Stampin Up - Create A Calendar '09 Kit

I was curious about the SU 2009 calendar so I decided to buy one and check it out. It is a good idea for gifts because you can customize them for the recipient. I used different SU stamps new and retired and other stamps to embellish the pages. Some images I colored with COPIC markers and some images I used SU markers to ink the images.

The package comes with tabs for each month which comes in handy to pull out just that month from the group.

You can also add patterned paper to the sides of the pages to add some color. The kit comes with a strip of chocolate chip ribbon, but I chose to use a thinner ribbon instead.

Desktop Dry-Erase Frame

This is a small note board that I wanted to make for my office. This frame was purchased at Target and I liked it because it spins around so I could have a double side of notes. I used Melissa Frances-Cecilia paper with Stampin Up cardstock. I decided to try the large "To Do" stamp by Stampin Up but had to only stamp a portion of it because of the size of the frame. Oh by the way, the frame is 6 x 4 inches. The flower image is also by SU and colored with my beloved COPIC markers. I have more of these markers on my Christmas wish list! I bought a package of dry-erase markers by "The Board Dudes" at Target also. They are fine tip, have an eraser and also have a magnet on the side. Be sure to store them horizontally. The above picture shows the front side and the backside of the paper I used but I didn't take a picture of the backside of the frame when I put the cardstock into the frame.

One thing I found out was that since there is only a small amount of space between these pieces of glass, you only have so much room for layered cardstock and paper! So be aware that you cannot mat everything! You can also embellish on the outside of the frame by using your Xyron machine to make your own stickers, but I preferred not to do that...that would mean I would have to clean it really well and take all the sticky stuff off! I may want to change the inside sometime without all that extra work!

Thanks for checking in today! Happy Thanksgiving little early!

Magnetic Dominoe Card

Dominoes are rather thick when it comes to attaching them to cards and sending off in the mail. You would definitely have to put the card into a padded envelope to get it to it's destination. I found some Alpha Tiles by Lara’s Crafts at Michaels. They are about the same size as dominoes, but considerable thinner. These tiles have the alphabet stamped on them (one letter per tile) and they are made of thin wood with a round magnet inserted in the center of the wood on the back side.
Since I’ve never tried using dominoes on a project before, I had to experiment quite a bit. These wood tiles had to be sanded some to take off some of the letter, then painted with white acrylic paint. After it dried it had to be sanded and painted a few more times to hide the painted on letter.
Next I stamped my images with Versamark ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I let it cool down and sponged Stampin Up classic Elegant Eggplant ink over the top. I let it dry a little (it was still able to be rubbed off) and then I put the Versamark ink pad over the whole thing and sprinkled clear embossing powder over it all and heat set it. This process did make my Versamark pad tinted and a little dirty, but I used a papertowel to clean off most of the ink that was left on it. After it cooled, I repeated this process two more times and it had a shiny finish when I was done. I edged the tile with a gold paint pen and let it dry.
The background was made with Adirondak alcohol inks. Then I used Stampin Up’s Harlequin background stamp with Cotton White Staz-On ink on a transparency and attached these two with black brads with a gold dot on top. The flowers are Essentials 4 –Angelique multi with black brads in the middle. Gold dots on the EE cardstock were added at the end.
I attached the magnetic “domino” with two slightly sticky dots so the recipient could take it off the card and use it on the refrigerator!

Book Club Christmas Party Invitations

Our book club is having our annual Christmas party next month. We have a Saturday book club group and a Tuesday group and we all get together once a year and celebrate! We have lunch and talk about our favorite books from this past year. Each group reads different books so this is the time to find out which ones we want to read and which ones to leave on the shelf!

The strip of paper on the side is from Stampin Up along with the certainly celery mat and the real red card base. The "you're invited" sentiment is from Justrite Stamps and the snowflake is punched out of real red cardstock with a Martha Stewart punch. Then I put the snowflake through the xyron machine, dusted it with fine art glitter and glued it down. It has a very pretty effect!

Hope your week is going well! Thanks for checking in.

Spirelli Card

You can learn many new things when you go to "stamp club"! Last week we learned Spirelli and Pergamano. I have to try Pergamano again and I can't show you a picture today because when I tried to mount it on a piece of cardstock, the glue was visible!! This is my first time doing "Spirelli". It was a lot of fun, but I definitely had to pay attention to what I was doing! It's very hard to see that the bottom golden petals have been wrapped with a green floss and the top rust colored petals have been wrapped with a creamy yellow thread. The center of the sunflower is a circle punch with white dots and "sequin" colored Stickles. The stem and leaves were stamped using Memento ink. You can use the new pinking dies from Spellbinders to do spirelli also!

Golden Anniversary Card

My friend Judy and her husband are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary! I used Stampin Up designer paper, gold cardstock, whisper white and the Best Blossoms set. The oval at the bottom is from Justrite Stampers. I believe the ribbon is from Martha Stewart. I also used my Spellbinders Wizard to cut the oval and scallop and embossed the band with a cuttlebug folder.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Turquoise and White

These cards utilized stamps and DP from Stampin Up. I can’t remember where I got the rub-ons! (I need to be a better note taker!) I placed the rub-ons first onto the turquoise cardstock and then designed the cards from there. I think I used 5 different Stampin Up Sets/Wheel to create these gems. I also placed some turquoise Stickles in various places on the cards. Hope you enjoy them!

Kind Thoughts

A beautiful bird by Stampabilities embossed with a "grainy" turquoise embossing powder is the highlight of this card. The swirls in a darker green are by Spellbinders and the sentiment, ribbon and flower dp is by Stampin Up. The ribbon was white, then I colored it with a so saffron marker. The script is also by Stampabilities. Sometimes the pictures don't come out with a real good reflection of the color. I've used my Photoshop Elements to try and tweek the color a little. It does look good in person!

Birthday Cake Card

Today's post is a birthday cake image from Stampin Up! It is colored with copic markers. I think this is one of the first things I had colored when I got into using my beloved "copics" earlier in the year! Of course, you'll also see I've used the nestabilities scalloped rectangle. The scalloped edging reminds me of frosting...yes I'm still on "frosting" from the Halloween post...and I'm still off of sugar!

The ribbon and gem-brad is also from Stampin Up. And I added Stickles to the candles.