LACY EMBELLISHED TREE

First of all, I apologize for the poor quality of the picture, but this one was difficult to photograph! I used one of Cuttlebug's new embossing folders (Lace Tree) and ran it through the Big Shot to emboss the image on the card stock. The cute little gem embellishments were a free gift with some Cricut items I recently ordered, so I put them to good use on this card. I'm told that you can create your own gems by squeezing a circle of Crystal Effects onto some wax paper and then use SU ink refills to color them--a little color goes a long way. I haven't tried this yet, but I'll bet it works! FYI: I have a couple of extra "Lace Tree" embossing folders for sale if you'd like one! I'm only asking what I paid for them (price + shipping) = $7. First come, first serve.

UPSY DAISY - GRID TECHNIQUE

I'm not really in love with this card--couldn't seem to figure out what I wanted to do. The grid was created with the Scor-Pal and accented with Turquoise Stickles. SU products used include Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, and Whisper White card stock, Scallop Edge punch (for corners and edging), "Upsy Daisy" stamp set, Kiwi Kiss Classic ink, and Kiwi Kiss 5/8" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon.

EASY POCKET SILHOUETTES

Yet another easy card featuring designer paper (Bella Rose), ribbon, and "Pocket Silhouettes." This is such a great little stamp set and lends itself nicely for quick cards!

SUMMER PICNIC

How's this for an easy card???? The only time-consuming part of this one was allowing the Crystal Effects to dry. In case you can't find it, the little punched flowers were covered with Crystal Effects. Aren't they cute?

A NEW PURSE

Since I was trying this purse for the first time, I used retired designer paper, but I plan to make another one . . . a better one . . . with some of SU's awesome new paper. The one that keeps coming to mind is Maine Blueberry--that paper is GORGEOUS! I'd also like to find a different closure for this purse. I used Velcro, but it's so ugly when the purse is opened, and yet my magnets weren't strong enough to hold it closed. I really like this purse design, though, because it's a good size.

"FIRST DAY"

This poem, not written by me, is for all those moms who will be sending a little one to Kindergarten . . . and for my sister, a teacher, who will have to deal with them (the moms).

FIRST DAY
Everyone has a "First Day" when they feel sad and all alone.
It can be so scary when you're out on your own.
Take my hankie, dry your tears. You'll probably make new friends.
I Promise we'll be together when the school day ends.
Here comes the teacher--blow your nose and be brave.
Come on now wipe your eyes, this is no way to behave.
"Well, good morning teacher. We really must beg your pardon.
No, MOMMY doesn't always act this way, but it's MY first day of KINDERGARTEN!"

ANOTHER SCALLOP CIRCLE GIFT BOX

It's probably safe to say that these little boxes/totes are addictive! I guess it's also safe to say that I love Chocolate Chip card stock! Once again, I used the Big Shot to cut the scallop circles (Sizzix Scallop Circles die and Sizzix Scallop Circles #2 die). The only other additions to this box are the Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware brads (one on each side of the box) and SU's brand new felt flowers (Flower Fusion Too). I used a taller and wider box between the two circles this time, and I opted to not add a handle. SU colors used are Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, and Pink Pirouette, and I used the SU white gel pen to add the doodling, which is another nice addiction. Oops! I mean "addition."

SCALLOP CIRCLE GIFT TOTE & PILLOW BOX

Yesterday afternoon, UPS brought some SU goodies and I've been trying to put them to good use. For this gift purse/tote, I used the two Sizzix Scallop Circle dies. Is this a cute little dilly or what?????? One of the new dies has two scallop circles on it. The smallest one could have been used to create the floral element, but this one had been created with the Scallop Circle punch some time ago. For the flower stem, I used a leftover snippet of Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon. Another new ribbon, the 5/8" Striped Kiwi Kiss grosgrain, was used to create the handle. For the pillow box, I used two dies . . . "Pillow Box," of course, and "Birds & Blooms." That gorgeous paper is the brand new "Maine Blueberry!" If you've ever made a pillow box without a die, then you will be able to appreciate this die! I used to hate scoring the paper/card stock on the curves, but the Sizzix die does all of the scoring for you! Awesome!

