Serene Snowflakes Make Holiday Card Sparkle

This might just be my Christmas card this year. I just love how it turned out! And it's kinda funny because I really didn't like Soft Suede when it came out but now I love it.

Here's what I used:

• ruby red cardstock for the base cut to 11" x 4-1/4"


• soft suede cardstock cut to 4-1/4" x 3"


• whisper white cardstock cut to 4" x 2-3/4"


• soft suede ink


• Serene Snowflakes stamp set and a retired one for the sentiment because I don't have the lovely Four the Holidays yet!


• silver elastic cord (109866) Tip: this cord is stretchy and ties wonderfully, it add just the right amount of sparkle


• clear crystal brad
  

Thanks for stopping by!

Tasha

Don't you think this Merry Christmas will look fantastic on the card? I think this is a great set. As always you can order it right now by going to my Online Store and clicking "shop now".

Love You Much--In November?

No, I haven't lost my mind (at least not entirely). We are making Valentine cards today because we are sending them to the wonderful organization From Our Hearts. This network of volunteers sends cards to overseas for the military personnel to use to stay in touch with loved ones. And Valentine's Day is their next holiday shipment which goes out around Christmas.

Both cards use the stamp set Love You Much.

Top card colors are very vanilla, real red, regal rose, and old olive.

Bottom card colors are whisper white, pretty in pink, and melon mambo.

Punches used: flower trio, scallop edge, scallop circle, 1-1/4" circle, and eyelet border

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Hope you enjoyed this break from orange, black, and rust!

Tasha

Click here to place and order from my online stamping store.

Rub-ons Complete A Christmas Card

Today's card idea starts with sketch 109 from http://www.mojomonday.com/ . But the twist is that there is no rubber stamping on the card!

All supplies are Stampin' Up! and available through my website.

cardstock: pretty in pink, ridinghood red (retired In Color), kraft, garden green, whisper white

ink: ridinghood red sponged on flower petals

punches: 5-petal flower, eyelet border, trio flower

Big Shot: texturz plates Stampin' Up! Backgounds 1

Rub ons: I actually used a retired one, but Merry & Bright (116801)is a splendid collection offered in this year's mini-catalog

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Tasha

Embossed Simple Beauty

This card was made by my Stampin' Up! mentor who got me started stamping 10 years ago! She has a knack for quick and simple cards that rock.

• The embossed pattern is easily created with Stampin' Up!s exclusive embossing folder Elegant Bouquet (115964) and the Big Shot
• This greeting is from the stamp set All Holidays (114913) but could easily be changed--even to a birthday sentiment
• Using 2 brads for an accent is a good choice when making a large quantity of cards without breaking the bank!

The 12 Weeks of Christmas continues with idea #3 today. If you are not receiving these, sign up for my newsletter/mailing list on the left side. Each week I send a Christmas sample along with the list of supplies needed to make it. There will be cards, gifts, and packaging ideas to help you through the holiday season.

Thanks for stopping by,

Tasha

• November Cards of the Month released tomorrow
• shop here to place your order online

Lovely as a Tree Stamp Set Makes COTM Sneak Peek

That's right...it's the 10th of the month which means the Cards of the Month Sneak Peek! The November cards will use the stamp set Lovely As A Tree. I have admired this set for a long time so it is about time to feature it for Cards of the Month.


As always, Cards of the Month will be released on the 15th so watch for that on Thursday. Local club will take place October 30. In the meantime, there are a few kits left for October which you can order until Wed.

Have a great weekend!
Tasha

• click here to place a Stampin' Up! order online

Last Chances Today!

This is it! The end of September means the end of entering to win my Rubber Stamper's Halloween Pack. You can still enter today until midnight by answering the question below in a comment or by placing an order (gets you 5 entries).

Today's card idea is one of my favorite stand-by layouts.

• The Kraft cardstock base was embossed with the Big Shot and Stampin' Up! Texturz plates, then a light sponging of Dusty Durango rubbed across the top to help the embossing stand out.


• A piece of close to cocoa attached at the bottom creates the "text box". The sentiment is from Kind and Caring Thoughts--email me if you would like to know how to get this stamp set free.


• For a little zip, I added some Bermuda Bay polka-dot ribbon.


