"Telescoping" Snowman

Over the past many months I have seen samples of "telescoping" cards and although intrigued never sat down to make one. Recently I have seen a number of these cards that have really piqued my interest - they are snowmen. I finally made one and am thrilled with the results.

Here he is closed

Here he is opened

Don't you just love him!

I pretty much followed the instructions posted by Becky Roberts HERE

My supplies
Large Scallop Circle die - Silver Glimmer Paper
3 1/2" Circle die - Whisper White (edges sponged with Baja Breeze)
3" Circle die - Silver Glimmer Paper
Snowflake Punch - Early Espresso (arms)
2 1/2" Circle punch - Whisper White (embossed with Northern Flurries embossing folder and edges sponged with Baja Breeze)
2" Circle (from circles #2 die - Silver Glimmer Paper
1 3/4" Circle punch - Whisper White (edges sponged with Baja Breeze); mouth drawn on; Blushing Bride cheek
Owl Punch - Basic Black (eyes and buttons)
1 1/4" Square Punch (Hat) - Basic Black; corner rounder punch; Sponged with Whisper White craft ink
Word Window Punch - (Hat Brim)- Basic Black; sponged with Whisper White craft ink
Large Star punch (retired)- (nose) - Pumpkin Pie sponged with Cajun Craze. Cherry Cobbler Quilted Ribbon - for hat and scarf
Tiny Silver Brads
Filigree Brad
Clear Rhinestone Brad

Judy and I made this card together last week. The minute I saw it on Stampin' Connection I knew I would have to add it to our list of projects.

It was posted by a fellow demonstrator whose name is Karen Gibson. You can see her card HERE.

The only change we made was to use the holly leaves from the Winter Wishes stitched felt.

So here is my card

My card today is CASE'd from a card I saw in the Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue - page 43. It's one of the cards Judy and I made last week.

Supplies
Stamp Set - Bells & Boughs; Christmas Greetings
Card Stock - Cherry Cobbler; Very Vanilla
Ink - Always Artichoke; Cherry Cobbler
Other - Top Note Die for the Big Shot; Crochet Trim Ribbon; Basic Pearls

Bookmark November 21 for the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza!!!!!

Online Extravaganza, Stampin' Up!'s annual sale to kick off the holiday shopping season, will begin Monday, November 21, 2011, and run through Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Amongst the deals will be FREE digital downloads when you purchase My Digital Studio Express; 60 percent savings on select Designer Fabrics and 30% off an exclusive ribbon bundle.

In addition, there will be two items on sale for 24 hours only (November 21, 12:01 AM - 11:59 PM [MT]).

Hershey Nugget Holder

In September Patty Bennett posted a punch art Santa Bag Topper that I have kept thinking about. Click HERE to see her post. She shows all of the punched pieces that are used to create the little guy.

I decided to make the Santa but to use it as the embellishment on a little Hershey Nugget holder made with die cuts from the Two Tags die. One change I made was to use Silver Glimmer for the "hat band". The other was to use the Holly & Berries from the Winter Wishes stitched felt to embellish Santa's hat.

I think this will be a great table favour at Christmas!

Supplies

Card Stock - Whisper White, Real Red, Basic Black, Blush Blossom (retired), Silver Glimmer Paper, Candy Cane Lane DSP (retired)
Punches - Extra Large Oval, Large Oval, Ornament, Bird Builder, Owl Builder, Two Tags Die
Other - Winter Wishes Stitched Felt, Clear Tinsel (retired), Signo White Gel pen, Hershey Nuggets

Have a great day!

Stitched Felt - Wreath

While blog surfing last weekend I came across THIS card posted by Debbie Currier and quickly realized that it would be a perfect card to use with the wreath from the Winter Wishes stitched felt package.

I first made it using the same cardstock as the original - Crumb Cake and Real Red.

While working on the card I kept thinking about the red glimmer paper sitting on my shelf. I wanted a project to take with me to Judy's this week so I decided to make the card using Naturals Ivory card stock and the sparkly red paper. I loved it!

