A "Sweet" Card for the Heart 2 Heart "Hot" challenge!

On a "hot, hot, hot" summer day there's nothing more refreshing than an ice-cold beverage! Here in the high desert of California, we've had temperatures up to 110 degrees this past week, so "hot" weather is definitely something I know a little something about. On the hottest days, I like to stay cool inside my air-conditioned craft room and get creative while drinking my favorite drink, an ice-cold cherry coke!

So here is my card submission for the Heart to Heart challenge blog this week! We were challenged to create something associated with the word "hot". This little card measures 4.25" tall by 2.75" wide and I used a lot of retired products I had sitting around to use up. Stamp sets I used include You're Sweet B1351 (still available) and the Bowl of Cherries B1348 stamp set that came with the Cherry-O Workshop-on-the-Go kit that was available a while back (summer of 2010). The soda that fills the glass is "Cocoa" B&T paper from the now retired Veranda pack, and the straw was cut from paper from the Zippidee pack (also now retired). The opaque-looking paper that makes up the "glass" is Vellum stamped with White Daisy ink. I hope you enjoy this simple-to-make card and have a "cool" rest of the summer!

The Veranda Workshop Play Dates are April 16, 17, and 19!

Reservations for our April workshop

featuring the Veranda papers are needed by April 9th!

Remember that you can click on any of the images below to see them larger. Please e-mail me if you'd like to request a kit order form be sent to you by e-mail (as the one I have posted may be too small for you to see well and print out). I accept cash, checks, and credit/debit cards for your convenience, so you can even make your reservations with me over the phone. Please feel free to call or e-mail me to RSVP asap and with any further questions you might have! All workshop play dates will be held in my stamp room here in Barstow.

The April 2010 VERANDA Workshop on the Go play dates for you to choose from are:
Friday, April 16th (6pm to 10pm)

Saturday, April 17th (2pm to 6pm)

and/or Monday, April 19th (10am to 2pm) - bring a sack lunch!

Please pre-order your workshop kit by April 9th

so all supplies can arrive in time for these play dates!

$8 or $14 to create the VERANDA cards and bonus item!
Includes pre-cut papers and embellishments to make a variety of 3 standard-size cards, a surprise bonus item (pop-up gift card wallet shown below!), plus you get the instructional Workshop Guide too! (You will need to provide your own adhesive). Cards may vary slightly from the examples shown in the guide as I may have to use the bulk papers and embellishments available to me to make this lower-cost option possible. When you choose the double cards option you will make 2 each of the 3 card designs (1 bonus item) for $14.

$8 to make the VERANDA layout and bonus item!
Includes pre-cut papers and embellishments to create 2-12x12 pages, a surprise bonus item (pop-up gift card wallet shown below!), plus you get the instructional Workshop Guide too! (You will need to provide your own adhesive). Layouts may vary slightly from the examples shown in the guide as I may have to use the bulk papers and embellishments available to me to make this lower-cost option possible.

VERANDA BASIC Kit – you pay $35
($5 more to add the My Stickease®)
Includes full embellishments,
but no stamp set (you can use mine)
Total value $36.16 including tax & shipping (save $1.16)
X7119B Veranda Level 2 paper packet ($12.95)
Z1269 Filigree Charms ($3.95)
Z1275 Mini-Medley Accents Antiqued Copper Collection ($4.95)
Z1266 Just Blooms Spring Blossoms ($7.95)
Workshop Guide ($1.00)

VERANDA BASIC “BUDDY” Kit – $36
($18 per person, $5 more to add the my Stickease®)
Includes everything in the BASIC Kit shown above,
plus an additional Workshop Guide so you and a friend can split and share the contents of your kit! (the contents of each basic kit can be split equally!) You may need to purchase a few additional sheets of cardstock to complete all of the projects.

VERANDA BEST Kit – you pay $43.00
($5 more to add the My Stickease®)
Includes exclusive stamp set and
full selection of embellishments!
Total value $52.54 including tax & shipping –
you save $9.54! (best value!)
X7119B Veranda Level 2 paper packet ($12.95)
My Acrylix® exclusive “Follow Your Heart” stamp set ($13.95)
Z1269 Filigree Charms ($3.95)
Z1275 Mini-Medley Accents Antiqued Copper Collection ($4.95)
Z1266 Just Blooms Spring Blossoms ($7.95)
Workshop Guide ($1.00)