• The image is Flowers in Silhouette which is a single stamp offered by Stampin' Up! It is stamped onto a small piece of Kraft first in Dusty Durango, then again (slighty offset) in Craft White. I just love the way the colors blend together creating a third color! The image piece is layered onto Dusty Durango and all the edges are sponged with Dusty Durango ink.

Today is also the last chance to order the Definitely Decorative Growth Chart.

This special offer growth chart is $24.99. It goes up in a jiffy on a wall, door, or if you think you might move you can apply it to a board that can move with you!

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And now for the last question...but first I want to thank everyone who has participated! It is so fun to hear about what you are doing and find out your view on things!!

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Do you usually have trick-or-treaters come to your house?

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Have a great day! I'll post the winner tomorrow!

Tasha

• The 12 Weeks of Christmas started today! If you're on my mailing/newsletter list you should have received a Christmas card idea this morning. The upcoming weeks will include cards, gifts, and tags/wrapping projects. Not on the list? Sign up in the upper left corner of my blog.
• click here to place an order

Chance To Win, Question 7

Cards of the Month (local club) meets today! Here is one of the cards we will be making--it's a real hoot!

The chipboard owl is a fun element to use. He is part of the On Board So Tweet collection offered in the Stampin' Up! idea book and catalog. This card uses retired fall designer series paper so if you want the look, you'll have to order this month's Cards of the Month Kit.

A little Shimmer Paint sponged on the eyes after the crushed curry gives just the right touch of glisten. And sponging the edges of the owl himself in chocolate chip finishes him off nicely.

It's a lot of fun to get together and stamp, but even better for me because it's my "job". I am always looking to grow and willing to train so if you would like to join my team let me know! Guess what? With today's technology you don't even have to be within driving distance!

An email today, and you could be ready to roll in a week. And you can decide how much you want to earn. Yes, most earn a little money to put in their pocket and cover their expenses. But you can also be a stamping demonstrator earning a full-time salary.

Now on to another fun part of my job!

Blog Candy Giveaway Question:

Do you prefer traditional Halloween costumes (witch, ghost, fairy) or the character costumes (Star Wars, Buzz Lightyear, Cpt. Jack Sparrow)?

Your answer could win you this fabulous rubber stampers Halloween pack.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Tasha

Completely Unscripted Wednesday

The card for today is made possible by my daughter who is home sick, thereby giving me time to stay home and stamp! Since my plans have all changed for the day I thought it was only appropriate to do an Unscripted sketch. :)

stamps: two that I've had for years. Bought the skeleton to stamp on kids' hands at a preschool party 9 years ago and the face I actually bought to use as coffee beans for a project a couple years ago!

cardstock: Stampin' Up!s basic black, rich razzleberry, crushed curry, and whisper white

ink: rich razzleberry (pad and marker*), basic black

accessory: crushed curry polka-dot grosgrain ribbon

• A little "connect the dots" doodling adds just enough detail to the background. Using the rich razzleberry marker on the same color cardstock keeps it from standing out too much.
• the face is popped up on Stampin' dimensionals for extra emphasis
• the card is 5-5/8"x5-1/2", nearly square!

Blog Candy** Question:

Which is your favorite Stampin' Up! halloween set? They are in the catalog and idea book pages 20-26. Click here to see the catalog in pdf form.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tasha

• *this is the first time Stampin' Up! has offered markers in the In Colors, it is so handy to have them along with the pad, cardstock, and ribbon
• **click here to see the giveaway details!

Mojo and Giveaway Question 5

When I said the blog candy giveaway questions would be posted randomly, I had no idea HOW much that was true! The question is below, but first a card idea for you today. Honestly, I don't like this card but I thought it was only fair to share it anyway! Somehow the idea was prettier in my head! lolIf you check out the sketch at www.mojomonday.com maybe you can make a better one!

stamp set: Full of Life

colors: bashful blue, gable green, regal rose, whisper white

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And now for the question. Your answer could win you this fantastic Rubber Stamper's Halloween Pack. Drawing is Oct. 1, details can be seen here.

Do you let your kids eat all the candy/treats they get throughout the Halloween season? No kids? That's okay, just leave any old comment to get an entry.

Hope you had a great weekend. Ours was full but fun! Thanks for stopping in, Tasha

• 3 more days to sign up for October Cards of the Month
• 3 more days to sign up for Die Cutting Day (see right side bar)
• click here to order supplies right now from my online store!
  

