My Happy Stamping Place

Holiday Critters

Oh I had so much fun making these!  They are case'd from cards on Dawns blog here and here.  I just tweaked them and made them with my Sizzix top note die.  I love the way the die looks making all of these fun characters! 

For the turkey I also used the 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 inch circle punch, and large oval punch.

For the snowman I used the 1 1/4" circle punch, 1" circle punch, 1/2" circle punch, 3 flower punch, and 1/4" circle punch. 

The background paper for both cards are from the Ski Slope designer paper pack.  Isn't it cool that I could do a thanksgiving and christmas/holiday card out of the same paper pack?  It's awesome!  You can order this paper pack yourself from Stampin' Up!'s holiday mini.  Just click here to go to my online ordering website. 

Kristina and I have been working on our open house coming up this Sunday from 1-5:00.  We have a couple of cute make-n-takes, RSVP gift for anyone who RSVP's by Friday, Oct.31, and lots and lots for display, demos, door prizes, hand-stamped cards for sale, retired stamp sets, etc.  If you are local to the Minneapolis area contact me to RSVP at [email protected].  Here's  a sneak peek at the make-n-takes.  I'm sorry for the blurry photo.  I'm not sure how to zoom in like this without it getting fuzzy.  Thanks for stopping by!

Penguin Holidays

This was card for Tamara's recipe challenge design team this week.  We had to use a punch, a non-scrapbooking item, and bling.  You may be wondering about the non-scrapbooking item.  Did you spot it?  It's actually the little shadow underneath the penguin.  I used a post-it note!  I punched my small oval punch in it and used it as a stencil to sponge ink in a shadow at his feet.  It gives him something to stand on.

Recipe: Stamps:  Punch Pals

Ink:  Jet Black Stazon, Old Olive, Ruby Red, Blue Bayou, Summer Sun

Paper:  Old Olive, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, Baja breeze, Holiday Treasures designer paper

Other:  Word Window punch, photo corner punch, gemstones

Check out the other design members designs on Tamara's sketch blog.

Magnetic Calendar

This was a project I have been meaning to do for a long time.  I received a similar calendar at convention in a swap 2 years ago.  It's a cookie sheet magnetic calendar.  It is so much fun to make!  All of the numbers, months, and special days are on magnets.  All of the months you aren't using get stored in the back.  I'm offering this as a class on Tuesday, November 25.  If you are local to the Minneapolis area you are welcome to come but I only have enough materials for 10 people to come to the class.  This will be on a first come first serve basis so hurry! 

You can come and see this calendar in person at my Kick Off the Holidays Open House on Sunday, November 2.  There will be make-n-takes, Sizzix demonstrations, hand-stamped cards and retired stamp sets for sale, tons of samples on display, door prizes and much more!  Contact me if you are local and are interested in coming at [email protected]

Reindeer Lineup

I have been playing around with my stamps trying to come up with my 5 card designs for my holiday stamp-a-stack in November.  This card isn't making the cut.  This is from the Holiday Lineup stamp set.  I stamped the reindeer on creamy caramel and then just did minimal coloring with markers, and my blender pen with craft white ink for the eyes, teeth, and pompom on the hat.

My husband just got home from being gone all week on a business trip.  The poor guy got food poisoning while he was gone.  He's back now though and feeling better thank goodness.  It's going to be a quiet night at home.  My oldest daughter is sleeping outside tonight with the youth group at church to experience what homeless teens do each night.  It's supposed to get down to freezing tonight too.  brrr.  My oldest son is off to a halloween party.  That leaves my youngest, Sam, and me and my dh home alone.  I asked him what he wants to do and he said, "Crazy Eights".  I guess there is some card playing ahead of me tonight!

Mr. Twigster Featured Stamper Case

This was a case of a card from the featured stamper challenge over on SCS.  I case'd this card of Ink-E.  As soon as I saw this card I thought of Mr. Twigster.  That's not really a stretch since every other card lately I make is with him! 

I changed some of the colors and papers, the image, added a punched out greeting with a library clip at the bottom and changed the felt flower to layered felt flurries. 

I'm off to bookclub with a group in Sam, my 8 year old's class.  We're reading the 7 treasure hunts.  Exciting stuff!  Hey, if it gets them more interested in reading I'm all for it! 

Tonight is scrapbook club.  I'm excited to see how they like the Halloween spread.  Have a great day!

Kiwi Cupcake

This card was based on Beate's Weekend Sketch challenge 62 .  I wanted to try a different color combo.  At first I was going for masculine but I couldn't resist adding in some pink and some bling.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Party Hearty
Ink:  Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss
Paper:  Kiwi Kiss textured cardstock, Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Pink Pirouette
Other  3/4" circle punch, circle scallop punch, bling

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe card challenge

This was my card recipe challenge this week for Tamara's sketch blog.  The challenge is to use paper piercing, staples, and gingham ribbon.  There is one staple holding the ribbon in place on the greeting piece.  That's where the gingham ribbon is.  The paper piercing is around the red panel and on the main image panel.  I stamped the snowman on kraft cardstock and colored him in with my white watercolor crayon and a blender pen.

Recipe:

Stamps: Punch Pals, Curly Label punch set, short and sweet

Paper: Chocolate Chip monochromatic designer paper, Washington Apple Designer papr, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Kraft

Ink:  Jet black Stazon

Other:  Curly label punch, mat pack, watercolor wonder crayons, blender pen

It's been a sad day.  I attended a funeral for a neighbor who committed suicide last week.  He left behind a wife and 3 kids.  It was the saddest funeral I've ever been to.  Just another reminder that life is so short and to live every moment.

Fright Night

This is the scrapbook page spread my scrapbook club will be doing this month.  I used the new Serif Essentials Sizzix Alphabet, the Halloween paper, and 2 stamp sets and a jumbo wheel from the holiday mini catalog. 

Recipe:
Stamps: Halloween Frights, Eat, Drink and Be Scary, Frightful Fence Jumbo Wheel
Ink:  Basic Black, Pumpkin PIe, Kiwi Kiss
Paper:  Basic Gray textured 12 x 12 cardstock, Kiwi Kiss, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Whisper White, Ghostly Greetings designer paper
Other:  Build A brad, Serif Essentials Sizzix alphabet

Dancing with the Stars

Papa Bear is taking Mama Bear out for a spin on the dancefloor.  Or is that Susan Lucci with her dancing with the stars partner, Tony Dovolani?  You decide!

I started out with this sketch from Poetic Artistry.
For some reason Dancing with the Stars popped into my head.  I took the bear from Under the Stars and stamped a female version to go dancing with the male bear.  To make her I inked the bear up with Jetblack Stazon and then removed the stern brow with a blender pen.  I then
cut off her arms and repositioned them in a dance pose.
This was a fun and silly card to make!  Perhaps for an anniversary card?  Check out Julee's sketch card here.

Bear Hugs

I just love this bear from Under the Stars.  He looks like he's going to attack you with a great big bear hug! 

Recipe:
Stamps:  Hugs and wishes, under the stars
Ink:  Jetblack stazon, chocolate chip
Paper:  Riding Hood Red, Kraft, Washington Apple designer paper

I've got another card made with this set I was playing with last night. I got to photograph it and edit it and I will post it tomorrow. It's a beautiful fall day here in Minnesota. Have a great day wherever you are!