Stamp Some Smiles

Stamp Camp Prep is well underway

Thanks for your well wishes on my root canal fiasco!  I am going to try my hardest to sleep tonight, and call the dental surgeon tomorrow and have something done about the excruciating pain I am in.  I don't know what he did to me but I can honestly say I have never felt mouth pain like this before! 

Stamp Camp preparation is well underway and I am hoping to be finished before any dental work is done.  I need to sleep tonight so I can go to work with a clear head tomorrow.  The new pain meds I am on are a joke, not helping.  I may miss a few days of posting, and I am sorry to whine but just thought I should explain what is going on.  Here are three card examples I made over the weekend using the Holiday Line Up stamp set. 

 

 I copied a beautiful swap I got from my friend Rose (Hi Rose!) using the designer paper I had in place of what she used and then I made one with each stamp.  This set is so funny.  It cracks me up. 

The Rudolf one makes me wonder... I can come up with a few PG13, and R rated comments to go on this card!  LOL  okay, maybe the meds are working, how did my mind end up there? 

I used a strip of the printed acetate from the Holiday Mini, oh how I love that stuff!  It is so sturdy and thick, the snowflakes (which I am sorry you can't see!) are so beautiful.  We will be making this at Stamp Camp. 

We will also make a cool money holder, for a gift of cold hard cash:

Here it is open with the money showing, I put $10 in this one.

Here it is with the envelope and topper, it's closed and laying on it's side here.

And finally a close up ... isn't it cute?  I used that same snowflake acetate for the globe, and you can see the snowflakes here!

We are also going to make a card using the Shimmer Paint mixed with rubbing alcohol in a spritzer .... to make the most beautiful shimmer you have ever seen, but I am going to wait to show you that one, it is a WOW card for sure!

Going to bed early, I will chat with you again soon.
 
 
 

Roots and Leaves

 Dinner is served.  What is it?  Roots?  Yes, we had roots with dinner!   When the kids asked what was for dinner.  I simply told them Pork Loin with roasted Roots (Root Vegetables is much better sounding then parsnip, turnip, and potatoes if you live with your mom and have to eat what she cooks for you.)  They had no clue what I was talking about, I just said "you know, like potatoes are a root, and they are in there too."  "Oh."  They said, and proceeded to EAT them!  YES, they ATE those veggies I have never been able to force them to eat EVER in their entire lives.  My "kids" tastes are growing up (so are my husband's, he ate them too! lol)

I used fresh Rosemary, grated ginger, and roasted garlic as a rub, then I used my homemade spiced Peach Jam with some orange juice, more garlic, a touch of soy sauce and ginger to make the glaze.   OMG it was so very yummy!  Add tossed salad and Wa-La, a complete and Delicious meal!

So that is the root story.  Here are the Leaves:

Aren't these colors beautiful?!  This was on the cover of my Stampin' Success magazine, I get one every month...all demonstrators do.  I wanted to share this idea with you because I LOVE it!  This designer paper called Autumn Meadows is so beautiful.  The leaf set is called Autumn Splendor and I love how you can stamp it using just the color of the ink to make a skeleton leaf or you can stamp it on designer paper, or even water color it in and it looks so natural, and so beautiful!

So those are the roots, and the leaves, I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did!
 

Ocean Commotion Trio

  We brought Jake to the ocean this past weekend. When I came home I made up a few cards using my ocean commotion set...boy I love this set!  Guess what I found out about Jake?..... He is a SWIMMER! Oh my goodness he LOVED swimming in the ocean, it was too darn cute!  I didn't have my camera, darn it!  But I did bring it last night when we had ice cream for dinner...yes...you heard me right!  Every once in a while we have ice cream for dinner.  I will share some photos of all the sunflowers that are blooming at buttonwood farm.  It was a beautiful night...be on the lookout for them very soon.

Time for a getaway

Rob is taking me away this weekend.  I am not sure what we will be doing yet, but between working extra hours to cover someone's vacation at work, along with the situation with my dad and "kid" stuff, I need a break!  I would have been leaving for Utah if I had kept my plans for going to convention...but instead I will spend this weekend with my sweetheart and next weekend with my friends.  I have the entire week off to get caught up with the house, my stamping, and just breathe a little.  I will actually be planning the cards for August's Stamp camp, and cutting the kits at my friends house next weekend.  So if you are going to attend, please let me know!

