Oval Punches

Here are a couple of cards I borrowed from Bev's collection to show them off! Just look at how creative she was with using the oval punches.

This beautiful daisy-like flower uses both the large and small oval punches to make the petals. And a light sponging of sahara sand gives the flowers that shadowy depth. Wow!


Okay, this card is just all around "punch crazy" (but in a good way of course!). First, all the bunny parts are punched out with the circles and ovals. But this basket is what gets me... The handle is done with punching out the cardstock with the large oval, then punching out the center with the small oval, to leave it hollow in the middle. And the basket is punched out with the new round tab punch from the Spring Mini catalogue, and just folded in half to get the basket look. Brilliant!!! And then add a little marker and you get a little basket weave look. Okay and the great finishing touch are the mini Easter eggs in the basket, punched out with the 1/4 inch circle punch. WOW!



Isn't he cute?!! Entirely from punches again. 2 large ovals make the head and lily pad. 2 small ovals make his legs. A 1 3/8" circle makes his body, and 6 horizontal slot punch pieces make his feet. As well, 2 of the 1/2" circles(whites) and 2 of the 1/4" circles(blacks) make his eyes.

Okay, I think I'm punch happy now! Thanks for letting me show these off Bev.

Have a great weekend! And I just wanted to extend a huge thank you to everyone who either helped out or donated to the Sooke Preschool's Spring Card Fundraiser last night. We had a great time and everyone's cards they made looked fantastic!

Happy Stamping!
Suzanne
(all images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Spring Swaps

Maggie decided to give us one of her spring creations for this month's swap. It's absolutely lovely. Using the Oval Punches, I am realizing how many different things that you can do with them. Flowers, Frogs, Bunnies... Hopefully I can get my hands on some of them to show them off. Maggie used the Garden Green and Summer Sun to get this spring look. And she used the background flowers on the bottom from the Petal Prints stamp set. Could you possibly add more spring? Well, the spring bouquet punch with a little ribbon on the bottom finishes it off perfectly. Fabulous Card Maggie!

Another great card is this one by Stacey. It is stamped using the Doodle This stamp set out of the spring mini catalogue. And I don't think I've used certainly celery and old olive together, but add a little apricot and saffron, and it shouts spring! And Stacey and Maggie used the "Spring" stamp, out of the Everyday Flexible Phrases stamp set too! Great job Maggie and Stacey!

Hope you are enjoying spring!

Happy Stamping!

Suzanne
(all images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Masculine Swaps

This was Alicia's Masculine swap card this month. She used creamy caramel, chocolate chip and really rust papers and ink, with the Autumn Leaf Prints and Warmest Regards Stamp sets. She roughed up the edges and wrapped up the leaf with some natural hemp. And, not sure if you can tell on the scan, but Alicia used the crimper on the piece of chocolate chip to give it another dimension. Great Alicia! Masculine designs are sometimes tough, or is it just that feminine is just so easy, or both!

I feel like going to Africa after seeing this card. Okay, okay, anywhere hot will do after all the rain we've been having lately. Bev made this card using the In the Wild stamp set, the Weathered Background stamp, and the It's your Birthday Stamp Sets. The colors are Sahara Sand, Always Artichoke and Black gives it that nice color separation accent. Nice Bev!

 

Robin made this one with the Polka Dots and Paisley, and All Year Cheer Stamp Sets. I like how the burgundy, so saffron and always artichoke colors go nicely together. Masculine or feminine for sure. The designer paper is from the Four Seasons package.

 

I just love these colors that Sonia used on this cards. Old Olive, More Mustard and Night of Navy. She used the print pattern background stamp and the All Year Cheer 1 stamp set. Brads are always a nice touch on a masculine card too. Not too frilly. This little dab of ribbon ties all the colors in too, and its from the Prep School Ribbon Assortment. Great Job Sonia.

Hope you, like me and my boys, are spending only a bit of time indoors today and taking advantage of the great sunshine we are finally getting.

Have a great day!
Happy Stamping!
Suzanne
(all images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

For Dad...

We were put to the challenge with our monthly being a masculine or spring theme. I loved the browns and paper tearing that I did on Kelly and Chris' Wedding invitations last month, so was inspired for this first one, which was the card that I made for the swap.

 

The cardstock is chocolate chip, creamy caramel and very vanilla. And the stamps were the Doodle Alphabet and lovely as a tree. I colored in the letters with chocolate chip, close to cocao and creamy caramel. Then after I tore the edges, I sponged close to cocoa around the edges. Here's a hint when paper tearing. If you tear towards you, you get that very frayed/rough look. A very natural, rough edged look, plus the sponging, gives it that antiquey, aged look.

