OFF TO CONVENTION!!!

I'm as ready as I'll ever be! Only thing I didn't get done was some 3D trades. Oh well. I finished up all my organized swaps, did about 60 general swaps, everything is ready for my 3D Shoebox swap (it is SO cute!) and my roommate/friends gifts are DONE! I LOVE those...I'm so glad I made one for myself! Those took me all day to put together yesterday! I can't wait to show you, but need to wait until I get back...cause I know a couple of the gals peek in at my Blog. lol!

I didn't get to the Weekly Bloggers Challenge (gift packaging) yesterday, but check out the gals work on their blogs...some did it, some were at Convention and some (like me) were too busy getting ready for Convention to do it. Things should be back to normal after next week for all of us.

I'll chat with you next Sunday! Hope you all have a wonderful week. I am SO excited to be going to Denver! Woohoo!

Serene Sunflower

I pulled this card out of my archives since I haven't scanned my swap cards yet. Still trying to finish up some things before I leave for Convention bright and early on Sunday! I did this card for a new catalog swap LAST year. I think Sunflowers are so cheerful. This set caught my eye last year and was one of the first I ordered (even though I had 2-3 other Sunflower sets!) lol! Hmmm...I need to pull this set out again.

This is a tri-fold card. The front "card" is cut on a diagonal and scored so that it folds back on itself. Then I added a pull-out tag/bookmark for the recipient to use. Enjoy! (This scan was done before I adjusted the card. I didn't like how the pocket showed on the front when it was all closed, so I narrowed the width of the pocket so it wasn't visible from the front!)

Sets: Serene Sunflower, Itty Bitty Backgrounds

C/S: Bravo Burgundy, Confetti Cream, More Mustard

Inks: Summer Sun, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Bravo Burgundy, Versamark

Other: Chocolate Grosgrain, mini brads, paper piercing tool and mat. Clear Embossing Powder (front flower)

Matching Colors

Sorry I've been MIA. As you know, I'm frantically preparing for Convention. After today, I do feel in pretty good shape. I have my organized swaps done...and my 3D shoebox swap figured out...just need to cut paper and get stuff together for that. Tomorrow I plan on working on some general swaps and then my roommates gifts!

But...I thought after yesterday, everything I was doing would come to a screeching halt! I was out for my normal morning walking exercise, when I tripped and took a nose dive on concrete! I wrenched my shoulder and scraped up one hand (luckily my left one!) pretty badly. My left arm and shoulder are really sore, I can hardly raise it above my waist...I must have taken the brunt of the fall on my left side (even tore my t-shirt!). Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel much better. But, it is hard to type, so here is a quick post!

Wow...the new designer double sided papers and designer ribbons are LUSCIOUS! I just received my order (second big one!) with several packages of the DS paper...I love the patterns...especially the stripes! Sometimes it is hard to know exactly what colors to coordinate with the paper, so here is a list of all the DS papers and the coordinating Stampin' Up! colors!

Brocade Backgrounds: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, River Rock

Cerise: Real Red, Very Vanilla

Charbon: Basic Gray, Very Vanilla

Creepy Crawly: Basic Black, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust

Cutie Pie: Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Rose Red, So Saffron

Darling Doodles: Brocade Blue, Groovy Guava, Rose Red, Wild Wasabi

Dashing: Old Olive, Real Red, River Rock, Very Vanilla

Fall Flowers: Old Olive, Really Rust, Sahara Sand, Soft Sky

Flowers for You: Certainly Celery, Lovely Lilac, Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise

LeJardin: River Rock, Soft Sky, So Saffron, Very Vanilla

Linen Prints: Apricot Appeal, Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Old Olive, Pink Passion

Notations No.2: More Mustard, River Rock, Very Vanilla, Wild Wasabi

Outlaw: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Really Rust, Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla

Petals & Paisleys: Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquoise, Rose Red, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Soft Sky

Porcelain Prints: Blue Bayou, River Rock, Wild Wasabi

Uptown: Almost Amethyst, Basic Gray, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi

Wintergreen: Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery, Sage Shadow, Soft Sky

Prints: Monochromatic papers available in Almost Amethyst, Always Artichoke, Blue Bayou, Brilliant Blue, Certainly Celery, Close to Cocoa, Groovy Guava, Lovely Lilac, More Mustard, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, River Rock, Rose Red, So Saffron, Soft Sky, Tempting Turquoise

I'll try to post some new stuff I've been working on over the next couple days!

