More Blog Candy to Give Away!

It's another special day at Create with Connie and Mary and today Debbie Henderson is giving away blog candy.  She hosts an awesome blog all about stampin' with Stampin' Up! products and is again sharing her talents as a Design Team member.  Visit her blog, Debbie's Designs, and leave her a happy message and maybe you will win a FREE subscription to the Summer Collection of Create with Connie and Mary.

For now how about a look at a quick card that I will be sharing at my workshop tomorrow night.  I have used the Hello, Lovely stamp set and a few punches to whip up a fast yet showy thinking of you type of card.

News Flash

Hello everyone! 
News flash...news flash...
you REALLY must go see today's Preview Project over at Create with Connie and Mary--it's SO COOL.  At first I couldn't figure it out (because I don't read) and then it dawned on me how it was made.  Go see...right now...go see!  Let me help, just click here.

Birthday Sketch

It's time again for another fabulous sketch hosted by Hand Stamped Sentiments.  This one is super versatile and streamlined without lots of bits and layers which makes for a starting point for a great card.

I started with a 4 1/4" x 11" Raspberry Ripple card base and then I embossed it with the Lacy Brocade folder.  Then I layered a piece of Birthday Basics DSP and a Very Vanilla panel stamped with an image from Sketched Birthday.  I inked all the images with Stampin' Write Markers which is my MOST favorite technique of all time.  I used colors directly from the DSP; Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit, and Bermuda Bay.  What's super cool about the Sketched Birthday stamp set is that is coordinates with Itty Bitty Banner Framelits.  I love the look of the banners layered over the Gumball Green Artisan Label punched piece.  Do be sure to check out all the fun takes on this sketch over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.

First Free Tutorial and Blog Candy

Today at Create with Connie and Mary we are sharing the first of four FREE tutorials.  Today's tutorial, designed by the amazing Mary Brown, can be found at Create with Connie and Mary. Click over to the site to download your printable tutorial and learn more about our BLOG CANDY.

My card features the fabulous Soho Subway DSP.  I just had fun layering different pieces from the pack and adding bits and pieces.  The tiny greeting comes from the stamp set called Six Sided Sampler. New stuff is so much fun :0)

Six Sided Stampin'

Welcome to my blog and my Six Sided Sampler card post.  Six Sided Sampler is a brand spankin' new set from Stampin' Up! filled with hexagon designs and three petite greetings--it's fabulous.  A bit about the card:

1. Night of Navy card base textured with the Honeycomb TIEF.

2. White doily layered with a piece of Quatrefancy DSP tied with two pieces of Island Indigo Bakers Twine.

3. Six Sided stamp set images stamped on Whisper White card stock with Pool Party and Night of Navy.

4. Bitty Butterflies with Basic Rhinestones and a dusting of Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

It's PREVIEW WEEK at Create with Connie and Mary.  Pop over to their site to learn about how to win some blog candy.  In fact there will be chances all week for blog candy.

Create with Connie and Mary is offering a Summer Collection!  It will include 24 fabulous EXCLUSIVE projects each with a full downloadable tutorial!  AND…by popular request…MORE card sets!

The projects shared through Create with Connie and Mary Summer Collection are only shown to our subscribers and will not be posted anywhere else…so you must be a member to enjoy.  Our projects are perfect for gifts and SU demo classes and camps!

Early bird special is going on from now until June 22nd!  So head over to Create with Connie and Mary and JOIN THE FUN!!!!

CUTEST!

Seriously this is the CUTEST baby card.  I love the bright saturated colors and the mix of prints and shapes.  I pulled out my brand new Label Love stamp set and matching Artisan Label Punch along with the 7/8" Scallop Circle and 3/4" Circle Punches for the trio of labels.  Then I layered them on Gingham Garden DSP, a Whisper White panel and a Doffoldil Delight card base--so cute!!!

HUGE Garage Sale of Stamps!

This Saturday, June 8th

Doors open at 10:00 a.m.

3781 Cherry Ave., San Jose CA 95118

Lots and LOTS of rubber stamps

at AWESOME prices

Card Stock--Designer Series Papers

All kinds of Accessories

Everybody is welcome!

Soho Subway and a Sketch

One of my favorite new DSP packs in the Stampin' Up! Catalog is the Soho Subway pack.  I love the colors and the mix of classic prints with maps and typographical designs.  With that pack in mind I new it perfectly fit this week's sketch challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary.  Pop  over to their site and get in on the sketch action--join in the fun and link up your take on the challenge.

