I'm a Proud Peacock!

Today at Sisters in Stamping we are giving you a sneak peek at the Summer Mini Catalog that begins in just a mere 2 days.  I'm so excited about this mini catalog.  Okay, so I say that all the time but I honestly love many of the products in this mini.  They are fun and cheerful.  They scream Summer to me.  Something that I am more than ready for after the neverending Winter we had here in NEPA.

When I saw the Proud Peacock set, I just couldn't wait to get it.  It made me immediately think of my Pa-pa.  He's been gone about 25 years now but I loved my Pa-pa (I was only 12 when he passed away).  He wasn't a fancy man.  He wasn't rich, but he made me feel loved every time I saw him.  He was fun to be around and I remember him smiling often. He had some very memorable decor pieces in his apartment.  Or at least they were memorable to me.  I remember the ceramic bull on the coffee table and then there were the peacocks.  There they stood in their green and blue glory.  I decided to brighten my peacock up a bit but it still makes me smile while remembering my Pa-pa.

Isn't it a fun card?  I love it.  I picked my colors straight from the Playful Polka Dot Simply Scrappin' Kit in the Summer Mini Catalog.  It so fun, festive, bright, and cheerful.  If I were to receive this in the mail, I would certainly smile. 

Don't forget to check out the Sisters in Stamping blog for more peeks from the Summer Mini Catalog.

Products Used:
Proud Peacock
Cardstock: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, & Old Olive
Classic Ink: Old Olive, Rose Red
Stampin' Write Markers: Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie & Daffodil Delight
Big Shot
Perfect Polka Dots Impression Folder
Dimensionals
Eyelet Border Punch

More flowers are bloomin'

If you read the Sisters in Stamping blog we originally said we were going to take this week off for the Easter Holiday but we just couldn't stay away.  : )    We decided to give you one last look at the Occasions Mini Catalog.  Remember it is ending next Saturday, April 30, 2011.  So if there is something in there that you just need to have give me a call and I'll get it ordered right away for you.

Isn't this flower just gorgeous?  I love the Fun Flowers die.  I have used it so much. I'm even using it for Brittney's Bridal shower favors (you'll see those after the shower). I used the Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper for my starting point.  Blue usually isn't my color but I must admit that I am loving Baja Breeze.  Not even sure where that's coming from. If you know me well enough you know that I am a green kinda gal but this Baja Breeze has taken a fond second.

For the flower, I embossed the three layers using the Perfect Polka Dot impressions folder.  I love the added dimension it gives the flower.  There are dimensionals between each layer to make the flower come to life.  For the leaves of the flower, I just cut an extra large flower in always artichoke while cutting the baja breeze cardstock.  I used 3 petals from the flower to make leaves.

This is a card that is pretty simple to make but gives you a lot of bang for your buck. It just took a few minutes to make really.  It is a little bulky to mail but just think of how happy the recipient will be when they open it up.

Don't forget to jump over to the Sisters in Stamping blog for other last minute Occasions Mini Catalog ideas.

List of Products Used:

Big Shot

Fun Flowers Bigz L Die

Perfect Polka Dots Impression Folder

Very Vanilla Cardstock

Baja Breeze Cardstock

Always Artichoke Cardstock

Springtime Vintage Designers Series Paper

Always Artichoke Classic Ink

Occasional Quotes Stamp Set

Eyelet Border Punch

Basic Pearls

Dimensionals

Hey, Chickie!

Hello Stamping Friends,

Are you all ready with your Easter Cards?  If not, today at Sisters in Stamping we have some inspiring cards for you to make quickly to get out in next week's mail, just in time for Easter.

I used the Good Egg stamp set.  I just love this set.  It's so fun! You can design your own Easter eggs or make these cute little chicks like I did.  Aren't they just adorable?  I also stamped the bottom half of the stamp on designer paper so I could cut that out and give them each a cute little bottom half.  Another thing I like to do with this set is to cut 2 shells out and put one on the bottom like I did here and the other tilted on the top of the chicks little head so it looks like they just hatched.  I love the one saying, "You crack me up!" that comes in this set.  I didn't use it on this card because I wanted it to be an Easter card but isn't it a fun saying?

I love how vibrant my chicks color is.  I used daffodil delight reinker and an aqua painter to color them.  It's nice and dark but doesn't show any lines that you sometimes see when you use a marker to color a larger area.  The colors uses are this year's In-Colors, Blush Blossom, Pear Pizzazz, & Concord Crush.  I used the hostess level one paper patterns pack for the shells.