Blog Candy Giveaway Question 4

Where did Thursday go? I finished this card to show you about 24 hours ago but never got back to my computer! Just for fun I used this week's color challenge and the sketch challenge both from splitcoaststampers.

A quick and simple card that would bring a smile to the recipient's face! Both the bird and flower are paper-pieced by stamping the image on pattern paper, cutting it out and glueing directly onto the image that was stamped on white. The card is a standard 4-1/4"x5-1/2" size.

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To create this card you will need the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

stamp set--Fun and Fast Notes

cardstock--whisper white base, soft suede, pretty in pink, pink pattern paper

ink--StazOn jet black

accessory--clear crystal brad, small

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Don't forget you can enter to win this Rubber Stamper's Halloween Pack by answering the questions until Sept. 30. Tip: sign up as a follower (on the left side) and you'll know each time I post a question!

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Do you prefer to make cards for Halloween or Christmas?

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Find out the rest of the ways to enter by clicking here.

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Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Tasha

• Need supplies right now? Click here to order from my online store

October Cards of the Month!

It's official! Cards of the Month for October has been released! You can sign up from now until Sept. 23 to take part locally or for the mail option you can sign up through Oct. 10.

Click on the picture for all the details!

An Unscripted Stamping Break

Since it is Saturday, I had to take a break from fair baking with the kids to visit Unscripted Sketches. Today's card idea uses their sketch #23.

This is a quick card to put together. It is the standard A2 size (4-1/2"x5-1/2") with the fold on the top.

stamp set: Christmas Punch (you can get this free as a hostess)

ink: close to cocoa, ruby red

accessories: Sleigh Bells ribbon (116795 in the mini-catalog), gold brads, hemp twine

All supplies are Stampin' Up! Need something? You can order directly through my online store, or email me for a catalog.

Have you started thinking about those holiday cards? I will start The 12 Weeks of Christmas on Oct. 6 to help you get everything ready without the last minute rush!

Have a great weekend!

Tasha

Oct. Sneak Peek

It's time for Cards of the Month Sneak Peek! Since the cards are for October, can you guess what the theme is? ...That's right, a little spooky and fun.

Not familiar with Cards of the Month (COTM)? You can get the details by clicking on the COTM picture in the right sidebar. There are 2 September kits left which you can purchase through this weekend.

On a personal note: the State Fair starts Friday!! I delivered entries to the scout building yesterday. It didn't go real smoothly and I was having to play "beat the clock" but they got there!

Part of the reason I was distracted is that I got a call from the hospital that my brother's baby was coming about 10 days early.

But she was over 7lbs. and just perfect so the day ended well!

Have a great day!

Tasha

Wild Mojo

This weekend I spent time caring for 2 friends' animals while they got away for the holiday. After getting our own animals down for the night I counted up that I had just finished tending 13 chickens, many fish, 5 cats, 2 bunnies, and 2 dogs. So with animals on the brain, I reached for my Animal Stories stamp set this morning once I checked out mojomonday sketch 103.

I did flip the sketch sideways, but other than that it is straight forward.

• Tall Tales designer series paper helped this card go together quickly


• colors are soft suede, old olive, so saffron, and whisper white


• gold brads anchor the hemp twine on each side


• the spiral punch lends some pizzaz to the paper strip (that punch is a bargain at only $10.95)

It's hard to see, but I did use the Shimmer Paint (yes, I am still loving it) on the giraffe.

Sponging the stamp with the shimmer paint, then inking it in soft suede, gives a shimmery --almost embossed-- look!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

Tasha

• click here to order supplies from my online store 24/7!


• 3 days to the COTM sneak peek


• watch for Friday's BLOG CANDY announcement!
  

Commission Work

Today's card idea is a card that I made for a client. Occasionally, my upline/neighbor/friend along with another sideline and I work together as a group called Dazzling Diamonds Design Team to do custom order work. These cards are for a church to send on birthdays.

Because many people will need to sign them this card is actually a large 5-1/2"x8" size which was hard for me!

• colors: whisper white, orchid opulence, certainly celery, so saffron
• the background is embossed with the Big Shot and the exclusive Stampin' Up! Backgrounds 1 texturz plate
• the sentiment is from the Special Blessing stamp set heat embossed in black
• the flower images are part of the Eastern Blooms stamp set
• glitter is that fabulously fine Cosmo glittler in purple
• the ribbon is 5/8" grosgrain, unfortunately the so saffron color is no longer available but you can still get 9 other colors (and they are a bargain in 15yd. spools!)

