Double Line Doodles

GOSH...no one wants to guess how many punches I used on yesterday's card?

It is HOT, HOT, HOT here in the Midwest! I went out this morning to get my nails done and get some groceries. I felt like I was melting just going from the car to the stores! It is clouding up now, so hopefully we will get a little rain and break this heat wave! I love summer and hot weather, but this is pushing the envelope! lol! If I didn't have so much to do to get ready for our Convention Round Up this weekend, I'd head out for the POOL!

Remember the Blog Challenge card I posted a couple weeks ago? I refined it so I could use it as my swap card for the SURAS group. No hardware or scalloped edge because of the time and expense issue, but I think it turned out pretty neat! Plus, I used up a bunch of flowers I had cut out while watching TV when I was in Florida. Enjoy!

Sets: Double Line Doodles, So Swirly wheel

C/S: Apricot Appeal, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi

Inks: Wild Wasabi, Basic Black

Markers: Apricot Appeal, Cameo Coral, Certainly Celery

Other: Green mini brad, 1-1/4 circle punch, 1/2 circle punch, Small & Large Oval punches, Dimensionals, 1/16 punch, Cutter kit

In the Spotlight!

My third swap for another email group, SURAS (Stampin' Up! Rubber Art Scans). I've been in this group for almost 5 years and always get some awesome swaps. Again, we were to make two different cards of 25 each. I wanted to use my new Snowflake punch and In The Spotlight was the only stamp set I had that I could stamp the image and punch it out. I also goofed and grabbed my 3/4 square punch instead of the circle to punch out the words...then I liked the look...so I utilized it. Funny how a mistake can work out! This card uses 3 of the In-Colors, too! I'm amazed at how many packs of In-Color papers I've gone through already! lol! When I finished, I counted that I used 6 punches! Can you spot them all? Leave me a comment!

Sets: In the Spotlight, Aida Cloth BG
C/S: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Groovy Guava, Whisper White
Inks: Blue Bayou, Groovy Guava
Other: Groovy Guava stitched ribbon, Navy mini brad
Punches: ????

Glorious Garland

Here is a scan of my general swap for special online friends I bumped into at Convention. Every year I try to do a Holiday card for a swap. I wanted to use the wreath from my new Glorious Garland set. I then had the idea that the Circle Scallop punch would be useful in making the wreath...and the 3/4" circle punch to punch out the inside. Well, it was a little more complicated that I thought it would be! I stamped the snowflake wreath, then marked the center with a punched 3/4" circle, punched out the 3/4" circle, then punched the Scallop circle...just so it all lined up correctly! Whew...

I don't know if you can tell, but I used the So Swirly wheel on the background red, then on the edges of the center Bashful Blue piece (actually this is my sample card and I used Priceless here...but it is the same effect). A little bit of red gingham ties it together! And I love the saying...Peace, Love, Joy.

Sets: Glorious Garland, So Swirly wheel, All Holidays
C/S: Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, Real Red, Whisper White
Inks: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Real Red & Bashful Blue ink cartridges
Other: Scallop Circle punch, 3/4" circle punch, 1/8 circle punch, Ticket Corner punch, Red Gingham ribbon, dimensionals

Priceless, Take 2...

Here is another Swap card for my SSUS group (Sensational Stampin' Up! Stampers). It is similar to one I posted earlier when I first bought this Priceless set. I switched things out and added the Key Tag punch and put in the larger Old Olive ribbon. I used the Faux Diamond Dust on the scallop punch behind the butterfly and the So Swirly wheel on the background. These are colors suggested by SU on their In-Color chart...I would never put them together, but they did look nice together!

Sets: Priceless, So Swirly wheel

C/S: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Sky, Glossy White, Soft Sky Designer paper

Inks: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie

Other: Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/8 circle punch, Key Punch, Double rectangle punch, 5/8 Olive grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals

Convention tidbits:

Registration night at Convention was the Pajama Stamp-a-rama party! It was a new format this year...we did most all of the Make & Takes that first night. SO nice to be with EVERYONE in one big room. Lots of fun and crazy to see all those women (and a few men) walking around at night in downtown Denver in their PJs. The Denver newspaper even wrote up an article about it...check it out here: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_6468448 My upline, Candy, was a Make & Take helper this year. Poor thing lost her voice that first night due to trying to talk above the noise, music and laughter!

This was my 6th convention. I remember going the first year with my upline, Candy, and she seemed to know everyone. I wondered how she had met these women who lived so far away! Now that I've been going six years, I know people, too! It was fun to meet up with online friends, and gals I've met in previous years...and share HUGS all around! Also, it is fun to recognize the presenters. I try to take a minute to stop them and tell them what a great job they did in their presentation or skit. Many times they have mentioned how much they appreciate me telling them! Stampin' Up! has a great staff!

Denver has quite an awesome downtown area. 16th Street Mall was two blocks from where we stayed at The Curtis...a fun, hip hotel that is revisiting the things of my youth! My roommate Annette and I walked about the street during the day and ate at The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Fun!

More tomorrow!

I'm BACK!

Woohoo! I'm back and FULL of excitement about the recent Stampin' Up! convention. I heard SO many great tips, ideas and awesome projects, that I'm still trying to process it all. I really need to go back through my notes and pictures to implement and capture all of them. I thought the classes were the best I've heard as far as applying the principles of marketing, etc. directly to Stampin' Up! The team at SU really needs to be applauded for their great efforts!

I was one of the lucky convention goers who won a door prize! My wristband color was called FIRST at the Pajama Party on Monday night. I received a free package of Outlaw designer paper (yummy!) and a container of Jumbo eyelets! YES!

This is one of my swap cards for a special group...SSUS (Sensational Stampin' Up! Swappers!) I enjoyed meeting several of these gals and having dinner on Wednesday night. We swapped with both Session 1 and Session 2 gals, so I had lots of fun seeing all their creativity!

Check back this week! I'll be showcasing several of the cards I swapped at Convention!

Sets: Baroque Motifs, Holidays & Wishes
C/S: Purely Pomegrante, River Rock, Always Artichoke
Inks: Purely Pomegrante, Always Artichoke
Other: Key Tag punch, Ticket Corner punch, Scallop punch, Crop-A-Dile, Jumbo eyelets, Double Stitch pomegrante ribbon, dimensionals