A LOADED BELLA ROSE

This card is just full of fun products! To begin with, I used that awesome "Bella Rose" designer paper. Can you tell that the 3D rose is on a scalloped square? That square was punched from SU's brand new Scallop Square! The new Scallop Edge punch was used to create the neat frame, which also serves as a ribbon slider for SU's new 1-1/4" Pink Pirouette grosgrain ribbon. It's wide enough to almost be used on it's own as a layer, but I decorated the ribbon with "A Perfect Day" Rub-Ons. Other SU products used to create this card include Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, and Kiwi Kiss card stock, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, 2-Way Glue, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

MORE "URBAN GARDEN" & BIG SHOT

Can you tell by now that I LOVE using the Big Shot die cut machine? I'm so anxious to demonstrate it and hope to get a class scheduled in September for nothing but Big Shot! I'm also trying to work out details for a "Big Shot Club" which will make it easier to afford this awesome die cut machine by spreading the purchase price over a period of four months, so start saving your $$$. For this card, I used "Urban Garden" designer paper and cut one of the flowers to create a 3D focal point. I also used the Snow Blossom and Trio Flower punches and a Rhinestone brad for the flower center. To create the frame, I used the Sizzix "Top Note" die and made two cuts from designer paper. On one of them, I cut along the edge perforation to create a border/outline for the other die cut. I think it's a pretty nice look! I also used the Sizzix "Birds & Bloom" die to cut the bird. I just love this little bird!!! Other SU products used include Night of Navy 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Bashful Blue card stock, and Confetti Cream card stock.

LANTERN / LUMINARY CARD

There's no time like the present to play with new stuff, and that's what I've been doing! This is a rather unique project because it's not only a lantern/luminary, it also can fold flat to be mailed as a card. While I just used designer paper to decorate mine, it would look nice with photos in honor (or memory) of a loved one, particularly during the holidays. You can see a bit of candle glow in the picture, but I didn't use a real candle. I used a battery-operated flickering tea light. SU products used to create this project include "Urban Garden" designer paper, Vellum paper, Big Shot die cut machine, and the "Birds & Blooms" Sizzix die to create the birds, of course, and the floral-shaped window cuts.

CANDY JAR - COMPLETE

Remember the candy jar that I posted a couple of days ago? Well, it received its finishing touches--complete with nugget candies wrapped with "Bella Rose" designer paper! The designer paper circle in the lid is one of the Bella Rose designs, and the 3D flower and leaves on top are also from that designer paper collection. I used "A Perfect Day" Rub-Ons to put the "You're so sweet" message on the lid. It looks much better now, doesn't it?

ETA: This candy jar won the "Her Royal Rubberness" award at a Demonstrator meeting this month. Whoever wins the award each month has to add some form of bling to the scepter before returning it to the meeting the following month. I'm proud to say that this is my second time having the glory of being crowned, but I have no idea what to add to the scepter. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment!

BANDANA TECHNIQUE

Oh boy! This was a fun and EASY technique, and I hope to work it into a class or workshop before too long. I used "Baroque Motifs" and "Celebrate Everything" for the stamped images, and the card stock colors are Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, and Whisper White. My ink choices were Riding Hood Red, Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, and Black StazOn. Accessories used to create this card include the white gel pen and the brand new Scallop Edge punch!

SWANKY SWIRLS

Remember a few days ago when I said that I had used the Swirly Sizzix die to cut some swirly borders and would use them on a card? Well, this is one of the cards--finally! I love how this one turned out, but it was one of those "it-just-needs-a-little-something-else" projects that make you stand back, scratch your head, and wonder WHAT else to do! Don't you just love the swirly border???????? The stamped image is from "Dreams du Jour," and I colored it (rather sloppily) with the aqua painter and then put some Crystal Effects on it. The stamped swirls are from "Baroque Motifs," and they are stamped with Pacific Point Classic ink on the Pacific Point card stock. I used SU's Mat Pack and the white gel pen to create the faux stitching on the Kiwi Kiss layer behind the stamped image.

UBER EXCITED ABOUT DECOR ELEMENTS & BIG SHOT!!!!!

Okay . . . I hate that word "uber," too, but it was the first word that came to mind when I completed this project. How about if I just say that I feel a heightened sense of euphoric interest in the Big Shot, Sizzix, Decor Elements, and decorating with vinyl! That's better, huh? I've had this boring candy jar sitting in my stamp room for a long time, and today I had a bright idea of what to do with the complimentary Decor Elements design that SU sent to me. I applied the flowers to the jar and then applied the circle, dotted frame to the lid. I then removed the actual "frame" and left only the dots on the lid. How cool, huh? For the swirly design going around the jar, I put on my clever hat and used . . . of all things . . . the center of the "Flourish Frame" Decor Elements that was left over after I put the border of the frame on the wall in my stamp room. In place of the solid Chocolate Chip portion inside the frame, I put the "Create" Decor Elements definition. You can see this on my blog somewhere . . . it was done last month. Anyway, I knew I had kept that vinyl for "something," and today it was put to good use. I cut a portion of that left over vinyl, laid it on the Swirly Decorative Strip die, ran it through the Big Shot, and VOILA!!!!! . . . a swirly vinyl border for my candy jar!!!!! Yes, I'm so excited and love how this turned out! SU's new product lines are truly opening many creative doors for all of us!