Have a wonderful day!  Email me to find out about my special tax day (or weekend) sale if you are interested.  It's a good one.

Bring it On

Today at Sisters in Stamping we are focusing on the great Birthday set in the Occasions mini catalog (which runs through the end of April, in case you were wondering) called Bring on the Cake.  It's a great word set with a few images in it as well.

The card I created was a very quick and simple card to make.  You can easily make a bunch of these in no time flat.

I used very vanilla, rose red, and pumpkin pie cardstock.  I used the Sweet and Sour Specialty Designer Series Paper for a fun, festive look to the card.  Besides, you all know I love polka dots.  I'll add them to everything if I could.

I stamped the birthday cake image in basic black and watercolored the image using Rose red and Pumpkin pie classic pads with an aqua painter.  To finish the card off, I added some bling to the bottom right hand corner as well as the bottom of the cake plate. Oh, one last thing, the main image is attached to the card using dimensionals.  You didn't think I would forget them, did you?

Okay, gotta run, got a call to go sub this morning and I told them I'd be there real soon.  Just had to post this quickly before I left.  Have a great day and an even better weekend.

Remember to head over to Sisters in Stamping for even more ideas using this great set.

Dreaming of Bright, Pretty Butterflies

Today, as I look out the window and see it snowing again (and it was just raining a few hours ago), I'm dreaming of many bright, pretty butterflies that will one day appear up here on the mountain. Although, there is a poor little beautiful BlueJay looking for some food in the backyard. And since, I won't be seeing any of those outside my windows any time real soon, I decided to share with you a bright, pretty butterfly card I made last week.  When I shared it at two classes I held, there were a lot of oooo's and ahhh's, I guess everyone is in the same boat.  The boat of wishing Winter would go away and stay away. 

There is no stamping on this card.  (gasp)  But it is entirely made with the big shot.  Did I ever tell you how much I love my big shot?  The colors of this card comes from the Sunny Days Designer Series Paper, Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, & Daffodil Delight.  I used the Tulip frame embossing folder to frame it all off. Then I used the elegant lines embossing folder for the background (and to make the white pop more).  Then I used the Beautiful Butterflies die to die cut the designer series paper for the focal point of the card.  I then finished the card off with some fun "ruffled" daffodil delight satin ribbon.  And the thing that really makes the card pop is the bling you find in the center of the butterfly and the lone rhinestone on the edge of the ribbon.

Hope this butterfly has cheered up your day.  Hang in there, although it seems like we are having a never-ending Winter, Spring really is on it's way. (That was more for me, than for you.)

Have a great day!

Don't forget to check out the Clearance Rack on my website, there are many great new things added recently.  Even Grab bags for $5, $10, or $15.  Don't miss out on the great deals.

Spring is Blossoming

Spring is Blossoming!  And if you live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, you may be saying, "Rachel, have you looked outside?  You have lost your mind!"  I know it's snowing today. What a horrible April Fool's Day joke, too.  But Spring is Blossoming. Well at Stampin' Up! it is anyway.

For the entire month of April you can take advantage of a sneak peek special either as a hostess or a customer.  Stampin' Up! has released two items, a stamp set, Four Frames and designer series paper, Paisley Prints, that will be available in the upcoming 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog that will makes it's grand appearance on July 1, 2011.

If you host a workshop with sales totaling $350 or more you will get the stamp set (wood or clear mount) and the Paisley Prints paper for FREE along with all your other hostess goodies.  Or if you purchase $20 worth of products you can buy the stamp set and the paper (up to 5 of each for every $20 purchase).

So today at Sisters in Stamping we are focusing our attention on this great promotion.

Here is the card I created.  I cut 1 1/2" squares from the paper and embossed it with the finial press embossing folder.  Layered them onto Not Quite Navy cardstock and layered that onto marina mist and old olive cardstock.  I stamped the bird frame in Not Quite Navy and then used the Thinking of you stamp from Teeny Tiny Wishes (I just love that set, it's a must have) in Old Olive ink.  Punched it out with the Decorative label punch (which all four stamps in the set coordinate with).  I also punched an old olive piece and cut it in half to give the frame a bit of a layered look.

I still have a few dates open if you would like to host a workshop during April and take advantage of this great promotion. Contact me for dates.

Don't forget to head over to Sisters in Stamping to see what the other sisters did with their stamp set and paper.

Have a wonderful weekend.