I also have a beautiful card to share:

 

I was playing around on Sunday with my left over pieces from July's Stamp camp.  I came up with a few things, and this is one of them.  I will share the other's this week.  "chat" with you soon! 

Dad is home, here is a pretty card to celebrate!

 Here is another twist on the oval punch vase, I used the large flowers from the new hostess set...kind and caring thoughts.  I turned the oval on it's side, and used it as the top of the vase.  Here is hoping my dad is feeling better soon, it can't be soon enough.  For now he is home sitting in his chair and all is right with the world.  Now for the hard part, change of diet, exercise, no smoking, and time off work...if not retirement.  That seems like a mountain of obstacles for my dad. He is quite, too quite....but he is home, and that is the first step for his recovery.  Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Invitation for Jillian's Party

I designed an invitation for Jillian to give to her friends inviting them to her birthday party.  She loved my idea and made them herself.  They are simple and bright, and very "Jill".  Here is the first one she made, she didn't like it...said the words are crooked... I told her art from the heart is never store bought perfect.  She didn't really listen to that point of view, she just made another one and said I could have this one!  LOL

 

So I kept it, I LOVE it!  I think her friends will too.

Demo Swap Cards

I went to my Demo meeting last night and as usual enjoyed the chance to breath a huge sigh and relax, have lots of laughs, and stamp and share.  We all made a swap and shared what we had been doing over the last month, there were good snacks and great ideas.  It is this time every month I get to be with my friends and be me...not the wife, not the mom, not the daughter or sister, not Chiropractor's assistant, not Religious Education Director, not Sunday School Teacher, Just ME!  After a long day at work I got in the car for my 45 minute ride and when I got there my age was showing.  After being on my feet all day and doing therapies for hours at work I was very stiff.  I remember the days when I would Spring out of the car and bounce into the house.  My springing and bouncing days are over girls, it was more like slowly hobble and wobble in.  I have fun from the minute my backside hits the seat.  The day melts away with my aches and pains and in minutes I am acting like a kid, teasing...joking around...laughing, it is such great fun.  I have two cute projects I will share over the next couple of days that we got to make at the meeting.  One Heather brought for us and the other was Jan's...they are so pretty!  For now, here are those BEAUTIFUL cards I promised to share.

  Aren't they BEAUTIFUL!!!!

This is Dianne's Orient Flair

Check out the ribbon on the tail feathers!

This is Laurie's Buzzin' By

Check out the film strip made with our punch! 

  The is Jan's Simple Elegance, I love the layering of Our largest Circle punch with the scallop punch!

I flipped over Rose's flip card!  How sweet and neat is this?

Next was Ramona's Spanish Rose Spring card.  She used the most beautiful set from Celebrando Creativitdad

Download Celebrando Creativitdad 

Here is Heather's Sweet Spring card: and I am sure you all remember mine:

 

So there you have it.  Swapping: making a preset number of cards (7) and trading them, going home with one of your own and 6 others.  Okay girls, who wants to SWAP at my next stamp camp?

Pick a CARDinal any CARDinal (A Christmas Cardinal card)

I am having fun making Christmas cards, here are a few cardinals I have made (well, one is a Blue Jay of sorts, but you get what I mean).

Here is the inside:

This is called "Stained Glass" it is a technique I will be teaching at one of my Stamp Camps. Much easier than I thought it would be, which is always great! I got this technique from SCS too! Here is another cardinal card:

Okay, let's hear it...Which one do you like? I am starting to feel like I am posting to myself (and Jan, HI JAN! She has signed up with my feed blitz and gets all of my updates...You should too! And Pat, I know Pat checks my blogs in the morning before work, HI PAT!!!! Anyone else? Bueller....Bueller....Bueller?)

November Stamp Camp card using Winter Post

Here is one of the cards we will make at my November Stamp camp. I love it! It is using Winter Post from the Holiday mini. I told you this was my new favorite style, I hope you love it too! I can't wait to show you the other things I made using this set! For now, you will just have to OOOooh and AAAaahhhh over this sweet card:

But wait, there's more! (don't you just love it when they say that on t.v., makes me laugh every time)
Here is the INSIDE:

OH My GOSH, don't you just love it?!

