October club sneak peak

Here is a sneak peak of what we are going to be doing for our club this month.  Aren't these just the cutes or halloween treat bags!  The technique is very easy!

Weekend Sketch Challenge #60

Here is my take on Beate's sketch for this month.  My card was very simple, but I'm happy with the results.  I used Close to Cocoa and Baja Breeze ink with a blender pen to color the image of my cupcake platter from Crazy for Cupcakes (which is on special this month from Stampin Up!).  I used Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze, and Whisper White card stock.  And the red is from the hostess prints pack.  I got out my new Sizzix Big shot, and our new Top Note Die (exclusive from Stampin Up!) and cut the top note in half.  Then I just popped out three 1/4 circles using the punch and tied white taffeta ribbon around my Baja Breeze cs.  LIke I said, very simple, but very cute IMO. 

P.s. I also used that cute little birthday sayings set.  At the moment I can't remember it's official name! 

Be Inspired #25

I am trying to stay motivated in making stuff, so I pay close attention to Beate's challenges. This one I used Stampin Up's Eastern Blooms with Tangerine Tango ink, Close to Cocoa, and Versamark.  I used Chocolate Chip, Naturals Ivory, and Kiwi Kiss card stock, and the Hawaiian Papaya designer series paper.  I also used a tiny bit of Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon in there too.

 I am really happy with my results. though my intention was to copy the layout of the inspiration, but I did it from memory, so it wasn't perfect.  If I wanted it to be perfect I guess I should have looked at the inspiration peice closer :)  

Beates Challenge

Here is my card for Beates challenge. I used her color inspiration challange BIC24 and her weekend sketch WSC59 in one card, though I did change the sketch a little bit, but I think it still fits. I used only Stampin Up supplies, which were Fresh Cuts and Riot of petals set, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla card stock, and then Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss and Chocolate Chip Ink. I also used the small tag punch and then hand cut the kiwi peice under it. I think it turned out nice. Very simple and fast! Though, It took me a while to actually put it together, but it didn't have to :) I was just being picky about the layout! I couldn't decide if I wanted to use this strip of chocolate chip paper with the vine style stamp on it, or if I should use the beautiful double stitched 1" chocolate chip ribbon. I opted to stick with the card stock because I had already gone to all the bother of stamping it. I do like the look though. Anyway, there's my card :)

Another one

I decided to make another card with the same colors and basic layout as the one for my challenge.  This time I used a background stamp in Tangerine Tango ink and TT cardstock.  I love this background stamp, so I think I like this card a little bit better.  Oh yea and we can't forget about the darling Riding hood red button from the "Button Bouquet" pack!

Challenge

Each month I give my ladies in my club a challenge. This month I told them to find inspiration in a magazine or something and copy the colors (the best you can) so here's mine. I copied the cover of this month's Martha Stewart Magazine. I loved the colors so I had to copy. In my card I used So Saffron for the card base, Hawaii Papaya (which is basically Tangerine Tango with pattern) Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango CS with my flowers (from the Pocket Silhoettes set - which is on special this month) stamped in Riding hood Red and whisper white craft "chalkboarded" with yellow chalk.
I love the way the card turned out, though I may try it with just a solid color of Tangerine Tango instead of the pattern. Sorry I couldn't get a great picture of the cover on here. But at least you get the general idea. Oh yea, and the lighting on my card is not so great. It's a lot better in real life :)

Vinyl

I finally did something with my cricut machine.  I got this idea from someone else, but thought I could copy.  It doesn't look exactly like the other one, but it's close enough.  

It's official

I now have an official Stampin Up! website.  You can find it at AnnaBlack.stampinup.net

On this official website you will find a calendar for the upcoming classes, promotions, and fun project ideas, that are not necessarily from me.

August Club

Here are some projects we did at our August club.  The first one is a "Spring" card using the Eastern Blooms set (which is on special this month and next).  And the second one is using the Always stamp set with the new Always paper.  I love coordination and I just had to have the paper since i had the set! THANK YOU STAMPIN UP!  A company after my own heart! We used markers to color the flower in the first card and markers again to get the two colors on the "always A" stamp on the pillow box.  Oh yea, and about that pillow box...Stampin Up partnered with Sizzix and offers exclusive dies and now other dies as well.  So I pre-ordered because I had to have it LOL.  Thanks for looking!

