EXCELLENT news!

Oh my! Remember this gift card holder that I made for the any new catalog swap with Control Freak Swappers? It made it online to Stamper's Showcase today! For those that don't know...Stamper's Showcase is a place on the Demonstrator Only side where Stampin' Up! features 4-6 cards every day that demos can use for inspiration in their classes and workshops. These are items people send in for the monthly contests or groups (like Control Freaks) submit one of each of the swap cards and Stampin' Up! picks and chooses which ones they want to use. Control Freaks have CONTROLLED the Stamper's Showcase board for the past couple days...having 3 and 4 each day of the cards chosen from that last swap or from members of our Group!!! Way to go, girls!

My second piece of news is that on Friday I went to my mailbox and had an issue of the new summer Take Ten magazine in my mailbox! I knew that meant that I had a card in that issue! Woohoo! My card is shown at the bottom of page 48! (They spelled my last name as Babert instead of Babbert...but, hey, I know it is me!) I started dancing right in the street! I'm SO excited!

Have a wonderful week! Mine is starting off great!!!

Big Birthday Candle AND Billy Joel!

Sorry I stayed away all weekend! Saturday was busy with errands and Sunday...well, let me tell you what we did! We went to the Billy Joel Concert in town. Oh my! That man STILL has such a great voice! He played all his old (and my favorite!!) songs...finishing with Piano Man. His band was excellent...several saxes, two drummers, two electric guitar players. Billy Joel was in form...cracking jokes about how much older he was than the last time he was in Columbus, about his ex-wives and his loss/graying of hair. Because my husband's bank helped sponsor the event, we had seats 5 rows from the floor and to the side...within "spittin" distance as my hubby would say. We really had a great time! We saw him in concert about 18 years ago when he was touring with Elton John. Now THAT was a concert, too!

Well...on to the purpose why you stopped by, right? Here is the card that I made for the Control Freaks swap...we were to use any new set in the last catalog...thank goodness it was a small swap (18) because cutting out all those candles! Oh my! Patty Bennett gave me the inspiration for the fold. The base of the card is made with Pumpkin Pie cut 4 x 12 and scored at 4 and 8, then the center panel is scored diagonally (top left to bottom right) making an inside pocket when collapsed that holds a gift card or money. I used the fabulous Jersey Shore DSP paper on the front and inside (note to self...order MORE!). I cut 3 candles (Brilliant Blue, Pumpkin Pie and Wild Wasabi) and 3 flames (Summer Sun) for each card. On the flames, I sponged some pumpkin pie ink in the centers, covered with Tombow Multipurpose glue and then Dazzling Diamonds glitter. They SPARKLE so pretty! I stamped Make a Wish from the Big Birthday Candle set and I used the Happy Everything set for the inside with Basic Gray ink. This is a fun set to stamp!

This week I need to prepare for a couple upcoming classes AND get my schedule of classes worked out for NEXT month! I'm behind doing that...the weather has been nice and I think I have a little Spring Fever! lol!

Enjoy!

Time for You

Everyone should have received their swap packages, so I can finally show you what I made for the Control Freaks mega swap! I had to make 40 of them. I stamped the cute little clock from the Time For You stamp set in the Occasions mini and used my watercolor crayons to color it. I covered the clock face with Crystal Effects. The background paper is from the new Afternoon Tea designer paper and I also attached the awesome Chocolate twill with a staple! Love that ribbon...very easy to work with it.

Headed out of town tomorrow to do several classes...I'll be back to post my Blogger's Challenge card on Friday evening. I missed last week's, so I plan on combining the two challenges from last week and this week!

Take care!

Connie

Friendship Blooms

Oh, I can't believe I forgot to post this card! This was my swap card for the Control Freaks group Sale-A-Bration swap last month. I used the set Friendship Blooms.

I wanted the illusion of a jean pocket, so I used the Blue Bayou Designer Prints paper and rounded the bottom with my corner rounder. The scallop edge is also made with the corner rounder...taking the guide off and then punching along the bottom of the cardstock. The flower is popped up with dimensionals and I added a Faux Diamond Dust (technique from Technique Junkies Newsletter) glitter flower center punched with the Boho Blossoms punch...and I added a colored mini brad in the center and at the top of the "pocket". I also stamped the inside pocket piece and added a glitter flower to it, also. I like using the Round Tab punch for the top of the pull-out...note the swirl stamp on the tab, too!

Well, we got about 3" of snow today unexpectedly! Earlier this week it was warm enough to melt all the snow...now it is back! I hope it is done snowing...I'm supposed to go out of town on Friday and hate to drive in bad weather.

Set: Friendship Blooms

C/S: Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White, River Rock, Blue Bayou DSP

Inks: River Rock, Blue Bayou, Purely Pomegranate, Versamark

Other: Round Tab punch, Boho Blossoms punch, River Rock double stitched ribbon, Corner rounder punch, Mini brads, Iridescent Ice EP

Connie

Holy Triptych

I've been busy the past week working on my Control Freaks swaps. I signed up for both the New Catalog Swap and the Holiday Mini Swap. Of course, my intention was to finish up the new Catalog swap BEFORE convention...ha! That didn't happen... So, I've been down to the wire getting two 40 card swaps done this week. I did it! They were popped in the mail on Friday! Yeah!

The New Catalog swap was a breeze. I had an idea and executed it! It was time consuming with all the punches and layers, but it went together easily from my mind to the card. I want to wait to share that card when I know everyone has received it...probably next week some time.

Of course, the Holiday Mini swap card didn't come together nearly as easily! I absolutely knew I HAD to have this stamp set the minute I saw it. I think I was one of the first to send off an emai to Lisa telling her I'd be using that set. I had some generic thoughts in my head on what I wanted to do, but they weren't coming out on paper the way my mind's eye saw them! Has anyone else every had that problem??? My initial thought was to use the angel from Holy Triptych...so how come I ended up using the Wise Men? Anyway, here is one of my "rejects" for the swap!

I actually did like this color combination and format...the embossed gold looks very nice on River Rock! I think it was just the overall card didn't speak to me...although I do really like it and will probably use it as one of my Stamp-A-Stack cards this year.

Sets: Holy Triptych, Many Merry Messages
C/S: River Rock, Always Artichoke
Inks: Versamark, Always Artichoke ink cartridge
Other: Gold EP, Oval Coluzzle, Ticket Corner punch, Key tag punch, Oval punch, So Swirly Jumbo wheel