What? No...I didn't SEW! You know me, my husband and my son and my daughter do all of the sewing in this house. My husband can even make seats for his antique cars, no kidding. My daughter makes everything from blankets, toys, and clothes...and my middle guy (the one that can do anything he puts his mind to) has altered his clothes for quite a while now. This is faux stitching! I know, it looks real, but you know me better than that... this is just punched holes in paper with some marker stitching. Don't you Love this wide ribbon? What about that hardware, to die for ... right? You can purchase any of these products from me and get the help you need putting together your own holiday cards. Just email me today:
stampsumsmiles@aol.com and I will get back to you!

Fall card from Oct Stamp Camp "Fruit Stand"

This is so my style, Oh how I love the way this card turned out. I love the rich colors, the textures, I love the embossing on the grapes, and how easy it was to color with the blender pen. I love the almost victorian feel to the card. I couldn't wait to make it at October's Stamp camp, I know it isn't everyone's favorite style but it sure is mine. This is one of those cards that just fell together for me. A while back I saw a layout that I loved using this set...can't remember what colors, may have been eggplant. I do remember they used this same beautiful background stamp. You just can't deny that the sets I used together for this card make a simple yet elegant card that can be used for everything from sympathy to man's birthday card, to thank you and almost any other occasion including wedding!
I hope you can join us for November's stamp camp, held on the 15th. You must pre-register by November 1st so please contact me asap. We will be making lots great teachers/coworkers/stocking stuffer gifts and cards.

Thanks

Thanks card
I absolutely LOVE every thing about this card. It is "SO ME!" I have included supplies used and instructions in case it is "SO YOU!" too. Just visit my Stampin' Up! Website and click on Shop Now to get whatever you need! Have fun.

Stamps:
ONLY OVALS STAMP SET
Paper:
CARD STOCK VERY VANILLA 8 1/2X11
3" x 4", 3" x 4"
CARD STOCK PUMPKIN PIE 8 1/2X11
4 1/4" x 11", 4 1/4" x 1/4"
CARD STOCK KIWI KISS 8 1/2 X 11
3" x 4"
DESIGNER SERIES PAPER BELLA ROSE
4 1/4" x 2 1/4"

Ink
STAMPIN WRITE MARKER OLD OLIVE
CLASSIC STAMPIN PAD CHOCOLATE CHIP
CLASSIC STAMPIN PAD PUMPKIN PIE
CLASSIC STAMPIN PAD KIWI KISS
Accessories:
BLENDER PENS
SCISSORS PAPER SNIPS
CRAFTERS' TOOL KIT
STAMPIN DIMENSIONALS
PUNCH OVAL LARGE
RIBBON GROSGRAIN VERY VANILLA 5/8 INCH
RUB ONS CHATEAU BELLA
PUNCH WIDE OVAL

Instructions

1. Apply flourish Rub-Ons to Bella Rose Designer Series paper (4-1/4" x 2-1/4") using stick included in packaging. Adhere paper to Pumpkin Pie card.
2. Apply dot Rub-Ons to Very Vanilla 5/8" grosgrain ribbon; wrap ribbon around front of card and adhere.
3. Apply flourish Rub-Ons to card.
4. Distress top edge of strip of Pumpkin Pie card stock (4-1/4" x 1/4"); adhere to card. Pierce row of holes along bottom edge of card stock using paper-piercing tool from Crafters’ Tool Kit.
5. Stamp “Thanks” oval image in Kiwi Kiss ink on Kiwi Kiss card stock (3" x 4"); punch out using Wide Oval punch.
6. Ink “Thanks” image with Pumpkin Pie ink. Remove ink from flower stems using blender pen and ink with Old Olive Stampin’ Write marker. Stamp image on Very Vanilla card stock (3" x 4"); punch out flowers using Large Oval punch. Distress edges of oval and adhere to Kiwi Kiss oval.
7. Stamp image again in Chocolate Chip ink on Very Vanilla card stock (3" x 4"). Cut out “Thanks” and adhere to ovals using Stampin’ Dimensionals. Adhere layered ovals to card using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Chocolate Craving

I am having a serious chocolate craving...you know the kind...