ANOTHER "BIG SHOT" EMBOSSED SAMPLE

In this sample, you can see the white swirly cut-out which is the main purpose for the "Swirly" decorative die. BTW, did you know that the decorative strip dies are 2-1/4" x 12"? Perfect for scrapbook borders, cards, etc.!Above the white swirly cut-out, you can see the awesome swirly embossing created with that same die! I love that embossing can be achieved with ANY of the dies that SU sells! I'm working on two cards now where I'm actually using the swirly cut-out and will post them when completed.

HOLIDAY CARD

It's never too early to think of holiday cards, right? Well, I wasn't really planning to make a holiday card today--it just turned out that way. I was playing with the "Swirly" decorative strip die and the Big Shot, and I wanted to use the swirly cut on a project. It just looked kind of "holidayish" to me. The poinsettia (from SU's "Pick a Petal" stamp set) is a bit of a stretch, but it turned out okay. The designer papers are from SU's brand new "Bella Rose" series, and the card base is Kiwi Kiss. The center of the poinsettia is a half-circle that's been glittered with SU's Chunky Sprinkles. I used the new Scallop Edge punch on the Kiwi Kiss designer paper layer, and the Crimper was used on the leaves. The swirly cut layer is actually the negative (cut away) part of one of my "play efforts," and I thought it would add a bit of charm to my card! There are so many ways to use the new dies that SU carries, and I look forward to demonstrating ALL of those creative uses!

YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST (MAYBE)

Just in case I forget to show you later, this dry-embossed image was created with the Big Shot using a self-made stencil. This is yet another AWESOME thing that you can do with the Big Shot! Remember the mailbox that I decorated on Saturday . . . pictured below? Well, I used the same die to cut the vinyl decorative elements for the mailbox that I used to do the dry-embossing on this card stock! Once I get my SU exclusive dies, I'll demo this technique for you!!!

GREETING CARD BOX

When I walked in the stamp room this morning (yesterday morning, actually), my intention was to get the room tidied up, clean off my desk, and make this box. Here it is 2:00 a.m., and I just completed this project. I cannot believe how BIG this box is! I swear, it's perfect for recipe cards, and I don't mean those tiny index cards! Best of all, this wasn't a really difficult box to make. It's supposed to have a ribbon handle, attached with jumbo eyelets on the very top of the box, but I was afraid a handle would cause the box to fall open--especially if it's loaded with as many cards and envelopes as it will hold! Besides the possibility of holding recipes, this box is a great size to hold photographs or your sketches for scrapbook pages, project ideas, etc. I have heard that the "Summer Picnic" designer paper will be in the new catalog, so that's why I chose to use it! BTW, the big ugly black strips on my box are the magnetic closures. I know they lack visual appeal, but they were the strongest option I could think of. ;-)

VINYL CUT WITH BIG SHOT!!!

Waiting for the new catalog and new stuff to play with is so hard! Today, I decided to cut some vinyl with a Sizzix Bigz (steel rule) die. Wowza!!! That stuff cut like a dream! I didn't know what else to do with it, so I grabbed a mini mailbox and adhered the cut vinyl to it. How cool is this???? Yes, it looks like "Coca-Cola" should be written on it somewhere, but this is such an easy project! SU will be selling vinyl (which has adhesive on it) to use with the Big Shot, but that's about all I know at this point. I can tell you that I've also cut fabric (suede) with this same Bigz die! I don't sew, though, so I didn't have a plan for it after I cut it. Ha! BTW, the butterfly on the mailbox door was cut with a thin Sizzlits die, so heads up . . . they cut vinyl, too!!

IT'S MY PERSONAL "BIG SHOT" HANDBOOK

And do you know what that means?????? SU has partnered with Sizzix and will be selling the Big Shot die cutting machine and EXCLUSIVE dies that coordinate with other SU products/images. How awesome is this???? I will finally get to demo a die cutting system! The Big Shot and dies will open a whole new realm of options for your creations--cards, scrapbook pages, home decor, etc., and some of the dies will cut shapes/designs from card stock (of course), fabric, chipboard, foam, and other assorted media. My handbook isn't very thick, but it includes the sales brochure of available products for the Big Shot, as well as how to use various dies. I don't have any of SU's exclusive dies yet, but I used some of the Sizzix (border and alphabet) dies that I already own to decorate the cover of my handbook. I glittered the letters that spell BIG SHOT but, for some reason, they just look shiny in the picture. SU had their annual convention in Utah this week and unveiled a host of new products and exciting things to come! I didn't attend convention, but my level of excitement must be on the same level as those who attended. SU is an awesome company--one that NEVER sits back and considers their job complete. The company is always looking to bring innovative ideas and products, and they are certainly delivering with the 2008 Fall/Winter Collection which goes into effect on August 11th. NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO START/JOIN A HOSTESS CLUB SO YOU WON'T MISS OUT ON ANY OF THE AWESOME NEW GOODIES THAT STAMPIN' UP! HAS IN STORE!!