Holiday Magic (October SOTM) Blog Hop!!

WELCOME to my blog and thank you for joining us for our October Stamp of the Month blog hop!! If you've just joined me from Haley's Blog,
then you are the right path!

First up, is a 3.5"x8" card design inspired by Wishes - Right Design (p. 42). This card features the Roxie paper pack X7140B and all it's colors (Black, Colonial White, Desert Sand, Smoothie, and Tulip), plus I added New England Ivy for stamping the tree and sponged all of the card elements with Cocoa ink. The banner is inspired by the banner shown on the Typeset layout on the front of our current Idea book! Each pennant was created by stamping the ribbon tail from the "ribbon award" stamp in the Blue Ribbon C1464 stamp set shown on page 17 with Desert Sand ink and cutting each one out by hand (something I haven't done much of at all since I started using our Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge a few months ago, lol)! The letters are stamped with the A Typeface A1117 stamp set (August 2011 promotion) in black ink. The tree is topped with a Bling Assortment Z1466 button with Black Waxy Flax Z1089 tied through it. The banner hangs from Black Hemp Z282.

By the way, all of our blog hop artwork today features the October SOTM - Holiday Magic. This festive stamp set includes 18 images for $17.95 (OR just $5 with a $50 or more CTMH purchase!) and it is available for a limited time (during October 2011 only)! Here is a view of all of the images included in this set:

Next, I have a another "Tree" card that features the Believe paper pack X7145B. This one is standard size and inspired by the Wishes Greetings Card Workshop - Card 2 (p. 112). To create the tree I used "stamp rolling" technique, by inking the tree in Sweet Leaf ink first, then "rolling" the outside edges with Topiary ink.

Lastly, here's another simple standard size card inspired by the Wishes Greetings Card Workshop - Card 4 (p. 113). I've used the Believe papers again, and the "Star" was super easy to make. I simply stamped the white surface of a Dimensional Elements Star Z1680 with the leaf stamp from this set and Desert Sand ink to make it look like a giant snowflake inside the star. Then I used my piercing tool to poke a hole through the center for my sparkley brad. The "Celebrate the Season" sentiment comes from the Glory to God D1483 stamp set (p. 83).

Now you can continue on with the rest of our Blog Hop to see many more beautiful creations using the "Holiday Magic" stamp set
by visiting Teresa's Blog next! Enjoy!!

Event Calendar Workshop this Saturday 9/24!!

I do still have a few spots left for my Event Calendar Workshop that is coming up this Saturday, September 24th (4pm to 10pm)!! It's not too late to contact me to reserve your spot now!!

I am SO VERY EXCITED to show you the NEW EVENT CALENDAR WORKSHOP I've designed for you all to create with me in September and October!! My Event Calendar Workshop price is:

Create ONE calendar with me for $22

or Create TWO calendars with me for $40!

This price includes all of the papers you will need (pre-cut and ready to stamp and assemble), the 4"x18" spiral-bound calendar (Z126, shown on page 129, $8.50), and all of the embellishments needed (Z1393 Black mini-medley accents collection $4.95), PLUS you get free use of my stamps, inks, and other tools I will teach you how to use (my expert instruction is free when you purchase from me)!! Now, if you're wondering what exactly an "event calendar" is and what makes it so useful...I will tell you! An event calendar is a place you can write down all of the birthdays and anniversaries you celebrate each and every year. You can hang it on your wall in your home or office to help remind you of important dates you want to remember and you can re-use it again and again year after year!! Why not create one for yourself and create another one to give as a gift?!! Or, if you want to invite a friend to attend and enjoy this fun workshop with you, I am happy to give you the 2 for $40 price deal (meaning your cost will be just $20 each for both of you)! To start, I am offering you THREE DATES to choose from (you can attend any one or all of these dates, come at any time that works best for you) on Saturday, September 24th (4pm to 10pm), Friday, October 7th (6pm to 10pm), and/or Friday, October 21st (6pm to 10pm). Experienced stampers can expect to complete one calendar in about 3 hours. If you are new to stamping and paper-crafting or you just want to take your time, it could take you up to about 6 hours at the most. I will continue to offer additional time in my stamp room to complete this workshop on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays in November also, if you need more time to create additional event calendars or if the earlier dates just don't work out for you.

(calendar "toppers" shown left to right - January through June)

(calendar "toppers" shown left to right - July through December)

January – Wishes, Layered Look (p. 19)
3.5 x 3.5” – Grey Wool cardstock
3 x 3” – Wonderland dots BULK b&t duos
2.25 x 2” – Wonderland square argyle BULK b&t duos
2 x 1.75” – Twilight cardstock
1.5 x 2” – White Daisy cardstock
½ x 3” – White Daisy cardstock
Markers – Crystal Blue, Grey Wool, Spring Iris, Twilight

February – Wishes, Right Away (p. 84)
3.5 x 3.5” – Desert Sand cardstock
3 x 3” – Roxie smoothie floral BULK b&t duos
3.5 x 1” – Roxie plaid BULK b&t duos
1.25 x 2.25” – White Daisy cardstock
Markers – Desert Sand, Olive, Smoothie, Tulip