You are willing to make chocolate chip cookies just to taste those melting chips...you will gladly stand over the stove for 1/2 hour cooking chocolate pudding...running to the store to get the ingredients for a chocolate ice cream hot fudge sundae at 10:00 at night doesn't sound unreasonable....you are debating calling your son on his cell phone and asking him to pick up a chocolate bar for you on his way home (at 1:00 in the morning)...you have the ingredients to make chocolate frosting from scratch and are thinking about doing that even though you don't have any eggs to make cake or cupcakes to put it on. Come on ladies, it can't just be ME! Mmmmm...Chocolate. Well, I guess for now I will just have to gaze at this cupcake card. When I asked Rob what he thought of it (always a mistake) he said "Hmmm, it's .... very..... Chocolaty." Wow, Thanks honey! That is such a nice thing to say about my card!!! Easy babe ... you are going to make me cry with your compliments! LOL

I do like this card.
I like the colors, I like the candle, I like the fact that you can tell how bad I want chocolate just by looking at it! So how about you? Craving anything?

Today I went Crazy for Cupcakes!

So today I went CRAZY for Cupcakes! LOL
That is the name of the set I used. I actually used my friend (and sideline), Laurie's set...when I was at Jan's last week. She let me stamp images while I was there and then I brought them home and they sat in a bag waiting for me, those cupcakes wanted me to make something with them. They kept calling to me....come on now, you know cupcakes can call you! These are no exception. That little tray is so adorable, and the bigger cupcake with a candle, oh what cute kid cards I could make out of that. I wasn't in a kids card mood, I was in a frilly girly mood. So the first card I made was the cupcake shoppe! I saw this idea on SCS (gosh those women are amazing!), and knew I wanted to try it too. Then I made the dainty single cupcake. Then I thought I had better do something more...masculine, and did the pretty tray of cupcakes again only with blues, and finished my card making session with a balloon card. So what do you think? I think it is cause to CELEBRATE! Did you know there is a BIRTHDAY special? Oh yes, there is! Stampin' Up! is celebrating it's 20th anniversary...So starting in october there is a special I am sure you wont want to miss! Watch my blog for more details. Also Don't forget, time is running out on the never before seen sale. See the right sidebar for more detail. Off to bed, it's midnight and I am teaching the little ones in the morning. I need ALL of my strength and energy for them (they are so cute!) Have a great day!

It's after midnight, time to post!

LOL, I am sure you find it funny that I post so late. I wanted to post these quick and easy cards that we made at stamp camp today. I had such a great time, and have some wonderful stamping friends. I wanted to post a special hello to Pat! "HI PAT!" She told me today she visits my blog daily. Boy, that sure did make my day!
Here are the cards I wanted to share, my two favorites from stamp camp. Both of these sets are 15% off right now, and they are SO easy to make beautiful cards with. I LOVE them, how about you?

Funky Flower

This is such a funky flower! It can look ultra contemporary, or oh so shabby chic with just a change of color! Layout, designer paper, ribbons, all just pump up the fact that this image can’t be topped! I used the Big Shot with the top note die cut on this card. You will get to use the big shot too, if you are coming to my September stamp camp! We are using the top note die cut with the big shot to make our projects in September and October....The projects will be so cute you won't want to give them away! Hope to see you soon.

Pumpkins and Pictures

Here it is! I added photos to my trifold card, Okay...not REALLY... I made another card. We are making that trifold at my September Stamp camp. I will have this one on the table to show an example of how you can spice it up with photos if you wish. This would be such a cute card with photos of looking for that perfect pumpkin....or night time trick or treaters would be cute with this too. This photo was taken last Halloween ...Jillian was a beautiful Fairy. I think she looks Fabulous! Don't you? I can't believe how big my kids are getting, THIS is my baby. How did that happen? She is in her last year at LCS. She has been there since preschool. I can't even imagine how hard next year will be ((((shudder)))). I will be making my scrapbook page next. Don't forget to stop by and check it out!

Autumn Harvest fabulous trifold card

Ahhh, Fall. I love the smell of fall, the clean crisp air, sleeping with the windows open, sheets on the line, I love scrapbooking and stamping and watching the leaves turn colors from the sunroom.
This is a "Project" we will be doing at my September Stamp camp. It uses Fabulous Flowers and Autumn Harvest Stampin' Up! Stamp Sets. I have also recreated this card with photos of Jillian from last Halloween. I am planning on making a 6 x 6 and a progressive page from this same design! That is why I love papercrafting, you start with one idea and you can make so many things using the same colors, papers, and basic layout! So what do you think? Isn't it FABULOUS! You can buy these stampsets today by visiting my site: STAMPSUMSMILES
Once there, click on

PRODUCTS

and then click on

SHOP NOW

Be on the lookout for more posts of this card recreated into many different ideas. I hope you can come stamp some smiles with me!