Additional Required Tools:
When you attend the workshop, I will have all of the items listed below on hand for you to use! Please remember to bring your adhesive, paper trimmer, and scissors and bring the items listed below with you IF you have any of them to cut down on your time spent waiting to share supplies with other guests. You also have the option to add any of these items on to your order if you want to (and this could help you get the Stamp of the Month set FREE or at a discount)! If you are not able to create with us in person, you can either add these items on to your order or substitute other similar items you may already have to use (for example, any alphabet font stamp set you have could be substituted to create your desired title for the layouts).
E1010 My Acrylix® Chocolate Alphabet Large $34.95
Z2167 Crème Brulee Exclusive Inks® Pad $5.25
Z2120 Garden Green Exclusive Inks® Pad $5.25
Z2166 Tulip Exclusive Inks® Pad $5.25
Z1142 Brown StazOn® Ink $9.95
Z726 Sponge Daubers $3.95
Y1001 1" × 1.5" My Acrylix® Block $4.50
Y1004 2.5" × 2.5" My Acrylix® Block $7.50
Y1010 2" × 6 1/2" My Acrylix® Block $9.95

We're gonna create some beautiful things! I'll look forward to seeing you at one or more of our workshop play dates in April!!

More Flower Pot (April SOTM) artwork!!

Here is a bunch of beautiful artwork created by participants in the consultant Stamp of the Month artwork swap that I host every month. We used the Veranda papers (X7119B) with the April Stamp of the Month - Flower Pot (D1409). My swap items for this swap are not posted here as part of this posting because I already posted them yesterday (for the SOTM blog hop that I also participate in each month, so scroll down to the next post if you'd like to see how I used this stamp set and check out links for the blog hop also). EXCELLENT WORK ladies - it is a pleasure swapping with all of you!! Now I'm really looking forward to the next round of this swap using all-new SOTM's and papers from the NEW Summer Idea Book (the new Summer products will be available for customers to order starting on May 1st)!

5x7 card (below)

6x6 layout (below)standard size card (below)
3x6 card (below)

6x6 card (below)

8x3.5 card (below)

2.5x3.5 and 3x3 card (below)

9x9 layout (below)

4.75x3 card (below)

4.5x4.5 card (below)

standard size card (below)

4.75x3 card (below)

4.5" circle card (below)

4.5x4.5 card (below)

6x6 layout (below)

standard size card (below)

standard size card (below)

8x3.5 card (below)

9x9 layout (below)

5x7 card (below)

3x6 card (below)

April Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

WELCOME to my blog and THANKS for stopping by to see my artwork featuring the April SOTM - Flower Pot D1409! I have used the Veranda Level 2 paper packet X7119B for all of my creations.

• First is a pop-up gift card wallet. You are getting three views of it at once in this photo; bottom left shows it closed, top left shows it partially opened, and on the right you see it opened all the way. You are supposed to insert a gift card or folded-up cash in the pop-up spot where you now see my business card! I will share the cutting dimensions and directions how to make it below. I learned how to create this fun pop-up holder from my 3rd upline Cindy Baker who learned it from one of her uplines Debbi Fournier (so thanks so much for sharing it and passing it on down to me ladies)!
• Next, I have shared a 4.5" circle card: design inspired by Wishes - Side Note (p. 127).
• Finally, in the last photo are two small cards: the 3x3" card design is inspired by Originals - Squares & Overlay (p. 65) and the 2.5x3.5" card is inspired by Originals - Double Duty (p. 113).

Pop-Up Gift Card Wallet instructions:

• Cocoa cardstock base is 4.25 x 10" (round corners)
• Score the cardstock base at 3", 4", 5", and 8" (or scoring 2" from opposite end works better)
• B&T paper for outside of the holder - 2.75 x 4" (cut two - one from B&T and one from vanilla cream cardstock to be stamped on) and 1.75 x 4" (cut one)
• B&T paper for inside of the holder - 2.75 x 4" (cut two) and 1.75 x 4" (cut one)
• The band that is wrapped around to hold the holder closed is a 12" x 1/2" strip of cardstock (layered with a .75 x 4.25" piece of Cocoa cardstock underneath on the front side only), which is then embellished with paper flowers and a button.
• At the 3" score make a valley fold (this will be the front bottom).
• At the 4" score make a mountain fold. (This fold and the next fold will make the portion that will hold the gift card).
• At the 5" score make a valley fold.
• At the 8" score make a valley fold (this will be the front top).
• Use a strong adhesive (like tombow) along the outside valley fold of the 4" scored edge to adhere the pop-up gift card holder portion together, then cut off 1/16th of an inch of the pop-up fold so you can insert the gift card/money there.
• Fold the holder (you may need to trim a little off the bottom front flap to ensure it folds closed well) before adhering the B&T papers. Once it folds nicely you can apply all of the B&T papers as well as your stamped cardstock to the front and back sides.

If you want to see a whole lot more beautiful artwork created by participants of the consultant SOTM swap that I host each month you will want to come back tomorrow to check out my next posting (on April 1st, 2010)!! You'd be a fool not to want to check it out - lol!

Now you can continue on with the hop by visiting **JODY'S BLOG** next to enjoy her amazingly creative artwork!!