Supplies
Stamp - Heard from the Heart
Ink - Early Espresso
Card Stock version 1 - Crumb Cake, Real Red
Card Stock version 2 - Naturals Ivory, Red Glimmer Paper
Other - Winter Wishes Stitched Felt; Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon

Have a great day.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae

Quick and Easy Card

In early November Heather Summers posted THIS card along with a video.

I really liked the card and loved that it used the little mittens from the Winter Wishes stitched felt. I wanted to make quite a few of these cards, but only had six of the mittens. I decided that for the balance of the cards I would use pairs of stockings. I stamped the stockings with the Stitched Stockings stamp set and punched them out with the Stocking Builder punch.

Heather's card and the two cards featured in my photo are both embossed using the Snowburst embossing folder - both on the card base and for the oval surrounding the sentiment. I decided not to emboss the base card for the additional cards that I made. If I were to do more of these cards I would alter the size of the focal panel to 5 x 3 3/4 in order to see more of the embossing.

Hope you like them and thanks for stopping by.

Supplies
Stamp Set - Delightful Dozen; Winter Post; Stitched Stockings
Ink - Soft Suede; Cherry Cobbler; Whisper White (craft)
Card Stock - Crumb Cake; Whisper White
Other - Snowburst Embossing Folder; Stocking Builder Punch; Sponge Dauber; Stampin' Dimensionals; Brads - Crumb Cake and Cherry Cobbler; Winter Wishes stitched felt; Linen Thread

Christmas Lodge

I saw THIS CARD on Diana Gibbs' blog and knew I would have to use it as one of the cards to make with Judy. At the time I only had the Christmas Lodge download for My Digital Studio so I used that for my focal image and the greeting. I had to resize them - the digital images are quite large. I printed them and cut them to the sizes I wanted.

Diana ruffled her ribbon but on this card I just used a simple knot.

Supplies
Stamp Set - Serene Snowflakes
Ink - Early Espresso
Card Stock - Very Vanilla; Cherry Cobbler
Other - Early Espresso Quited Ribbon; My Digital Studio (Christmas Lodge download)

Make sure to check in on the mydigitalstudio.net site between November 4 and 7. There will be four brand new, never seen before downloads for My Digital Studio and they are FREE. All you have to do is complete a short survey and the downloads can be yours!

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps

Take your love of stamping into the kitchen! Create fun and tasty stamped cookies for any occasion. Fit a silicone stamp over the bottom of the wooden handle and press into dough—it's that easy!

Food-safe, easy-to-clean and dishwasher safe. Each set includes 3 silicone stamps, 1 handle, and 2 great cookie recipes.

You can use your own favourite sugar cookie or shortbread recipe as well. Note the stamps work best with recipes that have no leavening agents.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

A few weeks ago when Judy and I got together one of the projects we did was a Halloween card. It was a lot of fun - a bit of colouring, some glittery paper and some DSP printed from My Digital Studio.

You can find the original card here

Winter Wishes Stitched Felt

On Friday I went over to Judy's and after a delicious lunch of french onion soup and baguette we headed for the craft room.

We made these cute "door" cards using the wreath from the stitched felt featured in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini catalogue. I have seen so many of these cards I am not sure to whom I should give credit - so thank you everyone!

This card will certainly require extra postage so it is probably one that you would want to give in person.

Hope you like it and have a great Sunday!

Field Flowers - Post #2

I have seen so many variations of this card on the internet that I cannot remember where I found this one. I think I have used a different sentiment than the original but other than that it is a direct CASE (copy and share everything). I created two versions - one is a 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 square and the second is a standard 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card.

Field Flowers

Initially I had not purchased the Field Flowers stamp set when the Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue was released in July. I did purchase the download for My Digital Studio and used it for a few projects. I did however see so many cards posted on various blogs using this stamp set I finally decided to buy it. It is a beautiful set.

This card was one I had seen on Andrea Munro's blog and it is the card that prompted me to buy the stamp set.