Cards for fun

Here are some cards I made for fun using our new sets.  I seriously cannot express my excitement enough for our new catalog.  The layout changed a little-for the better- and the new sets are just to die for! 

These two cards are made with the set "Dreams Du Jour".  I love to color, so I used Stampin Up's watercolor crayons.  The red one I used Ruby Red, Bashful Blue, and Old Olive Cardstock with the same colors of crayons.  The blue one I used Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Mellow Moss Cardstock.  The Crayons are great because I can just outline an image, or in this case I just colored the lines of the flowers, and then used a watercolor brush and that activates the crayon and smoothes out the color.  It's amazing.  You can count on that being one of the techniques for our club coming up!
This is also "Dreams Du Jour".  I used 4 of the 6 in colors-Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Riding hood Red, Tangerine Tango- with natural Ivory and Black Cardstock.  This was a very simple card, but it turned out nice :)
Yes I think this Eastern Blooms set will be one of my fav's! I love it.  I used Tangerine Tango again (yes I love orange) with a chocolate chip stampin up marker.  I just got my first set of the markers and they are great!  I love being able to ink my stamps more than one color before it even hits the paper.  Anyway, I used Close to Cocoa and Tangerine Tango Cardstock with some Linen thread tied around.  Also I used the "Sanded" background stamp. I got the basic idea for the card on the web, so I can't take full credit for it.  Oh yea and you'll notice that the white piece on the card has a sort of textured look to it.  That's a fun technique that will be in one of our upcoming classes as well.

CONVENTION!!!

Last week I spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at Stampin up's convention!  It was SOOOO fun! There's nothing like spending the weekend with 6000 stampin up freaks like myself! LOL.  Actually I love the company even more now.  I love to see what the people are like that are on the inside of an amazing product.  Shelli, the co-founder, is so sweet and genuine.  Her attitude after enduring 20 years of this stampin up company is amazing.  I love the stampin up product AND the innerds of the company LOL.  (is that a word ??)  Anyway here are a few of the projects we made during our make n takes.

This is a cute little booklet made from the 3x3 love notes and envelopes set.  It has two envelopes and two 3x3 (actually 3x6" piece of card stock).  The set on the front is a new one called "Eastern Blooms"  The orange is one of the new in colors called Tangerine Tango.  You will see this color a lot from me since I LOVE orange!  It's a beautiful orange.  You'll have to see it in person to appreciate it. 

This card is made form the new set called "flight of the butterfly".  Though, we didn't actually use any of the butterflies.  If you click on the picture hopefully it will get bigger and you can read the cute sentiment.  The flowers on the green half circle are actually what I could put in the butterfly wings (take a look at the scrapbook page below)  This card also used some of the chipboard letters. Oh yea and check out the new 1" chocolate chip double stitched ribbon!  The new catalog is AMAZING! I can't wait to share it.

This 8x8 scrapbook page also used the "Flight of Butterfly" stamp set.  The butterflies in red at the top are actually a two step process.  First I stamped the solid image in Versamark, and then the dots in Rose Red ink (which is the same color as the paper).  The dots could be the flowers from the card above and one more pattern, which I believe is an outline.  I can't remember right off hand.  With little boys I don't get excited about butterflies as a mother with little girls ;).  Oh speaking of little girls.  I guess I should have gotten permission from my Sis to post a picture of her daughter on here.  But isn't she cute!  I tried to remember what age she would be and honestly I have no clue.  Maybe around 6 months??  Now she has gorgeous blonde curly locks! Anyway...back to the subject :) 


 This is another card using "Eastern Blooms" It was a fun color combination, which happens to be 3 of the 6 in colors.  Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, and Tangerine Tango. 

Thanks for looking!

