mother of four was seriously burned in..." and I was hooked from then on.
Tonight Stephanie Nielson will mark her miraculous one year of recovery by hiking the Provo BYU "Y". If you need to be inspired when things are just not going the way you envisioned then read her story on the Nieniedialogues blog site. For those of you who have been following this story for this past year, there has been a surprise today in the paper with Nie's picture as she was being interviewed. She is radiant! ~Enjoy

Stampin Up re-inkers

So, you guys know me by now and know that I am always thinking about what to use for what RIGHT! Well, these cards are kind of cool and came about when I concocted a new (for me) mess LOL!!!! I used white re inker in these cards but I am sure you can use any color that suits your needs. I painted it on with a foam applicator and then used a stamp, stamped in versa mark to take it off. I know that isn't really original but I love the effect! In the Bermuda Bay card I used more ink and masked the front of the card with painters tape first and when I removed it it left a nice border. So, now get your re inkers out and see what you come up with. Leave me a comment so I can come see what you did! ENJOY!