You can see the My Digital Studio version I created here

Christmas Decoration

Another challenge Heather posted to her SimplyMDSClub2 group was to create Home Decor using My Digital Studio. And there was going to be a prize! A Halloween banner that Heather had designed in My Digital Studio. You can see it HERE.

Happily I won the prize! Unfortunately it was by default - none of the other participants in the club were able to submit projects for that challenge. Rather than mail me the banner, Heather sent me the file and all I have to do is print it out, do a bit of cutting and then assemble the banner. I sent it to the online print service at Staples - pretty much cheaper than printing it on my little inkjet printer.

So the project I submitted was another insert for the 10 x 13 frame - this time with a Christmas theme. Again I don't have the Designer Series Paper but I do have the digital download so used that.

Halloween Decoration

A few weeks ago I created a Halloween insert for a 10 x 13 picture frame. I had seen it on mydigitalstudio.net and knew I would have to recreate it. I also used it as a submission to Heather Summers' SimplyMDSClub2 - she challenged us to make something that was not a scrapbook page or a card using My Digital Studio. I don't have the Designer Series Paper or the stamp used on the insert but I did have the downloads for My Digital Studio.

You can see the original HERE

In the Navy

We recently celebrated my parents' 60th wedding anniversary and 80th birthdays. I have decided that I am going to make a photobook in My Digital Studio for them. I'll be using some of the photos that were included in a slideshow presentation at the party as well as some of the photos taken by the photographer. We will also be asking guests who took photos to send us digital copies of their photos so hopefully I will have some of those candid shots to include in the book as well.

Hopefully I will be able to surprise them with the photobook (I don't think they check my blog but if they do - SURPRISE!)

I am thinking of using this page in the book. These are photos of my dad when he first joined the navy.

Not too many elements on the page - the background is Nautical Expedition with "stamped" elements from The Open Sea; there is an Antique Brad and Baker's Twine (Early Espresso); frames from Downtown Grunge and I used a couple of staples.

Fall Wreath

I have not had a lot of success finding a fall themed wreath for my front door so I decided to make one.

When Stampin' Up! demonstrators were given access to the Holiday Mini Catalogue on August 1 (it went live on September 1) I kept gravitating to page 6. There was a photo of a wreath made of paper "lollies" (also known as rosettes). Since then I have seen numerous samples on various blogs and on Stampin' Connection (a site for demonstrators only).

Finally I decided to try my hand at one myself. Most of the papers I used are retired product as are some of the embellishments.

To start I had to have a base. Last year when I purchased the Candy Cane Lane DSP there was piece of chipboard in the packing and fortunately I kept it. It was perfect. I used my IKEA plastic waste bin to trace the circles to make the base. The dimensions were perfect - 11 inches for the outside ring and about 7 1/2 for the inside. I traced them onto the chipboard and then cut them out. To cover the base I cut strips of metallic gold waffle paper and wrapped them around the base. I punched a hole and secured some hemp twine for the hanger. Then it was on to making a bunch of lollies in different sizes. I also wanted to have some leaves - pretty much all of the samples I have seen used stamped images from the Falling Leaves stamps set that had been cut out. I am not big on cutting so I pulled out my Leaves #2 die for the Big Shot and cut out a bunch of maple and oak leaves using More Mustard card stock. I then sponged them with Soft Suede and Cajun Craze inks.

So here it is - hope you like it!

Even though it is made of paper it should be fine on my front door - I do have a screen door so it will be protected from the elements.

Thanks for stopping by.

Marjorie

My Digital Studio - Card

On September 14 Heather's challenge to the members of her SimplyMDSClub2 was to create a project in My Digital Studio that was not a scrapbook page.

I created my digital card based on a card I had seen while blog surfing a few weeks ago. You can see that card here

This is my digital card

Front

Inside

Another Card

Stampin' Up! recently announced that the stamp set The Open Sea would carryover from the Summer Mini catalogue. The coordinating Designer Series Paper did not however that is still available as a digital download (as is the Stamp Set).

