Emboss your heart out!

I promised you more about my mystery box photo for my next post, but we must interrupt this post for fast breaking news.  This is too good to wait.  Please keep reading for today's exciting news and then come back for my next post and it WILL be about the mystery box, I promise.

If you know me at all, you know I love embossing.  I made a little ring of scalloped circles to make a sampler for all our embossing folders.  I used the Scallop Circle Die with the Big Shot to cut the circles and then embossed each one with a different embossing folder.

I can see at a glance just what design choices I have for making my next project.  I seem to be collecting quite a few:)  You may be wondering what I do when a folder retires.  If I'm keeping the folder, which I almost always do, I remove the sampler and place it on my retired samplers ring.  It keeps everything organized and I can still play with old favorites from time to time.

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or click on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration.

Gorgeous, Gorgeous, Gorgeous Fall Wreath!

I don't know when I've had so much fun putting together a project as when I made this gorgeous wreath.  While we're waiting to hear from family on memorial service arrangements, I'm trying to get my class schedule back on track.  First, I want to show you my wreath.

Isn't this gorgeous?   This is my version of the one in the catalog.  This is what we'll be making at our September Stamp Club.  The deadline for signing up for the September Club was to be today.  Because of the death in our family and the huge changes to my schedule this week, I am extending that deadline.

The new deadline to sign up will be August 27.  The $45. fee includes ALL materials you will need to make this gorgeous wreath AND you will go home with a few extra supplies.

This wreath will coordinate beautifully with the Blessings Banner we will be making at my Blessings and Banners class on October 23.  I'll be sharing more on this class very soon.  I really hope you will sign up for this super fun class.

Here's a close-up of the little banner at the bottom of the wreath.

Other news:
My new date for my Holiday Stampin' Party will actually be 2 choices of dates.

Saturday, September 7, 2:00-5:00

OR

Sunday, September 8, 2:00-5:00

Because life gets in the way sometimes and changes all our best-laid plans, we have to make the most of it all.  I figure my new party dates will just be that much better because I'll have even MORE projects to show you by then.

Coming soon:  What's up for September, besides making this gorgeous wreath, of course.  Come back soon and check it out.

Before I go, I'd like to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for the uplifting messages, thoughts and prayers for our family.  Bill's sister was younger than he and had suffered a ton of health problems.  We thought she was doing better, but God had other plans.  Once again, my mother-in-law, at the age of 90 has shown us strength and grace in times of sorrow.  She is amazing and my heart breaks for her now.  Thank you again for your love and support.

Crosses of Hope

As I gasp, cough and wheeze my way through the morning, here is a post with a trio of cards in the beautiful combination of Pool Party and Soft Suede.

I wanted these cards to have a lot of rich texture, so I dry embossed one and heat embossed the other two.  I love the soft look of these colors together.

I am really fighting my asthma and allergies, so I'm staying in a lot - which means I'm in my studio and stamping up a storm - between breathing treatments.  I love Spring, but it doesn't seem to love me.  I have lots to share with you, so it will be an action-packed week coming up on my blog.  I have more layouts, cards from our Team Meeting, and sneak peeks for this Thursday night.  Come back soon!!!

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or click on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration.

Core'dinations CS and a Little Fun

Here's a little fun for you to enjoy today.  (Click the link to see it.)  I love it!!!

And now, let's get to the core of things --- with our Core'dinations CS, that is.

We now have Core'dinations CS in several colors:
Early Espresso
Cherry Cobbler
Gumball Green
Primrose Petals
Pool Party
Real Red

You can use it 'as is' to give extra texture to your project or you can really bump it up and use it with embossing folders.  Our CS has a solid core, so if you tear or emboss it, you get the same solid color.  The Core'dinations CS has a lighter core, so if you emboss and then lightly sand the top surface of the image, you get a highlighted, lighter color that really shows off your embossing design.  Here's a card I made using the Primrose Petals.

Here are all the colors:

... and a close-up of the dyed roses:

If you missed my posts about dyeing, you can check here and here.

Here are some other cards I've made using the Core'dinations CS:

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or click on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration.

Good Mocha Morning!

I am so excited to share today's post with you!  This is one of my latest wreath creations.  It was inspired by my friend and customer, Marsha.  She created the most gorgeous collage frame at my class, using Mocha Morning DSP.  I love the yummy colors in these papers!  I was curious as to how they would look in a large wreath above my fireplace.  I was going for a vintage look.

