Lovely Christmas 1

It's been too long since my last post. I've been so busy and don't have access to the computer as muchas I'd like. I'll head home on Monday and I'm really hoping my DS, who has a bad cold, will feel better by then. Last time I came to Iceland he was sick half the time we stayed here and was sick the day we flew back to the US and it was not easy travelling for hours with a sick child. I hope I wont have to go throught that again, this time we have to spend a night in Boston on the way home.

Anyway, here's one of my favorite stampsets, Lovely as a Tree.

I also used the retired set Snowflake Spots. The colors are Night of Navy, Bashful Blue and Whisper White. I stamped the trees first and then made the sky. You can use a sponge, a sponge dauber or a brayer to make the blue sky. I used a sponge. I used a sponge dauber on the card insert. If you think it's missing something you can cover the tree image with Versamark and pour Iridescent Ice over it and heat set it and it's sparkle like a fresh fallen snow.

We've got snow here in Iceland now and my DS loves playing in it. I took him to a preschool where I used to work and he played in the snow with the kids while I caught up with my old co-workers.

This picture is from Friday afternoon, it looks likeit's taken at night but it was 6 pm and I had to use the flash because he was moving to fast for my camera.

This'll have to do for now, we're expecting company tomorrow and I've got to pack my things too.

I plan on posting again next weekend :)

TFL

Embrace Life 2

I know the weekend has come and gone and no post from me. I haven't been home. Our friends were house-sitting and invited us over so we stayed with them Saturday and Sunday. And I was working today. Now, if we had 2 computers I'd have been able to post last night (Sunday night) but DH got to the computer first :(
Anyway, enough of that, I've seen so many pretty cards with the Embrace Life stamp set that I wanted to use it again. I thought I'd be able to make a few pretty cards to show you....but my mojo took a few days off and I can't find it.

I do like this card though. I used Ruby Red, Basic Black and Whisper White card stock. The images are stamped with Stazon Jet Black ink. I stamped the flowers on WW card stock and used my sponge daubers to add pink pirouette ink and ruby red. I then cut out the flowers and glued them to a piece of ww card stock. Layered it with Basic Black and added a scallop border which I made with my Slit punch. I used my white signo pen to do the dots and used it on the leaves and flowers too. I wrote "congratulations" with the Signo pen on Basic Black and punched it with my word punch.

This card is pretty simple. The flowers are stamped on Whisper white and I used my blender pen to color them in. I used Pacific Point ink for the flowers. I then covered them with Crystal Effects. The scallop border is done with my Slit punch again, layered on Baja Breeze card stock. I used my brayer on the bottom of the card base and a little bit of white Signo for faux stitching. The card base is Naturals White card stock.

Here's Naturals White again as a card base. I masked off areas of the card and used my sponge daubers to fill in the So Saffron and Pacific Point. this card looks kind of Swedish to me, the Swedish flag colors (blue and yellow). If you don't have the card stock that matches your ink pads you can use your ink and sponges/sponge daubers/brayer to make your own colored card stock. I used my scallop circle punch and my coluzzle tool for the image and covered the image with Crystal Effects.
Now to the Monday Mailers.

This is MM#1 from Jen. She used Family Phrases, Window Dressing (Hostess set), Enjoy Every Moment and All in the Family (all stamp sets) to make this card. I really like the way she folded the card and the image fits perfectly in the circle window (I didn't do a good job photographing it). Here you can see how it's folded:

She used three punches on the card, the slit punch, scallp circle punch and a circle punch. The card stock: Baja Breeze and Pink Pirouette. Ink: Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze and Basic Black for the image.

This is MM#2 from Jen. Here she used Kiwi Kiss and Pacific Point card stock and ink pads. The card base is Whisper White. The stamp set is Upsy Daisy. I think these colors are great together and white really makes them pop up. Thank you so much Jen!!!

Next weekend is the last weekend before I go on my trip to Iceland (my DS and I will be spending a month there with family and friends) but I'll try to post while I'm there. Next weekend I'll be using Eastern Blooms and while I'm in Iceland I'll show you a few Christmas cards I've been working on.

I don't know if you noticed that you can order Stampin'Up products online now!!! You can do it through my website, I'm still working on it but the link is http://huldap.stampinup.net/ (US customers only for online ordering please).

Have a great week and TFL!

Bronc Buster 2

I decided to give the Bronc Buster set another try, just for fun.

This card here is just the base and one layer. The base is Naturals White card stock and the layer is Whisper White. I brayered the WW with Sahara Sand and stamped the Bronc Buster on it. I used post it notes to cover the top of the card and sponged around the image with sponge daubers and Going Gray ink and Basic Gray ink. I then brayered the top with Going Gray and sponged it with Basic Gray. I then used my Bronco Wheel and Basic Grey ink on the top part. Added a little bit of faux stitching with my Going Gray marker and stamped the swirls with Versamark. And the card was done.


Here I wanted to try NOT using the biggest image. I'm not sure if I like it or not. The colors are not my usual colors except for Chocolate Chip. More Mustard and Creamy Caramel are not on my Favorites list. I stamped the swirls with Versamark and I used a Chocolate Chip marker for the stars and horse shoe. Added Crystal effects on the stars.


Here I stamped the image with Versamark and used my pastel chalks to give the image a little bit more color, then covered it with Crystal Effects, which I think was a mistake, I don't think I'll do that again. The colors in this card are Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel and Really Rust.