A while back Heather Summers hosted a fundraiser for Breast Cancer and I signed up for the kit to go. When I received my packet there was a surprise inside - Heather had also included the supplies to make some cards using The Open Seas stamp set.

This is one of those cards:

Supplies
Stamp Set - The Open Sea; Afterthoughts (retired)
Ink - Not Quite Navy; Crumb Cake; Early Espresso
Card Stock - Not Quite Navy; Early Espresso; Crumb Cake; Nautical Expedition DSP (retired but still available as a digital download)
Other - Baker's Twine - Early Espresso; Stampin' Dimensionals

Notably Ornate Hybrid Card

Last February Heather Summers posted a card on her blog that is a Hybrid Card - meaning some elements were created and printed from My Digital Studio and then assembled with "real" supplies to create the final project.

I had forgotten about it until very recently when I saw that card on a site for Stampin' Up! demonstrators only. A couple of weeks ago Judy and I made the card together.

I used My Digital Studio for the "stamped images" and printed them out onto Crumb Cake card stock.

Here is my card:

Supplies
Stamp Brush Set - Notably Ornate (Digital Download)
Ink - Basic Black
Card Stock - Crumb Cake; Basic Black
Other - Wide Oval and Modern Label punches; 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (Riding Hood Red); Stampin' Dimensionals; Glimmer Brads

Elizabeth and Victoria

I know I have been neglecting this blog and hope to get back to regular posts soon. I have not been doing much stamping, but have been doing a lot in My Digital Studio.

Today's post is a card I made in the summer. I had signed up for Marlayne Hardy's fundraiser for Parkinson's research. This is one of the four cards in the kit:

Supplies
Stamp Set - Elizabeth; Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink - Soft Suede Classic Ink
Card Stock - Very Vanilla; Crumb Cake; First Edition DSP
Other - Antique Brad; Fun Flowers Bigz L die for the Big Shot; Scallop Trim Border punch; Large Oval punch; Crochet Lace Trim (Victoria); sponge daubers; Stampin' Dimensionals

Simply My Digital Studio Club (2) - Challenge #2

This is my take on another of the challenges Heather posted to her SimplyMDSClub2. She had created a patchwork page using a new Designer Paper Series that will be available when the Holidy Mini goes live on September 1. One of the perks of being a demonstrator with Stampin' Up! is that we can preorder our supplies a month early! The DSP Heather used is Spice Cake. At first I was unsure what I wanted to do with the challenge but as I kept looking at the page I saw it as a memory board.

Here is my completed page

If you have My Digital Studio you should visit Heather's blog and have a look at her posts and maybe even join the club!

Simply MDSClub(2) - Sketch #3

The format of Heather's MDS Club is that she posts sketches, challenges and videos.

When I started sketch #3 I was following Heather's layout but as is often the case it takes on a life of it's own. I knew I wanted to use some photos of my parents as soon as I saw the layout but I had 3 photos I wanted to use - not the two that were in the layout.

As I worked away I finally came up with this page. Although it doesn't have the same number of photos or even the same placement of them, it captures the theme (Then and Now).

Hope you like it

The two single photos were taken sometime in 1951 - the year my parents got married and the photo of them together was taken in late 2000. I have labeled it as 2001 because it is the photo we used when making preparations for their 50th anniversary.

We are celebrating their 60th anniversary today and I am hoping to create some pages featuring photos from that event soon.

Have a great day

I Made Cards!

After several months I finally had a project (actually two projects) ready to do with Judy! Can you believe it! We realized that we have not done any stamping together since we got home from Myrtle at the beginning of April.

We have been working with My Digital Studio and actually the first project is a hybrid card - actually there is no stamping at all. All of the images were printed from My Digital Studio then cut and/or punched and assembled. I was browsing on Diana Gibb's blog last week and she posted a card she had seen on Heather Summers' blog. I had totally missed that post on February 16. I decided it would make a great card for Judy and I to make at our playdate this week. You can see Diana's card here and Heather's can be seen here.

