Gingerbread Cheer

I'm planning my Christmas baking. Well, mostly I'm imagining it in my mind. I've taken one concrete step: I ordered these gel food colors and meringue powder, two important ingredients for decorating beautiful sugar cookie cut-outs. Actually, in that picture, I didn't use the gel colors, so here's to hoping the photos I post in a couple weeks have even better looking frosting!

Well, since the cut-outs aren't cut out yet, I thought this cute card would make an acceptable substitute.

The stamp set "Scentsational Season" includes this image of the gingerbread man (obviously, I stamped two images here), as well as a cup of hot cocoa, a Christmas tree, and a candy cane...all the stamps you'd need to make a pile of holiday (paper) treats!

This card also uses Whisper White and Cherry Cobbler card stock, Soft Suede classic ink, Designer Series Paper from the Festival of Prints paper stack in the Holiday Catalog, Basic Jewels - pearls (color them with a Sharpie!), and Adorning Accents Edgelits.

That's what I've got for tonight...oh, and in case you're wondering, tonight my husband is watching UFC Ultimate Fighter. Are you sensing a theme for when I retire to the craft studio to create or blog? ;)

Thanks for stopping!
Julie

Evergreen + Shimmer Paint

Every Tuesday, even though we now have DVR (hey, it just took us about ten years to join the party), my husband and I sit down to watch Sons of Anarchy. I love this show, I really do. The characters are deep and conflicted and interesting - just what any English lit major would want, right? But I can't watch most of it. It gets violent. I watched seasons of The Sopranos just fine, but Sons? I end up leaving the room to write a blog post, going back out to find out what happened at a commercial break (nevermind the DVR), and getting an eye roll from the hubs because I "should just stay and watch the show!"

Well, since I had to retire early from the viewing party, I thought I'd showcase this card I shared last month at our Stampin' Up! team gathering. I used the Evergreen stamp set from the Holiday Catalog; Certainly Celery, Almost Artichoke and Crumb Cake card stock; Almost Artichoke classic ink; a glimmer brad from the basics collection; the Woodgrain embossing folder; platinum shimmer paint and a sponge dauber.

The Evergreen set is a Two-Step Stampin' (c) set, which means it has base images and outline/overlay images. See in the photo below how the platinum shimmer paint, when daubed on the outline stamp, creates a subtle shimmer and dimension for the card? I love a little sparkle for the holidays!

I think Sons is over now, so I'm going to return the living room, get the update and eye roll, and try to steel my nerves for next week so maybe I can watch the entire hour.

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie

February Resolution

New Year's Resolutions? What? I've never been good at those. Since this is my first post of 2012, I could write about how I'm going to post more (and I mean to, really), but I also tell myself I'm going to do my bookkeeping every month, and I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen.

I don't often view the new year as the time to make a fresh start. I believe you should take the opportunity to improve yourself, your life, your situation, your anything...when the time is right. If that's January 1, good for you! If it's February, great! If it's June, go for it! So, I'm not writing that I'm going to post more as a new year's resolution. But, I will tell you I'm going to do better because I want to post more. I want to share more cards, crafts and scrapbook pages here, which means I have to spend more time being crafty in my craft room. So, here's to it!

This is a Valentine card I made for several family members this year. As an English major and PR professional, I love writing. I'm sure glad we don't use manual typewriters anymore, but I love the nostalgia of the typewriter. This set, "You're Just My Type," went on my "must purchase" list right away. I used black embossing powder with VersaMark ink to add texture and shine to the typewriter. The sprinkled hearts are from the "Confetti" set in the Idea Book & Catalog. I colored Basic Jewels - Rhinestones with a red Bic permanent marker. How cool is that?

Paper colors used are Pink Pirouette, Real Red, Very Vanilla. Classic ink in Real Red.

So, this is my first post in 2012. I'm back on the wagon! What are your February resolutions?

Color variation on a wedding card

A quick post tonight to show you another colorway with a card I showed back on October 2 - this one with Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black, Brushed Silver and White. A texturz plate, used with the Big Shot, gives a great fondant-like texture to the cake, and Basic Jewels - Pearls make beautiful decorations! I have to confess, the ribbon is 3/8" grosgain in retired Eggplant, but I just had to use it. All us Stampin' Up! demonstrators have a stash of those fave retired items, right?

This card was for my sister and her new husband. It was a lovely ceremony in mid-October. For some photos, check out the sample album on the photographer's Facebook page.

Thanks for stopping!
Julie

Gently Falling Trees

There's a beautiful stamp set in the Holiday Mini Catalog called Gently Falling (check it out to the right). It's a Two-Step Stampin' set, which means it has a background shape and an outline that work together to create dimensional images. Well, one of the images looks like a tree if you only do the first step! How quick and easy, and technically, half the work!

In the photo above, I used it to make evergreen-type trees in the fall color combo of More Mustard, Bravo Burgundy and Old Olive.

In this photo, I used Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler for a traditional Christmas card design. Clean and simple - my favorite kind. The beautiful ribbon is also new in the holiday mini catalog - it's quilted satin ribbon in Cherry Cobbler!

Thanks for reading! Have a great November!

Julie

Come to the Holiday Expo November 19!

Hi Everyone! Just a quick note to invite you all to the Zumbrota Holiday Expo at the VFW on November 19! More than 20 local vendors for all your holiday shopping needs (including gifts for yourself!).


See you there!

Julie

Best things come in twos!

Gently Falling is a beautiful new set from Stampin' Up! that features several different leaf shapes, and "Two-Step Stampin'!" The leaf below is actually done with two stamps - a general leaf shape that's the lighter orange (Tangerine Tango in SU! terms) and the darker rust color (Cajun Craze) is a line drawing that makes the outline on top of it.

I also used Early Espresso card stock, Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper, linen thread and buttons from the designer buttons "brights" assortment. This card was inspired by page 16 in the Holiday Mini catalog (click icon to the right to check it all out!).

And the discussion of "two-step stamping" led me to share this photo, snapped about a week ago around 7:30 a.m. when we had a brief rain shower while it was still sunny out. Look at the beautiful double rainbow! (The second rainbow is to the right of the first one.)


Thanks for stopping! Let me know if you want to learn more about two-step stamping, either in a girls' night out workshop at your home (you can earn free stuff!) or in a class at my house.

Julie