This card is a simple one. I stamped the image with Versamark and used my chalks to give it more color. I then used a sponge dauber to make the card look a little bit dirty. I used a marker and colored the sentiment before I stamped it. Added the Chocolate Chip layer and the hemp cord.

Next weekend I'll use Embrace Life and the weekend after I promise to use one of the new sets ;)

Here's a link to more inspiration

TFL

Peaceful Wishes

I'm sorry to write this post so late. I had to take an extra shift at work yesterday. I have to say that taking a job in a store just before Tax Free Weekend is not something I recommend. It was crazy all weekend. And I worked today too so tonight I've been finishing up on the cards I wanted to make for this post. And then when I tried to upload my pictures I kept getting error messages. I hope the images show OK, I had to upload them to a gallery first and then load them to my blog.

I did decide to change stamp sets for this post. I just wanted a chance to use this Christmas set before it retires :0

The first card I made earlier this summer. The base is Always Artichoke. Then we have Bravo Burgundy, River Rock DP, Always Artichoke again and I stamped the image in Always Artichoke and Bravo Burgundy on watercolor paper. I used sponge daubers to distress the image with Bravo Burgundy ink and River Rock ink. the ribbon is Bravo Burgundy.

The colors in this card are Old Olive, Ruby red and Chocolate Chip. The image is stamped on Naturals White. I used my markers instead of the inkpads. I used my new scallop edge punch for the scallop edge and I didn't have a ribbon in the right color red so I used a scrap paper instead (Ruby Red).

This card I made for a "Monday Mailer" thing I've joined in my NCSUdemos club. We were supposed to do FAUX anything on this months cards. This is the first card this month and I did faux linnen (sp?) on the three background panels. I couldn't find my sanding blocks so I had to use sandpaper and I don't think it turned out as good as if I had used the blocks. I used En Francais on the three panels and sponged Always Artichoke onto it before using the sandpaper.

The card base is Bravo Burgundy, then the three panels, then Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy again and the image and sentiment. The image and sentiment are stamped on Very Vanilla. I did put a ribbon in the top left corner after I took the picture of the card. And I used Crystal effects on the berries!

This card is pretty simple but I like it. I used Soft Sky, Baja Breeze and Pacific Point. I don't feel like I need to say much about it.

This one is pretty simple too. the colors are Always Artichoke, Real Red, River Rock and Chocolate Chip. I managed to "cut" the sentiment in half by using my real red marker.

I was going to show you a couple of cards I received last week from fellow demos, but it'll have to wait until Blogger accepts the images straight from my computer.

I do want to tell you that I've got a SU website now. I just got it yesterday so I haven't worked on it much, but soon you'll be able to order from my website if you like :)

The link is http://huldap.stampinup.net/

TFL

Fresh Cuts

Lets start with this month's specials. I know we're halfway through the month but here it is:

Whether you're a customer or a hostess, June's sneak peek into the Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog has something fresh and new just for you!
Customers:When you purchase the brand new, die-cut Fresh Cuts stamp set, add on the coordinating Fresh-Cut Notes* for only $5!
Hostesses:Host a $400 workshop during the month of June, and receive the Fresh Cuts stamp set and coordinating Fresh-Cut Notes FREE--over a $30 value--in addition to your regular hostess benefits!

Put down the phone, turn off the computer, and break free from the 'e'!
Remember when you got letters in your mailbox instead of your inbox? On June 25, 2008, Stampin' Up! is taking the day to unplug and unwind, and reconnect on a personal level with friends and loved ones through handmade cards. And we invite you to eScape with us throughout the month of June!
Reconnect with your "wireless network" by attending an eScape event or hosting one of your own! Take advantage of the 25 percent discount on select items in the eScape bundle to help you create that special message from the heart.
eScape Bundle (item 113700):
Circle of Friendship stamp set
p. 143 $17.95
Love Notes assortment
p. 167 $8.95
Rose Red Classic Stampin' Pad
p. 165 $5.25
Very Vanilla 5/8" grosgrain ribbon
p. 191 $7.95
Total (non-bundled)
$40.10
eScape Bundle price
$30.00

And now to my projects...

Here I used a Fresh Cut Notecard with the fresh Cuts stampset. I stamped the flowers in Mellow Moss, Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink. I then used my Apricot Appeal ink spot straight on the edges and added a little bit of Barely Banana with my sponge daubers. The flower is from the Pretties Kit and I sponged it too with my sponge daubers and Barely Banana. The pearls are from the Pretties kit too. I put a Certainly Cellery CS behind the pre-cut flower on the notecard.

This one is pretty simple, I used Purely Pomegranate, Basic Black and Mellow Moss here.

This card is 5.25x5.25 in. I stamped the image in Elegant Eggplant on Very Vanilla CS. I matted the image with River Rock and Elegant Eggplant. The card base is River Rock. I used a little bit of Crystal Effects on the image.

Ok, the cutting on this card is really bad but I wanted to show you the idea. The card base is 4x12 in. And it's folded in two places so the folded card size is 4x4 in.

I don't know if you can see on this picture how it's folded. My paper cutter desperately needs a new blade, I ended up using my scissors to cut out the window and I'm pretty bad at cutting straight lines with scissors....even if I have an outline to follow. I do like the color combo though, Elegant Eggpland, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum and Very Vanilla.

We've still got DH's niece staying with us so I didn't make anything complicated this weekend.

Next two weekends I'm going to focus on designer paper and you'll get to see more than just cards! I can't wait to start working on the projects I have in mind!

Here you can find some more inspiration!

TFL