More Consignment work

A couple of stamping gals over at my house for a class saw the work I did for my Mary Kay consultant's convention. She wanted me to do the same for her Jewels by Park Lane convention this week. I didn't want to do exactly the same thing, and I wanted to focus a little more on the jewelry aspect, so here are the goodie bags I made up for her.

The top is a photo album using Stampin' Up!'s clear envelopes inside. I used the retired sets, Haute Couture and Mini Mates. The words were printed on the computer. The earrings and hat jewels are little rhinestones! Sparkle seemed to fit the theme, too! The bottom is a small 4x6 composition notebook, personalized with each of their names. A matching pen and tag for the bag (not shown) completes the goodie bag!

Blogger's Challenge Week #4

Our challenge this week was to use the sketch from the card on Page 97 of the new Catalog. Here is my intrepretation. I used the Cutter Kit scissors to make my curve lines at the top and bottom. The scallop edge is done with the slit punch. I used the piercing template to pierce around the opening. The flowers are popped up with dimensionals. All in a Row was used for the stitching at the top and bottom (I need to practice using that stamp! lol!) Online you can barely see the paisleys from Double Line Doodles on the So Saffron layer.

Make sure to check out all the others Bloggers who did this challenge from my sidebar list!

Sets: Double Line Doodles, All in a Row, Happy Everything

C/S: Cameo Coral, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Whisper White

Inks: Basic Black, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Whisper White craft

Other: Blender pen, Hodgepodge hardware (Antique Brass), Celery grosgrain ribbon, slit punch, Crafter's Tool Kit, dimensionals

Priceless Notebook!

I love notebooks...I think they are so fun to alter. This one is a mid-size composition book...about 4 x 6 size. The kind that you find around the start of school. I made this one for my 10,000 hits Blog Candy winner, to thank her for her patience in waiting for me to get her Blog Candy pulled together and sent. This is just part of her mystery Blog Candy...the rest she'll have to wait and see what she gets. lol!

I covered the notebook with Petals & Paisleys paper and matched it up with Priceless stamp set (what else?) The Butterfly is cut out and popped up AND she has a tiny star rhinestone in the flower part of her wing! I used the new Always Artichoke grosgrain ribbon...I thought it blended well with the paper.

I'm plugging away at my huge to-do list. I'm beginning to think that I will get it all done in time for convention! lol!

Sets: Priceless

C/S: Whisper White, So Saffron, Petals & Paisleys DP

Inks: Tempting Turquoise, So Saffron, Regal Rose

Other: Narrow Always Artichoke grosgrain ribbon, rhinestone, dimensionals

Down to the wire!!!

Whew...I was really cutting it close! I am participating in an email group swap with some of the gals going to Session 1 of convention. My swaps (54...27 each of 2 different designs) had to be in Colorado by Friday. I had the general layout in my head and one sample done (similar to the Priceless one on my blog), but I started yesterday to pull them together. The layers took me MUCH longer than I anticipated! I literally spent ALL DAY stamping and adhering all the pieces...8 FULL hours! I'm exhausted now! lol! I hate leaving things to the last minute, but with the computer problems, then classes and club meetings I had the past few weeks, I had no time to work on the swaps...especially since I didn't get my new sets until last week! I'll be sharing my swap cards once I get back from convention.

This card uses one of the techniques from last week's Technique Class called Faux Linen. My version uses Craft ink and sanding blocks on Glossy paper. One fun thing I learned, when using a blender pen with my classic ink pads to color the flowers and leaves, the blender pen fluid seems to eat away the Craft ink...allowing the color from the Classic ink to flow onto the paper! Cool! That is how I got blue flowers and green leaves showing thru the Regal Rose Craft ink! The simplicity of this card allows the technique to be featured.

Sets: Artfully Asian, Fine Lace

C/S: Glossy White, Regal Rose, Bashful Blue

Inks: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Craft Regal Rose

Other: Blender pens, sanding blocks, Light Blue gingham ribbon

I'll try to keep up with posting over the next few weeks, but I still have another group swap to finish (52 cards), a 3D Shoebox swap to pull together, some commission work, room mate gifts and general swap cards to do before I leave for Convention Session 2!!!!