December We Create Blog Hop

Do you ever feel like you constantly operate in crisis mode because you can't keep up.  Time does not seem to slow down for anyone.  EXCEPT on Friday afternoon from 2-3 pm when you are stuck at work and anxious for the weekend.  My Thanksgiving weekend was fabulous and now I am playing catch up with the addition of my yearly seasonal cold shared with my by none other than my sweet hubby.   Once again I find myself racing to finish my blogpost.

Stampin Up has so many great holdiay stamps, papers and embellishments it was hard to choose.

I have seen this ornament all over the internet and had to give it a try.  I am going to use these as embellishments on my gift bags for Christmas.  The receiver can turn around and use it as a tree ornament.  Here is the link I used for the instructions Carrie Rhoades Woven Star

Another stamp set I had to play with was a new one from the occasions catalog called Smitten Mittens.  Yes I was smitten
The sentiment and the holly came from the Hang your Stocking set.

Hop on over to Jeanna's and see what creations she has made.

Count Your Blessing Blog Hop

Fall is here and the colors in Utah have been so vibrant ...yellows, oranges, rusts, reds, brown and green.  Oliver the bulldog wants to stop at every leaf pile and check it out.  A new playground for him.  He loves to run in the leaves.  I'm not brave enough...too many dogs in the neighborhood that leave hidden piles.

I am sharing two cards I made from the Count My Blessing set from the Occassions Catalog.  The script of the sentiments is what initially drew me to the set and then fall images just topped it off.  I had to have it.

Both cards share the same layout and colors.  I just changed the floral image to the leaves and acorns.  To pop it up or step it up I layered the flowers and added the pearls.

To pop this one out, I (unfortunately) could not find my layering circle dies :(  I popped the image up with dimensionals and added a bow and pearls to the card.  I also added an extra leaf and acorn to the image to give it a bit of dimension.

Hop on over to Jeanna's for some new ideas...

Steppin It Up Life is Beautiful Blog Hop

It is amazing how fast time flies.  The colors in our Wasatch Moutains are just stunning this time of year.  We even have snow already at our ski resorts.  The colors and time of year bring happiness to my soul.

For the Blog Hop today I am using Colorful Seasons from the annual catalog.  This is such a great stamp set and the coordinating dies are a must !

The first one is just a clean and simple card.  I cut the detailed leaf die from several different colors and layered them on the side of the card.  I stamped the sentiment in Chocolate Chip ink and added three copper sequins.















The stepped up version of the card is on a base of Fresh fig cardstock.  I added a strip of DSP from the Painted Autumn series.  Added some twine and several sequins.


Hop on over to Jeanna's blog and check out her creations

Steppin It up Sept Blog-Hop

As much as I love fall season I am not quite ready for summer to be over.  That being said, we just got back from a Utah football game which happens to be one of my favorite things about end of Summer/Fall.  As a good friend of mine to artfully penned...

A red and white respite from a world that can't see gray. For the next three hours, win or lose, there are no more troubles. #whyweplay

It was a great evening.  The Utes walked a away with a win, the first game jitters are now over with and no injuries. Next weekend will be against BYU our big rivasl.  Can't wait!   Now I prep for the blog hop to officially start September.

I chose to use tranquil tulips for the bloghop.  I know tulips are a spring flower, but they are one of my very favorites and this stamp set makes a great 15 minute card look amazing!

I used Peek-aboo Peach, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive and Early espresso.  To step it up a created a pop up frame with the stitched oval framelits and the layering ovals framelits.  Repositioned the greeting on the fron which came from the stamp set Wood Words.  Of course I have to throw in my hemp thread.

Hop on over to Jeanna's to see what she has come up with

We Create Blog Hop Daisy Delights

Oh where or where did July go?  So much fun and work packed into 31 days makes the month fly by.

Highlights for me were

• Family barbecues on the 4th and 24th (Utah Holiday) 
• Garden produce,
• Finding a favorite ball - had to bring it to bed with him.
  

  
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• Football Fall Camp has started - GO UTES
• We got a new car - at least new to us - a little Subaru Cross-trek  


And new Stamps!!!!

Here we are again to showcase some of the great stamp sets Stampin UP has.
I can't beleive how popular this little bundle has been,  Wasn't interested to begin with, but I got suckered into having to have this bundle.

Daisies - which happen to be one of my favorite flowers.   From You've got Mail - Daisies are such happy flowers.
Although I didnt use the main image, I love the grasses, stems and little flowers that stamp perfectly in their places.  Making a meadow scene was really fun and I was amazed at how quickly the card came together.

 A little confession - the little butterfly is from a non-stampin up set.  One of my irritants is when perspective is thrown off because you only have a giant bee or butterfly that doesn't match the size of your flower, so I used one that worked for me.  Isn't the flower scene fun.  I started with the basic scene and then stepped it up sponging green on the bottom and a little bit of blue in the sky.  The sentiment is stamped on vellum and hemp twine for the bow.