 

And this one will be one of the cards we make at the preschool night. Also using lovely as a tree and the doodle alphabet. The ink color is mellow moss and bashful blue, which are a soft contrast to the taken with teal and tempting turquoise cardstock.

Stay tuned for some more fabulous swaps...

Happy Stamping,
Suzanne (all images copyright 19990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

For Mom...

Here are two cards we are going to be making at this Spring's Sooke Preschool Card Fundraiser. On March 30th, from 6 to 10pm you are invited to come out and support the Sooke Preschool and make 8 great cards for Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Birthday for only $20. We had such a great time and response at our Christmas Card Class that we can't wait to do it again. And remember, when you come to make a card, you can personalize it the way you want, or change it up a bit to suit for what you need. For example, change for Mom, to Happy Birthday instead. 
 

I am so loving the "Doodle" alphabet, which is what I used for this first card. With the rose red, apricot appeal, almost amethyst and certainly celery, it's very feminine, but not too girly. I love adding a brad in the middle of a daisy to give the finishing touch of the flower. Oh, and the faux stitching with the white gel pen is fun too!

The second card is made using the flower pot from the Favorite Teddy Bear set with this year's "In Color" line of Vintage Violet and Bucharoo Blue. And the "My Mom" stamp comes from the Fancy Flexible phrases set which was in the Winter Mini catalogue. Although, no longer available for purchase from Stampin' Up!, I am happy to have it and all 56 of it's stamps available to use at all of my classes!

See the rest of the cards here, at Sooke Preschool's Spring Card Class.

If you are unable to attend, but would still like to support the children, put in your order and I would be happy to make the cards for you. And you can pick and choose from the listed ones too!

For more information, send me an email or give me a call at 642-0845. Sign up soon to reserve your seat. Space is limited, you must pre-register.

Thanks and Have a great day!
And oh yes...
Happy Stamping too!

Suzanne

(all images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Get Well Soon!

 

One of our preschool friends' baby brother was in the hospital yesterday, so I was more than happy to make a card for sweet little Riley.

And what says get well, better than a teddy bear pulling a wagon with a pot of flowers and a balloon.

And as much as I love pinks and browns, the bordering blue and close to cocoa are so great for little (or big) boys! I wanted the soft look of color, so after I stamped out the bear and wagon... with black, I colored it in with my pastels.

Get Well Soon Riley!

Suzanne

(all images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

More Paisley Swap

Here is Maggie's card from our last Polka Dots and Paisley swap. I love how the regal rose and gable green shout out SPRING. Sure could use the help with all this rainy weather we've been having recently.

She uses the white gel pen to "dot" in the center of the flowers in the paisley background and also the edging on the green as well. And the look of the confetti white paper in the middle give a more natural look, as opposed to the bold white. And with the tag front, with celery ribbon, "popped up" with dimensionals, sure gave me a reason to smile when I received this card. Thanks Maggie!

Have a great Stamping Day!
Suzanne

(all images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Silent Auction... shhhh!!!

I have two little men in the Sooke Co-op Preschool right now. Jordan started in September and Declan has just joined him this February. I thought I'd have more time on my hands now, but nope... just more stuff always on the go!
Being a co-op, parents are an active part in the classroom and in funding efforts. So last weekend we had a silent auction at the CASA building in Sooke, and here is something that I donated. A set of 4 Ceramic Tile, hand stamped coasters with a Ceramic Tile Trivet. These are so fun and easy to create. First I picked up the Ceramic Tile from the local Hardware store, then got out my Staz On Ink (a permanent ink usable on many different surfaces). Finished them with a Varathane Sealer and put some little rubber (or felt) feet on the bottom.


I used the Petal Prints stamp set, along with the words from the Natural Beauty stamp set. I was able to select only one word at a time, from this multiple worded stamp, by using a technique called masking.

I put a post it note right on the rubber part of the stamp, covering all but the word I wanted to stamp. Inked it up with Staz On and then took off the post its and stamped the one word onto the coasters.

Then finishing them off, I used my Stampin' Pastels (chalks), to add some color before sealing them and putting on their feet.

The tiles for the coasters measure 3 3/4 squared inches, and the trivets measure 5 7/8 squared inches.




The trivet was also stamped by masking, only a little different. After stamping the words all around the edge, I put a piece of paper in the middle, the same size as the flower I was going to stamp, so that the leaves would not overlap. Then stamped the flower in the middle as the highlight.

So elegant but so easy. And no one will ever know...except you and me of course (wink!)

Have a Happy Stamping Weekend!