In case you've been hiding under a rock, I better let you know that the Holiday Mini-Catalog is official today. Yes, you can now order the fantastic items available. Except for My Digital Studio which will not be available until Oct. 1.

And there is a hostess special. Any workshop that has $250 in product orders, earns the hostess the opportunity to order any item* from the mini-catalog for only $10. That is in addition to the already generous hostess benenfits. I also lhave an additional offer that I mentioned in my September newsletter. So email me to get on the schedule!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tasha

• don't have a mini? email me with your name, mailing address and phone so I can send one to you!

*excludes My Digital Studio and hostess sets

The Last Mini- Peek!

For today's card idea, I want to share a technique and a new product that will debut tomorrow in the new Stampin' Up! holiday mini-catalog.

Can you see the shimmer on the card? Hard to photograph, but very cool in person.

• The card base layer is close to cocoa embossed in the Big Shot with a Texturz plate.
• Then I used the very cool new product Shimmer Paint in champagne mist. But instead of just brushing on a little, I sponged the whole darn piece of cardstock!!
• For the cross I used the kissing technique. Inking up the cross from the stamp set Refuge and Strength in certainly celery (always start with the lightest color), I then inked the small branch in close to cocoa and stamped it onto the cross stamp. After a quick huff, I stamped the cross onto the whisper white cardstock. This technique creates an interesting, aged sort of look.
• Then, of course, I had to sponge a little shimmer on top! However, it just looks kind of grainy in the picture. Trust me, it's pretty in person!

Have a great Monday and thanks for stopping by!

Tasha

• click here to order supplies from my online store
• check back tomorrow for Stampin' Up!s holiday mini-catalog!
• my newsletter goes out tomorrow, sign up in the upper left-hand corner so you don't miss out!!

Late Unscripted

Today, the card idea had to wait until after the morning workshop! I grabbed the sketch over at Unscripted Sketches since it's Saturday. Guess what? They have expanded their design team so now you can see lots of wonderful and inspiring projects each Saturday.Since I had my In Colors and Autumn Days stamp set still out from Cards of the Month Club I used them for today's card. This is a standard A2 size, using US sketch #21.
stamp sets: Autumn Days and Teen Tiny Wishes
ink and cardstock colors: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
tools and accessories: Dusty Durango 1/2" polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, Big Shot with Texturz Plate from Stampin' Up! Backgrounds #1, scallop edge punch

Are you in the mood for fall? We are having a cool day that's just screaming "football!" so I couldn't help but use fall colors today.

Have a great weekend!
Tasha

A Little Birdie Told Me

September Cards of the Month Club Kits go out today! This is one of the cards you will be making if you joined for this month.

If you join, you will receive the cardstock and accessories to make the 5 cards shown each month. You have the option of purchasing the stamp sets used in the sample or substituting your own! This month the featured stamp set is Autumn Days.

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You can order the kit by mail until September 10. However, there are only 3 left so don't wait too long! Click here for more details or to sign up.

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Hope you are having a good week! Thanks for stopping by, Tasha

Got Your Mojo?

Well, it's Monday so if you have a chance grab the sketch over at mojomonday and play along. My card idea for today is a Christmas theme because I have all these wonderful new supplies here begging to be used!

This is enclosure card size, 3"x3". I just love this size. Because the products are all new to me, I actually have to get the out the mini-catalog to tell you what I used!

• Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series paper (sooo cool)
• stamp set is Delightful Decorations
• Ornament Punch (!!!)
• Silver elastic cord
• Whisper white Organza Ribbon (elegance on a spool)
• Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (a must have)

Can you see the shimmer paint on the ornament? Hard to photo but looks great in person! Also, the Christmas Cocoa paper is metallic so it has a shimmer, too.

If you don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, email me and I will send you a copy of the holiday mini-catalog. You can order from this starting Sept. 1.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Tasha

Un-bear-ably Cute

As promised, here is a sneak peek of the Build-A-Bear stamp set available in the Stampin' Up! fall mini-catalog starting September 1. The whole line of coordinating stamps, dies, and paper is very cute!
Good old kraft cardstock is so versatile (used for the base of each card). Have you noticed my favorite items are versatile? :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Tasha

• don't miss the new Unscripted Sketch tomorrow
• Stampers' Clubs info night this week
• local Cards of the Month next Friday, sign up here