March – Wishes, A Cut Above (p. 49)
3.5 x 3.5” – Black cardstock
3 x 3” – Dreamin’ pacifica dots BULK b&t duos
3 x 1.75” – Elemental olive diamonds b&t duos (NOT bulk)
2 x 2” – White Daisy cardstock
¾ x ¾“ – White Daisy cardstock
Markers – Crème Brulee, Grey Wool, Olive, Pacifica, Tulip

April – Originals, Squares & Overlay (p. 65)
3.5 x 3.5” – Olive cardstock
3 x 3” – Sonoma stripe BULK b&t duos
½ x 3” – Sonoma BULK zip strip
2-3/8 x 1” – Bamboo cardstock
(3) 1 x 1” – White Daisy cardstock squares
White Daisy cardstock scrap (to stamp heart)
Markers – Crème Brulee, Desert Sand
Smokey Plum ink pad with waterbrush

May – Jen’s own design
3.5 x 3.5” – Desert Sand cardstock
3 x 3” – Dreamin’ pacifica dots BULK b&t duos
½ x 3.5” – Dreamin’ BULK zip strip
2.5 x 1.75” – White Daisy cardstock
White Daisy cardstock scrap (to stamp bicycle)
Markers – Crème Brulee, Crystal Blue, Desert Sand,
Grey Wool, Olive, Pacifica

June – Originals, All in a Row (p. 122)
3.5 x 3.5” – Olive cardstock
3 x 3” – Mischief black damask BULK b&t duos
3 x ¾” – White Daisy cardstock
1.5 x 1.25” – Bamboo cardstock
White Daisy cardstock scrap (to stamp compass)
Markers – Bamboo, Grey Wool

July – Originals, Top It Off (p. 111)
3.5 x 3.5” – Pacifica cardstock
3 x 3” – Elemental pacifica BULK b&t duos
½ x 3” – Believe plaid BULK b&t duos
1.25 x 2.5” – White Daisy cardstock
¾ x ¾“ – White Daisy cardstock
Markers – Grey Wool, Pacifica, Tulip

August – Originals, Side Accent (p. 58)
3.5 x 3.5” – Olive cardstock
3 x 3” – Sonoma bamboo flourish BULK b&t duos
3 x 2” – Bamboo cardstock
1.25 x 1.75” – White Daisy cardstock
1.5 x 1.5” - Sonoma bamboo flourish BULK b&t (owl body)
White Daisy cardstock scrap (to stamp eyes/beak)
Markers – Bamboo, Crème Brulee, Desert Sand, Olive

September – Originals, Center Focus (p. 111)
3.5 x 3.5” – Bamboo cardstock
3 x 3” – Typeset lettering BULK b&t duos
1.5 x 2” – Typeset juniper BULK b&t duos (to stamp ribbon)
3 x 1” – Bamboo cardstock (ribbon layers on top of this piece)
Bamboo cardstock scrap (to stamp tiny “1” for ribbon)

October – Originals, Pieced Panels (p. 12)
3.5 x 3.5” – Black cardstock
3 x 3” – Mischief stripe BULK b&t duos
2 x 1” – Mischief black damask BULK b&t duos
1 x 3” – Sunset cardstock
1.25 x 1.5” – White Daisy cardstock
White Daisy cardstock scrap (to stamp 3 heart “candy corns”)
Markers – Crème Brulee, Grey Wool, Sunset
Use our cutting/craft knife to cut jagged opening 

along top edge of stamped bag and adhere candy corn

piece partially inside/behind the bag opening!

November – Originals, Matted Square (p. 47)
3.5 x 3.5” – Bamboo cardstock
2.75 x 2.75” – Dreamin’ floral BULK b&t duos
1.75 x 1.75” – Pacifica cardstock
1.5 x 1.5” – White Daisy cardstock
Marker – Grey Wool

December – Originals, Stage Right (p. 122)
3.5 x 3.5” – Sweet Leaf cardstock
3 x 3” – Believe stripe BULK b&t duos
1 x 3” – Believe plaid BULK b&t duos
1.5 x 1.5” – White Daisy cardstock
¾ x 1.75” – White Daisy cardstock
Markers – Sweet Leaf, Tulip

Thank You Cards (with a favorite color combo)!

The Heart 2 Heart Blog challenge this week was to create something using our favorite color combination. For me, that is much easier said than done, simply because I have so many different favorite color combos (it's almost impossible to pick just one)!! So I decided to show you one of the latest color schemes that I truly loved using the now retired Veranda papers that I find myself going back to again and again. The colors I used here include Cocoa, Colonial White, Creme Brulee, Juniper, and Olive. The stamp sets I used to create these two cards (above) include Unscripted C1465, Hooray Bouquet D1491 (to stamp the daisy that I cut using my Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge, "flower6" cut on colonial white cardstock at 1" and then stamped with Hooray Bouquet and Creme Brulee ink), and also Thank You D1361 for the sentiments.

Below you will see a few variations on this card that some of my card-making students came up with this week! On Thursday 9/8 I taught my friend Gloria's teen mother class (high-school age girls) to create these thank you cards with me. For most of them, this was the very first time they have ever picked up a stamp, and...just as I expected...these girls definitely have a knack for creativity! I loved how so many of the girls used the pre-cut paper pieces I provided in a completely different way and created their own original works of art! Beautiful work girls!! I really enjoyed my time with you teaching you how to stamp. Your thank you cards all turned out so lovely!