Cheers!
Suzanne

(all images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Polka Dot Swaps

As I've mentioned before, I'm lucky enough to be involved with a great group of stampers, who are Stampin' Up! Demonstrators. One thing we love to do when we get together is to bring a swap card, and trade it off for ones made by others included in the swap.

This month, we were using one of my favorite new stamp sets, Polka Dots and Paisley.
This is one that Sonia made, using the Versamark Resist technique. By stamping the background flower onto glossy cardstock, then sponging on different colors, the versarmarked background stays white. So subtle, yet so effective. The she stamped the outline of the flower on top in black to make it really stand out. Her spring colors are lavendar lace and gable green. I really like the look of the pastel colors, sponged in the background!




Deb made this one using regal rose, certainly celery and always artichoke. She uses the small corner rounder punch to round the 3 edges and added a brad in the 4th corner which she kept square. Very Happy Deb!






Look how clever this is of Stacey, to use the flower heads as eyes, the stem as the mouth, the base of the flower as the nose and the daisy punch gives this happy little person some hair. And using a piece of hardward from the Hodgepodge set, finishes it off with some ribbon. So cute Stacey!



This is Bev's card with the pinks and browns and a little bit of green. Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip and Mellow Moss. She added 3 little pink brads to highlight the phrase on the front. Lovely Bev!





And Alicia really brightened hers up with the black and pink passion. A little bit of "fun" knots too, by mixing up the white and black grosgrain ribbon.




Enjoy your "near" spring day! Hopefully it includes a little bit of stamping!

Suzanne

(all images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Wedding Wishes...

... For my friends Kelly and Chris.


Here's a look at the wedding invitations I've been making for them. They are incorporating Gerbera Daisies and the colors of browns and orange. So, we found the flowers from Petal Prints and the Chocolate Chip and Really Rust with the Confetti Cream Paper to accent.




On the front, we are using a 3" x 4" black and white, matte finish photo, itself being matted with our confetti cream paper, torn around the edges.

Inside, they had chosen a quote to use on the top half of the open card which reads: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the places and moments that take our breath away" --anonymous (So true!!)

I really like the rough edges, done by the paper tearing. Hint: if you tear the paper upwards toward you, you get a rougher more natural look. It's easy, fun and looks great. And finishing it off, is a Petal Prints flower outlined in Chocolate Chip Craft Ink (to give it a solid chocolate chip look) on Really Rust Paper. It sits above the paper on a Stampin' Dimensional, which lets it really pop off the page.

Thanks for letting me make your invitations for you both Kelly and Chris. All my best to you on your Special Day!

Hope you are having a great weekend with family and those that you love! Yes, spring and love are both in the air!

Suzanne

(all images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Spring Fever!

Along with all the great stuff that Stampin' Up! has just come out with in their new Spring Mini Catalogue, we can also take advantage of this fabulous Spring Fever Promotion!

From march 1 through March 31st, you'll get 50 percent off any one item in the new Spring Mini Catalogue when you purchase te Polka Dots & Paisley Bundle! The Bundle includes the Polka Dots and Paisley Stamp Set, the Petals Jumbo Wheel and the Petals and Paisley Designer Paper, all for only $48.40. Plus, choose any one item the Spring Mini for 50 percent off!!!

As well, this month only, if you host a workshop totalling $600 or more, you will get 50 percent off any one item from the Spring Mini, with no purchase required! What a deal!

Contact me today to host a workshop or place your order. You won't want to miss this exciting opportunity!!!

Catch the Spring Fever...

... And Happy Stamping!

Suzanne

(all images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Spring is Near...

... And the New Spring Mini is Here!


Between March 1st and June 30th, you can take advantage of so many great new things that Stampin' Up! has to offer this spring. The Spring Mini Catalogue has over 27 pages to entice, inspire and delight! Check it out! Here are some of my favorites...











This is my most favorite one I think. The new Polka Dots and Paisley.
Fresh and Fun!






And I am so loving the new Doodle Alphabet and Doodle Numbers. Okay, okay, so the alphabet, is on it's way and I can't wait to use it in some of my upcoming classes. It looks like so much fun!

So cute... the Bundle Of Joy stamp set. Perfect for new little ones on the way. And how great is the baby giraffe with the chocolates and the apricots. I love it!


Almost makes me wish... well, no, not quite!!! Did you know that I make baby announcements and shower and thank you's. My collection from Stampin' Up! makes it so easy to create the most adorable little baby cards. Contact me if you or someone you know is enjoying a new "Bundle of Joy!"

With wild and crazy weather here, I definitely can't wait for spring to arrive. With all these new things in front of me, I know it can't be far away!

Have a great day! And... happy stamping!!!

Suzanne

(all images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)