And here is my card -

Supplies
Card Stock - Crumb Cake; Basic Black
Ink - all images printed from My Digital Studio
Digital Downloads - Notably Ornate; Teeny Tiny Wishes
Other - Glimmer Brads; Riding Hood Red Wide Striped Grosgrain Ribbon; dimensionals; glue dots
Punches - Wide Oval; Modern Label

The second card also has a hybrid element - I didn't have the actual designer paper used in the original that I saw here, but I had purchased the download for My Digital Studio. I printed out the paper I wanted to use on Naturals Ivory cardstock. The original uses the Stripes embossing folder but I didn't have that. Initially I was not going to use any dry embossing on the card but then I remembered I had a great Cuttlebug embossing folder that looks a little bit like waves so decided to use that.

Hope you like the card

Supplies
Csrd Stock - Not Quite Navy; Cajun Craze; Early Espresso; Naturals Ivory
Stamp Set - Sail Away; Family Phrases (retired)
Ink - Early Espresso; Not Quite Navy
Digital Download - Well Worn Designer Series Paper
Other - Baker's Twine; dimensionals
Punches - Large Oval; Word Window; Modern Label
Embossing Folder - D'Vine Swirl

It has been a while ....

I haven't been very attentive to my blog these past few months but I hope to get back to posting twice a week again soon. There has not been much stamping going on in my little room but I have been playing with My Digital Studio. Heather Summers has started a second Simply My Digital Studio club so I have signed on for that and will have a few pages to share. I have also been working on a few hybrid cards (using both My Digital Studio and traditional stamping).

So for today here is my take on a colour challenge Heather posted for the club last week. It was to use the colours Always Artichoke, Night of Navy and Mellow Moss (retired colour but still available in My Digital Studio).

I decided to use some photos of my son Dan - I am really quite pleased with the final look.

Thanks for stopping by.

Pelicans - St. Pete's Beach, Florida

Disney Parade - 2006

Acting Silly - another My Digital Studio Page

More My Digital Studio Pages

I have been very distracted recently and have neglected this blog. I still don't have any stamped projects, but going through old entries I realized that I hadn't posted all of the pages I created following the templates provided by Heather Summers in her Simply MDS Online club. So, over the next few weeks I will be posting them starting with this one featuring photos taken at Walt Disney World.

Stampin' Up! Convention

Last week Stampin' Up! held their annual convention for US and Canadian demonstrators in Salt Lake City, Utah. I didn't participate in convention but I did stalk the blogs of some demonstrators who did.  You all know the name Heather Summers - I mention her a lot.  Well she is the number one demonstrator for Canada - a well deserved honour for an energetic lady who not only manages her Stampin' Up! business but is raising a young family as well.

My own upline Josee Smuck along with another 5 demonstrators from her group were in the top 15 demonstrators. A fantastic accomplishment - especially for Josee who had a major move during the past year.

Here is a quick video with some of the highlights of the convention.

Enjoy!

My Digital Studio (again!)

My nephew graduated from high school last week and sent me a couple of pictures. 

I used a layout from Heather Summers' Simply My Digital Studio online club to make this page.

My Digital Studio and More Wedding Photos

Here is another one of the layouts Heather Summers shared with us in her Simply My Digital Studio Online Club.  I thought these pictures from my niece's wedding in 2008 fit the layout perfectly.

I am still "playing" with My Digital Studio

Heather Summers' Simply My Digital Studio Club will soon be over, but I am hoping she will continue the club or do more online classes.

This page goes back to a challenge Heather gave in January and I just caught up with it recently. The challenge was to make a monochromatic page.

I was looking through photos and decided to use some from the wedding of my friend's daughter Christina.

For the background "paper" I decided to use the colour matching feature in My Digital Studio so that I could duplicate the colour of the bridesmaid dresses. I "stamped" the words and the swirls in white and then reduced the opacity.

Hope you like it

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

When I saw the stamp set The Open Sea in the Stampin' Up! summer mini catalogue I knew I had to have it.

I saw THIS card using this set on Dawn Olchefske's blog and knew I wanted to duplicate it.

Last week when I went to Judy's we made this card together.