July Workshop

Here are some projects we did for your July club

Above is the cutest bag!  I used the Stampin up "life's a breeze" stamp set.  It was very simple...just a rectangular piece of cardstock scored and folded up.  Held together with eyelets and linen thread.  You can't tell very well in the picture, but the brown strip is actually sandpaper!  This picture does not do the bag justice!  I used the in colors-soft sky, wild wasabi and blue bayou.  Sadly these are retiring on the 10th of this month.  (but there are 6 more new and exciting colors being released in the next catalog-which is amazing!!!)
This is just a card I made to show versatility in the stamp set.

This card is called a "gel" card.  That is actually a small zip close baggie with hair gel in it!  Again we used the "life's a breeze set".  This card was totally easy to make and turned out so cute!

   

Where the magic happens

I wanted to post a picture of my glorious scraproom!  This room has everything in it.  Scrapping, card making, sewing, cricut, you name it I've got an area for it! LOL.  This first picture is taken standing in the door way.  And yes every piece of white furniture came from Ikea. 

Below is where I use my cricut machine.  It's a little cubby area and we retrofitted my old corner desk to fit the spot.  My cricut machine sits on a book shelf to the right.  Originally this space was wasted and our framers thought it would be nice to have open.  So that's what we did.

This is my Expedite shelf that houses 12x12 papers, xyron refills, bind it all, yarn, picture boxes, alterable's that I've picked up here and there, and whatever else I felt like putting there when trying to clean off a different surface. Next to the Expedite is a little cubby I picked up in Ikea's As-Is section.  I have all my non SU printed paper stored in it.  Some day when my husband gets motivated (or more nagging by yours truly) there is going to be a file box built and all the papers will be stored with hanging files. Above the cubby are they Bygal rails from Ikea.  I have hanging baskets as well as my Stampin Up punches on there.  They are such an inexpensive way to store the punches 

This is a center shot inside the room.  I had to close the blinds because the sun was blaring in and it didn't take a nice picture.  I have two super long desks back to back to make this wonderful work surface. There's places for 4 body's do sit and play, though last week My mom, sister, and I all got together to play.  And once you get all of our supplies out on the table...that huge workspace isn't so huge!

Here is my wall of Billy's.  This is where I store the majority of my stampin up stuff.  Papers, stamps, inks, accessories, and then of course whatever else I want to put there when I'm cleaning a different work space.

Copy Cat

Here is another example of using a card design from the catalog and retro fitted it to a set I have and papers I had.  The cards I chose are on page 47 of the Stampin Up Spring/Summer collection.  (you can check it out by clicking the link to the right with the cover of the catalog)  

I happened to have the exact colors of each card.  I used the water-coloring technique for both of these.  If you notice on the tall card I didn't have any Certainly Celery printed paper, so I made my own with Itty Bitty Backgrounds set and some Whisper White Craft ink.

Watercoloring madness

I learned a new trick.  You can do it one of two ways....Press ink from  your stamp pads or markers on the lid of the ink pad and use a watercolor brush and actually watercolor.  Or stampin up makes wonderful water-coloring crayons! I am part of Pam Morgan's downline (I think I am level 2) and at our quarterly downline meeting this wonderful set was the grand prize...and guess who won!!?? Yep me!  So I spend every day for about a week water-coloring like a maniac!  This set is called "Owl Together Now" and it'll be new in the Fall/Winter Catalog (to be released in August).  This set debuted on the Stampin Up Cruise, which Pam Morgan was a part of, and all the projects I have posted are part of the make n takes from the cruise (that you have to have like $40,000 in sales to go to).  So, here's what I've got!

The 14 piece set

3x3 card using an envelope with the flap tucked in and some new designer paper

This is a big long accordion (or something) card

The card opened

 I made a couple of cards using the card on page 36 of the Stampin up Spring Summer Catalog as inspiration.  I just wanted to show you how you can use the book not just as a wishlist of wonderful things, but as an idea book to copy layouts and color combinations.  I took the card mentioned above and used two stamp sets I have with paper and accessories I had.  I changed the overall appearance of the cards, but they turned out equally as great as the original!