I used the new stamp set called Remembering Your Birthday and the Alphabet Press TIEF, another new favorite of mine.  Along with the ever popular Apothecary Label Framelits I pulled out and included Victoria Crochet ribbon, Basic Pearls, Linen Thread, and the Itty Bitty Punch Pack.

Get ready folks it's time for the EARLY BIRD SPECIAL for an awesome Create with Connie and Mary SUMMER COLLECTION featuring the wonderful things in the NEW Stampin' Up! Catalog! 

So...what's the SUMMER COLLECTION all about?  It's 24 incredible projects EACH with a full downloadable tutorial!  NEW this session by popular request - MORE card sets and projects that can be completed in about 2 hours...perfect for classes and camps!  FREE Preview Projects - June 17 - 22!  Summer Collection runs June 23 through July 20...you don't want to miss it!  Relax this summer and let Create with Connie and Mary design your classes for you!

New Stampin' Up! Catalog Goodies

One of the first new items that struck my fancy was the Alphabet Press TIEF.  I have the folder in my stack of new accessories and love, LOVE it.  For this card I simply ran a piece of Primrose Petals Coredinations card stock through the Big Shot with the folder, gave it a quick sanding and whalla a fabulous background fit for a supertastic greeting stamp.  With a Primrose Petal, Summer Starfruit, Baja Breeze (retired), and Midnight Muse Stampin' Write Marker I inked up my favorite stamp from the Really Good Greetings set.  With a few squeezes of the Designer Series Label punch to make the parenthesis highlighting the text.

This fabulous color palette is a fun one and can be found over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  Join along in the fun!

Another Post for Gina

That's right this post is for my sister-in-law Gina.  She made mention a while back that she likes to see some of the pictures of our work at work.  I love to stamp and wish it were my full time job, but it's not.  I work for a, not your average, florist called Bloomster's, you can see lots more on our Facebook page and website.  

We are lucky to do AMAZING floral designs, landscaping, event decor, interior decor, and holiday decor for businesses and private residences.  I focus most of my work on event design and coordination and we do on average five to six events a week, sometimes we do that many in a day.  I call those days "bring your friend to work days."  The photos I am sharing today are of a wedding we did in early February at a venue called Dogpatch Studios in San Francisco.  

We completely transformed the film studio into a Mexican plaza for a super sweet bride with tons of style.  I wish I had professional photos, but I don't so I will share my pics from my pocket camera.  This first picture of the cocktail hour bar SO does not do the look justice and the colors are wonky, but the entire area was so cool. I made all those medallions and must have used over 100 pieces of non SU! 12" x 12" card stock.  And can I say "not all card stock is created equal.  Buy Stampin' Up! it's WAY better."  The second photo is of one of the cocktail hour tables.  These were so festive and with the florals being designed in the cheapest containers ever!  They looked super fab.

For the main reception the bride wanted round tables, tall square tables, long farm tables, and even oval tables.  So for those we designed a collection of centerpieces in stained wooden boxes, terra cotta vessels, and palm husks.  For a much more exciting look we incorporate a series of complementing floral designs to create a custom dramatic look rather than mass produced presentation.  I made all the table numbers on miniature wood stained sandwich boards.  I used the Lacy Brocade TIEF, Typeset Alphabet Bigz Dies, and the Designer Rosette XL Bigz Die along with the Tasteful Trim XL Bigz Die.  What I don't have is any pictures of the bus that brought all the guests, including the bride and groom, from the ceremony to the reception.  I made HUGE tissue paper flowers, 38 to be exact, to decorate the inside and outside of the bus.  We also had a sign that hung on the back of the bus that said "Recien Casados (Just Married)."

For a focal to the reception we constructed a facade.  We started with some photos I took of an old adobe home in New Almaden, an early mining community of San Jose, and built a corrogated roof over columns.  We added kiwi vine and orchids along with bromeliads and palms to finish the look.  This was AMAZING.  I only wish I took the photos before the band arrived and started setting up their equipment. 

Throughout the ceiling we strung market lighting, oversized umbrellas, and papel picados in a variety of the brides colors.  I wish I had a picture of the entire room, but I don't, but it truly was fabulous.