Bridal Shower

Hello! - it has been a while.

The card I sharing today is the shower card I made for my niece who is getting married next month - the bridal shower was last weekend. Her wedding colours are ones she selected from a peacock feather so I wanted to make her a card that featured a peacock. I had ordered the Proud Peacock set from the summer mini catalogue in anticipation of using the images on a shower card and maybe the wedding card.

I CASE'd this card from one I saw on the Stampin' Up! demonstrator site (Stampin' Connection) so I can't direct you to the original.

Recipe
Stamp Set - Proud Peacock; Tiny Tags
Card Stock - Whisper White; Taken with Teal (retired); Melon Mambo; Shimmery White; Brights DSP Paper Pack
Ink (and markers)- Melon Mambo; Pacific Point; Old Olive; Lucky Limeade (new InColour); Chocolate Chip
Other - Melon Mambo Ribbon (retired); Basic Pearls; Vintage Trinkets; dimensionals
Tools - Big Shot; Square Lattice Embossing Folder; Jewelry Punch; Colour Spritzer

At the Beach

When I started this page I was following one of Heather Summers' layouts but then got distracted when I remembered I had the surfboard images and decided I wanted to incorporate them into the page. So I think the only thing that resembles Heather's is that there are the same number of photos in the same positions on the page. It will look a bit familiar - after I created this page I adapted it for my blog header.

I Hope You Are Not Tired of My Digital Studio

I have started stamping a little more but haven't taken photos so I have more My Digital Studio to share with you over the next few weeks. These are more pages inspired with the layouts Heather Summers shares in her Simply MDS Club.

The photo of my husband's family was taken in 1966 or 1967.

Week 16 Layout - Heather Summers' Online My Digital Studio Club

Heather's template for week 16 was perfect for pictures of my niece and nephew taken when they went on a Caribbean cruise with their mum.  The colours she used were perfect.

More My Digital Studio

As I said before - I haven't been doing any stamping but I have been using My Digital Studio.  This page was inspired by Heather Summers' week 14 template although it looks nothing like the original.  I used stamps and papers from the Strength and Hope digital kit. 

I wasn't sure what pictures I wanted on the page so I have used punches in place of photo boxes.

My Digital Online Club - Week 8(a)

Week 8 of Heather's Online My Digital Studio club offered two templates.  I loved the simplicity of this layout and searched through my photos to find one that I would like to use.   The background colour is the same as what Heather used but I added one of the Sunset Serenade overlays and reduced the opacity.

She's So Sweet!

This is another of the templates Heather Summers shared on her My Digital Studio Online club.  The pinks and purples automatically brought to mind my sister's youngest grand daughter - she loves those colours.  Although the photo is not recent I think it fits very well.  I decided to have it in black and white and am really pleased with the whole look of the page.

Last month Heather Summers posted a great page featuring a single photo of her youngest son. I decided that I would recreate that page with three photos - my sisters grandchildren. You can see Heather's page HERE.

I decided not to use the `squiggles` and opted instead to use one of the new downloads for this week - Simple Stitches and Corners.

Happy Birthday to a great sister!

Week 2 - Heather Summers' Online My Digital Studio Club

While going through photos stored on my laptop I came across some from my niece's wedding in 2008 and thought the MDS template provided in week 2 of the online club would be perfect.  I tried it using colourful, fun elements and papers thinking they would "match" the photos.  I ended up going with more subdued colours and the result works for me.

Don't you just love those green Crocs!

Tips and Tricks - My Digital Studio

While blog hopping one day, I came across a video showing how to change the colours of embellishments within the My Digital Studio Program.  Here is the video -



This is the link to the very creative Janet Wakeland's blog post - click HERE

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

A very Happy Mother's Day to all the mum's out there and especially to my mother.  I did this page in My Digital Studio using  an old photo of my mum.

And here is a page I did featuring my mother and I.

My Digital Studio - Watercolour Technique

I saw a wonderful video showing how to "watercolour" stamps in My Digital Studio.  You can see it HERE.