Hop on over to Lynns to see more great creations.

Steppin it up with a Bike Ride Blog Hop

Happy summer everyone!

Oh my goodness.  So many fun stamps in the new catalog.  I've been so bummed because I placed an order for my favorites.  I have been so busy and so tired that my stampin mojo is no where to be found so there they sat. It would help if I cleaned my stampin spot up a bit so there was space :)

Anyway,..The Bike Ride set spoke to me as soon as I saw it.  So that is the set I am using today to show a basic model and a stepped up version

I chose a monochromatic layout for the first one.  Very simple and clean but oh so cute.  Don't you just love the dies that go with this stamp set.  The little basket and handle bar tassels.  Those little butterflies are just too cute.  This particular set does not have any sentiments so I chose the one from Eastern Beauty.  Another set you just have to add to your collection.

 For the stepped up version I added the sentiment in black, the grey gingham ribbon and cut out the butterflies and tassels from the new in colors. 





Hop on over to Jeanna's blog to check out her amazing creations.

Steppin UP Blog Hop

I can't believe that we are embarking on another fabulous Stampin Up Year with an amazing catalog.  There have been pre-orders, but I have been saving my pennies for other stamps.  Because of this, you get a look at stamps not so new, but oh so fun!

I opted to use the Jar of Love Stamp set that made it's debut last catalog.  I have loved these jars from day one and are such an easy go to.  The inspiration for this card came from the mason jar we placed on my parents in law headstone for Memorial Day.  We filled the jar with pink and yellow roses from our yard.  Mums look great, but I think the personal touch of flowers from your garden mean so much.  Ralph's Mom loved pink roses, so we thought it apropos that we cut them from our bushes.

I started with a stepped up version of the card.  I stamped the flowers, leaves and jar and popped them

up with dimensionals.  I also put them on a white sheet to layer on top of my card base.  I added the dots from cool treats to fill in some of the blank spaces.


Head on over to Jeanna's to see what she has come up with.

Steppin It UP in a Hurry Blog Hop

I don't know about you but I always find myself without a card, when I need it in a hurry.  All of the sudden I find out it is somone's birthday, or a need a sympathy card to take to someone who has lost a loved on or just need to let someone know how much I appreciate them.  Often I find myself putting it off making the card until I have the time to do some grand design and then it is too late.  Much to a Stampers dismay, the design of the card is important but what is written on the inside means so much more to the recipient.

Another thing I do is hoard designer series paper.  Especially when I know I can no longer get that particular design.   I gotta start using it...right?

Here are a couple of thank you cards that I did in a hurry, because I didn't want to let the moment pass.

 This is a basic design of a strip of paper, some bakers twine and a thank you stamp.

 The next cards are added upon with several scored lines surrounding the strip of paper.

 

The cards are then accented with some basic pearls.  They don't pop as much in the photo, but they really add some elegance to the card.

Hop on over to Lynns blog to see what she has created

A litte Foxy Blog Hop

Happy April Fools Day...A bunch of complete silliness.  Some of you love it, and some like me don't care for the holiday at all.  I do love that Spring is official and even though we might still get rain and snow the spring flowers are gorgeous, spring football practice has started, we start to plot the garden and put the heavy wool sweaters away until next year.

My creation used the Foxy Friends stamp set.  I love this stamp set and knew that it would be one of the first that I purchased.  Then...it sat unused.  Perfect opportunity to pull it out and play a bit.

Here is the initial idea.  I love the little paw print strip.












Here is the stepped up version,

I added shading for the sky and grass.  I filled in the grass with marker strokes.  I wasn't sure I liked it at first,but you can't exactly erase it.  I like the texture it gives to the ground  I added layered body, head and tip of the foxes tail.  I really wanted to put ribbon or twine on it, but I resisted.  The banner is from banner thoughts and coordinating punch

Head on over to Jeanna B's for some more inspiration.

Lift My Sprits Steppin It up - Blog Hop

I think the first stamp set that spoke to me from the Occasions Catalog was the Lift Me Up stamp set.   And yes...they do speak to me.  Most of the time they say..You Need ME!!!

I have seen so many beautiful creations with this stamp set, I was beginning to wonder if I could create something different than I had already seen.

Well, it might not be sooo different, but it is my creation and I love the color combo.  I don't think the picture does it justice.

Here is the first version.  I have a hard time adhering the pieces to the card knowing full well, that I am rarely satisfied with simple and will be adding more layers and extra stuff.  Just my style.

The bright colors and the pop of black would lift anyone's spirit's if they got this in the mail.

The stepped up version...  adding a few extra layers and clouds give the balloons character and makes them pop even more.









Stamps - Lift Me up
Paper - Bermuda Bay, Peekaboo Peach, Calypso Coral, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black, Whisper White, and Carried Away DSP
Ink - Black, Peekaboo Peach
Accessories - Up and Away Thinlits, black embossing powder, Layering Oval Thinlits, dimensionals.


Hop on over to Jeannas blog to check out her wonderful creations.