I covered a few of my Spice Cake buttons (soft suede, from my stash:) with punched circles of the DSP.  I added Antique Brads to the crumpled flowers and to the embossed butterflies.  I love how it turned out.  Stay tuned for another Mocha Morning project, coming soon.

Before you go, just a few reminders about Stampin' Up! retiring products and new things to come:

Get them before they are gone! The Retired Accessories and Definitely Decorative (including Décor Elements) lists are now available and won't stay around for long, as these are limited in quantity and can sell out fast.  Some are even discounted from 25% up to 70% off!!!

I highly recommend placing your orders early as things will sell out. If you have not yet completed your collection of the 2010-2012 In Color ink pads, card stock, markers, refills, ribbon, you'll want to get them ASAP!  

SUPER GOOD NEWS:

I am offering a special that you'll want to enjoy:  If you order $50. in product through me (before tax and shipping) any time between now and the end of May, I will give you the upcoming new big catalog --- for FREE.  You can spread the $50. out throughout the time remaining until the end of May, as long as the cumulative amount comes to $50.  You can order online or during a class... and don't forget that ordering $25. at a time could earn you a free class, too, so it's all good and all fun!!!

Things to note:

• Classic Ink Pads: will be replaced with a new exciting "firm foam pad" being introduced with the 2012-2013 annual catalog.  The Firm Foam pads offer better ink coverage and, in turn, better stamped images.
• Craft Ink Pads:  will no longer be offered, except in black and white.
• Stampin' Stampin' Write Markers: only select markers will be available individually (will still be offered in color collection assortment packs).
• 12" x 12" Textured Card Stock:  will no longer be offered.
• 12" x 12" Smooth Card Stock:  will only be available in select individual colors and color collections assortment packs.

Embossing...Embossing...Embossing

I love to emboss.  It adds instant layers of texture and shows great attention to detail.  It's fun; it's quick; it's easy; it's addicting:)
In one of my previous posts, I showed you the Designer Cuts Cards and Envelopes kit.  I had embossed some of the cards and all of the envelopes.  The kit actually comes with all pink envelopes.  Since I made 3 of the cards with blue tones, I switched out those envelopes for plain vanilla envelopes.  I went ahead and embossed the 3 remaining pink envelopes with the same hearts and will use those later for Valentine's Day cards, baby girl cards or cards for Spring.
Speaking of Valentine's Day, when I showed my finished cards to my husband, he asked me if I could make 2 more of the cards with the hearts.  I told him, yes, I'd make ONE card --- for his mother --- but I would not make a second one for him to give me for Valentine's Day.  I don't make cards for myself.  He's tried this stunt before:)
Again, here are the embossed envelopes I made for the cards:

Here's the envelope with the embossed portion.  It really makes it look elegant.

Here's the pink envelope with the embossed portion...again, quite elegant.  The embossing for this envelope has an embossing  folder that has already been made as just a strip.  It comes as a set of 3 folders, called Textured Impressions Embossing Folders Adorning Accents.  You can find them on page 7 of the Occasions Mini (#125601, for just $8.95).  Since they are in a set of 3, I keep them in a stamp case, also, with the image slipped into the front of the case.

The vanilla envelope was embossed using 1 of my custom cut strips.  It's starts with a Finial Press embossing folder.  If you're going to try this, buy an extra folder so you can keep the original one to emboss an entire card front.  You can see how I marked the front image with a pencil, so I could plan out where I would cut.  Once I had it planned out, I drew the same markings (using a Sharpie marker) onto the front of the embossing folder.  I used our Craft and Rubber scissors to cut the embossing folder.  After cutting, I cleaned off any remaining Sharpie lines, so they wouldn't transfer to my project.

Here are all the cut pieces.  Keeping them in an empty stamp case helps to keep track of them all.

Here is an embossed piece of CS showing the markings where I cut.  It's pretty easy to see here how I did it.

To emboss an envelope, I put the piece of embossing folder completely around the envelope.  It goes through the Big Shot easily, with no tabs.

Because you''re doing the entire envelops, you get a nice, deep embossing.  It looks really great.

I also cut up a Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  I hope you can see in these photos how I embossed just a portion of the card front.

Here's how I marked the folder, to plan out where I wanted to cut.  You could actually use several on the same card, embossing just portions of the card front wherever you wanted to emboss.....endless possibilities.

Here's how I store all the pieces... a great idea because you have a lot of pieces for this one:)

Close-ups...

It's a little difficult to see the embossing in photos, but I think you can get the idea.  It's quick and easy and really takes your project to the wow level in a hurry.